At this moment, the underground platform of Shibuya Station was packed three layers deep inside and out, stacked with people, all of whom were ordinary civilians.
There were at least two thousand people squeezed into this narrow space, making it incredibly stuffy and hot.
Because there were man-eating monsters committing massacres on the floors above, all these humans had gathered here to take refuge.
"What is the Japanese Government doing?"
The air was thick with the scent of fear. In the darkness, people wearing bizarre costumes for the Halloween Party Event started cursing and complaining.
"Why haven't they come to save us yet?"
But this situation was deliberately orchestrated by the mastermind, solely to deal with a certain man.
"Excuse me, move aside."
Suddenly, a voice completely different from the majority of the people rang out from the crowd—a voice filled with confidence and ease.
"Pardon me."
Every time this man's voice sounded, a complaining person would shut their mouth, because their mouth had just been stepped on by a large foot.
This guy wasn't moving through the crowd by pushing; instead, he was stepping on the heads of people in his path, walking out step by step with an arrogant gait.
This highly detestable man was dressed head-to-toe in a black uniform, revealing his tall, slender physique. Where his eyes should have been, a black bandage was wrapped.
It gave the impression that he was blind.
His hair was silver-white and highly lustrous; even in the dark, his hair could be seen sparkling.
This outfit might have seemed quite strange on any normal day.
But since today was Halloween, he didn't stand out in the crowd.
Then, with a single leap, he reached the edge of the platform and seemed to jump down.
But surprisingly, the man did not fall due to the effects of gravity.
Instead, he stood suspended in the air in a remarkably relaxed posture.
This man was the one on whom the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association placed high hopes—the man who allowed all Jujutsu Sorcerer to slack off.
Gojo Satoru
The guy Kenmyo considered a workhorse for the Jujutsu Sorcerer Association.
"Dagon's Cursed Energy signature has vanished."
For a Cursed Spirit, this essentially meant it was dead.
Although small in stature, the Cursed Energy emanating from him was like a volcano about to erupt.
The temperature in the air of the underground platform instantly rose by about ten degrees, becoming even more stiflingly hot.
A gurgling sound, similar to boiling water, emerged from the volcano on Jogo's head, but it was actually the magma inside boiling.
"Crackling."
The sound of the Cursed Spirit clenching its fists was unspoken, yet it clearly conveyed the depth of its rage.
"Damn humans."
Jogo's single eye was bloodshot, and his entire body, which was originally a pale green, began to turn purple.
He was livid.
"It should have been exactly as this old man said before.
Jogo spoke very loudly, as if interrogating someone.
"When Dagon activated his Domain, we should have gone to support him together."
"We would have killed the enemy as fast as possible, and upon returning, we could have seamlessly transitioned to facing Gojo Satoru."
"But you told us to wait."
"Now look what happened! We haven't even fought Gojo Satoru yet, and we've already lost a Special Grade Cursed Spirit."
Jogo was extremely agitated.
Just as humans feel immense sadness when they lose a friend, they, too, experience grief.
"This is all due to your misjudgment, Suguru Geto."
The furious Jogo, if he hadn't been too short, would have jumped up to grab Suguru Geto's collar and properly interrogate him.
"In your plan, what exactly are we?"
"Are we just disposable consumables?"
Standing beside Jogo were three other Cursed Spirits, two of whom were humanoid.
He had fair skin, looked listless, bore a scar on his forehead, had a black paper strip affixed to the bridge of his nose, and wore traditional Japanese attire, giving the impression of a human who had stepped out of the last century.
This guy was also a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, the eldest of the nine children of the famous Cursed Womb: Death Painting. This was Choso after Incarnation, leaning silently against the wall.
Beside him was a figure who looked like a human who had undergone full-body stitching surgery; every patch of skin seemed to be a different color, yet the face was extremely feminine and delicate.
This was Mahito. Ultimate Mechamaru, which Kenmyo had previously salvaged, was destroyed by him. This guy seemed uninterested in Jogo's outburst and was busy examining his fingers.
There was one more Cursed Spirit, also humanoid, colored a ghastly white and covered in purple tattoos.
