I Sealed Sukuna’s Finger#425+426: Yukata-Wearing Senpai Is the Best! Saeko Busujima Vs. Tsuchigumo

BOOM!!!

With a deafening roar that shook the shrine, a massive form burst through the earth, instantly shattering the shrine's ceiling and sending the entire structure flying.

Dust and debris scattered everywhere.

Hmm...

Hagoromo-Gitsune remained calm and unhurried, keeping her arms folded across her chest as she waited for the dust to settle.

What appeared before her was a seemingly humanoid figure with four arms—a red-haired giant whose entire body was packed with rippling muscle. He wore a fierce yaksha mask on his face and sat cross-legged atop the shrine's ruins, two hands resting on his knees. One arm dangled lazily in front of him while another held a massive smoking pipe that matched his size, which he raised to his mouth for a deep, satisfied drag.

When he exhaled, the entire sky above Fushimi Inari Shrine seemed to burn with raging flames and fill with smoke.

"Haaah~ Finally got out. Four hundred whole years."

The four-armed, red-haired yaksha giant's voice erupted from his chest with earth-shaking force. He looked down at the high school girl below him—practically insignificant compared to his size—and let out a surprised sound.

"Hoh? I was wondering why this demonic power felt so familiar. So it's you, Hagoromo-Gitsune! You finally broke your seal too?"

"That's right. It's been four hundred years, Tsuchigumo."

Hagoromo-Gitsune's pale, almost translucent face remained expressionless.

"I didn't expect you'd been sealed here along with part of my power. But this isn't all of it. I've still got several other locations to hit. If everything goes according to plan, I'll have all my strength and my Hundred Demons back soon enough."

"Ohhh~ And then you can revive Nue, right?!"

At the mention of the seal, Tsuchigumo became noticeably excited.

"Once Nue's back, I'm gonna have another good brawl with him!"

Hagoromo-Gitsune maintained her faint smile.

"Seimei? Yes, exactly."

"Hmm... though now that you mention it, compared to four hundred years ago, Kyoto feels kind of different somehow."

As Tsuchigumo moved his body, his voice rumbled like thunder, tinged with confusion.

"And my power feels like it's being suppressed."

"Oh, that?"

Hagoromo-Gitsune seemed to have anticipated this, smiling as she shrugged.

"That's my sister's ability. She's soft-hearted, so when she learned about my plans, she blanketed the entire Kansai region with a barrier. Weaker demons probably can't even muster the will to attack anyone under my sister's barrier. But for you, Tsuchigumo, that level of suppression shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Well, yeah, I guess."

Tsuchigumo raised his pipe again for another deep drag.

"So you need my help? I'm not one of your Hundred Demons, but if it means getting to fight Nue sooner, I wouldn't mind helping you deal with the remaining seals."

"No need."

Hagoromo-Gitsune rejected him without hesitation.

"They're just Keikain branch families. Even though my current strength doesn't compare to what it was four hundred years ago, those Onmyōji still can't hold a candle to me."

"Fair enough. Then I won't get involved."

Tsuchigumo wasn't offended. He finished speaking, put away his pipe, stood up from the collapsed shrine ruins beneath him, and dusted off his pants.

"Anyway, I've been locked up for four hundred years. Time to go see what's changed. Catch you later."

With that, he crouched down, gathered his strength, and launched himself into the air. His mountain-sized form displayed agility and explosive power completely at odds with his massive appearance—like King Kong himself, shooting straight up into the sky.

The ground at Fushimi Inari Shrine where he'd pushed off looked like it had been struck by a small meteor. The entire area was covered in spiderweb cracks, sunken a full two meters deep.

The massive commotion kicked up another cloud of dust and debris.

When the dust settled once more, Hagoromo-Gitsune lowered the tail she'd held up to shield herself from the windblown sand, turned expressionlessly, and departed.

Next location, then.

Chūgū sounds good.

❁❁❁❁

Meanwhile, having spent the entire afternoon at her hotel until sunset, Saeko Busujima had also arrived at the entrance to Kiyomizu-dera Temple—the same place she'd visited that morning.

Perhaps because tourists had returned to their hotels for the evening, Kiyomizu-dera seemed somewhat less crowded compared to the sea of humanity from earlier.

Of course, "somewhat" was the operative word. It just wasn't as packed as during the day—not quite the shoulder-to-shoulder, wall-of-heads situation from before. But there were still plenty of tourists around.

Still, this was good enough.

For tonight's visit to Kiyomizu-dera, Saeko had specifically changed clothes. Instead of the casual, practical outfit from earlier, she'd switched to a deep blue yukata that matched her hair color. She still carried her sword bag containing her katana slung over one shoulder.

Ancient temple, yukata, sword—it all created the feeling of being transported back to the Edo period of wandering samurai.

And she, Saeko Busujima, was the daughter of a prestigious warrior family from the Edo era.

