The Battle Turns

New chapter is live.

Settle in, take your time, and let's see what waits in the dark 🖤

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Flap. Flap.

An ugly cursed spirit that resembled a moth lifted the nearly unconscious Uraume from the rubble.

Fifth basement level, subway passage.

Because of Mechamaru's information, the three-person team led by Mei Mei had split up.

Yuji went toward the outside to spread the news and call in more support.

As for Mei Mei and Ui Ui...

The man-sized battle-axe in Mei Mei's hand was stained with thin lines of blood.

She stood in a pool of blood, narrowing her eyes as she synchronized with the vision of her crows.

Black Bird Manipulation's true essence was Bird Strike.

By removing the weak cursed energy limit placed on a crow, Mei Mei could control it into carrying out a suicide attack.

A single strike hit far harder than a standard cursed-energy attack.

It was lethal against Grade 1 targets and could injure even special grades.

Beyond that, Mei Mei could also share a crow's vision.

Her front-and-back braids were arranged that way so when she opened one eye to synchronize her sight, the scenery in reality would not interfere.

"I saw the Prison Realm Mechamaru mentioned."

"Fake Geto has it."

Sensing the crow's instant death, Mei Mei murmured softly.

Ignoring the curse user's corpse split in two at her feet, Ui Ui clapped with worshipful admiration.

"Big sister is amazing. You can gather information on a special grade sorcerer so easily."

"Don't let your guard down, Ui Ui."

Mei Mei took out her phone and sent the information that the Prison Realm was in Suguru Geto's hands to the internal Jujutsu High sorcerer group.

Those outside the barrier might not receive it.

But some assistant manager inside the Curtain would.

If Satoru Gojo being sealed and the need for more Jujutsu High support had not been too shocking to accept at face value, Yuji would not have needed to appear personally to prove it.

After all, messages could be intercepted or faked by the enemy.

At this point, only two layers of barrier remained in Shibuya. The other three had been destroyed by the Black Rope in Yuta's hands.

Passing information around was much easier than in the original story.

After sending the message, Mei Mei looked into the darkness ahead.

"The enemy is here."

...

Night.

9:59 p.m.

A high-speed train headed toward Shibuya was about to arrive.

In the empty fourth car, Kasumi Miwa sat alone.

She wore her black Jujutsu High uniform, her smooth sky-blue hair falling around her face.

At some point, tears had filled her eyes as she clenched the mechanical device in her hand.

Mechamaru had left three safeguards before his death.

One was on the fifth basement level in Shibuya.

One was with Yuji.

The last had been left for the girl he had loved in silence for years.

To make sure his companions survived this battle, Mechamaru had deliberately altered the exorcism locations assigned by the school and sent them away from Shibuya.

And he had succeeded.

Except for Todo, the strongest among them, everyone avoided the terrifying storm in Shibuya.

"I'm sorry, Miwa."

"More than ten days ago, I died..."

"At the hands of a cursed spirit named Mahito."

Mechamaru's message here was the same as the one he had given Yuji, Mei Mei, and the others.

He did not say Itsuki Zenin's name because he wanted to protect Miwa as much as possible.

Itsuki Zenin.

Fake Suguru Geto.

Mahito.

If his companions had to hate someone, if they had to fight someone, Mechamaru chose the weakest among those three.

That was the protection Kokichi Muta left behind for his friends.

The delayed final words coming from that cold machine were the last gentleness Mechamaru had to give.

"Go back, Miwa."

"The battle in Shibuya is almost over-"

"Why?!"

Miwa's suppressed sob suddenly rang out.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Why wouldn't you talk to everyone?"

"And why..."

"Why did you decide to die on your own?"

Hot tears slid down the tip of her nose.

Kasumi Miwa's breaking, restrained voice echoed through the entire car.

"Was it because I was too weak?"

The cold mechanical device grew quieter.

"There was someone I loved very much. No matter how the world changed..."

"As long as she could live a peaceful life, I needed nothing else."

"Even if the knight she hoped for..."

"Was not me."

As the final word fell, the flashing light on the device went out completely.

"No!"

Kasumi Miwa clutched the mechanical disc in both hands and screamed until her voice tore.

And so...

Kokichi Muta's love ended without ever being spoken.

At the edge of the fourth car, outside the door, stood Mai, who had returned to the school, Noritoshi Kamo, the cute-looking Momo Nishimiya, and Utahime with a dark expression.

The four of them listened to the broken sobs inside the car in silence.

Momo slowly tightened her grip around her broom, killing intent rising across that adorable face.

"Anyone who dares make my cute junior cry..."

"Dies."

...

Jujutsu High's second assault team advanced through the barrier.

The team led by Nanami officially entered the third basement level.

"Wait."

Nanami raised a hand and stopped Maki, Nobara, and Megumi.

His wary gaze locked onto the figure hiding behind a pillar.

Round, bulging eyes.

An upper body resembling a deep-sea octopus, with a pair of short human arms.

The exposed milky-white lower body looked like a worm magnified several times.

Boom!

Before the cursed spirit could react, Maki struck decisively with her sword.

Her lightning-fast body cut hard into Dagon's soft belly.

Crystal tears were faintly gathering in Dagon's eyes. Before the cursed spirit could even land after being sent flying, another heavy blow arrived.

"Ratio Technique: Collapse."

The same spot Maki had cut was struck again by Nanami's critical hit.

Bang!

Dagon crashed to the ground with tears in his eyes, his body wriggling as if he were about to vomit.

Nanami solemnly stopped the others from continuing their attack.

That earlier critical hit had failed to seriously injure the target.

The cursed spirit in front of them...

Was undoubtedly a special grade.

If they approached carelessly, Nobara and Maki could be injured or even killed.

As their team leader, Nanami had a duty to keep the students safe.

He raised the short blade wrapped in layers of cloth and spoke in a low voice.

"Seven to three."

"My technique divides a target's body at a ratio of seven to three."

"The point where that ratio falls is forcibly turned into a weak point."

Dense cursed energy rose over the blade.

While revealing his technique, Nanami watched the target's movements.

"Head, abdomen, arm, thigh..."

"Any part of the body can be selected, and the target does not have to be alive. Structures can be designated as well."

Revealing one's technique meant disclosing true information about it in exchange for a significant boost in power.

The information could be incomplete, but it had to be true.

It was a Binding Vow placed on oneself, a fair exchange for added strength.

Boom!

Cursed energy flared as Nanami released his full-power strike after revealing his technique.

The blade fell hard toward Dagon's head.

"Guh!"

Purple blood sprayed.

Dagon was knocked into the air and vomited countless human bones across the ground.

At the same time, the cursed energy around him suddenly surged.

The weak outer form peeled away.

Dagon burst from the old body and fully released the pressure of a special grade cursed spirit.

On the stairs leading to the second basement level, White Zetsu carefully restrained his cursed energy and watched the battle below with interest.

"Domain Expansion..."

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