However, two branched tree roots extended from its eye sockets, replacing its eyes. It wore a backpack-style bundle of clothing, making it look quite bizarre.
This was Hanami, a product born from humanity's fear of forests.
Judging by the aura they leaked, all of them were Special Grade without exception.
Moreover, two of them were considered quite high-ranking among Special Grade Cursed Spirits, reaching the A-rank in Kenmyo's classification.
At this moment, although they remained silent, they wholeheartedly agreed with Jogo's words internally.
Cursed Spirits know they will never be as clever as humans, which is why they were temporarily cooperating with the human before them.
But there was one premise they understood clearly: the trust between them was thinner than a sheet of white paper.
Therefore, anything that jeopardized their mutual trust had to be resolved immediately, or the group would fall apart.
Losing Dagon, a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, was a significant loss.
Furthermore, even the outer Curtain had been broken, meaning Jujutsu Sorcerer could stream in continuously. At that point, they would be facing more than just Gojo Satoru alone.
The most frustrating part was that they hadn't even seen the enemy's face, making it ridiculous that they didn't know who was responsible.
It could be said that Kenmyo alone had practically shattered Suguru Geto's plan.
Now, they even doubted whether their plan could continue, and whether they should still follow Suguru Geto's instructions was a question that needed reconsideration.
Suguru Geto's expression was equally grim, and the hands tucked into his wide sleeves were now tightly clenched.
However, he wasn't angry because a Cursed Spirit had died; he was angry because these Cursed Spirits dared to challenge him.
"How disgusting."
"They are just Cursed Spirits, yet they talk about being 'partners' and playing 'friend games.' It's truly nauseating."
"Just an insignificant Cursed Spirit. If it's dead, it's dead."
Suguru Geto forcibly suppressed his rage.
"My apologies."
Therefore, Geto Suguru displayed a sincere expression of regret.
"Dagon's death was caused by my misjudgment."
"I will not shirk my responsibility for this."
"However, I ask that you consider the bigger picture and temporarily refrain from acting impulsively based on emotion."
"The overall situation must take priority."
Suguru Geto feigned a look of deep sorrow as he spoke to the Cursed Spirits before him.
"For the sake of our grand ambition, all sacrifices are unavoidable."
"Now, quickly follow the pre-planned trajectory of the mission and seal Gojo Satoru."
"Postpone the matter of revenge for now. Once Gojo Satoru is dealt with, everything else will be easy."
Although Jogo remained silent, he had vaguely managed to convince himself.
This was evident from the volcano on his head; the darkness inside was churning, looking as if the fire had been extinguished.
"This old man understands."
Jogo took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
After a moment of silence, he finally said:
"If we encounter the person who killed Dagon later, I will strike first."
"No one is allowed to steal my chance."
"Of course. I have no objection. What about the rest of you?"
The remaining Special Grade Cursed Spirits also had no objection.
"Then let us move."
Seeing that the emotions of these Cursed Spirits had been suppressed, Suguru Geto breathed a sigh of relief.
"Begin according to the predetermined plan. It has started."
"Whoosh!" "Whoosh!" "Whoosh!"
Three slender beams of bloody light shot straight out of the darkness, possessing penetrating power no less than a high-pressure water cutter capable of slicing granite.
However, these three beams were completely intercepted before they even reached the intended area, creating a sizzling sound as they rubbed against the air.
Furthermore, these attacks were now relatively stationary. Once stopped, it became clear that they were not light beams but arrows formed from highly compressed blood.
It looked somewhat like the ancestral secret technique of the Kamo Family, one of The Big Three Families: Blood Manipulation.
"Are you here, Cursed Spirits?"
Gojo Satoru strolled casually along the railway tracks, flanked by layers upon layers of people squeezed onto the platforms like meat patties.
He wasn't bothered in the slightest by the attack directed at him.
"If this is all the attack amounts to, it won't be enough to defeat me."
Now, four Cursed Spirits emerged from the darkness in front of Gojo Satoru.
They were precisely the Special Grade Cursed Spirits who had previously been conferring with Geto Suguru.
