Fushiguro Megumi watched the scene before him in disbelief.
The Special Grade Cursed Spirit froze in place as if it had seen something incomprehensible, letting out a low, threatening growl.
"Hayashi... En? How did you get in here?"
Fushiguro Megumi's voice was dry. How did he get in? This was a Special Grade's Innate Domain; even the exit had been sealed off!
"As I thought. A curse with nothing but raw power and no intelligence would instinctively fear an ordinary person like me, bound by rules."
Hayashi En didn't look at the Special Grade standing right next to him. Instead, he turned around and quietly gazed at Fushiguro Megumi. "It's just a minor function of that card."
"Since you've already torn up that business card, it means you're ready to make a deal with me."
Hayashi En raised a finger and wagged it slightly. "I can help you resolve this predicament and save the lives of both you and that boy with the severed hand. In exchange, you must pay a price."
"Wh... what kind of price?" Fushiguro Megumi asked, panting.
Hayashi En pointed at the shadow beneath Fushiguro's feet. "I want you to unconditionally summon a certain shikigami for my use on a future day of my choosing. It doesn't matter which one it is, even if it's that... big guy you were planning to summon."
Fushiguro Megumi's pupils shrank.
'This guy... he really knows about Mahoraga!'
"Roar!!"
The ignored Special Grade finally reached its limit.
It roared and lunged forward, its pale palm infused with enough cursed energy to cleave through steel, aimed straight for the back of Hayashi En's head. It moved so fast that it left afterimages in the air.
"Look out behind you!" Fushiguro Megumi shouted, instinctively trying to form a hand seal.
However, Hayashi En didn't even turn his head. He simply looked at Fushiguro Megumi, waiting for an answer.
"Do we have a deal?"
The gale of impending death ruffled Hayashi En's hair. The Special Grade's claws were only centimeters away from his neck.
"Deal!" Fushiguro Megumi roared. He didn't care what the price was, as long as he could save Itadori and Kugisaki!
In that split second, Hayashi En snapped his fingers.
"The contract is established."
[SYSTEM: TRANSACTION COMPLETE!]
[SYSTEM: ITEM OBTAINED: REQUISITION RIGHTS FOR ONE OF FUSHIGURO MEGUMI'S SHIKIGAMI.]
[SYSTEM: SYSTEM VALUATION: 5,000 POINTS.]
[SYSTEM: CURRENT BALANCE: 5,570 POINTS]
Boom!
There was no explosion from clashing cursed energy; instead, a dull metallic impact echoed throughout the domain.
Fushiguro Megumi's eyes widened.
Countless golden chains appeared out of thin air. Like living pythons, they instantly pierced the Special Grade's chest, limbs, and head, pinning it frozen in mid-air!
Those weren't chains made of cursed energy. The aura flowing over them was ancient and majestic. They were... Rules.
In this world of Jujutsu Kaisen, Binding Vows were an absolute law. And Hayashi En's cheat ability was to weaponize that very law.
"According to Exchange Rule No. 8: Any creditor of a debtor is under the absolute protection of the Exchange regarding their life and property until the debt is repaid."
Hayashi En turned around, snapping open a black folding fan to block the sight of the Special Grade's contorted, struggling face.
"This boy owes me a massive fortune. Until he pays it back..."
"I simply cannot be allowed to die."
Sizzle...
The golden chains tightened further. The Special Grade let out a shrill scream; its massive cursed energy was completely unresponsive in the face of the Rule.
"Wh... what kind of cursed technique is this?" Fushiguro Megumi was dazed.
No hand signs, no incantations—just a single sentence and a snap of the fingers, and the Special Grade that had driven him to despair was pinned to the wall like a portrait?
"It's merely a businessman's self-preservation method."
Hayashi En closed his fan. Though he seemed nonchalant on the surface, the hand hidden in his sleeve was actually trembling slightly.
This was his first time using the highest-level Breach of Contract function. Watching the points being deducted made his heart bleed.
[SYSTEM: WARNING! LETHAL ATTACK DETECTED!]
[SYSTEM: ACTIVATING CREDITOR PROTECTION MECHANISM REQUIRES: 5,000 POINTS/5 MINUTES.]
"Five minutes."
Hayashi En turned to Fushiguro Megumi. "I can only keep it immobilized for five minutes. Take that girl who fell into the pit and get out of here."
"As for the one with the missing hand, leave him. I have things to discuss with him."
"But you..." Fushiguro Megumi hesitated. "By yourself..."
"Get out."
Hayashi En's voice turned cold and brook no argument. "Don't make me lose money on this deal."
Fushiguro Megumi bit his lip and gave Hayashi En a deep look. Though the man's back seemed slender, in this moment, it appeared incredibly imposing.
"I understand! Thank you!"
Fushiguro Megumi turned and rushed into the depths of the darkness. Though his Divine Dog: Totality was dead, he had other shikigami to help him find Kugisaki.
Watching Fushiguro Megumi leave, Hayashi En finally breathed a sigh of relief. His enigmatic facade instantly crumbled by half.
"Cough, cough..."
He covered his mouth and coughed twice, his palms slick with cold sweat. 'Damn... acting cool is exhausting. This Special Grade is way tougher than I thought; 5,000 points only buys me five minutes.'
He looked up at the Special Grade. Though pinned, it was still struggling frantically, trying to use brute force to snap the chains.
Cracks were already beginning to appear on the golden chains.
"It's about to break free already?"
Hayashi En didn't run.
"Since I've already spent the money, I might as well make a profit."
Hayashi En pulled out a colorful cube from his coat—a replica of the Prison Realm. Though it was just a knock-off meant for bluffing, its core material was still a special crystal capable of containing cursed energy.
This replica was the source of his confidence in coming here today to resolve the situation.
Hayashi En was the type of person who always acted only after thorough planning.
He walked up to the Special Grade and held up the cube.
"With this, the plan is perfectly executed."
"I wonder how many points a Special Grade Curse will fetch... Heheh."
However, just then.
A bone-chilling dread suddenly surged from behind him. It wasn't the pressure of the Special Grade, but something far more pure and evil... the aura of the King of Curses.
"Interesting."
A lazy, arrogant voice echoed throughout the empty domain.
"To think someone could suppress the instincts of the soul with something as boring as a contract."
Hayashi En's hand froze in mid-air.
He slowly turned his head.
On a nearby pipe, Itadori Yuji—whose hand had been severed—had stood up at some unknown point. Black stripes now marked his body, his missing hand had regenerated, and a second pair of eyes had opened beneath his original ones.
Ryomen Sukuna.
"Itadori must have handed over his body to Sukuna before passing out. What a mess..."
A drop of cold sweat rolled down Hayashi En's temple.
The disruption of his plan caused a momentary flicker of panic, but he immediately regained his composure, his mind racing at high speed.
Sukuna was watching Hayashi En with great interest, his gaze shifting to the golden chains binding the Special Grade.
"Hey, brat."
Sukuna grinned, revealing a cruel smile. "Your cursed technique is quite interesting."