Chapter 141 - 141: The End
That's it. We've reached the end. This chapter is over 9,000 words long, so I hope it feels satisfying for you. I know there are still certain characters whose fates haven't been revealed, but I intend to cover them in the future. The chapter was already VERY long on its own, so I didn't want to make it even longer. It won't take long, and they'll be short chapters, simply showing the future or fate of those characters.
It was a long journey, longer than it probably should have been, but I enjoyed every part of it until we reached this point. I hope you did too.
A huge thank you to the readers on Webnovel, Questionable Questing, and to my Patreon supporters who followed me all the way here. I hope you'll continue following my next stories. I truly love writing, and despite all the problems, I always find my way back here to share my ideas with you, fellow lovers of stories. Please give my two current stories a chance, as I intend to update them regularly.
A hug, a kiss, and...
This is our Jujutsu Kaisen
...
Oh, and one last reminder: don't forget to leave a review before you go!
Word count: 11K
[email protected]/TheJiujitsuGuy
You can also search for: "BaritsuSupremacy" to find it on the platform.
I hope you enjoy the reading!
_______________________________________________________________________________
In the room of a luxury apartment, a place obviously chosen by Nobara, Yorozu lay on the bed, her eyes closed in a peaceful expression of sleep.
Itadori stood beside her, watching her for a moment before turning toward Megumi.
"I induced a coma. I'm going to start now, and under no circumstances interrupt me." He spoke firmly, his tone making the seriousness of his warning clear.
Megumi looked at his sister's body, slightly changed by Yorozu, but still there. He thought deeply about the risks, the potential problems this could cause in the future...
And as much as he did not want to bring Tsumiki back into this world, he knew there was no other way.
So, he nodded. "Do it." His eyes were shining.
Even though he was afraid, he completely trusted Itadori with his sister's safety. If it were him, Megumi knew he would give it 120%.
They exchanged a look that said more than enough without words.
Then, with one final nod, Megumi turned around, giving Tsumiki one last look before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
Itadori watched the door for a few more seconds before turning his focused gaze back toward Yorozu on the bed.
"Alright." He cracked his fingers. "Let's get this started."
.
When Megumi arrived in the apartment's living room, he froze when he saw Hana, Nobara, and Itadori himself playing cards.
"Cheating! This is clearly cheating!" Itadori complained, throwing his cards onto the table after Nobara won yet again.
"Cheating?" Nobara laughed loudly. "I'm the queen of card games! Accept it, inferior creature!"
"Shut up, you're cheating! Let me take a look at your chair!"
"Hey, hey! Back off or I'm going to hammer you over the head!"
The shock disappeared from Megumi's face as he remembered Itadori's ability to clone himself. His expression became tired as he massaged his temple at the sight of the two interacting.
"I almost won this time..." Hana's quiet voice sounded.
Megumi looked toward her and saw her with her head lowered, shoulders slumped as she stared at the cards in her hands.
Megumi's face remained expressionless for a few moments. Then, a small smile appeared on his lips as he finally gave in.
Hana gave a little jump when he sat beside her, a faint blush coloring her cheeks as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
Then, when he moved even closer, she froze completely.
"Here." He pointed at her cards. "If you do this, there's a better chance of..."
Hana's eyes widened as he began teaching her, so close that she could feel the warmth of his body. For a moment, she did not know how to react properly, but then...
She allowed herself to relax, a bright smile spreading across her lips as she listened to him attentively.
"..."
"AH HA! I knew you were hiding cards!"
"W-What?! Th-These clearly aren't mine!"
"Cheater! Queen of card games? What a joke..."
Bam!
"Ow, ow, ow, ow!"
"I warned you, idiot!"
.
A few kilometers from the colony, Maki watched the enormous black barrier from atop a building, her eyes narrowing for a moment.
Itadori had sent her a message saying that he was on his way to meet Megumi and the others in the Sendai Colony.
She did not waste any time.
With her speed, it had taken her twenty minutes to get there.
For the moment, she had stopped only to assess the situation. Since his last message, Itadori had not contacted her again, indicating that he was already inside the colony.
But she knew that if it were a simple situation, he would have already sent her something.
She pulled her phone from her pocket, opening their conversation directly.
Yuji: Hey, how are you doing? Have you been eating properly?
Yuji: I just defeated a lawyer. I know they're usually kind of miserable, but I think this one was more miserable than most...
Yuji: Fought two weirdos today. One of them likes filling his stomach metaphorically, and the other is an exhibitionist.
Maki: Did you look?
Yuji: ...No, of course not!
Maki: Seriously?
Yuji: ...Maybe I looked, but there was nothing to see!
...
Maki smiled as she read the messages.
Every day, he sent her messages, whether to talk in an attempt to relieve the tension despite the situation they were in, or simply to exchange information.
He never left her in the dark unless he was completely unable to communicate.
That was why she was absolutely certain that something major had happened inside the colony.
She put her phone away and stretched a little, adjusting her feet against the ground.
Since he was there for her and her sister, she needed to be there for him.
Boom!
The concrete on the rooftop shattered as she launched herself forward, her body becoming a blur of speed as she drew closer and closer to the barrier.
She would not waste any more time.
. . .
In a dark and strangely humid environment, Itadori walked through a vast darkness, his feet striking the wet ground like heavy drops, sending ripples through the water that reverberated throughout the place.
His eyes wandered across the surroundings with curiosity. He had been here before, inside Maki and Mai's souls, but not like this. Not with this strange sensation.
Itadori could feel within his own soul just how wrong this union between Tsumiki and Yorozu was.
It no longer surprised him that ordinary people practically died when sorcerers reincarnated.
Inside this place, everything felt intense, dark, frightening. It gave him an unsettling sensation, as if something were constantly squeezing his chest...
Tsumiki must have been terrified if he felt this way.
His gaze fell ahead, landing on a girl curled up not far away, her arms wrapped around herself in an attempt to feel safe.
"Tsumiki..." Itadori immediately recognized her, his expression softening.
He approached with calm steps, careful not to frighten her.
Tsumiki, who seemed completely inert, shuddered when she felt the small ripples caused by his footsteps. Her eyes opened in fear as she turned her head and saw Itadori.
She sat up almost desperately, pushing herself backward in an attempt to get away from him.
"Wait!" Itadori raised his hands, showing his palms in a gesture that made it clear he was not there to hurt her. "I'm not here to hurt you."
He spoke in a gentle voice.
Tsumiki stopped moving away. Her eyes wandered across his face, taking in his features, his golden eyes, vibrant and firm but not cruel, and the small reassuring smile on his lips.
He was young, with a gentle face, but the faint lines of expression on his features made it clear that he had already been through a great deal.
His pink hair, despite being unusual, only made his presence feel more welcoming.
"I'm Megumi's friend."
Tsumiki's shoulders relaxed, her eyes shining with longing.
"Megumi..."
"That's right." Itadori nodded, approaching again.
This time, Tsumiki did not move away, though she still curled in on herself. She did not trust him yet.
"I'm here to help you. To take you back."
Tsumiki's eyes widened as she processed his words.
"Take me... back? Where... Where exactly am I?"
She looked around, fear shining in her eyes.
"It's been so dark since I opened my eyes... Quiet, frightening. I... I don't want to stay here anymore."
Itadori stopped in front of her and crouched down to meet her at eye level.