Four Special Grade Cursed Spirits were facing Gojo Satoru, but they felt this force was barely enough and might not guarantee complete victory, so it was time to deploy some petty tricks.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't do anything unnecessary."
Gojo Satoru felt the fluctuation of Cursed Energy. He looked up and saw that the entrance he had used was being covered by a considerable amount of wood. Even the distant ventilation shafts were densely clogged with branches.
"There's no need. I won't run away."
"If I ran, you would kill all the humans here, right?"
"Run? Kill all the humans?"
Jogo, the foremost of the four Cursed Spirits, also let out a disdainful sneer.
Suguru Geto had previously discussed with Jogo
when Gojo Satoru was at his strongest.
The answer was when he was alone.
Gojo Satoru was so powerful that he no longer needed any allies as helpers.
Allies would only become his shackles!
Gojo Satoru has three troublesome long-range Cursed Techniques: 'Blue' [Ao], 'Red' [Heki], and the most powerful one, the Cursed Technique with the greatest destructive force among active Jujutsu Sorcerer, 'Ci' [Thorn].
Each of these attacks, if it hits a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, would result in serious injury if not death.
Therefore, this subway station, densely packed and overflowing with humans, was the hostage meant to seal all three of his Cursed Techniques.
This severely limited Gojo Satoru's offensive options, allowing the Cursed Spirits to attack him without restraint.
"The answer is, whether you run or not, we will kill these people."
With a command from the group of Cursed Spirits, all the humans crowding the platform, jostling against each other, were forced down.
Because there were simply too many people on the platform, as soon as the subway station's protective gates opened, humans continuously streamed down.
A considerable number of humans fell right next to the Cursed Spirits. The scene was spectacular.
Jogo looked across the crowd at Gojo Satoru, its single eye displaying a mocking expression, and roaring flames appeared in its hand.
It gently touched a person who had just fallen beside Jogo, and instantly, that human burst into raging flames, gradually turning into a pile of ashes amidst frantic screams.
This was an undisguised act of provocation.
Gojo Satoru, who had just been smiling playfully, immediately understood the Cursed Spirits' intentions.
"I truly didn't expect you could be this stupid.
"Stupid enough to think of using this method against me."
Gojo Satoru's tone was icy cold.
He removed the blindfold tied over his eyes, glaring at the four Cursed Spirits before him. The killing intent in his Six Eyes was undisguised.
"You have truly angered me."
Above this area, at the entrance to Shibuya Station, stood two people.
"Is this the place?"
Kenmyo half-squatted on the ground, stroking the surface with his hand. Even without other means of detection, simply touching it with his fingers allowed him to clearly sense the continuous vibrations being transmitted from underground.
"Have they already started fighting?"
Holy moly, the fight is pretty intense.
"Let me be clear, I'm only helping you this one time."
Beside Kenmyo was Fushiguro Toji, holding the Soul Eater Blade. The lazy bum looked utterly listless, lacking any motivation.
Fushiguro Toji patted the back of his neck with the blunt side of the sword and spoke in a helpless tone.
"Just kill me when the time comes."
"You really are a strange fellow."
Kenmyo stood back up.
"Your son is already so grown up. He might be getting married soon, and then you'll have grandchildren."
"Don't you, as a grandfather, want to take a look?"
Fushiguro Toji said with a tone of disgust.
"I hate brats."
"I understand, I understand."
Kenmyo shrugged. If it weren't for how Fushiguro Toji acted during that time period, he might actually have believed him.
It's not like this guy's hypocrisy—hating something while his body does the opposite—is new.
"How do we get down?"
Fushiguro Toji asked.
"There are five underground levels down there, and it's winding like a labyrinth. We don't know how long it will take to walk through."
Previously, Kenmyo had given them the map of this area, acquired from the members of the Zen'in Squad. Thus, even Fushiguro Toji, who had been dead for decades, knew the underground structure.
"Why should we go around?"
Kenmyo countered Fushiguro Toji's question, looking at him as if he were an idiot.
"Don't you know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line?"
Fushiguro Toji gritted his teeth again, yet was unable to refute him.
