Countless tentacles swarmed toward him. Mugen Nagi grinned. He grabbed his left shoulder with one hand, tore away his tattered clothes with the other, and instead of retreating—charged forward!
Mugen Nagi immediately crouched low, dodging the first wave of attacks, then tilted his head to evade another tentacle. He began to sprint, weaving through this forest of tentacles, relentlessly closing in on the black mist!
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*
The wind whistled past his ears. Each dodge was executed at the very limit; each evasion was a hair's breadth escape. Mugen Nagi was practically dancing on the edge of a blade… no, he was soaring through a hail of bullets!
As for the black mist? It was utterly panicked. With every missed strike, the terror in its heart deepened. At this moment, the roles of hunter and prey had quietly reversed.
What a bizarre experience.
Mugen Nagi felt exhilarated. Despite the throbbing pain from his wounds, his body felt unprecedentedly light, brimming with seemingly inexhaustible strength. It was like a long-clogged drain suddenly clearing—utterly refreshing! He could clearly feel an energy flowing from his abdomen, circulating through his limbs.
He could sense the movement of every tentacle, even perceive the black mist's fear. Everything around him was so vividly clear. There was one more thing Mugen Nagi remained unaware of: his eyes had changed color to an eerie red.
In a mere instant, Mugen Nagi had flashed before the black mist. Another punch sent it flying deeper into the alley. Within the shadows, Mugen Nagi pursued, charging into the darkness.
"Huh?"
But the moment he entered the shadows, Mugen Nagi's vision vanished entirely. Before his eyes lay only pitch black. He immediately halted, looking back—the path he came from had disappeared too. This alley should have ended at a main road, with a small open area in between. Yet now there was nothing, only endless darkness.
Mugen Nagi reached out to one side. He remembered there should be a wall here, but his hand grasped empty air. Probing further, he found the space had grown much more expansive.
"Is this also its ability?"
Mugen Nagi scanned his surroundings, trying to find any glimmer of light or the black mist's form, but ultimately found nothing.
"I was too impulsive. To think even I could lose my head one day."
Mugen Nagi calmed down. The red in his eyes gradually faded. The sudden surge of power had momentarily stripped him of his reason, making him recklessly charge into the enemy's trap. No time for regret now; the priority was to break this situation.
Since he couldn't see anything, he might as well abandon vision. He would use his other senses. With that thought, Mugen Nagi simply closed his eyes and began attuning himself to the changes around him.
*Hoooo...*
That was… wind? So, he was still in the alley. But the space had somehow expanded.
Mugen Nagi assumed a combat stance, ready for danger at any moment. Everything grew profoundly quiet. Besides the wind, all he could perceive were his own heartbeat and breathing. He had never felt them so acutely loud.
"It's coming!"
At that moment, a sound of something slicing through the air assaulted him. Mugen Nagi clearly sensed something rushing directly at him from the front, far faster than the previous tentacles. He had barely tilted his head when the thing grazed his scalp, a wound instantly splitting open.
Mugen Nagi felt his whole body go numb, hairs standing on end. Instinctively, he broke into a run.
Feeling the space brush against his face as he ran, Mugen Nagi thought: *Even though I know it attacked, I can't see its attack pattern at all. My body can only barely react!*
The sense of crisis in Mugen Nagi's body peaked. Everywhere felt dangerous, everywhere felt like a dead end.
What to do, what to do? Don't stop thinking.
While Mugen Nagi was deep in thought, his foot suddenly stepped on something. He lost his balance and tripped. Ignoring the scrapes, he hurriedly scrambled up. But as he pushed off the ground, a crisp, echoing sound rang out.
What was that?
Mugen Nagi grabbed the object he had touched. Bringing it close to his face, he squinted, examining it carefully. His eyes turned red again. His vision gradually returned; he could make out the object's shape. Upon seeing it clearly, his expression finally changed.
"These are human bones!"
Nagi's gaze swept the surroundings. For some reason, he could now see clearly. Within Mugen Nagi's field of vision, human remains were scattered everywhere.
They lay strewn haphazardly around Mugen Nagi. He felt an indescribable weight. He couldn't help but think of the missing persons cases in this area in recent years. Most were probably its doing.
While Mugen Nagi was still pondering, a flash of red streaked by. The black mist's attack arrived again!
