Chapter 153: You Are the Challenger
The cube-shaped Prison Realm opened.
Its surface unfolded like a slab of flesh and blood, spreading into a grotesque grid. At the center, a single bleeding eye stared directly at Satoru Gojo.
Then that familiar voice sounded from behind him.
"Yo... Satoru. Long time no see."
Gojo already knew.
The person standing behind him was not Suguru Geto.
It was Kenjaku.
If this had been Gojo before Asuramaru's warning, he might truly have frozen for a moment. He might have doubted his own eyes. He might have been pulled into the past by that face and that voice.
But he was different now.
So Gojo moved.
He ran.
Without turning back, without confirming, without giving Kenjaku even a single second to exploit.
He simply ran.
Even Kenjaku was caught off guard.
He had expected Gojo might know something about "Suguru Geto." He had even prepared for the possibility that Gojo would resist the emotional shock.
But he had not expected the strongest Sorcerer of the modern era to refuse to look back at all and immediately choose escape.
The effective range of the Prison Realm was only four meters.
In the blink of an eye, Gojo had already crossed more than a hundred.
Seal him?
Seal what?
Kenjaku's entire plan had been disrupted.
First, Mahito died.
Now, sealing Satoru Gojo had also failed.
At this moment, Kenjaku's mental state nearly cracked.
[Ding! Negative emotions detected from Kenjaku. Gained 10,000 emotion points!]
Inside Yuji's mind, Asuramaru heard the system prompt and the corners of his lips rose slightly.
You like watching the show?
What a coincidence.
So do I.
Perhaps it was because he had become a sword.
Perhaps it was because another hundred years had passed.
Asuramaru had grown used to life and death.
Most worldly desires had long since faded from him. These days, the only things that still interested him were probably raising a Sword Master and watching an entertaining mess unfold.
Such was the sorrow of immortality.
Looking at Gojo's fleeing figure, Kenjaku understood that the chance to seal him had vanished completely.
Fortunately, he had prepared a backup plan.
"Sukuna," Kenjaku said, his expression faintly distorted, "I'll leave the rest to you."
He waved his monk robes, collected the Prison Realm from the ground, and turned away.
At the same time, Sukuna, still controlling Yuji Itadori's body, appeared inside the subway station.
He stood face-to-face with Satoru Gojo.
The King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna.
Against the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer of the modern era, Satoru Gojo.
The moment Gojo saw Sukuna, his brow furrowed.
He had already guessed there were traitors among the Jujutsu higher-ups, but he had not expected them to be this blatant.
As expected, once he got out, he really should just kill them all.
Across from him, Sukuna's two pairs of eyes looked over. He raised his head arrogantly, staring down at Gojo as if looking at prey.
"Brat, I told you."
His voice carried undisguised malice.
"Once I control this body, you'll be the first one I kill."
Gojo snickered.
"I don't know exactly what happened, but since you're controlling Yuji's body, you must have challenged Asuramaru already, right?"
His smile grew worse.
"Let me guess. You got beheaded, didn't you? After all, Tanjiro loves beheading things the most."
The mockery was unscrupulous.
But Gojo's tone was far too certain.
And the truth was exactly as he said.
Sukuna's face darkened.
"You damn brat."
The air between them grew heavy with battle intent.
Before the fight began, Gojo raised one finger.
"How about we change locations?"
If the two of them fought here, no one could estimate how many ordinary people would die.
Sukuna did not refuse.
"Then choose."
Killing too many people might give Yuji Itadori another chance to erupt emotionally and earn Asuramaru's full recognition.
Sukuna had no interest in creating trouble for himself.
Gojo placed a hand on Sukuna's shoulder.
The two disappeared.
In the next instant, they appeared in a desolate wilderness on the outskirts of Shibuya.
There were no crowds here.
No civilians.
No station platforms packed with trapped lives.
It was the most suitable battlefield.
The two faced each other beneath the night sky.
Gojo's lips curled, confidence overflowing from him as naturally as breathing.
"To avoid any misunderstanding, I'll say this first."
He pointed at Sukuna.
"In this battle, you are the challenger."
Sukuna laughed coldly.
"Challenger?"
His eyes narrowed.
"In my eyes, you're nothing more than a fish on the chopping board. Even if you flop harder than the others, you're still just a nameless small fry."
Cursed Energy gathered around him.
"Now, I'll start by peeling off your scales."
The next moment, they collided.
Close-quarters combat erupted instantly.
Gojo clearly held the advantage. His movements were smooth, sharp, and almost playful, each strike forcing Sukuna backward.
In front of Limitless, Sukuna's Cursed Technique was almost useless.
Only Domain Amplification could break through Limitless.
But the price was that he could not use his Cursed Technique while maintaining it.
After a brief exchange of probes, Sukuna made his decision.
His hands formed a seal.
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine!"
The open Domain unfolded.
Facing Sukuna's Domain, Gojo had also learned from experience.
The memory of being pummeled by Tanjiro was still fresh in his mind. The moment he saw Malevolent Shrine reveal itself as an open Domain, Gojo responded immediately.
He formed a seal with one hand.
"Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void!"
Unlimited Void expanded to its maximum range.
The shell of Gojo's Domain covered the entire range of Malevolent Shrine, and at the same time, Gojo reversed the internal and external durability of the Domain barrier.
This was the countermeasure he had devised after suffering a loss once.
Both Domains opened.
Another round of close combat began.
Then Gojo discovered something troublesome.
Sukuna could use Domain Amplification even while maintaining his Domain.
Sukuna gave him no room to breathe, engaging him in relentless melee combat. Based on his understanding, Unlimited Void's sure-hit effect would not affect Gojo himself, nor anyone Gojo was touching.
The two continued trading blows at terrifying speed.
Then Sukuna established another Binding Vow.
He sacrificed the sure-hit effect and adjusted the Domain's range in exchange for increasing the damage of his slashes, focusing all his attacks on the exterior of Gojo's Domain shell.
The moment Unlimited Void shattered, Sukuna began his performance.
Countless slashes flew at Gojo from every direction.
Gojo clasped his hands.
"New Shadow Style: Simple Domain!"
He used Simple Domain to avoid the sure-hit effect, while doing everything he could to damage Sukuna and force him to deactivate Malevolent Shrine as well.
Their battle became a brutal exchange of hands.
After Gojo's Simple Domain shattered, he expanded it a second time, buying enough time to repair the Cursed Technique burnout in his brain.
His response was immediate.
He opened his Domain again.
This time, when their Domains clashed, both shattered at the same time.
When Sukuna reappeared, a hideous wound had been carved across his chest.
Neither of them wasted a single word.
After clashing again, both repaired their burnt-out Cursed Techniques.
Then they expanded their Domains once more.
This time, however, Sukuna's injuries were too severe.
His Domain Expansion was 0.01 seconds slower.
For Satoru Gojo, that 0.01 seconds was enough to decide the battle.
Gojo's fist pierced through Sukuna's chest.
The blow destroyed the heart, liver, and several other organs in one strike.
With Sukuna's Reverse Cursed Technique, this would strip him of his fighting ability and also force him to heal Yuji Itadori's body to keep it from dying.
Two birds with one stone.
The battle had reached its conclusion.
Gojo looked down at Sukuna, who had just regained his senses and was kneeling on the ground.
A smile returned to Gojo's face.
"I told you, didn't I?"
His voice was light, almost teasing.
"I'm the strongest."
But the moment he finished speaking, Sukuna's form shifted.
The body lying on the ground changed, returning to the form he had possessed a thousand years ago.
His wounds healed instantly.
.....
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