Inside the shrine, Megumi Fushiguro, Yuji Itadori, and the others watched the standoff between the two factions with bated breath.
On the side of the Cursed Spirits: Jogo, Mahito, Hanami, and Dagon.
On Aomori's side: Absol, Pidgeot, Darkrai, and Ditto.
The Four Natural Disasters vs. the Four Subordinate Deities!
"Fushiguro, who do you think has a better chance of winning?" Without waiting for an answer, Yuji offered his own take: "I think the Subordinate Deities will win. If you ask why, it's because their looks fit my aesthetics better. Volcano Head and his crew are too ugly, and their scent is really repulsive."
Deciding victory based on aesthetics? Classic Yuji.
Megumi sighed and said, "If we're talking about who has the upper hand, it's definitely the Subordinate Deities. After all, having a 'God' backing them puts the other side at a disadvantage in terms of morale. But it's all speculation; we won't know until they clash."
"That's a non-answer. Whatever, I'm rooting for the Deities anyway!" Yuji shouted at the top of his lungs. "Big bird! Cool dog! Do your best! Give 'em a real thrashing!"
"Didn't those two beat you up before? Why are you cheering for them?" Megumi asked, bewildered.
"What does that matter? I'm perfectly fine now, aren't I?"
"…"
Whether Absol and the others could actually win was something even Aomori didn't know for certain, but with him present, he could at least guarantee their lives. Previously, he was always the one to handle powerful foes; now that they had grown, it was time for them to stand on their own and write their own legends. This was a rare and necessary tempering.
"Great God, how shall this battle be conducted? Are there any rules?" Jogo asked Aomori.
"You decide," Aomori said casually, propping his chin on one hand.
"Then one person shall take the field at a time. As long as they are not defeated, they may remain. The side that suffers a total defeat first loses," Jogo proposed. Except for Mahito, all the Cursed Spirits could expand their Domains; to avoid Domain clashes, a one-on-one format was ideal.
"Agreed."
After a brief discussion, the Cursed Spirits sent out Jogo first. On the side of the Deities, a quick game of Rock-Paper-Scissors determined that Darkrai would go first.
Absol and Pidgeot: "…"
"Wasn't it that little puppy from before? Doesn't matter, come and meet your death!" Flames erupted from Jogo's body, surging as high as its fighting spirit.
Darkrai drifted forward, coming to a halt before Jogo, its azure eyes devoid of emotion or joy. There was no signal to start; drawn by the shift in the atmosphere, both combatants struck simultaneously.
Jogo lunged forward with flaming fists, raining scorching blows upon Darkrai as the surrounding temperature spiked. Darkrai, acting more like a mage, immediately attempted to blink away to open up the distance.
"Don't you dare!" Jogo stomped, shattering the ground and using the recoil to burst forward, keeping pace with Darkrai. They became two blurs—one red, one black—dashing across the field so fast the spectators' eyes struggled to follow.
"They're both so strong!" Yuji marveled. "No wonder I couldn't react before being restrained back then. That thing is fast."
"Yeah. Facing them, I might not even get the chance to summon a Shikigami." If Megumi were forced to confront them, his only recourse would be to summon Mahoraga for a mutual suicide.
Seeing it couldn't shake Jogo through speed alone, Darkrai soared upward, clearing a thousand meters in an instant.
"Tch!" Lacking the ability to fly, Jogo could only stand on the ground, glaring up at Darkrai.
"Nice!" Yuji cheered. "Being able to take to the skies is a huge advantage."
"Indeed. If that Volcano Head doesn't have any anti-air capabilities, this fight is practically over," Megumi nodded.
"Oh dear, Jogo is in trouble," Mahito said with a grin from the Cursed Spirit side. "If it were me, I'd just sprout a pair of wings and fly up there."
"Who said I have no anti-air? Ember Insects, go!" Jogo summoned dozens of pale purple flying insects that buzzed toward Darkrai.
In mid-air, Darkrai utilized its specialty. It began to manifest clones in a continuous stream. In the blink of an eye, the sky turned black, filled with a dense swarm of Darkrai clones.
Yuji stared, stunned. He muttered, "Good thing I don't have trypophobia."
