"Here, what's sealed are the dreams of humanity."
Even in this situation, Dakotsu kept its usual manner of speaking. After wiping the blood from the corner of its mouth, it sat down casually on the ground.
Its original plan had been to kill Mukuro alone. Then it would follow Kenjaku's scheme and overturn the entire world, creating a new one without humans.
But after only a few exchanges, it had already realized that it was most likely not a match. So while its body was still in good condition, it used the Prison Realm and trapped both of them inside.
From the very beginning, it had never planned to leave alive.
Yet in truth, it did not hate humans.
During the earlier fight it had never rushed into the crowd and used them as shields like Jogo and Hanami. The humans it swallowed were all unharmed.
It simply felt that humans were too tired.
It did not want to see dreams trampled again. It did not want the bold ambitions of youth to slowly turn into a sigh in the dead of the night.
Those negative feelings might fade from human hearts, but as time passed they piled up in the world.
That was how Dakotsu was born.
It carried the sorrow of every abandoned dream and every goal that could never be reached.
"You really dared to do it…"
Mukuro did not attack immediately. Instead, he swung his trident hard at the disgusting writhing things around them.
But it had no effect. The skull-faced masses reformed the moment they were cut apart. They were not living beings, only tools created by the internal barrier to restrain and analyze the sealed target.
"Give up. Even though this is called a 'living barrier,' it's still different from a normal one."
Dakotsu thought he was trying to escape and spoke to remind him.
The Prison Realm was not like ordinary barriers. Once it closed, it could only be opened from the outside. Breaking out from within was impossible, even for Mukuro, who was almost never affected by barrier techniques.
Simply put, a normal barrier was like a door. Based on its conditions, some people could push it open and enter, while others could not.
But the Prison Realm was a door only from the outside.
From the inside, it was an indestructible wall.
Time flowed differently here. One day outside could mean years within.
"I'm not trying to escape. I just don't like looking at these things."
Since he could not destroy them, Mukuro activated the Naraka Path and turned the grotesque masses into a field of flowers.
The Prison Realm might be able to trap him, but that did not mean it definitely could. Preparing for both possibilities had always been his habit.
Let that old turtle laugh for now. It doesn't matter.
"But since you chose this path, you've already prepared to die, right?"
He turned and looked at Dakotsu, who was sitting on the ground.
"Of course. No matter what, I want to fight you. Even if it means death."
Because of its nature, Dakotsu could clearly feel it. That strange power his opponent had, the ability to turn fantasy into reality, the power to make dreams come true.
As an abandoned dream, it wanted to reach that unknown "truth."
"As you wish."
Their figures blurred. Trident and sword clashed once more inside the Prison Realm.
* * *
Elsewhere, Tokyo, the fifth basement floor of Shibuya Station.
"I really have to hand it to your old bones. You even managed to dig up an antique like that from who knows where."
Satoru stood frozen in place. His tone was full of mockery, and the disgust on his face was obvious.
Although he disliked the Gojo clan, as its current head he knew the ability of the Spirit-Sheltering Cage.
After Michizane Sugawara truly died, his body turned into a special grade cursed tool. Very few people knew this. The information about it was a secret of the Gojo clan.
Because its ability created a barrier through bloodline connection, targeting only Michizane's descendants, by abandoning a wide range of targets its barrier became overwhelmingly strong. Once activated, the moment a descendant's eyes met the eye on the curse, an invisible barrier formed. The locked target could not get out, and others could not harm him.
However…
"If I walk out after one minute, won't you be the one in trouble?"
Satoru's voice carried a teasing tone.
The Spirit-Sheltering Cage had originally been used by Michizane to judge good and evil among his descendants. The evil would be trapped by a powerful barrier. The good would receive all of his understanding of jujutsu and could leave after absorbing it.
But once the inheritance was complete, the cursed object would lose its effect and disappear. No one knew its standard for judging good and evil, so it had never been used.
More than four hundred years ago, it was lost during the tragedy between the Gojo and Zenin clans.
He had never expected it to appear here in this way.
"That's why this is a gamble. Victory or defeat will be decided by fate," Kenjaku replied with a smile.
He had waited a thousand years for this chance. There was a clear possibility of success. Only a fool would not gamble.
"Too bad. I don't know how you tricked that heterochromatic bastard back to Kyoto, but he'll never let you off."
Satoru knew he could not break free soon. He could only throw out a threat using Mukuro's name.
"As for that—"
Boom!
Kenjaku had just frowned when a talisman in his pocket suddenly burned to ash.
"Hehehe. No need to worry. He was sealed before you. With the Prison Realm."
That was the signal from Kyoto. He had told them to bring a small flyhead curse. If the plan succeeded, they were to crush it. Otherwise, keep it hidden in the vine sphere.
Now the plan was proceeding perfectly.
"What—"
"Well, let's end the chat here. If we wait any longer, something unexpected might happen."
Just as Satoru was about to question him, Kenjaku snapped his fingers. The Spirit-Sheltering Cage swallowed him whole.
"But this thing is like a ticking time bomb…"
Jogo and the others had finally recovered from Unlimited Void. Looking at the special grade cursed tool on the ground, he did not even dare to pick it up.
"There's nothing to fear. Even a genius among geniuses can't get out quickly. And our goal was never to kill him. Think about it. This is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. First, bring Sukuna's vessel. Then… let's make as much chaos as we want."
Kenjaku spread his arms as if embracing the coming unknown world.
And so, the two special grade sorcerers known as "the strongest" were sealed.
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