Chapter 63: Jogo, Where Is Mahito?
"Eh? He really disappeared in an instant."
"This is the Group Inventory function. It can bring items from one world to another."
"Then if there's a chance, you'll have to let me taste some desserts from other worlds."
Gojo said with a smile.
"If there's a chance, definitely."
"Also, as you requested, I've arranged extra training for your other self and asked Nanami to look after him for a while."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Yuji Itadori expressed his gratitude to Satoru Gojo.
Gojo's help had saved him from a great deal of trouble. Without Satoru Gojo, he might have had to break into Jujutsu High alone later on.
"Speaking of which, your time limit in this world is almost up, right?"
Gojo inquired. He remembered Yuji Itadori mentioning that if he didn't have enough points, he could only stay in this world for a single day. The longer he stayed, the more exaggerated the consumption of points would become.
"Yeah, there's about an hour left,"
Yuji Itadori opened the group interface to confirm the time.
"The time should be enough. There's one last thing to do, and I'll need your help, Gojo-sensei."
"Oh? What is it?"
Gojo couldn't help but feel curious.
Half an hour later, Gojo was riding in a vehicle driven by Ijichi Kiyotaka, preparing to return to Jujutsu High.
They were currently driving on a deserted mountain highway surrounded by dense forest; few people ever came here.
Right at that moment, Gojo seemed to discover something and murmured softly to himself:
"Just as expected, exactly as Yuji said... Stop the car."
"Stop here?"
Ijichi Kiyotaka looked at Gojo through the rearview mirror with some surprise.
"Yeah, right here. You can head back on your own in a bit."
"This isn't some kind of test, is it? Like, if I really drive away, I'll get hit or something..."
"Just what kind of person do you think I am?"
"Then I'll be going now..."
Gojo got out of the car and watched Ijichi Kiyotaka leave. He stood in the middle of the highway, seemingly waiting for something.
"Alright, well, next up—"
"Gyaaaaaah!"
Following a frenzied roar above Gojo's head, the short figure belonging to Jogo plummeted like a meteorite, landing exactly where Gojo had just been standing. A massive crater instantly appeared in the hard ground.
On a distant mountain peak, Kenjaku and Hanami were hiding their presence, watching Jogo's every move from afar.
Jogo was actually a pawn Kenjaku was using to test Satoru Gojo.
At this moment, Kenjaku watched the upcoming battle in the distance with a smile.
He knew that Jogo couldn't possibly defeat Satoru Gojo, but if he could force Gojo to use a few moves, it wouldn't be a loss. Furthermore, letting these cursed spirits realize how terrifying Gojo was would make it easier for him to manipulate them.
'Jogo, don't die too quickly~'
Kenjaku laughed in his heart.
Back with Jogo, although he had launched a sneak attack on Gojo, the latter easily stepped back and dodged his strike.
Seeing Jogo's appearance, there was no surprise on Gojo's face. Instead, a smile played on his lips:
"Just as expected. Exactly as Yuji said, you've shown up."
"You're Satoru Gojo, aren't you? I'll kill you—"
Jogo didn't intend to waste words. He was impatient to throw himself into the battle and kill his opponent.
However, Gojo had no intention of making a move. He simply maintained his smile, looking at the Jogo before him:
"If I remember correctly, your name is Jogo, isn't it?"
"What?!"
Jogo was startled, practically freezing on the spot.
Why did Satoru Gojo know his name?
He had never been exposed to the public eye before, nor had he ever had contact with Satoru Gojo. There were very few people in this world who knew of his existence.
Why was Gojo able to state his name directly?
"What kind of trick are you playing?!"
"My, I'm not playing any tricks. I just knew in advance. You came here to kill me, didn't you?"
"As long as I kill you, no one can stop us from creating—"
"Creating a world only of cursed spirits."
Without waiting for Jogo to finish, Gojo finished the sentence for him.
"You bastard! Can you read minds?!"
Jogo was incredibly shocked; this was completely different from the intelligence he had gathered.
"Of course I can read minds—well, as much as I'd like to pretend, I don't have a technique like that at all. I know so much simply because someone told me, that's all."
Gojo held up a finger and said with a smile.
"Someone told you? What are you talking about?"
Jogo couldn't understand what Gojo was talking about at all.
His decision to attack Gojo was a spur-of-the-moment choice made today. How could anyone have leaked it to him?!
"Also, let me remind you, I don't plan on doing anything. Your target is me, but someone else's target is you."
As Gojo spoke, he put his hands back into his pockets, appearing as if he didn't care about the other's existence at all.
"You bastard, what kind of nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean someone's target is me—"
The moment Jogo prepared to act, he felt a terrifying aura rushing toward him from behind.
Even Jogo's body began to tremble after sensing that power.
It wasn't fear from his heart—he hadn't even had time to feel fear in his mind—but rather a biological instinctual response.
According to the intelligence Kenjaku provided, Satoru Gojo should be the strongest existence among humans, and the person standing before him was undoubtedly Satoru Gojo.
So, what was this aura that was even more terrifying than Gojo's?!
That aura even made Jogo's legs go soft, nearly forcing him to his knees.
Damn it!
I'm a cursed spirit! A true human of the future!
How could I show cowardice in front of you hypocritical things!
Jogo swallowed hard, but his expression instantly became incredibly vicious!
Scorching flames gathered in his hands instantly. Without even a half-second pause, the moment he turned around, they erupted!
Terrifying tongues of fire flooded the space in front of him like a giant dragon, extending all the way to the forest beside the road!
In a single instant, the trees were turned to charcoal. The air was hot enough to sear lungs, and explosive sounds rang out continuously in the surroundings.
That blinding light seemed to drive away even the dark of night.
"He's dead, isn't he?!"
