Who is he?
Was he a companion of this Special Grade Cursed Spirit?
The aura surrounding the figure was oppressive—overwhelming to the point of suffocation.
Because of the death of Amazaki, all modern Cursed Spirits had grown stronger, and as a result, the real humans now were far more dangerous than before.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Sweat dripped from Okkotsu Yūta's brow, falling onto the beach with an audible plop. In the deathly silence, even that faint sound was loud.
> Rika… I may never see you again…
Yūta shut his eyes tightly, his chest aching. But he didn't release his grip on his katana. Instead, his fingers tightened. Inumaki Toge, standing beside him, was calmer by comparison. He thought of his father.
> Was he this desperate when he faced death too?
I guess I'll finally get to see you again, Dad…
His collar was completely torn, his throat vibrating faintly as he began preparing one last chant. Toge was gathering all his strength, ready to sacrifice his life to open an escape path for Yūta.
> This child… he's just like his father…
Neither Yūta nor Toge noticed something strange—the approaching figure said nothing, made no sound, and didn't radiate aggression. There was no mocking smirk, no playful tone.
Meanwhile, Tuogen was watching carefully. He called out to the newcomer several times.
But the figure didn't respond. His pupils were shrunk to pinpoints. A subtle tremble ran through him. What he saw wasn't the two exhausted boys in front of him, but something towering, vast, and monstrous standing behind them.
Sweat beaded down both sides of his face.
> The kids didn't notice it—but this is YOUR domain, Togen! Why do you look more terrified than they are?!
Eventually, the other three noticed something was wrong.
Tuogen was the first to panic. He called out to the stranger—once, twice—but received no answer. Turning toward the source of his unease, he was struck by what he saw.
It was like lightning pierced his spine.
His entire body shook. Legs buckled.
The terror was primal.
Okkotsu Yūta opened his eyes just in time to see Tuogen trembling like a leaf. Before he could process what was happening, he felt a pair of warm hands rest gently on his and Toge's shoulders.
They stiffened.
Turning their heads in unison, they were met with the smiling face of James.
His palm ruffled their hair softly.
> "Well done."
There was no need for grand speeches. The words hit harder than any battle cry.
James had watched Yūta's performance with pride. He had expected it would take more time for Yūta to mature—to catch up to the level of his original counterpart. But now it seemed… he wasn't far at all from becoming a Special Grade Jujutsu Master.
Yūta, who hadn't yet lost Rika, and who hadn't endured as many painful trials, was still incomplete in terms of inner resolve. But this battle—this test—had awakened something deeper.
> This boy is a genius… perhaps no less gifted than even Gojo Satoru.
Relief washed over both Yūta and Toge. Their tense muscles gave out, and they collapsed to the ground—exhausted but alive.
> Rika… I'm alive again…
Dad, you don't have to pick me up today.
A calm and blissful sensation spread through their bodies. They had survived a storm.
But across from them, the two remaining Cursed Spirits were having the opposite reaction. Their legs refused to move, as if they were weighed down by molten lead. It felt as if the entire world was rejecting them—squeezing them out of existence.
What did it feel like? Like being trapped under a massive hydraulic press—with nowhere to run.
Crack. Crack.
The domain started splitting. Fissures ran across the space.
> It's breaking from the inside out…
> Wait… he hasn't done anything yet… but this is MY domain!
Tuogen's eyes widened in realization. Toge had long since dropped his Domain Prototype. Which meant they were standing fully exposed inside Tuogen's domain—and it was still crumbling.
Desperately, Tuogen gathered his cursed energy. Countless piranha-like Shikigami surged forward, aiming directly for James, Yūta, and Toge.
> "Oh?"
James smiled faintly, raising a single hand.
With a simple flick of his fingers, shaped like a blade—
Slice!
CRASH!
The domain shattered like fragile glass.
