Chapter 85 (Patreon)

Thud.

Sukuna dropped to one knee, one hand clutching his chest.

He had not died instantly beneath the holy sword’s radiance only because Ragnar Kagenou had held back.

Otherwise, Yuji Itadori would have died with him.

“Finally…”

Sukuna’s mouth twisted into a grin.

“Finally, I found someone worth fighting.”

Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, but the madness in his eyes only grew sharper.

“This body still isn’t complete. I couldn’t enjoy it properly.”

Ragnar looked down at him calmly.

“Why do you think I didn’t seal your fingers away? Why do you think I let them keep gathering?”

Sukuna laughed.

“Hah… hahahaha.”

His shoulders shook.

“My blood, silent for a thousand years… is starting to boil again.”

His eyes locked onto Ragnar.

“Ragnar Kagenou. Once I’m fully revived, I’ll come for you.”

Ragnar’s expression did not change.

“You don’t need to announce it. I want to see it too.”

His voice was quiet, but there was no fear in it.

“The true strength of the King of Curses from a thousand years ago.”

“You’ll see it.”

Sukuna’s grin widened.

“And what waits for you will be a curse so absolute it crushes despair itself.”

At that moment, Sukuna suddenly drove his hand into his own chest.

Ragnar narrowed his eyes slightly.

“What are you doing?”

Blood spilled from Sukuna’s mouth.

“I don’t like this brat.”

“It doesn’t matter whether you like him or not,” Ragnar said. “He’s still the most suitable vessel for you.”

“A pointless struggle…”

Sukuna’s voice turned cold.

“Take your body back, Yuji.”

Before disappearing, Sukuna left one final sentence behind.

“You won’t heal from this.”

Squelch.

Yuji Itadori regained control of his body.

The moment he did, the pain in his chest tore through him. His knees gave out, and he coughed up blood again.

“S-Sorry… Ragnar-sensei…”

His voice trembled.

“I don’t think… I can keep going…”

He forced himself to speak through the blood in his throat.

“Please tell Fushiguro… and Kugisaki…”

Yuji’s eyelids shook.

“To live… a little longer…”

Ragnar looked at him and sighed lightly.

“You’re still a kid. Don’t start giving last words.”

Yuji’s fading gaze wavered.

“Without my permission,” Ragnar said, “no one dies in front of me.”

He lowered his voice.

“Sleep.”

Hearing that, Yuji finally closed his eyes.

A ripple of gold spread behind Ragnar.

From the Gate of Babylon, he drew two wooden flintlock weapons—one short, one long.

The Hour Hand: Pistol.

The Minute Hand: Rifle.

Ragnar closed his eyes once.

When he opened them again, his left eye had turned gold.

Within the pupil, the face of a clock appeared.

“Appear.”

Ragnar raised the flintlock pistol in his left hand.

Behind him, black-red power gathered like a shadow swallowing light.

“Zafkiel.”

An ancient bell tolled.

A golden clock face emerged behind him.

At the same time, from nowhere at all, the faint sound of a sultry saxophone began to play.

“Fourth Bullet.”

The Roman numeral 【Ⅳ】 on the clock face lit up.

A dark shadow flowed from the number, entered the muzzle, and condensed into a bullet.

“Before me…”

Ragnar aimed the pistol at Yuji, who lay in a pool of blood.

“Time has no meaning.”

Bang!

The bullet struck.

In an instant, the spilled blood, torn flesh, and shattered fragments of Yuji’s heart began to reverse.

The destroyed heart restored itself.

The ruptured blood vessels connected.

Even the wound in his chest vanished as though it had never existed.

“Zafkiel controls time,” Ragnar said quietly. “The Fourth Bullet reverses the time of whatever it strikes.”

Yuji lay on the ground, completely unharmed.

The next moment, golden ripples flared behind Ragnar.

Several weapons shot toward a certain direction.

A black figure immediately darted into the depths of the mountains.

Ragnar clicked his tongue.

“You don’t even have the nerve to fight.”

