Chapter 92: Kyoto Battlefield
On the streets outside the battlefield, chaos spread like a tide.
Jujutsu Sorcerers scattered across Kyoto were frantically fleeing towards the edge of the Curtain, their steps so panicked they nearly tripped. Some didn't even bother picking up dropped Cursed Tools, focused only on getting away from the center of the explosion.
They had already received Kento Nanami's orders via communicator and understood what the words "Special Grade Sorcerer Rin" implied.
"Hurry! It'll be too late if we delay!"
A Jujutsu Sorcerer pulled his companion's arm, his voice trembling:
"With our strength, going there is just suicide!"
The other person nodded desperately, his gaze fixed on the outline of the Curtain ahead, not even daring to look back.
The fleeing crowd surged like a scattered tide towards the safe zone. Only one figure moved against the flow, rushing towards the center of the battlefield at an extremely fast pace.
It was Aoi Todo.
His eyes, however, were exceptionally resolute, without the slightest waver.
His steps were fast and steady, each one making the ground tremble slightly. The Cursed Energy around him surged unconsciously, forming an invisible barrier that kept the panicked crowd at bay.
He had only one goal: the Special Grade Curse User named Rin in the center of the battlefield.
But just as he was about to pass through a small alley, getting one step closer to the battlefield, a figure suddenly blocked his path.
"Todo! Are you crazy?"
Kamo Noritoshi frowned, his arms crossed in front of him, his pupils filled with confusion and anxiety:
"Didn't you hear the orders on the communicator? Nanami-senpai told us to evacuate immediately and not to confront Rin directly! What else is going there now but seeking death?"
Kamo's uniform jacket was open, his chest rising and falling slightly.
He had just escaped the chaos himself and planned to evacuate with the main group, but he unexpectedly saw Aoi Todo moving in the opposite direction.
As an upperclassman from the same school, he couldn't just watch Todo go to his death.
"Move aside."
Aoi Todo's voice was low and firm, without any hesitation. His gaze remained fixed ahead, as if Kamo was merely a stumbling block on the road.
"I won't!"
Kamo stepped forward, his tone growing heavier:
"Do you think you can beat Rin? He's a Special Grade! Even Nanami-senpai has to avoid his edge. What can you do by going there?
Don't forget, this isn't the time for you to avenge anyone. Staying alive is the most important thing!"
He knew Todo's personality; once he set his mind on something, he would never give up easily. But this opponent was simply too strong, so strong that it made him not even dare to think of resisting.
Aoi Todo finally turned his head to look at Kamo Noritoshi.
His gaze was sharp as a blade, as if it could pierce through people's hearts, and the Cursed Energy around him became even denser, carrying a sense of oppression:
"Revenge? No, I'm not here for revenge."
He paused, his voice gaining a touch of solemnity:
"Nanami-senpai is stalling for time in there, yet we're running away here. That's not what a Jujutsu Sorcerer should do."
"But we can't help at all!"
Kamo raised his voice in desperation:
"Rin can copy others' Cursed Techniques, his strength is unfathomable. Even if you go, you'll just be another captive!"
"Of course I know that! Don't treat me like a brainless idiot!"
Aoi Todo's voice suddenly rose, carrying an impatient resonance, his eyes sharp as blades:
"I haven't been blinded by rage; I know what needs to be done more than anyone."
Kamo Noritoshi was startled, then belatedly came to his senses. His earlier panic had made him lose his composure, and he had forgotten that Aoi Todo was never just a muscle-bound man who only knew how to use his fists.
At this moment, there was no impatience in Todo's eyes, only an unusual calmness. Even the surging Cursed Energy around him was stable without a single ripple, clearly indicating he had already planned everything in his mind.
Just as the two were in a standoff, several figures suddenly ran from the alley entrance and stopped behind them.
Zenin Mai gripped her Cursed Tool with both hands, her fingertips white from the force.
Kasumi Miwa tightly clutched her sword hilt, her chest rising and falling slightly.
Mechamaru's mechanical body gleamed coldly, its camera turning towards the battlefield. They had not fled with the main group but instead rushed towards the heart of danger.
