“Ding-dong, ding-dong!”
After Itadori sent a Cursed Spirit flying with one punch, the little Kogane bug beside him popped out again, haunting him like it just would not leave.
“A Player has added a rule to the Culling Game’s General Rules.
General Rule 10!
Players may view information on other Players, including their names, scores, number of added rules, and the Barrier they are currently staying in!”
Bang!
Itadori slammed a fist at the little Kogane bug, only for it to dodge by dispersing itself.
“What is with this Cursed Spirit?!
It just won’t go away!”
Itadori and Choso had been stuck in Shibuya for quite a while.
Constantly exorcising Cursed Spirits had left Itadori somewhat drained, while Choso beside him seemed lost in thought.
“Yuji.”
“Hm?”
“Do you remember what Noritoshi Kamo mentioned?
That thing called the Culling Game?”
The Kogane bug had appeared twice now, and both times, Choso had heard this “Cursed Spirit” mention the Culling Game Noritoshi Kamo had spoken of.
“Is that Cursed Spirit from earlier connected to it?”
“I think it might be.”
As Choso spoke, he casually punched a Cursed Spirit that had not quite died yet and was trying to approach him, blasting it into ash.
“Yuji, can you call that Cursed Spirit out?”
“I’ll try…”
Choso looked at Yuji Itadori, who waved his hand.
“Hey?
Phone Worm?
White little bug?
Toad Sage?
Answer me if you’re there?”
He called out several names in a row, but the Kogane bug did not appear.
Itadori lowered his head in defeat.
“…You can’t summon it?”
“Maybe it’s like a Shinigami’s Zanpakuto.
The kind you can’t call out unless you know its name.”
“What’s that?”
“A manga that was super popular in Jump back in the day.”
Itadori seemed barely able to breathe under the crushing pressure, but the weight left by Sukuna still pressed against his chest, suffocating him.
Even if he could joke around, once the joke ended, Itadori was still the same, wrapped in guilt and self-blame.
“Don’t tell me that all-white thing is actually called Kogane?”
Bang!
Itadori and Choso stared at Kogane, who had suddenly appeared without saying a word.
“The detected Player has not yet taken the oath.
Please proceed to the nearest Barrier and take the oath to participate in the Culling Game.
Failure to comply with General Rule 1 will result in your Cursed Technique being revoked in accordance with General Rule 2.”
“All-white thing?”
Caw.
Caw.
Caw.
A crow flew past at just the right time, its cry perfectly matching the speechless mood.
Even then, Itadori still clung to one last bit of hope.
“Don’t tell me it’s really…”
Choso silently turned his face away, looking into the distance.
He brought his hands together and fired Piercing Blood, blowing apart the crow Cursed Spirit that had just flown by.
Itadori froze for a moment before continuing.
“Kogane?”
“The detected Player has not yet taken the oath.
Reminder: please proceed to the nearest Barrier and take the oath to participate in the Culling Game.
Failure to comply with General Rule 1 will result in your Cursed Technique being revoked in accordance with General Rule 2.”
“So your name really is Kogane?!”
Itadori shouted in disbelief.
Choso walked over and looked at the Kogane in front of them.
“That’s enough, Yuji… Right now, our goal is to understand what Noritoshi Kamo is trying to do.
Kogane, can you explain the rules of the Culling Game to us?”
“Yes.”
Kogane flapped its wings and began explaining the rules in its somewhat childish voice.
“General Rule 1: Players must take the oath inside any Barrier within 19 days of awakening.”
“General Rule 2: If a Player violates General Rule 1, all of their Cursed Techniques will be revoked.”
“General Rule 3: Any non-Player human who enters a Barrier will be considered a Player who has taken the oath, and General Rules 1 and 2 will apply.”
“General Rule 4: Players earn points by taking the lives of other Players.”
As Kogane spoke, Itadori’s expression gradually darkened.
Choso turned to look at his younger brother, whose mood had sunk to rock bottom, and silently patted him on the shoulder.
“General Rule 5: Points refer to the value assigned to each Player by the Administrator.
As a general rule, sorcerers are worth 5 points, and non-sorcerers are worth 1 point.”
“Even ordinary people count for points?!”
Itadori raised his head, fire seeming to flare in his eyes.
“Yes.
As a general rule, non-sorcerers are only worth 1 point.
If you want to obtain more points, you will still need to kill other Players.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about!!”
“Enough, Yuji.”
Choso patted Itadori on the back.
“This Cursed Spirit doesn’t decide the game… The person behind it is Noritoshi Kamo.
Kogane, continue.”
“General Rule 6: By spending 100 points, excluding the points assigned to the Player themselves, a Player may negotiate with the Administrator to add a new rule.”
“General Rule 7: As long as it does not affect the continuation of the Culling Game, any rule added by a Player must be accepted.”
“General Rule 8: If a Player’s points do not change within 19 days after joining the game or gaining points, their Cursed Technique will be revoked.”
“General Rule 9: Players may move from the boundary of one Barrier to the boundary of any other Barrier.”
“General Rule 10: Players may view information on other Players.”
“That guy… He’s treating human lives like a game…”
The “that guy” Itadori meant was, of course, Noritoshi Kamo.
He clenched his teeth as anger surged from his heart straight into his head.
If he had finished off Mahito faster back then… If he had not been beaten so easily by that guy back then, if he had not lost consciousness back then, if…
“Hey, Yuji.”
Just as Itadori was about to sink into judgment of himself, Choso gave his back another firm slap.
“I’m… fine.”
Itadori silently leaned against the wall, staring blankly into the distance.
After several deep breaths, as if becoming even more certain that he was only a “part,” he straightened up again.
Meanwhile, Choso looked at the Player information list and the only two people who had added rules.
Gen, 20 points, one added rule, located in Tokyo’s Second Barrier.
Hajime Kashimo, 5 points, one added rule, located in Tokyo’s Second Barrier.
Although he did not know which of them had added the first rule, there was no doubt that these two were about to begin a duel.
“Choso, let’s go.
We can’t stop.”
Their silence was broken by the roar of a Cursed Spirit, and by Itadori’s voice as he raised his head.
Then Itadori and Choso began clearing out the remaining Cursed Spirits in Shibuya once more.
They had just received a lot of information, but they still had to deal with what was right in front of them first.
At Itadori’s call, Choso quickly followed after him.
“I’m coming!”
…
Tokyo’s Second Barrier.
Amid an eruption of lightning, Gen stood before Hajime Kashimo.
Their gazes collided, and Kashimo’s voice came first.
“Hey!
Judging by your Cursed Energy… you’re ‘Gen,’ aren’t you?”
Opposite Hajime Kashimo, Gen drew the Caduceus, now transformed into a giant scythe, and raised his head.
“Hey, you look kind of hard to place.
Are you a man or a woman?”