"It seems they couldn't wait any longer. Are you sure you don't need me to go in with you?" Daniel Davis asked.
As Daniel, Gojo Satoru, and Kokichi Muta arrived at Shibuya Station, they were immediately confronted with the enemy's conditions: Gojo must enter the fifth basement level of Shibuya Station alone within a set time frame. If he failed to do so, they would begin slaughtering the civilians trapped inside the veil covering the station.
A massive veil now loomed before them, enveloping the entirety of Shibuya Station. Given Shibuya's bustling nature, the station was packed with people. Judging by the size of the veil, it had trapped thousands of civilians inside, taking them hostage. The enemy clearly wasn't concerned about Gojo refusing to comply—even if he knew it was a trap, their plan was a blatant challenge he couldn't ignore.
"There's no need for that. Let's stick to the original plan. I'm counting on you here," Gojo replied, stepping toward the veil. His final words weren't directed at Daniel but at Principal Masamichi Yaga, who had joined them.
Gojo's plan wasn't something that could be executed by just him and Daniel. In fact, Yaga and the other sorcerers had been informed in advance and were critical to its success. Over the years, Gojo had been steadily building his own faction. While he had made little progress within the Jujutsu higher-ups, his reputation among frontline sorcerers was unmatched. Nearly 70% of active frontline sorcerers were loyal to Gojo.
The reason Gojo hadn't acted on his reform plans earlier was the entrenched power of the Jujutsu higher-ups, many of whom were from the Big Three Families, including his own Gojo Clan. In truth, Daniel's arrival had only accelerated Gojo's resolve to initiate these reforms. Even without Daniel, change was inevitable. The reason was simple: the current heirs of the Big Three Families were largely unremarkable, with many of their most talented descendants belonging to branch families rather than the main bloodlines.
For instance, Megumi Fushiguro from the Zen'in family and Noritoshi Kamo from the Kamo family were both from branch lines and held little regard for their respective main families. Although noble clans sought to maintain their legacies, innate talent couldn't be controlled. Resources meant little if someone lacked the aptitude to wield them. In contrast, the civilian population, though mostly untalented, was vast enough that extraordinary individuals occasionally emerged.
While Gojo was immensely powerful, there was always the possibility of someone even more gifted being born in the future.
"For now, Shibuya has four veils in place. We need to destroy the outer ones and rescue the people trapped inside," Yaga explained, providing Daniel and Kokichi with a brief rundown of the situation after Gojo entered the veil.
Among the four veils, one was particularly problematic: sorcerers couldn't enter it, and it contained the majority of the trapped civilians. Since sorcerers were unable to directly intervene, saving the people inside wouldn't be easy. Under normal circumstances, veils could be destroyed by pooling the efforts of several sorcerers. However, these veils had been reinforced and specialized. With Gojo occupied, they had no choice but to rely on other sorcerers to break them.
Due to geographic proximity, only sorcerers from Tokyo Jujutsu High were immediately available to take action. Sorcerers from Kyoto Jujutsu High were also en route, but they needed more time to arrive. Fortunately, experienced sorcerers like Nanami Kento and Mei Mei were present, making up for the shortage of personnel.
Soon, Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, and others arrived. Under Yaga's guidance, the group was quickly divided into pairs, with some tasked with destroying the veils and others with rescuing civilians. Even the auxiliary supervisors and window users were mobilized to their fullest extent. Shoko Ieiri also joined the effort, though, as a medic, she remained in the rear, accompanied by Yaga for protection to prevent any potential attacks on her.
"You stay here. I'll go check on the others," Daniel told Kokichi, nodding before heading off in the direction of Yuji and Megumi. His Observation Haki had sensed that the two seemed to be in trouble. Gojo had specifically entrusted Daniel with their safety.
"Looks like you're in a bit of a bind here," Daniel remarked as he arrived at the scene. From atop a 40-story building near the veil, he saw Megumi summon Nue and carry Yuji as they leapt off the rooftop. Close behind them, an elderly, bald sorcerer jumped off as well.
"Is this a mass suicide?" Daniel mused, puzzled by the sight. While jujutsu sorcerers were strong, their physical bodies weren't invincible. Falling from such a height would have turned most people into pulp, even someone as gifted as Yuji. Megumi had Nue to ensure a safe landing, but the old man seemed to be jumping without any precautions.
The younger man accompanying the old sorcerer, however, seemed more reasonable. Rather than falling freely, he ran along the side of the building, descending safely but more slowly. Meanwhile, an old woman, likely another enemy, chose to descend via the elevator instead.
"Impressive. It's rare to see cursed users with this kind of skill," Daniel commented as he observed the situation.
Once the four combatants reached the ground, the fight immediately split into two one-on-one duels. To Daniel's surprise, both Yuji and Megumi were being overwhelmed. While Megumi struggling made sense—his opponent was a skilled, experienced cursed user—it was unexpected to see Yuji in the same predicament.
