Chapter 144 — Unkillable. Completely Unkillable.
"DON'T. MOVE!!"
The amplified shout blasted across the battlefield, and for an instant—
Sukuna froze.
BOOOOM!!
The pitch-black Garuda struck Sukuna square in the torso.
The terrifying pull detonated, warping space into a spiralling vortex.
Sukuna's colossal body jerked violently as the gravitational force seized him,
twisting his limbs, warping his flesh.
The black sphere swelled, dragging in rubble, steel, and shattered buildings—
grinding all of it into dust.
Sukuna felt the crushing pull tearing at his abdomen.
For the first time since his evolution—
his body locked up. He couldn't move.
---
"Did… did it work!?"
A kilometer away, the sorcerers steadied themselves.
They watched the miniature black hole devouring Sukuna's warping form—
eyes wide with rising hope.
Could it be…?
Okkotsu Yuta, supported by Panda, wiped blood from his lips.
The megaphone in his hand had already burnt out into slag.
That scream nearly blew out half his life force—
but it was worth it.
They had landed the attack.
"As expected of a senior special grade… that was insane."
Gojo stared at the thrashing Sukuna, genuinely impressed.
Even a monster like this could be dragged down by the combined force of sorcerers.
Maybe—
just maybe—
they could actually win.
"Don't celebrate yet."
Yuki's pale face remained tense.
"Space-warping constructs like this eat cursed energy like candy.
Even for me, this black hole can only last thirty seconds.
And that's assuming Sukuna doesn't resist."
She glanced at the churning vortex.
"With him struggling like this?
It won't even last ten."
Shinsuke narrowed his eyes.
Half of Sukuna's upper body was already being dragged in,
flesh collapsing inward, frame distorting.
But Sukuna was far from giving up.
"HAHAHAHAHA!
You fools think this can kill me!?
How naïve!"
Even as his features twisted, he grinned madly.
From the sky, the sea of cursed energy thundered downward like a broken dam—
flooding into Sukuna's body.
His eyes blazed with manic light as his form swelled, glowing.
"RUMBLE—!!!"
In the next instant—
Sukuna self-destructed.
The explosion unleashed a wave of cursed energy so violent
that sorcerers a kilometer away were launched into the air,
slamming into debris like ragdolls.
---
"Did… he self-destruct!?"
They scrambled out of the rubble, staring breathlessly at the smoking crater.
If he blew himself up while trapped—
Was he finally—
Dead?
They held their breath.
The dust settled.
And from the crater…
A massive shadow slowly rose.
---
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
You've lost."
Sukuna's mountainous head emerged—
glowing with black-blue crystalized cursed energy,
so dense it had turned partially solid.
To counter the black hole,
Sukuna absorbed an absurd amount of cursed energy,
blew apart his own body to escape the pull,
and preserved only his head.
Then—
Using a barrier technique,
he sculpted a new body from the energy around him.
Reverse Cursed Technique activated—
and flesh began to regrow in real time.
Even with only a head left,
Sukuna could rebuild himself from nothing.
"I possess an endless well of cursed energy.
Even if only a scrap of me remains—
I will resurrect.
But you—
what else do you have left?"
Everyone watched helplessly as Sukuna restored his full form.
Nothing they had worked.
Even Gojo stopped trying to interfere.
If decapitation did nothing—
then what was left?
Reset the timeline?
Start a new game?
"It's over.
This time… it's really over."
Despair settled over the battlefield like a shroud.
Kusakabe collapsed onto the ground, his eyes lifeless as he stared up at the sky. Let it all end, he thought. I'm so tired of it all
"Looks like the jujutsu world has lost completely," Yuki sighed, glancing at Shinsuke with a hint of regret.
"But hey, dying together with you isn't the worst ending."
She shrugged lightly.
"Only shame is… we never even made a kid."
If she'd had a choice, she'd much rather have lived an ordinary life than become a sorcerer.
"There'll be chances later,"
Shinsuke replied with a calm, relieved smile.
"And besides—we haven't lost yet."
He stepped forward alone, facing down the fully restored Sukuna.
"Originally, I planned to save this until the moment before my death, to drag Gojo Satoru down to hell with me.
Didn't think I'd be using it on you instead. Tell me, why couldn't you just stay normal? Why go and mutate like that?" Shinsuke muttered.
He genuinely had never imagined he'd have to use the complete Eight Gates against Sukuna.
Based on what he knew from the 'story,' Sukuna was supposed to be about 1.1 Gojo-level at best.
Who could've guessed this monster would… evolve?
"You—"
Yuki's eyes flickered.
For a moment she wanted to stop him…
But facing that broad back, she swallowed the words.
---
"Hey, hey, hey! What the hell do you mean dragging me down with you when you die!?"
Gojo shouted, utterly baffled.
"How am I involved again!?"
Then his brain caught up.
"Wait—NO WAY. Don't tell me you've been holding back this whole time!?"
Everyone snapped their heads toward Shinsuke.
Could it be…?
A next round was still possible?
But Shinsuke ignored them, walking forward with a steady expression.
He watched Sukuna's fully restored body and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Unkillable cockroach… If I had regeneration like yours, I'd be dancing on clouds."
"Still struggling?" Sukuna asked, eyes glittering with anticipation.
"Annoying as you are," Sukuna admitted, "you've given me more fun than anyone else.
Not just in this era—
even in jujutsu's golden age, you would've been the strongest I've ever faced."
"I'll send you off with everything I have."
This was high praise—
the highest the King of Curses could give.
Shinsuke didn't respond.
He took one final step, then drew in a breath—
and shouted loud enough for the entire battlefield to hear:
"LISTEN UP, EVERYONE IN THE JUJUTSU WORLD—
SORCERERS ARE TRASH!!"
Everyone froze.
…why was he insulting them right before the final battle?
Fushiguro Toji and Maki's eyes widened.
The Zen'in clan members looked complicated—they understood exactly why he would say something like that.
Growing up in a place as filthy as the Zen'in household…
Of course he carried old wounds.
His usual indifference had always been a mask.
"To think he'd say it here, of all times…"
Toji murmured, watching his older brother's back.
Shinsuke let out a long breath, feeling lighter.
He'd held those words in his heart for decades, pretending not to care—
but shouting them out loud?
God, that felt good.
"Oh right—Toji, Maki!"
Shinsuke suddenly called out.
"I never told you the name of the martial art I taught you, did I?"
He straightened his back, voice booming:
"Listen well!
The technique I passed on to you—
is called the Eight Gates Release Formation!
Now I'll show you the complete version.
Watch carefully—
you'll probably only get to see this once in your entire life…"
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