This time he saw it clearly. They were the same tentacles, but they appeared out of thin air. The location of that red flash was where the tentacles emerged!
As Mugen Nagi twisted aside, a hand chop wrapped in pale blue energy chopped straight down on the tentacle, severing it. The tentacle instantly dissipated upon being cut. Attacks from tentacles came one after another.
While dodging, Mugen Nagi also continuously destroyed the tentacles. Simultaneously, his eyes darted around, recording the position of each red flash. His hands never stopped moving, carving arcs of blue light.
He dared not relax for even a second. But prolonged combat would push his body to its limit first.
A thick tentacle shot toward him in his vision. He intended to dodge, but froze in place—his exhausted body couldn't keep up. He was struck heavily and sent crashing to the ground.
Panting heavily, Mugen Nagi knelt on one knee and looked up. In his vision, red lights continuously flared—in the sky, on the ground. They came from all directions like a sky full of stars. From within those red lights, tentacles emerged, all aimed at him, completely surrounding Mugen Nagi.
Mugen Nagi gazed at this expanse of bloody stars and sighed. "Looks like this is a true dead end."
The boy seemed to have given up, letting his arms hang and closing his eyes. He took a deep breath.
*Inhale... Haaah... Bring it on!*
His fists rose again into a guard, one forward, one back, igniting with pale blue light. The red in his eyes bloomed once more. Now, Mugen Nagi prepared for a final struggle. Unlike his previous resignation, he wanted to live, to fight until his last breath, even if there was no tomorrow!
"Haaah!"
Mugen Nagi charged forward, one punch blasting apart the nearest tentacle. He continuously advanced, blasting apart every obstacle in his path with punch after punch. Spinning, a sweeping strike destroyed three tentacles that had long lain in wait behind him. But this left Mugen Nagi wide open. Several tentacles combined, surging from the ground toward his chest. Mugen Nagi only had time to pull one arm back to guard his chest. The massive impact sent him soaring high into the air.
"Damn it!"
Mid-air, he couldn't move—a complete sitting duck. From his perspective, a sea of red flashed repeatedly, then darkness invaded...
---------------------------------
*Cough. Cough.*
Mugen Nagi coughed up blood. He now lay prone on the ground, his entire body pierced through with wounds from the tentacles. Mugen Nagi barely lifted his head, staring at the culprit who had finally appeared—a humanoid figure, but completely black, only its eyes emitting white light.
"You took quite good care of my little pet earlier."
The figure suddenly spoke in human language. In its hand was the earlier black mist, coiled around its arm, baring its teeth at him.
Mugen Nagi's worldview was shaken once more. He gritted his teeth. "You... what... are you?"
The figure didn't answer. Instead, it chuckled lightly.
*Heh heh heh, to think it's truly a novice. Kid, your eyes are quite interesting. Not only can you see me in the dark, you can even see the activation of cursed technique attacks? And to reach this level right after awakening, without using a technique... truly remarkable. What a pity the jujutsu world is about to lose a genius.*
The figure swayed its head, talking to itself. It turned, looking down at Mugen Nagi's confused gaze. *Oh yeah, forgot to introduce myself. My name is An (Darkness), a cursed spirit born from humanity's fear of the dark.*
"Cursed... spirit...?"
*That's right~ What you're using is an energy fueled by negative emotions: Cursed Energy. Essentially the same as me. But my current power isn't even one-tenth of what it was. If it weren't for that damned Gojo Satoru, I'd be a Special Grade! I wouldn't have to cling to life here! And you should have been turned to paste long ago.*
An grew agitated as it spoke, erupting with intense Cursed Energy. A profound pressure bore down on Mugen Nagi, as if about to crush him flat. This was the presence of An, once a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
An was once a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. How long it had existed was unverifiable. Its **Darkness Technique** allowed free manipulation of darkness and shadows, possessing corrosive and devouring effects. Its Domain Expansion once completely devoured a small town. Its combat power was greatest at night. According to speculation by a mysterious sorcerer, An already possessed strength equivalent to **ten fingers of Ryomen Sukuna**.
