The four soon met up on a quiet street nearby.
Yuji Itadori spotted Madara rounding the corner first and immediately waved and shouted excitedly.
"Madara-senpai! Over here!"
Madara walked toward them, his steps steady and his expression calm. His clothes fluttered slightly in the night breeze, giving no sign that he had just been on a hunt.
"Madara-senpai!" Itadori rushed up to him, his amber eyes full of urgency and anticipation.
"How did it go? Did you catch Mahito? Did he..."
Madara stopped and looked at Itadori, then at Junpei, who stood behind him looking just as anxious.
And at Kento Nanami, who stood with his arms folded and a serious expression.
Then he raised his right hand and casually flashed a peace sign.
"Taken care of."
Those few words instantly made Itadori's eyes widen.
"Really?!" Itadori's voice rose an octave with excitement. "That's Madara-senpai for you!! You're incredible! That guy... is he really dead?"
Junpei also stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly, hope and fear mingling in his eyes.
"Is Mahito... dead?"
Madara looked at Junpei and nodded.
"Of course," he said. "With him that badly injured and weakened, it was easy for me. He couldn't escape, and he couldn't survive."
Kento Nanami adjusted his glasses. His gaze lingered on Madara for several seconds behind the lenses before he slowly spoke, his voice steady and sharp.
"In other words," Nanami said, enunciating every word clearly, "you possess the ability to attack souls, just like Itadori. Correct?"
Madara turned toward Nanami without denying it. "Of course. Otherwise, I couldn't have killed Mahito."
Nanami fell silent for two seconds, then pressed further, more directly than usual.
"How much more are you hiding, Madara?"
Madara raised an eyebrow and looked at Nanami with some surprise. "You seem a little... confrontational today, Mr.