Chapter 53 : Marionette
Prison Realm, a Special Grade cursed tool used for sealing. In the original work, the brain flower had planned for a long time, using it to seal the strongest Gojo Satoru, trapping him in this cube-sized "cat box" where time doesn't flow internally.
Its sealing condition is one minute, but not one minute of staying in reality, but one minute passing in brain time-space, which is why Yuikawa Kurisu suddenly appeared, to evoke Jiang Lai's past memories and let brain time pass for one minute.
In the original work, the brain flower was possessing Geto Suguru's body, making Satoru instinctively recall past events.
Actually, Jiang Lai had long known that Yuikawa Kurisu was still alive, so he wasn't thinking about that bad dog. He was just recalling intelligence he had seen before... not sure if this exceeded one minute.
Who would have thought they'd actually aim this thing at himself? Jiang Lai's mind was agile, quickly thinking in the span of a breath.
He watched that square box, feeling slightly nervous while two questions arose in his mind:
As an [Existence] detached from humanity and similar to nature, did he fall under the category of things that could be sealed?
Between the all-breaking phone-kun and the all-sealing Prison Realm, which one was superior?
The thrown square Prison Realm [opened its gate] before his eyes, its four corners stretching into a person-high curtain with a terrifying wide-open eye in the center. Jiang Lai was quick with his eyes and hands, his wrist turning as he gripped his phone and slashed forward!
...No matter what, let's break this situation directly first!
Under Yuikawa Kurisu's low laughing gaze and Geto Suguru's futile reaching effort, the figure in dark blue showed no panic whatsoever.
His eyes were sharp, staring at the sealing prelude scene so close before him, holding the ancient book with one hand and slashing horizontally forward,
The thin book touched the [opened gate] Prison Realm, and the pages were like an invincible blade, splitting it in two in an instant!
Yuikawa Kurisu & Geto Suguru: "?!!"
The strange pulling curtain instantly shattered, and Prison Realm collapsed and disintegrated in all directions, exploding and falling to the ground. Several fragments bounced on the ground a few times, rolling to the feet of the light brown-haired young man not far away.
"..."
The alley wind suddenly rose, sleeves fluttering, air frozen for an instant. The black-haired, brown-eyed person looked calm as he quietly lowered his hand:
"My suggestion is, don't litter randomly."
His speech was unhurried, with a touch of casualness, still as calm as usual, giving Yuikawa Kurisu no emotional feedback whatsoever.
The gentle, shy smile on the light brown-haired young man's face immediately froze as his reddish-brown eyes stared straight over.
Jiang Lai was delighted to appreciate the moment when the person before him broke down and revealed his true nature. He stood steadily in place, the tension in his heart now relaxing again, his mind rarely wandering for a moment.
The phone-kun that could break through Limitless had once again powerfully broken Prison Realm today, truly worthy of being the real protagonist-kun! He silently produced an emoji he'd used countless times in his heart.
However, Jiang Lai hadn't expected that this strike would directly destroy it, he had originally thought deflecting it would be the limit.
Honestly, if Prison Realm hadn't [opened its gate], for a moment there, he had wanted to perform a "family members, picked up a Prison Realm."
Yuikawa Kurisu's reddish-brown eyes stared tightly at the figure in dark blue before him. After two or three seconds, he used his usual tone, with some submissive meaning:
"Sorry, senpai. I'll be careful next time... ugh!"
Before he finished speaking, the surrounding air seemed to materialize, suddenly wrapping around and grabbing him!
Jiang Lai's eyes calmly lifted as he raised his arm slightly, fingers closing to tightly wrap the edited cursed technique code around the light brown-haired young man.
What he had set up early in the alley, besides the alarm, also included several traps that were just a few digits away from running. At this moment, they obviously came in handy.
After initially restraining his opponent, Jiang Lai's fingertips moved, quickly editing several more code strips to reinforce the binding.
Having noticed earlier that Yuikawa Kurisu emerged from shadows on the ground, Jiang Lai paid special attention to this point. His fingertips moved, lifting the light brown-haired young man off the ground and suspending him in mid-air.
He had no time and no desire to listen to Yuikawa Kurisu's nonsense. The person's shyness and pleas for mercy were all a performative shell. Jiang Lai felt tired of this, and now that he had recognized the true nature, there was no need to be polite anymore.
"Whether or not you still have the courage for a next time, at least this time, you must pay the price." Jiang Lai's voice was calm as he tightened the cursed energy code strips.
The binding tightened again, and the caught Yuikawa Kurisu tried to break free, but the powerful cursed energy seemed to fill even the air gaps.
The light brown-haired young man felt a wave of suffocation, his puppy eyes moistening as he looked up: "Senpai, I know I was wrong. For Geto-senpai's sake, otherwise..."
"Me?" Geto Suguru walked forward a few steps, his face showing a squinting fox-like expression, "I naturally support killing you more."
Although both were internal members of the Supervisory Committee, Geto Suguru had always detested Yuikawa Kurisu. The hatred had been formed from the moment Haibara died, their philosophies were different, and they were never on the same side.
Jiang Lai's eyes sparkled as he said: "Too bad my technique can't achieve clean bone-scattering and ash-dispersing, otherwise you'd have the honor of experiencing it again while still alive."
Experience it again? Hearing this, Yuikawa Kurisu once again couldn't control his expression. He was visibly stunned for a second, then his voice rose sharply: "It was you at that time...?!"
