"SHOW TIME!"
As Hakari's excitement reached its peak, so did the boundless cursed energy pouring from his body. It was so overwhelming that it was beyond description.
The passionate music echoed around them. To Yorozu, however, it was nothing but noise.
The song Admiring You, which had stopped before Hakari's Domain Expansion, began playing once more as the reward for hitting the jackpot. Even his right arm, which had been crushed away by the True Sphere, was instantly restored. The Reverse Cursed Technique that automatically activated after hitting the jackpot regenerated it in the blink of an eye.
Boom!
The next moment, while Yorozu was still stunned, Hakari's right fist slammed straight into her face. Blood burst from her nose and mouth as her body was sent flying backward.
At the same time, the domain Idle Death Gamble, which existed solely for the purpose of the "gamble," had already fulfilled its role.
The domain shattered, and both of them returned to the grounds of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"Hakari-senpai!"
Megumi and the others, who had been hesitating on the outskirts and debating whether to intervene, finally let out a sigh of relief when they saw the scene before them.
One fighter's armor was nearly reduced to scraps, her body covered in wounds. The other was bare-chested and didn't have a single visible injury. Who held the advantage was obvious at a glance.
"How could someone be this lucky..."
Unlike the triumphant Hakari, Yorozu frowned deeply. No matter how she thought about it, under those circumstances, there shouldn't have been a sudden boost in probability without any warning.
Could there be something fishy going on...?
"Talking about luck? That's the highest compliment you could give me!" Hakari flashed a thumbs-up without the slightest bit of shame.
Most powerful sorcerers would be irritated if someone claimed their strength relied on luck, but Hakari was different. For a veteran gambler, there was nothing better than being told he had good luck.
Besides, everything had gone exactly according to his plan. Idle Death Gamble was his domain. If he couldn't draw a winning hand on his own turf, especially in a desperate situation like that, then what kind of house dealer would he be?
What he excelled at most was using his own strength to seize hold of the good fortune that could arrive at any moment.
"Music... START!"
Hakari's emotions continued to soar as he raised both arms and wildly danced, releasing his astonishing cursed energy without restraint. The song Admiring You seemed to blast from nowhere, its volume amplified even further.
At this moment, the cursed energy radiating from him felt like an immeasurable ocean. It was so immense that even an unrestrained Yuta would seem less terrifying by comparison.
"You're really annoying."
Four minutes and eleven seconds. That was the duration of her opponent's "immortality."
The safest strategy would be to stall until that time expired, then kill him during the brief period when he couldn't immediately hit another jackpot through his shortened cycle.
However, the Construction Technique already consumed an enormous amount of cursed energy, and her Insect Armor had already been beaten into this state twice. She no longer wanted to waste any more time or effort.
Without using Domain Expansion, she intended to finish this troublesome bastard in one decisive move.
Yorozu took a deep breath and, in an instant, increased the cursed energy output flowing into her technique. The True Sphere that had been floating quietly behind her suddenly expanded.
Woo~ Woo~
Just like a balloon being inflated, the True Sphere rapidly expanded. In only a few seconds, its diameter grew from the size of a basketball to that of a full-grown adult.
This was the True Sphere at maximum output. Its true form.
"If that thing even brushes against me, I'll probably end up black and blue all over."
Hakari still had the mood to joke around, but in reality, his expression was extremely serious. A basketball-sized True Sphere had already pushed him to the brink when he wasn't in jackpot mode. Now it had become this large.
Fortunately, the Reverse Cursed Technique continuously running through his body could neutralize the cursed energy contained within it. As long as his brain or entire abdomen wasn't destroyed in a single instant, his chances of winning were high.
In the span of a moment, countless thoughts stormed through Hakari's mind as he analyzed his advantages and disadvantages.
"Hakari~ If you two keep fighting like this, the whole school's going to get wrecked~"
Just as the tension reached its peak, a teasing voice suddenly drifted over from nearby.
'Who's that?!'
Yorozu immediately became alert, her gaze sweeping toward the source of the voice.
Besides the brats who had already been there, several more people had appeared.
Among them stood two individuals who felt completely different from everyone else around them. Both had their hands in their pockets as they quietly watched the battlefield.
One had no detectable cursed energy at all. The other emitted only the faintest trace, so weak it was almost impossible to notice. Their control over either their body or cursed energy had reached the absolute pinnacle.
The one who had spoken was the latter.
"Mukuro Fushiguro and Satoru Gojo?"
Although she had never met the latter, Yorozu had encountered Mukuro more than once while inhabiting Saori's body. The target of her journey had finally appeared before her.
"We meet again. So, are you coming out on your own, or do we need to help you?"
Feeling Nobara's pleading gaze beside him, Mukuro took a step forward. In the next instant, he appeared beside Hakari.
"I'm here to kill you."
Yorozu's answer was exactly as expected. She raised a hand and gently wiped away the blood staining her face from the earlier battle, then extended her palm toward him. A different emotion appeared in her eyes than before.
Ignoring the equally powerful Satoru standing behind him, she stared directly at Mukuro. Yet reflected within her gaze seemed to be someone else's figure entirely.
"So similar... You, a lonely powerhouse. Surely you can understand these feelings."
After reincarnating through possession, she had never found any mention of Mukuro in Saori's memories. That was why she realized her previous assumptions about their relationship had been mistaken.
But after seeing him now, she ended up misunderstanding things in a completely different direction. In fact, she became even more convinced that he could understand her.
Someone acknowledged by Sukuna. Someone whose name Sukuna remembered. A supreme powerhouse standing at the summit. Such a person must surely suffer from the same endless loneliness as him.
She wanted to teach him what love was.
She wanted to convey these feelings completely and perfectly to that person.
The love overflowing from Yorozu's eyes was so intense that everyone from Jujutsu High felt a chill run down their spines. Megumi's eyes even widened as he looked back and forth between his uncle and their enemy. His brain practically short-circuited from confusion.
"Stop making that expression with Saori's face..."
Nobara's anger carried a hint of embarrassment. She almost couldn't stop herself from charging forward.
"I'll handle it. This won't take long."
Mukuro patted Hakari on the shoulder, signaling that he would take over.
"Got it, Fushiguro-san~"
Hakari grinned so hard his eyes nearly disappeared. His earlier arrogance was gone. In its place was an almost flattering smile. It was as if he could already see the future.
A prosperous, perfectly legal casino was waiting for him.
"Come. You shall be the main course at my wedding with Sukuna."
Unlike her battle against Hakari, Yorozu immediately formed a hand sign the moment Mukuro approached.
"Domain Expansion: Triple Affliction!"
A massive surge of cursed energy erupted from her body and rushed toward him. She wanted to vent all the frustration and longing buried within her heart.
Just as she could sense him the moment he appeared, she wanted that absent person to feel these overwhelming emotions too.
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