Inside the deathly silent white space of the Tombs of the Star Corridor, the oppressive atmosphere was suffocating.
The existence of 'Angel,' Hana Kurusu, had brought a glimmer of hope, but that hope was like a candle in the wind, flickering and ready to be extinguished at any moment by the tide of tens of millions of Cursed Spirits within the Culling Game.
"A needle in a haystack..."
Yuji Itadori clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms.
"No matter how hard it is to find her, I will definitely track her down!"
"Before that..."
Yoru suddenly stopped. He didn't rush to leave the Tombs of the Star Corridor like the others. Instead, he turned back around, staring directly into Master Tengen's four emotionless eyes.
"If we can't find Hana Kurusu, or if she's already met an unfortunate end within the barrier, are we just supposed to stand by and watch Gojo-sensei be sealed forever?"
Yoru's words cast a dark shadow over everyone's hearts.
It was true. The Culling Game was incredibly cruel. Who could guarantee that this so-called 'Angel' would survive until they found her?
"Rules are rules."
Master Tengen's voice remained ethereal and indifferent.
"The seal of the Prison Realm is absolute. Aside from Hana Kurusu, who can nullify techniques, there is nothing else in this world that can open it."
"Is there really nothing else?"
A meaningful curve suddenly formed at the corner of Yoru's mouth.
He slowly raised his left hand. With a flick of his wrist, a segment of black rope emitting an eerie pulse of cursed energy appeared in his palm.
The rope was only about half a meter long, woven from an unknown black plant fiber, its surface shimmering with a mottled, unsettling glow.
It was like a black hole for cursed energy. The moment it appeared, the ancient cursed energy belonging to Master Tengen in the surrounding space actually underwent a visible distortion and retreated!
"That is..."
Standing nearby, Yuta Okkotsu's pupils suddenly shrank the moment he saw the rope.
As a Special Grade Sorcerer who had once fought Miguel—Suguru Geto's subordinate—during the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons and had later traveled to Africa searching for a way to break the deadlock, he was all too familiar with this item!
"The Black Rope?!"
Yuta couldn't help but cry out in shock.
"Yoru, how do you have that? Wasn't it supposed to be completely destroyed by Gojo-sensei decades ago? And I searched for so long in Africa without finding even an inch of intact Black Rope!"
"I borrowed it from a local tribal priest when I was on a business trip to Africa in 2016."
Yoru tossed the Black Rope in his hand, his tone somewhat casual.
In the original setting, the Black Rope was a Special Grade Cursed Tool woven by African sorcerers over several decades, possessing an extremely rare trait—
It could disrupt and forcibly cancel any and all cursed techniques!
During the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, Miguel had used a complete Black Rope to stall Satoru Gojo at his peak for over ten minutes.
Although that rope was eventually shredded by Gojo's Limitless technique, its terrifying interference power was undeniable.
"You actually possess such a thing..."
This time, even Master Tengen, who had remained absolutely calm, showed a flicker of surprise in those four eyes.
"The weave of cursed energy remaining on this rope is incredibly ancient; it is indeed the genuine article."
"That's great!"
Yuji Itadori nearly jumped with excitement.
"If this thing can nullify techniques, doesn't that mean we can open the back of the Prison Realm directly?!"
Hope flared up again in the eyes of Megumi Fushiguro and Maki Zenin.
If they could unseal it with the Black Rope, they wouldn't have to look for a needle in a haystack within the Culling Game!
"It's not that simple."
Just as everyone was filled with expectation, Yuki Tsukumo spoke up, her words like a bucket of cold water.
She walked over to Yoru, examining the segment of Black Rope closely, her brow furrowed.
"Don't confuse the Black Rope with the Inverted Spear of Heaven."
"The Inverted Spear of Heaven provides absolute forced cancellation. The principle of the Black Rope, however, is to use a complex weave of cursed energy to generate an opposing frequency to disrupt and neutralize the target technique."
Yuki Tsukumo looked up at Master Tengen.
"Tengen, just how high is the sealing level of the Prison Realm?"
Master Tengen was silent for a moment before slowly saying:
"That is a Special Grade Cursed Object formed from the physical remains and lifelong cultivation of the monk Genshin after his passing."
"It contains an unimaginably vast amount of cursed energy and forms an absolutely closed barrier that is both physical and causal."
"To use the Black Rope to neutralize the Prison Realm's seal, the rope must provide a level of interference energy equal to or greater than that of the Prison Realm itself."
Master Tengen's four eyes fixed on the half-meter rope in Yoru's hand, its head shaking regretfully.
"It's too short."
"If you had a complete ten-meter weave, you might be able to force a hole in the Prison Realm."
