Jujutsu Kaisen: Purple

Chapter 19: The Shinjuku Slaughter

The dismal late afternoon weather juxtaposed the brilliant billboards and splendid signs vivifying the Shinjuku Station East Exit area. Sayume Kanmuri leaned against a wall, idly observing the crowds while holding a phone to his ear.

"Out of curiosity, why did you choose the 1st of April?"

Less than a kilometre away, Yukou Tsugomorii stood atop the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Nishi-Shinjuku — surveying the city.

"It's the beginning of every institutional year in Japan," he declared. "I found it poetic for the day that'll mark the start of a new age." The curse user unholstered the purple handgun attached to his belt and held it next to his head, with the barrel pointing towards the sky. "Shinjuku is also livelier than usual, which will encourage the Jujutsu Sorcerers to show up."

A malicious grin spread across Sayume's lips. "It won't be lively for much longer."

"On that note, the Disorder Curses better do their job correctly," stated Yukou, narrowing his eyes. "I won't be able to exterminate the other sorcerers while fighting Itsuka Shinidare, so I'm leaving their assassinations to them."

The illusionist scowled. "Do you think we can trust those cursed spirits?"

"Not a chance — assuming they weren't part of a binding vow," responded the curse user. "I promised them an opportunity to slaughter as many humans as they could in exchange for their servitude."

Sayume tapped his parasol on the pavement. "Couldn't you have just threatened to kill them if they didn't cooperate?"

"Pacts must be made of one's own volition," explained Yukou. "Coercion wouldn't work." He looked down the handgun's sights and smiled. "Fortunately, a little persuasion is all it took."

"But... they won't attack me, right?"

The purple-haired man sneered. "The penalty we agreed upon for breaking the binding vow is death," he proclaimed. "Worry about the special-grade cursed object I gave you instead."

"About that! I figured out how to trick cursed spirits into thinking I'm one of them by using my technique! Wanna know how? I mimic—"

"It's five o'clock," announced Yukou, checking the time on his phone. "You're going to make sure Yukari doesn't die, understood?"

Sayume felt a shiver crawling down his spine. "U-understood."

"I'm glad, good luck."

The man hung up.

"Now..."

Yukou reholstered the handgun before forming a basic mudra with his right hand; his entire face lit up.

"Let us carve out a curseless world."

Meanwhile — in Kita-Shinjuku — Yukari, Mizuki and Hinotori walked along a busy street.

"That was an easy mission," chuckled the sharp-toothed sorcerer. "Let's grab some bubble tea!"

The purple-haired teenager's phone began to ring. He paused and retrieved the device from his pocket.

"We've received reports of a curtain appearing in Nishi-Shinjuku," informed Ms Yamakado in a frantic tone. "Get there as soon as possible!"

Yukari's eyes widened.

Fifteen minutes later, amidst the unmelodious ensemble of car horns and heavy traffic, a woman possessing long ash-grey hair and blood-red eyes stopped in front of a purple curtain.

Yukou Tsugomorii has finally made his move, then.

The Death Sentence Sorcerer removed the scythe-shaped sheath from her back and freed the weapon inside: a curved, skeletal thirty-centimetre blade attached to a black, one-and-a-half metre handle. She tossed the sheath to the side.