Mahito, run!
Kenjaku suddenly rushed forward and threw a full powered punch, knocking Shion's right hand away from Mahito's shoulder.
Mahito's face lit up with excitement. Instead of following Kenjaku's order to flee, he lunged forward and reached straight for Shion's chest.
During the brief contact earlier, Mahito had clearly sensed something important.
Shion had not activated the Limitless.
To Mahito, this was a perfect opportunity, a gift from fate.
Idle Transfiguration!
"I got him!"
Mahito's face twisted into a sick and triumphant smile.
Then the smile froze.
A thick barrier of Cursed Energy covered Shion's soul. It was impossibly dense, like a wall made of solid bronze. No matter how Mahito pushed his technique, it could not penetrate even a fraction.
Shion glanced down at him and chuckled softly.
"What exactly did you get?"
Mahito's eyes widened in horror.
Kenjaku cursed inwardly.
Idiots. Every single one of them.
Jogo, Mahito… they were all painfully average yet ridiculously overconfident.
When I say run, just run!
Why turn back and try something this stupid?
Do you have a death wish?
Before Mahito could react, Shion suddenly grabbed both Kenjaku and Mahito by their heads.
Then he slammed them violently into the ground and sprinted forward.
Their skulls scraped across the earth, carving deep trenches through the battlefield as blood and flesh scattered behind them.
At that moment, a blazing shadow descended from the sky.
Zenith Meteor.
A massive flaming meteor crashed down toward Shion as Jogo arrived to support his allies.
Shion grinned wildly.
Instead of dodging, he violently hurled Kenjaku and Mahito straight toward Jogo.
The three bodies collided midair and were blasted backward into a mountain of rubble.
Immediately afterward, Shion leaped high into the sky.
His Cursed Energy surged violently through his body, amplifying his strength to a terrifying level.
Then, with his bare hands, he caught the falling meteor.
For a brief moment, the entire battlefield fell silent.
Shion stood in midair, holding the burning mass above his head.
Then he slammed it down.
The meteor crashed directly into the ruins where Kenjaku, Jogo, and Mahito had fallen.
BOOM!
Flames exploded outward as a massive mushroom cloud rose hundreds of meters into the sky. The ground shattered and the sky darkened beneath the blast.
From afar, Kokichi watched everything unfold.
His mind went blank.
Only now did he realize how naive his earlier thoughts had been.
His so called Unit 0, the weapon he believed could rival a Special Grade, was nothing more than a joke.
Inside the ruins, Kenjaku and the others barely survived by forming a defensive barrier with their Cursed Energy.
Even so, their bodies were in terrible condition. Limbs were twisted and blood covered their clothes.
Kenjaku quickly stepped forward and blocked the path between Shion and the others.
"You two go first."
Jogo and Mahito both stared at him in shock.
What was this?
Was this really Kenjaku?
Did he damage his brain when he changed bodies?
Kenjaku felt a headache coming on.
It was not because he cared about them.
But Mahito absolutely could not die if his plans were to succeed.
Jogo and Mahito did not hesitate.
Since Kenjaku was willing to cover their retreat, they would gladly accept it.
The two of them immediately turned and fled.
Kenjaku's mouth twitched.
"Damn Cursed Spirits."
Shion was already rushing toward him.
Kenjaku pressed his palms together and began chanting a strange incantation.
"Emerging from Izumo."
"Returning to Koshi."
"Manifest now, beneath the darkened heavens."
"Yamata no Orochi."
The earth beneath him trembled violently.
Shion glanced down.
The ground burst open as enormous snake heads erupted from below.
One after another, they roared into the sky.
Soon, a colossal creature appeared. Its body was as massive as a mountain. Eight heads and eight tails twisted together, forming a monstrous serpentine beast that looked both ancient and terrifying.
Jogo and Mahito were stunned.
"That's the legendary Yamata no Orochi?"
"So Kenjaku was hiding strength like this?"
Kenjaku suddenly appeared beside them again.
"Stop staring and run. Do you really think Yamata no Orochi can stop Shion?"
Inside, Kenjaku's heart was bleeding.
Yamata no Orochi.
It was the strongest Shikigami he possessed, a creature he had spent immense effort to subdue.
Among all known Shikigami in the Jujutsu world, its strength was second only to the Eight Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga.
Kenjaku clenched his teeth as he glanced at Mahito.
Forget it.
Compared to Yamata no Orochi, Mahito's Idle Transfiguration was far more important.
Once that technique fully matured, Kenjaku swore he would personally dissect Mahito piece by piece to vent his frustration.
Meanwhile, Shion observed the giant creature with interest.
"Yamata no Orochi, huh?"
He had not expected to encounter such a legendary monster.
The beast roared.
All eight heads began condensing Cursed Energy.
Wind. Thunder. Water. Fire. Wood. Earth. Ice. Metal.
