Tengen does not interfere with the present world.
True to that principle, she too had devoted herself to maintaining the barriers except in truly exceptional cases.
But now—
That exceptional case was walking around right in front of her, and it shook her thoughts.
"Surely not..."
Tengen pondered Kadoc.
Because he had seen through changes that even Gojo Satoru's Six Eyes had failed to perceive.
The installation of the barriers. Their operation.
The immortal Cursed Technique.
She was inhuman, yet she had always done her utmost for humanity.
The anti-religious order she had first created.
It had been for the survival of Jujutsu Sorcerers, yes, but the teaching that they must act for humanity was proof enough.
And yet—
A pillar for peace had arrived, though his roots were unknowable.
If so, what should she do?
Maintain cordial relations, yet preserve the distance of a far-off neighbor?
After long consideration, she ultimately reached one conclusion: cooperation.
The path that served him was also the path that served stability.
Kenjaku found that suspicious.
He believed she must be hiding some dark intention, but in truth there was nothing of the sort.
"A fate that should have twisted into ruin has been twisted once more."
After sending Kadoc and the Servants away, Tengen contemplated fate.
A destiny that should have rolled toward disaster had been bent again, and this time it had turned in a desirable direction.
She realized that the fate which should have become the worst possible outcome...
...had in fact been the proper history.
The original flow.
She sensed it instinctively.
And yet that man, who behaved as though he knew the future in full, had warped it.
With a force stronger than the power that sought to shatter fate itself.
The more she focused on that point, the more naturally she arrived at the conclusion of cooperation.
So she informed them through the Cursed Energy detected within the barriers.
This was the right thing to do.
She would still keep her interference in the secular world to a minimum, but that was fine.
Tengen settled into meditation with an easy heart.
Her body slowly sank beneath the barrier of the Tombs of the Star Corridor.
It was a little hard to believe, but we found where the Cursed Spirits were hiding.
Kanagawa.
The prefecture directly below Tokyo—close enough to strike at any time.
The phrase "it's darkest under the lamp" fit the place perfectly.
Of course, combing through Tokyo alone had already been hell on earth...
No wonder we hadn't found them.
If Tengen hadn't laid a radar net over all of Japan?
We'd probably have been stuck waiting until they threw the first punch.
"This really is the end for them."
The moment I heard, I passed the information to Yaga Masamichi, Tokyo Jujutsu High, and Kyoto Jujutsu High.
They finished preparations for the exorcism immediately.
It wasn't on the level of the all-out war from Jujutsu Kaisen 0, but...
This much manpower was more than enough.
The students of Kyoto Jujutsu High.
Part of the Kamo clan.
Part of the Zenin Clan, including Zenin Naoya and Zenin Naobito.
From Tokyo Jujutsu High, Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru.
All of the first-years, second-years, and third-years.
We even brought in Nanami Kento and Haibara Yu, who I hadn't seen in a while and who, in this timeline, was still alive.
Naturally, the principals were participating as well.
Calling it a large-scale operation wouldn't have been an exaggeration.
"In case any of you have forgotten, I'll explain it again."
Inside the bus heading for the target area, Yaga stood in the center aisle and spoke, a vein standing out at his brow.
He looked fired up at the prospect of exterminating a pack of Special Grade Cursed Spirits and the incarnated sorcerers with them.
"Itadori and Kugisaki will operate as a two-person team and handle civilian evacuation."
"Yes, sir!"
Itadori Yuji shot his hand up energetically.
He was plenty strong in his own right, but the lineup here was simply too extravagant.
The key to this operation was surprise.
The core objective was to deploy the curtain and trap them before they realized what was happening.
The estimated range was three kilometers.
And in case Mahito tried to slip away through the sewers like last time, we'd be locking down the perimeter thoroughly.
"Next, Fushiguro and Okkotsu will move as a two-man team. Both of you are to focus on locating the Cursed Spirits. If an incarnated sorcerer attacks, Okkotsu will sweep them aside, and Fushiguro will support him."
