Jogo fled through the crowd, grabbing nearby humans and hurling them behind him like shields!
That suffocating terror of being locked onto by a hunter clung tightly to his heart.
First, Gojo had torn off his arms again and again—then came Mirai's so-called "gentle" rescue.
At this point, Jogo's remaining cursed energy was only about seventy percent of his peak.
Glancing back at that ghostlike white figure, the pressure he felt was nearly on par with Satoru Gojo.
Cold sweat streamed down his face. Jogo knew—
even at full strength…
he likely wouldn't be a match for that sorcerer.
Lowering his body, Yuta Okkotsu weaved through the crowd while pursuing, using the blunt side of his blade to roughly shove civilians aside.
As the number of people around Jogo dwindled, the look in Yuta's eyes grew colder.
A month ago, Gojo had personally gone to Africa to meet him.
The chaos during the exchange event… Mirai-sensei's betrayal… and the defection of "White Zetsu."
Though it was hard to accept—
Yuta ultimately chose to stand with Gojo, with Jujutsu High, and with his comrades like Maki and Panda.
Clang!
After dodging the last civilian, Yuta's blade closed in on Jogo's neck!
I'm going to die!!!
In Jogo's terrified eye, Hanami's figure appeared yet again.
"Piercing Ox."
Dodging one of Gojo's heavy punches, Mirai's shadow spread and churned at his feet.
A pitch-black shikigami burst forth in an instant, unleashing a massive shockwave as it slammed toward its target!
Yuta abruptly turned, gripping his sword with both hands as he braced against the overwhelming force crashing into him!
BOOM!!
Stone fragments and dust exploded outward. Driven by that immense weight, Yuta was hurled into a wall, smashing a human-shaped crater into it.
Jogo, once again spared, froze for a split second—
then immediately turned and fled to the fourth level!
The barrier that had been trapping Gojo on the fifth level had somehow been shattered—
but for Jogo, it became the perfect escape route.
Because the fourth level… had even more humans.
Buried beneath rubble, Yuta tightened his grip on his blade.
"…As expected, you're strong, Mirai-sensei."
He murmured softly as an immense surge of cursed energy erupted from him!
Hmm?
No mocking. No anger at him helping Jogo while fighting.
Seeing the faint smile at the corner of Gojo's mouth, a trace of confusion flashed in Mirai's eyes.
BOOM!!
Yuta burst out from the rubble at a speed no less than the Piercing Ox from before!
Instead of chasing Jogo to the fourth level, his gaze locked firmly onto Mirai.
Once you choose your path forward—you don't hesitate.
What he swung down wasn't his blade—
but an iron fist wrapped in black rope!
At the same time—
Gojo grinned, canceling his Simple Domain as his fist, carrying terrifying attractive force, shot straight toward Mirai's heart!
I see.
A flash of crimson light passed through Mirai's eyes as space rippled faintly.
Blood-red vines burst from the void, forming a solid shield in front of Gojo's strike!
Mirai turned and threw a punch—
meeting Yuta's full-force blow head-on with even greater ferocity!
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion rang out as cracks like a spiderweb spread across the platform beneath the three of them!
Gojo had canceled his Simple Domain. Yuta hadn't used Domain Amplification.
Looking at the faint smoke rising from his fist, Mirai immediately understood their plan.
The hastily summoned Divine Tree branches were shattered by Gojo.
At the instant the Limitless attraction surged—
Mirai flashed to the edge of the platform.
His black hair whipped wildly as he glanced at the smoldering black rope wrapped around Yuta's fist.
His tone was calm.
"So this is your trump card?"
The moment their fists made contact, Mirai felt a brief disruption in cursed energy—
his intangibility was forcibly canceled, dragging him from the void back into reality.
The Inverted Spear of Heaven once wielded by Toji…
The Black Rope used by Miguel during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons…
Special-grade cursed tools capable of breaking through Limitless—
those should have already been destroyed by Gojo.
And the thick layer wrapped around Yuta's fist clearly wasn't something that could be woven in just a year.
"Heh, I knew you were up to something."
Gojo grinned.
"A head of one of the Three Great Clans becoming a teacher at Jujutsu High?"
"With that fake smile of yours, how could I not be on guard?"
As he spoke, waves of azure cursed energy rippled across his body.
With the Simple Domain removed, the "repulsion" and "attraction" of Limitless could be pushed even further.
Back when Mirai first joined Jujutsu High, Gojo had already tested him during their handshake.
Not long after came Geto Suguru's Night Parade.
The Black Rope held by the African sorcerer—
when Gojo sent Yuta overseas to train, he didn't destroy it.
Instead, he instructed Yuta to collect as much of it as possible.
If it could interfere with his Limitless, it could also disrupt Mirai's intangibility.
That precaution from a year ago had now become one of Yuta's most practical trump cards.
"Doesn't matter. Come."
Even in a one-versus-two, Mirai remained confident.
The moment his words fell—
he made the first move!
Like a gust of wind, he crossed a hundred meters in the blink of an eye!
One kick swept toward Gojo—
one punch blasted toward Yuta!
Deep within the darkness of the underground fifth level—
Cursed Spirit Manipulation unfolded.
A deep spatial rift floated in the air.
Completely concealing his presence, Kenjaku sat atop a cursed spirit's head, a knowing expression on his face.
So that's why…
the barriers on the fourth and fifth levels, which were meant to keep other sorcerers out, had been broken so abruptly.
If Uraume hadn't been stationed on the fourth level in advance—
Geto Suguru's body might have been exposed.
The Black Rope in Yuta's possession contained an extremely rare cursed property.
It could disrupt the functioning of any technique.
Not just Gojo's Limitless—
but Mirai's intangibility, Kenjaku's barriers…
Even the seal of the Prison Realm could be broken.
Resting his head on one hand, Kenjaku frowned slightly.
That thing… must be completely destroyed when Gojo is sealed.
After all, the back gate of the Prison Realm is still in Tengen's hands.
What Kenjaku realized—
Mirai understood as well.
The Black Rope in Yuta's hands… cannot be allowed to remain.
A crimson torrent surged through the void as hundreds—thousands—of blood-red roots lashed toward Gojo!
Mirai twisted and struck—
his goal wasn't to kill Yuta,
but to force him to defend using the Black Rope.
Whether shikigami or the Demonic Statue, Yuta could block them with his blade or cursed energy.
If he wanted to wear down the Black Rope—
he had to force Yuta to clash against attacks imbued with intangibility.
At the same time, he had to conceal his true strength.
At the very least, he needed Kenjaku to believe that a full-power Sukuna could defeat him.
Now that's a challenge.
A faint smile appeared on Mirai's lips as his fist came crashing down!
SZZZZ—BOOM!!
The Black Rope in Yuta's hand ignited as he was smashed back into the ruins once again!
Midair, Mirai shifted direction—
his elbow came crashing down!
BOOM!
Wrapped in crimson cursed energy, it collided perfectly with Gojo's reinforced punch!
"Cursed Technique Reversal!"
"Cursed Technique Amplification!"
Mirai and Gojo spoke in unison—
as two completely different surges of overwhelming cursed energy exploded violently!
BOOM!!!
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