Kyushu Island, East Coast
Dagon stood atop the ocean, his massive body shattered and riddled with gaping wounds.
The storm had long since vanished. The sea was calm once more, broken only by gentle sprays of water dancing across the surface. Above, the thick storm clouds split apart, allowing sunlight to pour through and scatter across the waves.
Suddenly, Dagon's body trembled.
The flesh at his neck tore open, and an octopus-like Cursed Womb shot out in panic. This was Dagon's true form.
Without hesitation, he pulled out a vajra and crushed it in his grasp.
Only when a pale halo of light wrapped around his body did he finally exhale in relief.
"This Gojo Shion… what kind of monster is he?"
"He tore apart a natural disaster, a storm born from a typhoon using only his own power."
"To oppose nature itself… can a human really do that?"
Bang!
Before the thought could settle, a hand smashed directly into the halo of light in front of him.
Another hand followed, reaching inside.
With brutal force, the two arms pulled apart in opposite directions, tearing a hole straight through the barrier.
Under Dagon's horrified gaze, Gojo Shion stepped through.
His clothes were reduced to tatters, his upper body nearly bare, yet his presence alone felt heavier than the sea itself. He grabbed Dagon by the head without hesitation.
"Oi," Gojo said casually. "You have not killed me yet. Where exactly do you think you are going?"
Dagon's body shook violently as fear flooded his mind.
"What is happening? Kenjaku said the boundary-breaking vajra could block the Six Eyes for one second. Why did it fail?"
Gojo glanced at the shattered fragments nearby.
"A cursed tool that interferes with spatial perception?" he mused. "Let me guess. Another one of Kenjaku's toys?"
He smiled.
"That is unfortunate for you. It cannot stop me."
Gojo leaned closer, his grin turning sharp.
"So then, Dagon. Shall we continue?"
The killing intent pouring from him froze the air itself.
"You bastard!" Dagon screeched. "I will drag you down with me!"
The weakened Cursed Womb let out an incoherent cry and threw a desperate punch at Gojo's head.
Gojo did not even activate Infinity.
He took the hit directly.
A faint sting reached him. He tilted his head and sighed.
"That is it?" he said lightly. "Seems this is as far as you go."
Then his voice softened, just slightly.
"Be proud, Dagon. You were strong."
Squelch.
Dagon's head was severed.
As his consciousness faded, Gojo's words echoed in his mind.
"Be proud, Dagon. You were strong."
Recognition… from the strongest.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Dagon's mouth.
He was no longer the frightened existence hiding behind others, no longer a being that needed protection.
"I really wanted to tell Jogo, Hanami, and Mahito," he thought weakly, "that I became strong too…"
Thud.
Dagon's body fell into the sea and slowly sank into the depths.
The cursed spirit born from the ocean returned to the ocean at last.
---
Tokyo, Kabukicho
Riko Amanai clenched her fists.
"I specifically left this Grade 1 cursed spirit for you," she said firmly. "Good luck."
Nanako raised her phone and aimed it at the target.
"Focus Photography."
The shutter clicked.
The cursed spirit instantly froze in place, completely immobilized for one second.
"Rope-Bound Doll."
Mimiko activated her technique, gripping one end of a black rope while the other connected to a doll. The doll flew around the cursed spirit's legs, looping and tightening the rope into a firm knot.
The moment the one second passed, the cursed spirit regained movement, only to lose its balance as Mimiko and the doll pulled together, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Explosive Firefly, Flying Flowing Fire!"
Riku directed the swarm of glowing fireflies forward. They burrowed into the cursed spirit's body before detonating all at once.
The cursed spirit was blown apart instantly.
"Yay!"
Riko clapped her hands in approval.
"You can handle Grade 1 cursed spirits pretty easily now. Next time, try a Special Grade."
Nanako, Mimiko, and Riku immediately shook their heads and stepped back.
"No, no!"
A Special Grade was completely out of their league. They were only second-grade sorcerers.
Not everyone was a natural anomaly like Yuta Okkotsu or Aoi Todo.
Nanako hesitated before asking, "By the way, Riko-sensei, what is your cursed technique?"
Riko Amanai was not widely known at Jujutsu High, having spent years studying under Yuki Tsukumo and traveling overseas.
"My technique?" Riko replied thoughtfully. "It is called Star Sorrow. I can control temperature changes within a limited range."
"That sounds amazing!"
"It is decent," Riko said with a smile. "Though I did not have a cursed technique back then. It was Gojo Shion and the others who dragged me into the Tomb Chamber…"
She began recounting the events from eight years ago. The three listened intently, eyes shining with interest.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
The sudden applause cut through the air.
Everyone tensed.
"Who is there?" Riko demanded, instinctively stepping in front of the three.
From the shadows, a woman slowly emerged.
An unsettling aura clung to her body, heavy and malicious. A line of stitches ran across her forehead, making her appearance deeply unsettling.
"To think I would encounter the Star Plasma Vessel here," the woman said with a smile. "And what an interesting story that was."
Kenjaku's eyes gleamed.
"It seems you have a close relationship with Gojo Shion and the others. An unexpected gain."
"Run!" Riko shouted immediately.
"Riko-sensei!"
"Do not argue," she snapped. "This person is extremely dangerous. You will only hold me back. Go get reinforcements."
She stood her ground.
Riko Amanai was no longer the naive girl she once was. She was now a Grade 1 jujutsu sorcerer, experienced, composed, and dependable.
"Hm," Kenjaku said with mild surprise. "Modern sorcerers are far more competent than those relics from ancient times."
The three finally understood and nodded.
"We will be back right away. Please be careful!"
They fled.
Kenjaku did not stop them. His target was clear.
A single Grade 1 sorcerer was more than manageable.
"Anti-Gravity System."
Riko suddenly felt her body lighten unnaturally. The abrupt shift threw her off balance.
Bang!
Kenjaku closed the distance instantly, his hand poised to strike her neck.
"Do not underestimate me!"
"Star Sorrow, Heat Breath!"
A wave of scorching heat erupted outward. Kenjaku's clothes and hair ignited instantly, flames crawling across his body. The sudden temperature difference created intense air pressure, blasting him backward.
Kenjaku extinguished the flames with cursed energy, forming a barrier around himself.
"Interesting," he said calmly.
"Temperature manipulation, huh?"
---