Outer Shibuya.
Nobara Kugisaki and Kokichi worked quickly, wrapping bandages around the wounded. Nanami Kento, Yu Haibara, and Ino sat nearby, their injuries still fresh from the chaos.
"Brother?"
Yuji Itadori stared at Choso, studying him carefully.
The moment Choso heard Yuji call him that, his eyes widened with joy. Without hesitation he rushed forward and pulled Yuji into a tight embrace.
"That's right! It's me! Your dear brother!"
As the eldest of the Cursed Womb Death Paintings, Choso possessed a unique ability to sense the existence of his siblings. Yuji was not one of the Death Paintings, yet the bloodline resonance he felt from him was undeniable.
Yuji looked puzzled at first.
Still, he could clearly feel that Choso's emotions were genuine. Combined with his naturally easygoing nature and the strange sense of camaraderie he often felt toward others, Yuji quickly accepted the situation.
"Brother!"
"Little brother!"
"Brother!"
"Little brother!"
"Brother!!"
A sudden shout interrupted them.
Aoi Todo stood nearby, holding the necklace that usually hung around his neck in his palm.
"It's gone, brother! Your photo disappeared!"
Inside the necklace, the photo of Takada-chan was still there. However, Yuji's photo had somehow vanished.
Yuji blinked.
"Maybe it fell out during the fight?"
Without wasting another moment, the two of them began searching the ground for it.
Behind them, Choso quietly turned his head and whistled. His right hand stayed behind his back, gripping a necklace that contained photos of his brothers Eso and Kechizu.
And one of Yuji.
On the other side of the street, Zenin Naobito placed both hands on Megumi Fushiguro's shoulders.
"Fifteen years old, wielder of the Ten Shadows Technique, and capable of using Domain Expansion. Megumi, you must become the head of the Zenin Family."
Megumi turned away immediately, clearly irritated.
"No way."
Naobito's composure collapsed. He grabbed Megumi and shook him, his mustache twitching.
"Think carefully, Megumi! That position is the head of one of the Big Three Families!"
Megumi remained completely indifferent.
"So what? I'm not interested in that kind of thing."
He shrugged.
"Besides, I'm only fifteen and still a student at Jujutsu High. Being the clan head is way too far in the future. Why don't you ask my dad?"
"Your dad?"
Naobito froze for a moment.
"Toji Fushiguro… If that incident hadn't happened, perhaps we could have considered it, but…"
Back then, Toji had stormed through the Zenin clan's ancestral grounds with a massive blade, cutting his way to the front gate without hesitation.
Even if he wanted to return, the entire clan would probably live in constant fear.
Seeing Naobito fall silent, Megumi understood the situation well enough.
His useless father was clearly not a suitable candidate.
After thinking for a moment, Megumi spoke again.
"What about Maki-san?"
"Maki?"
Naobito frowned.
"I personally don't mind if the clan head is a woman, but the other clansmen would object."
He paused.
"And her strength. Has she even reached Grade 2 yet?"
Megumi's expression turned strange.
"Maki-san… honestly doesn't seem like a Grade 2."
BOOM!
A Special Grade Cursed Spirit exploded into pieces.
Mei Mei stood nearby, resting an axe on her shoulder as she admired the aftermath.
"As expected of Gojo Shion's students. Aside from that monster junior, Yuta Okkotsu, you two are quite impressive as well."
Panda scratched the back of his head with a laugh.
"Mei Mei-senpai, you're flattering us."
"Salmon! Salmon!"
Toge Inumaki jumped excitedly while pointing toward the distance.
Mei Mei tilted her head.
Naturally, she could not understand Inumaki's unique "sushi language."
However, when she followed the direction he was pointing, she immediately understood.
BANG!
The ground shook violently as if an earthquake had struck. Concrete pavement shattered and nearby buildings collapsed.
A tide of cockroaches surged forward.
Maki Zenin retreated while fighting them off.
Suddenly the swarm moved with eerie coordination. Millions of cockroaches gathered together, forming a massive writhing tentacle that lunged toward her.
