"Maybe I should go up there after all?"
Fushiguro Megumi and Gojo Satoru were sitting on a bench beneath the building. There weren't many people passing by—perhaps this place had long since become deserted.
"No need, three of them are more than enough," Gojo replied calmly. He hadn't originally planned for Hayashi to go up, but since he insisted, Gojo let him.
"This test is mainly for Nobara. The other two are just support. Though, it's hard to say who's really supporting whom." Gojo leaned back against the wall, staring up at the pale blue sky, his thoughts a mystery.
By this time, Hayashi had already reached the top floor. The building didn't have a rooftop, but the top floor was his target.
"Why is he moving so fast?" Nobara Kugisaki frowned. "Why's he so eager?"
"How should we search?" Itadori Yuji asked, knowing Hayashi had gone to the upper floors. Now only the middle and lower floors were left for them to search.
"Let's split up. I'll check the middle, and you take the lower floors. Hurry up so we can go eat sushi in Ginza," Nobara waved dismissively.
"Wait a second, let's be serious. Curses are dangerous," Yuji warned, but he quickly noticed that Nobara's expression turned dark.
Sure enough, in the next moment, Nobara charged down the stairs and kicked Yuji square in the chest. He spun in the air and crashed to the ground face-first.
"You were just a normal person a little while ago. Who gave you the right to lecture me? Now go!" Nobara huffed and stormed back upstairs, not caring if Yuji was hurt by the kick.
Yuji picked himself up, rubbing the sore spot. "What's wrong with this woman!?" he yelled after her.
"That's why you have no luck with women, idiot!" Nobara's voice echoed as she disappeared up the stairs.
Yuji blinked. "Wait, how do you know I don't have luck with women?"
At that moment, Yuji sensed something behind him and instinctively swung his blade.
Squelch!
A curse had appeared—one with four legs and two arms. Yuji had just sliced off one of its hands.
"Chuckle... Do you want a receipt...?" the curse sputtered in a creepy, broken voice.
While Yuji began fighting, on the other side of the building, Hayashi had already found the largest curse.
"Hey, kid, come here," Hayashi called out to a child hiding behind some cardboard boxes. The room was filled with mannequin molds.
The child was curled up, trembling in fear—whether from fright or something else was unclear.
But in a place like this, it was most likely fear. Seeing the child wouldn't come out, Hayashi walked over himself.
Even after Hayashi brought the child out, the curse didn't show itself. Hayashi sneered, "You're not even using your only hostage? Then you've lost your chance."
In the next instant, Hayashi spun and kicked one of the cursed mannequins. His cursed energy armor covered his leg—no need to use Black Flash every time he fought a curse.
Boom!
The mannequin flew through the air, its head shattered by the kick. Hayashi knew this mannequin curse was only one of the smaller ones. The bigger one was still around.
Raising his right foot, he stomped on the ground, sending out a wave of cursed energy. The curse hiding underground immediately burst out.
It was a furry curse, with a brown beard covering its entire face, and eyes located outside its head, like a shark's—eyes sticking out from the sides of its head. What was that called again?
"Straw Doll Technique: Hairpin!"
Whizz! Whizz!
Two nails, imbued with cursed energy, flew and pinned the curse's arms to the wall, leaving it unable to escape.
Hayashi turned quickly to see Nobara standing at the door, hammer in hand. "Looks like you can't handle this one. Don't push yourself, let me take care of it."
"Hold on, don't steal my kill!" Hayashi quickly stepped in front of Nobara, shoving the child toward her. "Your job is to watch the kid now!"
"Are you underestimating me? And what do you mean, stealing your kill? Since when does this curse belong to you?" Nobara looked at the child, who seemed hesitant to get closer to her.
"Coming near a beautiful lady like me should make you happy," Nobara muttered, glancing down at the trembling child, clearly scared.
"Guh...uhhhh..." The curse groaned in pain, its arms nailed to the wall, completely immobilized. It now regretted not using the child as a hostage earlier.
"I already told you, let me exorcise this curse so we can get this over with," Nobara said, wanting to push the kid away and finish the job. The sooner they were done, the sooner she could have sushi.
"You're all here?" Yuji arrived, seeing the curse pinned to the wall while Hayashi and Nobara seemed to be arguing about something.
"You're just in time. Take the kid," Nobara said, pushing the child toward Yuji so she could focus on the curse.
But Hayashi wasn't going to let her steal his points. These were handed to him on a silver platter—he'd be a fool not to take them.
In a flash, Hayashi charged at the curse. The curse, seeing Hayashi rushing toward it, trembled in fear but couldn't move. All it could do was watch as Hayashi approached.
"Hayashi, you!" Nobara shouted as she realized what was happening, but Hayashi was already in front of the curse. He raised his leg and stomped down.
Azure Black Flash!
Boom!
A thunderous sound echoed as the curse's head exploded, purple blood spraying across the walls, staining them.
[Killed a Grade 4 Curse, earned 8 points]
[Killed a Grade 3 Curse, earned 32 points]
"Yes!" Hayashi shouted in excitement. The points from the two curses he'd just killed were credited to him, though the first one gave fewer points.
Still, together they added up to 40 points.
Yuji and Nobara stood there, stunned by Hayashi's brutality. He had blown the curse's head apart!
Yuji was slightly less shocked, but Nobara felt sick. And now, she realized that Hayashi had stolen her thunder.
"Hayashi! I'm not done with you!" Nobara huffed and stormed off down the stairs.
"Don't be mad! I was just speeding things up so you could eat sushi sooner," Hayashi called after her with a grin.
"You're not even the one paying, so shut up!" Nobara snapped as she walked away.
"Fine, I'll pay," Hayashi said, feeling good after earning points. What was a little sushi?
Nobara paused mid-step, a smile creeping onto her face. "You said it—don't forget."