"That's enough."
Yoru's voice rang in the ear of Mahito's clone like the cold whisper of a reaper.
Even on the brink of collapse, his body pushed to its limit by the breathing technique and the Slayer Mark, the explosive speed Yoru unleashed sent a chill through Mahito's clone!
"Sun Breathing, Eighth Form..."
"Sunflower Thrust!"
The Shiranui in Yoru's hand traced a bizarre arc through the air.
The tip of the blade created layered afterimages due to its extreme velocity, as if fire itself were distorting and refracting in the air.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Mahito's clone let out a shrill roar.
He knew the terror of the Bright Red Nichirin Sword; he absolutely could not afford to be hit!
His remaining left arm instantly transformed into a massive bony shield, attempting to block the fatal strike.
However.
The moment the blade of the Shiranui touched the bony shield, the seemingly sharp slash passed right through it like a phantom!
"What?!"
Mahito's clone was aghast.
A split second later, a soul-tearing agony surged from his side!
The essence of the Sunflower Thrust lay in the fatal discrepancy between the blade's actual position and its visual trail.
Slash!
The crimson blade cut through Mahito's clone like tofu, leaving a charred wound deep enough to see bone.
Golden flames surged inward through the wound, incinerating any possibility of healing.
"Aaaaaargh!"
Mahito's clone screamed in agony, his body stretching and distorting backward like a liquid as he desperately tried to pull away.
"Thinking of running?"
Yoru's eyes were icy. He stepped forward, his figure following like a shadow.
"Sun Breathing, Thirteenth Form!"
Enduring the searing pain of tearing muscles, he forcibly drove the eternal cycle of sword techniques once more!
Dance, Clear Blue Sky, Burning Sun...
One technique followed another, pouring over Mahito's clone like a violent storm!
The intense heat of the Bright Red Nichirin Sword scorched and distorted the surrounding air. Mahito's pride and joy, Idle Transfiguration, became completely useless before the crimson blade.
His body was relentlessly sliced and severed.
Golden flames that could not be extinguished burned at the wounds, making it impossible for him to reshape his flesh!
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
Mahito's clone struggled frantically amidst the flames.
For the first time, he truly felt the fear of death. The despair of his soul being incinerated bit by bit drove him into complete madness.
"Since I can't escape... then let's die together!"
Mahito's clone suddenly abandoned all defense.
He allowed Yoru's Shiranui to sever his legs, lunging his remaining upper body forward like an arrow, ignoring the heat of the blade as he threw himself at Yoru!
His chest burst open, and countless distorted human faces—the innocent souls he had transfigured—bulged out from within.
"Soul Multiplicity: Repel!"
Boom!
A violent shockwave of cursed energy erupted with Mahito's clone at its center!
He chose to detonate his own clone, intending to drag Yoru down with him into mutual destruction!
"Not good!"
Yoru's pupils shrank.
His physical condition was already at its absolute worst. Forcing the Thirteenth Form had made every breath feel like his lungs were being shredded.
Facing this sudden suicidal attack, he had no strength left to dodge!
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form..."
Yoru gritted his teeth, attempting to switch breathing styles for defense.
"Dead Calm!"
A surface of serene water manifested around him.
But because his stamina was severely depleted, the range of this Dead Calm was extremely small and its surface rippled unsteadily.
Bang!
The violent shockwave of cursed energy slammed into the defense of Dead Calm.
It held for only a single second.
With a sharp crack, the calm water shattered!
The residual force of the impact slammed directly into Yoru's chest.
"Pfft!"
Yoru spat out a mouthful of blood as his body was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing heavily into the ruins over ten meters away.
"Yoru!"
From behind, Nobara covered her bleeding left eye and screamed in terror, trying to rush toward him despite her own injuries.
"Cough... cough..."
Amidst the rubble, Yoru used the Shiranui to prop himself up, kneeling on one knee.
His vision was beginning to blur, and he could hear nothing but a persistent ringing in his ears.
The Slayer Mark had completely faded, and his hand holding the sword was trembling violently.
He had reached his limit.
After fighting a Special Grade Cursed Spirit and the fifteen-finger Sukuna consecutively, then forcibly unleashing everything to suppress Mahito's clone, his body was completely spent.
"Hehehe... cough, cough..."
