Chapter 97 : Finale Ceremony and Overtime
Jiang Lai's output of cursed energy climbed layer upon layer, and the [door]'s counterattack carrying divine status was equally sharp. The two forces tore at each other, and the outcome of [Existence] versus [Existence] seemed destined for mutual destruction.
The excessively massive cursed energy shockwaves forced nearby Ryomen Sukuna and Uraume to retreat, withdrawing from the shrine area to observe from a distance.
In the contest of space-time reversal, Jiang Lai's eyes reflected that brilliant, infinite meteor shower.
Stars burning with white light fell one by one from the horizon, the infinitely extending blue-black night sky flowing slowly like a deep sea.
Under the magnificent scenery, Jiang Lai's consciousness inevitably wandered for a moment. After a brief mental blank, he slowly recalled the hazy dream he'd had before waking at [Origin]'s place.
It was also such an endless night sky, brilliant stars, and meteor shower.
Jiang Lai blinked gently, then finally saw clearly: this starry sky gradually extending beyond the shrine's boundaries until connecting with the horizon was his own domain.
The stellar collapse impossible in reality was displayed to its utmost in the domain. The stars falling like rain from the horizon would never rise again. The burning divine status power bloomed beautifully, this was a miracle that could only be witnessed once.
Sparks and fireworks scattered like falling petals. Jiang Lai raised his eyes.
He understood in his heart: this beautiful scene was a luxurious finale ceremony, nature's gentleness toward [Existence].
This was probably the final stretch of the [Thousand Year Hexagram] chapter. As power flowed away like a tide, Jiang Lai's expression remained quite calm. Because he already knew the ending, he felt neither panic nor helplessness.
The coiled, distorted [door] under the full force of space-time reversal gradually, unwillingly yet unable to resist, slowly relaxed and unfolded.
Cursed spirits with terrifying, grotesque faces squeezed out gurgling sounds, turning into scattered ash. Black fluid like sludge struggled and roared as [Death]'s power pierced through space!
The [door], born from natural malice and releasing cursed spirits by instinct, now carrying divine status could only destroy. It gathered all its power into a sharp spear!
But Jiang Lai's flowing techniques were incredibly nimble, one part counterattacking the assault, another part forming generous protection.
Though Jiang Lai had divided his power into offensive and defensive parts, he still held a slight advantage in this contest.
The flourishing meteor shower's brilliance gradually expanded, dazzling white light exploded before his eyes. Within the domain, black and white mountains and rivers rotated and flowed. The distorted [door] finally fell in this battle of burning divine status, a half-piece of red crystal-like object struggling to break free from its center, shining with bright radiance.
In the final sprint, he reached out, exploring into that [door]'s swamp, grasping one person within and forcefully pulling him out...
The black-haired youth with a topknot was smoothly pulled from the black mud swamp. The ropes wrapped around him fell away with rustling sounds. His eyes were tightly closed, quiet as a stone in a deep alley corner.
Jiang Lai used space techniques to place him smoothly on the ground. Within this magnificent domain, his calm chest gradually began regular rising and falling, though still in an unconscious state.
The [door], having lost its cursed spirit manipulator, no longer had the complex power of before. The chaotic collisions and cursed spirit releases also decreased somewhat.
Jiang Lai didn't relax. He pressed his advantage, wrist turning, mobilizing power to entangle the [door] struggling like a trapped beast!
Under the power of reversed stars and space-time reversal, that half-piece of red crystal in the [door] protruded more prominently. Jiang Lai squinted, his fingers breaking through the barrier thick with curse aura, directly using his hands to forcefully pull out that half of the red crystal!
The red crystal-styled divine status had a burning temperature, feeling like scalding in his palm. But that half crystal seemed to have vague self-awareness, instinctively showing affinity toward Jiang Lai, unconsciously trying to reduce its overflowing sharp edges.
Jiang Lai gently caressed the half crystal in his palm, releasing signals for it to relax.
The [door], having lost divine status assistance, fluctuated even more violently, like having its backbone removed. The remaining frenzied cursed spirits and cursed energy delivered sharp counterattacks!
Jiang Lai's other hand reflexively blocked the attack. Rather than dispersing his domain, he let the final burning divine status power expand to its maximum, using the falling starry sky to surround the pitch-black [door]!
The [door] seemed to instinctively sense something. It compressed itself, wanting to escape and wait for the next [Night Parade of a Hundred Demons] in several hundred years. But the black-haired youth before it gave no such opportunity.
A single star's brilliance might seem weak, but gathered into a galaxy, it seemed to possess nearly infinite power. Gentle yet irresistible space-time reversal descended upon the [door], compressing and dissolving it back to its initial non-existence!
The cornered [door] emitted sharp sounds, releasing cursed spirits on a large scale. But the cursed spirits it spat out visibly degraded from special grade to first grade, then layer by layer weakened to fourth grade before finally becoming wisps of cursed smoke under the domain's space-time reversal.
