Inside the Tokyo No. 1 Colony.
After killing Haba, the man with the propeller on his head, in a single strike, Mukuro smoothly caught the two injured Windows as they fell.
Then, after applying the Asura Path to them, the two who had been barely able to move suddenly became full of life again.
"Is this reverse cursed technique? As expected of a special grade like Fushiguro-san. Thank you so much!"
Feeling their bodies recover instantly, both of them excitedly thanked Mukuro, completely forgetting what his nickname was.
"Stick with me. I'll get you out later."
Mukuro didn't explain. He simply flicked the blood off his hand and glanced at Amai, signaling him to lead the way.
"Understood!"
The man felt chills all over from that gaze and quickly raised his hand in a stiff salute.
'This guy is terrifying…'
After a brief moment of relief, Amai took a deep breath.
Although he had made the right choice in taking sides, he now had to face an even harsher reality.
The man in front of him was far more dangerous than Haba and Hanyu, and he didn't seem to care about points at all.
"Places where strong players gather are usually areas that were already prosperous. There are more buildings and supplies there…"
To ease the tension, Amai explained as he led the group forward.
* * *
"Higuruma should be inside. Even someone like Haba managed to escape after losing to him. I'm sure you'll win easily, sir!"
A single colony in the Culling Game only covered a few kilometers, so with bodies enhanced by cursed energy, the group reached their destination in just minutes.
In front of a large theater in Ikebukuro, Amai forced a smile as he spoke.
Right now, all he hoped was that Mukuro wouldn't ask him to go inside together. More than that, he hoped Higuruma hadn't left.
If that man was gone, his own life might disappear along with him.
"Fushiguro-san? If we go in too, wouldn't we just hold you back?"
At that moment, Nitta's words were like a beam of light shining into Amai's dark world, and for the first time in this cruel Culling Game, he felt a small bit of comfort.
Of course, Nitta was simply worried about slowing Mukuro down.
After all, a player who could gain over a hundred points in such a short time clearly had both strength and resolve. Non-combatants like them could be killed in an instant.
Still, if he didn't mind, they wouldn't be afraid either.
"It won't matter much, but you can wait here. I'll be back soon." Mukuro agreed, mainly because of the person inside.
Then he pushed the door open and walked in, descending the spiral staircase step by step until he reached another door.
Behind it lay the theater and stage.
Creak…
Mukuro gently turned the handle.
The theater was almost completely dark, and the seats that were once always filled now stood empty.
Yet at the middle of the stage, there was a single beam of light, with all the illumination gathering in one spot and creating a strange contrast with the rest of the room.
Right in the center, there was a bathtub.
Inside it lay a man in a suit, his eyes hollow. His body was spread out like a star, his soaked clothes clinging to him, yet he simply stared at the light pouring down from above.
A small bathtub, trapping a dragon meant for the open sea.
Mukuro did not attack right away like he had when dealing with those two useless guys whose techniques controlled hair.
Instead, he walked toward the stage step by step, but after reaching the front row, he stopped, sat down, and elegantly crossed his legs before speaking.
"You're Hiromi Higuruma, right?"
Even though his memory of the Culling Game wasn't very clear, there were still a few notable figures he remembered.
The man in front of him was one of them.
"Yes, that's me. And you are? What are you doing down there?"
Higuruma turned his head slightly, looking at the only audience member in the seats.
"My name is Mukuro Fushiguro. I just came to have a chat with you. What about you?"
Their exchange went back and forth, like two strangers meeting for the first time and trying to understand each other.
"Have you ever tried bathing with your clothes on?" Higuruma asked back, though his gaze had already drifted back to the light above.
The question itself was his answer.
"I don't think most people would do that," Mukuro replied plainly.
Wet clothes cling tightly to the body. That uncomfortable feeling wasn't something most people enjoyed. At least, he didn't.
"Well… it's actually more refreshing than you'd expect. Come to think of it, I used to like swimming with my clothes on when I was a kid…"
As he spoke, Higuruma seemed to drift off topic.
"Lately, I've stopped caring about a lot of things, so I've started doing things I once thought I could never do…"
He kept talking as if the stage truly belonged to him, pouring his thoughts out to his only audience below.
"Starting to fall apart after turning thirty-five… doesn't that sound ridiculous?"
The question sounded like it was directed at Mukuro, yet also like Higuruma was mocking himself.
Before gaining power, the life that seemed so brilliant to others was something only he truly understood.
It was endless darkness. A deep sense of helplessness came crashing down like waves, suffocating him.
"Ridiculous… I don't think so. Tell me. When someone suddenly gains absolute power, do they fall… or do they simply return to who they truly are?"
Mukuro didn't laugh at him. Rather, he responded with a question of his own.
Without bringing up other examples, the Culling Game alone was enough to reveal the answer.
There was no need to mention reincarnated players, but for awakened players, their actions after gaining power… it spoke volumes.
Among the players Mukuro had encountered so far, excluding those from Jujutsu High, two had already chosen to become aggressors after awakening their techniques.
And based on the point changes shown by the Kogane, there were clearly many who had killed other players.
So what was it?
Did they fall into corruption? Or were they always like this, simply lacking the chance?
Or maybe… they were just trying to survive?
No one knew.
"You're… different."
Higuruma paused for a moment, then finally looked at Mukuro again, his sprawled body pulling back together.
Splash!
His movement stirred the water, causing it to spill over the edge of the bathtub and onto the floor.
Now, he had shifted from lying down to leaning against the tub.
"Who knows?" Mukuro let out a soft chuckle.
Of course, he was different from the people Higuruma had met.
From the very beginning, he had always stood above them all.
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