In the dark alleys of Dogenzaka, the smell of blood was nauseatingly thick.
Toji held the Inverted Spear of Heaven in one hand, the cold glint of the blade reflecting Haruta's face, which was twisted in extreme terror.
"Don't... don't come any closer! I'm..."
The sickly smile Haruta took pride in had long since vanished without a trace. He propped his hands against the muddy ground, desperately shrinking back.
The brief exchanges just now had completely shattered his sanity.
The man before him had not a shred of Cursed Energy, yet he was so fast that even Shunta's dynamic vision couldn't track him. His strength was even more exaggerated—a single punch could break several of his ribs.
If not for the "Miracles" stored under his eyes being passively triggered to take the fatal blows for him, he would have been turned into a pile of mush by now.
Toji stopped in his tracks and looked down at the Special Grade Cursed Tool in his hand.
He had intended to use the Inverted Spear of Heaven to pierce this guy's heart and be done with it. However, the property of the Inverted Spear of Heaven was to forcibly nullify all Cursed Techniques. Once it struck, Haruta's "Miracle" technique would be instantly erased, and he would die immediately.
"Killing you directly seems too easy for you."
Toji casually stuffed the Inverted Spear of Heaven back into the mouth of the Inventory Cursed Spirit, who was wrapped around his neck.
"Boss gave the word. He wants to strip you of all your miracles and let you experience the ugliest death possible. Since I've taken the money, I naturally have to pay attention to the quality of my service."
Toji cracked his knuckles, the joints making a popping sound like firecrackers.
Seeing Toji put away his weapon, Haruta didn't feel lucky. Instead, a chill ran from the base of his spine straight to the top of his head.
"You... what are you going to do!"
Bang!
Toji's figure closed in instantly, and a heavy swing of his fist slammed squarely into Haruta's cheek.
Haruta's body spun three or four times in the air like a top before slamming heavily against a nearby red brick wall.
The wall cracked, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood mixed with broken teeth.
Another black stripe beneath his eyes disappeared.
"Four left."
Toji coldly announced a number and strode forward, grabbing Haruta by his signature blonde ponytail and lifting him bodily off the ground.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Haruta let out a shrill scream, struggling frantically with his hands and feet.
Toji showed no mercy, raising his right knee and slamming it into the other party's abdomen.
Crack!
Accompanied by the sickening sound of internal organs rupturing, another stripe disappeared from under Haruta's eyes. Immediately after, Toji grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head against the ground.
Boom!
A crater was smashed into the bluestone pavement.
"Three."
This one-sided violence was less a battle and more a pure slaughter.
Haruta, a twisted Curse User who took pleasure in slaughtering the weak, finally experienced the despair of being crushed like a bug in the face of absolute violence.
He was severely injured time and again, only to regain consciousness under the repair of his "Miracles," only to endure the next bout of fatal agony.
Just as only one black stripe remained under Haruta's eyes—
A sudden rush of footsteps came from the entrance of the alley.
"Nitta-san! Be careful, the smell of blood here is very strong, and there's a distress signal from an Assistant Supervisor!"
Accompanied by a young girl's voice, two figures rushed quickly into the dark alley.
Leading the way was Nobara, wearing her Jujutsu High uniform and holding a small hammer and several nails.
Following behind her was Nitta Akari, an Assistant Supervisor in a black suit with an anxious expression.
The two had originally received intelligence that an outer-perimeter Assistant Supervisor had been attacked and were ordered to provide support.
But when they rushed into the alley and saw the scene before them, both of their footsteps froze in place.
The bodies of several Jujutsu High Assistant Supervisors lay scattered across the ground. In the center of the pile of corpses, an extremely burly man with a scarred face was holding a blood-covered blonde Curse User who was no longer recognizable as human.
The blonde Curse User's limbs were bent back at twisted angles, his bones clearly shattered, and he was twitching in the man's hand.
"Hey..."
Nobara tightened her grip on her hammer, her eyes fixed on the scarred man.
The moment she saw his face clearly, her breath hitched.
That face, the beast-like drooping corners of his eyes, and that arrogant, indifferent demeanor.
"Fushiguro...?"
The name escaped Nobara's lips subconsciously.
But she immediately realized—no! Although they looked extremely similar, Megumi definitely didn't have such a terrifying physique, nor did he possess that thick bloodlust that seemed to crawl out of a mountain of corpses.
Most importantly, she couldn't sense even a trace of Cursed Energy from this man.
Hearing the voice, Toji turned his head slightly and glanced at the two girls who had suddenly intruded with his peripheral vision.
"Jujutsu High brats?"
Toji looked away with a lack of interest. He was currently a bodyguard hired by Yamada. Since the boss hadn't given any orders, he couldn't be bothered to care about the lives of these newcomers to the Jujutsu World.
However, the moment Haruta, who was being held by Toji, saw Nobara and Nitta Akari, his previously glazed eyes suddenly exploded with a frantic desire to survive.
Jujutsu High people!
As long as people from Jujutsu High were there, he could use the opportunity to escape!
Haruta let out an ear-piercing shriek, managing to forcibly burn the last bit of Cursed Energy in his body. His body twisted violently, and he wrenched himself free from Toji's grip.
He scrambled on all fours toward Nitta Akari, who was standing at the alley entrance.
"Damn it! Block this maniac for me!" Haruta's face was hideous.
At some point, a spare knife hidden in his sleeve appeared in his hand, and he lunged straight for Nitta Akari's face.
"Nitta-san! Get back!"
Nobara turned pale with fright and immediately raised her hammer, wanting to activate her Straw Doll Technique to pin the Curse User down.
But Haruta was too fast and the distance was too close.
Nitta Akari was stunned by the sudden attack and stood frozen in place.
Just as the knife was about to slash Nitta Akari's throat...
"How annoying."
Toji's right arm jerked, and the Chain of a Thousand Miles wrapped around his wrist shot out, accompanied by a sharp sonic boom.
Puff!
The chain pierced through Haruta's back with unerring precision. The sharp hooks shredded his heart before erupting from his chest, bringing with it a long spray of warm blood.
The last black stripe under Haruta's eye flickered once and then went out completely.
The "Miracles" were exhausted.
His lunging body suddenly stiffened in mid-air, and the knife in his hand fell with a clang at Nitta Akari's feet.
Haruta looked down, staring blankly at the cold chain piercing through his chest. A large amount of blood foam welled up in his mouth, and finally, his head tilted to the side as he breathed his last.
Toji jerked his wrist, retracting the Chain of a Thousand Miles.
Haruta's corpse hit the puddle like a pile of mud, never to move again.