Nothing could escape the rules of space-time. All things in the world were equal.
Witnessing everything before him, Jiang Lai's brown eyes remained calm as water. His wrist pressed down slightly as he said gently: "That's enough... disappear."
As his words fell, that continuously compressing cursed spirit transfer [door] finally dissolved to its utmost, disappearing with a "pop" into smoke, annihilated in the endless river of time!
Toward enemies, Jiang Lai never showed mercy. He transferred the flames burning divine status to the [door] as well, letting space-time fire engulf and devour it!
From then on, no [door] would exist in the world. The once-every-few-hundred-years curse parade [Night Parade of a Hundred Demons] came to an end in the Heian-kyo, becoming something existing only in jujutsu world history books.
Only in the future, in 2017 with Brain-kun behind the scenes and Geto Suguru in front, would a "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons" event borrowing this name appear again.
The long river of time splashed, carrying away the [door]'s remnants. The magnificently falling meteor shower burned to its end, the power flowing through his body condensing at his heart's center.
Jiang Lai knew the outcome of a thousand-year slumber was approaching, so he expanded his final power to encompass all of Heian-kyo city.
In a breath, [Space-Time]'s power erased Geto's excess cursed energy residue, exorcised cursed spirits across this land, and revived the dead jujutsu sorcerers and civilians in the city.
After the brilliance, the night sky with all stars fallen remained only extended blue-black, enveloping heaven and earth.
Jiang Lai floated in his domain, no longer brilliant and radiant. After divine status power was exhausted, the tide-like fatigue that surged made him lose strength, his clenched hand involuntarily loosening.
That half red crystal slipped from his hand, curse markings flashing on it. Jiang Lai dimly recognized it as space transfer talismans he'd seen before.
...That Kenjaku bastard had placed space transfer runes on this?
But it was reasonable. After all, the other wouldn't easily expose himself, naturally not coming to the scene to retrieve the divine status installed on the [door]. He must have set up space curse markings early, waiting for the right time or sensing a certain result before activating recovery.
Jiang Lai understood that with his power exhausted now, he couldn't stop the curse markings from activating. That half crystal would ultimately return to Kenjaku's hands, then after experiencing events like the Death Painting Wombs, would be born a thousand years later, becoming a child named Itadori Yuji.
But even knowing the future, he still felt unwilling.
Jiang Lai exhaled, mobilizing divine status energy stored at his heart and slowly condensing into a new object at his fingertips, touching the red crystal with a gentle tap.
He left a one-time space-time reversal mark on his conceptual little brother [Good-side Death]. Perhaps the other would use it in the future to offset some negative effects.
The half red crystal with vague self-awareness trembled, carefully floating closer in the void, finally gathering courage to approach Jiang Lai's cheek and gently nuzzle it.
Like greeting, like affectionate goodwill.
"......" Jiang Lai's eyes and brows showed a shallow smile, though he had no strength left to respond.
Agreed then, see you again in the future. He thought silently.
The curse markings on that half divine status lit up with brilliance. Small-scale air distortion rose as the transfer technique activated, making it disappear in the light.
Jiang Lai half-closed his eyes. The domain around him shattered like glass into spider web fragments, the great edifice collapsing in an instant.
He felt his body extraordinarily weary but still trembled his arms to mobilize techniques, not letting himself fall too awkwardly to the ground.
He descended from mid-air, staggered a few steps then steadied, afterward half-kneeling on the ground with his head lowered, gasping.
Jiang Lai's eyelids were heavy, consciousness drifting, but he struggled to stay awake, telling himself he couldn't sleep here.
Because...
A shadow fell before him. The four-armed figure surrounded by ineradicable bloody aura stood before him.
Jiang Lai forced himself to gather energy, swinging out a space cursed blade while supporting himself with one hand on the ground, trying to stand again.
The attack in his weakened state had no threatening power. Ryomen Sukuna didn't even need to deliberately block it. He let that cursed blade cut his black-marked shoulder, leaving a trivial wound.
"......" A bit troublesome. Jiang Lai pressed his lips. Speaking of which, hadn't Gojo returned yet?
Jiang Lai concentrated his thoughts. Before he could act, the cherry pink-haired man had already reached out to grab the navy kimono's collar, lifting him up.
"Rare to see you this pathetic. I could kill you easily now." Ryomen Sukuna chuckled with slight mockery. "But you let me witness quite a show. Perhaps I should praise you."
Jiang Lai's brown eyes stared intently at the other, his aura remaining the same as always, not losing face. His mind calmly processed thoughts.
The air fell briefly silent for two or three seconds.
In this quiet time, powerful shouts with rhythmic cadence came on the wind, faintly audible with "subjugate the King of Curses" slogans.
"...?" Jiang Lai was slightly stunned, somewhat surprised by this sudden subjugation movement.
