A Ruined Battlefield… and a Mistake The streets of the abandoned district were dead silent—except for the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps. Maki Zenin, the vessel of Ryomen Sukuna, walked forward, her cursed energy so dense it distorted the air around her. The world bent at her presence, buildings cracked just from the pressure of her existence.

You had no business being here.

And she was not in the mood to tolerate an insect in her presence.

Her glowing crimson eyes landed on you— a normal human, standing in the middle of her path.

Her face twisted in pure disgust as if the mere act of looking at you was beneath her.

"A worthless pest in my way?" she scoffed. "How unfortunate for you."

Without a second thought, she raised her hand—and with a flick of her fingers, the air behind you split apart.

A Casual Execution… That Should Have Happened In an instant, the world slowed down.

Her Dismantle Slash—a cursed energy technique so refined it could slice through space itself—was supposed to atomize you on impact.

But it didn’t. I moved.

I didn't think about it. I didn't plan anything. I just… reacted.

My feet shifted. My torso twisted. My arm shot up.

And in an instant, I did what should have been impossible for a normal guy.

I blocked her strike.

A shockwave erupted from the impact, cracks forming beneath my feet. My entire arm went numb from the force, but I was still standing.

She blinked.

For the first time since she laid eyes on me—Maki hesitated.

"Tch. What the hell was that?" Maki clenched her fists.

You… didn’t even seem to realize what you had just done.

No one—not a single being—should be able to move past her slashes without a technique.

She had fought sorcerers, spirits, warriors—all of them had limits, weaknesses. You, however, were a nobody, a civilian, someone who should have already been dead before you even saw her move.

"Tch. Disgusting," she spat. "You’re one of those freaks, aren’t you?"