The setting sun completely sank below the horizon. The last lingering light dyed the sky an ambiguous purplish-red. The shadows in the neighborhood became denser, as if about to swallow the three Zenin family sorcerers lying unconscious on the ground.
The cynicism on Gojo Satoru's face completely receded. He walked up to the sorcerer whose knee was thoroughly destroyed, his Six Eyes flickering slightly as he probed carefully.
"Tch, ruthless hand indeed, Nagi."
He clicked his tongue, but no blame could be heard in his tone; instead, there was a trace of appreciation. "Internal knee structure is a mess, comminuted ligament tear, cartilage worn like it's been used for a hundred years. Even with the best Reverse Cursed Technique treatment, he'll suffer enough on rainy days in the future. Perfectly avoided fatal injuries but left a permanent souvenir... This control, amazing."
Geto Suguru also walked over, looking at the other two unconscious sorcerers, brows slightly furrowed: "This feud with the Zenin family is thoroughly settled now. Although they attacked first, the Big Three Families are best at confusing right and wrong."
"Afraid of what?"
Gojo Satoru snorted disdainfully. "Just a bunch of old fogies. Good time to tighten their skin, let them know not everyone can be touched casually."
He looked at Nagi. "However, the follow-up needs to be clean."
Nagi nodded; he understood Gojo Satoru's meaning. He walked to the sorcerer with the heavy abdominal injury, squatted down, vermilion pupils glowing slightly.
"'Vermilion Eyes'... memory fragment reading." He muttered to himself, gently placing a finger on the sorcerer's forehead.
This wasn't a powerful technique but an application of the "Vermilion Eyes'" ultra-high perception. It could capture some of the most intense recent memory fragment images when the opponent's consciousness was weak.
Fragmented images flooded Nagi's mind:
—A dim room, a figure with unclear face but emitting an uncomfortable aura...
—The figure's low bewitchment: "...Opportunity to wipe away shame... Family glory... He's alone..."
—And, most importantly, an extremely weak Cursed Energy residual characteristic precisely captured and memorized by Nagi's "Vermilion Eyes"—a special Cursed Energy aftertaste like rotting fruit belonging to that behind-the-scenes instigator!
Nagi opened his eyes abruptly, cold light flashing within. Indeed, someone instigated it!
"How is it? Found clues to the mastermind?" Gojo Satoru asked immediately.
"A blurry shadow, and a special Cursed Energy scent." Nagi stood up, answering calmly. "They were pawns lured here intentionally."
"I knew it!" Gojo Satoru snapped his fingers. "Those idiots from the Zenin family are arrogant, but not in such a rush to throw away lives. Seems someone wants to kill with a borrowed knife, or... probe your strength." His Six Eyes also scanned the three sorcerers, confirming: "No other tracking or surveillance technique traces on them, purely discarded pawns."
"So what now?" Senior Utahime looked at the mess on the ground, somewhat at a loss. "Can't just leave them here, right?"
"Of course not." Geto Suguru smiled, a trace of fox-like cunning in that smile. "Since someone wants to watch a show, we'll help them 'clean up' the scene, and by the way... return a gift."
He stepped forward, hands forming seals, Cursed Energy surging around him.
"Come out, 'Hidden Shadow'."
A Cursed Spirit with a strange appearance, like a fusion of a giant chameleon and shadows, was summoned. It hissed, crawling toward the three unconscious sorcerers, secreting some special mucus covering them. Soon, their figures and auras began to blur extremely, almost merging with the environment.
"'Hidden Shadow' can temporarily hide them and eliminate most Cursed Energy residual traces." Geto Suguru explained. "I'll have another Cursed Spirit 'send' them back to the edge of the Zenin family's sphere of influence. By the time they are discovered, it will be hours later."
This was undoubtedly a warning. Telling the Zenin family the matter was exposed and we handled your people, while avoiding leaving direct evidence on scene for a counter-bite. More importantly, hinting to the opponent—we know you were used as guns.
"Perfect~" Gojo Satoru nodded in satisfaction. "Enough to give those old guys a headache for a while."
After dealing with the Zenin family people, everyone's gaze turned again to the distant high-rise rooftop.
"So..." Gojo Satoru twisted his neck, azure eyes under sunglasses flashing with cold light. "Time to meet that true 'audience' hiding head and showing tail."
"He should have left already."
Nagi spoke suddenly, vermilion pupils looking in that direction. "The moment you looked over, that feeling of prying disappeared instantly. Very decisive, no traces of spatial movement left, like cutting off a connection." "Vermilion Eyes" perception far exceeded ordinary people; he captured that extremely brief fluctuation of connection being cut.
"Cut off connection?" Geto Suguru was thoughtful. "Shikigami? Or some remote observation technique?"
"Regardless of which, it shows the opponent is cautious and cunning enough."
Gojo Satoru curled his lip. "Tch, runs really fast. But since the fox tail is shown, there will be a time to catch it. That special Cursed Energy scent, I memorized it."
Although the main peeper escaped, today's conflict wasn't fruitless. Nagi thoroughly vented his anger, verified his strength, and grasped a trace of the mastermind. Simultaneously declared to hidden enemies—Mukyoku Nagi is no longer that rookie to be probed and manipulated at will.
"Let's go."
Gojo Satoru put hands back in pockets, returning to that lazy look. "Show's over, trash cleaned, time to go back~ Utahime, everything seen today is confidential~ Especially someone's date details~"
"Shut up! Who wants to remember those!" Utahime blushed again.
Nagi took a last look at that pitch-black high-rise rooftop, imprinting that special Cursed Energy residual characteristic deeply in his mind. Then, he carefully held that thoroughly cleaned ugly-cute doll, following everyone's steps.
Night fell quietly, shrouding the neighborhood where strife just ended, as if nothing happened.
But in unknown darkness, a pair of more cautious, greedier eyes might be continuing to watch their backs through other means. The hunting game had just begun. And prey forced to bare fangs early were often more dangerous.
(On the way to High)
Geto Suguru suddenly remembered something, saying to Nagi: "By the way, Nagi, that doll... not planning to give to Shoko?"
Nagi looked at the small doll in hand, silent for a moment, then answered very seriously: "...Stained with dust and bad aura. Next time, win a new one."
Gojo Satoru burst out laughing: "Hahaha! Log opened up but not completely!"
<><><><><><>
Read Advanced Chapters on: patreon.com/Anna_N1
~Every 150 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]