"We're not here to persuade you."
Zenin Mai spoke first, her tone firm.
"Momo Nishimiya is still in there. We need to save her."
Kasumi Miwa nodded forcefully, her eyes full of stubbornness:
"Even if we can't defeat Rin, we can't just stand by and watch her be taken."
Kamo Noritoshi looked at the several people in front of him, anxiously taking a step forward, his voice even a little hoarse:
"Are you crazy? I know you want to save Momo, but now is absolutely not the time!
Rin is a Special Grade Sorcerer. With our strength, let alone saving her, it's hard to even get close to him!
Aside from Todo, who among you can last a single round against him?
This isn't going to save someone, it's going to die, and it'll cause trouble for Nanami-sensei!"
His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's heads.
Zenin Mai's shoulders drooped slightly, and Kasumi Miwa's hand gripping her sword hilt tightened and loosened. They might not fully understand the crushing power that "Special Grade" truly meant, but Rin's record of single-handedly defeating Todo and Mei Mei was already public knowledge.
All the people present combined might not even be able to defeat Todo alone, let alone face that Special Grade who could copy Cursed Techniques.
Hesitation and retreat spread through the air; the determination that had just ignited was gradually swallowed by a sense of powerlessness from reality.
But just then, Aoi Todo suddenly spoke, his voice as steady as a rock:
"We don't need to defeat Rin; we just need to stall him."
These words were like a clap of thunder, exploding in everyone's ears.
Zenin Mai suddenly looked up, Kasumi Miwa's eyes instantly brightened, and even Kamo Noritoshi was stunned, instinctively asking:
"Stall him? How?"
"In terms of combat power, let alone a few of us, even if all the Jujutsu Sorcerers in Kyoto attacked together, they wouldn't be Rin's match."
Aoi Todo said slowly, his gaze sweeping over everyone:
"But I just received news that Yuki Tsukumo, one of the Four Special Grade Sorcerers, is already on her way to Kyoto."
"Yuki Tsukumo?!"
Kamo Noritoshi exclaimed in shock, and Zenin Mai and Kasumi Miwa were even more astonished. That Special Grade Sorcerer, who had always remained behind the scenes and was rarely seen, was actually rushing here suddenly?
Kasumi Miwa's voice held an uncontrollable excitement:
"That's great! Yuki-senpai has been famous for so long; her strength definitely won't be inferior to Rin's! As long as she arrives, we'll have a chance to defeat Rin!"
"Exactly."
Aoi Todo nodded, his tone more certain:
"Our mission is to cooperate with Nanami-senpai to stall Rin until Yuki Tsukumo arrives.
As long as we can buy time, there's hope for victory."
Kamo Noritoshi looked at Todo's resolute eyes, then scanned the several people beside him whose fighting spirit had reignited, knowing that further persuasion was meaningless at this point.
He took a deep breath and clenched his fists:
"Alright, I agree. We need to formulate a strategy; we can't just act recklessly."
The group quickly gathered, discussing in low voices.
Their steps grew faster and faster, and the faint Cursed Energy fluctuations from afar became clearer. Everyone held a surge of determination, hoping to converge with Nanami before Rin made his move.
But when they finally rushed out of the alley and saw the scene in the center of the battlefield, all their anticipation and resolve instantly froze.
Kento Nanami lay on the ground, his black shirt covered in dust, his Cursed Tool fallen beside him, clearly having lost the ability to resist.
The White Snake Cursed Spirit, over ten meters long, was slowly opening its maw, swallowing him whole. As its throat rolled, its massive body retreated into the depths of the alley, leaving only a slick trail on the ground.
Not far away, Rin stood with his back to them in the center of the ruins, his black trench coat flapping in the wind.
He seemed to have known of their arrival long ago, showing no surprise. He even slowly turned around, a faint smile playing on his lips.
In the sky, countless crows circled and flew, their inky wings obscuring half the sunlight. Their sharp caws were incessant; every corner of the entire Kyoto Battlefield was under his surveillance.
A chilling sense of oppression instantly enveloped them, making it difficult for everyone to breathe. The hope that had just ignited, at this moment, completely turned into despair.
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