This was merely the opening move. Ignoring the incoming Ember Insects, all the Darkrais simultaneously began charging energy. Shadow Balls the size of millstones rained down toward Jogo like a localized apocalypse.
The classic combo: Double Team + Shadow Ball!
"They can't all be real!"
If the enemy was this strong, how was one supposed to fight? It was impossible! Convinced of this, Jogo ignored the incoming Shadow Balls and commanded the Ember Insects to scatter, shouting, "Explode!"
Boom!
Dozens of Ember Insects self-destructed. Fire replaced the darkness as the backdrop of the sky, sweeping away a large number of clones caught in the blasts. Simultaneously, hundreds of Shadow Balls landed around Jogo, triggering a massive secondary explosion.
A continuous roar echoed between heaven and earth. The spectators were forced to retreat further to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
"A pity. The current Darkrai can swap any illusory clone's Shadow Ball with a real one. In other words, all of those attacks were real," Aomori whispered with a light chuckle.
As the fire and dust settled, more Darkrai clones phased back into existence, filling the sky once more. On the ground, Jogo was covered in soot and grime, one arm missing. The state of the battle was clear.
"It's not over yet!" Jogo glared at Darkrai, its single large eye bloodshot. "In terms of output, you're on par with Satoru Gojo. You are strong. But if you want to beat me, you'll have to pay the price!"
The Domain won't reach. I'll have to use that move.
Jogo formed a hand seal with its remaining hand, pouring every drop of its Cursed Energy into the technique. It was all or nothing!
"The ultimate secret technique of a sorcery reached its pinnacle! Maximum: Meteor!"
Higher than Darkrai's position in the sky, a gargantuan, flaming crimson meteor rapidly took shape. Its volume exceeded that of a skyscraper, and the sheer heat it radiated began incinerating the nearby Darkrai clones into ash.
"Under this move, even you can't emerge unscathed!"
The Darkrais, however, ignored the meteor above. They began condensing Shadow Balls once more to fire at Jogo.
"Hmph? You want a double suicide? Fine! Bring it on!" Jogo laughed maniacally, clenching its sole fist and swinging it downward. The giant meteor, trailing a tail of dancing flames, began its descent.
"Whoa, you've got to be kidding me," Yuji stammered. Was he seeing things?
"Stop staring and run! A meteor that size will level this entire area!" Megumi grabbed Yuji by the shoulder, intending to drag him away.
But he quickly abandoned the thought of flight. The meteor was too fast. In the blink of an eye, it tore through the altitude of the clones, wiping them out. As the meteor neared the ground, Megumi could only summon a Toad to swallow them into its stomach.
"Even just watching the show is life-threatening. This is ridiculous!" Megumi was filled with frustration. The Toad certainly wouldn't survive. Once the technique was destroyed, he, Yuji, and Ieiri would be exposed. The crisis was far from over.
The Shadow Balls struck Jogo faster than the meteor hit the ground. The violent energy tremors pulverized the earth in that area.
"Jogo!" Hanami cried out in concern. Layers of thick, ancient tree roots wrapped around it and its two companions.
Aomori remained seated in his high chair, but his attention shifted elsewhere. Absol and the others had moved to hide behind him.
BOOM!
Finally, the meteor struck. The resulting shockwave, carrying an all-consuming force, ravaged the entire barrier. Even the barrier's walls flickered under the impact. Aomori's telekinetic shield easily deflected the force; the Deities and the buildings behind him were unharmed. Hanami's defense was also extremely high, allowing it to withstand the blast.
As for Megumi's group, they were saved from certain doom by the sudden appearance of a single man.
"Gojo-sensei!"
"Satoru!"
Standing before them, the towering figure who blocked the entirety of the shockwave was none other than Satoru Gojo.
"Hahaha! Just in time. I actually wasn't late for once." Gojo waved to them. "It's been a few days. Are you guys doing okay? Shoko-chan is here too? I'm so glad you're safe; I was worried for a long time."
"Hmph, it's your fault to begin with, Satoru!" Shoko Ieiri scolded.
"Gojo-sensei~" Yuji spun around and clung to Gojo's side, acting spoiled. "We've been doing terrible! He didn't even let us eat our fill. We've been waiting every day for you to come save us."
