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"This is really troublesome." Chen Tian listened to the Curses' distant roars and sighed slightly. "Why didn't I notice those so-called Curses before?"
It had been several years since Chen Tian's memories awakened, yet he had never encountered Curses or other monsters.
A large part of the reason was the modification of his body by the Yamato and Ryūjin Jakka. Ordinary people might not sense it, but Curses could clearly perceive Chen Tian's body's immense power, making the mindless Curses instinctively stay far away from him.
Chen Tian walked to the edge of the rooftop and closed his eyes.
In his perception, countless tiny light spots appeared: black for Curses, red for Curse Users, blue for Jujutsu Sorcerers, and the half-blue, half-red light of Itadori Yuji.
Chen Tian remained standing with his eyes closed, his hand resting on the Yamato.
Then, he drew the sword, swung it, and returned it to the sheath, all in one fluid motion.
There were no special effects, no world-shattering events like when he shattered the barrier. It was just an ordinary sword swing.
However, in this seemingly mundane instant, the entire city of Tokyo was stirred as if by an invisible giant hand.
Centered on Chen Tian, an invisible wave of fluctuation rapidly spread.
The Curses rampaging through the ruins, whether low-level ghosts or powerful Special Grade Curses, were all squeezed tightly by an invisible force.
The Curses, who had been baring their claws and teeth, instantly froze. Then, tiny cracks appeared on their bodies.
Black Cursed Energy surged like boiling magma within the cracks.
Immediately after, with a soft "pfft," like balloons bursting, the Curses exploded on the spot, turning into countless fragments of flesh before dissolving into black mist.
On a city street, a huge Curse about to devour a passerby had its head separate from its body the next second. The cut was clean and smooth, as if sliced by the sharpest scalpel.
It didn't even have time to let out a roar before it slammed to the ground and disintegrated into nothingness.
The Curse Users, represented by the red light spots, were not spared either.
They were manipulating Cursed Tools, preparing to launch a fatal strike against the Jujutsu Sorcerers, when they suddenly felt a chill shoot from their feet to the top of their heads.
Before they could react, their bodies were sliced into several segments, and blood sprayed onto the streets.
Itadori Yuji and Fushiguro Megumi were on a rooftop, discussing how to find the Angel now that the barrier was broken.
Suddenly, both their bodies trembled. They quickly ran to the edge of the rooftop.
Below them, on the street, the fighting players and Curses were either dismembered or split perfectly in half from head to toe.
The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
"Is that... Nero?" Itadori Yuji asked in disbelief. He could feel that the Curses and Curse Users had been sliced by something.
And he was very familiar with it, because he had personally witnessed inside his body how Sukuna's Cursed Techniques and Domain were shattered by Chen Tian in Shibuya.
"It should... be him." Fushiguro Megumi took a deep breath. He, too, had witnessed Chen Tian's power firsthand.
"Then he must have broken the barrier, right?" Itadori asked uncertainly.
Fushiguro Megumi nodded. "I can't think of anyone else."
Itadori sighed. "Megumi, do you think if we had sought his help before coming in, we wouldn't have had to go through so many battles?"
Fushiguro Megumi paused, then, after a long moment of exasperation, said, "Yes."
Itadori suddenly became excited. "Then do we not need to look for the Angel anymore? Couldn't Nero just cleave the Prison Realm open?"
Fushiguro Megumi rolled his eyes at him. "It's not that simple. The Prison Realm is a Special Grade Cursed Object, and its internal structure is unique. It is rumored that a special Cursed Technique was applied to it. Forcibly opening it from the outside will trigger unforeseen consequences.
"Someone once tried to forcibly open the 'back' of the Prison Realm using Cursed Techniques from the outside. The seal inside became corrupted, and the Prison Realm split into countless identical spaces. The real exit is hidden among them, making it nearly impossible to find."
Itadori scratched his head. "That complicated, huh... But Nero is so strong, maybe he has a way?"
Fushiguro Megumi frowned, thinking for a moment. "Leaving aside whether Nero is willing to help, even if he did intervene, it might cause a new crisis, just like the people who tried to open the Prison Realm before.
"Besides, we don't even know where he is right now or if he's willing to get involved in the affairs of the Jujutsu world."
Itadori pouted. "It's a shame to give up when someone that powerful finally appears."