"Yes. Understood."
From the back seats, Fushiguro Megumi and Okkotsu Yuta nodded.
They were both quiet by nature, so they sat there in a heavy, settled silence.
Okkotsu and Megumi, double Mahoraga event?
That was hard to resist.
I knew the situation was serious, but I really wanted to see it at least once.
"Inumaki will work with Hoshi to guide civilians to safety. Your sector is the southeast. Itadori and Kugisaki will take the northeast."
"Salmon."
"Got it."
Inumaki and Hoshi answered with visible tension.
They were tense, but not afraid.
"Panda, you're with me. You'll guard Shoko Ieiri."
"Okay. Got it."
Seated all the way in the back, Panda scratched his rear.
He looked a little deflated, but he wasn't seriously unhappy about it.
"Next, Hakari. Move however you see fit. Civilian evacuation, offense—adapt according to the situation as it develops."
"That's kind of a vague order, isn't it? Pretty tough mission."
"With your skill, you can handle it. And given your personality, I judged this would suit you better. Move toward whatever pulls you in."
"I like that."
Hakari Kinji grinned like a beast.
Just as Yaga had expected, his face was burning with excitement.
"Lastly... Gojo and Geto. Push in from the east and west. You can manage that, right?"
"Of course. Who do you think we are?"
"I'll do my utmost."
Gojo answered with arrogant confidence. Geto answered with humble confidence.
[Limitless] was a Cursed Technique well suited to solo play.
[Cursed Spirit Manipulation] was also a technique that required no one's help.
If anything, support would only get in the way.
And if it got in the way, there would be times they'd have to suppress their output.
"Nanami and Haibara, stay in constant contact and support the assistant supervisors. The enemy may try to disrupt barrier maintenance."
Nanami nodded calmly.
Even Haibara, unexpectedly serious for once, nodded without a smile.
"The Kamo clan reinforcements arriving on site will cooperate with Kyoto Jujutsu High. The Zenin Clan sorcerers will support us independently, so don't be thrown off by that. That's all."
Yaga finished speaking and sat back down.
Today, with the summer heat still clinging to the air, we intended to end everything before anything like the Shibuya Incident could ever happen.
My role, along with the six Servants, was offense.
We'd push in from the south, and if possible, we'd protect the supervisors as well.
Maki and Mai were the same, so they hadn't been given separate assignments.
We were managing them on our side.
"I wonder how your condition is holding up."
As I sat there chewing over the silence, Yaga quietly approached and spoke to me.
"Mine? It's great. My shoulders are practically twitching because I want to get this over with already."
"That makes it sound like you're very excited. Am I right?"
"Yeah. This time, I'm planning to wipe them out so thoroughly they won't leave even a trace. Ah, well—not exorcise, exactly. Geto-san should swallow them instead."
The goal was eradication, but Mahito was to be captured.
Because we needed [Idle Transfiguration].
The best outcome would be Mahito's complete destruction.
The second-best would be Okkotsu copying Mahito's Cursed Technique.
To make that happen, everyone would stay in close contact.
If Mahito was found, Geto and Okkotsu were to move on him immediately.
We had a plan, but plans changed.
Our formation would shift flexibly with the situation.
"I'll search hard too, so don't worry."
From farther away, Geto waved with a smile.
It was reassuring just looking at him.
"Good. It would be nice if things unfold according to plan. And the Death Painting Wombs are joining in as well, was it?"
"Yes. The second and third brothers will guard the house, and Toji and Choso are supposed to join us."
The eldest of the Cursed Womb: Death Painting brothers.
And Toji was already racing toward the destination.
There was only one reason he hadn't taken the bus.
He was matching Zenin Sae's time getting off work.
"Yeah, figures. That man's hopelessly devoted to his wife."
I laughed, remembering an old Jujutsu Kaisen-style joke for the first time in a while.