But not long ago, it was defeated by a brat—that pinnacle of the modern jujutsu world, **Gojo Satoru**. It could never forget those blue eyes, and the final words left for it:
*"That was a pretty good fight."*
And An? Its existence was reduced to a candle flame, flickering on the verge of going out. To survive, An established a Binding Vow: trading the effects of its Technique for its own continuation. But henceforth, it could only exist within darkness and shadows. Its Technique was reduced to its most basic form of attack. Its open-domain became closed, simultaneously losing its guaranteed-hit effect.
After venting, An looked again at Mugen Nagi's still-confused expression, covering its eyes. *Ah~ Forgot you're a complete rookie. Can't comprehend at all!*
Finished, An casually flicked a hand. A shadow extended from the ground, clamped onto Mugen Nagi's neck, and dragged him before An. Blood streamed down his body, dripping onto the earth.
*Alright, enough small talk. Get on your way quickly. Maybe you'll even become a powerful cursed spirit. But what a pity—you haven't even used a Technique yet.*
An raised its right hand. Its fingers elongated into sharp claws, pressing against Mugen Nagi's neck, ready to end him completely.
*Still... couldn't make it through? Hah, to lose my life over a moment of impulsiveness... so unlike me....*
Mugen Nagi's gaze grew hazy, staring at the claws stabbing toward him. *Why did I chase that cursed spirit back then? I could have retreated and planned carefully. Was it merely for the thrill of having power?*
Mugen Nagi recalled the feeling from that time and found his answer.
*No. It was rage. Because my life was being toyed with like a plaything. Because I could no longer recall past beauty. And because I had almost lost all future possibility! That intense emotion unlocked this power called Cursed Energy.*
*If Cursed Energy is directly tied to negative emotions, then what about more rage... even...*
Cursed Energy erupted from Mugen Nagi once more. But An's claws had already stabbed down. Instantly, the claws pierced through Mugen Nagi's chest. Mugen Nagi trembled violently, using his only movable arm to grab An's wrist. Mugen Nagi lifted his head, revealing crimson eyes that glared furiously at An, as if wanting to devour him. But An merely snorted lightly and flung him to the ground, splattering blood everywhere.
*Alright, done. A decent little game.*
An clasped its hands behind its back again, waving casually. Mugen Nagi's torso began to sink, gradually merging into the dark earth. Just as An was about to turn and leave, it sensed a powerful Cursed Energy approaching. An's expression turned panicked.
*It's him! That guy's coming! Damn it, why now...*
Amid the excruciating pain of his punctured lung, Nagi suddenly 'saw' the Cursed Energy flowing within his own body—it was as if stirred by an invisible hand, suddenly reversing its flow.
*Crack...* His broken ribs emitted a faint sound. Muscle fibers automatically stitched themselves together... By the time he realized, his hand had already grabbed An's claw.
Before An could finish, a fist wreathed in black lightning shot straight for An's face! The powerful impact sent it flying. In that moment of being airborne, An clearly saw who had struck it.
*That kid... he's not dead?! And this speed... And this is... **Black Flash**!!?*
The moment the black lightning-wrapped fist struck An, the air emitted a sound like shattering glass. Mugen Nagi didn't understand what this was. He had just instinctively poured his rage into the strike—then saw web-like cracks spread across the cursed spirit's body.
An barely adjusted its posture mid-air to land steadily. But upon rising, those crimson eyes were already before it—another Black Flash arrived!
*This guy actually...*
An now noticed that all of Mugen Nagi's wounds had completely healed, only bloodstains remaining. An knew only one kind of Technique could achieve this.
*"He even awakened **Reverse Cursed Technique**?!"*
Mugen Nagi paid no heed, simply delivering another blow to An's abdomen, sending it flying back again. This strike completely disrupted An's Cursed Energy. An could only instinctively drive dark tentacles to attack wildly toward Mugen Nagi. It could no longer manage precise control. Mugen Nagi didn't move. All the tentacles' movements were as if held back by something, suddenly slowing down, yet still advancing toward their target.
*What?!*
Before it could react, the third Black Flash had already struck its chest. An was sent flying once more!
*This is... that kid's **Innate Technique**! Awakened after all?! And employing two applications right from the start!*
An confirmed Mugen Nagi had awakened an Innate Technique and immediately understood its two effects: one was that sudden burst of movement speed; the other was similar to a slowing effect—that's how its tentacles were suddenly halted.
