Chapter 172 (Patreon)

“Guh—!”

Yuta Okkotsu stared in disbelief at the figure holding Kenjaku in place.

That person was...

“A Mirror Image.”

Kenjaku slowly spread his arms. Behind him, Mirror Images of Yuta and Choso emerged from the gathering cursed energy.

Whoosh!

Yamato descended in a flash, but Suguru Geto’s Mirror Image swiftly leaped backward and avoided the blade.

“Impressive. So this is Tengen’s cursed technique.” Kenjaku smiled. “To think my old friend concealed such a remarkable technique simply because maintaining the pure barriers demanded so much of them... What a waste.”

One application of Tengen’s cursed technique absorbed the cursed energy lingering across the battlefield and used it to create a corresponding Mirror Image.

However, only three types of Mirror Images could be maintained at once. Attempting to create more would disrupt the flow of cursed energy and cause the technique to collapse.

The recreated Mirror Images were also unable to perform Domain Expansion or use cursed techniques that directly affected the soul.

“Hm? So it can’t reproduce Okkotsu’s katana.”

Kenjaku studied Yuta’s Mirror Image. Both of its hands were empty.

Even without Yamato, however, Yuta’s Copy remained an exceedingly troublesome cursed technique.

“Don’t move!”

The command struck instantly.

Suguru Geto and Yuta Okkotsu were both immobilized by the Mirror Image’s Cursed Speech.

“Die!”

Yuta issued his own command at almost the exact same moment.

A violent explosion erupted in front of him.

Crackle—

The Mirror Image caught within the range of his Cursed Speech began to distort, its form breaking apart as the cursed energy composing it fell into disarray.

However, the disruption lasted only briefly. Its body soon stabilized.

“Cursed Spirit Manipulation!”

Geto’s Mirror Image activated its technique, and hundreds of Grade 1 cursed spirits poured out from behind it.

“So it can’t reproduce special-grade cursed spirits. At least that’s some good news.”

The moment Geto saw his own Mirror Image using Cursed Spirit Manipulation, his expression stiffened. If it had also been capable of summoning his special-grade cursed spirits, the two of them might truly have fallen here.

“A small mercy in the middle of this disaster.”

“Your cursed technique is Copy. Can you copy the technique he’s using?”

Geto continued exchanging blows with his Mirror Image as he spoke.

“Probably not. It isn’t that Copy itself won’t work. The problem is that any copied technique that approaches him is dismantled into pure cursed energy.”

Yuta had already tested it. The moment the cursed technique he copied entered Kenjaku’s vicinity, its structure was forcibly broken down.

“Damn it... Does that mean he wasn’t even fighting seriously back in Shibuya?”

The Mirror Images possessed all the information and abilities of their originals, but they were still imitations.

After holding out against Yuta and Geto for a short while, their bodies finally lost their shape and dissolved back into cursed energy.

“I’ve played with you long enough.”

Leaving those words behind, Kenjaku disappeared before their eyes.

“Wait!”

Yuta had no intention of allowing him to escape. However, within Tengen’s absolute spatial barrier, even he could not accurately determine Kenjaku’s location.

“He got away.”

——————

Meanwhile—

Kenjaku appeared just as Sukuna was about to be killed.

“I can’t have you dying before the final stage of the plan.”

“Kenjaku...?”

“You are the protagonist of this world, after all.”

Only the upper half of Sukuna’s body remained. Kenjaku seized him and forcibly pulled him away from the battlefield.

After invoking the Covenant of Uka, Gojo’s cursed energy had been severely depleted.

His strength left him, and his body plummeted to the ground.

Somewhere far from the battlefield—

“That was close, Sukuna.”

Kenjaku dropped heavily onto the ground and looked at the bisected Sukuna beside him.

“On the verge of death, Satoru Gojo awakened an even greater power within the Six Eyes.” Sukuna spoke without the slightest hesitation. “This time, I truly lost.”

Kenjaku waved the matter aside.

