Under the night sky, chaotic screams and roars spread like spiderwebs in all directions, making the three exhausted fugitives' scalps tingle as they ran with all their might, desperate to escape this hellish encirclement.
The streets were filled with panicked civilians fleeing for their lives, and among them were clearly people with special abilities—some fighting each other, others hunting down ordinary people like them.
Those chasing the civilians were none other than the ancient sorcerers Kenjaku had reincarnated in this era. Having finally returned to the modern world after so long, they were all as deranged as if they had escaped from a mental hospital, casually snuffing out lives at the slightest displeasure, treating human lives as utterly insignificant.
The three had no time to worry about anything else—they could only run, wishing they could teleport far away from this chaotic battlefield.
"Danger!"
A shout rang out.
Suddenly, a massive black figure leaped toward them, its beast-like claws slashing through the air toward their backs.
The three turned in panic, their hearts leaping into their throats at the sight.
Just when they thought they were doomed, the talisman papers clutched in their hands suddenly glowed, enveloping them in a transparent energy barrier that deflected the incoming claw strike.
"ORA!"
Immediately after, a figure came charging from the front, delivering a flying kick that sent the beast-like ancient sorcerer flying.
"Bocchi-chan!"
Nijika gasped in surprise.
"Gotoh-san, you've gotten so strong!"
Kita Ikuyo stared in admiration at the figure who had appeared.
Despite her slender frame, she had jumped so high and kicked the enemy away with a single strike! That small body seemed to contain immense power—how reassuring she was in this moment!
Yamada Ryo also relaxed, pulling out a handful of talisman papers from her pocket with a thoughtful expression.
"These seem really useful. I wonder how much they'd sell for now? Something that can save lives would fetch a high price, right?"
"Ryo, enough!"
Nijika couldn't hold back anymore and smacked Yamada Ryo on the back of the head.
"These aren't even yours—Roy-san gave them to us for protection! Don't mess around! And where did you even get so many?"
"You two were running too fast earlier and dropped a few. I just picked them all up."
Yamada Ryo remained unbothered, counting the talismans in her hand before distributing a few more to Ikuyo and Nijika.
Then, without a word, she pocketed the remaining ones.
"Everyone's safe—that's what matters!"
Bocchi-chan let out a long sigh of relief, finally relaxing as she watched their antics.
"Let's get out of here quickly! This place is a mess now—it's turned into a full-blown battlefield. If we stay, we might get dragged into a fight at any moment!"
Ikuyo stared at Bocchi-chan, momentarily stunned.
"Gotoh-san… you seem so reliable now…"
"Bocchi-chan, after being taught by Roy-san, has completely grown into a dependable adult!"
Nijika's eyes reddened, nearly on the verge of tears as she patted Bocchi-chan's shoulder.
She felt an overwhelming sense of pride, as if watching her own daughter grow up and become sensible.
Even Yamada Ryo nodded, her face full of emotion.
"If this were the past, Bocchi-chan would probably be curled up in terror, too scared to move, and end up becoming dead weight while we try to escape... Mmmph!"
Before she could finish, Nijika clapped a hand over her mouth.
Nijika shot her a glare.
Why did she have to say the quiet part out loud?!
"Fufufu, praise me all you want!"
Bocchi-chan couldn't contain her joy, grinning so wide her gums showed.
What had she been studying—scratch that, being forced to train—in curse techniques for?!
Wasn't it all to become popular?!
Now was clearly the moment for Hitori Gotou to shine, for someone to accidentally film her epic battle, upload it online, cause a sensation, and finally make her famous!
Was anyone recording this right now?
Come to think of it, should she strike a cool pose?
With that thought, Bocchi-chan straightened her posture, wiped the smile off her face, and put on her most serious expression.
A pair of sunglasses would really complete the look!
"Alright, everyone, let's get out of here!"
Bocchi-chan lowered her voice, speaking in a deep, magnetic tone to urge the three of them to leave.
I'm so cool!
"Bocchi-chan, why are you talking like that?"
"Don't ask. She's definitely in one of her weird phases again..."
"Let's just be considerate and pretend we didn't notice."
Bocchi-chan's expression instantly shattered.
Then—
A light, unhurried set of footsteps gradually grew louder, approaching them.
Drawn by their commotion, the owner of those footsteps stopped nearby. Upon seeing the four of them, his face broke into an increasingly delighted smile.
"Ah, here you are. I've been looking for you."
His sudden appearance caught their attention, and they all turned to stare in surprise.
When Bocchi-chan saw him, her pupils shrank, her face paling with fear.
"Y-You're… the one who knows my embarrassing past!"
Dressed in a five-striped kesa robe, his long hair tied up in a loose bun, it was none other than Kenjaku.
