Chapter 94 (Patreon)

Although Yuji Itadori had no Cursed Technique, that did not mean he was helpless.

He had strength and when words were not enough, Yuji did what he could.

He stepped in and drove two punches straight into Junpei Yoshino.

The blows landed cleanly.

Junpei’s vision shook, and even Moon Dregs collapsed beside him, a deep fist-shaped dent crushed into its body.

Yuji’s fists.

His stubborn words.

His refusal to let Junpei keep running.

Under all of it, the wall Junpei had built around himself finally cracked apart.

“Humans really are easy to shake, aren’t they?”

Yuji froze.

“Who said that?!”

He looked around, but there was no one there.

“No need to panic. You’ll understand soon.”

The voice sounded amused.

“Idiot. In front of you.”

Yuji turned back toward Junpei.

Junpei’s body had gone still.

Then his head began to swell unnaturally.

His jaw opened.

From inside his mouth, a long, thin finger slowly pushed its way out.

Yuji’s eyes widened.

The flesh twisted.

The arm changed shape in an instant, stretching out and slamming Yuji against the wall.

“Junpei!”

Yuji gritted his teeth, struggling against the arm pinning him down.

“I’ll save you! I’ll fix this!”

But Junpei could no longer answer.

Mahito’s Idle Transfiguration had already reached him.

His body twisted beyond recognition, his eyes trembling with fear as he helplessly watched himself become something no longer human.

“Sukuna!”

Yuji shouted with everything he had.

“Sukuna!”

A mouth opened on Yuji’s cheek.

Sukuna’s voice came out, irritated and bored.

“What?”

“I’ll do anything.”

Yuji’s voice shook.

“You can do whatever you want with me. Anything. So please…”

His teeth clenched.

“Just like you healed my heart, heal Junpei!”

Sukuna did not even hesitate.

“I refuse.”

Yuji’s face changed.

“You bastard…”

Sukuna’s mouth curled into a cruel smile.

“Heh.”

Then he laughed.

“Ah, this is good. This is really good.”

This brat truly had not learned a thing.

He had forgotten the Binding Vow.

Sukuna’s laughter grew louder.

“You threw away everything.”

His voice was full of mockery.

“Your pride. Your future. Your own body. You came crawling to a curse and begged.”

Yuji’s eyes shook.

“And after all that…”

Sukuna’s grin widened.

“You still couldn’t save anyone.”

His laughter rang in Yuji’s ears.

“How miserable. How pathetic.”

Mahito, hidden within Junpei’s distorted body, burst into laughter as well.

The two curses laughed together.

Then—

Boom!

A violent impact tore through the corridor.

Dust exploded outward.

Before Yuji could understand what had happened, a blurred figure shot through the smoke.

“Caught you.”

A black, curse-like arm stretched out from behind Rika Orimoto.

It liquefied like shadow and plunged directly into Junpei’s mouth.

The next instant—

Swoosh!

Mahito was dragged out of Junpei’s body by force.

The arm pinning Yuji to the wall lost its strength, and Yuji dropped to the floor.

“Cough… cough…”

Yuji clutched his chest and looked up.

“Rika-senpai… how did you—”

Mahito’s body was hurled away before he could finish.

He crashed through the corridor wall and slammed into the ground below.

Slap!

Rika struck Yuji across the face without warning.

Yuji froze, one hand pressed to his cheek.

“Raise your head, Yuji Itadori.”

Rika’s voice was cold.

“You’re human. You’re a jujutsu sorcerer and you begged a curse?”

Yuji’s throat tightened.

Only now did he truly understand.

Curses were curses.

No matter how human their voices sounded, no matter how clearly they laughed, they did not have human hearts.

“I…”

Yuji lowered his head and spoke in a hoarse voice.

“I’m sorry, Rika-senpai.”

“Junpei was turned into that, and I didn’t know who else could save him.”

At that moment, Sukuna noticed Rika.

His mouth twisted into a grin.

“Hey, woman.”

His voice carried a dangerous amusement.

“The curse wrapped around you is nastier than that fresh one from before.”

Rika’s eyes turned cold.

“Shut your mouth.”

Sukuna’s grin widened into a more savage one.

“Oh?”

“No one has ever spoken to me like that.”

He laughed softly.

“People of this era really do have no sense of fear.”

Rika did not bother answering him.

She looked away from Yuji and turned toward the hole in the corridor.

“Stay here.”

Her voice left no room for argument.

“I’ll deal with that Special Grade first.”

With that, Rika leaped down from the corridor.

Yuji clenched his fists.

He looked at Junpei’s collapsed body at his feet.

Then he followed Rika down.

— — — — — —

“Come forth, Zafkiel.”

Inside the quiet corridor, an enormous golden clock face appeared behind Ragnar Kagenou.