"But this mere half-meter fragment... the interference power it contains is simply insufficient to fully offset the rules of the Prison Realm."
"How will we know if we don't try?"
Yoru didn't give up because of Master Tengen's words.
He was a man of action; as long as he had a card in his hand, there was no reason not to play it.
"Suguru, did you bring the back of the Prison Realm?"
Yoru turned to look at Suguru Geto.
"I have it."
Suguru nodded and carefully produced a small cube covered in sealing talismans from the wide sleeve of his gojo-kesa.
This was the back of the Prison Realm, their only physical medium for rescuing Satoru Gojo.
"Stand back."
Yoru motioned for the others to clear the way, then walked slowly toward the back of the Prison Realm with the Black Rope in hand.
He took a deep breath, activating his Transparent World to its limit, locking onto the intricate cursed energy circuits on the back of the Prison Realm.
*Sizzle—*
The moment Yoru pressed one end of the Black Rope against the surface of the Prison Realm's back.
A violent screech, like a red-hot iron being thrust into ice water, echoed through the Tombs of the Star Corridor!
*Buzz—!*
The back of the Prison Realm began to vibrate violently. The previously dim sealing talismans on its surface seemed to come alive, erupting with a piercing blood-red light!
This light contained a terrifying repulsive force, attempting to push the Black Rope away.
"Break!"
Yoru snorted coldly. He didn't use any Breathing Style but relied purely on his physical strength—which rivaled that of the Sorcerer Killer—to grip the Black Rope and press it firmly against the core node of the seal!
Two different sets of rules, both representing the absolute peak of the Jujutsu world, engaged in a brutal tug-of-war within that small space!
*Sssss...*
Thick black smoke began to rise from the surface of the Black Rope.
The cursed energy fibers, woven over decades by African sorcerers, began to dissolve and snap at a visible rate under the constant backlash from the Prison Realm's immense energy!
One centimeter... two centimeters... ten centimeters...
In less than five seconds, the half-meter Black Rope in Yoru's hand had lost nearly a third of its length!
Although the back of the Prison Realm vibrated even more violently, and several talismans on its surface even snapped, its core hexagram rules remained as steady as a mountain!
"Stop! Stop at once!"
For the first time, a hint of urgent warning appeared in Master Tengen's normally emotionless voice.
"The Black Rope's interference isn't enough! The seal is reacting!"
"If you continue to force the unsealing, not only will this rope be completely destroyed, but the spatial rules inside the Prison Realm will undergo an irreversible 'collapse'!"
Master Tengen's four eyes stared intensely at the violently shaking back door.
"At that point, not only will the Prison Realm be destroyed, but Satoru Gojo, who is sealed inside, will be sucked into an endless spatial turbulence and will never be able to return!"
Hearing this, Yoru's eyes twitched.
Without the slightest hesitation, he flicked his wrist and forcibly yanked the remaining Black Rope off the back of the Prison Realm!
*Whew...*
As the Black Rope was removed, the blood-red light on the Prison Realm's back gradually dimmed, returning to its deathly still state.
However, the faint cracks on its surface proved just how brutal the clash had been.
"As expected... it still won't work?"
Yoru looked at the less than thirty-centimeter remnant of the Black Rope in his hand—its surface now charred and withered—and let out a regretful sigh.
He tucked the Black Rope away once more.
Although he failed to unseal the Prison Realm, this fragment might still prove useful for a surprise attack in some future critical moment.
"Sorry, I got everyone's hopes up for nothing."
Yoru turned to face the disappointed group.
"It seems Master Tengen was right. When faced with absolute rules, shortcuts won't work."
Yuji Itadori bit his lip. Although he was disappointed, his eyes became even more determined.
"It's okay! At least we tried!"
"Since there's no shortcut, we'll do it the hard way!"
Yuji looked up at Yoru and Yuta Okkotsu.
"We'll go to the Culling Game! We'll find that Angel!"
"Even if we have to turn those barriers upside down, I will definitely save Gojo-sensei!"
Seeing the fighting spirit in Yuji's eyes, the previously oppressive atmosphere finally began to liven up again.
"Right."
Maki Zenin gripped her cursed tool spear, a cold killing intent flashing in her eyes.
"Since those ancient sorcerers dare to run wild on our turf, we'll just kill them all until we find that Angel."
Yuta also nodded with a smile.
"I'll do everything I can to keep everyone safe."
Looking at this group of spirited young sorcerers, a smile finally returned to the corner of Yoru's mouth.
He knew that these people were the true future of the Jujutsu world.
"Now that our goal is clear..."
Yoru placed his hand on the hilt of Shiranui, his gaze burning like fire.
"Let's get ready to enter the game."
"The Culling Game... this hunting game..."
"It's our turn to be the hunters."