Shrapnel Skyfall - Chapter 68

Shrapnel Skyfall - Chapter 68

Ren stepped inside the broken-down building, the creak of the floorboards groaning under his weight. The air smelled like dust and damp wood, but also something else—something foul, the lingering stench of a curse. Ahead of him, the sound of swift movement snapped his attention forward. Maki was already deep into action, cutting through a group of Grade 4 curses with sharp, precise movements.

Her spear danced in her hands like an extension of her body. One clean sweep, two down. Another twist, and a third was cleaved into neat pieces. Ren watched from the shadows, barely moving.

"Hmm… I should actually learn how to use a sword or something," Ren thought, tilting his head slightly. "Or maybe just train in hand-to-hand… because right now, without punching or kicking, I don't have any real attacking moves…"

Sure, he had Red Stitch, but that wasn't an offensive technique. Not yet, anyway. It was too dependent on setup, too tactical. It was a technique for control and support, not direct confrontation.

"Back then, when I fought that special grade chewing on Sukuna's finger…" Ren narrowed his eyes, recalling how he had used Red Stitch to swing through debris like some bootleg Spider-Man, grabbing loose rubble, redirecting attacks. It worked. But it wouldn't last against someone like Gojo. Or even someone like Toji.

Suddenly, a cursed three-eyed crab jumped at him from the shadows, tongue out, claws clicking wildly.

"Ugly thing," Ren muttered.

He barely glanced down as he coated his foot in cursed energy and stomped hard.

SPLAT.

Shell cracked. Legs twitched. The crab was no more.

Ren didn't even break stride.

The rest of the way was easy. He and Maki made short work of the roaming curses. Ren didn't even have to try—he kept his cursed energy levels low, saving stamina, studying how Maki moved more than anything. She was efficient. Brutal. The complete opposite of him.

He glanced around the building, noting the broken support beams, the flickering lights.

"Thankful right now there shouldn't be any strong curses around," he thought. "The world's still in its pre-disaster state."

Then, without warning, a curse jumped out at Maki from the hallway—a grotesque creature with a bloated body and a massive tongue, like a cursed version of a frog.

It launched its tongue like a whip—

But Ren was already moving.

With a snap of his fingers, a crimson thread burst from his hand and attached itself to the ceiling. Red Stitch tightened as he pulled, swinging forward with sudden speed.

He flew past Maki, spinning in the air.

WHAM!

His foot crashed into the curse's side, slamming it hard into the wall and cracking the plaster. Dust puffed out from the impact.

Ren yanked his leg back, scraping free from the rubble.

"Ugh," he muttered, "fuck my shoes…"

Maki stared. Eyes wide.

"What the hell? Who moves like that?" she thought. "That was fast. Too fast."

Ren landed, brushing dust off his shoulder. Maki huffed and grumbled, "Showoff…" before rushing forward again, spear in hand.

The two cleared the remaining floors with ease.

Eventually, they made it to the rooftop.

And there? Nothing.

Just broken tiles, cracked walls, and empty space. No curses. No signs of the missing teenagers. Nothing.

Ren glanced around and muttered, "Hmm… weird. Normally there's always an end boss."

Maki turned her head, raising an eyebrow. "You think this is a video game?"

And then—

CLANK!

A heavy iron pipe dropped from the sky—fast—hurtling toward them.

Ren leapt sideways, rolling to his feet.

Maki swung her spear midair and sliced the pipe in two, steel clattering to the rooftop with a harsh metallic screech.

"Ambush," Ren muttered, standing upright.

They looked up—and saw it.

At the far end of the rooftop stood a cursed spirit—small, no taller than a child. Its body was vaguely humanoid, but twisted, crooked. Its skin looked like melted wax. It had six eyes, scattered across its face in uneven rows. Its mouth was sewn shut with black threads, but it didn't need a mouth to attack.

It raised its hand.

Another iron pipe launched at them.

Ren dodged fast, coating his entire body in cursed energy, flipping over the projectile. Maki deflected another with the blunt end of her spear.

THUNK—THUNK—CLANG!

The pipes kept coming, fast and precise, like spears shot from a cannon.

"Six eyes, two arms, two legs, launching iron?" Ren muttered, frowning. "What kind of cursed technique is that? I don't remember anything like this in the manga…"

The curse raised both arms.

Five pipes flew out now, all at once.

Ren rushed forward in a zigzag pattern, cursed energy crackling around him. His instincts screamed that something about this thing was… off. It didn't feel like a Grade 4. It had too much coordination. Too much intent.

Maki didn't hesitate. She sprinted alongside Ren, using her spear like a shield and blade all at once—spinning, blocking, lunging.

CLANK! THUNK! WHOOSH!

She got close—too close.

And stabbed.

The spear slammed into the curse's chest.

The curse screamed, a shriek so loud Maki stumbled, clutching her ears.

Then—it grabbed her spear.

Its jaw unhinged, and with a horrific slurp, it ate the spear.

"What—?" Ren's eyes widened.

The curse twitched.

Its skin bulged.

And then—

BOOM.

The explosion hit like thunder.

A shockwave of metal tore across the rooftop, hurling shrapnel in every direction.

"MAKI!!" Ren shouted.

The metal shrapnel flew fast, jagged, glowing faintly with cursed energy.

It was already too late to dodge.

Her body braced.

Her eyes locked on the storm.

And—