Chapter 77 (Patreon)

Meanwhile, beneath Jujutsu High.

The Tombs of the Star Corridor.

Kenjaku slipped through the hidden barrier and stepped inside without a sound.

“Tengen.”

His voice echoed faintly through the empty chamber.

“It’s been years, and you still haven’t come out to say hello. That hurts, old friend.”

At the center of the chamber, Tengen slowly opened their eyes.

“Kenjaku…”

Their gaze sharpened.

“What are you doing here?”

Tengen’s wariness was obvious.

After all, the two of them had been enemies for over a thousand years.

Kenjaku only smiled.

“You’ve changed quite a bit.”

He looked Tengen over with casual interest.

“At this point, you’re becoming less human and more like a cursed spirit.”

Tengen remained silent.

Kenjaku continued.

“No need to deny it. Ever since you failed to assimilate with the Star Plasma Vessel twelve years ago, this outcome was inevitable.”

“Your existence has been drifting closer and closer to that of a cursed spirit.”

Tengen’s expression did not change.

“What are you trying to say?”

Kenjaku’s smile widened.

“Stop being human, Tengen.”

“As luck would have it, I’ve obtained the cursed technique of this era.”

“Cursed Spirit Manipulation.”

Tengen’s eyes narrowed.

“Geto Suguru’s technique…”

Kenjaku spread his arms slightly.

“Let’s put an end to this thousand-year stalemate.”

Tengen’s voice remained calm, but their vigilance deepened.

“It is dangerous for me in my current state, yes. But if I kill you before my transformation into a cursed spirit is complete, then there is no issue.”

Kenjaku chuckled softly.

“Then show me, Tengen.”

“Let’s see how much of your strength remains.”

His hands moved.

“Domain Expansion.”

“Womb Profusion.”

In the next instant, a grotesque tree covered in human heads and blood manifested behind Kenjaku, spreading its presence through the chamber like a curse made flesh.

Tengen immediately reacted.

“This is my domain…”

Then their eyes widened.

“What—?”

Kenjaku’s domain had not closed.

Tengen instantly understood.

“A domain expanded without sealing the barrier…”

Because Kenjaku had not enclosed the space, Tengen’s Empty Barrier could not dispel it in the usual way.

“An open-barrier domain.”

Kenjaku smiled.

“Correct.”

His voice was light.

“And that means game over.”

The edge of Kenjaku’s open-barrier domain acted as the shell itself, erasing Tengen’s Empty Barrier from the outside.

Tengen’s gaze turned cold.

“Then I will dismantle your domain along with it.”

The Empty Barrier collapsed.

At the same time, Kenjaku’s domain vanished.

Kenjaku lowered his hand.

“So you broke it.”

Then he smiled again.

“But you’re too late.”

Tengen noticed the movement of his fingers and immediately tried to stop him.

But Kenjaku was already faster.

“Domain Expansion.”

“Womb Profusion.”

Once again, the cursed domain bloomed.

This time, it swallowed Tengen directly.

It was over.

Tengen stared at Kenjaku in silence.

“I did not expect you to reach this level.”

Kenjaku looked almost disappointed.

“What a shame. You still haven’t fully become a cursed spirit.”

Then he activated Cursed Spirit Manipulation.

The technique reached Tengen.

But because Tengen had not yet completely crossed into the state of a cursed spirit, the cursed energy could only corrode half of their existence.

Kenjaku observed the result calmly.

“Your transformation can no longer be reversed.”

He looked at Tengen’s altered form with interest.

“Judging by your current state… nine months.”

“In nine months, you should be almost completely transformed into a cursed spirit.”

His smile deepened.

“I’m looking forward to it, Tengen.”

“A cursed spirit with an Immortality Technique…”

“I wonder what kind of monster that will become.”

Tengen’s voice was low.

“Kenjaku…”

No one knew what had happened to Tengen.

No one noticed Kenjaku infiltrating Jujutsu High.

And no one saw him leave.

Silently.

As if he had never been there at all.

——————

Time moved forward once more.

One month later.

Ragnar Kagenou and Shoko Ieiri returned from the Kyoto Campus to Tokyo.

Not long after, Akari Nitta came to see Ragnar.

“Kagenou-san.”

She handed him a file.

“We found the boy you asked us to look into.”

Ragnar raised his eyes.

“Already?”

Akari nodded.

“Yuji Itadori. He just graduated from middle school and is planning to attend Sugisawa Third High School in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture.”

Ragnar opened the file and glanced at the photo.

“Sendai, huh.”

He leaned back slightly.

“That’s pretty far.”

Akari looked at him, still curious.

“Why him? I checked the records, but he doesn’t come from a jujutsu family. There’s nothing unusual on paper.”

Ragnar looked at Yuji’s photo for a moment.

Then he smiled faintly.

“He’ll become a strong jujutsu sorcerer.”

Akari blinked.

She looked at the photo again.

