Jujutsu Kaisen: I Can Manipulate Time.

Kamihara Hajime emerged from the shadows, sprinting toward the moving taxi. The driver noticed him—instantly, the car picked up speed.

Hajime raised his hand, condensing Cursed Energy into a small projectile. He aimed at the taxi's rear tires and fired.

But then, the car distorted with an eerie aura. The presence of a Cursed Spirit, partially fused with the vehicle, revealed itself. Strange patterns flickered across the taxi's surface, absorbing the attack and preventing any damage to the tires.

The taxi was accelerating rapidly, and Hajime couldn't risk using Extermination—Nitta Akari was still inside.

But he didn't panic. Instead, he smiled.

"As expected, arrogant to the end. Let's save Miss Nitta first."

"Time Wheel: Spin."

The speeding taxi halted instantly—like a moth frozen in midair beneath a streetlamp, trapped in invisible amber.

Hajime dashed forward, shattered the window with a punch, and opened the locked door. The shards of glass hung suspended, moving slightly only when brushed by his body. He pulled the immobilized Nitta Akari from the back seat, hoisting her onto his shoulder.

With his free hand, Hajime drew the blade at his waist and drove it cleanly into the neck of the driver—a man with a crazed grin. The killer they were hunting.

With the mission halfway done, Hajime retreated as the Time Null state dissolved. The world resumed motion—the moths resumed fluttering, and the halted taxi lurched back to life.

A split second later, a thunderous crash followed. The vehicle veered out of control, flipping over violently. Metal twisted and glass exploded as it rolled down the road, finally coming to a mangled stop several meters away.

Nitta Akari gasped like someone just pulled from drowning, instinctively clinging to Hajime. As awareness returned, she quickly said, "That Curse User… he has some sort of mind-control Technique. It's unclear how it works."

Hajime gently set her down and shook the blood from his blade. He glanced at the overturned wreck and said calmly,

"It doesn't matter. He's just flailing before the end."

Akari frowned in confusion.

Just then, the broken car emitted a creak. A door swung open with a loud clang, and a blood-soaked figure stumbled out.

"It's him!" she shouted. Though battered and barely recognizable, it was clearly the same Curse User, now crawling out while clutching his neck.

Blood poured through his fingers. His once smug expression had twisted into something equal parts fear and fury.

As he moved, strange energies manifested. The broken vehicle exuded a sinister aura that began to concentrate in the air. In mere moments, a grotesque figure emerged—a warped mist with dozens of twitching mouths and eyes shifting across its surface.

Its presence was stronger than the Second Grade Curse they'd fought with Maki. If it had a Technique, it would qualify as a quasi-First Grade Curse—likely this man's Shikigami.

The Curse User slumped, and the grotesque spirit floated toward him. Then, it twisted like smoke and sank into his body. Black, swamp-like fluid bubbled from his wounded neck, cloaking the area in a dark sheen.

The bleeding stopped. His condition stabilized, and he forced himself upright.

But his expression was worse than ever.

His prey—the blonde woman—and the young man who had ruined everything stood before him. Rage consumed him, barely hiding the terror underneath.

Hajime's blade had struck true, slicing through both artery and trachea. It wasn't a wound someone could survive. The Shikigami had only delayed the inevitable.

Its Technique didn't heal. It simply manipulated the body, faking functionality. He'd used it to lure young women before… now he used it on himself.

But it was all temporary.

"So this… is what dying feels like?"

Panic twisted into obsession.

"No… I can't die yet. There are still women who need to be punished!"

His eyes locked on Hajime. Madness overcame him. He ignored the power gap, driven only by the urge to kill.

Break his limbs. Torture the girl. Then die.

Hajime watched with detached calm. The man had turned into a snarling animal, oblivious to the inevitable.

Akari tensed beside him. If they didn't handle this quickly—and discreetly—it could cause a scene. They hadn't had time to set a veil.

"I'll handle it," Hajime said, nodding. He stepped forward.

Gojo Satoru's words echoed in his mind.

> "Kamihara. Your Technique is a nightmare for Curse Users and Sorcerers alike.

Most sorcerers don't know Reverse Cursed Technique. A clean hit to a vital point? Instant death."

> "Your speed goes beyond the human limit. Unless they activate their Technique with a trigger, they won't even have time to react."

Hajime had grinned at the time. "Then I'm crazy strong, right?"

Gojo had laughed. "Not quite. If someone gets a Domain Expansion off, you're screwed."

> "And top-grade Cursed Spirits recover fast. Vital points barely matter to them. Don't get cocky."

He couldn't help but agree. Against Spirits, battles were uncertain. But Curse Users like this? Too easy.

They weren't even worth naming.

If only he mastered Reversal, maybe even combined forward and reverse flow like Gojo-sensei…

Yes. He'd surpass Gojo one day. Make that smug bastard eat his words!

As Hajime mused, a spike of Cursed Energy jolted him back to reality. The Curse User had raised his hand—something black and sharp launched toward him.

But Hajime only smiled and raised two fingers.

"Time Wheel – Reverse."

The projectile disappeared mid-flight, vanishing like it was never there.

The Curse User froze. "What the hell? What did you do?!"

His voice cracked with panic. The black substance on his neck was now crawling toward his jaw. His thoughts were unraveling, fueled by fear and rage.

Again, he tried to attack.

Hajime sighed. "Time to end this."

He entered Time Null once more.

In an instant, he was in front of the Curse User. He didn't bother with his blade—it'd be a pain to clean up.

Instead, he slammed a Cursed Energy-infused punch into the man's chest, followed by another to the gut. He exited the Technique as the man collapsed.

"Pfft!"

Hajime stepped aside, avoiding the blood and organ fragments spraying from the Curse User's mouth. He knelt, unable to speak. His Shikigami was damaged and fading.

Even in his final moments, hatred filled the man's eyes.

"Re… release… kill… everything…"

The last command triggered the Shikigami. Purple-black flesh burst from his body. In seconds, the man was gone, replaced by a grotesque tumor-like Cursed Spirit.

The Curse User was dead.

Only the spirit remained.

Hajime transferred the blade to his dominant hand and activated his Technique.

Akari watched in stunned silence. One moment, a hulking monster stood. The next—it was gone. Torn apart like a stack of blocks. Hajime stood there, completely unscathed.

"Is this… his Technique? That speed…"

Before she could say more, Hajime waved her over. They had to clean up the scene.

The crash earlier had been loud, but with the situation under control, it could be passed off as an accident. They still had time to call in support.

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