CHAPTER 10: OLD CURSE IN THE TUNNEL

Darkness.

Flickering subway lights. Dripping pipes. The air reeked of rot and cursed energy.

Megumi Fushiguro and Yuji Itadori moved like shadows—silent, fast, alert.

They weren't here to exorcise just any curse this time.

Their target was Kenjaku.

With the Prison Realm in their side's possession, the only missing piece now was the key. Kenjaku had it, and they were running out of time.

Megumi's expression was razor sharp, his mind scanning all angles of possible cursed ambushes.

Itadori jogged beside him, more tense than usual. "You think we're getting closer?"

"Yeah," Megumi muttered. "He's moving, but not too fast. He wants us to follow him—"

Suddenly, a raspy laugh echoed from ahead.

Then, a voice—gravelly, twisted, playful and ancient.

"Two sorcerers... one with a demon inside... and one with a shadow in his soul... how delightful."

A hunched figure emerged from the shadows. His body was grotesque—long, warped limbs, crawling with curse marks, and his face was a patchwork of withered skin and jagged teeth.

A cursed spirit.

Old.

Insane.

Deadly.

Megumi stopped.

Itadori clenched his fists.

"Back off," Yuji warned, "we don't have time for this."

The old man stepped closer, dragging a jagged staff along the concrete floor.

"Ah, but time doesn't exist down here," he grinned. "Only death."

And then—he lunged.

The fight exploded like thunder.

The old man was unbelievably fast for his appearance. He zipped across the subway, slamming his cursed staff at both Yuji and Megumi with deadly precision. His cursed energy was overwhelming.

Yuji blocked a blow with his forearm, gritting his teeth. "Damn, he's strong!"

Megumi flung out Divine Dogs, but the curse intercepted them mid-air, snapping them with one twisted swipe.

"Enough!" Megumi growled. "Why are there so many cursed spirits in this subway!?"

The curse howled with laughter.

Yuji ducked under a curse whip and uppercut the old man—but he tanked the hit and retaliated with a cursed shriek that sent Yuji flying back into a cracked pillar.

Megumi's hands blurred into hand signs.

He had enough.

"Ryoiki Tenkai…"

"Chimera Shadow Garden."

Darkness swallowed the subway.

Shadows crept along the walls, rising like a tide. The cursed old man was immediately caught off guard. Shadowy beasts lunged from every direction. Frogs, wolves, serpents—they all struck in sync.

The cursed old man tried to scream something, but a black shadow spike pierced his throat before he could utter another word.

He dissolved into ash.

The domain faded.

Yuji climbed out from behind rubble, wiping blood from his mouth.

"Remind me never to piss you off."

Megumi walked past him, eyes still burning with focus. "Let's move."

And they did.

Surging forward again—through the darkness of the tunnel.

Toward Kenjaku.

Toward the key.

Toward Gojo's freedom.