Sōjun Minamoto returned to the Shrine Domain. Riko Amanai had also fully recovered.
Above them, the massive, bucket-shaped skull with six eyes on the dome kept absorbing curses.
A neck had now formed beneath the jaw, connecting to broad shoulders, arms, torso, and thighs—only the lower legs and feet remained in a semi-ethereal state.
Even so, the giant's imposing figure was already taking shape.
The Black Sea lapped just beneath the giant's knees, its surface unnaturally still, like a lifeless pool.
The giant faced the temple, as if silently watching the Bone Tree.
The pressure thickened by the second. Black lightning crackled through the air, and strange phenomena began to take shape.
The Bone Tree connected to the Ten Great Barriers, so Sōjun Minamoto was well aware of their current progress.
It was close—very close.
...
Day six.
Every preparation Jujutsu High could or should have made was already complete.
In addition to Tokyo Jujutsu High, all staff and students from Kyoto had also arrived, led by Yoshinobu Gakuganji, Yuki Tsukumo, and Utahime Iori.
Familiar faces, all of them.
On the other side stood a gathering of ancient sorcerers... alongside a few rising stars among modern sorcerers.
Without the Spiritual Field Barriers, the jujutsu world truly would have stagnated—just the same people cycling through for the past decade or more.
But things were different now. They had managed to push back against the ancient sorcerers.
Otherwise, those unruly types wouldn't be sitting still.
Several Special Grades stood at the front. As usual, they would serve as the main force. The others were tasked with dealing with Sōjun Minamoto's followers.
Like the Seven Sins sorcerers...
Satoru Gojo glanced at Itadori.
Two days ago, Itadori had successfully undergone the Bath, suppressing Sukuna's demonic energy. He was in much better shape now.
Gojo had tested his abilities—statistically, he was practically a Sukuna clone. After just two days of adjustment, he was already combat-ready.
After a few sparring matches, Gojo had grown more confident.
The type who only gets stronger the more they fight.
He scanned the surroundings again. Besides, Megumi Fushiguro was also a hidden card... along with the Prison Realm, they could help restrict the situation if needed.
Clap clap~ Gojo clapped his hands. The crowd quickly quieted.
"Alright, get ready to—"
Before he could finish, a subtle but sharp cracking sound echoed from the barrier nearby.
Crack~
Crack~
...
The sound intensified, and then fractures appeared. In the next moment, the barrier shattered like glass.
They had already relocated their base outside the barrier—not too far, but far enough. Seeing it collapse on its own, everyone instantly became alert.
...
But nothing happened.
The expected wave of cursed spirits didn't come.
Those still inside the barrier looked around instinctively, equally stunned—
All the cursed spirits had vanished.
The same thing happened across the other nine barriers.
Clear skies suddenly turned dark, heavy clouds rolling in and pressing down like an omen of catastrophe.
Gojo and the others saw even more.
They saw the sky above twist into a tangible Black Sea—eerily still, unnervingly silent.
The entire sky had gone pitch-black.
A colossal figure stood within the sea, its body trembling as if resisting something—yet the water beneath its feet remained perfectly undisturbed.
A faint starlight gleamed from somewhere deeper in the darkness, casting a cold glow over the void.
Then, as the barriers shattered, a tsunami surged to life.
The moment the shift occurred, the Black Sea roared upward, seething as if it meant to shatter the heavens, crashing down from above.
They exchanged looks, faces grim.
"Move out," Gojo said at last.
...
Destruction is always easier than preservation. To completely upset a balance, the method is simple: add weight to both sides until they reach their absolute limits—then, in an instant, erase one side. The remaining weight will tip the scales on its own.
A finely calibrated scale, once shattered, may never regain the precision it held for a thousand years.
Sōjun Minamoto stepped on it again, crushing it into dust. What was once "possible" became "inevitable"...
The moment the barrier shattered, the giant in the Black Sea completed its form. Sōjun Minamoto rose from his throne and glanced at Riko Amanai.
Riko immediately understood.
She took one last look at him before turning and leaving the Shrine Domain.
Outside, a group of sorcerers was waiting. At the front stood Zenin Masaki, beside her a little girl—Kaku Zenin, daughter of Noriyuki Zenin.
Riko didn't spare them a glance. She walked straight through the crowd, which instinctively parted to let her pass.
The others exchanged glances between Riko and Masaki.
"Keep up," Masaki Zenin said with a bright smile.
She took the little girl's hand. The child looked up, recognizing the forced cheer through gritted teeth.
Soon, Jujutsu High stood empty.
Sōjun Minamoto stepped toward the Bone Tree, placing his hand on its trunk. Its smooth surface began to liquefy, flowing in order into his palm.
When the final stream merged—
Sōjun suddenly clenched his fist, gripping tightly the nine chains anchored into the giant's skull.
He didn't move further just yet. Not now. The giant still housed Tengen's soul, and there remained a clear separation from the Black Sea.
That wouldn't do.
"All curses" naturally included the Black Sea—an accumulation stretching back to humanity's origin. The curses sealed in the Ten Great Barriers were many, but merely a primer. Compared to the Black Sea, they were fireflies next to the moon.
The balance mechanism had yet to act.
The chains in Sōjun's hands glowed deep red, drops of blood falling into the sea, instantly dissolving into the black depths.
The giant trembled more violently. It seemed like the Black Sea was reacting—but in truth, it was the one initiating the surge.
Sōjun's arm muscles swelled as he braced the giant.
He could feel an overwhelming will devouring Tengen, corroding the giant from within. The Black Sea churned upward, its darkness creeping across the giant's body, making it increasingly tangible.
Tengen's resistance grew more desperate.
Sōjun's arm muscles burst with force, bulging to monstrous proportions as he bound Tengen in place.
He was exerting full power now.
With the combined pressure from him and the balance mechanism, Tengen quickly began to collapse—his soul unraveling entirely.
Sōjun stepped back, letting the balance mechanism force its way in.
Seeing the giant about to be overtaken by the Black Sea, Sōjun smiled with satisfaction.
This process mirrored the act of possession—treating the Black Sea as the cursed object, and the giant as the vessel.
Only when a concept is made flesh can it be "killed."
He wasn't just enabling the birth of the ultimate Cursed Spirit—he was also making sure the driver within changed from Tengen to the Will of the World.
That was why he kept Tengen's soul. A millennium-old existence made the perfect vessel. Combined with a body forged of pure curses... he had crafted the ideal container for "Heaven."
Kenjaku had once said he and Sōjun were alike—both willing to die for a glimpse of the Dao.
And in moments like this, when Sōjun eagerly pushed things further, he really did resemble him.
But unlike Kenjaku, who reveled in chaos for fun, Sōjun had something more: heart. He solved the disasters he caused. And unlike Kenjaku, his ambition ran deeper—
He wanted to attain enlightenment.
The sea continued pouring into the giant, whose body grew taller, and face shifted—slowly taking on a human form, faintly resembling Sōjun Minamoto.
Its eyelids quivered.
About to open.
"You have my permission to wear my face?" Sōjun sneered—and yanked.
Bang—!
The chains snapped taut. The giant staggered—but quickly regained its balance.
It opened its eyes.
A cold, merciless gaze met Sōjun's.
Sōjun stared back, eyes glinting with starlight as the cosmos drew near.
Heaven waited for the Black Sea to take human form.
Sōjun waited for his true self to descend.