One bound by Heavenly Restriction

Miwa Chisei sensed danger from this man who had no cursed energy at all. His words made it clear that he had come to capture her.

It probably had something to do with that "two hundred million for capture alive" bounty.

She swiftly plucked two hairs from her head, and red cursed energy wound around them.

As soon as he leaves the room, he will stand frozen in place.

Miwa Chisei recited the words silently as she ran to the stairwell. She glanced back and saw the man open her door and take his first step outside, only to freeze on the spot.

It worked. Could two hairs restrain him because he had no cursed energy?

Miwa Chisei frowned slightly. That did not match the intense sense of danger he gave off.

A moment later, Toji Fushiguro burst out laughing.

"What an interesting jujutsu."

Then Miwa Chisei felt her jujutsu being forcibly torn apart by brute strength.

It was neither cursed energy nor jujutsu. He had resisted her jujutsu with nothing but his body-and ripped it apart!

Her father had once told her that people like this were bound by "Heavenly Restriction." They were extremely dangerous to jujutsu sorcerers, who were accustomed to judging a person's strength by their proficiency in jujutsu and often misjudged those with Heavenly Restriction.

Without hesitation, Miwa Chisei bit open her index finger. Beads of blood welled up, bursting with cursed energy. Her speed instantly reached its peak, and she leaped from the fourth-floor apartment without a second thought.

I can't worry about being seen anymore. I need to get somewhere crowded!

A flicker of admiration crossed Toji Fushiguro's eyes.

What beautiful speed. She's already the fastest I've ever seen. Too bad I've never lost to anyone when it comes to speed.

The instant Miwa Chisei landed, her previously unruffled eyes finally wavered.

This man is practically as strong as Satoru Gojo!

The man appeared in front of Miwa Chisei almost at the same instant. Tilting his head, he smiled faintly and drew a tachi cursed tool from the mouth of the cursed spirit clinging to his shoulder. Its blade gleamed with a cold, black light and looked razor-sharp.

It was on the level of a Grade 1 Cursed Tool.

"All I can say is you're out of luck, little girl. You're worth two hundred million yen, after all."

Even a man this strong is after the bounty?

Before Miwa Chisei could finish that thought, the man had already charged right up to her. Almost without hesitation, she raised her hand and threw a powerful punch. Black lightning erupted, colliding with the cursed tool. The concrete ground around them caved in and crumbled, and frightened residents were already opening their doors to look outside.

"Was that an earthquake?"

If this keeps up, it'll cause a panic. And they'll get hurt.

Miwa Chisei frowned as she spoke.

"Just how fast can you go?"

She turned and started running again. Toji Fushiguro thought he saw a cut open on the girl's thumb as well.

She had already vanished, her speed increasing once again.

He turned his head to look at the ordinary people peering out from the apartments, and his lips curved upward.

So she's a girl with far too much compassion.

Not far from the apartments stood an abandoned commercial building. Construction had stalled long ago because of funding problems, and several people had jumped to their deaths there, so hardly anyone went near it.

Miwa Chisei knew she could not escape him completely. Her only option was to flee somewhere ordinary people would not get caught in the crossfire.

She had never expected to encounter an assassin of this caliber just days after her bounty was posted. Who on earth was this guy?

Her enhanced speed was already waning. Running clearly was not the best option. She might not escape even if she bled herself dry.

Miwa Chisei looked at the man before her, yet remained perfectly calm.

"Who are you? Now that you've caught up, you could at least give me your name."

Toji Fushiguro grinned and flourished the tachi in his hand, leaving a blurred afterimage.

"Hey, hey, hey. I'm not an idiot. I'm not about to tell someone from the Miwa family my name."

Miwa Chisei reached up, took off her sunglasses, and hooked them onto her collar. Her eyes were filled with gravity.

This man knows the Miwa family well. He clearly isn't some ordinary person. Could he be from the Three Great Families?

"Have even the Three Great Families sunk to living off bounties?"

Miwa Chisei probed him, not expecting the man's face to darken instantly.

"What an unpleasant girl."

Looks like I guessed right. Miwa Chisei considered the history and customs of the three families. For someone this powerful to have ended up on his own, there was only one rigid, draconian family he could have come from.

People without cursed energy are treated as worthless-the Zenin Clan.

"The Zenin Clan?"

Toji Fushiguro's lips curled into a faint smile, though he was thoroughly annoyed.

"How clever. All that fishing, trying to get a clue to my name out of me? Too bad. My surname isn't Zenin anymore."

With that, the man swung his tachi and flashed toward her. Miwa Chisei twisted aside almost simultaneously, as though she had predicted Toji Fushiguro's movement.

Toji Fushiguro was a little surprised. His gaze met those blood-red eyes.

"That level of cursed energy control... You must be the Miwa family's miracle after a century in the doldrums. No wonder someone's willing to pay a fortune to capture you. You really are a handful."

Despite his words, Toji Fushiguro's expression remained utterly relaxed.

Miwa Chisei understood that even if she could predict his moves, as time passed, her physical abilities would never be able to compete with his Heavenly Restriction.

Eventually, even if she knew how he would attack, she would have no way to dodge. This man was terrifyingly strong.

A drawn-out fight is absolutely out of the question.

I need to use a delayed declaration to boost my physical abilities as much as possible for a short time and kill him outright.

But what kind of sacrifice would it take to contend with a monster like this?

For a moment, Miwa Chisei felt frustrated. In some respects, the Miwa family's cursed technique seemed capable of doing whatever its user wished, but relying on sacrifices over and over was truly repulsive.

At least, Miwa Chisei found it repulsive. That was why she did not want to become an ill-fated jujutsu sorcerer.

But am I going to face mortal danger before I've even become one?

In the few moments Toji Fushiguro spent weighing his options, Miwa Chisei struck her own chest with her palm without hesitation. She spat out a mouthful of blood. Before it could hit the ground, it vaporized, transforming into an immense surge of cursed energy that flowed into her body.

Excitement gleamed in Toji Fushiguro's eyes.

"Why doesn't your Miwa family get friendly with the Kamo Clan? Your jujutsu is equally bizarre, after all."

Miwa Chisei wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. She was actually still in the mood to answer.

"Probably because one has to use it fresh, while the other can freeze it."

At the girl's answer, the corners of Toji Fushiguro's mouth twitched several times. Even the hand holding his tachi became a little unsteady.

This girl-should I call her interesting or deranged?