"You don't have to."
His tone was warm, carrying a confidence that only made Tsumiki feel more at ease.
"I'm going to take you back. Back home, and then..."
He gave her the bright smile that only he could give.
"You'll be able to yell at Megumi for all of this."
Tsumiki opened her mouth, trying to find the words. Trying to find something to say against it. Fear struggled to find its way onto her tongue, to tell him to go away, to tell him she did not trust him.
But then...
She closed her mouth, her lips beginning to tremble as her eyes filled with tears.
"I... I want to go back!"
She rushed forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Itadori's waist and burying her face in his shoulder as tears poured down like a waterfall.
"Please!"
Itadori hugged her, one hand gently rubbing her back while the other supported the back of her head.
"You will."
He kept her close, allowing her to cry as much as she needed.
"I'll make sure of it."
. . .
Back in the apartment, Itadori's clone sat in the middle of the living room, his arms crossed while Nobara and Hana decorated his hair with various accessories.
His expression was anything but pleased.
After a few minutes, the two stepped back to admire the result of their efforts.
"...AAH, so cute!" Nobara smiled, pulling out her phone and beginning to take pictures.
Hana covered her mouth, holding back a giggle.
A vein twitched on Itadori's forehead.
He picked up a mirror and held it in front of his face...
Only to see his hair tied up in different places, covered with clips, colorful pins, cute elastics, ribbons, and, to top it all off, a small princess tiara.
"Ugh..." he groaned, his shoulders dropping in defeat.
Megumi, sitting on the couch, quietly laughed.
He felt a great deal of satisfaction, especially when he remembered how Itadori had laughed at him for reading Twilight.
!
But suddenly, the playful atmosphere shattered when a powerful killing intent swept through the building.
Everyone trembled except Itadori, who stared at the window with a dark expression.
"Did he come here?"
He stood up and quickly walked toward the window, searching for the source of the killing intent.
His eyes swept across the vast city, soon noticing and recognizing two figures walking along the city's main street.
Itadori clenched his teeth, his eyes narrowing.
He turned around and ran back into the room.
"Sukuna is here!"
The other three froze.
"What?! Why?!" Nobara was the first to react, her expression filling with a rare panic.
Then came Hana, or more precisely, the Angel, who manifested a mouth on her cheek.
"So he came... The calamity itself..."
"The disgraced one."
Her voice carried a heavy tone, filled with the weight of someone speaking a name that should never be spoken.
"That's not helping!" Nobara snapped.
Megumi clenched his fists.
Of all moments, Sukuna had to appear during the one moment when they could not afford to be interrupted.
His luck throughout the Culling Game seemed to be finally demanding payment, and Megumi could not curse fate any more than he already did.
He looked at Itadori's clone.
"What happens if Itadori is interrupted now?"
The clone paused before answering, carefully choosing his next words.
"It depends on how deep the original has gone, but by now, he should have already reached Tsumiki's soul. So any interruption at this point could be harmful to her soul."
Megumi clenched his teeth.
"Then we have no choice but to stall him."
"...Yes."
"Hana and I can fight him," the Angel declared. "With Jacob's Ladder, I'm certain we can hold him off long enough, or even kill him outright if we land a direct hit."
The suggestion sounded plausible.
With a technique capable of extinguishing other cursed techniques and curses, it should theoretically be fatal to Sukuna.
But possessing a powerful technique and actually being able to use it were two different things.
Itadori knew that very well.
"No."
The clone immediately rejected the idea.
"Sukuna will tear you in half before you even have time to think. During our fight, he felt pressured enough to flee, so right now, his bloodlust should be stronger than ever. Appearing in front of him would be a death sentence."
He looked at the three of them.
"The best thing to do right now is let me fight him alone. I'm only a clone. If I die, it makes no difference to me."
Megumi's expression became analytical for a moment.
"Will you be able to hold him off?"
"In terms of strength, I'm not far behind the original, but I only carry one cursed technique, and I can't heal myself with Reverse Cursed Energy."
Megumi paused for a long moment, his eyes shining with recognition.
"I have a plan."
.
Outside the building, Sukuna and Uraume stopped a few meters from the entrance.
Their attitudes appeared calm, peaceful even, but if one looked closely, they would notice the subtle movements of Sukuna's fingers, traces of his anger leaking through his otherwise relaxed appearance.
Uraume, of course, noticed, but decided not to comment.
Instead, she wanted to help him destroy the source of that anger.
It irritated her to know that someone inferior was tormenting him.
"Is this it, Sukuna-sama?"
Sukuna's gaze swept across the building before his head tilted upward, staring directly at the higher floors.
"I can feel him." His teeth ground together. "He's in this building."
Uraume calmly nodded, her cold eyes narrowing as she raised a hand, a freezing wind spreading around her.
"Shall I freeze everything, my lord?"
Sukuna did not answer immediately, his eyes still fixed on the apartments.
"No."
Then, a smile spread across his lips, expanding as far as his face would allow.
"I'll cut him to pieces. That will force him out."
His hand rose, the chaotic cursed energy within his body concentrating in his palm for a moment.
"As you wish, my lord."
...!
Sukuna prepared to unleash a massive slash against the building, but stopped completely when the building's entrance doors opened.
"Hey, hey! Why destroy such a decent building?"
The atmosphere condensed even further at the sound of the voice.
Sukuna's manic smile froze for an instant before changing into an expression filled with murderous fury.
"You wanted me. Here I am."
Standing several meters away from the two, a calm, almost disinterested Itadori stared at them with a small smile, his hands in his pockets as though he did not even consider it worth exerting himself while standing before them.
"But you know, this obsession with a fifteen-year-old boy is a little strange. I'd be careful, Sukuna. The laws these days are much stricter than they were back then."
Sukuna scoffed, his eyes shining with pure hostility.
"Brat, you have a lot of nerve showing your face in front of me like this."
"Huh?"
For a moment, Itadori seemed genuinely confused.
"Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"
Then, he leaned forward, one hand near his mouth as he looked at Uraume, speaking as if sharing a secret.
"Did he tell you he ran away with his tail between his legs? Like, really embarrassingly?"
"Shut up." Uraume growled, completely uninterested in his words.
Itadori raised his hands defensively.
"Alright, alright, jeez... I'm just trying to lighten the mood."
Sukuna narrowed his eyes.
Even though he had spent most of his time trapped inside the boy's body and could not see what was happening outside, he still had some knowledge of him.
He knew that Itadori's disgust was genuine, perhaps as intense as the hatred Sukuna himself felt toward him.
He knew Itadori would not waste time exchanging words with him. In the boy's eyes, Sukuna was simply a bastard not worth speaking to except when there was an opportunity to humiliate him.
Besides, Itadori should have been confident at this point.
Whether he liked it or not, Sukuna had been pressured enough to be forced to flee.
The boy's confidence in his own strength should have been at an all-time high.
It made no sense for him to stop and exchange words when he could simply unleash a barrage of attacks without even showing his face.
Sukuna's gaze shifted away from the boy, wandering across the surroundings with curiosity.
Then, he noticed a girl watching from a nearby building.
As soon as she realized he was looking in her direction, she lowered herself to hide, but by then, Sukuna had already noticed her.
A mocking smile appeared on his face.
It seemed the boy really was planning something.