Fushiguro Megumi patted his shoulder. "Let's stick to the original plan and search for the Angel first. According to Tengen, the Angel's Cursed Technique can erase any Cursed Technique. Maybe she has a way to undo the Prison Realm's seal, and she can also help us fight Geto's manipulations."
Itadori nodded reluctantly. "Alright, that's the only way then. But, once this is over, I'm definitely going to find Nero and ask him to teach me how to get stronger."
Chen Tian watched Itadori Yuji's determined enthusiasm and subtly shook his head. "First, let's solve the current problem."
At this time, the chaos on the streets below gradually subsided. After the Curses and Curse Users were cleared by Chen Tian, the surviving Jujutsu Sorcerers began to organize rescue and cleanup efforts.
The solemn dome above was torn open with massive gaps. Shattered barrier fragments, like dying stars, scattered onto the cold ground.
Yuki Tsukumo sat slumped. The white light of the Reverse Cursed Technique had just faded from her body; her external wounds were healed, but the internal shock was far from over. She stared blankly at the ripped sky above, muttering in a daze:
"The Culling Game barrier... just... gone? Was it that man just now?"
She turned to look at Tengen, whose form was non-human, beside her.
A look of mixed solemnity and bewilderment, rarely seen, appeared on Tengen's strange face. After a long silence, Tengen spoke in a voice that was almost a trance:
"It... should be. His power... I have never seen it before. It is so immensely powerful that it is almost..." Tengen seemed unable to find the right words, their speech uncharacteristically stalling.
"Like a divine being."
Choso, who had been silent as a stone, abruptly uttered three words, cold and certain.
Yuki Tsukumo and Tengen looked at him simultaneously, their expressions complex, but they finally nodded wordlessly.
The assessment felt incredibly accurate at this moment.
"What now?" Yuki Tsukumo shook her head, trying to regain some clarity.
Tengen's gaze pierced the shattered dome, looking toward the distant destruction that was more apparent now that the chaos had subsided:
"Release Gojo Satoru. The seal is broken, and Sukuna... still exists."
Upon hearing this, Yuki Tsukumo instead broke into a wild smile:
"Ha? Why be afraid? Even if Sukuna recovers to his full power, in front of that 'divine being,' won't it just be a single slash?"
Her tone was filled with self-evident certainty.
"A divine being disdains to intervene."
Choso's voice sounded again, his words somewhat cruel.
He looked at Yuki Tsukumo's bewildered face and continued:
"If Geto hadn't touched something that offended him—like his house—he probably would have continued to lounge in Hokkaido. Until the world ended."
Yuki Tsukumo's smile froze.
Tengen slowly closed their eyes, which had witnessed a thousand years, offering no rebuttal. Choso's words pierced the surface, revealing the chilling truth.
Immense power did not equate to salvation.
Especially in the eyes of a "divine being."
Within the Tomb of the Star Corridor, only the faint sounds of barrier fragments occasionally falling and a deeper, spreading silence remained.
Jujutsu Headquarters' meeting room.
The gloom persisted. Paper doors lined the walls. The dim light only illuminated the central area.
The air was solidified like a lead block. A stifling dead silence filled the room, as if it were empty.
"Kento Nanami, who made contact with Nero," a frail, ancient voice laboriously broke the silence. "How... did he report the outcome of that contact?"
Another voice, carrying undisguised dryness, immediately replied:
"Not interested." The voice paused, seemingly recalling the absurdity of the report. "Nero only returned those four words to our invitation."
A long, suffocating silence followed. The invisible pressure almost crushed the paper doors. No one dared to breathe easily.
"How... how should we view Nero?" a hesitant voice finally spoke, mixed with confusion and deep-seated fear.
"View?" The previously sharp voice suddenly chimed in, now filled with bitter self-mockery.
"You jest again. How Nero views us... is what we should be concerned about, isn't it?"
The owner of the voice seemed to shake their head, the shadow swaying. "If he doesn't view us as just corrupt trash he wants to eliminate, like Gojo Satoru did, that's good enough."
"You!" The challenged voice carried a hint of anger, but trailed off, unable to offer a rebuttal.
Rebuttal? With what? With the power they had just witnessed—a power that surpassed comprehension, erasing barriers and Curses like divine punishment?
On the main seat, the oldest voice, also the deepest, slowly began to speak.
