The person was chanting a curse, but their hands were wielding the black magic.

10:00 AM, inside the Tokyo Barrier.

It was formed by the collapse of several floors of office buildings and the crushing of subway tunnels.

Deep within an extremely hidden and structurally fragile cavity.

A figure in pure white, like a snowbird, crashed into the empty space deliberately hidden beneath the ruins of the city.

It stirred up the gray-white dust that had accumulated here over the years.

Dust rose like mist, lingering and never dissipating, proving how secluded and desolate this place was, isolated from the world.

"Lu Suo".

Rime landed steadily, as if the astonishing impact of the fall had no effect on her petite body.

His eyes pierced through the swirling dust and mist, carrying a hint of barely suppressed restlessness:

"Is your plan even feasible?"

She took a step forward, her boots leaving clear marks on the dust.

"How did we end up in that situation?"

Recalling what just happened... let's not even talk about the previous cycle of reincarnation.

That brutal battle that erupted on the ruins of Tokyo and ultimately ended with the forced restart of [Reincarnation].

It kept churning in Rime's mind.

She was driven to the brink by the group of modern sorcerers from the college, whom she had always regarded as a "rabble," and even had to use her last trump card to escape.

This made her feel an almost sacrilegious shame, especially the thought that it might delay Lord Sukuna's true arrival.

She lowered her head slightly, gazing at the empty sky, and murmured with a tone of guilt and resentment:

"I'm sorry, Lord Sukuna, I'm afraid I'll have to keep you waiting for a while longer."

In the shadows, Lu Suo slowly raised his head.

He did not immediately respond to Rime's question, but instead turned slightly to the side, his gaze fixed on the depths of the room.

The youth, bound by complex incantations and ice crystals, remained curled up in a semi-dormant state. Only after confirming that his condition was stable did Lu Su turn his gaze back to Rime.

"It's alright, Rimei."

"Everything is still under control."

"Still there?!"

Rime's tone suddenly rose.

The surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees, and tiny ice crystals condensed in the air.

"We planned for so long, prepared so much, and all we got in return was a humiliating two-day rewind?!"

"What kind of control is this?!"

She took a step forward, and the chill spread through the ground, creating frost-like patterns.

Faced with Rime's anger and questioning, Lu Su simply pointed his finger at Jie Jian.

"The time span during which Mustard Seed can exert a stable influence is currently about five years."

"...Five years?"

Rime's anger faltered slightly, and a hint of genuine surprise flashed in his eyes.

This timeframe clearly exceeded her initial expectations. Five years is enough time for too many things to change.

She immediately pressed for an answer, her urgency overshadowing her anger:

"Then why not just go back five years? Return to a more advantageous starting point?"

"Are you crazy, Rime?"

Lu Suo chuckled softly:

"Thinking about it carefully, there are only two time points that could have caused Gojo Satoru, the strongest man in the modern era, to completely disappear."

He slowly raised one finger:

"One, right now. While he's sealed within the prison gates."

Next, raise your second finger:

"And the other one was eleven years ago, before he had truly grown into the invincible Gojo Satoru, when he was just beginning to show his talent."

He lowered his hand and looked at Rimei with a leisurely air.

"so."

"Our ultimate goal is to try to go back to the distant past."

"But right now, getting everything sorted out at this point in time is what's in our best interest."

"Even if we're going to try, we should wait until we can go back to 11 years ago..."

After listening to Lu Suo's clear and ruthless explanation of the entire plan, Rimei's violent aura gradually subsided.

Although still dissatisfied, he at least understood that Lu Suo was not just blindly stumbling around, but was carrying out some kind of deeper calculation.

The restless emotions were suppressed, and cold rationality regained its advantage.

"So, shall we continue according to the original plan, hunting swimmers, extracting their magical power to feed the Mustard Seed, and strengthening its manipulation of time?"

"This is your task, but it's different for me."

Lu Suo slowly stood up, dusted off the dust from his robe, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips:

"I suddenly thought... to try a different approach."

"Don't you think we have a bit too few people here?"

"...Few people?"

Rime chewed on the word.

"Didn't you notice?"

Lu Suo slowly walked towards the exit of the space, her voice echoing in the emptiness.

"There are a lot of people at the vocational college."

These words startled Rime, who then fell into a brief moment of contemplation.

Yes, there's Yuta Otsuku, Megumi Fushiguro, Yuujin Itadori, Aoi Toudou, Kinji Shirai, Kento Nanami, and all those young sorcerers who keep emerging.

As for their own side, apart from her and Lu Suo, they really had very few true companions and high-end combat power.

Why did we end up in this situation?

On average, each person needs to fight ten highly skilled masters!

Could it be that the college has some divine blessing upon it?

Will going against higher vocational colleges lead to a protracted war of attrition?

Lu Suo did not wait for her answer and walked straight to the hidden exit. Light and shadow cut out the boundary between light and dark on his body, which was covered by Xia Youjie's skin.

"Let's split up, Rime."

Without turning his head, Lu Su gave the order:

"Go and hunt down enough swimmers to bring back their magical power to feed Mustard Seed. He needs more nourishment to consolidate and extend his time."

"And what about you?" Rime asked, looking at his retreating figure.

"I?"

"There are a few rather interesting awakened swimmers. I'm quite interested, perhaps before they even get into college..."

He paused, his voice soft yet carrying an undeniable air of control:

"Bring them to our side."

"An Awakened Swimmer? There's one you'd even consider?"

Rime's tone carried a hint of disbelief and surprise.

She knew all too well how high Lu Suo's standards were; he might not even consider many of the ancient flesh-swimming beings who had signed contracts with him. To Lu Suo, most things in the world were merely pawns to be used.

"It's a trial."

Lu Suo left behind this ambiguous statement.

"ha?"

Rimei frowned, feeling that her patience was about to be exhausted by this riddle-teller.

Lu Suo offered no further explanation, his figure silently merging into the light outside the exit and disappearing from sight.

……

……

A moment later, on the outskirts of a relatively well-preserved urban area in Tokyo, inside an old theater with a crooked sign.

Lu Suo's figure appeared silently on the side of the dusty stage, like a ghost.

He did not deliberately conceal his presence; he simply walked towards the back of the theater in a gentle manner.

It was converted into a makeshift temporary dwelling.

In the center, there was even an old-fashioned white porcelain bathtub that seemed out of place.

In the bathtub.

A middle-aged man, soaking wet and with a serious expression, lay quietly on his back in the water, as if he were meditating or performing a purification ritual.

They noticed the intrusion of the uninvited guest.

Hiromi Hiroshi didn't even open his eyes, but slowly asked in his deep voice:

"Who is it?"

Lu Suo stopped in front of the bathtub, a classic gentle smile appearing on his face. He bowed slightly.

"I?"

"He's just a practitioner wearing a kasaya."

He raised his eyes, his gaze landing precisely on Hiromi Ryukyu's face, a face etched with obsession.

The sound seemed to possess a magical power, echoing through the small space filled with moisture and the smell of old paper:

"Mr. Nissan".

"Let us..."

"Let's have a proper discussion about the bigger picture."