*A Technique that **controls speed**?!*
This time, Mugen Nagi didn't wait for An to land. With a step, he flashed before An, kicking its chest. Black lightning erupted once more!
This time, An's body completely burst open, leaving a gaping hole. Mugen Nagi passed through An's body, landed, and sharply turned to catch An, clamping a hand around its neck and lifting it. An used its remaining hand to grab Mugen Nagi's wrist, struggling. Only now did An realize Mugen Nagi's eyes had turned completely red and were glowing.
*And those eyes... a **Curse**? To be able to unleash so many consecutive Black Flashes! And this kid is practically acting on pure instinct.*
Mugen Nagi calmly raised his right fist, black lightning coiling around it. Only one thought occupied Mugen Nagi's mind now: *Kill it!*
Mugen Nagi tossed An upward. His right fist pulled back to his waist, black lightning accumulating. The moment An fell, Mugen Nagi unleashed an uppercut. Black Flash exploded against An's head!
Mugen Nagi / An: *"Aaaaaaaah————"*
Both sides roared. Finally, An was sent soaring into the sky, flying toward the horizon. An's body continuously dissipated in the air.
*"To actually... actually fall here!"*
An's unwilling scream echoed through the air. As An completely crumbled, the darkness finally shattered, light returning.
When An's body fully disintegrated mid-air, the dark domain receded like a tide.
A flash of white light later, Mugen Nagi found himself back in the small clearing within the alley. He knelt amidst scattered bones, his crimson pupils not yet faded. His trembling fingers touched the ground—the remains of those devoured gleamed palely in the setting sun.
*"...Rest in peace. It's over."*
The boy pressed a bloodied hand to his chest, softly reciting the prayer for the dead his mother had once taught him.
He didn't understand why he felt compelled to do this. He just felt instinctively that these souls, forgotten by the world, shouldn't vanish unnoticed like this.
Mugen Nagi's throat tightened, his chest as if weighed down by a cold stone. Who were these people? Had they, like him, simply been walking home?
*"Clap, clap, clap."*
Abrupt applause came from the alley entrance.
*"Wow~ Able to pull off a **five-hit Black Flash combo** right after awakening Cursed Energy? And Reverse Cursed Technique? That's too much, isn't it?"*
A white-haired boy tilted his head, his sunglasses sliding to the tip of his nose, revealing blue Six Eyes. *"You, you didn't bring some kind of cheat device, did you?"*
Mugen Nagi sharply looked up, instinctively tensing his body—this sudden newcomer radiated an aura more dangerous than An's.
*"Relax~"*
Gojo Satoru shook the lollipop in his hand. *"I'm here for cleanup. After all..."*
He glanced at the scattered bones. *"This got a bit out of hand."*
Nagi's gaze fell on the school emblem on the other's uniform chest—one he hadn't seen before.
*"You are?"*
*"Gojo Satoru."*
The white-haired boy grinned. *"But right now..."*
His Six Eyes suddenly locked onto Nagi's eyes. His smile turned meaningful.
*"...I'm more curious about your eyes."*
*"Eyes?"* Nagi frowned.
Gojo Satoru suddenly leaned in close, almost pressing against Nagi's face, scrutinizing those crimson orbs. *"Hmm~ Definitely the scent of a '**Curse**'. And a '**Curse of Love**', at that."*
Nagi instinctively stepped back. *"...What do you mean?"*
*"Just what it sounds like!"*
Gojo Satoru spread his hands. *"Did you have a loved one say something like 'be safe' before they died? And it ended up becoming a Binding Vow on you—ah, but it seems to have turned into your power now?"*
Nagi's pupils contracted slightly.
Gojo Satoru suddenly straightened up, looking toward the alley entrance.
*"Ah~ Looks like the cleanup crew is here."*
He turned to look at Nagi. The expression behind his sunglasses was inscrutable. *"We'll meet again soon..."*
*"...Pretty-eyed guy."*
Before his words faded, his figure had already vanished.
Nagi stood there, the setting sun stretching his shadow long. In the distance, police sirens approached, growing louder.
He looked down at his hands—those fatal wounds had healed, but the bloodstains on his uniform remained.
A wave of dizziness from Cursed Energy depletion suddenly hit him.
In the last moment before consciousness faded, he seemed to hear that voice once more—
*"Be safe, little Nagi."*