"Yes, I was the one who suggested Satoru do that." Jiang Lai's face showed a light smile, his eyes indifferent yet carrying ripples of slight contempt, "When dealing with filthy things, you have to clean them up properly."
His fingertips moved, tightening the binding once more, one strip wrapping around Yuikawa Kurisu's neck, planning to simply and efficiently twist his neck,
Beside him, Geto Suguru suddenly placed his hand on Jiang Lai's shoulder: "Stop. Let me do it, Lai."
[Existence] cannot form connections, killing might also have a chance of accumulating worldly karma. Geto Suguru still remembered the conversations and youthful years they had shared back then.
Every page of the Jujutsu High period was clear as a painting in his mind. In countless nights of walking alone, occasionally, he would take them out to reminisce.
"..." Hearing this, Jiang Lai stopped the tightening cursed energy code. He turned his head and smiled gently, "Alright, then I'll leave it to you, Suguru-kun."
He knew that Geto Suguru didn't like Yuikawa Kurisu. Disgust and hatred wouldn't change because they were in the same camp. Speaking up now, he definitely couldn't be trying to help Yuikawa.
Most likely, Geto's sensitive and thoughtful heart had thought of something again, thus making this decision.
Then let it be so, choose a decision that would make the other person's heart more comfortable. Jiang Lai thought, lowering his hand and following Geto Suguru's words, preparing to hand Yuikawa Kurisu over to Geto Suguru.
"...Are you really going to do this, Geto-senpai?" Yuikawa Kurisu no longer struggled at this point. His drooping puppy eyes looked ahead, meeting Geto Suguru's gaze, "Mother will be angry."
"This is what you brought on yourself." Geto Suguru's voice was cold, his face still wearing a false smile, "Who told you to follow and disturb me?"
The young man with the bun hairstyle summoned a purple three-handed cursed spirit with surging cursed energy. All three hands at the wrist were connected to sharp long blades, reflecting cold light.
Facing the approaching death, Yuikawa Kurisu didn't seem very worried. A dark glint flashed in his eyes: "...You'll regret this."
Jiang Lai just found this person noisy. He didn't plan to let this guy continue chatting with Geto, so his gaze fell forward, planning to raise his hand and wrap the cursed energy code strips around Yuikawa Kurisu's mouth to shut him up.
Just then, Jiang Lai's sixth sense alarm suddenly blared!
He keenly sensed a strong wind attacking from the side, so he quickly turned his head,
A long blade reflecting cold light came at him from a direction he had no defenses against, directly passing through his neck!
Jiang Lai: "?!" He only had time to deflect slightly at the last moment, but the blade still cut through. Pain suddenly exploded as he stared wide-eyed in shock.
The purple three-handed cursed spirit's single eye rotated, following the cursed spirit manipulator's guidance, one of its sword-like hands piercing through Jiang Lai's neck!
...Why??
While Jiang Lai's mind went blank, Geto Suguru was equally shocked, maintaining his cursed spirit controlling posture while his heart pounded like drums in his chest.
"...No, wait, I'm not...!"
He realized he couldn't control himself, like a marionette, his body being controlled by other forces, doing things he absolutely didn't want to do. Only his speech and consciousness belonged to him.
"Geto-senpai, I told you you'd regret it." Yuikawa Kurisu laughed from over there, "Don't forget the contract binding you signed back then. What freedom are you talking about here?"
The purple three-handed cursed spirit's other two blade hands moved forward again, mercilessly and viciously stabbing toward Jiang Lai's heart and abdomen!
Geto Suguru gritted his teeth, his mind shaking as he desperately tried to stop himself from manipulating the cursed spirit! But it was completely useless!
He was a manipulated marionette, raising his blade against his former friend. He didn't want to, wasn't willing, but his own will had no effect whatsoever.
Although their paths were different, although he had no good feelings toward this world, he had never thought of truly harming his former friends.
"...!" The young man with the bun hairstyle's eyes shook with shock and despair. He had never felt so powerless.
The next second, the purple three-handed cursed spirit was suddenly flung away by a force in the air. At the same time, the cursed energy code holding Yuikawa Kurisu in the distance suddenly tightened, directly crushing him within!
"What are you going on about here, the ever-performing and clumsy Yuikawa-kun?" Jiang Lai's damaged throat made rasping sounds, those eyes incredibly cold.
Warm blood spurted out, flowing down his neck and soaking his dark blue kimono.
Bad news: He couldn't use reverse cursed technique. And this hurt a lot, hurting until white lights and black shadows flashed before his eyes.
Good news: As an [Existence], being pierced through the throat wouldn't kill him.
Using a mocking tone to directly retort to Yuikawa Kurisu, Jiang Lai raised one hand, suddenly tightening the cursed energy code, preparing to crush the opponent to death on the spot, then check on Geto Suguru's situation.
Just then, huge cursed energy fluctuated in the air again. An impact from above crashed down with a roar, bombing the place where Yuikawa Kurisu was until not even dregs remained!
The explosive shockwave carried wind force as it suddenly rose. Jiang Lai covered his throat with one hand, squinting as he looked up.
In the sky, a figure in black uniform stood there. His white hair flying, one hand gripping torn bandages, his domineering blue eyes unfathomably deep, like a god descending from heaven.