The gunshot tore through the hall's deathly silence.
The rapidly spinning brass bullet carried a scorching rush of air straight toward Riko Amanai's temple.
Through Qingxiao's dynamic vision, the bullet's trajectory slowed, every tiny detail coming clearly into view.
His expression did not waver. He calmly raised his right arm, his fingers drawing together naturally. A moment before the bullet touched his skin, his palm closed firmly around it.
"Clink-"
A faint metallic tremor sounded, stopping in his palm.
Scorching heat seeped through his flesh. Qingxiao lightly ground his fingertips together, twisting the hard brass bullet out of shape, then casually tossed it beside his feet. It rolled a few paces before stopping.
Footsteps slowly approached from the hall's entrance. They were not heavy, yet each seemed to tread on the heart.
A tall man slowly entered the solemn Tombs of the Star Corridor. His black clothes were dusted with dirt and fine scraps of grass from the woods, his trouser legs flecked with blood, yet not a trace of cursed energy fluctuated around him.
But with every step he took, the oppressive weight in the air deepened, more suffocating than any cursed spirit Qingxiao had ever seen.
It was Toji Fushiguro, who had just been fighting Satoru Gojo in the woods.
Suguru Geto's pupils contracted. His usually composed voice was filled with shock as he demanded sharply, "How did you follow us here? Where's Satoru?!"
They had deliberately erased all cursed residue throughout their journey, and the barrier around the Tombs of the Star Corridor isolated every trace of cursed techniques. By all rights, tracking them should have been impossible.
A smile curled at the corner of Toji Fushiguro's mouth. With both hands in his pockets, he swept his gaze over the three of them and said offhandedly, "Satoru