While Absol and Jogo were locked in a fierce battle, on the opposite side of the Grand Thundercloud Array, two young girls had quietly navigated the baptism of falling thunder. They stepped into the third layer of the barrier—the sanctum where Aomori resided.
Unlike the previous two layers, this place was flooded with a warm, gentle radiance, reminiscent of paradise. The source of this light was the miniature "Sun" floating behind the deity who stood before them.
Their journey here had been filled with enough shocks to last a year, leaving them with no doubt of Aomori's divine status. The girls displayed expressions of deep awe. Without hesitation, they held hands and knelt before Aomori, their foreheads striking the ground with a dull thud.
"Mimiko and Nanako greet the Great God!"
"Rise," Aomori's voice swept over their souls like a cooling spring. "You are the first challengers to reach me. You deserve a reward. Speak, what is it you desire?"
Mimiko and Nanako looked up but remained in their kneeling positions. They shared a silent understanding: one must remain humble and lowly before a deity. They dared not take the god's kindness for granted.
Exchanging a glance, they both saw the relief in each other's eyes. They were lucky to have arrived ahead of powerhouses like Satoru Gojo, and even luckier that the deity seemed so temperate and open-minded. Perhaps he truly would grant their wish.
"We wish to ask you to kill a certain man."
"I know. A fellow named 'Suguru Geto,' isn't it? Or rather, to be precise, you want to kill the entity currently occupying his corpse, correct?"
Aomori knew these two. They were essentially the adopted daughters of the real Suguru Geto. Geto had been Satoru Gojo's only best friend, a man who sought to create a world only for sorcerers by eradicating all non-sorcerers. After the failure of the "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons" in Tokyo last year, he had been killed by Gojo's own hand.
Due to Gojo's personal sentiment, the body hadn't been properly disposed of. It was now inhabited by an entity called Kenjaku, a brain-like creature that had become the "Suguru Geto" currently pulling strings behind the scenes. He was effectively the final antagonist of the Jujutsu narrative.
Aomori was more than happy to deal with such a loathsome character. This was the primary reason Mimiko and Nanako had reached him so easily; otherwise, they would have been tied up by his dark clones long ago.
"Eh? You know?!" The black-haired Mimiko gasped in shock. Her face quickly lit up with joy. "Yes! Great God, please show mercy and liberate Geto-sama's body!"
"Please show mercy and liberate Geto-sama!" Nanako, the blonde with the ponytail, echoed.
They hated Satoru Gojo for killing their beloved Geto-sama, but because Gojo was Geto's only best friend, they felt that was at least somewhat acceptable. But that thing that had crawled out of nowhere to desecrate Geto's physical remains was utterly unforgivable. Kenjaku was the true object of their hatred.
"Such a trivial request. I shall grant it. Be grateful," Aomori said nonchalantly.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Both girls were unable to contain their joy, bowing repeatedly until their heads rapped against the floor.
"It is nothing. This is your reward for being the first to see me. A god must be clear in dispensing both rewards and punishments, after all."
"Yes! We are eternally grateful for your benevolence!"
Nanako seemed to remember something. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a finger, and held it up with both hands above her head. "Respectable God, this is a finger of Ryomen Sukuna. We offer it to you as our humble tribute."
"A Sukuna finger? Not quite trivial. I happen to hope to collect all twenty of his fingers. Only then will Sukuna be worthy of facing me in battle."
Sensing Aomori's satisfaction, Mimiko added hurriedly, "We know the location of another finger! We will find it for you as soon as we leave!"
"Mm." Aomori nodded once, his expression turning distant. He closed his eyes slightly, signaling the end of the conversation.
Observing his mood, Mimiko and Nanako didn't dare disturb him further. They rose silently and retreated to the side. It was too dangerous to leave now, and they felt it was better to stay here, even if being in the presence of a god made them so nervous they could barely breathe.
After taking some time to calm their hearts, they began to steal glances at the surroundings. They had been to this shrine before; the buildings hadn't changed much. Their attention focused mostly on the other people present.
Yuji Itadori, Megumi Fushiguro, Shoko Ieiri... and a giant ball.
Using their intelligence-gathering skills, they recognized the identities of those lying on the ground.
The recent invasion of Jujutsu High... was that the work of the Great God as well?