Its hands moved with a deep, solemn ticking.

Ragnar looked down at Junpei Yoshino, who lay motionless on the ground.

“You have talent as a jujutsu sorcerer.”

His voice was calm.

“But healing you won’t be free.”

Ragnar raised his weapon and aimed at Junpei.

“The Fourth Bullet.”

The bullet struck.

Time around Junpei began to turn backward.

His warped flesh slowly restored itself.

The swelling disappeared, his ruined head returned to its original shape.

A moment later, Junpei Yoshino was human again.

Ragnar glanced down through the broken corridor, watching Rika fight Mahito below.

“She’s improved.”

His eyes stayed on the battle.

“Not bad.”

After lying still for a while, Junpei’s fingers twitched.

Then he slowly sat up.

“I…”

His voice was faint.

“I’m alive?”

Ragnar looked at him.

“You’re awake.”

Junpei stared at him.

“You’re… the person who came to my house that day.”

Suddenly, Junpei grabbed his head.

A sharp pain tore through his skull, forcing him to stop speaking for a moment.

Then his memories returned.

His face turned pale.

“I remember…”

His voice trembled.

“Mahito killed me. In front of Yuji.”

He looked at Ragnar.

“You saved me.”

Ragnar’s expression did not change.

“Good. Your brain still works.”

Junpei turned toward the broken edge of the corridor.

Below, Yuji had already joined the fight.

Junpei forced himself to stand.

“I have to help him.”

Ragnar stopped him with one hand.

Junpei looked back.

“What are you doing?”

Ragnar’s gaze was flat.

“You want to go down there?”

Junpei clenched his fists.

“I can’t stand here and do nothing.”

“You can.”

Ragnar’s answer was immediate.

“With your current strength, you’re barely Grade 4.”

Junpei stiffened.

“If you go down there now, you won’t help anyone. You’ll just give them someone else to protect.”

Junpei’s face twisted.

“But I can’t…”

His voice shook.

“I can’t make the same mistake again.”

Ragnar glanced at him.

“Then don’t.”

His tone remained calm.

“Stay alive. Watch. Learn.”

He looked back toward the battle below.

“Not getting in the way is also a choice.”

— — — — — —

“I’m going to kill you.”

Yuji’s voice was low.

His cursed energy surged through his body more violently than ever before.

Across from him, Mahito smiled.

“Kill?”

He tilted his head.

“You mean exorcise, don’t you? Jujutsu sorcerer?”

“Yuji!”

Rika’s warning came a moment late.

Yuji had already rushed in.

His fist smashed into Mahito’s face.

Mahito’s head snapped sideways.

Rika clicked her tongue softly.

“Fine.”

She stepped forward.

“Exorcise him first.”

She did not stop Yuji, Instead, she moved with him.

At that moment, Kento Nanami arrived.

His gaze passed over Yuji, Rika, and Mahito in an instant.

Mahito looked at the three sorcerers before him and smiled with open delight.

“The 7:3 sorcerer.”

His eyes moved to Rika.

“A Special Grade.”

Then to Yuji.

“And Sukuna’s vessel.”

Mahito licked his lips.

“What a wonderful lineup.”

If he could break through this wall, he would grow.

He could feel it.

He could not kill Yuji Itadori.

Nanami’s Ratio Technique could restrict his movements.

And the greatest threat here was Rika Orimoto.

Nanami adjusted his grip on his blunt blade.

“Coordinate with me.”

His voice was steady.

“We exorcise him here.”

Rika answered without looking away from Mahito.

“Understood.”

Yuji wiped the blood from his mouth.

“Right.”

Rika moved first.

She stepped in fast and drove her elbow up into Mahito’s chin.

Mahito’s head snapped back.

Nanami followed immediately.

His blade came down at the perfect angle.

But Mahito twisted his body, reshaping himself just enough to neutralize the strike.

Yuji attacked from behind.

Mahito sprang upward.

His body bulged, then transformed into something like a hedgehog, countless sharp spikes bursting out in every direction.

The moment the spikes extended, the three of them destroyed them.

Nanami cut through the ones aimed at him.

Yuji smashed his way forward.

Rika tore through them with brute force.

Mahito landed lightly, his smile thinning.

“So that kind of wide-range attack only works on weaker opponents.”

Before he could say anything more, Rika broke through the remaining spikes and appeared in front of him.

She forced the spikes apart with both arms and stepped into his space.

Then she shifted her stance and drove a brutal strike straight into Mahito’s body.

“Gah—!”

Mahito spat blood.

His body shrank instantly, trying to slip away.

But Rika saw through it.

She turned sharply and slammed her elbow into his head.

Bang!

The ground caved in beneath the impact.

The instant Mahito hit the floor, his body burst apart into dozens of pieces, scattering across the ground like dark slime.