Lu Ping shook his hand, brushing away the black residue of Cursed Energy clinging to his knuckles.
A slight burning sensation came from the web of my right hand.
That close-range self-destruction just now was as powerful as a high-explosive grenade.
Fortunately, the enhanced defense from the Cursed Energy was timely, and this minor injury did not affect the battle that followed.
He calmly looked around to confirm his current coordinates.
This is an old residential area on the outskirts of Chiyoda Ward.
The surrounding area consisted of low, detached houses with peeling paint and narrow alleyways.
It's about a 15-minute walk from here to Hoshimi Shrine.
The fragments of information in my mind began to rapidly reassemble.
This Masamichi Yaga suddenly issued a mission to subdue Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, located near the shrine: Shoko received an urgent call from the Jujutsu Headquarters and, coincidentally, took Qian Chun away at the same time; and just now, the strange barrier above Akihabara began to close up----
When all the coincidences come together, they cease to be coincidences.
Lu Ping's eyes instantly turned cold.
This was a trap set up specifically for him, a newly emerging member of the Ten Shadows, by a powerful figure in the upper echelons of the Jujutsu Headquarters, in collusion with Curse User from outside.
Following the approaching threads of Cursed Energy, a memory flashed back into my mind.
When they first met Kamo Chitsubaki, they had raided a Pan Star Religious Group underground den in the sewers where human experiments were being conducted.
Afterwards, he went back to the Jujutsu High to check the records and found that the person in charge of that den was none other than Mitarai Shizuru, Grade 1 Curse User had been involved in the black market for many years.
This person is also known as the [Binding Spirit Adept]. Innate Technique to manipulate these threads with special effects, which have a natural restraining and Binding Vow effect on Shikigami and Cursed Spirit.
The Curse User attacked Hoshimi Shrine Miwa Seigen, was a pure Shikigami user and knew nothing about scientific research experiments.
He is unlikely to be able to develop such an anti-human and aberrant technology as [Artificial Shikigami] on his own. On the contrary, it is very likely that Mitarai Shizuru, as an underground researcher, could do it.
A complete logical chain instantly closed in my mind:
Mitarai Shizuru mastered the technique of implanting the core of a damaged Shikigami into the human body through live experiments.
He then provided this technique to Miwa Seigen card and was eager for revenge.
The two worked together, one providing human bombs for attrition, and the other responsible for perimeter blockade and battlefield control.
The division of labor is extremely clear.
With two highly coordinated Grade 1 Curse User working together, this is definitely going to be a tough battle.
In a one-on-one situation, Lu Ping is absolutely confident of crushing his opponent; but in a two-on-one situation, there will be many more variables; and in a three-on-one situation, he will most likely choose to run away first.
Intelligence must be transmitted to the outside world as soon as possible.
Lu Ping pulled out his newly bought black flip phone from his pocket, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he edited the current battle situation analysis and enemy intelligence into a short message.
Before he could press the send button, the screen lit up. A new message popped up from Satoru Gojo.
"I'll be back at the Jujutsu High in the next couple of days, faster than expected, right? You didn't miss me, did you? (·ω)★"
Seeing the still-irritating declaration of his return on the screen, Lu Ping's tense nerves relaxed for a rare half-second.
The imminent return of the "strongest" member is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the Jujutsu High's morale.
But he didn't forget that he was on the battlefield. He decisively pressed the send button and then carefully put the phone into the shadows at his feet.
Just as the phone disappeared, "Whoosh!"
A silver thread, gleaming with a cold light, moved silently along the ground like a venomous snake, suddenly slicing across Lu Ping's eyes.
The bricks on the wall were silently sliced open like tofu, leaving a smooth, bottomless cut.
This blow made Lu Ping immediately realize that the noose on the outside was about to tighten around his neck.
Those threads are not merely a means of attack, but also the physical network of the barrier.
Once Mitarai Shizuru completes the encirclement, the entire neighborhood will become a completely sealed-off silken barrier.
Even if one possesses knowledge of Barrier Technique originating from So, it doesn't mean one can reach Faso's master-level Barrier Technique level in a short period of time.
If the seal meticulously prepared by the Grade 1 Curse User cannot be broken on this ever-changing battlefield, the consequences will be unimaginable.
You can't gamble.
