The special grade curse clearly had intelligence, able to understand Hayashi's taunting words, though it didn't fully comprehend them.
At this moment, it stretched its body, releasing a surge of powerful cursed energy, seemingly trying to intimidate Hayashi.
"Stop spreading that nauseating, disgusting stench. Compared to that other curse, you seem to be a bit lacking," Hayashi remarked, thinking this special grade curse likely didn't know how to use a domain. If that was true, it would be much easier to deal with.
Swish!
The special grade curse suddenly lunged forward, moving at incredible speed, but Hayashi's cursed energy release allowed him to track its movements.
Just as its claws were about to strike Hayashi, an invisible barrier of cursed energy shattered, absorbing some of the impact before the blow reached his cursed energy armor.
With the force reduced, though Hayashi could feel the pain, it wasn't unbearable.
As the curse hit him, Hayashi grabbed its two arms, lifting his legs off the ground and kicking directly at its stomach.
"Azure Black Flash!"
Bang!
His first kick caved in the curse's stomach, but that wasn't the end. Using the curse's arms for leverage, Hayashi kicked again.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
On the fourth kick, the curse used its other two arms to grab Hayashi's head, preventing him from moving.
By this point, purple blood had begun to drip from the curse's mouth, indicating it had taken significant damage.
"Let go of me!" Hayashi twisted his legs upward and delivered another Azure Black Flash, kicking the curse's hands off his head and retreating to put some distance between them.
The special grade curse had been wearing a grin the entire time, treating Hayashi and the others as mere playthings for its amusement.
But now, it no longer found the situation amusing. It had suffered numerous injuries, and the person it once considered an ant was now a real threat—someone who might actually kill it.
Hayashi took a moment to steady himself, noticing the curse wasn't attacking. It seemed wary of him now. Plus, if it hadn't used a domain by now, it probably didn't know how to.
By now, Hayashi's cursed energy regeneration was much faster than before. Over the past few days, he hadn't just been lazing around at Jujutsu High—he had been training hard.
Compared to the time he faced the grade-one curse near the crematorium, he had improved greatly. Back then, he could manage six kicks. Now, his abilities had more than doubled.
Through practice and mastery, he could now deliver six kicks, take a short rest, and then deliver another six. Effectively, twelve consecutive kicks.
As long as he didn't get killed instantly, this special grade curse would have to suffer at his hands.
But now, Hayashi was more concerned about Fushiguro and Yuji. If the Cursed Womb: Finger Painting, really existed, it would be far stronger than the curse he was currently facing.
Meanwhile, Fushiguro and Yuji continued their search for Nobara Kugisaki, arriving in another open area. This space was brighter than the previous oppressive atmosphere, but it still carried an intense sense of danger.
"Nobara's not here. We need to move," Fushiguro said, sensing the danger and trying to leave.
But the next moment, a figure blocked Fushiguro and Yuji's path.
Both of them froze, unable to move.
"There's no mistaking it—this is another special grade curse!" Fushiguro's face turned grim. Hayashi had been right—there was indeed another special grade curse here. But how could there be two special grades in the same place?
Could this be part of some curse organization, or was there some deeper connection?
There wasn't time to think about that now—they had to move.
Sweat poured down Fushiguro's face as he realized they had to act before the curse made its move, or they would surely die.
Reflecting on it now, the previous special grade curse, while dangerous, didn't feel as overwhelming as this one. This one was much stronger. At least Hayashi seemed capable of handling the other curse, but now Fushiguro had to focus on the threat before him.
"Move, move, move!" Yuji Itadori willed his body to move. Hayashi was already dealing with one special grade curse—they couldn't afford to be defeated here.
Remembering his grandfather's dying words, Yuji finally managed to move his hand. He drew his cursed tool, Slaughter Demon, and swung it at the special grade curse in front of them.
This special grade curse's upper body resembled that of a human, with well-defined muscles and pale skin. It had four tiny eyes and a row of perfectly human-like teeth.
Its lower half, however, was encased in a spiral shell resembling a snail, like a fetus trapped inside. This was likely why it was called a Cursed Womb, evolving from an initial state.
Before Yuji's cursed tool could even make contact, the Cursed Womb casually waved its arm, slicing off Yuji's entire hand in a single motion. His severed hand flew through the air, landing nearby with Slaughter Demon still gripped in it.
"What...?" Yuji stared blankly at his bleeding, severed left hand, his mind going blank.
"Yuji!" Fushiguro yelled in panic. He understood the power of special grade curses, but seeing Yuji's hand cut off in an instant was horrifying. It was clear that this was a fight between life and death.
"We've already been drawn in this close. There's no escaping now," Yuji said with a grim expression. Using his teeth and remaining hand, he tied his weapon pouch around his severed wrist to stop the bleeding. "Hey, Sukuna! If I die, you die too. You don't want that, so help me out!"
"I refuse!" Sukuna's mouth appeared on Yuji's cheek, sneering. "Even if I die inside your body, I still have 18 other fingers out there. Besides, if I take over, I'll kill those two kids first before I deal with the curse. That girl, Nobara, looks like she'd put up a good fight."
"I won't let you!" Yuji gritted his teeth in determination.
"Oh really? But while you're busy arguing with me, your friends might not survive," Sukuna mocked.
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Yuji refocused on the real threat—the special grade curse before him.
The Cursed Womb took a deep breath, then suddenly exhaled forcefully. A blast of cursed energy, like a projectile, shot towards them in a flash.
The two managed to dodge just in time, only to see the ground behind them explode, leaving a massive crater.
"That wasn't a cursed technique—just a release of cursed energy," Fushiguro was dumbfounded. The sheer destructive power of the curse's raw cursed energy was overwhelming. There was no way they could win this fight. They were facing certain death.
"Fushiguro! Fushiguro, snap out of it!" Yuji called out to Fushiguro three times before he finally snapped out of his daze, his face pale as he looked at Yuji. He knew they were doomed. Against two special grade curses, they couldn't fight, and even escaping seemed impossible.
"Take Nobara and Hayashi and get out of here. I'll hold this thing off until you're clear. Once you're out, give me a signal, and I'll let Sukuna take over," Yuji said, his mind made up. He was prepared to make a sacrifice, knowing it was the only way for any of them to survive.