The eve of the storm

[Mythical Beast Amber]

Although the Inverted Spear of Heaven could interrupt its activation, this form did not actually fall within the scope of a normal [Cursed Technique].

Strictly speaking, it was an evolution of a conventional cursed technique, a skill classified as [cursed technique release].

As Hajime Kashimo's ultimate trump card and killing move, Mythical Beast Amber could convert all his cursed energy into lightning governed by the laws of physics once activated.

With a new body constructed from lightning, Kashimo not only gained every property of lightning during his cursed technique release, but also received enormous boosts to his speed, defense, reflexes, and strength.

His formidable physique, combined with the various special abilities he gained by becoming lightning and his Charge Cursed Technique, which guaranteed a critical hit upon contact, made Kashimo the sharpest spear in the world until his cursed technique release ended.

But that came at a price.

Once Mythical Beast Amber ended.

Kashimo would die.

The price of converting his flesh into lightning was irreversible disintegration.

Though thunderclouds could supply Kashimo with an endless stream of energy and cursed energy, they could not sustain his steadily dwindling life energy, which could not be replenished.

This drawback had already become apparent when he fought Sukuna in his previous life.

Without the support of Reverse Cursed Technique, Kashimo could never defeat Sukuna, whose endurance and cursed energy reserves were maxed out, by relying solely on Mythical Beast Amber's pitifully short duration and explosive power.

Therefore, finding a way to extend Mythical Beast Amber's duration, or learning how to deactivate it, was Kashimo's top priority...

Now.

He had found it.

Kashimo stood amid a sea of flowers that had completely withered after Hanami's cursed technique drained their life force.

Reverse Cursed Technique ran at full power. Even though the Inverted Spear of Heaven had ended Mythical Beast Amber early, the side effect of bodily disintegration still plagued him.

Clenching both fists, Kashimo looked down at the hands that had landed "Black Flash." Although Black Flash had restored the output efficiency of his Reverse Cursed Technique, he was now having trouble concentrating his usual electrical cursed energy-

Sparks burst between his fingers. Kashimo's cursed energy output was now less than ten percent...

"You really gave me a good time. For a cursed spirit, reaching this level is enough to make the trip worthwhile."

His heart, which had been pounding furiously with the thrill of battle, gradually settled.

As the lightning markings at the corners of his eyes faded, Kashimo began sensing the chaotic, feeble flow of cursed energy in the air.

[Hanami] had not fled far. If Kashimo wanted to finish Hanami off, he was perfectly capable of doing so.

But he did not.

His objective for this operation-to learn Reverse Cursed Technique-had already been achieved during that full-power "Flower Offering: Falsehood."

Driven into a corner, Kashimo had grasped the essence of Reverse Cursed Technique the instant his left arm was completely annihilated by cursed energy. Converting his lightning cursed energy into blood to reconstruct his body, he swiftly chanted the incantation and activated [Mythical Beast Amber].

"Ten seconds. This body can only sustain cursed technique release for ten seconds."

Throughout the battle, Kashimo had kept track of the time every movement took.

His current physique was still nowhere near the minimum standard he had envisioned, so Mythical Beast Amber could only last ten seconds.

If he exceeded that limit without interrupting it with the Inverted Spear of Heaven...

Even with Reverse Cursed Technique running at full power, he might not survive his body's rapid disintegration...

"Enjoy yourself while you can. The next time we meet, you won't be so lucky."

Kashimo spoke. Hanami had already escaped, but the cursed energy and plant spores Hanami left behind still lingered in the air.

Hanami could not die yet.

At least, not now.

Hanami still needed to play a major role in the events to come. If Kashimo killed Hanami now, he could not be sure what sort of butterfly effect it would trigger.

"Phone... contacts... this should be it."

Turning his head, Kashimo took this era's communication device from his pocket. Looking at the pedestrians gathered around the mother who had lost her child, he knew he needed to report this incident to Jujutsu High.

The general public could not be allowed to learn about cursed spirits.

That was the first thing he had learned after his rebirth.

"Two special grade cursed spirits? And both were intelligent and had domains?!"

In Jujutsu High's secret underground training ground, Megumi Fushiguro was somewhat shocked by the news.

But in that moment of surprise, the cursed energy output that had kept his shikigami summons stable suddenly weakened. [Divine Dog: Totality], which had just leaped up to attack, sank back into the shadows with a soft pop.

"Don't get distracted. If you keep this up, anything could disrupt your control over cursed energy when you face a real enemy."

Satoru Gojo tapped Fushiguro on the head with a book. By the time Fushiguro turned to locate him, the flippant man had already returned to his lounge chair.

"Don't the higher-ups at Jujutsu High have anything to say? Two special grade cursed spirits-that's no small matter..."

Fushiguro muttered, but his hands kept forming signs, and his cursed energy output did not stop.

Gojo's secret training for Fushiguro was actually very simple:

Apply pressure.

Normally, Fushiguro summoned shikigami by pouring in enough cursed energy to meet the summoning requirements all at once.

In many cases, whenever he came under pressure-an enemy attack, a change in his surroundings, or an emotional fluctuation-he would instinctively forget to adjust the amount of cursed energy used to summon his shikigami, resulting in waste.

Gojo's solution was to keep interfering with Fushiguro's summoning from the sidelines while forcing him to summon each shikigami at its minimum cursed energy threshold and use it in battle.

Whenever Fushiguro's cursed energy flow became chaotic or slipped out of control, Gojo would mercilessly send him flying with Limitless.

He fell, then fell again.

Until a few days ago, Fushiguro had been stuck in a constant cycle of falling and being sent flying.

Only today had he managed to summon shikigami with the minimum amount of cursed energy under relatively mild outside interference and use them to attack Gojo...

"The higher-ups don't even want to hold the Goodwill Event for us. You expect them to believe these unsubstantiated [rumors]?"

Gojo leisurely flipped through his book. Every claw strike Divine Dog: Totality launched at him was blocked by Limitless without exception.

"Your cursed energy's out of order."

Even behind his sunglasses, his azure eyes caught Fushiguro's tiny mistake.

Without the slightest hesitation, Gojo raised a hand and sent Fushiguro flying into the wall.

Given the information Kashimo had relayed and the traces an assistant supervisor had confirmed at the scene, Gojo was not entirely unconcerned.

But the threat posed by special grade cursed spirits was not what worried him.

He worried that his students would not have time to grow...

"Nanami, we need to pick up the pace."

"Take Yuji on a mission tomorrow. You can investigate that area for signs of special grade cursed spirit activity while you're at it..."

Gojo spoke quietly into his phone. He turned to check that Fushiguro was still concentrating on controlling his cursed energy and attacking him with shikigami, then nodded in satisfaction.

The news of Yuji Itadori's "death" had been the driving force behind Fushiguro's constant pursuit of strength.

Until Fushiguro completed his transformation, Gojo had no intention of telling him that Itadori had come back to life...

The threat drew near.

It seemed they were running out of time.