Back to the present.
Jujutsu High corridor.
The man who had been silent all along moved.
He slowly raised his left hand, making a gesture of invitation.
Palm facing up, five fingers slightly spread apart, pointing in Itadori Yuji's direction.
"Splash——!!!!!!"
The Black Mud in the cup erupted like a bursting dam!
The viscous black liquid transformed into countless twisting tentacles, shooting out from the rim of the cup and instantly covering the floor, walls, and ceiling of the entire corridor!
Wherever it passed, everything was dyed a filthy black.
"Get back!!"
Masamichi Yaga roared, forcefully enduring the agonizing pain of his broken arm, making Hand signs with a single hand!
"Cursed Corpse Manipulation——!"
Three massive Cursed Corpses smashed through the wall, roaring as they lunged at the Black Mud!
But the next second——
"Sizzle."
Three soft sounds.
The instant the Cursed Corpses crashed into the Black Mud, they were directly melted.
Not even a single trace of residue was left behind.
Masamichi Yaga's pupils shrank violently.
The Black Mud's speed didn't slow down in the slightest; instead, it became even faster!
Like a living black tide, it instantly submerged everyone's ankles.
"What the hell is this...?!"
Kugisaki Nobara gritted her teeth, raising her left hand, three nails pinched between her fingertips.
"Resonance——!!"
The hammer smashed down!
The nails, imbued with Cursed Energy, sank into the Black Mud but didn't even cause a single ripple.
"Megumi!"
Itadori Yuji looked back. "You guys——!"
He wanted to rush over.
But the Black Mud was faster than his movements.
As if premeditated, the vast majority of the Black Mud abandoned the others and surged toward Itadori Yuji!
"Wha——?!"
Itadori Yuji only had time to raise his arms to block——
And then he was completely swallowed by the black tide.
"Itadori——!!" Fushiguro Megumi roared.
Masamichi Yaga wanted to rush over, but the intense pain and dizziness from blood loss made him stumble and fall to one knee.
He could only watch helplessly.
The black quagmire completely enveloped the pink-haired boy.
Forming a constantly pulsating, two-meter-tall giant black cocoon.
Itadori Yuji's consciousness began to blur.
Like sinking into the deep sea.
A voice echoed in his ears.
Deep, hoarse, carrying a teasing smile.
Oh?
It was Ryomen Sukuna.
Finally... can't hold on anymore?
Itadori Yuji wanted to retort, but couldn't make a sound.
His consciousness continued to sink.
While another consciousness was rising.
Taking control of this body.
At the same time, Kenjaku pulled something out from his clothes.
A few... dried fingers emitting ominous fluctuations of Cursed Energy.
Sukuna's Fingers.
Kenjaku threw those fingers together into the Black Mud.
He stood in place, the Black Mud in his eye sockets slowly rotating as he stared at that cocoon.
The corners of his mouth, bit by bit, split open.
Splitting all the way to the roots of his ears.
Revealing a crazed smile that didn't look human at all.
"Grr... grr... grr..."
A laugh like leaking air echoed in the corridor.
He raised the Golden Goblet in his hand.
Those spiderweb-like cracks on the cup all lit up with a dark bloody glow at this moment.
The next second——
"Boom!!!!!"
Terrifying Cursed Energy violently erupted!
The Black Mud suddenly exploded, turning into a squirming black sphere.
On the surface of the sphere, countless faces were surfacing, twisting, and wailing.
Immediately after, the sphere slowly split open, and Itadori Yuji's body fell limply from within.
The Black Mud left behind gradually formed a humanoid shape.
Four arms.
A bare upper body covered in black markings.
On his face, there were four scarlet eyes.
The corners of his mouth split open, revealing a crazy smile.
"Heh..."
He let out a low chuckle, his voice filled with unsuppressable excitement.
"Finally..."
"Finally..."
"Hahahahahaha——!!!"
Ryomen Sukuna had regained a body!
Before he even had time to enjoy this long-lost freedom.
A hand made of Black Mud had already extended right in front of him.
"Hmm?"
Sukuna raised an eyebrow, a trace of confusion flashing in his scarlet eyes.
