Shibuya. 22:44.
Zenin Mirai floated above the outermost barrier, surveying the ruins of the city.
He had not followed through with a full-scale invasion of the Tomb of the Star to meet Master Tengen. His chaotic strike on the academy was merely a diversion to guide the flow of the battle. Kinji Hakari's decision to leave on his own was fortunate; Mirai had been prepared to return and crush him personally if he had persisted.
'Leaving early is wise,' Mirai thought. 'As long as the ultimate goal remains unhindered, I do not care about the fate of the school, the protagonists, or the lives of everyone on this island.'
He channeled his Cursed Energy into his eyes. The intricate crimson pattern of his right Mangekyou Sharingan began to rotate, shifting and bleeding into an eerie milky white, then settling into a deep purple with faint, concentric rings.
His left eye remained the red Mangekyou; his right eye had evolved into the Rinnegan.
Nearly ten years of absorbing the massive negative emotions of the cursed world had finally transformed a single eye. He felt no disappointment that only one had changed. The Rinnegan's power surpassed the Sharingan, and it could be activated by Cursed Energy without the side effects of blindness.
His indifferent gaze pierced through the barriers and the steel buildings, down into the subway depths.
On the second basement level (B2F), Choso—the eldest of the Death Paintings—was currently brutalizing Yuji Itadori. Mirai had no intention of interfering in the tragic reunion of the half-brothers.
Elsewhere, the twins Nanako and Mimiko held one of Sukuna's fingers, waiting for their moment. Mahito roamed the fourth floor, slaughtering humans for sport while hunting for his "natural enemy." And approaching the fifth floor from another entrance were Aoi Todo and the Kyoto students.
"So... what's next?"
Mirai's figure vanished from the night sky, slipping into the barrier.
...
Seeing the genuine, smug smile on White Zetsu's face, Nanami finally breathed a shallow sigh of relief.
Megumi Fushiguro plopped down onto the cold concrete, his lungs burning. Maintaining his incomplete Domain against Dagon had drained his Cursed Energy to the dregs. He was a mess of sweat and purple blood.
Nanami ripped off his silk tie and tied it tightly around the gaping wound on his upper arm. Maki and Nobara had fared better, as Dagon's primary "Death Swarm" had been focused on the Grade 1s.
"Hey, you Mama's Boy."
Nobara stepped forward, trying to appear calm despite her exhaustion, and punched Zetsu in the shoulder.
Zetsu didn't dodge. He didn't even look angry.
Nobara put a hand on her hip, reverting to her bossy academy persona. "Why did your boss seal away that bastard Gojo Satoru? Mirai is already invincible. Even if the school puts out a warrant, they can't touch him. Whether that white-haired idiot is there or not doesn't change anything for you guys."
For Nobara, who joined the school only to escape the countryside and see the city, the "justice" of the Jujutsu world meant little. She wasn't a hero. She selectively cared about people—and the idiot teacher Gojo was one of them. She regarded Zetsu as a comrade, a spirit who had barged into her heart and earned a seat there. She didn't want to fight him.
Nanami, leaning against a pillar while recovering his Cursed Energy, watched Nobara's expression. He marveled at her naivety.
'Even if Mirai released Gojo Satoru, the war wouldn't end,' Nanami thought. 'Gojo wouldn't stop until he killed Mirai. This is a dead end.'
Zetsu put his arm around Nobara's shoulder and shook his head.
"Thirteenth Sister, it's not that I don't respect you. But Mirai's temper is as stubborn as a thousand oxen."
He patted her shoulder earnestly. "Take my advice... don't keep going. You'll die."
Nobara's face darkened. She flung his hand off.
"You can leave now. I don't want to have to kill you here."
She bit her lip, turning her back to him.
"Zetsu, you should go," Maki added, her head bowed against the wall.
They intended to head to B5F to reclaim Gojo. Zetsu would never help them defy Mirai.
Zetsu was about to speak when he suddenly whipped his head around.
"Even you are dead... Dagon."
The aura of the sea curse was gone, but the air was suddenly becoming scorching. The temperature began to soar.
Nanami and Megumi scrambled to their feet, their nerves tightening.
This presence... it's much stronger than the one before!
"Let us meet again in the wilderness a hundred years from now..."
Jogo emerged from the darkness, his single, bloodshot eye filled with murderous intent. He looked at the group—Nanami, Megumi, Maki, and Nobara—and felt the rage of losing his last companion.
He noticed White Zetsu, which surprised him, but he was confident he could incinerate everyone present.
Zetsu shook his head, looking regretful. "Master Zetsu wanted to teach you a lesson personally, Little Volcano, but I guess you don't have the guts."
"VERY GOOD!" Jogo roared.
Compared to Mirai's cold indifference, Zetsu's chatter was like oil on a fire. Hellish flames boiled in Jogo's palm as he bent low, ready to unleash a firestorm to vent his grief.
"Jogo."
A cold, emotionless voice rang out from directly behind the volcano curse.
In an instant, Jogo's eye shifted from extreme rage to paralyzing terror. He didn't even turn around.
In his mind's eye, he saw a vision of the river of the afterlife. Hanami and Dagon were standing on the other side, waving to him.
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