Chapter 159: The Outcome Is Decided!
At this point, crushing Yuji Itadori's Domain had become far too difficult.
Sukuna had not expected the giant sword behind Yuji to be protected by such dense Demon Power. He had never used that method before. Who could have known that the brat still had a trump card hidden?
But now, there was no turning back.
This Domain Expansion was already Sukuna's limit.
Then, after only a short while, Jogo's Domain shattered.
Jogo died with it.
Sukuna finally lost the last trace of calm on his face.
He had originally planned to kill Jogo first and steal the advantage before Yuji could receive any feedback, but Jogo had expanded his Domain at the wrong moment. For that brief instant, Sukuna had been unable to judge when to strike.
And that hesitation was enough.
Sukuna's anger nearly devoured his sanity.
On the other side, the system notification rang in Asuramaru's mind.
[Ding! Intense negative emotions detected from Jogo, the Volcanic Disaster, before death. Gained 90,000 emotion points!]
[Gained 60,000 Demon Power. Thirty percent will automatically be fed back to the Sword Master!]
[Ding! Intense negative emotions detected from Sukuna. Gained 40,000 emotion points!]
Sukuna's negative emotions were entirely within Asuramaru's expectations.
In this situation, it would have been strange if he were not furious.
Yuji felt his power rise again.
This time, he could release Demon Power while moving forward. Flames reignited across the twin swords in his hands as he broke into a run.
For the first time, Sukuna felt something strange.
Pressure.
At the same moment, on the other side of the battlefield, Mahoraga had fully adapted to gravity.
The wheel above its head completed its turn.
Freed from the restraint, Mahoraga finally displayed its true strength. It charged after Uraume in a frenzy, each step shaking the Domain beneath it.
Fortunately, numerous Cursed Spirits stood in the way, giving Uraume a chance to retreat.
But that was all it was.
A delay before death.
The moment Mahoraga killed the Special Grade Cursed Spirit blocking its path in a single strike, Yuji received another burst of feedback.
Kenjaku fell into a dilemma.
If he used Cursed Spirits to block Mahoraga, they would be killed in one hit, and every death would strengthen Yuji.
If he did not use them, Uraume would soon be killed.
Kenjaku had reached a crossroads.
But Mahoraga did not give him time to think.
It had already arrived before Uraume.
The Sword of Extermination in its hand swung forward with brutal force.
Uraume immediately activated Ice Formation to block, but their Cursed Technique had already been adapted to.
This strike aimed straight for a vital point.
On the other side, Yuji reached Sukuna with both hands gripping his swords.
His mental state had reached its limit.
Only instinct, will, and the promise carved into his heart kept him moving.
Under that final instinct, Yuji used that move.
The world turned gray and white.
Time seemed to freeze.
Only the swords in Yuji's hands continued forward.
His body could no longer bear the burden. Blood poured from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. His muscles tore apart. His bones trembled beneath his own strength.
Even so, he poured every last trace of his will into the strike.
"One-Sword Rakshasa!"
In a single instant, twelve sword forms were unleashed together.
Facing that attack, Sukuna, already at the end of his rope, finally could not remain composed.
"You damn brat!"
There was no fear before death.
Only greater anger.
Why?
Why could a common brat like this, a brat whose name should not even have been worth remembering, gain Asuramaru's recognition?
And why would he, Ryomen Sukuna, die at the hands of someone like this?
The brat he had despised and ignored had taken Asuramaru from him.
Now he was taking his life as well.
For Sukuna, this was an ultimate humiliation, one that could never be erased.
He would rather be killed by Satoru Gojo than by Yuji Itadori.
But it was already too late.
All Sukuna could do was pour his maximum Cursed Energy output into one final Cleave and strike back.
The swords in Yuji's unconscious hands fell.
Sukuna's head flew.
His body was cut into several pieces.
Yuji's last shred of will fell silent.
His Demon Power scattered, and the Cleave pierced through his abdomen. His body collapsed completely onto the ground.
The giant sword disintegrated.
Ashura Kannon shattered with it.
But in the instant before Mahoraga vanished, the Sword of Extermination had already cut Uraume in two.
The outcome was decided.
Yuji Itadori lay on the ground, nearly cut in half.
His consciousness sank completely into darkness.
But within that darkness, a warm hand reached out and pulled him free.
When Yuji opened his eyes again, he found himself standing beneath a blue sky and white clouds.
Figures passed by him one after another.
They were the people he knew.
The people close to him.
A gentle breeze brushed across his cheek.
Satoru Gojo jogged past and glanced back with a smile.
"Yuji, you broke your sleeping record again."
Megumi Fushiguro followed behind him, turning his head as he walked.
"It's time to exorcise Cursed Spirits, Itadori."
Then Nobara Kugisaki appeared in his sight.
"You still owe me a meal! When are you treating me? Don't tell me you're planning to back out. I didn't think you were that kind of guy!"
"Itadori-kun..."
One familiar person after another passed by.
Yuji stood there, watching them.
Before he realized it, tears were flowing from the corners of his eyes.
This was the future he wanted to reach.
In the outside world, the Domain shattered.
Kenjaku had not expected this result.
Within the entire range of the Domain, everyone except him was dead.
When the snipe and clam grappled, the fisherman profited.
This outcome had been completely beyond his expectations.
But for him, it was also the best possible result.
Yuji Itadori had died after being cut in half.
That did not matter.
Kenjaku could stitch the body together, transplant his brain into it, and continue using it.
He would inherit Yuji's Cursed Technique.
And the legendary god, Asuramaru.
This unexpected joy had arrived too suddenly.
But that joy made Kenjaku overlook one person.
A voice sounded beside his ear.
"Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void."
Satoru Gojo, relying entirely on Reverse Cursed Technique, had temporarily repaired his brain and expanded an incomplete Domain.
Even incomplete, its effect was still overwhelming.
Kenjaku was immediately struck by the sure-hit effect. A massive amount of useless information flooded his brain, causing it to crash on the spot.
And Gojo had already appeared in front of him.
Looking at the body of his former best friend, Gojo's expression tightened.
No matter how unwilling he was, this body had to be destroyed.
"Sorry, Suguru."
The words fell.
Gojo's fist, wrapped in Cursed Energy, crushed Kenjaku's head completely.
Kenjaku did not even have time to react.
He perished under that single punch.
This time, it could truly be said that he died the moment he showed his face.
And with Kenjaku's death, the Cursed Spirits he had subdued lost control.
A riot began.
.....
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