As a high school girl raised by a traditionally-minded father who'd groomed her into a proper yamato nadeshiko, Saeko actually quite enjoyed this aesthetic.

Plus, supposedly if you confessed your feelings on Kiyomizu Stage, you were guaranteed success.

Sure, that was probably exaggerated, but people always had a special fondness for romantic notions.

Saeko was no different. A major reason she'd chosen to visit Kiyomizu-dera first was precisely because of this Kiyomizu Stage.

Though Saeko herself didn't currently have anyone she wanted to confess to—or anyone she wanted a confession from—she was curious about what kind of experience standing on Kiyomizu Stage provided that supposedly boosted confession success rates.

But just like when Your Name had blown up in popularity, people didn't need a significant other to go see it, right?

With that thought, Saeko entered Kiyomizu-dera.

Ten minutes later, after climbing the steps to reach Kiyomizu Stage, the rectangular platform—which was less a "stage" and more like an elevated plaza—had very few people left.

That made sense, though. It was already dark now. Kiyomizu-dera sat in the mountains, so while during the day you could see brilliant mountain flowers in the distance, at night—aside from the temple's own lighting—the surrounding mountains were pitch black.

Not romantic at all. Just plain eerie!

Though she'd heard that the mountains around Kiyomizu-dera were planted full of maple trees. If she came in autumn, she could see endless red maples blanketing the mountainsides from Kiyomizu Stage.

Maybe I'll come back again in fall...

As Saeko thought this to herself, she closed her eyes against the mountain breeze, imagining the scene in her mind.

But just then, a sudden sound cutting through the air interrupted the swordswoman's daydream.

Sensing something wrong, Saeko's eyes snapped open. Acting purely on instinct, she immediately leaped several meters to the side.

The next second, a massive, mountain-sized figure came crashing down from above, landing heavily on Kiyomizu Stage. The wind pressure it kicked up carried the smell of burning tobacco. The sound thundered like a storm, and four giant arms swung outward toward the scattered tourists.

"Haaah~ Kyoto sure has changed a lot in four hundred years. At least the overall layout's still mostly the same, or I might've gotten lost. Anyway, time for a quick snack."

"..."

Saeko stared somewhat incredulously at the enormous demon that had suddenly appeared and started treating the tourist group like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Behind her, she could hear tourists screaming as they scattered and fled. She couldn't help shaking her head with mild exasperation.

"What is this... a knight in shining armor scenario? Not really my thing, and if you're going to play the prince, at least look in a mirror first and check what you're working with."

With that, she drew her katana from its bag—the blade gleaming cold and sharp despite being unsheathed for so long.

"Everyone evacuate immediately! Leave this to me!"

❁❁❁❁

At the same time, outside Kiyomizu-dera's entrance.

Having just finished dinner and arrived at their destination—each holding a stick of cotton candy, walking hand-in-hand—Bokue Keikain and Yura had barely made it through the shopping district when they heard screams erupting from inside the temple. Every tourist was fleeing outward like their lives depended on it.

The young man raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Hmm? What's going on in there?"

<><><><><><><><>

Saeko Busujima didn't enjoy playing the lone hero, but the current situation left her no choice.

As her katana slid from its sheath, a cold moonlight fell upon Kiyomizu Stage. The bone-chilling killing intent even made the mountain-sized demon turn his head.

"This power... an Onmyōji? No wait, this reckless, overconfident style... you're a Jujutsu Sorcerer, aren't you?"

Tsuchigumo merely glanced at Saeko and let out a contemptuous snort.

Reckless? Overconfident?

Of course not.

The moment Tsuchigumo had appeared, Saeko had already completed her tactical assessment.

Judging by how he'd arrived and his speed, this demon—despite seeming to favor raw power—possessed agility and quickness completely at odds with his massive frame.

Add in the sheer difference in limb reach between them, and running away on foot was basically impossible.

Especially since there were still plenty of tourists lingering inside Kiyomizu-dera. If she just fled, their fate was obvious.

Plus, right outside the temple was the busy shopping district—crowded with people, making escape even more difficult.

So all things considered, rather than waiting until massive casualties forced her into battle anyway, she might as well strike first and eliminate him right here where he'd appeared!

Attack!

With that thought, Saeko suddenly dropped low, her footwork light and agile as she kicked off the ground. In the blink of an eye, she vanished from her spot.

The next second, she'd already appeared directly beneath Tsuchigumo.

Because of their height difference, if Saeko stood on the same ground level, she'd never be able to reach any vital points—like his throat or heart.

But against a monster this large with devastating power yet surprising agility, recklessly launching into the air would be equally foolish.

Humans couldn't change direction mid-air. If he reacted and counterattacked, she wouldn't even have a chance to dodge—she'd take a direct hit and suffer critical injuries.

So first, Saeko would test him with one strike—

BOOM!