His eyes turned cold.

“Just another rat hiding in the gutter.”

Inside Yuji Itadori’s inner world—

Within Sukuna’s Innate Domain—

Sukuna’s expression darkened.

“Ragnar Kagenou…”

His eyes narrowed.

“You can even manipulate time?”

【Exorcised Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Cursed Energy increased by 1000 points.】

Cursed Energy: 9720 / 11540

Tokyo streets.

Jogo, Dagon, and Hanami followed behind Kenjaku.

Jogo finally lost patience.

“Hey. Say something already.”

His single eye glared at Kenjaku’s back.

“Was it really necessary to waste one of Sukuna’s fingers just to test his strength?”

Kenjaku kept walking.

“A half-hearted probe would have been meaningless.”

His tone remained casual.

“Besides, we got what we needed.”

Jogo frowned.

“That had better not be an excuse.”

Kenjaku did not answer.

Inwardly, however, his thoughts were far from calm.

Ragnar Kagenou.

He had grown stronger again.

Even time itself was now within his reach.

An opponent like that was far too dangerous.

Beside them, Hanami spoke directly into Jogo’s mind.

Jogo’s temper exploded instantly.

“Shut up! I don’t even understand what you’re saying, but it goes straight into my brain. It’s disgusting!”

Kenjaku ignored them and walked into a small restaurant with the three Special Grade Curses.

The clerk greeted him politely.

“Welcome. Table for one?”

Kenjaku smiled.

“Yes. Just me.”

After he was seated, Kenjaku listened to Jogo and said, “In other words, your leader wants to overturn the current relationship between humans and curses. Is that right?”

Jogo thought for a moment.

“There is one difference.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“Humans are built on lies. The kindness they show, the justice they preach, the smiles they wear—there is always something hidden underneath.”

His voice grew heavier.

“But negative emotions are different.”

“Hatred. Fear. Killing intent.”

Jogo’s cursed energy stirred.

“Those are undeniable truths.”

His voice rose with conviction.

“We were born from those truths.”

“We are the pure, true humans.”

“The fakes should disappear.”

Kenjaku looked at him calmly.

“Right now, you are the ones disappearing.”

Jogo fell silent.

He knew that better than anyone.

That was why they had come to Kenjaku in the first place.

“Then tell us,” Jogo said. “What do we need to do to defeat the jujutsu sorcerers?”

Kenjaku raised three fingers.

“To be honest, your chances are extremely low.”

Jogo’s expression hardened.

“Before the war begins, you need to complete three conditions.”

Kenjaku lowered one finger.

“First, make Satoru Gojo unable to fight.”

Then the second.

“Second, bring Ryomen Sukuna—Yuji Itadori—over to your side.”

Jogo stared at the remaining finger.

“And the third?”

Kenjaku sighed.

“Ragnar Kagenou.”

Jogo frowned.

“Ragnar Kagenou? Never heard of him.”

Kenjaku’s smile thinned.

“You don’t even know your enemy, and you still want to fight jujutsu sorcerers?”

Jogo’s face twisted with irritation.

“Is this sorcerer really that strong?”

Kenjaku answered without hesitation.

“His technique can cover an entire city.”

Jogo’s single eye widened.

“An entire city…?”

Noble Phantasm: Zafkiel

Rank: A+

Type: Anti-Personnel Noble Phantasm

Introduction:

The angel manifested by Tokisaki Kurumi from Date A Live.

The Angel of Time — 【Zafkiel】.

Zafkiel’s long hand and short hand take the form of a flintlock rifle and a flintlock pistol. They fire Zafkiel’s abilities as bullets, with each number on the clock possessing a different effect.

However, using this angel consumes a large amount of time value, which is equivalent to lifespan.

When activated, the pupil of the left eye transforms into a golden clock and rotates according to the ability being used.

When Zafkiel’s power is invoked, the chosen number on the clock releases a shadow into the muzzle, forming a bullet.

The ability only takes effect if the bullet hits its target.

If it misses, the ability is meaningless.