But Sukuna had no intention of letting it go any further.
Swoosh!
With a movement of his hand, the slash that had been intended for the apartment flew toward the building where the hidden girl was.
Itadori narrowed his eyes, following the attack as it tore the building in half.
"..."
As the building collapsed into pieces, Itadori remained silent.
Sukuna could only continue smiling.
With his support taken out of the game, what would you do now, brat?
That was what he thought, two of his arms crossed as he waited patiently.
"...Yeah, I admit, I would have preferred to have a few more cards up my sleeve against you."
Slowly, Itadori's gaze returned to the two of them.
"But it doesn't matter. What I have now... will be more than enough to tear you apart, Sukuna."
Silence reigned for a moment as Itadori and Sukuna stared at each other with icy expressions.
The gaze of two people who deeply hated one another, both ready to kill the other at any moment.
"...Tsk."
Uraume finally broke the silence, clicking her tongue in irritation as she watched the exchange between them.
It deeply irritated her that a creature like Itadori dared to stand against her lord, Sukuna.
Uraume did not understand why Sukuna was giving an inferior being like Itadori so much time instead of cutting him to pieces immediately.
But she could not stand watching him act superior, throwing insults and attempting to humiliate him.
It had been a long time since she had felt such anger toward an ant.
"Damn you, you worm..."
She prepared to insult him back in an attempt to defend Sukuna's honor.
Boom!
Before she could even finish, her words died in her throat when a fist smashed into her solar plexus.
Blood rose in her throat as her body flew backward, bouncing and destroying the asphalt along the way before finally crashing violently into a toy store.
The squeaking of broken toys sounded for a moment.
"..."
From the corner of their eyes, they met each other's gaze, their shoulders side by side as silence returned for a moment.
Itadori and Sukuna exchanged no words.
They did not need to.
Foosh! Swoosh!
An explosion of flames erupted between them.
Itadori skidded backward with a slash across his chest, while Sukuna extinguished the flames burning his hand with a flick.
One second was all they needed to think about their next move.
Then, they charged at each other.
Explosions of fire and slashes tore everything apart around them, burning and cutting without restraint as the two moved and attacked one another.
Sukuna controlled the distance perfectly, using his slashes to prevent Itadori from approaching with his fists, forcing him to rely on ranged attacks and search for an opening that the King of Curses refused to give him.
Itadori jumped backward when a slash threatened to split him in half, but this time, Sukuna did not simply allow him to create distance.
Instead, he advanced, his hands reaching toward him in an attempt to grab him.
Itadori was caught off guard for a moment.
His cheeks puffed up, his skin glowing, and then...
He exhaled, a wave of flames surging from his mouth and engulfing the King of Curses as he retreated.
!
A wave of slashes around Sukuna dispersed the flames, the burned portions of his skin healing instantly.
Itadori narrowed his eyes when a massive slash flew toward him, ducking beneath it.
But as soon as he raised his head, he found a foot in front of his face.
It struck him with enough force to send him backward, blood spraying from his nose.
Sukuna did not give him time to recover, advancing and pressuring him with a barrage of attacks mixed with slashes.
Bam! Swoosh! Bam! Swoosh!
The combined attacks battered his defenses without pause, his joints constantly being struck by slashes that weakened his arms with every passing second.
Then, just as one of Sukuna's hands moved to grab his head, Itadori ducked at the last second.
He flashed a bloody smile.
"Black Flash!"
His fist slammed directly into Sukuna's ribs, nearly lifting his enormous body off the ground as black lightning spread in every direction.
But as Itadori pulled his arm back and prepared to retreat, Sukuna grabbed his wrist, a toothy smile spreading across his face.
"Die."
Itadori's eyes widened as countless slashes began spreading from the point of contact.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, his hand moved against his own bicep, severing it from his body.
Sukuna was caught off guard by the move.
Then...
He finally noticed.
His gaze wandered across Itadori's wounds, realizing that none of the damage inflicted since the beginning had ever been healed.
Furthermore, there was something else bothering the King of Curses.
The boy seemed to be deliberately refusing to use his other cursed techniques, appearing to limit himself to Jogo's technique.
At first, Sukuna believed it was simply another way for the brat to look down on him, showing that he did not need any other techniques to defeat him.
But seeing him unable to recover while continuing to use the same technique, Sukuna's thoughts quickly changed.
Something else was happening.
!
Sukuna's eyes widened when, as he took a step forward, his foot sank into a black mass.
Then...
BRAAAAAM!
The powerful sound of a trumpet echoed throughout the entire colony.
Sukuna looked upward and saw Angel flying above him, a golden trumpet in her hands.
The sky illuminated at the powerful sound, an enormous circle of light covering the entire sky of the colony.
Sukuna's body went on full alert, every fiber of his being screaming that he needed to avoid the incoming attack.
But with his attention divided, he was unable to stop Itadori, who, despite being missing an arm, rushed toward him and wrapped his remaining arm around his torso.
Sukuna clenched his teeth, struggling to break free from his overwhelming strength.
"Let me go, brat!"
He grabbed Itadori's head, slashes spreading across his skull.
But it was already too late.
Boom!
An enormous pillar of light descended from the heavens, engulfing both of them in an explosion of pure holy light.
Their mouths opened, but their roars were swallowed by the deafening sound of the pillar of light and the trumpet.
!
Sukuna felt his skin burning, every fiber of his being threatening to be extinguished by the overwhelming light.
His teeth clenched as his gaze fixed on Hana above him, who continued blowing the trumpet without pause.
If this continued, he would die.
He grabbed Itadori's body by the neck, his head split into several pieces by Cleave.
Then, with a roar, he hurled his body toward Hana with all his strength.
Bam!
Hana did not react in time.
Itadori's lifeless body collided with her, breaking her concentration.
The pillar of light weakened, almost disappearing.
It was enough for Sukuna.
Boom!
He ran toward a building, climbing it to get closer before launching himself upward with an explosion of strength from his legs.
"Hana, move!"
The Angel tried to warn her.
Hana's eyes widened as she released Itadori, raising her arms to block a punch that crashed into her guard like a cannonball.
Her body was sent crashing toward the ground, her back slamming into the concrete hard enough that several horrible cracks made her freeze in pain.
Sukuna landed heavily on the ground, breathing hard.
"..."
"Heh."
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of someone approaching.
"Looks like this generation's failure finally decided to show his face."
Megumi stepped out of an alley, his cold eyes shifting between Itadori's lifeless body and Hana's injured form.
"What do you think you're going to do, brat? Summon a bird? A bunny? One of your wolves?"
Sukuna let out a genuine laugh, looking at Megumi as though he were a joke.
"Even those companions of yours weren't enough. Do you really think you can fight me?"
Megumi remained silent.
"No..."
But then, a small smile appeared on his lips.
"But I'm not the one who's going to fight you."
His fists clenched.
Sukuna narrowed his eyes.
"With this treasure, I summon..."
. . .
At the toy store, Uraume had just finished healing herself from the punch, wiping some blood from her lips as she walked out of the store with a furious expression.
"Why did his punch hurt so much?"
She rubbed her stomach, still remembering the fist that had nearly gone straight through her.
Her gaze shifted forward, noticing the battle between the two in the distance.
Explosions of fire and buildings being torn apart filled her vision.
"I need to help Sukuna-sama."