Before her blade even finished its arc, a violent roar instantly filled the entire sky above Kiyomizu-dera. Massive dust clouds kicked up, and the already-damaged Kiyomizu Stage shook once more, fine cracks appearing on the support pillars beneath.

When the dust settled, Tsuchigumo—who'd been crouching and smoking just moments ago—remained in the same position, one arm clenched into a fist and driven deep into the stage below.

Right beside where his fist had landed, the sword-wielding girl stood completely unharmed, only her sleeve edges dusted with debris. Both hands gripped her katana's handle, frozen in a post-slash stance.

"Oh? You not only dodged but even counterattacked? Not bad... for a Jujutsu Sorcerer."

As if somewhat surprised the girl hadn't died from that strike, Tsuchigumo pulled his fist from the crater and examined it carefully.

A shallow red mark appeared on the first joint of his second right hand's pinky finger.

But it was just a mark—like the faint red line that appears on skin after scratching it.

In other words, Saeko's surprise attack hadn't even managed to break Tsuchigumo's skin.

"Well, in that case, I won't hold back anymore."

Even as he said this, Tsuchigumo raised two more arms, still keeping one hand on his pipe.

Then—

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

In an instant, an explosive roar far more intense than before erupted across Kiyomizu Stage.

Tsuchigumo wildly swung his three arms, like Star Platinum with an extra hand, raining devastating strikes down on the swordswoman below.

Saeko continuously shifted and weaved, facing the giant fists constantly falling from above. She precisely dodged each attack while repeatedly swinging her blade in counterstrikes.

For an ordinary person, this would be virtually impossible. But Saeko was actually pulling it off.

She seemed able to sense Tsuchigumo's killing intent, accurately predicting each attack's landing point and dodging preemptively, while striking back at the exact same spot she'd hit previously.

Like repeatedly bending a steel rod back and forth, accumulating metal fatigue until it finally snapped.

Tsuchigumo's arm was no different.

SHLICK—!

Finally, after what seemed like brief but was actually dozens of exchanges, a stream of dark red liquid suddenly burst from Tsuchigumo's hand.

Blood saturated with demonic power splashed down like dumped dishwater, hitting the already-devastated Kiyomizu Stage and raising foul white smoke like acid corroding organic matter.

This was the first time since the battle began that Saeko had broken through Tsuchigumo's defense. Though it couldn't be called significant damage, it at least proved her attacks were capable of injuring him.

But even the best plans have their flaws...

Completely ignoring his cut finger, the pain only exciting his vicious nature further, Tsuchigumo threw another punch—faster than any previous strike—connecting with Saeko while she was still airborne.

CLANG!

In an instant, a clear sword chime vibrated through the twilight-drenched air. The swordswoman who'd blocked with her blade held in front of her was sent flying high and backward. When she landed, a trace of dark red was visible at the corner of her mouth.

Ngh...

Saeko planted her katana to steady herself, pressing her lips together as she discreetly licked away the metallic taste.

Though she'd reacted in time to block Tsuchigumo's attack with her blade, the terrifying force contained within had still transferred to her body, causing varying degrees of internal injuries to her organs.

"See, this is why you Jujutsu Sorcerers are useless."

As Tsuchigumo spoke, he wiped the blood seeping from his finger wound, his voice thundering with mockery.

"Your bodies are fragile as paper screens, yet you insist on acting cocky just because you've got slightly more talent than your peers. You don't learn from those Onmyōji and fight as a coordinated team. Every time it's the same—you charge in solo with your overblown ego, and only when you realize you're outmatched do you get scared and start begging. Pathetic."

"Begging? That's not in my playbook."

Saeko pulled her katana from the ground and straightened up.

"Not planning to beg?"

Tsuchigumo's tone grew even more mocking.

"Can't you see reality yet? You just went all-out and barely managed to cut through a bit of my skin. I could literally stand here and let you hack away forever—wouldn't matter. As for you... I'm curious if you can still maintain your previous speed after eating that punch."

"Let me hack away forever? You've got something wrong. That fight was just me stalling for time. My ability isn't exactly suitable for crowded places, you see."

As Saeko spoke, she held her katana horizontally before her and exhaled softly. Her still-calm voice drifted on the evening breeze through the now-empty Kiyomizu-dera.

Her left hand gently gripped the blade and slid along it. The sharp edge instantly cut through her skin, warm blood coating the steel, thickening under her cursed energy's influence until it became viscous and gel-like.

The thick scent of blood rose and spread through the air. At some point, the pockmarked, wood-chip-scattered ground beneath her feet had been covered by what looked like a swamp constructed from blood itself.

Tsuchigumo suddenly felt something was wrong.

He saw the swordswoman before him raise the corners of her mouth in an almost cruel smile.

"Domain Expansion—"

"Eight Thousand Styles: All Things' End."