His face bore a harmless smile, but his eyes gleamed with sharp amusement.
"Hitori Gotoh, I was just looking for you!"
"L-Looking for me? Why?!"
Bocchi-chan trembled violently, her face drained of color.
"Are you planning to expose my shameful past to the whole world?!"
If so, she'd fight him to the death!
"Embarrassing past…? Ah, that's hardly important."
Kenjaku was momentarily taken aback before understanding dawned on him, and he chuckled.
"I came to find you because you're interesting!"
"Interesting?"
Bocchi-chan relaxed slightly but still looked utterly confused.
"I'm referring to your power."
Seeing Bocchi-chan's lost expression, Kenjaku smiled faintly.
"You're so young, probably not even aware of what it means to become a sorcerer. Well, given your naivety, I'll explain it to you. Your power—more precisely, your cursed technique—is far stronger than I anticipated. Cursed techniques generally operate based on certain principles, evolving with the times and human understanding, shifting alongside conceptual changes. But your technique is different from others. It doesn't follow those principles. Instead, your technique is the defiance of reason itself."
Cursed techniques change with the times.
Even the same technique can manifest differently across eras.
For example, there's a third-year student at Jujutsu High named Kinji Hakari. His technique, "Idle Death Gamble," is a gambling-type ability where the stakes are determined by a TV drama adapted from a galgame. When the technique is activated, it automatically deploys a domain that simulates the storyline of the male and female leads. If their relationship progresses smoothly, raising affection levels, it counts as hitting the jackpot—granting Hakari temporary invincibility and near-limitless cursed energy! His potential is so high that even Satoru Gojo has praised him, saying he'll eventually catch up to the likes of Yuta Okkotsu.
But such a technique would have been impossible in ancient times.
Because there were no TV dramas back then!
This technique only emerged after the widespread popularity of television.
This is how cursed techniques adapt with the times.
Fundamentally, cursed techniques are tied to human progress.
But Bocchi's technique is different from all others. In her case, there's no trace of logical progression. While the essence of a cursed technique is to influence reality, hers doesn't just influence reality—it affects the world itself.
Kenjaku finds this deeply intriguing.
"The most valuable thing about something interesting is uncovering its hidden secrets."
Kenjaku smiles leisurely, watching Bocchi with the predatory focus of a hawk, ensuring she doesn't slip away.
"Of course, when you encounter something unseen, you must peel back its layers and broaden your horizons. That's the meaning of life, isn't it?"
"Um…"
Bocchi timidly raises her hand, looking apologetic.
"What are you talking about? I don't understand…"
"…"
Kenjaku falls silent.
Ah, right.
Lately, he's been speaking with clever people so often.
He almost forgot that with fools, you can't be too cryptic.
Realizing this, Kenjaku rephrases his explanation as simply as possible.
"To put it plainly, I'm very curious about your technique and want to see how it works."
Of course, he doesn't deny feeling wary of Bocchi.
With such an unreasonable technique, she's bound to become a figure like Satoru Gojo or Roy in the future—posing a significant problem for him. He intends to deal with her as soon as possible.
"But… I don't really want to fight you?"
Bocchi eyes Kenjaku's smiling, squinted gaze with unease.
This guy clearly has the scheming, underhanded type of vibe. Last time, she won, but she's not sure about this round.
Hmm… maybe she should pick on a weaker sorcerer instead!
A guy who looks this dangerous should be left for Roy-sensei or Maki-senpai to handle!
Bocchi-chan very skillfully displayed her usual habit of bullying the weak while fearing the strong.
But Kenjaku suddenly laughed.
He laughed heartily.
"Hahaha, of course not. I never gave you the right to choose from the beginning."
"—Special Grade Cursed Spirit: Smallpox Deity!"
Kenjaku's smile instantly turned cold as he flicked his sleeve.
A cursed spirit covered in crimson spots appeared before them.
The stench of rotting flesh emanated from its body, tainting the air so foully that simply breathing the same air seemed enough to contract disease.
Kita and the other two were already uneasy, too afraid to interrupt the enemy's conversation, and now their scalps tingled with dread, feeling completely out of sorts.
Especially Kita—seeing the grotesque form of the disease-cursed spirit, her face turned ashen, her stomach churned, and she nearly vomited up yesterday's dinner from sheer disgust.
"Since you still understand nothing, I'll kindly explain it to you."
Kenjaku clapped his hands lightly, smiling.
At the sound of his clap, the Smallpox Deity unleashed its cursed energy as if receiving a signal.
In the blink of an eye, the surroundings transformed—ruins and buildings vanished, replaced by a desolate graveyard.
The air grew frigid, an eerie sensation washing over them.
Bocchi-chan trembled violently, her entire body convulsing in fear.