Bocchi-chan trembled violently, her entire body convulsing in fear.
She glanced back, her expression worsening.
Kita, Nijika, and Yamada Ryo—all three had been dragged into this sinister space!
Huddled together, their faces pale, they clutched their talisman papers tightly, as if clinging to lifelines.
"Smallpox Deity's technique comes with this domain. Her technique is rule-based—if her coffin locks onto you for three seconds, death is inevitable."
Kenjaku watched the four terrified girls before him, his smile unwavering, devoid of any pity, his eyes icy cold.
"How will you break this technique?"
Rule-based?
Death after three seconds of being locked?
"I don't want this aaaaaah!"
Bocchi-chan covered her face, her mouth forming an "O," her body lines twisting like a ghost's.
Her expression contorted comically as she turned to flee.
But her mind was a mess, and she ran aimlessly, unable to escape the domain, only darting around in panic.
As she screamed, a coffin suddenly appeared, sealing her inside.
The domain's guaranteed-hit effect ensured the Smallpox Deity's coffin struck Bocchi-chan instantly.
Darkness enveloped her vision as she was trapped in the cramped, dim space.
"Noooooo!"
After a brief pause, she realized she was inside the coffin and screamed incessantly, her face deathly pale.
"Thud!"
As the coffin sealed shut, a massive tombstone—twice the height of a person—materialized above it, pressing down firmly on the lid.
No grave-dancing for Bocchi-chan.
Her screams continued from inside the coffin.
Far from figuring out how to break the technique, she hadn't even overcome her fear—she seemed less like a sorcerer and more like an ordinary person.
"Bocchi-chan!"
Nijika watched the coffin lid anxiously.
"Hang in there!"
Kita's face was twisted in a pained, tearful expression, yet she stubbornly held it back, putting in tremendous effort to cheer on Bocchi-chan.
Yamada Ryo tightly clutched the talisman paper in her hand, remaining completely silent.
"If she could still unleash the power she had back then, smashing through the coffin and tombstone to jump out would be no problem at all."
Kenjaku paid no attention to the young girls behind him. Though the scene before him seemed like a sure victory, he felt no sense of security.
The humiliation Bocchi-chan had inflicted on him at Jujutsu High that day—he had never forgotten it.
He had to make absolutely sure she couldn't fight back!
"BOOM!"
But before Kenjaku could do anything, a deafening explosion rang out.
The massive tombstone, along with the coffin lid, was sent flying, crashing down with a heavy thud and toppling a row of gravestones.
Kenjaku instantly tensed as if facing a formidable enemy.
"Yare yare daze..."
Bocchi-chan exhaled deeply, adjusting the baseball cap that had somehow appeared on her head.
"Just because someone stays quiet, you think they're mute?"
Bocchi-chan was out!
Thank goodness!
Nijika and Kita both sighed in relief, moved to the point of tears.
"Why does Bocchi-chan's state look so weird again?"
Ryo couldn't help but silently criticize as she stared at Bocchi-chan in front of her.
For some reason, Bocchi-chan's physique had become incredibly burly, almost like a 190cm-tall muscular man. Her body contours, including her facial features, had turned strikingly rugged. From the front, strange lines could even be seen on her face.
"Her state changed!"
Kenjaku's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly at the sight, his sharp gaze scanning her up and down like electricity, as if trying to uncover her secrets.
"What's going on? According to my predictions, she shouldn't be able to change states right now. Did I miscalculate, or—is there some trick on her?"
From their previous encounter at Jujutsu High, this girl's state shifts followed a process.
It wasn't like she could suddenly pull out a hidden trump card mid-battle to catch opponents off guard. Instead, it was a gradual progression that evolved with the situation!
But just now, he hadn't seen that process at all!
Kenjaku's eyes narrowed sharply, his piercing gaze radiating danger.
With a flick of his finger, a cockroach silently flew out from his sleeve, circling the domain before darting toward Bocchi-chan's back.
On the battlefield.
Smallpox Deity paid no heed, clasping its hands together and forming another seal.
In an instant, the coffin materialized out of thin air once more, sealing Bocchi-chan inside.
"ORA!"
But the next moment.
Before the tombstone could even descend, a powerful roar erupted, and the coffin lid was flung aside like a door.
The burly pink-haired girl leaped out of the coffin in a frog jump, her expression cold and solemn, all traces of fear gone. Radiating righteousness from head to toe, she charged at Smallpox Deity without hesitation.
The coffin lid fell again, but before it could close, she punched it away cleanly.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA—!!!"
Her fists rained down on Smallpox Deity like a machine gun.
Torrents of cursed energy hammered into the deity like iron mallets, smashing its body into a festering mess.
