"Honestly, you youngsters never let an old man like me relax. Too much emotional stress can shorten lifespan…"
Seeing that the three of them were safe and that the two special grade cursed spirits had already been exorcised, Gakuganji finally let out a sigh of relief.
While feeling impressed by how quickly the younger generation was growing, he could not help but admit something to himself. He really was getting old.
"In that case, why not just retire while you have the chance? Doesn't Fushiguro always say it? Leave the new era to the younger generation."
Mei Mei rested her long axe on her shoulder and, for once, spoke to Gakuganji about something like this.
Through her Black Bird Manipulation technique, she had clearly seen what he did earlier. Even though he was the leader of the conservative faction, as a sorcerer who protected others, he had fulfilled his duty.
His actions had not actually changed the outcome, but the fact that he was willing to risk death to create a chance for Kyoto was enough to earn respect.
"Don't get cocky, youngster. I'm not that old yet."
Though he admitted it in his heart, he refused to say it aloud. Instead, the sound of his guitar rang out as dozens of wind blades shot toward Juzo.
Juzo: ?
Clang! Clang! Clang!
He had already thrown one of his axes earlier, so now he only had a single weapon left. He could only block attacks while desperately dodging.
"Seriously, stop wasting time here."
Todo picked up a broken brick from the ground. Cursed energy spread across it, clearly preparing to use the same trick again.
"Hey, hey, hey! That's not fair!"
Juzo immediately panicked at the sight. He shouted loudly, the arrogance he had shown previously completely gone.
Normally he acted fearless, but that depended on the situation. If he did not know his opponent's strength, he would definitely shout something like, "I'll turn you all into my creations," before rushing forward alone.
But the current situation was different.
That old man alone had already caused him plenty of trouble, and the wallet and bone club he had set his sights on earlier seemed even stronger than that old man. In this case, running away was the only option.
The problem was that escaping from this kind of encirclement was impossible.
It was all that damn Mukuro Fushiguro's fault. Even after being sealed, he was still causing trouble.
Clap!
Unfortunately, Todo had no interest in listening to his pointless struggle. His hands clapped, and Juzo instantly switched places with the broken brick.
"Your life ends here!"
Since he had already witnessed Todo's technique, he was mentally prepared. The moment his body was transferred, Juzo gripped the axe tightly with both hands and swung it toward what he thought was the easiest target, Gakuganji.
Surrender?
Absolutely impossible.
Slash!
Bright red blood splashed through the air.
What fell to the ground were Juzo's arms, still gripping the axe handle.
At the same time, Noritoshi, still in the Flowing Red Scale state, stepped forward and slammed a punch into his face, sending him flying.
"Ah! That hurts! It hurts!"
After a brief delay, intense pain rushed through Juzo's body like a flood. He screamed and rolled on the ground, unable to stop as blood poured from the severed arms.
"Leave him alive!"
Afraid that Mei Mei or Todo might accidentally kill him, Gakuganji quickly stopped them. At a moment like this, a living curse user was far more valuable than a dead one. At the very least, they needed to know who their enemy was and what their plan might be.
"Don't worry, Principal Gakuganji. Killing a curse user costs extra."
Mei Mei casually flicked her axe, shaking the blood off. The elegant warrior instantly returned to being the greedy money lover she normally was.
"Cutting off limbs without killing anyone; Mei-san's methods really do resemble Fushiguro-sensei's, don't they…"
Looking at the severed arms still warm on the ground, Noritoshi could not help but think of Mukuro.
He rarely saw that man fight, but he had often heard stories about how he dealt with enemies. If there was a reason not to kill them directly, he would leave them wishing they were dead instead.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Dragging the axe across the ground, sparks flying, Mei Mei walked straight toward the Prison Realm embedded deep in the ground.
At this moment, all its eyes had closed again. Only the blood and tears on the ground silently told the story of what had happened inside.
"Mei-san, are you planning to split it open? That's impossible. This is the special grade cursed tool, the Prison Realm."
After everything settled, Utahime, who had been hiding like a small hamster, hurried over to her side. She looked at the small cube on the ground, then glanced at the axe in Mei Mei's hand before giving a friendly reminder. She was worried her friend might numb her arms from the impact.
"You're underestimating me, Utahime. If you remember that, how could I possibly forget?"
Mei Mei crouched down and reached out to pick up the Prison Realm.
The special grade cursed object that had been unbearably heavy earlier now felt completely weightless.
She lifted it easily.
"Damn it…"
From another direction, Juzo glared with bloodshot eyes as his wounds were treated and his legs were restrained. When he tried to take it before, it had been so heavy even special grade cursed spirits could barely lift it.
Now that everyone on his side had been defeated, it had finally finished processing the internal information.
Was the Prison Realm messing with him?
"Take the Prison Realm to Tokyo and find Master Tengen. Perhaps he might know how to break the seal."
Gakuganji stroked his beard and offered a suggestion.
"No. Even Master Tengen might not have a solution. But here in Kyoto, there is one man who definitely will."
"Who?"
Hearing Mei Mei's words, everyone looked toward her.
"The other Tyrant of the Fushiguro family."
* * *
Tokyo, Shibuya Station
Nanami's mobile squad.
Time returned to the moment just after Satoru and Mukuro had been sealed.
"What did you say?"
Nanami frowned, seeming unable to believe what he had just heard over the phone. The call lasted about a minute.
"Contact the other squads. We're preparing to enter the curtain immediately."
After hanging up, Nanami looked at Ino and gave the order.
"Did something happen?"
Behind him, Megumi sensed that something was wrong.
"The call was from Mei-san. Fushiguro was sealed in Kyoto by the Prison Realm. She suspects Gojo may have suffered the same fate."
Nanami adjusted his goggles. "From here on out… it will be up to us."
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