Yuji was a prodigy in physical combat. Even if he struggled against Special Grade curses in a one-on-one fight, he should have dominated most human opponents in hand-to-hand combat. After all, Yuji had been able to punch through walls even before he learned to use cursed energy. In pure physicality, he even outmatched Maki Zen'in, who was herself a master of hand-to-hand combat.
"Well, well, these youngsters are quite remarkable," the bald old man fighting Megumi remarked with a chuckle. His tone betrayed his surprise at how well the two young sorcerers were holding up.
Meanwhile, the elderly woman who had taken the elevator observed the battle from the sidelines. Her gaze fixated on Yuji and Megumi, and a cold, murderous intent flickered in her eyes.
"One Gojo Satoru has already forced us into hiding for years. If we let these two grow, we'll be running until our deaths," she muttered to herself, her expression darkening.
While Daniel marveled at Yuji and Megumi's resilience, the old woman was even more shocked. Despite Yuji's injuries, he had yet to fall, and his determination was unyielding.
Yuji's opponent, however, was no ordinary man. He was none other than Toji Fushiguro, the infamous sorcerer killer. Although Toji had been defeated by Gojo, his legend persisted, with many in the Zen'in family and Jujutsu High lamenting his death, believing he could have been a counterbalance to Gojo's overwhelming power.
What they failed to understand was that Toji's success against Gojo was only due to the latter's incomplete mastery of his abilities at the time. Once Gojo awakened, he eliminated Toji with little effort. This wasn't a testament to Toji's weakness but rather to Gojo's overwhelming strength.
Still, Toji was a fearsome figure. He had defeated Special Grade curses like Dagon in their own domains—a feat few could achieve.
"Being a protagonist comes with its fair share of beatings," Daniel muttered as he continued observing the battle. Seeing that Yuji and Megumi weren't in immediate danger, he decided to hold off on intervening for now.
"Old man, let's switch targets and finish this quickly," the elderly woman, known as Sanbaiba, called out to the bald sorcerer.
"Got it. These youngsters are tougher than expected," the bald man replied, nodding in agreement.
Seeing the cursed users preparing to switch targets, Daniel knew he had to act. For Megumi, facing Yuji's opponent—a powerhouse in physical combat—would be disastrous. As a summoner-type fighter, Megumi's greatest weakness was close-range combat against powerful physical opponents.
"Go kill him, my grandson," Sanbaiba ordered the younger man. He kicked Yuji aside with ease before charging toward Megumi with incredible speed. His right fist, brimming with destructive energy, was aimed directly at Megumi's head.
"Watch out, Megumi!" Yuji shouted, his voice filled with urgency as he struggled to recover from the kick.
At the same time, Daniel prepared to step in. The force behind the punch might leave Yuji with minor injuries, but for Megumi, it would mean severe damage or worse.
But just as the young man's punch was about to connect, he suddenly froze mid-charge, his body stopping as if held by an unseen force. He muttered something under his breath, his expression filled with confusion.
"Sanbaiba, what's happening?" the bald sorcerer demanded, his face twisting in alarm.
"I don't know! This shouldn't be happening!" Sanbaiba's voice trembled as she clutched the prayer beads in her hands, furiously reciting incantations.
"What's your name?" the young man asked Megumi, his tone unexpectedly calm as he stood still.
"Fushiguro Megumi," Megumi replied
, cautiously summoning the Special Grade cursed tool Playful Cloud from the shadows beneath his feet. He had recently figured out how to store weapons in his shadow, allowing him to carry powerful cursed tools without hindrance.
"Tiger, are you okay?" Megumi called out to Yuji as he tossed Playful Cloud to him. The tri-section staff's unique trait was that its power increased with the user's strength, making it ideal for someone like Yuji.
After ensuring Yuji was armed, Megumi signaled to him with a glance before forming a hand seal, preparing to deploy his domain expansion.
During a life-or-death battle not long ago, Megumi had learned to manifest his domain, though it was still incomplete. It consumed a great deal of cursed energy, but the current situation left him no choice.
Just as Megumi was about to activate his domain, the young man let out a sudden laugh. "Fushiguro, not Zen'in? This is perfect!"
"What?" Megumi froze, his hand seal incomplete, as the realization hit him.
The young man continued, his demeanor now eerily calm. "Sanbaiba, how strange. I wasn't supposed to regain my soul. Did you make a mistake?"
"Impossible! I only summoned your body, not your soul!" Sanbaiba stammered, her voice shaking with fear.
"Well, it seems my body was strong enough to bring my soul back. Bad luck for you," the young man—now fully claiming the identity of Toji Fushiguro—said with a chilling smile as he turned to face Sanbaiba and the bald sorcerer.
For the cursed users, it was a smile from hell.
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American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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