Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Times

In the forest, as Inumaki Toge neutralized a Curse using his Cursed Speech, Maki stood beside him, vigilant. What neither of them saw was that nearby, three figures were concealed: Mai Zenin, Mechamaru, and Miwa Kasumi—Kyoto's tactical strike unit.

They had seen everything.

Mai narrowed her eyes and whispered, "So it's as we guessed. That short white-haired boy's Technique is Cursed Speech."

"Good thing we didn't charge in head-on," she added, exhaling quietly. "We'd have been toast before we even realized what hit us."

Mechamaru's mechanical voice rumbled low. "Once identified, it's manageable. Keep a safe distance, force him to use his Technique repeatedly—it'll drain his Cursed Energy."

Miwa raised her hand nervously. "Uh, and me? I don't have long-range attacks…"

Mai smirked. "You're our failsafe. Let's tail them and prep our counter."

High above them, Momo Nishimiya soared across the canopy, riding her broom with practiced ease. Using her phone, she relayed visual and tactical updates from above, maintaining constant intel on both Tokyo's movements and the scattered Cursed Spirits.

But far below, in the dense brush, Shingen Genichi silently climbed into the higher branches of a tall tree. Eyes sharp, he watched the girl in the sky.

"…Ah, right. She can fly. But her output doesn't seem strong. I didn't bring Extermination, but maybe I can still take her out."

A shot of Cursed Energy gathered on his fingertips—condensed light pulsed, flickering faintly. Pure Cursed Energy attacks weren't ideal against strong foes, but they could knock out support units. His goal wasn't to harm her directly.

Just knock her off the broom. Simple.

He locked on. And casually whispered to himself—

"Bang."

[Time Wheel Spin]

Momo, from her aerial vantage point, suddenly felt an intense surge of Cursed Energy—her instincts sharpened. "Is it a Curse? No, wait…"

She spotted it. A faint shimmer of power from within the trees.

"Someone's aiming at me!"

She jerked the broom sideways. But a powerful gust tore through the air—CRACK!

The broom splintered. Her balance collapsed.

"What…?"

Her eyes widened. A section of her broom was gone, broken clean. She spiraled, desperately catching a branch to cushion her fall.

Panting atop the tree, she glanced at the lingering residue in the air. "I didn't even see the shot—how fast is it?! It must be speed-based. I have to warn the others."

She reached for her phone—only for a shadow to step from the underbrush.

Shingen Genichi.

"Didn't expect that to work so cleanly," he said, cracking his neck. "Might as well finish the job."

"You—!"

But before she could speak, her consciousness dimmed. Genichi blurred forward and lightly chopped her neck. Her phone slipped into his hand.

He hung her gently on a low branch like a coat on a rack. "Someone'll come pick you up."

He was right. At the rear observation post, the teachers had seen it all. Mei Mei, amused, chuckled. "He's fast. Took her out before she could even speak."

Gojo beamed. "Of course. He's my student, after all. If he completes a few more missions, he can request Grade 1 ranking."

Mei Mei's eyes shimmered slightly. "You're as generous as ever, Gojo. Should I be expecting more calls?"

"Anytime!" he flashed a thumbs-up.

On another screen, Maki and Inumaki moved through trees cautiously. Maki suddenly halted, senses tingling.

"Toge, something's wrong."

"Mustard leaves?" Inumaki blinked.

A moment later—FOOM!

A surge of flames swept over their last position. Maki yanked Inumaki aside.

No time to recover—more fireballs came in from multiple angles. Inumaki gritted his teeth and yelled:

"Extinguish!"

The fireballs fizzled midair, evaporating.

Maki spun, parried a bullet in midair. The naginata twirled in her hand with practiced speed.

"Mai."

"Toge, don't let them pull away. They already know your Technique."

Maki vanished into the trees—silent, fast. Inumaki followed.

The forest now worked to their advantage. The dense terrain made dodging easy and pursuit viable. But the enemy wasn't slacking.

Mai, Miwa, and Mechamaru were retreating as they fought. Their expressions grim.

"…Still no contact from Momo," Mai muttered.

Without Momo's aerial support, their vision was lost. And Maki's Cursed Energy was notoriously hard to track.

If they didn't act fast, they'd be ambushed.

As they passed a shallow stream, CRACK!

A fist-sized stone burst through the air toward them. Mechamaru raised his arm—shattering it with a clang of steel.

But they were now blocked.

Maki stood ahead, naginata on her shoulder. Smiling.

"Leaving so soon? That's rude after throwing the first punch."

Mechamaru's arms transformed—a cannon on one, blades on the other.

"Mai, Miwa. Take down the Cursed Speech user. Even if it's a trade. I'll handle this one. If it fails, retreat. I'll do the same."

Maki watched them split, then sighed, "I say—"

BOOM!

A thunderous impact stole everyone's attention. Dust erupted in the distance—trees snapped, birds scattered.

Even Mechamaru blinked. "What… was that?"

From afar, Maki could see through her glasses—a massive entity, stirring amidst the forest.

---

Meanwhile…

After subduing Momo, Shingen Genichi sped toward the center.

His body flickered through the underbrush at impossible speeds. Trees blurred past him. Every movement was smooth, precise—until—

Slice!

A red arc of Cursed Energy sliced down—he bent backward, dodging it mid-sprint.

"Fast reflexes," a voice said.

Kamo Noritoshi stepped forward, manipulating a spinning ring of blood between his fingers. More floated around him.

"Oh," Genichi said. "You're the bow guy."

"Blood Manipulation," Kamo confirmed calmly.

He fired four blood-tipped arrows and sent the ring slicing toward Genichi again.

Shingen smirked. "Let's compare."

He drew his blade—

Time Wheel: Godspeed Slash!

FLASH!

All four arrows and the blood ring split clean in the same instant. Kamo froze.

"…When did he move?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Flowing Red Scale"—his skin glowed red. Physical stats surged. Blood nets formed midair, surrounding him.

"This'll restrain him. If I catch even a flicker, I can counter—"

Genichi suddenly frowned. In the distance—an enormous silhouette was rampaging.

"…No. That's Rika."

His expression hardened.

"I don't have time to play."

He shifted.

"Huh?"

Kamo's world spun. His body twisted, crashing to the dirt. Crimson Restraint shattered. Pain surged through his gut.

Genichi was already gone.

"Don't worry," Genichi called over his shoulder. "No vital points. Sit tight. You'll be fine."

Kamo stared at the sky, stunned.

He'd lost.

As Shingen Genichi sprinted toward the chaos, one thought raced through his mind:

'Yuta… what's happening with Rika?'

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