Realizing that this place was not a good place to stay, Lu Ping made no further reservations.
He abruptly activated the white ribbon Cursed Tool wrapped around his ankle—[The Rabbit Escape's Snow Fleece].
A surge of Cursed Energy was injected into it, and the white fur instantly grew larger.
Lu Ping's figure left a blurry afterimage in place.
Using the super-fast mobility granted by this Cursed Tool, he transformed into a black lightning bolt, forcibly slipping through the gap between the two threads just before the net of silk threads completely closed.
In the blink of an eye, he had broken free of the original encirclement and disappeared into the shadows of another alleyway a few dozen meters away.
Damn it!
On the rooftop of a high-rise building hundreds of meters away, Miwa Seigen ripped off his tie and couldn't help but curse.
"How could he be so fast? Did the Zenin Clan help him subdue a new Shikigami, or did he activate some high-level Cursed Tool?"
The self-destruction of that [Artificial Shikigami] did not achieve the desired result.
On the contrary, he himself was currently suffering a severe backlash from the forced severing of his connection with the Shikigami's Cursed Energy.
This forbidden technology is incredibly powerful, but the price it comes at is equally devastating.
It not only consumes a huge amount of Cursed Energy, but also requires the caster to establish a deep life connection with the test subject in order to control it as easily as an extension of their own limb.
Each time he detonates a consumable, his maximum Cursed Energy is permanently reduced by a certain amount.
In the battle at Hoshimi Shrine, the three Shikigami he had painstakingly cultivated throughout his life were completely wiped out.
This time, in order to personally avenge his enemy, he has staked his entire future as Jujutsu Sorcerer.
On the other side.
Lu Ping leaned against the cold wall, completely blending into the shadows, his mind racing with tactical maneuvers.
Miwa Seigen, Grade 1 Curse User.
Although they lost their original trump cards and suffered a significant loss in combat power, they completely transformed into a war of attrition tactics after switching to Artificial Shikigami.
The enemy's ammunition quantity is currently unknown, and they are adept at micro-management and command from extremely long distances.
Mitarai Shizuru, Grade 1 Curse User.
The ability to manipulate silk threads poses a significant threat to Shikigami -type mages. While its melee capabilities are unknown, its battlefield control and barrier manipulation abilities are extremely strong.
These two wanted Curse User are usually lone wolves who occasionally cooperate with the Pan Star Religious Group to earn some extra money.
How did they suddenly become so well-coordinated this time?
Could this be a new wave of terrorist attacks planned by the Pan Star Religious Group?
Lu Ping quickly dismissed this conjecture.
A direct daytime attack on Akihabara, a densely populated core business district, would cause social panic and subsequent backlash that a non-governmental religious group relying on donations from ordinary people could not possibly withstand.
Moreover, the Pan Star Religious Group's modus operandi has always been to issue black market bounties to lure a large number of lower-level Curse User into carrying out multiple, unorganized suicide attacks.
The attackers are often in competition with each other.
Everything that happened to him today, from intelligence gathering and timing to personnel division and tactical deployment, was perfectly orchestrated.
Every step was executed flawlessly, demonstrating an extremely high level of collaborative combat capability.
There must be a third party behind this, responsible for coordinating intelligence and providing technical support.
A mastermind behind the scenes capable of making two proud and arrogant Grade 1 Curse User obey his every word.
Before confirming the presence of this potential "third party," the entire game must not be revealed.
We must retain enough backup plans to turn the tide.
Just as Lu Ping was formulating his next response strategy...
The sky suddenly darkened.
It wasn't dark clouds obscuring the sun, but rather a dense, suffocating crimson.
Lu Ping suddenly raised his head.
A massive hemispherical barrier, resembling an inverted crimson bowl, had risen up at some unknown time, completely enveloping the entire Akihabara area and several surrounding blocks.
The sensors on the streetlights were triggered, and they all lit up with a faint yellow light.
Looking at this enormous "tent" whose scale far exceeded common sense, Lu Ping's heart sank.
The distress message he sent from the shadows will most likely be blocked by this high-strength barrier.
The ability to silently and effectively deploy such a massive and stable barrier in the heart of a modern city is something no ordinary sorcerer could accomplish.
That was Barrier Technique of another dimension, truly at the level of a master.
Perhaps only the Special Grade Curse User could accomplish this in person?