Chapter 67: Are You Yuji Itadori or Ryomen Sukuna?
As the ghostly blue flames on the Cursed Spirit's body burned out, the Gáe Bolg, which had existed for mere seconds, began to crumble from tip to end.
This was the world's correction mechanism; it fundamentally erases things that shouldn't exist, and the rule holds true even in this world of Cursed Energy.
Before the demonic spear completely disintegrated, Emiya used the remaining tip to lightly flick the 'finger' at the top. The finger spun a few times in the air and was precisely caught in his hand.
"How disgusting..."
The finger, which looked like it was cut from a desiccated corpse, had black fingernails and faint, grotesque patterns etched on it. It was hard to imagine what the original body of Ryomen Sukuna, possessing such fingers, must have looked like.
Yet, this finger felt surprisingly heavy. Its surface was cold, but malicious Cursed Energy constantly leaked from within. It was no wonder it had the effect of attracting Cursed Spirits and was classified as a dangerous object.
"But it's tough to this extent? Not even the Gáe Bolg could damage it? Or..."
Emiya was more inclined to believe that the concept of the 'heart' was stripped away the moment the finger was separated from the Cursed Spirit's body.
Meanwhile, Fushiguro, witnessing the scene, was left slack-jawed, his mouth seemingly broken.
"A Special Grade Cursed Spirit was... exterminated in one strike?"
Even though the Jujutsu world operates on the concept of Grade 1 versus Grade 1, and Special Grade versus Special Grade, and publicly claims that a Grade 1 Sorcerer can 100% exorcise a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, reality isn't a game or a set of data.
Every Grade 1 Sorcerer has strengths and weaknesses, and Cursed Spirits are not like NPCs in a game, using only the same Cursed Technique and abilities.
Special Grade Sorcerer is merely a title the Jujutsu world bestows upon those with super-standard strength and is not counted within the normal grading system. Thus, some experienced and powerful Grade 1 Sorcerers are perfectly capable of single-handedly exorcising a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
However, Fushiguro had only ever seen someone do it with such ease on one person: the true 'Strongest' of the Jujutsu world, Satoru Gojo.
"Ah? You don't have to be so surprised, Fushiguro. I actually gave it my all and only barely managed to achieve this effect." Emiya noticed Fushiguro's shock and offered this reassurance.
He wasn't lying.
The true name release of a Noble Phantasm requires a massive amount of magical energy, and a type like Gáe Bolg consumes just as much energy during its creation.
This makes it a thankless effort for Emiya.
This is why Emiya Emiya usually uses Broken Phantasm—which directly destroys the Noble Phantasm—in combat, rather than True Name Release, which theoretically achieves a better result. If he hadn't been so pressed for time, Emiya would not have chosen to waste a precious Noble Phantasm on a Cursed Spirit like this.
"No, it's alright, Emiya-sensei. Don't worry about how I feel.
The stronger you are in this situation, the happier I should be. It means Itadori has a greater chance of being rescued.
The Divine Dog will lead you there. Please, go."
Even with his high emotional fluctuation, Fushiguro hadn't forgotten his primary goal: to quickly rescue Yuji Itadori, who was still confronting the Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
"Understood. Leave it to me."
Emiya also wasted no words. After nodding, he turned and followed the Divine Dog toward the depths of the Domain.
Only when Emiya's figure gradually disappeared into the distance did Fushiguro finally let out a sigh of relief. If Gojo-sensei were here, he'd probably have to say a bunch of unnecessary things. But it was precisely because of Emiya's straightforwardness that Fushiguro felt even more reassured.
.
.
.
"Just leave their bodies here. I don′t want to risk my life to save a few corpses. They′re just a bunch of hopeless scumbags."
"Masaki Okazaki, this guy killed a little girl on her way home from school while driving without a license, and it was his second time driving without a license."
"You want to save many people and let them die properly, right? But what if the people you save end up harming others in the future?"
For some reason, Yuji Itadori suddenly recalled these words Megumi Fushiguro had said to him not long ago.
It was probably because he was close to death. His right palm was completely severed, and his left hand had lost all its fingers.
However, the fighting style Emiya-sensei taught him was still very useful.
He had successfully landed an elbow strike on the Cursed Spirit's face after his fists had become useless, knocking out two of the creature's front teeth. The price, however, was that he had now lost his left leg, and the possibility of escape no longer existed.
He didn't want to die... Or rather, perhaps no one in this world truly wants to die... Even he, who chose this dangerous path, was the same.
In his near-death state, Yuji Itadori couldn't help but remember the words his grandfather had said before passing away.
Indeed, without those words, he might not have so resolutely stepped into the Jujutsu world.
But the Principal was also right... if he truly continued to use his grandfather's words as his guiding principle, wouldn't he, now on the brink of death because of it, still end up resenting his grandfather?
That would be too pathetic...
'Don't want to die, don't want to die, don't want to die...'
But even thinking this, he would still die in this situation, wouldn't he?
Was this kind of death correct for him?
No. Since he was going to die anyway, even if it wasn't correct to begin with, he absolutely had to make it correct!
Looking at the Cursed Spirit approaching with a grin, Yuji Itadori silently made up his mind. Even if he died, he had to take a piece of flesh out of this Cursed Spirit!!
"Hee?"
Closer, closer, closer... then all that's left is to!
Thump!
Huh... Wha...?
Just as Yuji Itadori was about to pour his last ounce of strength into a fatal strike, a sudden feeling of cardiac arrest came over him, immediately plunging his entire consciousness into the depths.
Black markings quickly spread across his body, and two subtle slits inexplicably appeared beneath his original eye corners. A new pair of eyes opened there.
"What is this situation... resonance? Did a finger have a problem somewhere?"
He was no longer Yuji Itadori, but the King of Curses from a thousand years ago, Ryomen Sukuna. Even if his fingers, soul, and power were divided into twenty parts, they were still ultimately one body—if one part had a problem, the remaining parts would sense it.
"This dying sensation is truly unpleasant..."
Sukuna frowned, then quickly dismissed the thought—something that couldn't be resolved by mere thinking—and instead looked up at the Special Grade Cursed Spirit, which had abruptly taken a step back.
Its senses were quite sharp, but Sukuna had no interest in the creature.
"But in this situation, that brat won't be able to switch back for a while, will he?"
A highly aggressive smile appeared on Sukuna's face, and his missing limbs rapidly regenerated under his manipulation. Reverse Cursed Technique—he was quite proficient in that.
"Let's go. We'll slaughter all those brats."
He spoke, treating the Special Grade Cursed Spirit in front of him as a slave he could command, without asking if the other party agreed.
The Special Grade Cursed Spirit briefly pondered with its primitive brain, then suddenly retreated and began condensing a concentrated mass of Cursed Energy in its palm. Regardless of the transformation of the prey in front of it, the conclusion the Cursed Spirit reached was that it could still annihilate the opponent just as it had been doing moments ago.
But before the attack could be released, a third voice suddenly appeared in the area.
"Something's not right. I was a step too late...
Are you Yuji Itadori or Ryomen Sukuna?"
Emiya's figure appeared on a high pipe opening, and his tone was decidedly cold, as if he were ready to attack at any moment.
"Eh... Eh?!"
The first to react wasn't Ryomen Sukuna, but the Special Grade Cursed Spirit, which was conveniently caught between the two. Its head rapidly swiveled to Emiya, then rapidly swiveled back to Ryomen Sukuna. Its primitive brain couldn't possibly conceive of this situation.
Could it be that they were working together, and it was the one being hunted—the prey?
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