As the smoke cleared.
Mahito's clone actually hadn't fully dissipated yet.
Only a tattered head and half a shoulder remained, crawling laboriously across the ground.
"So... you really have reached your limit."
An expression of extreme malice and excitement appeared on the clone's distorted face.
"I don't even need Idle Transfiguration. If I just touch you one more time... you'll die like a broken rag doll, won't you?"
He continued to crawl, slowly closing the distance toward the kneeling Yoru.
From that partial shoulder, a sharp bone spike grew once more, aiming directly at Yoru's heart.
"Die, you meddling demon!"
The clone roared, thrusting the bone spike toward Yoru!
Yoru gritted his teeth, trying to raise the Shiranui to parry, but his arm refused to obey.
'Is it going to end... here?'
At that critical moment!
Boom!
An afterimage accompanied by violent black light descended from the sky like a falling meteor!
"Get the hell away from him!!!"
A heart-wrenching roar echoed through the ruins!
Boom!
A fist wreathed in black lightning slammed into the remnants of Mahito's clone with devastating force!
Black Flash!
"Aaaaaaargh!"
Mahito's clone didn't even have time to react. Under the terrifying power of the Black Flash, his tattered body instantly disintegrated into a mist of purple-black blood, completely erased from existence!
"Yu... Yuji?"
Yoru struggled to lift his head.
Standing before him was a blood-soaked back, heaving with heavy breaths.
It was Yuji Itadori, who was supposed to have headed toward the subway station!
After sensing the commotion here, Yuji had turned back halfway and arrived at the most critical moment.
Thud.
After crushing Mahito's clone with that single punch.
Yuji seemed to lose all his strength, his knees buckling as he fell heavily to the ground in front of Yoru.
He didn't look at Yoru, instead staring fixedly at the scorched earth.
Large droplets of tears, mixed with blood, splashed onto the ground.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
Yuji's voice trembled so much it sounded like he was bleeding through his words.
"If it wasn't for me... if I wasn't so weak..."
"Everyone wouldn't have died... Shibuya wouldn't be like this..."
"I'm a murderer... I'm a failure who dragged everyone down!"
He clutched his hair tightly with both hands, the bone-deep guilt and despair nearly crushing his soul.
Watching the boy on the verge of collapse.
Yoru took a deep breath, enduring the sharp pain in his chest as he slowly reached out his trembling hand.
Smack.
Yoru's hand landed firmly on Yuji's shoulder.
The force was so great that Yuji's body jolted.
"Look up, Yuji."
Yoru's voice was weak, but it carried an unquestionable sternness.
Yuji looked up blankly, his hollow eyes filled with tears.
"Do you really think you destroyed everything?"
Yoru stared directly into Yuji's eyes, speaking one word at a time.
"Look around you."
"Look at the people Shoko-san is treating. Look at the civilians supporting each other on the edge of the ruins."
Yuji froze.
He followed Yoru's gaze.
At the nearby medical point, though the air was filled with cries of pain, more and more people were being saved.
And further away, the ordinary people he thought had been turned to ash by Sukuna's domain—though terrified and covered in dust—were alive.
"How can this be..."
Yuji's pupils shrank.
"It was Suguru."
Yoru looked at Yuji, his tone carrying a hint of respect.
"When Sukuna expanded his domain, Suguru Geto used his cursed spirits to block the vast majority of the slashes."
"He saved tens of thousands of lives, making up for the massacre you thought happened."
Yoru's hand squeezed Yuji's shoulder heavily.
"You aren't a murderer, Yuji."
"The one at fault isn't you. It's the monster that occupied your body and the mastermind who orchestrated all of this."
"If you really feel guilty..."
Yoru turned his gaze toward the Shibuya subway station, his eyes becoming bone-chillingly cold.
"Then stop crying here like a child!"
"Go to the station and find that bastard who treats humans like toys!"
"Go and end this!"
Yuji stared at Yoru, then looked at the survivors in the distance.
The despair and emptiness in his eyes began to fade away bit by bit.
It was replaced by a resolve so hardened it felt as though it had been forged in fire!
He slowly stood up, wiping the blood and tears from his face.
"I understand, Yoru."
Yuji took a deep breath, and within his previously lost eyes, a heart-stopping intent to fight began to burn.
"I will go and kill him."