"Damn it, this brat thinks I'm an idiot again."
"We should be directly above the lowest underground level."
Kenmyo hadn't taken Fushiguro Toji on a roundabout route to get here; he had planned it out beforehand using the map.
"So, let's go."
"Just like this."
Kenmyo spread his palm, and a nearly transparent Psychic Energy Sphere appeared in his hand.
The moment it formed, Fushiguro Toji felt a deadly threat, and the form of the threat seemed somewhat familiar to him.
"Familiar, isn't it?"
"It's the same as Gojo Satoru's 'Blue'."
This Psychic Energy Sphere is an aggregate of Telekinesis Spells, inspired by Gojo Satoru's 'Blue', meaning infinitely collapsing mass equivalent to a black hole.
Furthermore, because Kenmyo uses Psychic Spells, his version is more controllable than Gojo Satoru's.
If Kenmyo simply aims this small sphere at the area and lets it drop, it will act like an invisible mouth, continuously devouring everything it touches.
It's similar to the feeling of a scorching red-hot iron ball encountering layers of thin ice, except its corrosive speed is much faster.
Therefore, Kenmyo named this Cursed Technique 'Greed' [Tan], meaning the greedy consumption of everything.
The ground, composed of asphalt and reinforced concrete, instantly seemed to melt away, creating a huge, scalding hole that continuously bored downward at a remarkable speed, certainly no slower than the velocity of Gojo Satoru's 'Red'.
On the third underground level, the Athlete who was punching a certain Locust Cursed Spirit suddenly had an eye emerge from the tattoo near his eye socket.
"Brat, if you don't want to die, retreat from this area immediately."
The eye spoke with a grave tone that didn't sound like exaggeration.
"Huh?"
Although the pink-haired Athlete found it strange, he felt that sometimes he had to listen to this guy.
So he immediately retreated a few steps. It was a difference of just one second—the end of the whole story.
A bottomless hole appeared where Yuji Itadori had been standing, and the outline of the opening was perfectly smooth.
"What was that?"
He swallowed hard, while the Locust Cursed Spirit that had been there was long gone.
If his dynamic vision hadn't deceived him, it had been instantly swallowed whole by something and completely disappeared.
"I don't know."
Just as Yuji Itadori was about to look into the hole, two figures suddenly appeared above, slowly descending.
The one in front was a handsome guy comparable to Gojo-sensei, and the one behind was an uncle who looked like he had "displeased" written all over his face.
The person descending in front saw Yuji Itadori and waved hello.
"Good work. I'll take it from here."
Because the conversation was so smooth, Yuji Itadori nodded and responded.
"Uh, no problem, it wasn't hard work."
Below that, it was even more deadly; the lowest level had devolved into a hellish scene.
Everywhere, Transfigured Humans were wantonly slaughtering ordinary humans. They were the products of Mahito, numbering perhaps a thousand, while the ordinary humans were far fewer and their numbers were rapidly decreasing.
So, what was Gojo Satoru doing?
At this moment, he was being attacked by four Special Grade Cursed Spirits mingled among the crowd. Not only was he struggling to cope with the assault, but he also had to rescue the ordinary humans being hunted by the Transfigured Humans.
Gojo Satoru instantly felt overwhelmed and couldn't handle everything at once.
"Damn it."
Mahito, lurking in the crowd, saw Gojo momentarily distracted. He rushed forward, using his hand like a sharp blade, intending to gouge out one of Gojo Satoru's eyes.
Furthermore, to make the situation even more chaotic, he dumped all the Transfigured Humans and the remaining humans from the upper levels down in one go.
As a result, the screams intensified, and the casualties were rapidly becoming more terrifying.
Countless people died right before Gojo Satoru's eyes, but he clearly knew that he couldn't save everyone.
"I'm sorry."
Gojo Satoru formed the hand sign for Domain Expansion.
"Domain Expansion!"
Limitless Void
And at this moment, Kenmyo and Fushiguro Toji arrived.
Kenmyo was just about to say,
"Old classmate, need a hand?"
But Gojo Satoru's Domain rushed toward them.