Bab 65: Chapter 36. Encounter with the "Dragons" (Part 1)
"Sukehiro," Kokichi's strained voice came through the earpiece, jolting me from my reverie. "Are you there?"
"Yes," I responded, nodding despite knowing he couldn't see me. I tried to clear my mind of distractions and focus on the scene unfolding before me: a massive block of ice was slowly melting into white frost, disappearing right before my eyes. "What's the situation at the station?"
"As odd as it sounds, the situation looks promising," Kokichi's reply came, tinged with an unexpected vibrancy and energy, unusual considering the Sorcerers stood on the brink of potential destruction. "Before my bug was destroyed, I learned they're immobilized, stuck with Gojo. This is our chance to encircle them once all the sorcerers converge at Subiya station."
"Have you warned Yuji?" I asked, my grip tightening unconsciously around the throat of a cooling corpse, the bones crunching under my hand.
"Yes, as you requested," Kokichi answered promptly and smoothly. After a brief pause, his tone became more serious. "But why don't you handle it yourself? It would be much faster if you..."
"Itadori can manage something this straightforward; I'll tackle the bigger threats," I cut him off, eager to save time and sidestep needless, foolish inquiries.
"What are you talking about?" His voice was tinged with confusion.
Before I could answer, a voice thundered through the district like thunder on a clear day:
"NA! NA! MIIIN! NANAMIN, ARE YOU HERE?" It was a voice that pounded in Nanami's head like a migraine. "GOJO-SENSEI HAS BEEN SEALED!"
"Did you hear that?" I asked, a smirk playing on my lips.
Itadori, that guy never fails me.
"How selfless," Kokichi muttered. "Now the enemies are aware of our knowledge, and surely, our plans."
It wasn't hard to predict the next move of the sorcerers who had lost their strongest weapon—band together and annihilate the enemy collectively.
"You wouldn't have caught a group of special-grade curses and a sorcerer as formidable as Satoru off guard," I tried to curb his enthusiasm, but it was less effective than I would have liked, not when every sorcerer's heart was aflame with rage and fear, driven by thoughts of vengeance and retribution.
"But you could," Kokichi's confidence was discernible even through the earpiece.
"Keep me updated on every sorcerer battle, focus on Yuji and Maki's group. Also, watch Nobara," I instructed, ignoring Mecha Maru's words while simultaneously incinerating the corpse of a blond sorcerer with a twice-broken neck. "By the way, were you able to track the sorcerer I fought with?"
"No," Kokichi replied, the bitterness in his voice unmistakable. "And why have I become a radio nanny?"
"Because during your fight with Mahito, using your super moves, you used up almost all the time you had saved over your years as a sorcerer," I retorted, but softened my tone slightly. "Well, and because your cursed technique is the only weakness these barriers have."
"And why do I feel like I'm just being used..." Kokichi sighed, his voice sounding tired and hopeless.
Because that's precisely the case, Kokichi Muta, that's precisely the case... And there's nothing you can do about it, not when you've positioned yourself as a traitor.
At that moment, tuning out the disgruntled muttering of the "radio nanny," I turned my gaze to the tallest building in Shibuya—the "Shibuya Sky" tower. Its sharp silhouettes sliced through the sky like a blade, bent under the weight of pressure and anticipation.
***
On the observation deck of the "Shibuya Sky" tower, under the open sky, stood three figures.
"Did you hear that, Awasaka? Satoru Gojo has been sealed," the voice of the elderly woman in the light kimono was slow and hoarse, like a gust of wind whistling through a nursing home. The beads in her hands rustled quietly, reminiscent of leaves under autumn rain.
"That's good news, Grandma Ogami," Awasaka responded, his posture stiff despite his age. His round eyes narrowed sharply, flashing with a predatory gleam. His thick mustache quivered with excitement. "Now things will get interesting! If Satoru Gojo is sealed, then... the unfolding events will surely be intriguing."
Behind them stood a tall man with a shaved head and a narrow strip of hair running down the middle. His gaze was vacant, his cheeks hollow, as if he had witnessed horrors beyond what any normal person should. Neither Awasaka nor Grandma Ogami paid him any heed, lost in their thoughts about what lay ahead.