Uraume straightened herself, her furious expression returning to her usual composed and firm demeanor.
"I have no doubt Sukuna-sama can handle that filth alone, but I also want the pleasure of freezing him with my own hands."
A malicious smile appeared on her lips.
She took a step forward, preparing to rush onto the battlefield.
"You won't."
A cold, cutting voice made her freeze.
"Uraume, right?"
Uraume slowly turned her head, finding greenish eyes staring at her with such coldness that she almost wanted to take a step back.
The air around Uraume grew colder, her eyes narrowing as she prepared herself for an attack.
Maki felt the change in temperature and an appreciative look appeared on her face as she gave a small smile.
"What a pleasant breeze..."
"It's a shame I can't enjoy it."
!
A mountain of ice surged toward Maki.
Ice covered Uraume's hand, her teeth clenched in irritation.
"Stay out of my way, filth."
The mountain of ice engulfed an entire small building.
Uraume stared at the result of her attack for several seconds and, seeing no further movement, turned around to leave.
But her instincts warned her at the last second.
Her legs gave way as a blade passed by, cutting several strands of her hair.
"Oh? You avoided that?" Maki asked, surprise and mockery evident in her voice.
Uraume quickly stepped backward, ice covering her hands.
But in an instant, Maki closed the distance and swung.
Uraume barely raised her arms to defend herself, her hands being severed from her wrists.
!
She clenched her teeth, a freezing breath escaping her lips and flying toward Maki.
As soon as the mist touched her, her body was covered in ice, encasing her completely.
Uraume used the moment to regenerate her hands, irritation visible across her forehead.
Crack!
The ice shattered, Maki freeing herself as she rubbed her arms.
"Ugh... That was really cold."
Uraume growled at that.
Maki tightened her grip on her sword, looking at Uraume with a small smile.
"Alright."
"Let's continue."
Behind her, a massive pillar of light illuminated her back, but she did not bother turning around...
And Uraume had no chance to pay attention to it now either.
. . .
"..."
Megumi and Sukuna stared at each other.
An awkward silence settled between them while Megumi maintained the same stance, fists clenched.
Even after reciting the ritual to summon Mahoraga twice, nothing had happened.
It was not as though he had done anything wrong, but...
It was more like there was simply nothing left to summon.
That pull within his technique, the warning of what was about to come whenever Megumi threatened to begin the ritual for this shikigami, was no longer there.
It was as though Mahoraga's existence had been completely erased from his technique.
This was completely unexpected.
"..."
Silence reigned for several more seconds.
"Something was supposed to happen, brat?"
Sukuna narrowed his eyes, crossing all four arms.
Cold sweat ran down the back of Megumi's neck, his lips drying within seconds as he stood beneath the gaze of the King of Curses.
Flashback
"Let's use Angel's technique at an opportune moment." Megumi suggested. "Hana, you'll stay in a position where you can be seen, but pretend you're hiding..."
"Then Sukuna will attack her, making him believe my support has been taken out." Itadori said, understanding almost immediately.
Megumi nodded. "Then you'll fight him. When the fight seems to be going in his favor, we'll distract him in different ways. First with my technique, then with Hana's technique, and finally, you holding him down."
Hana paused. "Should I use my technique while Itadori is holding him?" she asked apprehensively.
Itadori turned toward her with a reassuring look. "I'm only a clone, remember? Don't worry about me. Just attack with everything you have."
Hana watched him for a moment before nodding with a firm expression... Cute, but firm.
Megumi turned to Nobara. "Can you stay in the room with the original Itadori? If nothing works, you'll need to wake him up."
Nobara blinked in confusion. "Wake him up? But what about your sister?"
Megumi clenched his lips. "If we die and Sukuna remains alive, everything will have been for nothing, so I'm asking you not to hesitate."
Nobara stared at him, sighed, and nodded.
Itadori watched Megumi for a moment before approaching him. "If everything fails, summon Mahoraga."
Megumi froze.
But Itadori quickly reassured him. "I already beat him once, remember? I'm sure that if Mahoraga fights Sukuna, he'll pressure him long enough for the original to finish bringing Tsumiki back. After that, dealing with them won't be a problem."
Megumi remained silent, seemingly thinking over his words.
In the end, there was nothing to argue against. It was a good plan, even though Mahoraga was an utterly unstable creature. He should definitely be able to hold Sukuna back until Itadori saved his sister.
Besides, he trusted Itadori's strength.
"Alright."
End of flashback
Why isn't it working?!
Megumi panicked internally, trying to find the answer within his technique, only to feel what he already knew.
Mahoraga was gone.
And this silence was already beginning to irritate the King of Curses.
"..."
In the apartment bedroom where Tsumiki rested on the bed and Itadori remained in a trance with one hand against her forehead, Nobara watched the situation between Megumi and Sukuna with a worried expression.
She kept biting the nail of her thumb, tension weighing heavily on her shoulders.
First, Hana's technique had failed.
Then Itadori's clone had been killed.
And now Megumi was simply staring at Sukuna in a strange stance while the King of Curses became more irritated by the second.
Everything had failed.
Nobara did not need to watch any longer to realize it.
And yet, she hesitated to wake Itadori.
Interrupting him now meant risking permanently damaging Tsumiki's soul...
But allowing him to continue could condemn them all.
Once Sukuna finally lost his patience, Nobara had no doubt he would kill Megumi and finish off poor Hana.
She bit her lip, her gaze falling on Megumi, who was clearly terrified before the King of Curses.
I'm sorry, Tsumiki...
She released a heavy sigh.
Then, she turned around to wake Itadori...
Only to collide directly with his chest.
"..."
Nobara blinked, her gaze rising to meet Itadori's smiling face.
"Did I scare you?"
Nobara remained silent.
Then, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, her cheeks puffing up as she punched him in the chest.
"Idiot!"
Itadori let out a soft laugh before looking toward the bed.
Nobara followed his gaze and saw Tsumiki rubbing her eyes as if she had just awakened from a long sleep.
"Take care of her. Explain a little of what happened, but don't go into too much detail. She's still recovering mentally."
Nobara watched Tsumiki, the girl she had only ever seen lying in a hospital bed, for a few more seconds.
Then, she nodded.
"Alright... Now go help Megumi, or I'm afraid he's going to be torn in half."
Itadori did not need to be told twice and immediately moved to leave the room.
Nobara watched his back as he left, her gaze lingering on the empty doorway for a few more seconds...
Then, she looked at the bed, finding Tsumiki staring at her curiously.
"What?"
Her cheeks warmed.
Tsumiki remained silent, but then her expression shifted into amusement, a soft laugh escaping her lips.
. . .
"Alright, enough!"
Sukuna growled.
"I gave you a chance to show me something, brat! But you insisted on wasting it. What for? To buy time?"
Sukuna spat, irritated.
"Pathetic."
He raised his hand.
"Disappear."
Swoosh!
Megumi clenched his teeth, his hands forming signs to summon a shikigami in the hope of defending himself.
But it was unnecessary.
Bam!
A massive wall of earth rose in front of Megumi, stopping the incoming slash.
Megumi's eyes widened, his head snapping toward Itadori standing beside him, hands pressed against the ground.
"Sorry, I took too long." He chuckled softly. "You tried to summon Mahoraga, didn't you?"
Megumi sighed in relief.
