Outside the Zenin estate, Maki lowered herself onto the stone steps, letting out a long, shuddering breath. The air around her was heavy with the copper tang of blood.
"Maki! Where's Mai?!"
Momo Nishimiya, Mai's loyal friend, rushed forward with frantic concern. She had pleaded with Mai not to return to the Zenin household, but her warnings had fallen on deaf ears. Now, seeing Maki emerge alone, her heart hammered against her ribs.
Maki reached out, ruffling Momo's hair with a tired hand. "Relax. Mai is already safe at the High School."
"The High School?" Momo blinked, stunned. This was the Zenin estate—the distance to Tokyo High wasn't astronomical, but it certainly wasn't a short walk. How could she be back already?
"It was Go—" Maki caught herself. She remembered Gojo-sensei and Geto-sensei mentioning that their presence shouldn't be exposed just yet. She scratched her head, offering a vague shrug. "Anyway, just trust me. She's fine."
"Well, thank goodness for that..." Momo's relief lasted only a second before her face paled. "Wait! The smell of blood is overwhelming! You call this 'fine'?"
"Mai should be fine, but the rest of the Zenin clan? That's a different story."
The two girls spun around to see Toji Fushiguro sauntering toward them with a casual grin, dragging two limp corpses behind him. He tossed them aside like bags of refuse and gestured toward Maki.
"These were the Kukuru and Hei members who were stationed outside. I've already taken care of the rest," Toji noted nonchalantly. "The moment Megumi asked you to lead him here, I knew where this was headed. I figured I'd get a head start."
"...Thanks."
Toji shrugged. "Don't bother. Even if you hadn't done it, I was going to finish them off eventually."
"..."
"Want to go back inside? Technically, there's still one old man left standing."
Maki nodded. The two of them stepped back into the estate, leaving Momo Nishimiya hovering in the air on her broom, utterly bewildered.
"Wait! You guys! Hey! This is the Zenin house—am I even allowed in here?"
Toji paused and looked back. "Mai should be in the High School infirmary by now."
Momo didn't need to hear another word. She leaned into her broom and rocketed into the sky.
The Zenin Main Hall
Naobito Zenin had heard the emergency bells ringing for some time. Yet, with Souma Gojo sitting across from him in eerie silence, he hadn't found a single opening to leave and investigate.
"What exactly is happening out there?" Naobito asked, his voice tight.
Souma swirled his tea, a faint smile on his lips. "Nothing much. Don't worry about it."
Naobito had barely started to exhale when Souma added, "It's just that the Zenin clan is currently being erased."
"WHAT?!"
Naobito bolted upright. Beside him, Megumi Fushiguro—who had been quiet for some time—looked equally horrified. The clan was gone? He had just been named the Head!
"I told you, don't get so agitated." Souma patted Naobito's shoulder, pinning him back into his seat with effortless pressure. "You've still got Megumi, Toji, Maki, Mai, and your old self, right?"
Naobito's face twitched. "Are you saying... everyone else is dead?"
"Yup."
"!!!"
Naobito couldn't sit still a moment longer. Just as he reached for the door to see the carnage for himself, the sliding panels flew open. Toji and Maki walked in.
Naobito's breath hitched. Seeing Maki drenched in blood and gripping her blade, he realized the magnitude of what had transpired.
Heavenly Restriction...
Just like years ago, when Toji Fushiguro defected and slaughtered half the clan on a whim. Now, Maki stood beside him, their silhouettes merging into a singular, terrifying image of the Heavenly Tyrant.
After a long silence, Naobito slumped back onto the floor, letting out a hollow, defeated sigh. "Retribution... it's finally come."
Souma offered a bit of dark comfort. "Don't be so pessimistic! Think about it—if I hadn't stopped you just now, you probably would have been cut down by Maki too."
"..."
"Besides, with the Zenin clan in the state it was, it's better to tear it down and start over. After all—"
BOOM!!!
Souma's eyes turned razor-sharp. He launched himself like a kinetic missile, smashing through the room's outer doors. The others jumped, startled by the sudden explosion of movement.
Toji was the first to recover. "Enemy!"
They followed Souma's path and found him standing in the courtyard. The body of Maki's mother still lay on the ground, but Naoya's corpse was gone. Not only that—the bodies of the Kukuru and Hei members had vanished without a trace.
"What happened?" Maki asked, her grip tightening on her sword.
Souma spat out two words, his voice like ice. "Kenjaku."
Deep in the Shadows
Kenjaku was sprinting through the darkness as if racing death itself. His face was a mask of lingering terror, his heart drumming a frantic rhythm against his ribs.
"Dammit! How did he sense me?! I almost didn't make it out!"
He looked down at a transparent tube in his hand. Floating in thick, viscous blood was a distorted Cursed Womb—it bore the unmistakable features of Naoya's face.
"At least I secured enough Zenin bloodline factors. It's enough to summon that."
Returning to his base, Kenjaku took a moment to steady his breathing and smooth his robes. Only when he had regained his usual facade of mysterious calm did he step inside.
Sukuna was sitting casually on a tatami mat, eyes closed in meditation. In a far corner, Jogo and Mahito—looking thoroughly battered and bruised—shrank away from him in terror. Clearly, Sukuna had been passing the time by "playing" with them.
"Lord Sukuna!"
Uraume appeared, dropping to one knee before the King of Curses.
"Well?" Sukuna asked without opening his eyes.
Uraume's voice was thick with excitement. "Fortunately, I have not failed your mission. I have found them!"
Uraume opened an ornate box. Resting inside were the final two fingers.
Kenjaku's eyes widened. "This... how? Where did you find them?"
Kenjaku had spent a millennium scouring the world for these fingers. He had waded through sewers and dug through ancient ruins. He thought he had picked the jujutsu world clean. To find out he had missed two—and that Uraume had found them—was a blow to his ego.
Sukuna let out a cold snort. "With eighteen fingers, I have reclaimed the majority of my power. I can sense my own soul. Don't assume everyone is as incompetent as you, Kenjaku."
"..."
Kenjaku bit back his annoyance. "Then please, tell me where they were hidden." He felt a prickle of unease. Could this be a trap?
Uraume snapped, "Kenjaku! Are you doubting Lord Sukuna's perception? One was recovered from the depths of the ocean, and the other had drifted to a foreign land. Do you think you can search every inch of the planet just because you've lived a thousand years?"
Kenjaku raised his hands in a mocking surrender. "Fine, fine. My mistake."
Sukuna took the box, picking up the two fingers and swallowing them one by one.
Instantly, the aura radiating from him surged, transcending anything the others had felt before. Jogo and Mahito practically huddled together in the corner.
"Yes... this is it."
Sukuna exhaled, a sound of pure satisfaction. His body began to warp and shift. A bony, mask-like protrusion grew over half of his face. Two masses of flesh on his shoulders writhed and burst through his skin and clothing, forming a second pair of arms. A jagged line split the skin of his abdomen, opening into a massive, fanged mouth.
Ryomen Sukuna. The King of Curses had finally returned to his Heian True Form.
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