"Just now many jujutsu sorcerers came to support outside Heian-kyo city, saying they came specifically to kill me. I had Uraume go give them a taste of color first." Ryomen Sukuna said carelessly.
Only then did Jiang Lai notice that bob-cut youth wasn't beside the other now.
Despite extreme fatigue, he still instinctively processed thoughts, analyzing in his mind.
...This kind of sudden large-scale support must be organized, right? But arriving so late yet so coincidentally should be part of this incident's plan.
Probably came to witness the conclusion of "Geto Suguru's city massacre." Too bad that trap was changed by himself. Jiang Lai smiled lightly in his heart. Besides that, perhaps they also planned to take advantage.
This deal of Ryomen Sukuna's might have been designed for more than just the [door]. There was also the effect of deepening animosity between him and Six Eyes, making them enemies.
When the returning Gojo Satoru discovered the whole city massacred, he definitely wouldn't believe his friend Geto Suguru did it, but would direct his anger at Ryomen Sukuna. The two might even have a spectacular fight...
The jujutsu world higher-ups' ideal outcome was mutual destruction, or at least mutual heavy injuries.
This way, they wouldn't need to worry about Six Eyes rising again, and could take advantage to surround and kill the King of Curses, gaining an incomparably glorious reputation.
Those jujutsu sorcerers currently arriving were probably excited to come after hearing they could be crowned with the reputation of surrounding and killing the King of Curses.
These follow-ups, Ryomen Sukuna could probably see through himself.
Jiang Lai couldn't help but laugh: "Seems you really were played... It's rare for me to see you deceived like this."
Night wind blew across the destroyed altar. Jiang Lai's breathing grew slower as he realized he wasn't just falling into slumber, but even his human form showed signs of dissipating and merging with nature.
Ryomen Sukuna's expression wasn't pleasant. His crimson eyes looked down at the black-haired figure in his hand, pulling into a bloodthirsty smile:
"That bastard, I'll definitely cut him into pieces. Not only because he dared design me, but because he delayed me from having a good meal..."
A good meal? As Jiang Lai's consciousness drifted, his thoughts still operated, just much slower. After many seconds, he understood the other probably meant that "making himself into cuisine" matter.
The other had probably noticed his seemingly dissipating condition. The best method would naturally be to make cuisine before dissipating.
Too bad now: Uraume had gone to face the enemy, large numbers of jujutsu sorcerers came to Heian-kyo to surround and kill the King of Curses, and Six Eyes was about to return. These factors combined prevented Ryomen Sukuna from cooking and eating on the spot.
It was like having found a cook and preparing seasonings, but the ingredients were about to disappear, and he couldn't open a kitchen on site.
"No helping it then. Seems your life is just that unsatisfactory." At this time, Jiang Lai had no intention of being cautious and gentle to maintain his composure. He openly showed his sharp edge, raising his eyebrows in response without showing weakness despite his tired breathing.
Ryomen Sukuna inexplicably laughed heartily. In the gradually approaching noise of distant fighting and killing, he slowly restrained his laughter, baring his fangs as his voice lowered:
"That bastard designed me wanting something in my body that's the same type as you, right? I won't let him have the slightest possibility of getting his wish."
As he spoke, Ryomen Sukuna thrust one hand into his own body!
Under Jiang Lai's shocked gaze, the cherry pink-haired man's expression remained normal as he used sharp fingernails to cut open the area above his abdomen. Following his instinctive perception, he extracted from within a blood-covered, half-piece of extremely dim red crystal.
"...?!" Even Jiang Lai was stunned for a second at this scene.
Ryomen Sukuna drawled in his villain tone, saying carelessly:
"I told you, I don't care about human, curse, or any other identity. I only care about living freely myself. Of course, it's best when others are unhappy, because that's quite interesting."
"Disappearing so simply would be too boring. The game has barely started."
Ryomen Sukuna raised his eyebrows slightly, then laughed heartily again: "Oh, I bet that maggot who dared design me absolutely can't guess where this thing will end up!"
The function of four arms was fully demonstrated at this moment.
Ryomen Sukuna held Jiang Lai with one hand, held the dim crystal between the fingers of another, used another to forcefully pinch Jiang Lai's cheeks forcing him to open his mouth, and shoved that half-piece of blood-stained, dim red crystal directly into Jiang Lai's mouth!
"??!" Jiang Lai felt a bloody taste between his lips and teeth as that half-piece of dim divine status crystal fused into his body the moment it went down his throat.
Faint [Existence] power supplemented and surrounded his body, temporarily stabilizing his seemingly dissipating form!
"Let's have some overtime. I'll leave plenty of time to prepare cuisine." Ryomen Sukuna's eyes half-narrowed, his secondary eyes also looking down at Jiang Lai.
He pulled up his lip corners happily: "What a pity, bleeding heart. You can't exit according to your planned curtain call."