We had already won this fight, but winning wasn't what mattered most.
What mattered was how little damage we took.
And how completely we achieved our objective.
"We are scheduled to arrive in thirty minutes."
The driver said it in a flat voice from behind the wheel.
Not much longer now.
"I should rest until then. You should do the same and prepare yourself."
"Yes. Thank you."
I nodded and slowly closed my eyes.
All of the Servants were waiting atop the bus in spirit form.
It was to avoid creating excessive tension.
They'd ride inside on the way back after everything was over, but...
For now, we needed to reduce mental fatigue as much as possible.
We'd already exchanged greetings. We'd already traded words of encouragement.
Now all that remained was the real battle.
Countless incarnated sorcerers. Special Grade Cursed Spirits.
Mahito had nearly finished preparing his ambush, armed with more than enough force.
His plan was to create chaos, draw in part of the Jujutsu Sorcerers...
...and use that opening to assassinate his target.
Jujutsu Sorcerers do not all gather in one place under normal circumstances.
Each of them has their own assigned territory.
Mahito knew that because he was in contact with the higher-ups.
And because he knew it, he judged the odds to be favorable.
"Hm?"
But he had never imagined the Jujutsu High side would strike first.
The situation was absurd.
Outside Dagon's domain, [Sea of Radiant Light], vast amounts of Cursed Energy were converging.
An abandoned apartment building no longer in use.
The entire surrounding area was being encircled with perfect precision.
"This is insane."
Mahito's eyes curved into a soft smile.
Even cornered, he was enjoying himself.
"Mahito. Did you feel it?"
Jogo, who had been some distance away, approached and asked.
He too had sensed the Cursed Energy.
"Yeah. There's way too much of it. How the hell did we get exposed?"
"Our trail was not discovered. If that is so, then it means there was someone capable of finding us without following any trail at all."
"Ah. You mean Tengen, the one holed up in the corner of Jujutsu High?"
Mahito laughed and rose to his feet.
He loosened his body lightly as he drew up his Cursed Energy.
As that ominous power swelled and rolled, humans began crawling out from every direction.
All of them were incarnated sorcerers.
Those hiding throughout the abandoned building.
Those staying here outright.
If this had been a situation where only jujutsu clashed against jujutsu, they would have held the advantage.
Even Gojo's irritating [Limitless] was still ultimately a Cursed Technique.
And [Domain Amplification], which neutralized Cursed Techniques themselves, could deal with that.
"Retreat?"
"We could abandon everything and run. That's not a bad option... but now that it's come to this, I can't hold it back anymore."
For a long time—an extremely long time—Mahito had suppressed his wicked nature.
For the sake of the operation's success.
To force himself low while savoring fear.
But now—
At this point, the instinct of a Cursed Spirit finally reared its head.
He wanted to curse humans. Break them.
It was the instinct befitting a curse born from humanity's fear of humanity.
"This situation was not entirely outside your expectations, was it? What of the target?"
"We're proceeding as planned."
"Then I shall move as well. It seems I must raise the opening signal of war."
Jogo left the domain with an evil smile of his own.
Far from afraid, he was grinning.
"You all heard that, right? Things changed a little from the schedule, but if we want the age we desire, then all of you know there's no choice but to cooperate."
Just before stepping out, Mahito looked over the incarnated sorcerers spread around him and gave his little speech.
Joining hands with mere Cursed Spirits.
Ordinarily, that would have been difficult to imagine, but incarnated sorcerers were different.
A newly gained life.
Debauched, sharpened temperaments.
They were the sort who were ready to ally even with Cursed Spirits for the sake of their own goals.
Because they had chosen incarnation.
"All right, then. Move out. Everyone—enjoy the festival."
When Mahito raised his hand, the tranquil sea vanished without a trace.
A suffocating silence remained.
Only the sight of a dust-covered living room was left behind.
Boom!
Something enormous crashed down, and every window around them shattered and burst apart.
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