"Pfft!"
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Nobara Kugisaki held a hammer in one hand while rubbing her backside with the other, crying out in pain.
After a while, once she recovered, she looked around at their surroundings.
"So what now? Do we keep going forward?"
Sweeping her gaze across the endless darkness, she tilted her head toward the crouching Bai Jue.
"Wait a second!"
Squatting awkwardly and rubbing his backside nonstop, White Zetsu's ridiculous posture immediately earned him a look of disdain from Nobara.
"What's wrong with you, mama's boy?"
"A tough guy who supposedly cut down eight hundred special-grade curses… don't tell me you're scared of a little pain?"
White Zetsu's twisted expression froze. Gritting his teeth, he shot back, "Scared of pain?!"
"Call my little bro and ask him!"
"Back then, I took over a thousand slashes—didn't even blink once!"
Clutching his backside, White Zetsu forced himself to stand, putting on a tough front.
"Don't go accusing me, delinquent girl."
"Zetsu-san has never known what 'pain' even means!"
"Yeah, yeah~"
Nobara shook her head, her face full of exasperation.
"If you're not scared, then you go first."
"Mr. Tooooough Guy~"
"Hmph!"
White Zetsu puffed out his chest and said firmly, "You wouldn't understand. The deadliest danger always comes from behind."
"I'm staying at the back to protect a rookie like you. What, you think I'm scared?"
Nobara shook her head and strode forward.
Hopeless.
This idiot was beyond saving—showing off was ingrained in his bones.
Meanwhile, on the third-floor balcony of the juvenile detention center—
A figure stood there, with the same pale skin as White Zetsu, also humanoid in form.
But what differed was the overwhelming gap in cursed energy—and the completely undisguised, surging malice.
A special-grade curse stood just within arm's reach.
Its immense cursed energy suppressed both of them, freezing their movements.
Cold sweat covered his body as Yuji Itadori slowly moved his left hand toward the machete at his waist.
This blade had been given to him by Bai Jue as a cursed tool.
Clang!
A flash of cold steel—
The ferocity on Yuji's face suddenly froze.
Clatter!
The machete dropped behind them, hitting the ground.
Blood sprayed wildly from his severed wrist.
"Heeheeheehee!"
Seeing the confusion on Yuji's face, the grotesque curse clutched its cheeks and burst into manic laughter.
"So close. No escape now."
Snapping back to his senses, Yuji tore off his belt and tied it around his bleeding wrist, sweat pouring down his face.
Tension. Pain. Fear. And the instinct to survive.
Suppressing everything deep inside, he spoke in a low voice:
"Sukuna!"
"If I die here, you won't survive either."
"If you don't want to die, help me out!"
"I refuse."
A small mouth split open beneath Yuji's eye, laughing wantonly—Ryomen Sukuna.
"You've only eaten two of my fingers. Even if you die, I still have eighteen fragments of my soul out there."
"But kid, let me warn you."
"If you let me out—first thing I'll do is kill the brat beside you."
"Then the woman below… and finally—"
"That foul-mouthed curse—I'll tear it to pieces, then use your body to devour it bit by bit."
Sukuna's voice dripped with malice, sending chills straight to the heart.
Boom!!
The moment negotiations failed, the laughing curse suddenly attacked!
Golden cursed energy condensed into a ball the size of a basketball.
With nothing but raw power, it blasted a long trench into the ground.
Like a tank shell at point-blank range—both of them barely dodged, their ears still ringing.
"Fushiguro, go save Nobara!"
Yuji stared at the curse, his expression grave.
"Take her and run as far as you can. Then find a way to signal me."
"When that happens… I'll release Sukuna."
In the dark underground—
Nobara stood atop a pile of cursed spirit corpses, looking frustrated.
"Mama's boy, if you've got any tricks left, use them now."
She shook her last nail, sounding a bit dejected.
"If you don't, we're both done for."
White Zetsu shrank beneath the pile of corpses, his voice trembling.
"It's not time for me to make a move yet."
"Don't worry—I'll guard your back."
Looking up at the dozens of curses floating in the air, Nobara's expression darkened.
Honestly… before dying, she really wanted to smash White Zetsu's head in first.
With resentment, she tossed her final nail into the air and swung her hammer with all her strength!
"Straw Doll Technique—!!"
As she roared, the nail shot skyward, engulfed in deep-blue cursed flames!
Boom! Boom boom!
With that final strike—containing all her cursed energy—the airborne curses were wiped out.
Exhausted, Nobara stumbled and fell from the pile of corpses.
"At least you've got some conscience."
Landing in White Zetsu's arms, she spoke in a low voice.
The curses in the air were gone—but on the ground…
A curse with a mushroom-like head, covered in dense compound eyes.
Two around Grade 2 level—and several weaker ones trailing behind.
"Didn't think I'd die together with a mama's boy like you."
Nearly drained, Nobara forced herself to stand.
She had no weapons left.
And White Zetsu beside her was only at Grade 4 level.
Facing the approaching curses, she didn't even feel like cursing anymore.
"Nobara! White Zetsu!"
From the distance, Megumi Fushiguro's voice rang out!
Just as hope lit up in her eyes—
The nearest curse had already swung its claw toward her head.
The blood-red claw grew larger in her vision.
The curse's laughter rang sharply in her ears.
Too late.
A bitter smile touched Nobara's lips—she didn't even have the strength to dodge.
Bang!
A sudden force slammed into her, sending her flying toward where Fushiguro was.
Nobara's eyes flew open in shock.
"White Zetsu?!"
"I said it before… I won't let a curse ambush you."
Slash!
Seeing the head roll onto the ground—
Nobara, lying there, froze.
Her emotions became indescribably complicated, her pupils trembling.
That cowardly, boastful, big-talking Bai Jue…
"White Zetsu-senpai!"
Fushiguro, arriving a moment too late, went pale.
Even the usually calm Fushiguro couldn't believe it—
Someone like White Zetsu… actually used his life to save Nobara at the last moment.
Shock. Regret. Grief.
The two of them stared blankly at his headless body, their hearts in turmoil.
"AHHH!!!"
"Damn it!!"
"That mama's boy bastard!"
Gritting her teeth, Nobara struggled to her feet, rage blazing in her eyes like fire.
Boom!
Her exhausted cursed energy reignited—burning once more with deep-blue flames!
"I'll kill every last one of you!"
Her nails were gone. Her hammer broken in half.
Yet, bursting with renewed cursed energy—
Nobara charged forward, swinging her fists at the curses.
"Die!!!"