Tokyo Jujutsu High, the forest behind the mountain.
Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, scattering flecks of gold across the ground.
Yuji Itadori slammed a fist into the last Grade 3 Cursed Spirit's head. Before the thing could even scream, it dissolved into black smoke.
"Whew."
He shook the cursed residue off his fist and turned to look the other way.
Toge Inumaki stood beside a tree stump a few steps away, the Harmony Box over his mouth catching a faint metallic sheen in the sunlight.
A Grade 3 Cursed Spirit was lunging at him. Inumaki raised his hand, his lips moving slightly.
"Get crushed."
Two words.
The cursed spirit burst under the pressure.
Toge Inumaki lowered his hand, the corners of his mouth curving beneath his mask.
"That was awesome, Inumaki!"
Itadori ran over, his eyes shining. "You made saying that look so easy!"
Inumaki tilted his head to glance at him, a quiet voice coming through his mask.
"This works well."
He reached up to touch the Harmony Box over his mouth, brushing his fingertips over its dark patterns.
"Teacher Wangchuan made it."
Itadori leaned closer to inspect the mask. It had a silver-gray metal frame, with straps on either side passing around the ears and fastening behind the head.
Its surface was densely covered in patterns that looked like engraved runes, occasionally flashing a faint silver-blue in the light.
"This really lets you talk normally?"
Inumaki nodded.
He turned the mask and pointed at the patterns on its surface.
"Daily Mode."
His voice was clear, without any discomfort.
"Ordinary speech won't activate Cursed Speech. Only words carrying cursed energy are recognized."
"And then."
"Cursed Speech Mode."
He casually spoke a single word toward a branch on a nearby tree.
"Break."
The branch snapped at his word,