You might not die

[The only reason you had not immediately activated "Puppet Manipulation" was the woman in that Curse User's grasp.]

[Although she was only the maid responsible for looking after the Star Plasma Vessel, judging by the faint rise and fall of her breathing, she had suffered no fatal injuries and did not even have any obvious external wounds.]

[She was still alive, which meant she constrained your actions.]

[The Q Organization member visibly froze for a moment as he watched the dagger shooting straight toward his face.]

[He probably never dreamed that this refined-looking student in a Jujutsu High uniform would strike with such decisiveness and ruthlessness.]

[But he did not know that this seemingly merciless attack was precisely because he had crossed your bottom line.]

[Normally, you would not consider taking your opponent's life right from the start.]

[After all, even a Curse User possessed information and a Cursed Technique that held value to you.]

[But there was one exception: if your opponent threatened your life or was acting with the intention of killing you, you would also make eliminating them your first choice.]

[However, although he had briefly frozen, a combatant dispatched by the Q Organization to murder the Star Plasma Vessel would not be taken down so easily.]

[With the faint sound of a lighter's flint wheel turning, a ball of raging fire exploded out of thin air in front of him!]

[The blast carried scorching heat, violently knocking away "Asagirimaru" as it attempted to follow up and slamming it into the corridor wall.]

[You quickly activated "Phantom Parade" to read his Cursed Energy and, combining it with your previous information about that explosion, quickly gained a vague understanding of his Cursed Technique.]

[His Cursed Technique seemed not to create explosions themselves, but to control the direction and shape in which their energy was released.]

[As the smoke, dust, and flames from the explosion obscured his vision, you did not retreat. Instead, you lowered your body and used that momentary blind spot to swiftly close the distance between you.]

[As he watched your figure charge out of the smoke, a vicious gleam filled his eyes. He raised his palm toward you, his teeth grinding audibly.]

["I'll kill you, you little brat!"]

[Although you had not obtained all the information about his Cursed Technique, you knew that what he was doing now was preparing to aim it at you.]

[You decisively changed course, rolling straight into a room to the side whose door had been damaged by the massive explosion just moments earlier.]

["Don't run!"]

[Clearly, he had no intention of letting you go. He immediately kicked aside the obstructing door and prepared to unleash his Cursed Technique on you.]

["Where do you think you can... run...?"]

[Kekun's roar cut off abruptly.]

[In its place came the dull sound of a blade piercing fabric, slicing through muscle, and penetrating internal organs.]

[Crimson blood instantly spread across the abdomen of his spotless white military uniform, like a blooming flower of death.]

["Wha..."]

[The intense pain instantly made him lose control of his Cursed Energy. He turned his head in disbelief, trying to see who had ambushed him, but found no one there.]

[As Asagirimaru slowly twisted inside his body, the excruciating pain left him unable to muster any Cursed Energy, and he dropped to his knees with a thud.]

[Then he saw it: a doll around fifty centimeters tall, looking somewhat comical as it held a short blade nearly as long as its own height in both hands.]

[It was the Cursed Corpse you had secretly set down when he had activated his Cursed Technique and caused the earlier explosion. Only after he had focused his attention entirely on you and dropped his hostage had you controlled Wukong to pick up Asagirimaru and ambush him.]

[Holding Asagirimaru, Wukong handed it back to you.]

[Looking at the bloodstained parts of Wukong's body gave you something of a headache. You would have to clean it again later.]

[Gripping Asagirimaru, you drove it hard into the hand with which the man was attempting to form a gesture. He instantly let out a pig-like squeal, and you spoke coldly.]

["I'd advise you to behave yourself. Don't try any tricks with me."]

["You bas..."]

[Before he could finish, you increased the pressure of your grip, and the severe pain nearly broke him.]

[But soon, you did something that almost drove him to despair.]

[Using "Phantom Parade," you unleashed "Reverse Cursed Technique" to temporarily treat the injury on his hand, then stabbed down hard once more.]

[He was still reeling from the shock that you could use "Reverse Cursed Technique" on him when that searing pain dragged him back to reality.]

[Hurting him, then healing him, then hurting him again-at that moment, you looked like a demon from hell in his eyes.]

["I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"]

[At that moment, he seemed to have forgotten the pain. Instinctive fear overwhelmed everything, and he apologized to you over and over in terror.]

[You merely pulled out Asagirimaru, wiped the blood from its blade on his face, and spoke calmly.]

["Now tell me properly about Q, and don't breathe a word about what just happened. Otherwise... you might not die..."]

[At that moment, the words "might not die" inspired far greater fear in his heart than death.]

["I won't take part in this anymore! I'll stop being a Curse User too! And of course I'll leave Q!"]

["R-right, I'm going back to my hometown in the countryside to grow rice!"]

[About two minutes later, Suguru Geto returned to this floor with the Star Plasma Vessel, who wore a Renchoku Girls' Academy uniform. Sensing the Cursed Residue left behind moments earlier, he found the room you were in.]

[Suguru Geto looked in some surprise at the Q Organization member sitting upright in the corner, clutching the wound in his abdomen.]

[Then he saw you ignoring the Q Organization member as you examined the maid.]

[Suguru Geto asked in confusion.]

["Is it over? Is it really okay to leave the Curse User alone like that?"]

[After briefly using Reverse Cursed Technique on the maid, you turned to look at the Q Organization member and answered Suguru Geto.]

["It should be fine. He's quite willing to cooperate, aren't you?"]

[The Q Organization member named Kekun eagerly chimed in.]

["Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! I'll definitely cooperate!"]

[At this, Suguru Geto frowned slightly, instinctively feeling that the Q Organization member's reaction was somewhat abnormal, though he could not immediately put his finger on what was strange about it.]

[You held out your hands to Suguru Geto and said.]

["Is she the Star Plasma Vessel? Is she injured? Hand her over to me."]