"I tried, but for some reason it didn't work..."
Itadori scratched the back of his neck, looking away.
"Ah, well..."
Megumi narrowed his eyes.
"You know something?"
"What? Me? No?"
"Itadori..."
"Alright, alright... I kind of... May have devoured him during our fight."
Megumi stared at him with dead eyes, making Itadori sweat more than he ever had in front of the King of Curses.
"And how did your clone not know that?"
"...I only realized it now."
"Idiot..."
Bam!
A hand pierced through the earth wall, its fingers forming a sign.
"Dismantle!"
A slash struck Itadori in the chest, his teeth clenching as he placed his hands on the ground.
The earth wall reformed into a giant hand that slapped Sukuna backward.
Itadori huffed.
"Go check on your sister. I'll take care of this now."
Megumi stared at him.
"Are you sure?"
Itadori nodded.
"This is between him and me."
Megumi looked at him for several more seconds before nodding.
"Be careful."
Then, he turned around and ran back toward the building.
Itadori did not look as he walked away, his attention completely focused on Sukuna, who stared at him with a deep hatred that he could feel in his bones.
"Finally decided to show your face, brat?"
Sukuna grinned widely.
"I figured it was time to end the game."
Itadori mocked him, his gaze falling toward the body of his dead clone.
He extended his hand, but his flesh did not respond.
It seemed Hana's technique had completely severed the connection between him and his clone.
"Damn, I liked Jogo's technique."
Sukuna ignored his complaint, all four arms hanging loosely.
"End the game? Yes, that's a good phrase."
Sukuna's grin widened.
"It's time to end the game..."
Sukuna's hands moved toward one another.
"Brat..."
!
Sukuna's entire body froze in an animation frame, the image of his manic smile frozen in place.
Itadori pulled his hand away from his chest, tilting his head as he stared at him.
"Let's move the battlefield somewhere else. We're too close to people who matter to me."
Itadori prepared himself, clenching his fist as cursed energy covered his body.
"Black Flash!"
He launched his fist, striking the frozen animation frame with immense force as black lightning spread in every direction.
Sukuna was sent flying into the sky, and Itadori immediately flew after him.
...
His body slammed into the ground, rolling for a moment before he dug his fingers into the concrete, dragging himself several more meters before stopping.
His body had already healed from the damage.
The veins in his eyes bulged, his eyes filled with pure bloodlust.
"Brat!"
He growled as he stood, only to see Itadori land in front of him.
The young sorcerer sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Do you really want to keep doing this, Sukuna? This is kind of a losing battle."
Sukuna narrowed his eyes.
"Your Shrine is far less effective against me. Even if you used Cleave at full power, at most, you'd give me a serious injury."
Itadori spread his arms as if emphasizing his point.
"Your only chance is to expand your Domain. But are you really going to risk standing still in front of me? Even for the briefest moment?"
Sukuna clenched his teeth so hard they seemed ready to crack.
"Besides, even if by some miracle I lose here, Megumi and the others should be leaving the colony soon, and I doubt you can beat Gojo-sensei in your current..."
Itadori pointed his index finger toward him.
"...state."
"Brat..."
"So, I suggest something beneficial for both of us."
Itadori smiled.
"You give up now, and I... give you a quick, painless death. How about it?"
Silence reigned for several seconds.
Sukuna no longer looked at him with anger.
Instead, his expression was filled with indifference, as though he were processing the sorcerer's words.
"Huh?"
Itadori tilted his head.
"Did I break him?"
...
Then Sukuna's teeth clenched, his eyes widening, his jaw hardening.
Every microexpression on his face shaped itself into the most primal rage ever seen in a creature.
Contempt, anger, hatred, disgust, disdain, resentment, repulsion, aversion, hostility, rancor, fury, revulsion, antipathy...
Somehow, all of it was visible in an expression worthy of a true demon.
The complete fury of the King of Curses, directed toward a single being.
"Brat..."
Sukuna's voice sounded distorted, his red eyes never leaving him.
"I'm not just going to kill you. I'm going to despise your corpse, cause pain directly to your soul. Then I'll go after your companions, and every human being who has ever shown sympathy toward you... No. Every human being on this planet, simply because they once shared the same oxygen as you."
His cursed energy became chaotic, so dense and volatile that it seemed to swallow the entire colony.
But Itadori did not flinch.
Instead, he stared firmly at him, the mockery and playfulness disappearing from his expression as they faced each other.
"As I said before, Sukuna..."
"Try."
...
Their bodies disappeared.
Bam!
Every collision generated shockwaves that reverberated throughout the colony.
Their bodies were thrown backward by one another, covered in cuts and bruises that were constantly healed.
Sukuna moved to bring his hands together, but Itadori was quick to intercept him, his fist striking his stomach with enough force to nearly pierce straight through him.
The King of Curses vomited blood and grabbed his wrist, countless slashes spreading across his arm.
Itadori did not even react as he pulled his other arm back and threw it forward.
"Black Flash!"
The punch struck Sukuna in the chest, crushing it and sending him several meters backward.
Itadori touched his own arm, his flesh reforming to keep it together while Reverse Cursed Energy repaired the damage.
Sukuna knelt with one hand against his chest as he healed.
The brief pause lasted only a moment.
Then, they charged at each other again.
Sukuna dodged a punch and counterattacked.
Itadori took the punch head-on, only to spit out a tooth.
The tooth transformed into a mass of flesh, molding itself into a clone beside the King of Curses.
Sukuna's eyes widened and he immediately tried to retreat, but froze when he noticed both of his feet trapped by roots emerging from the ground.
His gaze fell forward, seeing the two Itadoris advancing toward him.
"Dismantle!"
He attempted to launch countless slashes, but it was already too late to stop their momentum.
"Black Flash!"
"Black Flash!"
Both fists struck him directly, one in the stomach and the other in the chest.
Black lightning spread in every direction, embracing their bodies for a moment before disappearing.
Sukuna vomited blood, his consciousness leaving him for a moment.
"You bastards!"
But then, blinking himself awake, he grabbed both of them by the neck, his grip as tight as possible.
The original Itadori broke free with a wave of slashes that tore open Sukuna's fingers, quickly retreating.
The clone was not so lucky.
Sukuna shattered his head with Cleave.
The mass of flesh fell to the ground, quickly returning to Itadori's body.
Sukuna clenched his teeth, his hands moving to join together once again.
Itadori noticed and immediately advanced.
But as soon as he got close enough, Sukuna extended his hand.
"Heavenly Blade."
"Falling Star."
"Thousandfold Severance."
"Dismantle!"
An enormous slash shot from his hand.
Itadori's eyes widened, and he jumped.
!
But while in the air, his eyes widened further when the slash made an impossible curve, changing direction and flying toward him.
Swoosh!
A massive cut opened across his torso, threatening to split him in half if not for his manipulation of the soul keeping his body together and his Reverse Cursed Energy working frantically to repair it.
His body crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, blood escaping his throat.
He created a Binding Vow tied to an incantation?!
Itadori pushed himself up on his elbows, immediately standing even with his torso still partially open.
Sukuna smiled broadly at the sight, his hands finally coming together.
"Domain Expansion!"
His cursed energy spread.
Itadori's eyes widened as he hurried to bring his hands together.
"Domain Expansion!"
