"I must say, you are quite irritating when you talk. But your fate is set—it won't change, neither here nor in reality. You are destined to be exorcised by me!" Hayashi's cursed energy surged, and his Black Steel sword gleamed coldly.
"A cursed tool of considerable rank, coupled with your speed, you're quite troublesome. But..." Mahito thought with a grin, suddenly rushing toward Hayashi with his arms stretching out, aiming to grab him.
"This kind of attack is useless against me." Hayashi swung his hand, slashing with Black Steel, cutting off Mahito's elongated hands.
Suddenly, dozens of tentacles burst from Mahito's back, surrounding Hayashi to divert his attention.
The severed hand at Hayashi's feet sprouted Mahito's face and reached out to grab his leg.
"Idle Transfiguration!"
Hayashi's face changed. How had Mahito gotten under his feet?
"Cursed Armor!"
But it was too late. Hayashi felt a violent sensation of tearing and swelling. His eyes and mouth bulged, and his consciousness blurred.
...
In the real world.
Hayashi fell out of the mirror world, feeling dizzy. He stood up and patted his body, confirming there were no injuries.
[You have died in the mirror world. 100 points have been deducted.]
"I really died?" Hayashi stood in shock, frozen. Had he underestimated Mahito?
In that instant, he regained his composure. Recently, in the mirror world, he had grown too carefree, and it was time to rein himself in.
If he had used his cursed armor from the start, Mahito's Idle Transfiguration wouldn't have worked on him—it would've been blocked. But Hayashi hadn't expected Mahito's technique to be so strange, being able to create a person from his severed hand. He hadn't anticipated that.
If it was this dangerous in the mirror world, Mahito in reality would be even more aware of him. After all, Hayashi had already been introduced to the four special-grade curses, and they were all wary of him by now.
Things wouldn't go smoothly, but at least they didn't know all his tricks. They were aware of his Black Flash and his teleportation, but that alone wasn't enough to make them truly cautious. Still, enemies were always cunning, and Hayashi knew he needed to stay doubly alert.
Now, he only needed to keep an eye on Junpei Yoshino. Hayashi wouldn't reveal himself openly—his cursed energy spread could observe everything within a 300-meter radius. When Junpei gained control of his Shikigami, Hayashi would step in and save him at just the right moment. That way, nothing would go wrong, and both Junpei and Nanami Kento would be safe.
Such events could happen in the mirror world, but they couldn't happen in reality.
In the next couple of days, Hayashi constantly kept Nanami Kento within his 300-meter range, ensuring no one noticed him.
Today, Nanami Kento had gone into the underground sewers, trying to find Mahito's hideout and exorcise him.
"Even though these cursed creatures are 'aberrant,' killing still leaves me uneasy," Nanami said, wearing his usual formal white suit, a deep blue shirt underneath, and a brown-yellow tie with black dots. His well-defined face was framed by short, stylish blonde hair.
In his hand, he wielded his unique cursed tool, wrapped in black and white patterned cloth, resembling a butcher's knife. Though not sharp, it was heavy.
Adjusting his glasses, Nanami turned toward the darker side of the sewer. Footsteps echoed, growing louder. From the shadows, Mahito emerged, wearing a mischievous smile.
"Oh my, how wonderful. If Gojo Satoru had come, I'd be in trouble. But you're perfect for my experiments," Mahito said with his usual playful tone, grinning wide.
Nanami cracked his neck and placed a hand on it, saying, "I dislike working overtime, so let's get this over with."
In the next instant, Nanami charged at Mahito, swinging his cursed tool wildly. Mahito blocked the strikes with his bare hands, seemingly at ease.
As a first-grade jujutsu sorcerer, Nanami had honed his skill with cursed tools to perfection. Every attack was measured and precise, as if he had practiced countless times. Each swing was rhythmic and predictable.
On the other hand, Mahito, representing immense potential, had grown stronger through repeated battles, constantly recognizing his own weaknesses and improving.
Both were symbols of power, making this a battle between the strong.
Nanami reversed his cursed tool and aimed at Mahito's weak points, calculating the 7:3 ratio of his target's body to forcefully create vulnerabilities. His cursed tool slashed toward Mahito's arms.
"Splurt!"
Blood spurted out as Mahito stared at his severed right hand in shock. He lifted his arm, noticing that although his wrist was broken, his hand still dangled loosely, not fully detached.
"Huh? I thought I caught that with my cursed energy. Is this some kind of technique?" Mahito mused, seemingly unbothered by the damage.
"This 'kind of technique'?" Nanami pointed his cursed tool at Mahito. "I hate vague, abstract questions."
"Great! You're not one to hate conversation," Mahito responded with an innocent smile, like a child playing a harmless game.
Meanwhile, Hayashi stood on a rooftop nearby, keeping a close watch on Nanami's situation. If anything went wrong, he was ready to intervene. At this point, exposing himself didn't matter—the enemy already knew who he was.
Several minutes later, Hayashi sensed something off. Besides Nanami and Mahito fighting, a massive figure emerged from another dark tunnel.
It was huge, but its footsteps were quiet, suggesting Mahito was deliberately disrupting Nanami's hearing as they fought.
Meanwhile, Yuji Itadori was already engaging with Junpei Yoshino. That side of things seemed fine, and Hayashi didn't need to worry.
As Nanami and Mahito maintained some distance, a large face appeared on the ground. It was a cursed spirit Mahito had buried earlier, a pitiful, human-like face with tears streaming down its cheeks.
Seeing this face, Nanami suddenly remembered something Shoko Ieiri had told him.
'Humans who have been transfigured can't be saved. If you encounter one, don't hesitate—kill them immediately. It's the only way to show mercy.'
Remembering her words, Nanami hesitated for a moment, and in that instant, a giant hand grabbed him, lifting him into the air.
"Oh my, oh my! You've fallen into my trap!" Mahito's cruel smile stretched wide, laughing like a child who had just won a game.
The massive cursed spirit gripping Nanami had been modified by Mahito as a backup. It stood over three meters tall, its hands enormous, leaving Nanami suspended with only his head exposed.
"Why does this cursed spirit have such strength?" Nanami had been careless, but now he realized this cursed spirit's power was overwhelming, making escape difficult.
"Of course! It was modified from a first-grade jujutsu sorcerer. Though it's an imported and failed experiment, it's perfect for the trap I set for you!" Mahito gleefully approached Nanami, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
The air grew thick with danger, the smell of death looming closer.