Chapter 180
"He finally came? Who are you talking about, Kiriya-san?"
Yuta looked completely lost.
"The boss of this whole arc, of course."
Kiriya answered as casually as if he were discussing the weather.
"Special-grade sorcerer Suguru Geto."
Yuta’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"WHAT?!"
His shout almost blew the roof off the classroom.
"Th-This is bad! Kiriya-san, we need to call for help right now, or we’re in serious danger!"
"And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
Kiriya calmly rose from his seat.
"The Curtain blocks communications. Your phone won’t work."
"Then... aren’t we going to die?"
Yuta’s emotions surged so violently that Rika was already beginning to stir.
Kiriya firmly slapped a hand onto his shoulder.
"Calm down. I’m here."
There was something strangely reassuring in his voice.
Yuta immediately steadied himself and looked up at the boy who was barely any older than he was.
"Listen carefully. In a moment, I’m going to teleport you somewhere else."
Kiriya’s expression became serious.
"The environment there should help suppress Rika. Stay exactly where I put you. Once this is over, someone will come and find you."
"But what about you?"
Yuta’s panic quickly turned into determination.
"You’ll be in danger. I should stay too! With Rika here, I can at least help you fight."
After spending time at Jujutsu High, Yuta had begun to understand just how powerful Rika truly was.
If there was ever a time that strength was needed, surely it was now.
"No, no, absolutely not."
Kiriya immediately waved him off.
"I’ll probably be fine on my own. If Rika comes out, that’s when things might actually become dangerous for me."
Rika was the temperamental Queen of Curses, and Yuta still could not control her properly.
If something went wrong, Kiriya might find himself attacked from both sides.
"But—"
"Enough! Stop worrying."
Kiriya cut him off with another wave.
"I’ve been preparing for this day for a long time."
Flying Thunder God marks had been placed throughout the school.
And three of his shadow clones had spent days gathering natural energy.
Everything was ready.
"I will win."
Kiriya gave Yuta’s shoulder one final pat, his confidence absolute.
...
At the entrance to Tokyo Jujutsu High, Geto walked through the gates at an unhurried pace.
He looked less like an invader and more like a man strolling through his own private garden.
’The Curtain is in place. No one inside can escape.’
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
’Rika Orimoto... today, you will finally belong to me.’
Geto raised his gaze toward the classroom buildings.
A vast mass of cursed energy shone there like a miniature sun.
It was the Queen of Curses he had desired for so long.
’Once I possess you, my goal will be closer than ever.’
The thought sent a thrill through him.
Then his smile froze.
The immense cursed energy he had been sensing—Vanished.
Completely.
No matter how carefully Geto searched, he could no longer detect even the faintest trace of the power he had come all this way to obtain.
"What happened?"
His eyes widened in fury.
"Where is Rika Orimoto? Where is Yuta Okkotsu?"
Geto snapped his head upward.
Kiriya stood casually atop a utility pole, looking down at him.
"Where did you hide them?"
"Somewhere you’ll never think to look."
Kiriya smiled.
"Want to know where? Beat me."
"You little bastard."
Geto’s face twisted with rage.
With a sweep of his hand, four special-grade cursed spirits appeared behind him.
The first was a one-eyed curse with a volcano-shaped head—Jogo, born from humanity’s fear of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Beside him stood the tall, broad-shouldered Hanami, one arm wrapped in white cloth, a curse born from humanity’s fear and hatred of forests and nature.
The elegant woman in ornate robes with the unsettling smile was the special-grade vengeful spirit Tamamo-no-Mae Incarnate, born from centuries of myth and legend.
The final curse was a small, round, soft-looking octopus creature—Dagon, born from mankind’s fear and resentment toward the sea.
One special-grade sorcerer.
Four special-grade cursed spirits.
Three of those spirits possessed intelligence, unique cursed techniques, and the potential to use Domain Expansion.
They could coordinate, cover one another’s weaknesses, and create far more danger together than any of them could alone.
The force assembled before Kiriya was terrifying.
"Hand over Yuta Okkotsu."
Geto’s voice was cold enough to freeze the air.
"Do that, and I may spare your life."
"Refuse, and I won’t show mercy."
Geto certainly admired Kiriya’s talent.
But Yuta—or rather, Rika—was far more important.
The Queen of Curses represented a virtually limitless reserve of cursed energy. If Geto acquired her, his plan would already be halfway complete.
His dream had never been this close to becoming reality.
He would not allow anyone to ruin it now.
"I already told you."
Kiriya remained completely calm despite facing a special-grade sorcerer and four special-grade curses.
"Defeat me, and you’ll get your answer."
If anything, he looked excited!
’Intelligent special grades...’
’I wonder how much energy they’ll give me.’
’It should be far more than an ordinary special grade.’
His gaze was far too openly hungry.
It was the look of a predator staring at prey—or a starving man staring at a feast.
Naturally, the four curses took offense.
Jogo reacted most strongly.
"Geto, may I kill this little insect?"
He pointed at Kiriya.
"Do anything you like, as long as he remains alive."
Geto’s expression had become dark and vicious.
He was genuinely furious.
"Understood."
Jogo sneered.
Flames erupted across his body as he launched himself at Kiriya like a falling meteor.
At Geto’s command, the other curses spread out and attacked from different directions, sealing every possible escape route.
Their killing intent filled the school grounds.
For a moment, Kiriya appeared completely surrounded.
Yet he stood motionless with his eyes closed, as though fear had paralyzed him.
’So much for the so-called genius.’
Jogo felt nothing but contempt.
He intended to burn Kiriya to ash in one overwhelming strike.
Thirty meters.
Twenty.
Ten.
Poof!
At that exact moment, in a hidden location far away, one of Kiriya’s shadow clones vanished in a cloud of smoke.
A vast quantity of senjutsu chakra crossed the distance and returned to his original body.
Sage Mode—activated!
Jogo’s flaming fist came within inches of Kiriya’s face.
Orange pigmentation suddenly appeared around Kiriya’s eyes.
His eyes snapped open.
Black pupils turned wine-red as three tomoe spun rapidly within each Sharingan.
Squelch. Squelch.
Agony erupted through Jogo’s entire body.
He froze in midair.
Looking down, he saw countless metal stakes piercing him from every direction, leaving his body riddled with holes as blood poured freely.
The pain sank into his bones.
’What... is this?’
The question had barely formed in Jogo’s mind before his consciousness plunged into darkness.