Sukuna smiled like a maniac.
There was no way Itadori could sustain his Domain against his.
The King of Curses had complete confidence in his Domain proficiency.
It would not even be a contest.
"Malevolent Shrine!"
"Hunting Territory!"
The innate techniques of the two manifested.
But unlike what Sukuna expected, no barrier closed around him.
Instead, in front of his Shrine, an enormous red eye appeared, floating into the sky as it stared directly at his tooth-filled totem.
"What?"
Sukuna asked, genuinely confused.
Awooooooooooo!
Then, accompanied by the appearance of the eye, a powerful howl swept through the entire colony.
Behind Itadori, an enormous wolf landed firmly, its golden eyes fixed on Sukuna as it growled aggressively, a large Dharma wheel floating directly above its head.
The King of Curses clenched his teeth, finally understanding.
"Brat, you learned how to draw your Domain with your own hands?!"
Itadori smiled.
"What? You thought you were that different? Don't get so full of yourself, Sukuna!"
Sukuna practically growled.
"It doesn't matter! You won't withstand this, brat!"
The Domains fully formed.
Itadori felt the first slash strike his cheek.
"Here it comes!"
Then, countless slashes began striking him from every direction, Amarok growling beside him as it was also bombarded.
Itadori clenched his teeth as he struggled to defend himself, manipulating his body while it healed.
Whenever a limb threatened to give out, he kept it together like glue.
Whenever his flesh tried to tear itself apart, he forcibly held it together while constantly healing it.
Amarok also suffered countless injuries beside him, but with its incredibly dense and durable body, it was faring better than Itadori himself.
He knew he only needed to endure for a little while longer, until the wolf adapted.
After that, Sukuna's Domain would no longer be a concern.
But Sukuna obviously had no intention of simply allowing that to happen.
!
Itadori staggered when a punch struck his temple, a powerful slash opening across his chest as Sukuna pointed at him.
Amarok growled and moved, closing its jaws around Sukuna.
The King of Curses grabbed the enormous shikigami's jaw, lifting it from the ground and throwing it away while sending a powerful Dismantle into its chest.
As soon as he turned back toward Itadori, a fist was already inches from his face, striking his nose hard enough to make his eyes close.
"Black Flash!"
Then another punch landed, this time against his ribs.
"Black Flash!"
This time, a kick to his stomach.
"Black Flash!"
And finally, a two-legged kick that sent him flying backward.
Sukuna's back scraped across the ground, his head lifting just in time to receive a slash that tore open his face, exposing his skull.
"Black Flash!"
He did not have time to heal before Itadori rushed forward and kicked his wounded, exposed face like a soccer ball, sending his body rolling backward until it collided with his Shrine.
Itadori's knees buckled, the countless slashes finally overwhelming him as the exhaustion of constantly holding his body together caught up with him.
Sukuna healed more slowly, standing as he spat blood.
"..."
Clank!
Sukuna's eyes widened when the sound of metal rang out beside him.
His head turned, only to see Amarok leaping toward him.
"Grrr!"
Its jaws closed around Sukuna again, but this time, the King of Curses found himself unable to pry them apart.
Its fangs had pierced through his torso.
"Let me go, mutt!"
Sukuna growled, grabbing the wolf's jaw as countless slashes appeared directly across its flesh, weakening its grip and giving him an opening to force its mouth open and retreat several steps.
Clank!
The sound of metal rang out again.
But this time, Sukuna saw the wheel above Amarok's head clearly rotate.
And before his eyes, the countless slashes from his Domain stopped constantly cutting into the enormous wolf's flesh and became nothing more than small scratches.
"Amarok!"
Suddenly, Itadori leapt over the enormous shikigami, his hand grabbing the Dharma wheel and pulling it away.
He landed on the ground with a heavy thud.
Then, smiling at Sukuna, he placed it directly above his own head.
Immediately afterward, Sukuna watched his slashes completely lose their effect on Itadori.
For the first time in his life...
He displayed a genuinely shocked expression.
Itadori's body could finally heal completely, a wide smile spreading across his lips.
"What's wrong, Sukuna?! Too scared to say anything?! Wondering how the hell your Domain doesn't work on me anymore?!"
!
Itadori charged forward, his fist loaded with cursed energy.
"Take that question to the grave!"
Black Flash!
His fist slammed into Sukuna's chest with tremendous force, black lightning spreading as the King of Curses was hurled against his Shrine.
Boom!
Sukuna's Domain collapsed.
Itadori watched as the crimson sky returned to normal, darkened by the colony's barrier, of course, but still much more pleasant than the red.
Sukuna spat blood, sitting for a moment before placing one hand against the ground and standing.
"Brat..."
He began, wiping the blood from his lips as he healed.
"I won't lie. You surprised me."
Even reluctantly, there was no denying it anymore.
Itadori had displayed surprise after surprise.
Most sorcerers from the Heian era would have been killed long before this, and even those capable of fighting him would never have pushed him this far.
Not in a one-on-one fight.
Yuji Itadori was the only one.
Even if Sukuna was weakened, even if the boy had been born a thousand years later, there was no denying it.
Itadori was truly worthy of standing against him.
"But that changes nothing."
Of course, Sukuna would never admit that aloud.
"Even with your conviction, your constant trump cards, those rotten ideals of yours that disgust me, this ends here. Tricks won't save you."
Itadori paused.
Sukuna, as always, was far too stubborn to admit defeat.
Although it was extremely irritating, Itadori admired that persistence.
Many would have broken by now, but Sukuna seemed determined to maintain his pride until the very end.
That was good.
After all, there would be no regrets when he died.
Itadori would respect that.
"Then come on, Sukuna... Show me how far the King of Curses can still go."
...
Boom!
Their fists collided, Sukuna being pushed backward.
Amarok leapt over Itadori's body, and Sukuna jumped to the side to avoid the enormous wolf.
"Black Flash."
Then, he punched the side of the shikigami, black lightning spreading in several directions as he sent the wolf flying.
He felt his cursed energy output improving, but had no time to figure out by how much before Itadori appeared beside him.
Sukuna quickly turned and launched a kick.
But he clenched his teeth when his foot froze inside a distorted space.
"Thin Ice Breaker!"
A powerful impact erupted from the distorted space, shattering the King of Curses' foot and sending him backward.
His regeneration struggled to repair the damage, but Itadori had no intention of allowing him to rest.
He advanced and unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Sukuna struggled to defend himself.
His experience allowed him to protect himself, but not to push any further.
His slashes no longer had any meaningful effect on Itadori, each one doing about as much damage as a paper cut.
There was nothing left that could stop Itadori from pressuring him.
His fists rained down heavily upon the King of Curses.
Arms, stomach, ribs, chin, face.
Sukuna became a complete target.
And when one punch struck him directly and made him stumble...
"Black Flash!"
It only got worse.
"Black Flash!"
Sukuna growled as two Black Flashes landed.
He tried to counterattack, but Itadori ducked beneath his fist.
"Black Flash!"
He tried to grab him, but Itadori easily slipped free of his hands.
"Black Flash!"
He tried to retreat, but Itadori followed him like a predator hunting its prey.
"Black Flash!"
He tried to expand his Domain again, but Itadori smashed his hands apart with his fist.
Then, when Sukuna desperately tried to retreat...
Black Flash!
