A skintight clown costume — half flesh-colored, half black.
On the chest was only half of a black smiley face, paired with tacky red gloves.
"I swear on the suit I'm wearing — this'll be the funniest joke you've ever heard!"
The modern sorcerer Takaba Fumihiko stood with his body tensed, assuming a sloppy horse stance.
The next second—
Standing on one leg like a crane, Takaba raised both hands as if mimicking a signal bar rising upward.
Eyes bulging wide, he shouted:
"Look at this whole family of yours — like father, like son…
WiFi!!!"
No normal human being would find Takaba's awful joke even remotely funny.
Only the decidedly abnormal White Zetsu watched with great interest.
"Comedy brat, Zetsu-sama's been looking for you for days!"
White Zetsu stepped forward excitedly and urged impatiently:
"Quick, quick! Use your technique already!"
Not long after the Culling Game began, the White Zetsu controlling the second body had already started searching for Takaba.
Without the guiding Golden Bug, he had even gotten into a three-way battle inside the second barrier with Hajime Kashimo and Kinji Hakari.
From the future, White Zetsu had learned information that Takaba's cursed technique was a terrifying ability powerful enough to rival Satoru Gojo.
And even more importantly—
It was interesting.
Seeing White Zetsu's eager expression, Takaba nearly burst into tears.
After more than ten years in show business, he had never once had such a passionate fan…
Actually, he'd never had fans at all.
At this moment, it felt as though he had finally met someone who truly understood him.
Because Heavenly Restriction users possess zero cursed energy, they can be perceived with the naked eye.
As an awakened modern sorcerer, Takaba didn't know how to use cursed energy, nor could he use it to sense directions.
Like ordinary humans, he relied solely on his eyes to observe the world.
Ironically, by not relying on cursed energy, he could more easily perceive the movements of White Zetsu's first body.
That was also the reason he had been transported here to fight White Zetsu.
Takaba's cursed technique was called "Comedian," a terrifying power capable of turning imagination into reality.
As long as Takaba genuinely found something funny from the bottom of his heart, the image in his mind would manifest in reality.
However, Takaba himself knew nothing about his technique's true nature or its activation conditions.
Because the ability could only activate through genuine emotion.
And thanks to Angel specifically warning them, the Tokyo Jujutsu High side deliberately avoided teaching Takaba any deeper cursed technique knowledge.
"BOOM!!!"
Transparent shockwaves surged through the air at terrifying speed, crossing a hundred meters in less than a second!
Reflected in Takaba's pupils was White Zetsu's face distorted by velocity — and the rapidly enlarging fist barreling toward him!
Takaba froze for a moment and thought to himself:
"My fan… is so passionate!"
"BAM!!!"
The iron fist, powerful enough to pulverize a Grade 1 Curse in a single punch, sank into Takaba's cheek like it had struck an elastic sponge.
No blood splattered.
White Zetsu's fist seemed to vanish into something absurdly soft and springy.
"Heh-ha!"
Takaba let out a delayed yelp, and his face alone bounced White Zetsu's fist away!
An irresistible force shoved White Zetsu backward several steps. Lowering his head, he stared at his fist in disbelief.
"Interesting! This is way too interesting!"
With a burst of laughter, President White charged forward once more!
"Splash—!"
The smile on White Zetsu's face abruptly stiffened as seawater suddenly flooded into his mouth!
The flat concrete ground beneath him vanished, and with one misstep he plunged into the depths of the ocean!
"—GAAAH!!!"
"Don't worry, fan! I'm coming!"
At the edge of the sea, the comedian Takaba came speeding across the water on a jet ski.
Dragging behind him a long trail of blue waves, he wore an expression of desperate concern as he rushed toward his drowning superfan.
"CRASH!!!"
White Zetsu's head swelled with a huge bump after being smashed by the watercraft, and his entire body sank deep into the sea once more!
"Sorry! I hit the gas instead of the brakes!"
A sincere look of guilt appeared on Takaba's face before he leaped straight into the ocean!
The instant he hit the water—
Swish!
Takaba's comedy costume and White Zetsu's suit instantly transformed into casual beach swimwear.
Fun!
This was seriously fun!
White Zetsu slapped away a nearby shark with one hand, his eyes blazing with excitement.
He could feel that as Takaba's technique activated, he too could manifest certain imagined scenarios within this bizarre domain!
The next second—
Just as Takaba grabbed hold of White Zetsu, the two of them suddenly dropped from the ocean floor straight into the center of a dance club with a loud thud!
Dazzling multicolored disco lights flashed overhead.
Dry ice smoke drifted across the stage.
The smell of alcohol filled the air.
"My heart is pounding, love burns like fire!"
"You're smiling — the crazy one is me!"
"Love is like fire—"
The deafening nightclub speakers blasted music while shrill screams rang out nearby.
The two half-naked weirdos in swim trunks were instantly kicked out by a three-year-old security guard who had appeared out of nowhere.
The death of Suguru Geto seemed to leave Satoru Gojo as the weakest side.
There was no time to mourn…
A brilliant bolt of lightning flashed across the horizon, and the first to charge into the central battlefield was—
The "strongest" from four hundred years ago, the Thunder God, Hajime Kashimo!
"Adding one more opponent — I doubt you'll mind, right?!"
Kashimo stared excitedly at one of Future's clones, terrifying battle intent swirling in his eyes.
Four hundred years ago, the solitary Kashimo had unquestionably stood at the pinnacle.
The ancient sorcerers who lived in the same era were all effortlessly crushed into pieces by him.
His entire life had been devoted to pursuing strength — searching endlessly for an opponent who could force him to fight with everything he had.
Yet in constantly chasing power, Kashimo gradually became empty and lost.
Every time he sought out another famous opponent, victory came too easily, leaving only disappointment behind.
He longed for battles that would exhilarate him to the core, yet repeatedly lost himself in confusion and aimlessness.
That was why the elderly Kashimo agreed to participate in Kenjaku's Culling Game.
Originally, his target had been the undisputed strongest sorcerer from a thousand years ago — Ryomen Sukuna.
But after witnessing Mirai's overwhelming power, he aimed his fangs toward someone even stronger.
One of Mirai's clones slowly walked toward Kashimo, a trace of approval flashing in his eyes.
Life and death no longer mattered.
He could feel the purity in Kashimo's gaze — the sincere desire to wager everything in a single all-out battle.
Without another word, Kashimo grinned savagely and released the cursed technique he could use only once in his lifetime!
"Phantom Beast: Amber!!!"
At a speed rivaling even Gojo's, flashing lightning appeared before Future in the blink of an eye!
"BOOM!!!"
Blue arcs of electricity wrapped around Kashimo's clenched fist as he unleashed a full-powered uppercut!
"BZZZT—!"
Invisible repulsive force spread outward, crackling violently against Kashimo's arm!
His bones shattered as his body was blasted backward!
So strong!!!
But instead of frustration or despair, the battle maniac's expression only grew more crazed.
Dense cursed energy surged like thunder and flame. In less than half a second, Kashimo transformed into something no longer human.
A massive cannon-like muzzle formed from his mouth.
Bladed claws wreathed in fire extended from his limbs.
This was Kashimo's "body reconstruction," created to push cursed energy manipulation to its absolute limit.
In this state, he could freely reshape his body into forms far more suited for combat!
"ROOOOAR!!!"
PS: Access the complete/finished chapters/series at Patreon: NanamiTL
Please drop some power stones support me at my Patreon