A calm female voice rang out. A barrier of frost suddenly manifested in front of Choso's eyes, and upon contact with it, the blood surging through his veins froze completely.
Beyond the frost barrier, a girl with a doll-like face, dressed in monk's robes, stepped toward him one slow, deliberate step at a time.
The one who arrived was Uraume. She had accepted Kenjaku's command and come to Tokyo to assist Choso.
After all, she was someone from a thousand years ago. Uraume had her own pride. Though she followed Sukuna, she wouldn't so casually join hands with a Cursed Spirit.
The only one worthy of my loyalty is Ryoumen Sukuna...
The cursed spirit standing before her did possess a unique and powerful cursed technique, but Uraume wasn't the least bit impressed.
The Nine Phases of the Cursed Womb.
Before arriving, Uraume had already acquired detailed information.
She knew this was a hereditary technique from the Kamo clan, one of the Three Great Sorcerer Families.
But so what? Against her Ice Manipulation Technique, even the Kamo clan's cursed blood would freeze solid.
A special-grade Cursed Spirit born just a hundred years ago? Not worth her cooperation.
That thought filled Uraume with a sense of cold arrogance.
Though Sukuna had instructed her to assist, she felt her duties should be carried out independently, not reduced to cleaning up the mess of some hundred-year-old special-grade Cursed Spirit.
"You're sitting too high up, completely blind to your own standing."
Uraume spoke softly. With a casual wave of her right hand, the frozen blood scattered into icy powder and drifted to the ground.
At the same time, she raised her right hand to her lips, placed her index and middle fingers together, and kissed them gently. Her lips turned a deep purple instantly as intense frost surged from her mouth to her fingertips. An ice arrow then shot out from her fingers with a sharp whistle.
This was her answer. Uraume intended to end Choso with a mirrored approach.
Choso's eyes widened in horror. He hadn't expected the woman before him to possess such overwhelming strength. She had not only blocked his attack effortlessly, but counterattacked with brutal precision.
He attempted to use his Blood Manipulation again, but their cursed techniques shared a similar foundation. Her Ice Manipulation completely suppressed his Red Blood.
"Blood Manipulation: Blood Blade."
"Blood Manipulation: Blood Star."
"Ice Manipulation Style: Frost Dance."
"Ice Manipulation Technique: Absolute Zero."
Cursed Energy surged wildly as the two clashed. The leader of the Time Vessel Association, observing from the shadows, could barely conceal his shock.
In his mind, Choso was already an incredibly powerful Curse User. But now, a woman who could suppress him so effortlessly had appeared…
Why were they fighting?
The Time Vessel Association Leader didn't know the answer. But from his perspective, the newly arrived female sorcerer didn't seem to harbor any true killing intent.
Though clearly dissatisfied, she controlled her techniques precisely, as if she were trying to prove through this duel that she was the stronger one.
As Choso's body was pierced through by Uraume's ice blade, the battle ended with her decisive victory.
"This is the one I'm supposed to work with? Hah."
Uraume pulled the ice blade from Choso's chest, flicked off the blood, and a flicker of disdain flashed across her eyes.
Then, her figure vanished from the room, as though none of it had ever occurred.
If not for the frozen aura lingering around the walls...
What was that woman here for? Just to stab Choso? He's the most powerful bounty-class Curse User in the current black market, but he couldn't even touch her.
The Time Vessel Association Leader's eyes gleamed with excitement.
If such a powerful sorcerer could be brought in to help assassinate the Star Plasma Vessel, their success rate would surely skyrocket.
Since this strange woman hadn't killed Choso outright, the possibility remained.
The association leader hurried out from the shadows and rushed to Choso's side.
Right now, Choso was in a miserable state. The wound on his chest was regenerating, but Uraume's residual ice technique had drastically slowed his healing.
As the Time Vessel Association Leader approached, a fierce light flashed in Choso's swollen face.
To be seen in such a state by this man—how humiliating.
Just as he raised his hand to kill him, Choso's phone suddenly rang.
"Ding-ling-ling, ding-ling-ling!"
The sudden ringtone startled the Time Vessel Association Leader, who instinctively flinched as a chill ran down his neck.
Choso frowned. The only person who knew his private number was Itadori Kaori, who was currently in Shikoku. So the only possible caller was her.
That strange woman had clearly been sent by Kaori.
He took out his phone with a battered face and answered.
The Time Vessel Association Leader remained unaware that he had just brushed against death.
"Hello—"
Choso clutched his chest with one hand, reinforcing his cursed technique to accelerate his healing.
"Wow, you sound weak! Looks like Uraume already found you?"
"So, how was it? Just how strong is Uraume?"
Itadori Kaori's teasing voice came through the phone.
"So that doll-headed woman was sent by you?"
Choso grit his teeth, suppressing the irritation in his voice as he questioned her.
"Doll-headed girl? Hahaha, I suppose that's one way to put it. Yeah, I sent Uraume to assist you. But it looks like you didn't gain her recognition."
Far away in Shikoku, Itadori Kaori chuckled as she toyed with eight cursed tools in her hands.
"But don't feel bad. It's normal for Uraume to be stronger than you. After all, she's a lot older."
Choso's expression stiffened. A trace of doubt surfaced in his eyes.
Older than me? Could she be... another Special Grade Cursed Object incarnate? I've already lived over a century myself.
"Uraume lived in the same era as Sukuna. She was Sukuna's right hand. Losing to someone from a thousand years ago, doesn't that sound pretty reasonable?"
Kaori shrugged on the other end of the call, though her voice sounded more like a playful jab than a genuine explanation.
"Reasonable? So being ancient means you win by default? Don't mess with me. I'll pay her back for this. I'll beat her."
Choso refused to accept it.
(To be continued.)