Itadori's fist struck his solar plexus, black lightning expanding everywhere, embracing Itadori like the loving arms of a mother.
Sukuna choked, consciousness leaving him as his body rolled across the ground and collided hard with the wall of a building.
Itadori took a deep breath, black lightning still embracing him before disappearing into the wind.
He watched Sukuna growl and grunt in pain as he struggled to stand.
His healing was no longer functioning properly, evident from the way his wounded bones and flesh twisted chaotically in an attempt to repair themselves.
He supported himself with one hand against the wall, his face battered and bleeding in several places.
His eyes still carried that bestial fury, but now, they were visibly exhausted.
Itadori watched him with...
Pity.
But he dared not let it show.
This was his final form of respect.
He would respect Sukuna as a warrior because, despite everything...
The fight had been incredible.
With every movement, Itadori had felt that danger, that sensation that one mistake could completely change the momentum, just as it had several times.
Sukuna, whether he wanted to or not, had given him an adrenaline rush that might never be repeated again.
Perhaps Sukuna did not deserve pity.
But that was not why Itadori would refuse to show it.
No one wanted to die with someone pitying them.
"..."
The two stared at each other.
In Sukuna's eyes, despite his obvious exhaustion, there was still that fire, that indomitable desire to continue.
They did not need words to say what would happen next.
A silent agreement between two enemies who were more connected than either could admit.
One final move.
The temperature around them skyrocketed.
Sukuna's hands began to glow, Itadori mirroring his movements as the light danced across his fingers.
"...F̶͙̹̾́u̷̧̗̱͙͂g̸̣̒̏́a̴̠͚̝̒͌́."
Their voices sounded as one.
A flame ignited in Sukuna's hands, the King of Curses shaping it with precise movements until it became an imposing arrow of fire.
The glow between Itadori's fingers intensified, his hands shaping a small white flame that rapidly took form, a brilliant, scorching blue-white sphere floating above his palm.
It was so hot that the surrounding area began to melt.
The two forces of nature shone from opposite sides, overwhelming powers that should never have been brought together.
But now, just this once...
They would be.
□
Boom!
...
"Try coming back as a good person next time, Sukuna!"
"Shut up, brat!"
. . .
Far away, Uraume lay bloodied on the ground while Maki stood firmly beside her, the tip of her blade pointed at her neck.
Both watched the enormous explosion that erupted on the other side of the city.
Maki raised a hand to shield her face from the overwhelming heat.
When the temperature seemed to do nothing but increase, she blinked as a barrier closed around the center of the explosion, completely stopping the heat from spreading.
"...Looks like it's over."
Maki said.
Uraume coughed, no longer caring about healing herself.
"Yes..."
"I'm going to guess my side won."
Maki looked at Uraume.
Uraume remained silent, closing her eyes as a small, peaceful smile appeared on her lips.
"Indeed... You were lucky... To be born a thousand years later."
Maki remained silent for a moment before smiling.
"We were lucky to have him here with us."
"..."
Then, in that silence, Uraume's body became a statue of ice, slowly shattering apart.
Maki watched the pieces of ice for several seconds.
Then, she sheathed her sword and turned around, walking toward the barrier.
.
.
.
Two days later.
"So, you're telling me that while I was trapped, you guys dealt with the Culling Game, defeated Kenjaku, and defeated Sukuna... All while I was taking the best nap of my life?"
Sitting on a stretcher, Gojo swung his legs like an excited child as he recapped everything that had happened.
Most of the sorcerers were gathered around him.
"The Culling Game technically isn't over yet, but we're dealing with that."
Yaga rubbed his eyes.
Even with his sunglasses, it was impossible to hide the dark circles beneath them.
"Right, right."
Gojo waved off his words.
"Anyway, all of that happened, but what surprises me the most is..."
He suddenly pointed at Itadori, who had Maki and Mai standing beside him.
"You, Yuji, are dating both of them?! You little pervert, Yuji! I didn't teach you that, you know!"
Itadori laughed, while Maki and Mai's faces heated up.
"Shut up, idiot!" Maki grumbled.
"Anyway, Gojo-sensei, how are you feeling?"
Itadori asked, genuinely concerned about his psychological state, considering people said the Prison Realm could drive anyone insane.
"Me?"
Gojo smiled.
"I'm perfectly fine. My brain is still intact."
Itadori nodded.
Gojo was still as playful as ever.
"That's very good."
Yuki, leaning against the wall with her shoulder firmly pressed against Choso's, spoke up.
"Well, with most of the problems resolved, we just need to actually finish the Culling Game... Tengen gave us some ideas, but that old lady seems far too eager to retire and pass the baton."
Itadori sighed, already understanding.
"What? Tengen wants to retire? And what does that mean?"
Kusakabe suddenly asked.
"It means she wants to be devoured by Itadori so he can take responsibility for the barriers."
Yuki was direct.
The room fell completely silent.
"And that... would work?"
Kusakabe genuinely seemed curious.
Yuki rubbed the back of her neck, sighing.
"According to what we discussed, yes. But that depends on Itadori."
"If we can finish the Culling Game soon, I already said I'm willing."
Itadori shrugged.
"Still, that's a huge responsibility. Think about it a little more before making such a quick decision."
Yuki huffed...
It seemed she was already starting to act like an older sister...
And she and Choso had not even made anything official yet.
Gojo waved his hands.
"Hey, hey, I just got back. How about we stop with all these things that make me think too much and relax for a while? The real danger is gone, after all."
"Haven't you already relaxed too much?"
Shoko asked, lighting a cigarette.
"Relaxing is never too much. Never."
...
A few hours later.
"AAAH, I relaxed too much. I need to move."
Gojo stood up from his chair.
Then, in an instant, he disappeared and appeared in the middle of Itadori's bedroom.
Only to find him being hugged by Maki and Mai on either side of the bed.
All three blinked simultaneously when they saw him standing there.
"Ooh."
Gojo covered his mouth, waving his hand.
"At least you're not naked."
"Idiot! Pervert!"
"I'm going to kill you!"
...
A few minutes later, Itadori and Gojo walked side by side through the school's corridors.
The silence was somewhat awkward, but it was soon broken by Satoru's laugh.
"Yuji..."
He spoke with a playful and proud tone.
"You've grown a lot."
Itadori looked at him.
"I think..."
His smile brightened.
"That's enough Satoru Gojo for a while, don't you think?"
"..."
"Sensei, want to train a little?"
"...Maybe in an omake."
. . .
In the center of Tokyo, Megumi watched Tsumiki and Hana walking together.
As he watched them talk animatedly with each other, he...
Allowed himself to smile.
It seemed that the weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders.
"..."
Then, a hand rested on his shoulder.
He turned around and saw Yuji.
"Hey, there's a ramen restaurant nearby. Want to go?"
"And those three?"
Itadori sighed.
"They went shopping together. Something about a sale Nobara found."
Megumi looked thoughtful.
"So... You and the three of them..."
"We're not talking about that. Let's just eat."
Megumi quietly laughed.
"Alright."
.
.
.
One month later.
In the meeting room at Jujutsu High, numerous sorcerers had gathered. Despite so many powerful individuals being in one place, the atmosphere was relaxed, with most of them engaged in their own conversations.
"With me as the new leader of the Shadow Style, there will be no more problems with learning Simple Domain. Spreading the technique among sorcerers will be much easier," Kusakabe said.
