Bang!
The next instant, Max Elephant was blasted away and crashed directly onto the path the two were trying to escape through.
The cursed spirit then flashed over, stood on the shikigami's body, and danced around wildly, as if mocking them.
"Damn it…"
To prevent his shikigami from being destroyed, Megumi immediately dismissed Max Elephant. The cursed spirit looked down at its suddenly empty footing in confusion.
At the same time, he reached out in front of his chest, weighing whether he should use his last resort.
Max Elephant was already the strongest shikigami he could currently summon and control, yet it still was not a match. If they could not escape, continuing the fight would change nothing.
"Sukuna! If you don't want to die together, get out here and help!"
Yuji shouted while gasping for breath, clearly trying to swap control.
From the pressure alone, he knew they had no chance.
"I refuse! But if you really want to switch, I can't stop you. Still, I'll kill your companion first, you know."
Inside his body, Sukuna sat on a throne atop a mountain of bones and answered coldly.
Even if he died with the kid, he still had eighteen other fragments. What truly annoyed him was not being able to fully control this body.
"Fushiguro! I'll hold it back. You go find Kugisaki and get her out. Once you're safe, find a way to tell me. I'll let Sukuna out then!"
While the cursed spirit was still confused by Max Elephant's disappearance, Yuji pulled out his cleaver shaped cursed tool and shouted.
"This thing is a special grade…"
"You don't have much time left."
As Megumi hesitated, a small mouth suddenly appeared on Yuji's face, mocking him with a grin.
Boom!
The cursed spirit snapped out of it and casually formed a cursed energy sphere, blasting it at them. They dodged, but the ground was blown into a deep crater.
Seeing their panic, the cursed spirit clapped its hands like a kid enjoying a prank.
"It's fine. Look, it's just playing around. And if it really gets dangerous, I won't worry about you guys. I'll release Sukuna myself."
Yuji's hand trembled as he held the blade, yet his resolve to save others did not waver.
"If it gets dangerous, switch with Sukuna right away. Don't worry about us. I still have a backup plan!"
"Nue!"
Trust your companions…
Megumi brought his hands together. A giant bird wearing what looked like a bone mask took flight, grabbed his shoulder, and prepared to flee.
"Hm?"
"You ugly half naked freak. Your opponent is right here!"
When the cursed spirit raised its hand to stop them with cursed energy, Yuji leaped up and slashed down with his weapon.
Bang!
His all out strike was crushed by a casual wave of cursed energy. He was sent flying, smashing through several walls before finally stopping.
The cursed spirit, having found a new toy, ignored Megumi's escape and strode toward Yuji instead.
* * *
Elsewhere.
"I'll remember you. I'll curse all of you!"
An injured Nobara was surrounded by mushroom shaped cursed spirits. The leader grabbed her leg, lifted her upside down, and tried to swallow her.
Even then, there was no fear on her face. She pointed at the wide open mouth and shouted back.
Gah!
A large white snake suddenly bit into the cursed spirit from nowhere.
Simultaneously, a long tongue wrapped around her waist, yanked her free, and pulled her into the mouth of a giant frog beside Megumi.
"Let's go, Kugisaki!"
With the snake holding the cursed spirits back, he had no intention of staying.
The sooner they escaped, the safer Yuji would be.
"I hate frogs…"
"Sorry about that."
Nobara's completely misplaced complaint earned her a half coaxing apology.
With the snake's cover and the black Divine Dog leading the way, they finally escaped the cursed spirit's innate domain.
"Awooo!!"
Megumi sent a signal the moment they got out.
"Fushiguro, I'll take Kugisaki to the nearest hospital first, then I'll come back right away."
After carrying the injured girl, Ijichi looked at the boy through the car window.
"No. Even if you come back, it won't help much. Try contacting any grade 1 sorcerers nearby. Kyoto is hundreds of kilometers away. My uncle won't make it that fast. And just in case, expand the evacuation zone."
He glanced at his phone. Less than half an hour had passed since Ijichi said he contacted Uncle Mukuro.
"Yes…"
Ijichi sighed and started the car.
"Now we just need Yuji to come back safely…"
Megumi stood at the entrance of the juvenile detention center and waited.
Boom!
Suddenly, a violent surge of cursed energy erupted inside.
The innate domain vanished.
Yuji succeeded.
Just as he was about to relax, a fierce wind brushed past his ear.
"What a shame. The kid seems to be in trouble and can't come out right now."
A hand landed on his shoulder. It was Yuji.
But now, strange markings covered his face, and extra eyes had opened beneath his own.
The soul in control was Ryomen Sukuna.
"Still, he'll probably switch back eventually. So I'll do this while I can."
Sukuna tore open the uniform and plunged his clawed right hand into his chest, ripping out his still beating heart.
"That way, if he switches back, he dies. I won't. The kid who was crying in there just now won't dare switch. So next, one more thing, then I'll kill you."
As he spoke, he pulled out the finger from the special grade cursed spirit and swallowed it.
With three fingers combined, his power surged again.
'He can use reverse cursed technique. Then I have to force him to heal Itadori's heart first.'
Megumi's hands shook.
This was no longer about whether he could do it. He had to.
"It's rare to be out. Might as well stretch a bit."
Sukuna spread his arms, savoring the air.
"Nue!"
With no other choice, Megumi summoned his shikigami and attacked.
But someone who had to flee from a one finger special grade cursed spirit stood no chance against a three finger Sukuna.
Without even using a technique, Sukuna completely overwhelmed him with pure physical strength.
Less than two minutes later, Megumi was defeated.
"Come on! Try harder!"
Fascinated by the rare technique, Sukuna beckoned excitedly at the boy lying in the rubble.
"Extra training ends here. How about I play with you instead, Ryomen Sukuna?"
A familiar voice came from above. The dead look in Megumi's eyes vanished.
"Uncle Mukuro!"
He looked up to see his uncle sitting calmly on a rooftop.
'Someone was there. Since when…'
Sukuna's arrogant grin disappeared, replaced by a serious expression.
**
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