His voice carried the weariness of a settled matter:
"Treat him with friendship." He uttered four words, which echoed clearly in the dead silence. "If he makes any requests of us... agree unconditionally."
There was no dissenting voice.
Not even a faint hint of questioning.
In the shadows behind the paper doors, there was only a dead silence of compliance.
Power? Dignity? In the face of a force capable of instantly rewriting rules and obliterating everything, these were lighter than a feather.
The world-ending blade light that had covered the entire Japanese archipelago was enough to crush any sense of complacency.
After all... life is sometimes far more important than power.
Especially when dealing with a "divine being" who disregards rules and slashes purely based on mood.
The heavy silence in the higher-ups' meeting room was broken by a new agenda item.
"What about the disposal of Gojo Satoru and Itadori Yuji?" a frail, elderly female voice sharply asked. "Itadori Yuji's appearance in Tokyo proves that Yuta Okkotsu deceived us! He is harboring this dangerous object!"
"Indeed," another cold voice immediately chimed in. "Itadori Yuji must be executed immediately! As Sukuna's vessel, he is an unforgivable Curse! He must not be allowed to continue living!"
"He must be eliminated!"
Several voices rose successively. Geto's conspiracy was quickly replaced, and the new "threat" became the focus of the internal conflict and control within the Jujutsu world.
On the main seat, the oldest voice spoke again, issuing the command. There was no emotion in his voice, only unquestionable authority:
"Execute immediately. Dispatch Yuki Tsukumo and Kento Nanami to lead the team, gathering other available Sorcerers, to surround and kill Itadori Yuji."
As the command was issued, there was an extremely brief moment of stillness in the shadows behind the paper doors.
Every old fox in a high position knew clearly: allowing Yuki Tsukumo, who had a clear "disobedient" label, to lead this execution task reeked of absurdity and distrust.
Yuki Tsukumo? She acted purely on her whims and often scoffed at the higher-ups' commands.
Kento Nanami? He possessed a nearly stubborn sense of justice and principle, and his attitude toward Itadori was not entirely hostile.
More importantly, everyone understood that the primary goal of surrounding and killing Itadori Yuji had already transcended the simple risk management of "dealing with Sukuna's vessel."
The deeper, more fearful reason was the search for the 'Angel' by Itadori and Fushiguro Megumi.
Releasing the Angel meant the next step—releasing Gojo Satoru, who was sealed in the Prison Realm!
The "strongest" Sorcerer who was a thorn in their side and a massive threat to their power!
Sending these two disloyal individuals to lead the team was less an act of trust and more a test, or perhaps... a coercion for them to take a side.
The higher-ups needed results—Itadori Yuji dead, the Angel lead cut off, and Gojo Satoru permanently sealed.
As for what the people executing the mission thought, or whether they agreed, it was no longer important. In their view, individual opinions were worthless in the face of their absolute will for power.
"Understood." An executive's voice sounded in the corner, breaking the brief silence, followed by the soft sound of footsteps leaving.
The command had been issued and could not be altered.
Behind the paper doors, only a deeper shadow and the silent flow of calculation and ruthlessness remained.
Yuki Tsukumo, who had just ended the call, casually put her phone back into her pocket, a playful smile on her face.
"Oh? Surround and kill the kid?"
She glanced at Choso and Tengen beside her. "And they want me to lead the team? How interesting."
"What will you do? Itadori is my brother," Choso asked, his crimson eyes unreadable.
Yuki Tsukumo twisted her neck, making a soft crackling sound. A wild arc curved her lips:
"What will I do? Why, I'll naturally go and 'surround and kill' him! Sounds fun!" Her laughter echoed in the empty, decaying Tomb of the Star Corridor, carrying the excitement of someone who feared no chaos.
Tengen silently looked at her, offering no opinion.
Choso shifted his gaze; he understood Yuki Tsukumo's intent.
The higher-ups' intention was clear, but the executor... the variables in this were likely far beyond the calculations of those old men hiding in the shadows.
The order to hunt had been issued, but the relationship between the prey and the hunter had suddenly become subtle and dangerous.
Kento Nanami adjusted his glasses, looking at the top-secret order issued by the higher-ups. His eyes behind the lenses were sharp as blades.
Surround and kill Itadori Yuji? Led by him and Yuki Tsukumo?
He silently pocketed his phone, his expression unreadable. He simply turned and walked toward a certain direction with steady steps.
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