JJK Jogoat 81 (Patreon)

Surface.

Kusakabe, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, swiftly drew the blade from his waist.

New Shadow Style: Batto Sword Drawing!

Accompanied by the sound of flesh being sliced, the spray of blood and the thud of a heavy object hitting the ground rang out simultaneously.

The Transfigured Human before Kusakabe was sliced in two on the spot, purple blood spilling all over the ground.

He sheathed his blade, but because the movement had been too abrupt, he accidentally aggravated his wounds, grimacing in pain.

Just then, a whistling sound suddenly came from behind him. Kusakabe whipped his head around, only to see a green Transfigured Human lunging to bite at his head.

Although he was about to be attacked, he felt not a shred of panic in his heart and called out, "Panda."

"Oi! I'm here!"

A black and white figure lunged out from the side, a large foot slamming hard onto the Transfigured Human's face before stomping it into the ground.

The Transfigured Human's arms transformed into sharp claws, stabbing into the black and white fur, but they failed to cause much damage, instead bouncing off the chubby flesh.

Panda exerted sudden force with the leg pinning the Transfigured Human's head, crushing it outright. He bared two rows of bright teeth and gave Kusakabe a thumbs-up.

"Don't worry, Kusakabe-sensei, I've got your back."

Kusakabe offered a forced smile but the feeling of unease in his heart grew increasingly intense. His body turned toward the direction he had entered, ready to flee at any moment.

Strange. Why do I feel so uneasy? Could something major be about to happen. I need to get out of here right now.

"Kusakabe-sensei, what's wrong?"

Panda noticed something was off with Kusakabe and came over to ask, concerned, assuming Kusakabe was in great pain due to his injuries.

That feeling of unease grew stronger until it consumed him. Kusakabe was terrified, sweat streaming down as his body trembled uncontrollably, to the point where he couldn't even keep the cigarette in the corner of his mouth.

Completely disregarding whether he would aggravate his wounds, he turned and ran toward the distance, not daring to stay where he was, shouting as he ran, "It's dangerous! Panda, let's run!"

No sooner had he spoken than the ground beneath their feet began to collapse, and the surrounding air temperature spiked by dozens of degrees in a single second.

Panda immediately sensed impending disaster and, daring not to hesitate for a second longer, scrambled, fleeing alongside Kusakabe.

"Kusakabe-sensei! Wait for me!"

In that very moment, the trembling ground collapsed abruptly.

In their terrified gaze, a massive pillar of fire shot straight into the sky, spanning hundreds of meters.

Feeling the terrifyingly immense Cursed Energy fluctuation emanating from it, Kusakabe's face beneath the bandages looked bad. He pumped his legs even faster, wishing he had an extra pair.

"Damn it! Why is there a Special Grade fighting here? This is no place for us to get involved, we need to get out of here!"

Panda's heart tightened, realizing that he was even slower than the heavily injured Kusakabe. Deciding to give up on running normally, he curled himself into a black and white ball.

The next moment, he began to roll rapidly, his speed surpassing Kusakabe.

Watching the black and white ball speed away, Kusakabe couldn't help but wave his hands and exclaim, but because his injuries were still quite severe, he grimaced in pain with every two steps. Yet he dared not stop.

Did he really think that pillar of fire reaching the heavens behind him was a joke? He'd probably be reduced to ash before he even got close.

After only a few seconds, a black and whiteball suddenly appeared in his field of vision, rapidly approaching him.

Huh? Isn't that Panda? Did he have a change of heart and come back to help me?

No, wait!

Kusakabe immediately realized something was wrong. The black and white ball was emitting continuous, shrill wails. Clearly, it hadn't rolled back on its own—it looked more like it had been kicked back.

Just as the black and white ball was about to collide with Kusakabe, a figure covered in black markings suddenly appeared before him, blocking the momentum-filled ball with a bare hand.

Who is this guy?

Feeling the incredibly vast Cursed Energy fluctuation from the person, Kusakabe didn't dare to look up, sweat seeping out from beneath his bandages.

Panda, stopped in his roll, looked at the man with scarlet pupils before him and didn't dare to act rashly. He, too, had sensed the Cursed Energy fluctuation on the man.

"Do not move. If anyone moves a muscle without my permission, I will kill them."

Sukuna patted the shoulders of the two, who were frozen like statues, his voice ringing in both their ears simultaneously.

Kusakabe's heart leaped into his throat. He could only curse his bad luck internally.

This guy's features... the pink hair is just like Yuji's and the black markings on his body...

Most importantly, this cold Cursed Energy...

Why is my luck so terrible? I actually ran into the King of Curses!

The moment they saw Sukuna appear, Kusakabe and Panda understood: Yuji had lost control again and Sukuna had taken over his body.

Sukuna looked down at his clothing, which was almost entirely incinerated and his skin, which was scorched in various places. His expression was extremely unpleasant.

This Cursed Spirit has some strength. It seems I should take this seriously. He can at least be considered a strong opponent, worthy of me getting serious.