Chapter 68 : Friends, Enemies, Fragments
The atmosphere at the scene was tense and eerie, with each character present having their own thoughts.
After a second of silence, Nanami Kento struck first, his blade aimed at Mahito, who had already shown aggressive intent!
Mahito nimbly dodged the cursed tool short blade and raised his hand to touch the nearby Nanami Kento. However, the reliable adult had already guessed something from his previous observations. He twisted his wrist and used the back of his blade to repel the other party, not letting Mahito have a chance to touch him!
The sounds of clashing and banging rose and fell continuously as Nanami Kento and the special grade cursed spirit Mahito exchanged blows back and forth.
Itadori Yuji faced the black-haired young man standing on the other side, launching an unceremonious punch through the air.
Jiang Lai's form remained motionless. He used cursed energy code to build a barrier in front of him, forcibly blocking Itadori Yuji's attack!
As if punching into a copper wall and iron rampart, Itadori Yuji's hand bones immediately sent signals of pain.
The next second, the invisible barrier in front loosened somewhat, wrapping around his hand like a cotton ball and bouncing him back gently, the force soft yet irresistible.
Itadori Yuji stepped back several paces, his expression somewhat surprised.
The black-haired young man in front of him showed no signs of counterattack, only standing there very calmly, his expression showing slight, unobvious confusion:
"Why are you attacking me?"
"...Huh?" Itadori Yuji was somewhat dazed by this question, instantly turning into bean-dot eyes.
"Why are you attacking me." The black-haired young man repeated in a flat tone.
"...Uh, because, well, you're a cursed spirit?" Itadori Yuji blinked, actually starting to concentrate and think seriously, answering earnestly: "And I'm a jujutsu sorcerer. So I have to attack you."
"Although our identities are different, I'm just standing here, nothing more." The black-haired young man raised his brown eyes, narrating calmly: "If you want to pass by, you could easily go around me. There's no need for such an attitude."
"Ah," Itadori Yuji stood stunned for a second, unconsciously replying: "Then sorry?"
"Mm. I accept." Jiang Lai nodded slightly, his lips curving up lightly.
After a few tenths of a second, Itadori Yuji reacted and resumed his wary stance:
"How could you possibly not participate? I can't trust you. All cursed spirits have instinctive killing intent toward humans."
Then, with the topic reaching this point, he seemed to recall something, his expression suddenly pausing.
"No, wait. When I saw you before, you weren't like this! Weren't you human before?!"
The cherry-pink haired boy recalled last winter, when the black-haired young man in front of him had helped him up on the road, the unexpected "gift" at the sukiyaki restaurant, and the phone call transmission in the distant alley.
In his memory, the other party was a human of unknown identity, dangerous aura yet always unexpectedly extending a helping hand, not a mass of curses in the form of a special grade cursed spirit.
Hearing Itadori Yuji's voice, Nanami Kento on the other side split some attention, his gaze glancing over from afar.
Through Itadori Yuji's reminder about identity transformation, looking again, Nanami Kento found that the standing black-haired young man looked somewhat familiar.
That memory was too distant. It took some time to dig it back up from the river of time, and then he slowly remembered.
The black-haired young man standing to the side seemed very similar to someone he had once glimpsed during his time at the technical school, reportedly a friend of Gojo's.
But after more than ten years had passed, why did the other party's appearance remain unchanged? And he had even become a cursed spirit?!
If a jujutsu sorcerer wasn't killed by cursed energy, there was a chance they could become a cursed spirit. Could the person in front of him have been killed and then became what he was now?
But logically, the appearance after becoming a cursed spirit wouldn't be completely the same as when alive.
The explosive effect of this information was very strong, but Nanami Kento was only stunned for half a second before quickly refocusing on the stitched cursed spirit in front of him. Because during battle, excessive distraction wasn't allowed.
Nanami Kento only silently noted this matter in his heart, thinking: After returning, he needed to contact Senior Gojo and explain this situation.
On the corridor side, Jiang Lai keenly noticed Nanami Kento's gaze and hesitation, guessing that the other party had vaguely recalled some past events.
Back then, when he followed Gojo and Geto back to the technical school after completing the abandoned building mission, he first met Yuikawa Kurisu on the playground. Nanami Kento and Haibara Yu were also present at that time.
This happened before the Star Plasma Vessel incident and wasn't covered by the restart.
However, this extremely distant nodding acquaintance belonged to very vague memories. Actually, Jiang Lai was quite surprised that the other party could remember.
The stitched-face cursed spirit Mahito swept his blue braids back and smiled toward Jiang Lai:
"Oh my, aren't you participating?" He had just heard a few sentences of their conversation.
"Didn't you just say you would handle it?" Jiang Lai threw Mahito's recent words back at him as a reply.
"..." Mahito paused, his smile widening: "That's right, but that was indeed sincere advice. I had no intention of pushing you away."
"Remember? We're the same kind, we're companions. In this current situation, how about we cooperate?"
It had to be said, Mahito was indeed very good at bewitching others. However, Jiang Lai already knew what kind of character he was, so he wouldn't be fooled.
That said, pretending to cooperate wasn't out of the question. Jiang Lai thought. After all, his current character setting was a dangerous wanderer with lost memory and confused cognition.
So he stood still in place, showing a state of silent contemplation.
In front of him, after being dazed, Itadori Yuji actually stepped forward, his expression sincere and eyes bright:
"Um, you before... Although I don't know what happened, but if you have any problems, maybe we can help!"
Itadori Yuji was kind-hearted and would remember others' kindness. At this moment, he obviously thought Jiang Lai had encountered some problem and became the current cursed spirit, so he actively extended an olive branch of willingness to help.
However, the result would probably disappoint the other party. Jiang Lai thought silently. Before the dust settled, he couldn't openly befriend Itadori and the others.