Eight different elemental attacks erupted simultaneously, filling the sky with destructive force. Each attack possessed power comparable to a Special Grade curse.
Yet the moment they approached Shion, everything changed.
The attacks struck Infinity and were instantly deflected.
Even the shockwaves alone reduced a distant mountain to dust.
Shion raised one hand.
"Red."
A crimson sphere shot forward.
Three of the serpent's heads were instantly torn apart.
But within seconds, three new heads grew from the bloody necks.
The regeneration was so fast it was visible to the naked eye.
Shion tilted his head with curiosity.
"Reverse Cursed Technique?"
He paused briefly before smiling.
"No. A Binding Vow, right?"
He removed his sunglasses slowly.
"So the trick is simple. Unless all eight heads are destroyed at once, it keeps regenerating forever."
Yamata no Orochi possessed overwhelming Cursed Energy, terrifying regeneration, defense comparable to Hanami, and a variety of elemental attacks.
Against any other Special Grade sorcerer, it would be an extremely dangerous opponent.
Unfortunately for it, the enemy today was Shion.
Blue formed in his left hand.
Red gathered in his right.
The two forces collided and compressed together.
Purple.
Shion flicked his finger casually.
The technique shot forward and rapidly expanded, growing larger and larger until it dwarfed the entire body of Yamata no Orochi.
The eight heads screamed and launched their attacks in desperation.
But it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Everything was erased.
The heads vanished.
The tails vanished.
The entire body disintegrated without leaving even a single fragment behind.
Silence returned to the battlefield.
"Hm?"
Shion suddenly noticed a faint glimmer among the ashes.
He walked closer and brushed away the debris.
Buried within the remains was a strange object shaped like a long sword.
It looked like a tailbone.
Shion raised an eyebrow.
"Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi?"
A legendary sword appearing as loot after killing a monster.
Not bad.
Shion picked it up casually before walking toward Kokichi.
Kokichi watched him approach with complicated emotions.
"That battle was incredible… Gojo Sensei."
He hesitated before correcting himself.
"No… I guess I no longer have the right to call you Sensei."
Kokichi slowly closed his eyes as he lay on the ground.
"Do it."
Several seconds passed.
Nothing happened.
Kokichi opened his eyes in confusion.
Flick.
Shion lightly flicked his forehead.
"Ow, ow, ow…"
Shion sighed.
"I actually came here because I found a way to restore Kokichi kun's physical body."
"I never expected Kenjaku to suddenly ambush us."
He placed a hand on his hip and spoke with exaggerated pride.
"Fortunately, through the perfect teamwork between teacher and student, we defeated the enemy and saved world peace."
He paused.
"Actually, delete that last part."
Kokichi stared at him in disbelief.
"Sensei… what I did was betrayal."
"And you are really going to cover it up like this?"
Shion smiled playfully.
"Cover it up?"
"I am simply telling the truth."
He shrugged.
"Besides, does anyone in the Jujutsu world dare to argue with me?"
Kokichi fell silent.
Shion reached out and ruffled his hair.
"Being reborn feels good, right?"
Kokichi's body trembled slightly.
Words stuck in his throat.
Shion's voice softened.
"You were born with a Heavenly Restriction."
"You spent your entire life trapped in a nutrient tank, unable to live normally."
"Running, laughing, eating good food, holding someone's hand. These are ordinary things for most people."
"For you, they were impossible dreams."
Shion looked at him quietly.
"I understand that feeling."
"But I still cannot fully understand the pain and loneliness you endured."
He sighed.
"If anyone should apologize, it is us teachers who failed to help you."
Shion turned and started walking away.
"Come on."
"Time to go home."
Kokichi stared at his back.
His nose stung and his chest felt heavy.
"Why are you still standing there?" Shion said without turning around.
Kokichi wiped his tears and straightened his posture.
"Thank you, Shion Sensei."
"But I cannot accept this outcome."
"Even if everyone forgives me, my heart will not."
"I cannot live the rest of my life carrying that guilt."
He bowed deeply.
"Please give me the punishment I deserve."
Shion looked surprised for a moment.
Then a satisfied expression appeared on his face.
"Punishment?"
"You were already punished."
Kokichi blinked in confusion.
Then Shion suddenly showed a very suspicious grin.
"I cancelled the delivery you scheduled earlier."
"And by the way, I gave one of the voice recorders to Kasumi Miwa."
Kokichi froze.
"Eh?"
"It was a confession recording, right?"
Shion's smile widened.
"Kasumi Miwa cried for a long time after hearing it."
"She kept calling your name too."
Shion's grin became downright evil.
"Oh my."
"As long as you are happy."
"How romantic."
Kokichi's face instantly turned bright red.
His entire body curled in embarrassment as if he wanted to dig a hole and bury himself.
Now he understood.
This was the most terrifying punishment imaginable.
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