Itadori, sitting not far away, asked, "Were there problems before?"
Kusakabe turned toward him. "Yes, there was a longevity curse and a binding vow that prevented outsiders from being taught the technique... But that shouldn't have been a problem for you. You probably learned Yuki Tsukumo's version."
Itadori fell silent.
"Learned?"
Kusakabe froze.
"You... didn't learn it?"
The two exchanged glances. Itadori scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.
"Actually, I've never learned any anti-domain technique."
Struck by this revelation, Kusakabe stared at him in disbelief.
"You never... Wait, then how did you deal with Sukuna's Domain Expansion...?"
Itadori fell silent once again.
"..." Kusakabe stared at him with dead eyes. "You took his slashes head-on?"
Itadori avoided his gaze.
"...Only a little."
Kusakabe stared at him for a few more seconds before releasing a long sigh.
Mei Mei, sitting beside him, let out a restrained giggle.
To be honest, he wasn't even that surprised. He had long since learned not to be surprised by the actions of these monsters.
So, he simply shrugged, ignored this information, and continued sucking on his lollipop in peace.
Itadori let out a soft laugh. It wasn't that he didn't want to learn Simple Domain. He simply hadn't had the time. He had preferred to increase his proficiency with his own Domain's barrier technique, and even if he were caught inside a Domain, he could break it by initiating a clash between barriers.
Still, he knew Simple Domain was effective. If he had possessed it during his fight against Sukuna, overcoming the Domain would have been much simpler than merely enduring it while waiting for Amarok to finish adapting.
As he thought about it, Itadori noticed someone approaching and turned to see Hana stopping in front of him.
"Itadori, can we talk?" she asked.
She seemed a little nervous, which immediately made him suspicious.
Itadori glanced around the room.
Todo was animatedly talking with Choso and Tanshoku... The subject of their conversation was probably him.
Maki, Mai, and Nobara were talking among themselves, looking quite comfortable around one another.
Yuki and Utahime seemed perfectly content exchanging words while eating, while Gojo appeared focused on stealing food from Iori's plate without her noticing.
The rest were either talking among themselves or simply content to be in the same room.
Itadori took it all in with a calm gaze. It was good to see this kind of peace.
"All right, of course." He looked at Hana and nodded.
Hana led him outside the room.
Once the door closed behind him, Hana turned around, a sigh escaping her lips.
"So, why did you want to talk to me?"
"She doesn't. I do."
The Angel's voice answered, a mouth manifesting on Hana's cheek.
Itadori raised an eyebrow.
"Then I'm all ears."
The Angel remained silent for a moment, as though considering her next words.
"I wanted to discuss the fate of the incarnated players with you."
Itadori didn't react at first. He watched Hana for a moment before nodding.
"Continue."
"I want permission to hunt down all remaining incarnated players."
Silence settled between the three.
Aside from the voices coming from inside the room, none of them spoke for several seconds.
"All of them?" Itadori finally broke the silence.
"All those who imposed their wills upon their vessels and killed their egos."
"So that doesn't include Tsumiki, nor yourself."
"That's right."
He nodded. Itadori didn't need to hear the reason behind her request. Over the past month, he had spoken with Hana and the Angel enough whenever he went out with Megumi to understand the motivations behind their actions.
He could partially agree with her request, and he knew that fact would probably disappoint her.
There were incarnated sorcerers whom Itadori had no intention of allowing Hana to eliminate, either because they had willingly chosen to live according to this new era or because Itadori had developed a sort of friendship with them.
Uro and Ryu were examples.
Uro had willingly chosen to help deal with the Culling Game, practically becoming a full-fledged ally of theirs. She had even gone as far as visiting him almost constantly.
As for Ryu, he had begun living entirely at Jujutsu High, training with Itadori or Yuta whenever he had the chance.
Neither of them had any malicious ambitions. Ryu, in particular, was perfectly satisfied with simply continuing to train and filling his stomach.
As for Uro, she seemed to have found a new ambition in life after meeting Nobara, becoming obsessed with fashion and clothing.
Hagane and Rokujushi were also good examples. Maki had encountered them while hunting down malicious players.
It was also discovered that neither of them had any malicious ambitions.
Although Hagane was a swordsman from an era where battles to the death were commonplace, his only ambition was to die against a worthy opponent.
When he met Maki, he willingly guided her toward unlocking her true potential.
Maki presented him with a sword made by Mai.
Then, after asking Maki to come and kill him when the right time came, he disappeared.
Rokujushi was a simpler man. As long as he could fight sumo, he was content... He and Todo, in fact, had become good training partners.
Almost every day since then, he could be found meeting with Todo, or anyone else willing to wrestle with him.
Aside from Hagane, who wished to depart this world of his own accord when the time was right, Itadori had no intention of allowing the others to be hunted down.
He would not change his mind about that.
"I can understand the motivations behind your request, Angel."
Itadori met Hana's eyes, as though he were looking directly at the woman sharing her body.
"But I will only allow you to eliminate incarnated players with malicious intentions. Those who choose to live peacefully in this era or submit themselves to jujutsu society... I will decide their fates myself."
The Angel didn't answer immediately, her lips sealed.
"In my opinion..." she finally spoke. "This is not a wise decision, Yuji Itadori... But I will respect it. I have no intention of turning the leader of this era, and Hana's friend, into an enemy."
Hana sighed in relief, the tension leaving her shoulders.
She had been genuinely terrified at the thought of the Angel and Itadori becoming hostile toward one another. She had been avoiding this conversation with Yuji for two weeks.
Fortunately, everything had gone well.
"But I would like you to help me hunt down these malicious incarnated players... I don't want to risk Hana's safety too much," the Angel continued.
Itadori smiled at that.
"Of course. I'll be happy to help."
The two looked at each other, faint smiles on their lips.
"Hey, hey."
Then, a seductive voice came from behind Itadori. An arm wrapped around his neck from behind as Uro rested her face against his shoulder.
"What secret conversation is happening here? Itadori, are you already trying to score another one? And your friend's partner, no less? What a naughty boy."
She rubbed her cheek against Itadori's.
Hana froze.
"No, no, no, no! It's nothing like that!"
She waved her hands frantically.
Itadori snorted.
"She's just messing with you. Ignore what she said."
"Fujiwara Killer."
The Angel's voice cut through the conversation.
Uro raised an eyebrow, her gaze falling upon the mouth on Hana's cheek.
"Ooh, Angel..." Her voice became teasing. "What is it? Enjoying your lack of freedom?"
The Angel grumbled.
Itadori sighed.
"Why did you come, Uro?"
Uro laughed.
"I'm going with Nobara to try on some clothes... Did you want me to stay with you?"
She practically purred the words beside his ear.
"Don't exaggerate."
He rolled his eyes, his gaze falling back to Hana.
"If everything's settled, I'll head back inside. Let me know if you need backup."
Hana quickly nodded.
Then Itadori turned around, Uro floating behind him with her arms still wrapped around his neck.
The Angel's lips tightened as Itadori walked away.
"...Thank you for not arguing about this," Hana said.
The Angel sighed.
"In the end, whether I like it or not, the final decision is his. There was nothing to argue about."
Hana nodded.
"Still... thank you, Angel."
"...You're welcome."
---