"That is a heinous crime! This is a crucial time for your physical growth!"
"Exactly!"
"Hey, is that really the priority right now?" Megumi sighed, unable to even begin to protest.
However, the corners of his mouth gradually turned up. This familiar feeling wasn't bad. All the anxiety in his heart vanished the moment Satoru Gojo arrived. Even if Gojo was usually unreliable, his sheer strength always provided a sense of absolute security. This was the aura of the world's strongest.
Satoru Gojo is finally here. Aomori knew the moment he crossed the barrier. This was their first face-to-face meeting.
The World's Strongest... I really want to pin him to the ground and beat him. The thrill and sense of achievement from that would be a hundred times greater than beating up Sukuna.
As if sensing Aomori's gaze, Gojo suddenly turned his head. He met Aomori's eyes and gave a broad, knowing smile.
A God, huh? Punching him should feel a lot better than punching other Cursed Spirits. I can't wait.
"Satoru Gojo!"
The appearance of the world's strongest man immediately drew the attention of everyone on the Cursed Spirit side, even causing them to momentarily forget Jogo, whose fate was unknown.
"The main event has arrived. So that's Satoru Gojo? He looks pretty average," Mahito said, seeing Gojo's face for the first time.
"Do not be careless. He looks harmless, but in reality, he is an impossibly strong human. Jogo has experienced this firsthand," Hanami said in a rare, lengthy sentence.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Anyway, his opponent isn't us. Maybe the God will kill him by accident. Speaking of which, where's Jogo? That explosion was terrifying."
"!! Jogo!"
Hanami quickly extended tentacles into the lingering dust and smoke to search for Jogo's trail.
Meanwhile, after the reunion, Gojo was listening to Megumi recount their experiences since being captured.
"Reverse Cursed Technique and a Domain? He's learned all of that? This is a headache."
"Yes. Especially his Domain. I was stripped of my five senses inside and couldn't do anything; it's a powerful crowd-control type. Also, he can use a technique similar to clones..." Megumi relayed every piece of gathered intelligence to Gojo. At the end, he added one more thing: "Gojo-sensei, he is truly strong. Even when Ryomen Sukuna manifested, he was easily handled. You can't let your guard down."
"Mhm, it's fine. I'm pretty strong too, you know." Gojo waved it off casually. "The more important thing is, didn't you master your own Domain too? You did great!"
"It's just an incomplete Domain. Nothing to be proud of," Megumi said, trying to act aloof, but his reddening face and the slight twitch of his lips betrayed him.
"Gojo-sensei, Gojo-sensei! Are you going to step in and finish them off now?" Yuji asked, clenching his fists. "I can help!"
"No need." Gojo waved his hand again. "With so many Special Grade Cursed Spirits here, even I would have to expend a lot of energy to exorcise them all. That won't do. I need to save my strength for that God."
"Right. We'll let them keep fighting. We can watch from the sidelines and gather more intel. If they don't die now, we can use the information to exorcise them one by one later," Megumi added, returning to his cool-headed persona.
"Yep, exactly."
"Got it!"
…
Beside the massive meteor, Hanami finally found Jogo, who was clinging to life by a thread. It cradled Jogo's broken body in its arms.
"Jogo..." Hanami grieved silently. One of its few companions was about to pass away.
The octopus-faced Dagon had large eyes filled with tears. Mahito stopped smiling and stood quietly by their side.
"Hanami... where is it?" Jogo didn't even have the strength left to turn its head to look for Darkrai.
Hanami shook its head. "It vanished. Perhaps it was crushed by your meteor."
"Good. I did it. Comrades, do not be sad. It won't be long before I descend upon this world again. Though I won't remember you then, our shared wish will not change."
"Hanami, Dagon, Mahito... I leave the rest to you."
"In a hundred years... I hope we can all revel together in the wasteland!"
With hope for the future, Jogo turned into ash and dissipated in Hanami's embrace.
"Mm! We will definitely see it through."
Hanami nodded solemnly. When it stood up, its Cursed Energy erupted. Tree branches surged across the field, even wrapping the scorching meteor in layers of growth. In an instant, the barrier was transformed into a dense forest.
"Who is... next?!"
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