"You are the youngest among the jujutsu sorcerers who have come, and the one who speaks the most clearly. But you will stay here," the purple curse spirit said with a twisted smile, its mouth sewn shut, making it even more unsettling.
"Heh, I'm different from the other sorcerers that came before me. If you think otherwise, you're underestimating me," Hayashi replied confidently. Although he couldn't yet fully match a special-grade curse, he wasn't completely helpless. He was eager to test the gap between himself and a special-grade curse.
"You may be young, but your arrogance is large. Humans only speak the truth when they're about to die," the purple curse spirit said before vanishing from its spot.
"So fast!" Hayashi's expression changed as he immediately activated his Cursed Energy Armor. A blue aura of cursed energy wrapped around his body, resembling the armor of ancient soldiers.
Facing a special-grade curse, Hayashi couldn't afford to take any risks. If he didn't activate his armor immediately, he might not have another chance.
Bang!
In the next instant, the purple curse slammed Hayashi, sending him flying through several office desks, smashing them into pieces.
"Even with the cursed armor, that still hurt." Hayashi stood up, realizing that although his cursed armor absorbed some of the impact, it wasn't enough to fully protect him from the curse's power.
The purple curse spirit seemed surprised. Normally, a jujutsu sorcerer would be dead after that hit, yet this young sorcerer had managed to withstand it.
Meanwhile, the office workers continued typing away at their desks, oblivious to the intense battle happening around them.
Hayashi didn't have time to think about their behavior. The purple curse spirit charged again, its speed beyond human reaction.
"If it's just a physical fight, I'm not afraid of you," Hayashi said, reacting swiftly with a punch.
"Azure Black Flash!"
Boom!
Hayashi's fist collided with the curse spirit's, and with a sickening crack, the curse's wrist broke.
"Huh?" The purple curse spirit looked stunned, not believing that a human had broken its wrist.
Taking advantage of the moment, Hayashi kicked the curse spirit in the gut, releasing another Azure Black Flash.
The curse spirit was sent flying, crashing through several windows before landing on a sofa, shattering it under its weight.
But it wasn't long before the curse spirit stood up again. Though it had been hurt, these blows weren't enough to bring it down. Hayashi hadn't expected two Black Flashes to kill a special-grade curse, but seeing it nearly unscathed still made him uneasy.
"Of course it's a special-grade curse." Hayashi thought of something and asked, "Did you consume a special-grade cursed object, a finger of Sukuna?"
"Who said Sukuna's fingers are the only special-grade cursed objects?" The curse spirit got back on its feet. It seemed to understand a bit about Hayashi now, seeing that he was different from the previous sorcerers, but not overwhelmingly stronger.
"I see, you must have gained strength from another source. After all this time absorbing resentment and energy, it's no wonder you've grown so powerful. I can't let you continue to exist," Hayashi said, realizing that if this curse was left unchecked, it would become a massive threat in the future.
"Young jujutsu sorcerer, you've experienced too little. You're no different from these office workers. They'd rather sacrifice their lives for a meager income than enjoy true health and happiness. Just like you, you could have had a bright future, but now you'll throw your life away here."
The purple curse suddenly raised its hands and said, "Domain Expansion!"
"Not good!" Hayashi's face darkened as he sprinted toward the building's windows. He didn't care how many floors up he was—he just had to escape.
But it was too late. The curse's domain quickly enveloped Hayashi, trapping him inside its expanded space.
"Steel Jungle."
Hayashi found himself standing on a hard metallic surface, full of dents and cracks. Surrounding him were towering steel skyscrapers, and above him was an endless void of darkness. The entire domain was filled with towering metal structures, looking both solid and oppressive.
Hayashi hadn't expected the curse to have the ability to expand a domain. If he had known, he wouldn't have come here. A special-grade curse with a domain expansion was on an entirely different level than one without.
"I might not make it out of this one," Hayashi thought, though he possessed a vast amount of cursed energy, he couldn't yet control all of it. Much of his potential was still locked away by his own limitations.
At this moment, Hayashi had few reliable moves. Aside from Black Flash and his Cursed Energy Armor, he had no other techniques, and he hadn't yet learned any advanced jujutsu.
Hayashi had been planning to head to Tokyo to study powerful jujutsu techniques. He was confident that with his special abilities, he could master jujutsu quickly.
But now, before even making it to Tokyo, he had encountered such a situation. To be honest, Hayashi had been overconfident, thinking that he could handle curses weaker than special-grade with ease.
In reality, the moment he encountered this special-grade curse, he should have left immediately. It was only after the fight began that he realized the curse had a domain.
"It's midnight, and no one can save you here. Just like the office workers, you'll die in this steel jungle called the workplace," the purple curse said as it waved its hand. Steel beams shot out from the towering buildings, aiming straight at Hayashi.
Hayashi dodged as quickly as he could, his training paying off as he moved with agility. But no matter how fast he dodged, the beams kept hitting him.
"Is this what they mean by guaranteed hit?" Hayashi's face darkened. He had thought that only cursed techniques would be guaranteed to hit within a domain, but here it seemed even physical attacks were inevitable.
His Cursed Energy Armor absorbed some of the cursed energy from the steel beams, making it a bit sturdier, but the damage Hayashi was taking was immense. He was already starting to struggle.
"I have to get close to him." Hayashi had figured out the problem. In this curse's domain, it could effortlessly manipulate the steel beams to attack him, and the attacks were guaranteed to land. The only way out was to defeat the curse itself.
Although he knew it would be difficult, Hayashi couldn't think of any other solution. If he didn't bring down the curse quickly, it would be his own life that was lost.
Cursed energy surged through Hayashi's body as he charged toward the purple curse. In such a short distance, Hayashi pushed his speed to the limit, reaching the curse within seconds.
Boom, boom, boom!
Suddenly, walls of steel beams shot up from the ground, blocking Hayashi's path and separating him from the curse.
"Even if you're invincible in your domain, I'm going to break through!" Hayashi gritted his teeth and punched the steel wall in front of him.
"Azure Black Flash!"
Boom!
A massive hole appeared in the steel wall, but just as quickly, another wall of beams rose up, as if there was no end to them.