To be chosen by a god... they really are lucky.
The two had lived together for over a decade and were as close as twins; a single look was enough to communicate.
Nanako, where should we go after this?
The more they saw, the more they felt their own insignificance. They had once wanted to fulfill Geto's dying wish, but now it seemed impossible. With a literal god taking the stage, what room was there for them to stir up trouble?
Mimiko... why don't we just follow the Great God? If he can help us fulfill our heart's desire...
Mm, okay. I don't mind the idea of serving him. Geto-sama would want us to live well, too.
The two quickly reached a consensus, their reverence for Aomori swelling even further.
…
Elsewhere, Yuta Okkotsu was leading his two companions forward with an unstoppable momentum.
The dark clones seemed to have been beaten into submission by Yuta; the frequency of their harassments dropped sharply. This allowed Nobara Kugisaki to enjoy the feeling of being well-protected for the first time in a long while. Though she was a "tough girl" inside and out, she didn't mind acting the part of the protected junior once in a while.
"Okkotsu-senpai is amazing. He's so composed for someone only a year older than me. He's way better than that unreliable Gojo-sensei."
"Not at all. Gojo-sensei is much stronger than I am."
"No, no, no. He might be stronger in power, but everything else about him is a total wreck! I wish Okkotsu-senpai were my teacher. That trash Satoru Gojo can go take a hike," Nobara complained.
Just as she finished, a hand dropped onto her shoulder. A ghostly voice whispered in her ear along with a cold draft: "Is it really okay to talk behind people's backs? You might find them knocking on your door, you know."
"What the—?! I didn't sense a thing!" Nobara's hair stood on end. She swung her hammer backward instinctively, but it hit nothing but air.
"Tough customer!"
Just as she was about to explode with power, she heard Yuta's surprised cry: "Gojo-sensei!"
"Gojo-sensei?!"
Realizing the possibility, several "anger veins" popped up on Nobara's forehead.
"Forgive me. Before you stands the restless spirit of the handsome and dashing Satoru Gojo, come to claim the soul of the naughty student who spoke ill of him."
Turning her head slowly, she indeed saw Satoru Gojo wearing his usual playful smirk. Nobara couldn't contain her disdain, shooting him a look of pure contempt while muttering, "Childish, boring, big idiot..."
"Ahem." Gojo expertly ignored her look and turned to the others. "Yo! What a coincidence. Have you guys had dinner yet? Even the old geezer came out for a stroll, not bad. Staying in your warm nest too long makes you smell; keep it up."
"Gojo-sensei, where have you been?"
"Satoru Gojo, shouldn't you be fighting the god right now? Why are you here?"
Both Yuta and Principal Gakuganji had a mountain of questions.
"Well, come with me to a certain place and you'll see," Gojo said with a grin. "It just so happens I have a favor to ask you."
"Wait! Don't ignore me, you bastard!"
"I can't hear you, I can't hear you~"
Gojo led them to a gymnasium covered by a Curtain.
"This is a Curtain I set up. Anyone or anything with Cursed Energy cannot enter. Cursed Spirits are, of course, banned as well."
"Banning Cursed Energy? Then inside is..."
Gojo deactivated the Curtain. Inside, Yuta and the others found a large number of civilians. They were lethargic but physically unharmed.
"Gojo-sensei, you went to find these survivors?"
"Yeah," Gojo said, ruffling his hair. "I spent quite a bit of time tracking them down. I think I've gathered all the civilians currently inside the barrier here. If it weren't for some pitch-black guy constantly harassing me, I would have gotten them out sooner."
"Satoru Gojo... you actually wasted time saving civilians? This is different from the man I knew," Principal Gakuganji said, perplexed.
"Don't look down on me, old man. I might not care much about their lives personally, but someone out there views them as treasures. The feeling of losing someone you love... I can still understand that." Gojo tugged at his blindfold, his voice dropping an octave.
Losing someone he loved? He means Suguru Geto. I didn't think Geto held such weight in his heart, Gakuganji thought.
"Besides," Gojo continued, "there's a whole bunch of monsters and ghosts that haven't shown their faces yet. As the heavyweight champion, I shouldn't take the stage too early. What if I scare them off? It's like they say: The wolf stalks the deer, unaware of the hunter's sight!"