To her, Yuji Itadori looked like a completely ordinary boy.

Ragnar closed the file.

“By the way…”

He suddenly changed the subject.

“I killed that assemblyman in Kyoto, didn’t I?”

Akari froze for half a second.

“…Yes. You did.”

Ragnar tilted his head.

“And?”

Akari hesitated.

“There hasn’t been any open opposition from the higher-ups.”

Ragnar stared at her.

“So they’re not even going to complain?”

Akari’s expression grew awkward.

“That seems to be the case.”

Ragnar sighed.

“How boring.”

He leaned back, clearly disappointed.

“I was planning to test out a new Noble Phantasm.”

Akari decided it was better not to ask.

——————

Not long after that—

Yuta Okkotsu was officially promoted to Special Grade sorcerer.

The recommendation came from three Special Grades:

Ragnar Kagenou.

Satoru Gojo.

And Rika Orimoto.

Ragnar patted Yuta on the shoulder.

“Special Grade already, huh?”

He smiled.

“That was faster than I expected, Okkotsu.”

Yuta lowered his head slightly.

“It’s because you helped me, Kagenou-san. Without you, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

His hand brushed against the Enma sword on his back.

The more he used it, the more terrifying he realized the weapon truly was.

Before he could continue, Ragnar waved him off.

“Enough. Don’t start making it awkward.”

Yuta paused.

Ragnar glanced toward the corridor.

“There are people waiting for you.”

Yuta understood immediately and nodded.

A moment later, Satoru Gojo walked over with his usual carefree smile.

“Yuta!”

He raised a hand.

“Congrats on becoming Special Grade. Pretty cool, right?”

Yuta smiled softly.

“Thank you, Gojo-sensei.”

Rika stood nearby, looking happier than anyone else.

“I knew you could do it, Yuta.”

Yuta turned toward her.

His expression softened.

“Yeah.”

Then Maki Zen’in, Toge Inumaki, Panda, and the others arrived one after another.

“Not bad, Okkotsu,” Maki said, folding her arms. “Try not to let it go to your head.”

“Salmon,” Inumaki added seriously.

Panda nodded with great dignity.

“Our boy made it.”

Yuta smiled helplessly.

“You guys…”

The atmosphere quickly became lively.

For once, Jujutsu High felt less like a school standing on the edge of death and more like an actual place where people could celebrate.

——————

After the celebration ended, Gojo pulled Ragnar aside.

“There’s something I want to talk about.”

Ragnar glanced at him.

“That tone already sounds troublesome.”

Gojo grinned.

“I want Yuta to go overseas with Miguel for training.”

Ragnar looked at him.

“Yuta and Miguel?”

“Yep.”

Gojo leaned against the wall.

“Tokyo’s fighting force is already stacked right now. Miguel has experience overseas, and Yuta needs to see more of the world. It’ll be good for him.”

Ragnar considered it.

“That part makes sense.”

Then he looked at Gojo.

“But what about Rika?”

Gojo’s smile stiffened slightly.

“That’s the problem.”

Ragnar immediately understood.

“You thought she’d stay behind?”

Gojo spread his hands.

“I mean, I thought about it. Then I remembered those two are basically never apart.”

Ragnar shrugged.

“Then send both of them.”

Gojo stared at him.

“Two Special Grades overseas?”

“Why not?”

Ragnar’s tone was casual.

“Rika’s getting better with Bajiquan anyway. Fighting foreign curse users and cursed spirits will help her grow faster.”

Gojo rubbed his chin.

“Hm…”

He thought for a moment, then sighed.

“Well, it’s not like there’s a better option.”

After that, Ragnar and Gojo called Yuta and Rika into the room.

Yuta looked between them.

“Overseas training with Miguel?”

Rika tilted her head.

“And searching for more Black Rope?”

Ragnar nodded.

“That’s right.”

Yuta and Rika exchanged a glance.

There was no long discussion.

Both of them nodded.

“If Rika is going, then I’ll go too,” Yuta said.

Rika smiled.

“I’ll go wherever Yuta goes.”

Gojo sighed dramatically.

“See? This is exactly what I meant.”

Ragnar ignored him.

Gojo then contacted Miguel from who-knew-where.

The moment Miguel heard the plan, his voice nearly exploded through the phone.

“Hah?!”

“You want me to take two Special Grades overseas?!”

“Gojo! If you want me dead, just say that!”

“You don’t need to send two Special Grades to finish the job!”

Gojo smiled without the slightest guilt.

“Relax, Miguel.”

Miguel immediately snapped back.

“Don’t tell me to relax!”

Gojo’s tone remained light.

“If you don’t take them, that’ll be more troublesome for you.”

There was a long silence on the other end.

Then Miguel let out a deep, exhausted sigh.

“…You really are the worst.”

A few days later, Miguel arrived at Tokyo International Airport.

Waiting there for Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto.

And judging from his face, he already regretted agreeing.