"What will become of this country?" the old man pondered aloud. His tone was indifferent, almost philosophical. But in reality, this man cared little for the fates of others; recently, even the looming darkness over Japan had ceased to unsettle him. After all, as a curse user, only his own interests were of any concern.
"Nothing will change. We will curse and be cursed," Ogami stated calmly, her eyes still closed. "And then we will perish."
"I wonder if these sorcerers will notice..." Awasaka pondered, disregarding the old woman's ruminations. His gaze swept over the city bathed in evening lights. "This is the most obvious place within the veil, isn't it?"
"Perhaps," the young man standing behind them responded tersely. His voice was controlled, and though it might have seemed meek or uncertain, he felt nothing as he replied. "But... even if they do notice..."
"Yes," Awasaka interjected, a confident smile illuminating his aged face. "The base of the building is swarming with altered humans. I doubt they can reach us quickly."
At that moment, as if in response to his words, a huge shadow glided overhead. The next instant, a storm seemed to erupt. A Shikigami owl, carrying two riders—Yuji and Ino—swooped past at incredible speed. Barely catching sight of their target, Ino jumped sharply off the Shikigami, racing toward a "nail" embedded in the ground and wrapped with talismans, while Yuji swiftly moved in the opposite direction from the Shikigami, pulling on a line tied to the owl's claw. Awasaka, a curse user with decades of experience, managed to quickly adapt and pull the line away so that it didn't hit Ogami and the tall man. However, in doing so, he exposed himself to Yuji's next maneuver, where the young man wrapped the line around Awasaka and then leaped from the roof, dragging the older man along with him.
"Fushiguro, deactivate Nue!" Yuji shouted at full volume while in midair, having ensured that he had captured and was dragging the enemy with him.
◊◊◊
Watching how the guys efficiently divided the group of "renegade Sorcerers," I couldn't help but admire their skill. In particular, I was pleased to see my junior rapidly gaining experience. Although, when you think about it, Ino is also considered my junior... however, he vehemently denies it.
As I shifted my gaze from the old man losing balance in the air, I focused on the elderly woman affectionately known as "Grandma Ogami." I ceased circling above the "Shibuya Sky" tower with Ashtamangala and decided to dive straight down.
Today, I definitely wasn't in the mood for a confrontation with Toji Fushiguro, especially given the upcoming fights with two special-grade curses, and possibly with Sukuna or Kenjaku. For a moment, the prospect of witnessing Ogami's technique in action was indeed tempting, but common sense prevailed. Although I was absolutely confident in my own strength and would normally not shy away from a good fight, taking on someone known as the "Sorcerer Slayer" seemed like a risky venture. The issue was not so much about winning as it was about the price that would have to be paid. Time, endurance, and the stock of cursed energy—these were my most valuable assets today, and Toji Fushiguro could definitely impact the "value of these assets."
Within just a few seconds, I found myself on the roof, where in a crimson flash of my flame, Ashtamangala pierced through the body of the tall man, who, if I recall correctly, was called Ogami's grandson. After pinning the unfortunate man's body to the concrete floor, I did not let the heat and flame dissipate from the cursed weapon, causing "Ogami's grandson," like a wax figure under the scorching sun, to vanish within a few seconds.
Almost immediately as the smoke and flames died down, I appeared behind the old woman. With unexpected agility, my fingers snatched the prayer beads from her frail, elderly hands.
One second... two... three...
I stood calmly, waiting for Ogami and Ino to recover from the shock I had inflicted. The prayer beads remained in my hands, which I began to slowly toss upwards. Each rotation produced a pleasant crackling sound, reminiscent of coals sizzling in a fire or an ice crust cracking underfoot.
Slowly, Ogami and Ino began to regain their composure. Their expressions differed greatly: one filled with bewilderment, the other with fear. Yet, the reason was the same—the presence of a special-grade Sorcerer standing before them.
"You..." the old woman hissed malevolently.
"Yep, it's me," I replied with a cool nod.
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
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