"Eh? Gojo-sensei, I can't believe you said something so philosophical. I'm starting to doubt if you're an impostor."
"Well then, Nobara, would you like to verify my identity? I won't mind~" Gojo immediately reverted to his frivolous self, swaying his hips flamboyantly.
"Sorry, I take it back. Only the real Satoru Gojo could be this obnoxious."
"Aha! That's because I'm one of a kind!"
"Gojo-sensei, that wasn't a compliment," Yuta interjected, unable to watch any longer.
After a bit of banter, Gojo turned serious. "That's the situation. I'm counting on you to take these people out. I need to go meet this god. I reckon he's been waiting for me for quite a while."
"Gojo-sensei, I want to go with you!" Yuta volunteered.
"No need, no need. You wouldn't want these two 'elderly and weak' folks to escort all these people back alone, would you?"
"I'm sorry for being so 'weak,'" Nobara muttered. Under the circumstances, she couldn't ask Gojo to take her along; that would just dump the entire burden on Yuta's shoulders.
"Don't worry, Nobara. I'll bring Megumi and Yuji back to the school safe and sound."
"Whatever. I just ask that you don't be late for once."
"I'll have the timing down perfectly this time," Gojo said, giving a thumbs-up.
After bidding them farewell, Gojo flew directly into the air. As expected, he encountered another "little black man."
"Hehe, I'm not playing with you this time." Gojo waved a hand and vanished instantly via teleportation.
His figure suddenly appeared at the edge of the second layer of the barrier. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.
"Oh, thunder. Quite spectacular."
In the midst of the seemingly never-ending lightning strikes, Gojo strolled as if in his own backyard, making appreciative noises at the scenery. The purple lightning that Hanami had to struggle to defend against couldn't touch Gojo at all. Eventually, as if sensing his power, the lightning strikes ceased around him.
"Less than a minute? A bit weak," Gojo said with disappointment, continuing forward.
Arriving at the shrine's torii gate, he saw the aftermath of the battle and let out a soft "Hmm."
"The Cursed Energy from one side... feels a bit like that volcano-head from last time."
"They've arrived too? Perfect. Not too slow." Gojo chuckled and walked toward the center.
…
Shortly after Mimiko and Nanako arrived, Jogo and the others broke through Absol's obstruction and successfully reached Aomori.
"Such blinding light!" Jogo and his companions raised their hands to shield their eyes.
Amidst the diffusing Holy Light, before they could even see Aomori's face clearly, Kenjaku (occupying Geto's body) heard a sharp cry:
"Great God! That's him! The one with the stitches on his forehead! Please, fulfill our wish!"
"Hmm? Where did these enemies come from?" Kenjaku had too many enemies to count; before he could figure out who harbored such resentment, he felt a crushing pressure descend upon him.
Following the sensation, he looked up and met a pair of indifferent purple eyes. It felt as if a heavy hammer had smashed directly into his brain. He groaned, and blood began to trickle from his nose.
This mental pressure... so strong. Truly a god! Kenjaku felt no fear; instead, he was filled with unprecedented excitement. A bold thought rose in his mind: If I could only...
"Audacious! You dare look directly at the deity? That is sacrilege!"
Before Aomori could speak, Mimiko seized the opportunity to score points by labeling Kenjaku. After speaking, she glanced nervously at Aomori. Seeing no negative reaction, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Others reached here before us? Seeing the two unfamiliar girls, killing intent flared in Jogo's heart. He didn't care about "Geto's" business, but he felt that witnesses would interfere with his secret negotiations with the god.
"Aha, my apologies." Kenjaku wiped the blood from his nose and bowed to Aomori. "I did not intend sacrilege. It's simply that I have finally seen the true face of a god, and I was overcome with emotion for a moment."
"So you are Kenjaku?" Aomori finally spoke.
"Oh? Even a god knows my name. I am honored."
"One move."
"Pardon?"
"I promised these two little ones that I would take your life. However, as the second group to reach me, I will not make it too difficult for you. If you can survive one move from me, I will allow you to abandon that shell and leave this place."
"If you cannot, then you shall die here."
"I see." Kenjaku's cold eyes drifted to Mimiko and Nanako. He smiled fakely. "And if I can take two moves?"
"Survive one first. Then we shall talk."
"Very well. Then come!" Kenjaku said with a smile.