The landscape returned to normal, and sunlight bathed the beach again. The twisted, churning cursed space was gone. Even Tuogen himself was cleanly sliced in half, from the shoulder to the waist.
His domain had been cut apart like paper.
Yūta and Toge sat on the sand, stunned.
Was that… swordsmanship?
> "What kind of monster is this…?"
Yūta was speechless. Toge's mind ran to darker places.
> Just how strong was the "Amagic Demon" back then? What was my father even fighting?
James… what kind of being are you?
The value of Tianxiegui—the legendary cursed weapon—rose once more in their minds.
The warm sunlight danced on the ocean waves. A cool sea breeze drifted by. If one were visiting this beach, it might have felt like a perfect vacation spot—bright, peaceful, serene.
But their hearts were frozen.
The final enemy—the real man—slowly raised his hands.
It wasn't just fear—it was pressure.
Every movement felt like dragging steel chains. His body was at least a hundred times heavier than usual.
> If I want to survive this… I need everything I've got!
He clapped his hands together and roared:
> "Domain Expansion—!"
But—
Boom.
A hand had already touched his chest.
He hadn't seen it. He couldn't have reacted.
A geyser of blood and half-digested organs exploded from his mouth as he was blasted backward, like a rag doll.
He crashed through rows of coconut trees, smashing them to pieces.
Dragged along by sheer force, the real man's broken body dug a trench nearly a kilometer long across the beach, kicking up dirt, rock, and seawater. In seconds, a new river had formed, the ocean rushing into the scar left behind.
---
Far away, deep in a secluded village on Kyushu Island…
Inside a wooden hut, Koso was carving runes when his expression suddenly changed.
His hands blurred through seals.
> "Those two idiots!"
> "Huh? What happened?" asked Hanami, standing nearby.
Koso's pale face tightened. Glowing symbols erupted from the ground beneath them.
Whoosh!
Two white flashes lit up the room—two battered forms slumped into view.
One was Tuogen, now just a lower half. Blood spurted from the stump.
Hanami immediately rushed over and began infusing cursed energy, trying to stabilize him.
The second body was the real man, now just a quivering, mangled slab of meat. Nothing remotely human remained—his limbs twisted, his torso flattened.
But he was still… alive. Barely.
> "Not bad," Koso muttered. It was rare for him to give praise.
"You actually survived a run-in with James…"
Tuogen had hidden his head inside his lower body, and that was the only reason he wasn't dead. Had the bleeding gone on for even another minute, he'd be gone.
As for the real man—his body was irrelevant. As long as his soul remained intact, he could regenerate.
But even though James hadn't taken the fight seriously, the sheer Reiatsu he exuded had severely damaged the man's soul. It would take an eternity for him to heal properly.
Hanami worked quickly, stopping the bleeding, stabilizing the soul, and pouring cursed energy into both.
> In the Jujutsu world, there are only two true "mothers": Fushiguro Miki and Hanami…
---
Back on the beach…
James watched the white light carry the two half-dead Cursed Spirits away. He reached out with his cursed energy, trying to trace their destination.
But the other side was crafty—twisting through multiple barriers and veils.
After a moment, James decided not to pursue.
Instead, he picked up Okkotsu Yūta and Inumaki Toge, one in each arm.
The world spun around them. Space bent and twisted, and soon they were gone.
---
Meanwhile, in Miyagi Prefecture…
Gojo Satoru had just finished his sparring with Sukuna. Now, with Itadori fully back in control of his body, Gojo watched him thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
> Interesting... very interesting.
> "Let's talk more about this when we get back," Gojo said casually, then turned to Fushiguro Megumi.
> "By the way, isn't the Jujutsu High Exchange Event coming up again?"
Megumi blinked.. "Yes, Gojo-sensei…"
> "Great," Gojo said, clapping Itadori on the shoulder. "Take him back with you. Let him meet his seniors. I have high hopes for this kid."
Itadori blinked, pointing at himself in surprise.
> "Huh? Me?"
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