Yuji possessed immense strength, easily capable of breaking world records in strength-related sports.
Such a terrifying punch effortlessly left a deep dent in the lizard Cursed Spirit's body.
However, this was meaningless, as Yuji currently could not use Cursed Energy and therefore could not inflict effective damage on an abstract entity like a Cursed Spirit.
This was somewhat similar to Toji. Theoretically, Toji could easily beat up an ordinary Cursed Spirit.
But because Toji had absolutely no Cursed Energy, he could only keep hitting it. He could not kill it.
Of course, if the Cursed Spirit committed suicide out of humiliation, that would be another matter.
A similar situation occurred when Toji helped Megumi tame his Shikigami.
The taming ritual could not read Toji without a cursed tool, so the Ten Shadows Technique Shikigami, completely unaware of what was happening, was beaten by Toji to the point of questioning its existence.
After all, while Toji's zero Cursed Energy could not exorcise Cursed Spirits, his blows still hurt them. Combined with Toji's stamina, which was even greater than a beast's, he could beat them for an entire day without stopping.
However, Yuji was clearly not yet capable of such a feat.
After only a few punches, Yuji's hands were overwhelmed by the six-armed Cursed Spirit, and he was caught.
After grabbing Yuji, the six-armed lizard Cursed Spirit merely glanced at him, then ignored him.
It directly brought Sasaki-senpai, who was carrying Sukuna's Finger, toward its mouth.
"Nue."
Megumi, struggling to stay conscious, finally summoned Nue and commanded it to rescue them.
Nue let out an eagle-like cry, its wings beating continuously, and shot toward the lizard Cursed Spirit like an arrow from a bow.
The space in the corridor was too small for the lizard Cursed Spirit. It had no way to dodge Nue's attack.
Similarly, Nue also did not dare use lightning because of Megumi's command to save people.
Nue folded its wings and swept through the gap beside the lizard Cursed Spirit, its talons striking like lightning and directly severing two of the lizard Cursed Spirit's hands.
Yuji and Sasaki-senpai, who was carrying Sukuna's Finger, fell to the ground.
Seeing this, the lizard Cursed Spirit ignored Nue, immediately adjusted its remaining four hands, and lunged toward the finger.
"Sasaki-senpai."
Yuji once again showed the qualities of a strong athlete, grabbing Sasaki-senpai with one hand and pulling her back.
The Cursed Spirit's gaping maw was already upon them.
Crack!
Thunder flashed as Nue, having turned behind the Cursed Spirit, struck the lizard Cursed Spirit with a bolt of lightning. It then violently flapped its wings and flew rapidly toward them.
Nue's talons gripped the lizard Cursed Spirit's tail, then pulled it forcefully outward.
The narrow corridor completely restricted Nue's movements, so Nue decided to drag the lizard Cursed Spirit outside and then show it its true predatory nature.
Boom!
Nue, enveloped in lightning, directly smashed through the school wall.
The lizard Cursed Spirit was dragged out of the school building by Nue, held by its tail.
However, at some point, its large hand had already seized Yuji.
Just now, to protect Sasaki-senpai, Yuji had taken the Sukuna Finger coveted by the lizard Cursed Spirit from her and placed himself in front of the Cursed Spirit.
As a result, the lizard Cursed Spirit grabbed him before Nue pulled it out.
Thud.
The lizard Cursed Spirit landed on the rooftop of another school building. Nue had already flown into the sky and begun its dive.
"Roar!"
The lizard Cursed Spirit let out a roar like a wild beast, then golden lightning enveloped its entire body.
Crack!
Golden lightning and purple thunder collided, neutralizing each other.
The lizard Cursed Spirit took advantage of Nue's ascent to lunge at Sukuna's Finger, which had just fallen.
When the lizard Cursed Spirit released the golden lightning, Yuji endured the electric shock but failed to keep a firm hold on Sukuna's Finger.
Watching the Cursed Spirit about to devour Sukuna's Finger, Megumi's words echoed in Yuji's mind.
"Why eat it? Is it delicious?"
"Don't be stupid. Cursed Spirits eat it to gain powerful Cursed Energy."
If a Cursed Spirit ate the finger, it would gain stronger Cursed Energy, become stronger, and then harm more people.
At that moment, Iguchi-senpai, whose head had been injured earlier by the masked Cursed Spirit, and Sasaki-senpai, who had been chased by the lizard Cursed Spirit, appeared in Yuji's mind.
Finally, there was Megumi, who had just been injured by the Cursed Spirit while protecting Sasaki-senpai.
'I absolutely cannot let it eat the finger. Otherwise, it will harm more people.'
"Yuji, you are strong. Use that strength to save more people..."
His grandfather's dying wish once again appeared in Yuji's mind. The words that followed, "within your capabilities," were completely forgotten by Yuji.
His hands were pressed firmly against his waist by the Cursed Spirit's large hands, but he still had his legs and his mouth.
Yuji kicked the Cursed Spirit in the eye. The Cursed Spirit cried out in pain, its body instinctively dodging the attack that had injured it.
Yuji seized the opportunity to stretch out his neck and bite Sukuna's Finger before the Cursed Spirit could.
"Hiss!"
The sharp finger pierced Yuji's tongue.
Yuji instinctively loosened his bite, wanting to adjust how he held the finger in his mouth.
However, the lizard Cursed Spirit suddenly grabbed Yuji and lifted him, intending to put this annoying guy into its mouth and eat him first.
As a result, Sukuna's Finger slid directly into Yuji's body.
On the rooftop, Megumi had already summoned Round Deer to heal his injuries.
Megumi, whose head was no longer dizzy from the previous heavy blow, watched all of this in a daze.
A deep sense of guilt arose in Megumi's heart.
The former Megumi, like Suguru, had received a normal education and believed in the kindness and righteousness taught in textbooks.
But after life repeatedly showed them malice, their views changed as well.
Megumi understood that the world was not fair after Tsumiki was cursed. Good people do not always receive good rewards.
So he wanted to save others unequally, to save good people.
And through his brief conversation with Yuji, as well as Yuji's recent actions of saving people regardless of his own safety, Megumi knew that Yuji was the kind of person he wanted to save.
But now, due to his own carelessness, Yuji had eaten a Cursed Object comparable to a deadly poison.
"No, it isn't over yet. There is still a chance to retrieve the finger before he digests Sukuna's Finger."
With Round Deer, he could save him.
Thinking this, Megumi no longer hesitated. He immediately rode Round Deer and jumped onto the rooftop.
But it was too late.
Sukuna's Finger was absorbed by Yuji at an extremely fast speed.
Dark Cursed Markings appeared all over Yuji's body.
Yuji's fingers became slender and sharp. The immense Cursed Energy forcibly pried open the lizard Cursed Spirit's large hands, and then Yuji, with a claw attack that would make Iori Yagami and Inuyasha exclaim in admiration, instantly shredded the lizard Cursed Spirit.
Two more eyes opened below Yuji's eyes.
"Hahaha, hahahaha. As expected, experiencing the moonlight firsthand is truly satisfying."
Sukuna tore open his hooded top and laughed wildly, looking up at the sky.
(To be continued.)