A smug smile appeared on Jogo's face.
No matter who the opponent was, it was impossible to survive after being hit by his move. Now, he only needed to focus on dealing with Satoru Gojo and killing him.
But just as Jogo was about to turn and deal with Gojo, a voice rang out behind him.
"Where is Mahito?"
There was no emotion in that voice, but the tone carried an authority that could not be disobeyed.
Arriving along with the voice was that bone-chilling aura.
"What?!"
Jogo had no idea how the opponent had dodged that strike, nor did he know when he had appeared behind him again.
What bothered Jogo the most was why the name Mahito had come out of the opponent's mouth—
He turned his head tremblingly and finally saw the man's appearance clearly.
Yuji Itadori.
"You're... Sukuna's vessel!!!"
Jogo's eyes widened in disbelief, his massive bloodshot eyeball looking as if it might roll out.
He had seen photos of Yuji Itadori from Kenjaku and knew his appearance. Although the hairstyle was slightly different, the features were exactly the same.
But... those profound eyes projected a completely different gaze.
Like two sharp blades intended to tear Jogo's body apart.
Why was the Yuji Itadori before him emitting such a terrifying aura?
Was that Sukuna's power?
Was Sukuna controlling the body right now?!
That was the only explanation!
"You... are you Sukuna?!"
Jogo asked, trying his best to suppress the tremble in his voice.
He didn't understand why Sukuna was in control of the body at this moment. He knew even less why Sukuna would choose to join forces with a human.
This was the absolute worst-case scenario.
"Sukuna?"
As Yuji Itadori spoke, he took something out.
When Jogo saw the object, his entire face filled with an expression of absolute horror.
It was Sukuna's Finger.
However, it was completely shriveled, with almost no trace of cursed energy remaining on it.
It was the remnant left behind after Yuji Itadori had previously separated Sukuna from Young Itadori's body.
"Sukuna isn't here at all."
Yuji Itadori's tone was incredibly calm, as if he were stating an inconsequential fact.
In the distance, Kenjaku's face was filled with disbelief.
Why? Why would Yuji Itadori appear here?!
And what was with that aura just now? Was it coming from Yuji Itadori?
In that instant, the thought that Sukuna was currently controlling Yuji Itadori's body also occurred to Kenjaku.
But Kenjaku also knew very well that this was impossible. How could Sukuna possibly be on the same side as Satoru Gojo?
Furthermore—
Sukuna at this stage shouldn't possess this level of power!
What exactly was going on?!
Kenjaku had carefully planned everything, considering various scenarios, even the worst possible outcomes. But he had never expected this to happen.
It was also at this moment that Kenjaku suddenly realized one thing—
The one who killed the special grade cursed spirit at the Juvenile Detention Center wasn't Sukuna at all.
It was Yuji Itadori!
This should have been impossible! Yuji Itadori couldn't possibly have such power!
Moreover, why was Sukuna's Finger, which should have been swallowed by Young Itadori, being held in his hand like a piece of dry trash?
He stripped away Sukuna's soul from the finger?!
No, that's impossible!
Turning Sukuna's fingers into cursed objects involved a forbidden technique that had long been lost. Once successfully created, the cursed object could not be destroyed by any existence!
There were only two ways to erase the soul and cursed energy within—either destroy the vessel after they swallow the finger, or forcibly strip the soul away.
Since Yuji Itadori could appear here, he was unharmed as the vessel...
Could it be... he has a way to forcibly strip Sukuna's soul?
That's impossible! Even for someone like himself who has lived for a thousand years, it's impossible!
"This... just what... happened?!"
Kenjaku's voice trembled.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
A series of questions exploded in Jogo's eyes. He simply couldn't figure out what was happening right now.
He might as well stop thinking altogether!
No matter who this brat was, as long as he killed him, it would be fine! At such close range, it was impossible for him to dodge the attack!
"Die!!!!"
Jogo roared hysterically, reaching out directly to grab the Yuji Itadori in front of him.
If he could touch the opponent, his technique could directly ignite him until he was burned to ashes!
There was no possibility of dodging!
Jogo was extremely fast; he was confident Yuji Itadori couldn't possibly dodge. In his eyes, Yuji Itadori hadn't made any movement to flee or counterattack!
He couldn't react, could he?! So, just die!
Jogo laughed wildly, believing victory was in his grasp—
But right at that moment, he felt a surge of intense pain.
It was as if he had stuck his hand into a meat grinder; flesh and blood flew everywhere!
Purple blood sprayed continuously. Before he could even process the pain, Jogo's entire palm had vanished, leaving only his cleanly severed wrist exposed.
"W-what?"
Jogo was stunned.
What happened? This brat clearly did nothing at all.
No movement whatsoever.
Why was his palm gone?!
Only Gojo, who was nearby, knew exactly what had happened through his Six Eyes.
'Applying a layer of invisible slashing attacks around the body to achieve an effect like Infinity.'
Gojo's face wore a smile.
To be able to use a cursed technique to this extent. Yuji Itadori's mastery of jujutsu had likely far surpassed his own.
"Where is Mahito?"
From beginning to end, the expression on Yuji Itadori's face had not changed.
It was as if the special grade cursed spirit before him was merely an insignificant existence.
"How do you know that name?! And do you think I would betray my comrades like you humans?!"
But before Jogo could finish, he suddenly felt his body grow heavy, and he lost his balance and fell to the ground.
What... happened?!
Only then did Jogo realize that both of his legs had been severed.
Yuji Itadori hadn't made a single move, and Jogo hadn't even had time to form the thought of defending himself.
The pain didn't hit him until several seconds later.
"Where is Mahito?"
Yuji Itadori looked down at Jogo, his gaze becoming sharper and sharper.