"Tch."
Maki clicked her tongue and swung the jumonji spear in her hand. The blade scraped against the ground, sparks flying until flames ignited.
Holding the spear firmly with both hands, she twisted her wrist.
The weapon spun rapidly, its blazing tip forming a roaring crimson fire tornado.
With a powerful thrust, she drove the spear straight into the cockroach swarm.
The flames devoured everything.
When the smoke cleared, something still stood among the charred remains.
It resembled a gigantic cockroach, yet possessed four human arms and two long human legs.
Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Jogo.
Before the ancient Jogo had been killed by Yuta Okkotsu, it had already laid eggs. After its death, the eggs absorbed its cursed energy along with humanity's fear and disgust toward cockroaches.
Eventually, something new emerged.
A new Jogo had been born.
After inheriting its predecessor's power, the creature understood one thing very clearly.
It could never defeat Yuta Okkotsu.
So it fled.
Until it encountered Maki Zenin.
Human. Sorcerer.
Driven by instinctive hatred, Jogo attacked.
Seeing the appearance of a powerful Special Grade, Panda, Inumaki, and Mei Mei prepared to step forward and assist.
But Maki suddenly raised her hand, stopping them.
"Leave this one to me."
Her voice carried pure battle intent.
She tossed aside the burned jumonji spear and opened the enormous box she had been carrying on her back.
From within, she slowly drew out an absurdly large blade.
The handle alone measured half a meter. Thick white tassels decorated the guard, and the blade itself was wide and imposing.
Special Grade Cursed Tool, True Steel Lacerator.
This weapon had been specially commissioned by Gojo Shion for Maki, forged by Kugisaki Arata using Dragon Bone and the Ame-no-Murakumo Bone Sword.
Jogo screeched in response.
From its body it produced its own weapon, the Rotten Birth Blade.
Any wound caused by that blade would quickly become infected as cockroach eggs and cursed larvae grew inside the flesh.
Maki showed no hesitation.
She launched forward instantly, her speed so great she became a blur.
Leaping high into the air, she raised the True Steel Lacerator and brought it down with crushing force.
The blade tore through the air with a deep roar.
Jogo barely dodged.
BOOM!
The strike shattered the street, cracks spreading across the ground while shockwaves rippled outward.
Seizing the moment when Maki's momentum carried her forward, Jogo slashed from the side with the Rotten Birth Blade.
But Maki's strength was overwhelming.
In her hands, the massive sword moved as naturally as her own arm.
She twisted her waist and swung the blade in a crescent arc.
The weapons collided violently.
Jogo's entire body trembled.
The shock was not only from Maki's monstrous strength.
The True Steel Lacerator possessed terrifying properties. Like the Inverted Spear of Heaven, it could ignore hardness and strike directly at the soul.
At the same time, the blade vibrated at a precise frequency whenever it was swung. That vibration produced the beastlike roar that echoed through the air.
When the weapon struck, those vibrations delivered repeated bursts of force, like countless punches landing in rapid succession.
Jogo's body shook uncontrollably. Even its organs and brain vibrated under the impact.
In that desperate moment, its remaining arms reacted.
Two arms grabbed the blade tightly. One arm pushed its body aside. The final arm swung the Rotten Birth Blade downward.
The attack landed.
But before Jogo could celebrate, Maki grinned.
She stepped forward and shoved the True Steel Lacerator ahead with both hands, completely ignoring the strike aimed at her.
The two arms gripping the blade snapped instantly.
The sword continued forward, pressing against Jogo's throat.
Squelch.
With a brutal swing, Maki sent its head flying into the air.
"Maki!"
Panda shouted in alarm, staring at her left arm.
Maki glanced down.
The Rotten Birth Blade had cut into her flesh. From the wound came a foul stench as dense clusters of cockroaches and eggs began crawling out.
Without hesitation, she raised her blade.
Slice.
Her expression did not change as she cut away the infected flesh.
The severed mass hit the ground.
Then she crushed it beneath her foot.
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Powerstones?? (´ε｀ )
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Patreon = _Zeph