The factory doors creaked open.
Dark.
Heavy air.
Cursed energy so thick it felt like walking through pressure.
Yuji winced slightly.
"…Yeah, that's not normal."
Megumi stepped forward.
"…Stay sharp."
Before anyone could take another step—
Something moved.
Fast.
A massive cursed spirit burst from the shadows—
twisted limbs, distorted face—
special grade.
It lunged straight at the group.
Nobara reacted instantly.
"…Incoming—!"
But Takeru moved first.
No hesitation.
No overthinking.
Just—
perfect timing.
"…BLACK FLASH."
Impact.
The air cracked.
The curse didn't even get to scream.
It folded in on itself—
then exploded into nothing.
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Yuji blinked.
"…Wait…"
Nobara stared.
"…You didn't break anything."
Takeru looked at his hand.
Opened. Closed it.
"…Huh."
Megumi narrowed his eyes.
"…Your output stabilized."
Hakari grinned.
"…There we go."
Panda nodded.
"…He finally figured out how not to self-destruct."
Takeru rolled his shoulder slightly.
No cracks.
No recoil.
"…Feels… normal."
Before they could process it—
More movement.
From everywhere.
Walls.
Ceiling.
Dark corners.
Cursed spirits poured out—
dozens—
no—
hundreds.
All wrong.
All strong.
Kirara stepped back slightly.
"…That's a lot."
Gojo's voice echoed from behind them, casual:
"…Told you."
Megumi stepped forward.
"…Formation."
Yuji clenched his fists.
"…Let's go."
And then—
Chaos.
Panda charged straight in, swinging wide.
Hakari laughed as cursed energy flared around him.
Kirara moved strategically, positioning and controlling space.
Nobara's nails flew, precise and deadly.
Megumi's shadows spread across the ground, shikigami striking from every angle.
Yuji dashed forward, raw power and instinct.
And Takeru—
Moved with them.
No hesitation.
No collapse.
A curse lunged—
"…Black Flash."
Gone.
Another—
"…Black Flash."
Gone.
A third tried to flank—
"…Cleave."
Split instantly.
Takeru didn't stop moving.
Didn't overpush.
Didn't break.
For the first time—
he was fighting clean.
Yuji noticed immediately.
"…He's controlling it…"
Megumi nodded.
"…Perfectly."
Nobara smirked mid-fight.
"…About time."
Hakari laughed.
"…Now THIS is fun!"
The factory shook with impact after impact.
Curses fell.
One after another.
No wasted movement.
No hesitation.
Just pure efficiency.
Minutes passed—
or maybe seconds—
hard to tell.
Then—
Silence.
The air cleared slightly.
Bodies of curses—gone.
Exorcised.
Megumi looked around.
Breathing steady.
"…That's…"
Panda finished it.
"…Most of them."
Hakari cracked his neck.
"…Yeah."
A grin.
"…Like 90%."
Yuji wiped his forehead.
"…That was fast…"
Nobara scanned the area.
"…Too fast."
Kirara's gaze sharpened.
"…Something's off."
Takeru stood still for a second.
Looking deeper into the factory.
"…There's more."
Megumi nodded.
"…Stronger."
Gojo, still at the entrance, smiled slightly.
"…There it is."
The air shifted again.
Heavier.
Denser.
Like everything they just fought—
was just clearing the way.
For something else.
Something worse.
🔥 End of Chapter 7 – Volume 8 🔥