Shiro Sakamaki couldn't let it escape.
Even if this monster's combat ability was average and most of its power had been nullified by his attack, it was still a dangerous Tier 7-level. If it slipped away now, Haruno would be in danger again. And he couldn't be there to protect her every single day.
As the saying goes: it's easy to be a thief for a thousand days, but impossible to guard against one for the same. He had to eliminate the threat—now, while it was still weak.
The shadows behind him surged like living chains, darting toward the fleeing monster. At the same time, thunder began condensing in his palm, glowing like unstable plasma.
Just as he was about to strike, the wall beside them suddenly exploded with a deafening crash. A tall figure stepped through the wreckage, brushing dust from his white hair. It was none other than Gojo Satoru.
"Oh, what a headache. As expected, the simplest methods are the most effective," Gojo said with a lazy grin. "Don't you think so, Shiro Sakamaki-kun?"
Shiro watched him calmly. Since the monster had stopped in its tracks, he relaxed his stance and allowed the lightning in his hand to fade.
In a blink, he vanished into the shadows and reappeared beside Gojo.
Gojo blinked. "Oh? That's kind of similar to the Zenin clan's Ten Shadows Technique..."
Indeed, Shiro's method of shadow movement bore resemblance to the Zenin technique, but his shadows weren't conjured shikigami—they were something else entirely. These shadows were sentient, coiled and ready to strike like predators in the dark.
"It's too slow, Gojo Satoru," Shiro muttered.
Gojo gave a sheepish shrug. "Well, I figured with Shiro Sakamaki-kun around, nothing serious would happen."
Shiro narrowed his eyes. "If I hadn't carved the spell as a precaution, I might've been too late."
"Hmph. I'll settle this with you later. For now—" He turned to the monster. "Let's finish this."
Gojo nodded, finally taking it seriously. "Alright, as an apology, I'll handle the rest."
Shiro didn't object. He picked up the exhausted Yukinoshita Haruno again, cradling her in his arms as he stepped aside to observe.
The monster, seeing that Shiro no longer planned to fight, suddenly grew bolder. It roared and launched a concentrated wave of cursed energy straight at Gojo.
But Gojo didn't flinch. Instead, a smug smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
The cursed blast exploded, sending debris flying in all directions. But as the smoke cleared, Gojo remained untouched. Not even the ground beneath his feet was damaged.
"Awfully weak," he said, grinning like a child poking fun at a toy.
The monster, now aware of the difference in power, lashed out again—this time slamming its pale arm into the ground, creating a shockwave that rippled toward Gojo.
Shiro yawned from the sidelines. "Gojo Satoru, either finish it or let me do it. I'd rather be asleep."
Gojo raised an eyebrow. "Am I being underestimated?"
He pointed his index finger forward. Shiro could sense a massive concentration of power forming at the tip.
"Reverse Cursed Technique: Red."
With a soft biu, a beam of pure crimson shot forward and obliterated the monster, tearing through the corridor like a cannon. The blast pierced the domain itself, revealing the outside world beyond.
When the smoke cleared, the monster was gone—reduced to nothing. All that remained was a single, ominous finger glowing with residual cursed energy.
Shiro's eyes narrowed.
That was no ordinary cursed object.
It was a Sukuna Finger.
Gojo casually picked it up and waved it in front of him. "Shiro Sakamaki-kun, I'll handle this. You're okay with that, right?"
Shiro shrugged. He had no interest in the cursed object itself—the monster had already been dealt with, and he had more pressing matters to think about.
"Do whatever you want with it. But for this job, I want seventy percent."
Gojo's grin faltered. "What? There are three of us. By split, you get two-and-a-half at most."
Shiro's tone didn't change. "Sixty percent."
"No way! We still have to report this to the school. At most, you get forty."
"If I hadn't intervened, Yukinoshita Haruno would be dead. Fifty percent. Final offer."
"...Fine. Fifty percent."
Considering this mission involved a Tier 7-level curse spirit—classified as Special Grade in Jujutsu High—the payout was huge. Easily over 600 million yen.
In truth, the monster hadn't fully evolved yet—it hadn't manifested a complete domain. But Yukinoshita Haruno's family had added another 100 million yen to the reward just to guarantee Shiro's involvement.
The real value wasn't the monster—it was ensuring she came back alive.
As they stepped outside, the mansion's grounds were eerily quiet. All the remaining curse spirits had already been wiped out.
Geto Suguru appeared from the shadows, brushing dust from his shoulders. "Gojo, is it over?"
Gojo nodded and tossed the Sukuna finger to him. "Seal this. I won't be going back with you."
Geto caught it, understanding without needing to ask why. "Got it."
Shiro glanced at the ancient mansion, expression unreadable.
Geto barely had time to react before Shiro raised his fingers to the sky. Thunder surged around them like a brewing storm.
The clear skies darkened as black thunderclouds spiraled into place. A bolt of divine lightning split the sky and crashed down on the mansion like divine judgment.
In the blink of an eye, everything was gone. The entire structure—and every cursed residue within—was reduced to ash.
The cursed energy that would've taken months to naturally dissipate... vanished in an instant.
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