“It doesn’t matter. A single person’s victory proves nothing. As long as you and Yuji Itadori remain alive, this world will inevitably be destroyed.”

“The conditions have been met?”

Sukuna’s bisected body began to regenerate under the effects of the Reverse Cursed Technique.

Kenjaku produced the Prison Realm and the Prison Realm: Back Gate.

“I never imagined that sacrificing a single body would be enough to place both of these special-grade cursed objects in my hands. Together, they possess the power to place a curse upon the world itself.”

“In that case, I’ll find Yuji Itadori’s soul first.”

The corner of Sukuna’s mouth rose slightly.

There had been several deviations from their original plan, but everything was still moving steadily toward their ultimate objective.

“Sukuna, Yuji Itadori’s existence is indispensable if we want this plan to succeed.”

Sukuna glanced at Kenjaku before closing all four of his eyes.

“Lord Sukuna.”

Uraume arrived moments later.

Kenjaku looked over at them.

“Remain at Sukuna’s side. I need to combine these two special-grade cursed objects into one.”

Uraume nodded.

“Understood.”

——————

Within the Innate Domain—

“Yuji Itadori... I finally understand why you were able to suppress my soul.”

“SUKUNA!”

From within this place, Yuji could clearly see everything Sukuna had done in the outside world.

A single Domain Expansion had already slaughtered more people than he could count.

“Bow your head, brat.”

Yuji ignored him. Cursed energy gathered around his fist as he charged straight at Sukuna.

“Don’t waste your strength.”

Sukuna did not even need to raise a hand.

Yuji’s attack could not break through the immense cursed energy surrounding him.

“Inside you, I can sense traces of the soul left behind by my twin brother.” Sukuna studied him with all four eyes. “You must be one of his descendants.”

“His descendant?”

Yuji froze at those words.

The next instant, an unseen force struck him and sent him flying.

“But none of that matters now.” Sukuna’s smile widened. “Tell me, Yuji... can you kill?”

Yuji crashed against the edge of the Innate Domain and coughed up several mouthfuls of blood.

“What... are you talking about?”

Sukuna smiled faintly and snapped his fingers.

The world around them changed in an instant.

A battlefield from a thousand years ago unfolded before Yuji, upon the land that would eventually become Tokyo.

Edo—or rather, the land that would one day bear that name.

“This is... a battlefield?”

Sukuna appeared behind him.

“This land will eventually become Edo. In your era, you call it Tokyo.”

“KILL!”

A thunderous roar shook the battlefield.

At its center stood the Sukuna of a thousand years ago.

Countless cursed techniques surged toward him from every direction.

“Wait! Stop!” Yuji shouted desperately. “Don’t charge him! You’ll die!”

Yuji knew how powerful Sukuna was.

Killing all those people would be no more difficult for him than cutting down grass.

“Domain Expansion.”

Sukuna brought his hands together.

“Malevolent Shrine.”

One second later—

The battlefield surrounding Sukuna fell silent.

More than ten thousand sorcerers had been cut apart in a single instant.

Blood flowed like a river, and countless corpses lay scattered across the ruined land.

Sukuna sat upon a throne of flesh and blood, exposing the absolute malice he harbored toward humanity.

“Well?”

“Do you... really hate humanity that much?”

Yuji clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms. As he looked upon the tens of thousands who had died in a single instant, the fury within him threatened to consume everything else.

“Humanity has no right to continue existing in this world,” Sukuna declared. “Humans are creatures ruled by selfishness. For food and resources, they will plunder everything before them—even from those of their own kind.”

“You’re only looking at the worst of humanity. Why refuse to acknowledge that humans are capable of love as well?”

Yuji raised his head and met Sukuna’s gaze.

“Humanity has protected and carried countless lives forward. There are plenty of people who oppose war, pillage, and murder.”

As Sukuna gazed at Yuji, the corners of his mouth slowly curved upward.

Just as I thought...

Yuji Itadori, you truly are the finest vessel.

Only someone with such an unshakable attachment to humanity could serve that purpose.

“Love is the strongest curse.”