The Deity struggled to fend off the machine-gun-like punches, but the phantom-fast fists were impossible to block. Her entire body convulsed violently with a series of "puff puff puff" sounds before abruptly exploding like a punctured water balloon—without any warning.
"Hah! There's only one reason for your defeat—you pissed me off!"
Bocchi let out a long exhale, adjusted her cap brim, and coldly declared her victory.
"Doesn't Bocchi's line sound familiar?"
"Wasn't it from some anime?"
Nijika and Kita whispered to each other.
She really went all out!
Even prepared a victory catchphrase!
As expected of Bocchi, always so particular about formalities!
The eerie graveyard slowly faded from around them.
Everyone returned to the previous street.
But the battle wasn't over yet.
"Clap clap clap!"
A loud round of applause suddenly rang out.
Kenjaku's face was full of admiration, utterly awestruck by Bocchi's power.
"To defeat my Special Grade cursed spirit so easily—your strength truly defies common sense!"
"After our last encounter, I've been pondering the mechanics of your technique. I've concluded that your cursed technique is influenced by your mental state! Whether positive or negative, both grant you power, but that sudden shift from fear to fearless bravery earlier wasn't a natural transition for you."
"Let me guess—is that Bluetooth earpiece the key?"
Bocchi was busy striking a cool pose.
Still deciding which iconic anime line to use next.
But at Kenjaku's last remark, her expression instantly changed as if struck where it hurt.
"So transparent."
Kenjaku smiled faintly, his face radiating confidence.
Buzz—A cockroach flew from behind Bocchi and smacked into her Bluetooth earpiece, knocking it off her ear and onto the ground.
"Oh no!"
Bocchi paled in horror.
The strange markings on her face vanished instantly, her body shrinking back to its original petite, adorable form.
"That must be your self-hypnosis tool."
Kenjaku flicked his fingers, firing a pure cursed energy blast that obliterated the earpiece on the ground.
"Someone of your intellect wouldn't devise such a method—this must be your teacher Roy's idea. But in doing so, you've exposed your weakness!"
"Indeed, your technique's power depends on your mental state!"
Kenjaku's lips curled into a wide grin, even his eyes relaxing in satisfaction.
Finally confirmed!
This girl's technique was exactly as he'd theorized! All that month-long contemplation wasn't wasted.
Her technique's effect was truly extraordinary—if her mindset met the conditions, she could potentially surpass even Gojo and Roy's power!
Her performance at Jujutsu High last time was proof.
And this mental state had its own logic.
Specifically, it resembled that of gag manga characters.
Having lived for centuries, Kenjaku was far from old-fashioned. He'd studied modern culture extensively, from manzai comedy to manga.
The concept that "gag manga characters are invincible" was something he'd heard before.
Who knew someone's cursed technique would embody this very principle.
The evolution of cursed techniques is quite an intriguing subject.
"But conversely, as long as you cease being a comedic manga character, your invincibility becomes utterly meaningless!"
Kenjaku smiled as he flicked his sleeve, his eyes gleaming with the satisfaction of victory.
"—Special Grade Cursed Spirit: Black Swarm of Death!"
"Bzzzzz!"
"Bzzzzz!!"
"Bzzzzz!!!"
In an instant, countless buzzing sounds filled the air.
Swarms of dark brown insects flew out from Kenjaku's sleeve, swirling in midair to form a black, cloud-like mass of writhing bugs.
"Eeeeeekkkk!!!"
"COCKROACHES AAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Bocchi-chan's face turned deathly pale as her entire body convulsed violently—twisting, distorting, spasming, and spinning uncontrollably.
In the blink of an eye, she no longer resembled anything human.
Kita Ikuyo stared in horror at the swarm of insects in midair, let out a hysterical scream, rolled her eyes back, and promptly fainted on the spot.
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Nijika quickly caught Kita, looking utterly bewildered at the violently convulsing Bocchi-chan.
"Looks like we're doomed!"
Ryo's expression darkened, her voice becoming hollow and distant.
Bocchi-chan was clearly unreliable now!
What should they do?
Who could save them now?
Hey, is Mr. Roy around?
"Buzzzzz!"
In the air, countless cockroaches seemed to receive a command, converging like a river before diving straight down toward Bocchi-chan on the ground.
"HELP ME!!!"
Bocchi-chan shrieked, instantly reverting to human form, and without thinking, dashed toward Nijika.
Nijika, stunned, caught Bocchi-chan in her arms, a terrible premonition rising in her heart.
Bocchi-chan was completely useless now!
The cockroaches descended from the sky, charging straight at Bocchi-chan and Nijika.
Without a word, Ryo swiftly pulled her hand out of her pocket.
She hurled the handful of talisman papers she had secretly stashed away directly at Bocchi-chan.