One Kick Kills a Cursed Spirit

"Should I go up after all?"

Fushiguro Megumi and Satoru Gojo sat on chairs beneath the building. Few people passed through the area; perhaps it had long since become this deserted.

"There's no need. Three people are enough," Satoru Gojo said blandly. He hadn't intended to let Lin Ran go up with them, but since Lin Ran insisted, he let him.

"This is mainly a test for Nobara. The other two are just support—but who's supporting whom is still hard to say." Satoru Gojo leaned back against the wall and gazed at the pale blue sky, seemingly lost in thought.

By then, Lin Ran had already reached the top floor. There was no rooftop in this building, but the top floor was his destination.

"How did that guy get up there so fast?" Nobara Kugisaki frowned. "He's awfully enthusiastic, isn't he?"

"How should we search?" Yuji Itadori knew Lin Ran had gone upstairs, so that only left the middle and lower floors.

"Let's split up. I'll search the middle floors, and you search below. Hurry up so we can go to Ginza for sushi." Nobara Kugisaki waved her hand casually.

"Wait, let's take this seriously. Curses are dangerous," Yuji Itadori said, only to notice Nobara Kugisaki's expression souring.

Sure enough, Nobara Kugisaki charged down the stairs the next instant and kicked Yuji Itadori. He spun once before landing face-first on the ground.

"You were an ordinary person not long ago. What gives you the nerve to lecture me? Get moving!" Nobara Kugisaki snorted and headed upstairs, not caring in the slightest whether that kick had hurt Yuji Itadori.

Yuji Itadori got up and rubbed the sore spot, shouting at Nobara Kugisaki's back, "I seriously don't understand what's wrong with you!"

"That's why women don't like you, idiot!" Nobara Kugisaki's voice grew more distant as she reached the floor above.

Yuji Itadori froze for a moment before asking Nobara Kugisaki, "How did you know women don't like me?"

Just then, Yuji Itadori sensed something strange behind him and spun around, slashing with his blade.

Pfft!

A curse appeared. It had four legs and two arms, and one of its arm-spikes was cut off by Yuji Itadori.

"Hehehe... collecting... receipts...?" Disjointed sounds came from the curse's mouth, chilling to hear.

While Yuji Itadori began fighting on this side, Lin Ran had already found the largest curse in the building.

"Hey, kid over there, come here," Lin Ran called to the child behind the cardboard boxes. Mannequins were scattered all around them.

The child huddled behind the boxes, trembling uncontrollably. Whether it was from fear or some other reason, Lin Ran didn't know.

But in a place like this, it was most likely fear. When the child still didn't come over, Lin Ran had no choice but to walk over himself.

Even after Lin Ran brought the child out, the cursed spirit still hadn't appeared. Lin Ran sneered. "You didn't even seize your only hostage. Now you don't have a chance anymore."

The next instant, Lin Ran swept his leg into a mannequin possessed by a curse. Cursed Energy Armor covered his leg, so he wouldn't need to use Black Flash every time he dealt with a cursed spirit.

After all, it was an extremely energy-draining move. The less he used it, the better.

Bang!

The mannequin was sent flying, its head shattered by the kick. Lin Ran knew the curse within that mannequin was only one of them; there was a bigger one here.

He raised his right foot and stomped the ground, releasing cursed energy. The cursed spirit hiding beneath the floor burst out instantly.

It was a furry-looking cursed spirit. Brown whiskers covered its entire face, while its eyes grew separately outside its head, like some kind of shark in the sea, with bulging eyes on either side of its head. What was it called again?

Cursed Spirit Sorcery! Hairpin!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two nails imbued with cursed energy pierced the cursed spirit's arms. It couldn't even run away and was pinned to the wall just like that.

Lin Ran quickly turned his head and saw Nobara Kugisaki standing in the doorway, holding a hammer in one hand. "Looks like you can't handle this thing. Don't force yourself. Let me take care of it."

"Wait, don't steal my target!" Lin Ran immediately stepped in front of Nobara Kugisaki and pushed the child toward her. "Your job now is to look after the kid!"

"Are you looking down on me? And what do you mean, stealing your target? Is this curse yours?" Nobara Kugisaki looked speechlessly at the child Lin Ran had pushed toward her. The child also seemed unwilling to get close to her.

"You should be happy to be standing before a beauty like me." Nobara Kugisaki looked down at the timid child, who seemed frightened out of their wits.

"Hehehe... urgh, urgh, urghhh..." The cursed spirit let out pained sounds. With both arms nailed down, it could no longer move. It even regretted not using the child as a hostage sooner.

"I said I'd exorcise this curse. Stop wasting time." Nobara Kugisaki wanted to push the child farther away. At this rate, when would they ever get to eat sushi?

"You're all here." The moment Yuji Itadori arrived, he saw the cursed spirit pinned to the wall, while Lin Ran and Nobara Kugisaki appeared to be arguing about something.

"Perfect timing. You can take care of this kid." Nobara Kugisaki pushed the child toward Yuji Itadori, intending to continue dealing with the cursed spirit herself.

How could Lin Ran give her that chance? These were Points delivered right to his doorstep. He'd be an idiot not to take them.

The next instant, Lin Ran charged at the cursed spirit. Seeing him rush over, it trembled in terror, but it couldn't move and could only watch helplessly as Lin Ran closed in.

"Lin Ran, you—!" By the time Nobara Kugisaki reacted, Lin Ran had already reached the cursed spirit. He raised his leg and slammed it down.

Blue-Black Flash!

Boom!

A thunderous impact rang out as the cursed spirit's head exploded, purple blood instantly spraying out and staining the surrounding walls.

[Killed a Grade 4 cursed spirit, obtained 8 Points]

[Killed a Grade 3 cursed spirit, obtained 32 Points]

"Yeah!" Lin Ran shouted excitedly. The Points for the two cursed spirits he had killed earlier had both come in, though the first one had given rather few.

Still, the two together gave him forty Points.

Nobara Kugisaki and Yuji Itadori stared blankly at Lin Ran. That was way too violent—he had blown the guy's head clean off.

Yuji Itadori was doing relatively fine, but Nobara Kugisaki felt a little sick. Then it hit her—this guy had stolen her spotlight.

"Lin Ran, this isn't over!" Nobara Kugisaki snorted angrily and headed downstairs.

"Come on, I was just speeding things up so you could get to eat sushi sooner," Lin Ran called after her with a grin.

"It's not like you're paying, so shut the hell up!" Nobara Kugisaki stomped downstairs in a huff.

"Fine, I'll pay." Lin Ran was in a good mood after gaining Points. What was a little sushi?

Nobara Kugisaki paused mid-step, a faint smile appearing on her face. "You said it."