Chapter 101 (Patreon)

In an instant—

Nonexistent memories flowed into Aoi Todo’s mind.

A high school life with Yuji Itadori and Takada-chan.

A youth that had never happened.

And yet, for some reason, it felt painfully vivid.

It was almost too much to bear.

Narrator: Fujibakama Mii.

When his awareness returned to reality, Aoi Todo slowly raised his gaze toward the sky.

Then, with the expression of a man who had found someone who understood his soul, he said to Yuji Itadori,

“It seems we’re best friends.”

Yuji froze on the spot.

“Huh?! Didn’t we just learn each other’s names a second ago?!”

Yuta Okkotsu, who had been watching from the side, was just as lost.

What just happened?

Why was he the only one who did not understand?

Someone explain this.

——————

Up in the sky.

Momo Nishimiya, who had been scouting from above, reported to Noritoshi Kamo.

“Yeah. They’re right up ahead…”

Halfway through, Momo suddenly went quiet.

Kamo frowned.

“What’s wrong? Why did you stop?”

“…Yuta Okkotsu is there too.”

“…”

For a long moment, Noritoshi Kamo said nothing.

Finally, he asked,

“Is there any way to draw him away?”

“No.”

“I see.”

——————

At the same time, Yuta Okkotsu sensed the Kyoto students closing in around them.

“They all came here? Are they planning to go after Yuji Itadori…?”

Even so, Yuta only gave a faint smile.

“Too naive. If cursed techniques weren’t involved, Yuji could probably handle this level of opponent on his own.”

Then his voice carried calmly through the forest.

“Since you’re all here, why not come out?”

Both Aoi Todo and Yuji Itadori looked confused.

A few seconds passed.

There was still no response.

Yuji glanced around awkwardly.

“Uh… Senpai, I don’t think anyone’s there.”

Yuta reached behind his back and drew Enma, holding the blade lightly in front of him.

“In that case, I’ll have to invite them out myself.”

Crack.

The air around them warped.

The surrounding space twisted unnaturally, and even the wind seemed to stop.

Aoi Todo’s instincts screamed.

For a single instant, he felt death brush against his skin, and he did not dare move.

Even the air around him was dangerous.

How was that possible?

How much time had passed?

Yuta Okkotsu had already reached a level he could not even touch.

Rustle.

One after another, the Kyoto students emerged from the forest.

Noritoshi Kamo stared at Yuta with extreme caution.

Once everyone had shown themselves, Yuta made no further move with Enma.

“See? Isn’t it better to be open about this? If you want to watch the match, then watch openly.”

The Kyoto students stepped out completely, but none of them dared to attack.

Every one of them was wary of Yuta Okkotsu.

Then Yuta spoke again.

“Yuji. Do it.”

Yuji did not understand why Yuta was giving that order.

But since his senpai had said it, he moved.

Yuji swung his arm horizontally.

A slash tore through the air.

In an instant, every tree within ten meters was severed cleanly.

Before the slash reached him, Aoi Todo leapt high into the air.

Noritoshi Kamo’s eyes widened.

“What…?”

A cursed technique he had never seen before.

Yuji had not attacked to kill. He had given them enough time to react before releasing the slash.

“What a powerful cursed technique…”

Ultimate Mechamaru reacted a moment too late, and the parts around his feet were sliced away.

“New Shadow Style: Simple Domain—Batto Sword Drawing!”

Kasumi Miwa, with the fearlessness of someone who did not yet understand the full danger before her, gripped her katana and activated Simple Domain, attempting to ambush Yuji.

Yuji shifted to the side.

The moment surprise crossed Miwa’s face, he brought another slash down toward her.

“Danger!”

In the blink of an eye, Yuji Itadori’s slash forcibly shattered Kasumi Miwa’s Simple Domain.

“Ah… ah?! My Simple Domain… got cut apart?!”

Miwa completely panicked.

Could something like a Simple Domain, something visible yet impossible to touch, really be destroyed by force?

She had heard of domains being neutralized.

But she had never seen one sliced apart head-on.

Mai Zen’in raised her revolver and fired.

Ultimate Mechamaru deployed his cannon.

Noritoshi Kamo tossed out a blood pack.

“Blood Manipulation: Flowing Red Scale—Stack!”

Blood hardened into sharp projectiles and shot toward Yuji.

At that moment, a thought crossed Yuji’s mind.

These people might not have come here for a sparring match.

They might have come to kill him.

Even so, Yuji still did not think of killing them in return.

But…

Senpai was not stepping in.

Did that mean he believed Yuji could handle this?

After thinking for only a moment, Yuji released another slash.

The bullets, laser, and blood projectiles were all cut apart instantly, and everyone was forced back outside Yuji’s attack range.

Aoi Todo grinned.

“As expected of my best friend!”

Noritoshi Kamo could not help turning toward him.

“You…”

Before he could finish, Megumi Fushiguro spotted Momo Nishimiya hovering in the sky and shot her down.

Soon after, the rest of the Tokyo team appeared one after another.

In the end, the two teams were drawn into separate one-on-one battles.

——————

“What is it, Ragnar?”

Gojo Satoru pushed the door open and casually sat on the edge of the sofa.

Ragnar Kagenou looked at him.

“You’re looking for the mole, aren’t you?”

The moment he heard that, Gojo’s interest sharpened.

“Oh? From the way you’re saying that, do you already know who it is?”

Ragnar handed a stack of documents on Kokichi Muta to Gojo.

Gojo lowered his gaze.

“This is… Kokichi Muta?”

Then he paused.

“Who’s that again?”

He scratched his head, unable to place the name immediately.

Ragnar covered his face with one hand.

“The Kyoto student. The one better known as Ultimate Mechamaru.”

Gojo’s expression lit up.

“Ah, right. I remember now. Ever since he enrolled, everyone’s been calling him Mechamaru, so I completely forgot his actual name.”

After thinking for a moment, Gojo’s tone became more serious.

“He is suspicious. His real body has never been within our field of vision, and with Puppet Manipulation, he can make Mechamaru operate where we can see him.”

Gojo leaned back slightly.

“More importantly, even if he were selling our information, we wouldn’t know right away.”

Ragnar said calmly,

“That’s exactly what happened. Jujutsu High’s intelligence has already been sold by him to cursed spirits and curse users.”

Gojo’s expression shifted.

“Cursed spirits… and curse users?”

Seeing Gojo’s confusion, Ragnar continued,

“I’ll keep it brief.”

He looked directly at Gojo.

“Do you remember seven years ago, when I went overseas to hunt down a special grade curse user?”

Gojo nodded.

“Yeah. You disappeared overseas for several years. Don’t tell me that curse user is connected to Kokichi Muta?”

Ragnar answered without hesitation.

“He is.”

Gojo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Then the curse user’s identity, and the cursed spirit’s identity…”

Ragnar said,

“Special grade curse user—Kenjaku. Special grade cursed spirit—Mahito.”

The name Kenjaku made Gojo seem to remember something.

“Kenjaku… Kenjaku…”

He tapped a finger against his knee.

“I remember. You mentioned him to me before.”

“That’s right.”

Ragnar’s voice remained steady.

“He is a curse user who has lived from the Nara period to the present day.”

Gojo fell silent for a moment, recalling the long-lived sorcerer Ragnar had once told him about.

Then Ragnar said,

“The curse user Kokichi Muta is colluding with is him.”