Jujutsu Kaisen: Purple

Chapter 11: Obstructive Masquerade

The masked sorcerer stared at the apparition as cursed energy surged throughout his body. Shousa observed him, scratching her arms relentlessly.

His cursed energy output increased! Is it because of that mask...?

Shinji bolted forward. The cursed spirit flinched upon spotting a barrage of needles flying towards her. She jumped sideways, evading the onslaught. Six herbal blades emerged from the man's right palm. He swung his arm, narrowly missing the apparition before seeing her retreat deeper into the tunnel. The man raced in the same direction.

Obstructive Masquerade... An original binding vow I created. In exchange for wearing a mask that hinders my vision and heightens the risk of combat, I am able to achieve a cursed energy output of 150%.

Shousa turned to face Shinji. Numerous nerve fibres extended from her hair — nearing the sorcerer. "Die!"

A flash of mint-coloured light burst out of the man's left palm. He paused, gazing down the empty tunnel.

Where did the curse go?

The sorcerer sensed a sinister presence looming over him; the cursed spirit clung to the ceiling, glaring at Shinji. She pounced downwards and slammed into the concrete, her buzzing vines consuming the environment. The man landed several metres back. He charged at the apparition, swiping the herbal blades across the air. Shousa snarled and sprang away.

Moreover, combining this with Revealing One's Hand and Achilles' Heel allows me to temporarily reach an output of 200% — double my usual power level.

A myriad of unblinking eyes and cackling mouths sprouted from the walls as multiple massive humanoid maws manifested on the floor in the sorcerer's vicinity. He hopped backwards, avoiding the glistening nerve fibres ambushing him. The snake-like wires retracted back to the cursed spirit's head. She frowned and bit her fingernails.

The Obsessive-Compulsive Eyes aren't having any effect.

Shinji rushed in Shousa's direction once again. He adjusted his footsteps while running, eluding the mouths lurking within the concrete. The cursed spirit's hair flooded the tunnel. The man scratched the air, unleashing four flying arch-shaped slashes retaining the hue of dried bay leaves. They carved through the nerve fibres — surprising the apparition.

He still had other attacks?!

Shousa lunged to the right. She winced, noticing a stream of purple blood gushing from her left arm, along with a severed light red hand lying on the ground. The cursed spirit's mouth dropped open. Her sight shifted to a swarm of rosemary needles mere centimetres away. The apparition flung her remaining hair strands forward and disintegrated the projectiles upon impact.

A blurry figure infiltrated Shousa's peripheral vision. She lurched backwards, witnessing six herbal blades slicing the wall and leaving diagonal lacerations reminiscent of claw marks. Electrical sparks erupted from the cables crawling along the wall as nearby fluorescent lights flickered uncontrollably. The cursed spirit dodged an immense mint-coloured flash and sprinted down the tunnel; the sorcerer chased after her.

While I intended on keeping environmental damage to a minimum, it's imperative that I hasten in exorcising this special-grade spirit. My cursed energy reserves will soon be depleted, and the subway system may reactivate at any moment.

An array of aerial slashes closed in on the apparition. She leapt towards a wall — fleeing their trajectory — before kicking its surface and landing back on the empty pathway while maintaining momentum. Shousa inspected her left arm as she continued running. A viscous, light red fluid emanated from the injury, rapidly bubbling into the shape of a hand. The cursed spirit's hair regained volume.

"Help!" screamed an unfamiliar voice.

Shinji twitched. He paused and glanced behind him, detecting a human mouth embedded within the concrete floor through the mask's misty panes. The man looked back at the apparition. She met his gaze, a sadistic sneer spreading across her lips.

Guess I'll have to use it, then!

The sorcerer dashed in Shousa's direction; the cursed spirit grabbed her hair with both hands.

"Domain Expa—"

A blinding brilliance lit up the tunnel from afar, accompanied by metallic screeching. The apparition turned her head and gasped. She hopped to the side, a quartet of airborne slashes seizing her attention. Shousa's hair wrapped around an overhead rail before lifting her over the incoming attack. The cursed spirit dropped back down, watching Shinji back away.

I've exhausted the last of my herbs.

The apparition's silhouette darkened as the deafening echoes augmented. Shousa ripped off a fingernail using her teeth and pointed her other hand at the man, directing the nerve fibres towards him.

You're not escaping this time!

A trailing gust of wind engulfed the cursed spirit. She covered her ears from the train's cacophony while retracting the electric vines — revealing the sorcerer's absence. The apparition blinked.

Where the hell is—

Shinji held onto the top of a subway carriage on the opposite side of Shousa, his shoulder-length hair fluttering behind him.

Entering the cursed spirit's Innate Domain would have undoubtedly killed me. Fortunately, I was able to attenuate the impact of latching onto the train by utilising my remaining cursed energy.

The man turned his head.

I regret abandoning the mission, although this was the most realistic method of obtaining a favourable outcome.

A few minutes later, the train began to decelerate. The sorcerer released his grip before landing on a subway platform. He removed the plague doctor mask using one hand and retrieved his phone with the other, instantly tapping a number into the screen while random citizens observed. Passengers spilt from various train carriages as Shinji hurried up a flight of concrete stairs.

"I confronted the curse lurking inside the subway tunnels," stated the man, keeping his volume low. "I was forced to retreat, but it appears to be a special-grade. Please send any available sorcerers grade one or above to my location as soon as possible. Thank you."

The sorcerer stepped outside, greeted by the discordant orchestra of evening traffic. He wandered over to a deserted alleyway and sat on a small plastic crate — his back facing the wall. An ominous breeze swept through the area.

It's a tranquil evening.

Shinji's mask dropped to the ground.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" shouted the man, burying his face in his hands. "I didn't complete the exorcism!"

Tears trickled between the sorcerer's fingers. He broke down, digging his nails into his forehead.

"This is going to haunt me for the rest of my life!"

Shinji sobbed and leaned back against the wall.

I never asked to be born with this Heavenly Restriction...