Then, that hand was directly thrust into his mouth.
"Mmph——?!"
Sukuna's pupils abruptly shrank.
The Black Mud poured down his throat.
Poured in along with it were those few... fingers.
"Gulp... gulp..."
Swallowing sounds came from Sukuna's throat.
His body began to tremble violently.
On the surface of his skin, black markings spread like spiderwebs.
Cursed Energy began to skyrocket!
His power was returning!
Not just returning, but becoming even stronger!
This black liquid was strengthening his Cursed Energy, modifying his body!
"More... give me more!"
He roared, raising his other hand, palm facing up.
The Holy Grail materialized, falling into his hand.
And Kenjaku, controlled by All the World's Evil, was completely abandoned by the Holy Grail, transforming into Black Mud to strengthen Ryomen Sukuna.
"Heh..."
Sukuna looked at the Holy Grail in his hand, then looked at this brand new body of his, the curve of his mouth growing wider and wider.
"Not bad... truly not bad..."
He gripped the Holy Grail tightly and laughed wildly at the sky.
"Hahahahaha——!!!"
The laughter echoed in the corridor, vibrating the walls until they trembled.
Masamichi Yaga's face was deathly pale.
The King of Curses had been resurrected.
Furthermore, he had become stronger than in the legends.
The chill of death crept up his spine.
It was over.
The instant this thought arose.
"Snap."
A crisp snap of fingers.
Very light.
Then——
The world changed.
Changed in the literal sense.
The collapsed ceiling, the shattered walls, the corridor covered in Black Mud——
All of it, vanished.
Replaced by a boundless, dazzling Starry Sky.
Countless stars twinkled.
A galaxy meandered and flowed, spanning the entire field of vision.
Looking carefully beneath their feet, one could see a deeper universe, more distant galaxies.
It was as if they were standing on a sheet of infinitely large glass, suspended in the center of the universe.
"This... what is this...?!"
Kugisaki Nobara was stunned.
Fushiguro Megumi, holding the unconscious Itadori Yuji, was also frozen, even forgetting the pain from his wounds.
Masamichi Yaga propped up his body and sat up, his mind rapidly flashing through all known Cursed Techniques, Domains, and Barriers.
None.
Not a single one matched.
Ryomen Sukuna narrowed his eyes.
"Space Transfer?"
He could feel it.
This wasn't an illusion; they had truly been sent to another place.
It was a Domain, but its level was so high that it approached the category of a world.
"Yo, looks like I made it in time?"
A cheerful voice rang out.
"Who is it?!"
Sukuna violently snapped his head around. All four arms assumed a combat stance simultaneously as Cursed Energy boiled around him.
Only to see a white-haired man not far away, having brought everyone out of his attack range.
It was none other than the returning Gojo Satoru.
"Gojo... sensei...?" Fushiguro Megumi spoke with a hoarse voice.
"Yo~"
Gojo Satoru waved at them.
"You're still alive, not bad, not bad~ Your teacher almost thought I wouldn't make it and would only be able to collect your corpses~"
Kugisaki Nobara: "...Couldn't you say something nicer at a time like this?!"
"Eh? Your teacher is praising your tenacious vitality!"
"What kind of praise is that?!"
Masamichi Yaga looked at Gojo Satoru, then looked at this Starry Sky, his brows furrowed tightly.
"Satoru, what is this...?"
"Ah, about this."
Gojo Satoru gently placed Kugisaki Nobara and Fushiguro Megumi onto the "ground," then straightened up and clapped his hands.
He turned his head, looking in a certain direction.
"This place is probably——"
"Inside Kama-chan's body~"
Everyone: "???"
Kugisaki Nobara blinked.
Fushiguro Megumi remained expressionless.
Masamichi Yaga opened his mouth, then closed it.
The trio's brains simultaneously crashed for half a second.
Then——
"Hah?!!!"
Kugisaki Nobara's voice pitched up.
"What do you mean inside Kama?!! Explain yourself clearly?!!"
"I mean it literally~"
Gojo Satoru spread his hands, his tone innocent.
The trio: "..."