'Theme song, huh? I mean, I do remember seeing some music notes while reading the manga… But I didn't expect there was actually music playing when he's in Jackpot. It's also weird music—kind of like rock, but with romantic lyrics?'
Ren frowned internally and then looked away. 'Whatever. What do I do now?'
He jumped back and threw his hand out fast.
A Red Stitch shot from Ren's wrist, wrapped around a tree, and yanked him forward. His body swung sharply as he moved through the woods—away from the lake.
'Away from the lake?'
Todo thought
'Eh? What? Is he running away? That's unexpected. He must be leading us into a trap… or trying to change the battlefield. Possible—the woods would be more advantageous for him to swing around. But who cares? I'll just let Hakari take charge. Even if he leads us into a trap, the chances it'll take Hakari out are low. The bastard just keeps healing. That must be his jackpot…'
Todo narrowed his eyes.
'Besides, I'll just follow behind and swap with him if he does something too unexpected.'
Hakari, meanwhile, didn't even bother thinking it through; he spoke, "Huh? HEY! Don't run, you fucker! Wait! I'm not done talking!"
Both Todo and Hakari rushed after Ren.
'I have two options,' Ren thought as he moved.
'First: stall until Hakari's Jackpot runs out, then try to take him out as fast as possible… Or I go all out and just hope to win.'
He dismissed the thought almost immediately.
'Nah. I have a plan—but it's risky. If it doesn't work, I'll be left with no cursed energy.'
A faint grin tugged at his lips.
'But whatever. I can always summon Rika… and not use her.
Gojo only told me not to use Rika.
He didn't say I couldn't use her as a cursed battery.'
Ren smiled and swung deeper into the woods.
'Ugh. I'm still not used to using Red Stitch: Spider like this… but it should be enough.'
Suddenly, Ren stopped. The red threads connected to the trees faded away instantly, leaving Ren suspended mid-air.
Hakari didn't hesitate.
Without even batting an eye, he leapt upward and threw a full-force jump kick straight at Ren.
Ren smiled.
He thrust his left hand forward, while his right hand clamped tightly around his left wrist.
'I've never done this before… But it should be possible,' Ren thought.
'Just like Spider-Man did that one time in that movie.'
Then Ren spoke out loud.
"Red Stitch: Spider 100% output!—Weaker Web of Trapping!"
Todo and Hakari both heard him.
As Ren fell through the air—
BOOM!!
Red threads burst violently from Ren's left wrist. His right hand held his wrist at an angle that sent the threads exploding outward in every direction.
WHOOSH!
They clung to trees, the ground, leaves, branches, and trunks. Some shot far beyond the forest, even linking out toward the river.
WHOOSH!
They spread like a blooming red flower.
In seconds, Ren's surroundings were completely covered in Red Web...
Hakari was caught!
His arm was bound. His legs were wrapped. Red threads crawled across his body.
Only Todo managed to react—leaping into the air at the last second, barely dodging most of the threads by the skin of his teeth.
'What?' Todo thought. 'He said weaker webs of trapping. Does that mean they're weaker but better at restraining? No… This is obviously a trap, right? He can't be stupid enough to just say what his technique does.'
His eyes flicked across the battlefield.
'It's a bluff. He's low on cursed energy—he wouldn't use something this big. He's just trying to scare us into overthinking and not attacking.'
Todo clenched his jaw. 'I won't switch with Hakari. Even if these webs are weaker, they connect to almost everything. If I switch, I'll still be caught. This AOE is too big.'
Hakari, however, didn't slow down. He kept flying toward Ren like a cannon.
Hakari's kick ripped through The Red Stitch wrapped around him did seem weaker—easier to tear through.
Hakari rushed to Ren!
"HEY, I AM NOT DONE TALKING!"
The second Hakar's kick was close enough; Ren smiled wider.
'Yes… that was a good bluff. Just not for Hakari—only for you.'
'This is my first time using Red Stitch: Spider like this. It's kind of the weaker version of my maximum technique, or at least it should be. I used my maximum technique as the blueprint to make this on the spot. It burns a lot of cursed energy… I can't do it again.'
Ren's eyes sharpened.
'But I don't need to.'
WHOOSH!
'I already have Hakari.'
Ren thrust his hand forward.
His palm collided directly with Hakari's incoming kick.
Ren muttered—
"Overdrive!"