Moreover, the thing inside seemed dangerous, so it was better not to let Itadori and others, who had never encountered such things, get close.
With thoughts flowing, his lowered little finger moved slightly, raising his hand lightly.
"...As you said, cursed spirits and humans are enemies."
The next instant, an invisible cursed energy code rose like a soaring dragon, violently flinging the cherry-pink haired boy in front of him away!
"Itadori!" Nanami Kento called out in a deep voice. He quickly stepped back to reach the boy's side, holding his blade horizontally in front of him to prevent the special grade cursed spirit from pressing the advantage.
However, the black-haired young man didn't do so, still standing steadily in place with his arm raised calmly in mid-air.
The smile on Mahito's face expanded considerably. He leaped to Jiang Lai's side in a few steps, saying in a high-spirited tone:
"Well done, my friend. I'll leave this to you for now while I go inside to get the thing."
"One minute." Jiang Lai said.
"What?" Mahito paused.
"I have no interest in these conflicts. I didn't agree with him just now, nor did I respond to you." Jiang Lai's voice was calm. "But considering what you said about being the same kind, I'll help you delay for one minute."
"..." Mahito shrugged, light flowing in his heterochromatic eyes as he laughed softly: "Oh well, alright. That's enough anyway."
As his words fell, he quickly moved back, manipulating souls to change his form and charged toward the small door of the storage room.
Nanami Kento, noticing the other party's movement, could naturally guess that the key item of this incident was behind that door. He gripped his spotted curse-wrapped short blade tightly, stepping steadily with ordered footwork as he attacked!
Jiang Lai slightly raised his eyes, turning his wrist to control several ribbon-like cursed energy codes around him, weaving them into an impenetrable net.
Nanami Kento's seven-to-three technique was steady, precise, and ruthless, but Jiang Lai understood very well how to overcome strength with softness and advance by retreating.
Each of his cursed energy codes was as soft as clouds yet incredibly resilient. They would also actively break at every cut made by the opponent and then reorganize and reconnect, becoming a new cursed energy band.
Behind them, Itadori Yuji, who had been violently thrown to the ground, ignored the pain in his knees from hitting the concrete floor. He quickly got up and rushed forward to support Nanami Kento, his focused eyes flickering with stubborn light.
Jiang Lai counted in his mind, changed his posture, and prepared to raise his other hand to block the charging cherry-pink haired boy.
Just then, his sixth sense sharply rang alarm bells. Jiang Lai twisted his feet, his form suddenly turning as another concentrated cursed energy wall launched toward the rear!
"Roar..."
A shockwave containing enormous energy suddenly erupted. Under this force, the school's auxiliary building swayed and shook like an earthquake, half collapsing and crumbling. Rubble clattered down, and the scene outside the building was a mess.
The finally erected cursed energy firewall blocked the sharpest impact. Jiang Lai grunted, his eyes narrowing slightly, his robes fluttering in the wind.
Nanami Kento and Itadori Yuji were blown back two to three steps by this force before stopping, but behind that steadily erected cursed energy firewall, they were mostly unharmed.
Jiang Lai exhaled, dispelling the gathered cursed energy firewall, steadying his body and looking over there.
A blue three-strand braided figure tumbled out of the dust. Mahito landed beside Jiang Lai, somewhat disheveled as he slid a short distance. His five fingers scraped the ground to stop the sliding, then he stood up:
"A small mishap. I didn't expect this thing to have such great power. I wasn't careful with my movements, accidentally touched it, and it burst out with a shockwave."
Jiang Lai raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze sweeping over the other party in a circle, determining that Mahito's slightly disheveled appearance wasn't put on. It seemed he had indeed made a small mistake.
Then, their gazes fell forward. As the dust dispersed, the bright, glittering things flying and falling in the air caught everyone's attention.
Light green, crystal fragment-like things sparkled brilliantly under the light, with flowing radiance and stunning beauty.
Even as irregular fragments, they still possessed an indescribable beauty and power.
"..." Jiang Lai's brown eyes reflected those points of light, his heart beating like a small drum.
Even from a distance, he could feel that those were indeed divine nature fragments of an unknown [Existence].
In this brief silence, a figure suddenly flashed by. Before everyone could react, Itadori Yuji, with his amazing athletic reflexes, had already rushed forward in two quick strides, seizing the initiative.
"Wait..." Nanami Kento reached out in vain, unable to touch Itadori Yuji's sleeve. He wanted the other party to stop temporarily because this thing seemed very dangerous.
Mahito first widened his eyes, then grinned with amusement: "What an energetic guy full of youthful vigor."
The cherry-pink haired boy had a determined expression. He broke through the powerful aftershock resistance, leaped into the air, and reached out toward that light green crystal fragment.
This moment in time seemed to become particularly slow, playing frame by frame like slides, with the outstretched hand gradually approaching the brilliantly shining item.
The next moment, a large mouth emerged from the palm of Itadori Yuji's hand and directly swallowed the nearby crystal fragment!
It was Sukuna!
Itadori Yuji: "!?"
Everyone below: "!!!"
Because Sukuna had been completely silent throughout, who could have expected that at the last moment, he would suddenly emerge and deliver an unexpected strike!
But how could something with such enormous energy that required special items for storage be so directly swallowed!?
"How is this possible!!" Mahito's heterochromatic eyes widened. He looked most incredulous at what was happening before his eyes. "How could that fragment possibly..."
Jiang Lai's pupils contracted slightly as he gazed at the scene in the air, his emotions surging like a torrent.
In mid-air, the crescent marks on one side of Itadori Yuji's cheek slightly opened.
That crimson eye looked down from above, making eye contact with Jiang Lai on the ground.