Kenjaku failed to notice the strange expressions that briefly appeared among the members of Jujutsu High in the distance.
He remained completely absorbed in his own narration.
"Have you forgotten, Choso?"
Kenjaku pointed at the blood markings that had spread across Choso's face.
"Your brothers, Eso and Kechizu, died long ago."
"The reason you inherited their abilities and can even use Eso's ultimate technique, Wing King..."
"It's not merely because you share the same bloodline."
"It's because after my scattered soul fragments lost their physical vessels, they naturally attached themselves to you."
"The reason you've always been able to sense their deaths from afar..."
"Is because the largest fragment of my soul remained inside you."
At that moment, Kenjaku was completely unaware...
That before those six Death Painting Wombs had been fed to Yuji, they had first fallen into Zenin Mirai's hands.
"To avoid arousing Sukuna's suspicion, I didn't leave much of my soul's origin inside Yuji."
"But when you had him consume those six Death Painting Wombs..."
"The combined total of seven soul fragments became more than enough for me to suppress Yuji's consciousness."
Kenjaku leaned closer to Choso, a trace of false compassion in his eyes.
"Do you understand now why I showed mercy to you at the Tombs of the Star Corridor?"
"Only after consuming the final three soul fragments within you..."
"Could I finally become complete."
As he spoke—
The benevolent-looking Kenjaku reached both hands toward Choso's head.
BANG!!
"Huh?!"
Shock filled Kenjaku's eyes.
His right fist had suddenly slammed into his own face without warning!
"Yuji?!"
A glimmer of hope appeared within Choso's despairing gaze.
"Subarashii!"
Kenjaku's left hand grabbed hold of his rebellious right fist.
His face was filled with astonishment.
"I never imagined Yuji's consciousness could still respond."
"This vessel..."
"It's truly magnificent!"
As he marveled—
A faint light flickered within the deepest darkness of Kenjaku's soul.
Having heard everything, Yuji's curled-up soul struggled desperately against its restraints.
Consuming the six Death Painting Wombs had never been his first choice.
Before the final battle, both Sukuna and Zenin Mirai had placed immense pressure upon Jujutsu High.
To gain strength, Yuji had resorted to every available method.
Not only the Death Paintings.
There were also the Special Grade Cursed Tools Shoko and Yuta had retrieved from the Gojo Clan.
And the soul research notes left behind by Yuki Tsukumo after her death.
It was precisely the knowledge recorded in those notes that allowed Yuji to barely remain conscious now.
During their training before the final battle, Yuji had even become capable of swapping souls with Kusakabe.
But against the current Kenjaku...
That brief outburst moments ago could only be described as a miracle.
"You're persistent."
Kenjaku slowly pried open his clenched fist and frowned faintly.
"I had anticipated something like this."
"I originally intended to ask Uraume and Sukuna about the ritual known as the Bath."
"What a shame..."
Kenjaku shook his head with a sigh.
"Without that final demonic initiation ritual, a tiny flaw still remains."
"Though perhaps that's for the best."
"Perfection itself is often an imperfection."
SLASH!!
Crimson blood splattered across the ground.
The pupils of Higuruma and the others contracted violently.
"Choso?!"
The instant Kenjaku suppressed Yuji's consciousness—
He cleanly severed Choso's head.
Then began chewing it apart.
The expression of concern Choso had worn for his little brother Yuji became forever frozen in that moment.
Uro, standing beside Mirai, remained relatively calm.
A thousand years ago, she had witnessed far worse monstrosities.
Mai, however...
Watching Kenjaku casually devour a human head—
A chill shot straight up her spine.
She barely suppressed the urge to vomit.
"Well?"
Kenjaku asked.
"Are you ready?"
The malice leaking from Yuji's body was becoming increasingly violent.
Yet Mirai remained completely composed.
"I've given you so much time to prepare."
"Don't disappoint me now."
Gulp.
Kenjaku swallowed the final bloody fragment and smiled confidently.
As a Death Painting Womb, he had witnessed both Gojo Satoru's and Sukuna's deaths.
He acknowledged the overwhelming power of Zenin Mirai as an individual.
But now...
He could win.
Smiling at Mirai, Kenjaku said:
"My old friend."
"If your previous strength represented your peak..."
"Then this game belongs to me."
After traversing a thousand years of history, the now-complete Kenjaku possessed absolute confidence in his final victory.
"You..."
Mirai placed a hand over his forehead.
A wild smile spread across his face.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"My peak?"
"Kenjaku, I truly admire your courage."
"Ridiculous and utterly overestimating yourself."
A brilliant light flashed within Mirai's eyes.
Terrifying power erupted from his body.
Like a god awakening from slumber—
An invincible presence instantly swept across heaven and earth.
"Come."
"Show me what gives you the confidence to say that."
Kenjaku narrowed his eyes.
Once again he found himself marveling at the monster before him.
So he was still hiding something...
But it didn't matter.
This was the final curse.
BOOM!!
The world trembled.
The immense cursed energy condensed throughout Kenjaku's body exploded outward.
During the ten-plus minutes spent talking and revealing the truth—
The construction of Kenjaku's Domain had finally reached completion.
The ruined city streets were instantly swallowed beneath a sea of crimson earth.
The modern steel skyscrapers in the distance rapidly aged and shrank, transforming into ancient estates and manor grounds.
Uro stared at the scene before her.
Her pupils gradually widened.
The entire space suddenly radiated an ancient, desolate killing intent.
The feeling was strangely familiar.
As though...
They had returned a thousand years into the past.
RUMBLE—!!!
The earth beneath their feet continued to shake.
Countless skeletons buried beneath forgotten battlefields clawed their way out of the soil.
The blood-red aura permeating heaven and earth instantly wrapped around their bones.
Flesh.
Muscle.
Organs.
Brains.
Visible to the naked eye, new bodies grew over the skeletons.
The cursed energy radiating from them became increasingly terrifying.
Within mere seconds—
Hundreds of skeletons transformed into humans clad in ancient attire.
"These are the strongest sorcerers recorded within my soul's memories."
"Spanning from a thousand years ago all the way to the modern age."
Kenjaku smiled as he introduced them.
"My Domain Expansion allows the dead to be reborn."
"As long as I possess sufficient information about them..."
"I can resurrect them here."
"This..."
"Is The Other Shore."
"Oh, and I almost forgot."
"They aren't ordinary spirits of the dead."
"They each possess their original Cursed Techniques."
"And..."
"Domain Expansions."
By revealing his technique through a Binding Vow of disclosure, Kenjaku once again amplified the power of his Domain.
Before everyone's horrified eyes—
His figure slowly ascended into the sky.
The human shell known as Kenjaku peeled away.
Once more, he transformed into the ten-thousand-meter-long cursed spirit body.
Hundreds of millions of crimson legs extended from the monstrous form.
One by one, they pierced into the resurrected sorcerers.
Vast oceans of cursed energy poured into their bodies.
The blurry faces of the revenants gradually became clear.
Every single one of them...
Bore Kenjaku's—
Or rather, Yuji Itadori's face.
An endless army advanced toward Zenin Mirai's position.
At their forefront stood one particular figure.
He possessed Yuji's face.
Four eyes.
Four arms.
And a massive mouth split open across his abdomen.
The undead Sukuna.
Standing beside him—
The only figure dressed in modern clothing.
A version of Yuji Itadori whose eyes still shone with brilliant azure light.
Then the resurrected army spoke:
"Zenin Mirai..."
"Welcome..."
"To the Heian Era—the golden age of Jujutsu."
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