Won't Be Dead So Soon, Will He?

Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction merely released its Cursed Energy Output, forming a powerful shockwave of cursed energy. Orange-yellow energy instantly surged in every direction, rushing toward Yuji Itadori as well.

Yuji gritted his teeth and thrust both arms forward, holding himself up and refusing to fall.

Under the powerful blast of cursed energy, the fingers on Yuji's other hand began to break down and disintegrate as well. The intense pain made him clench his teeth even harder, tears of pain and unwillingness welling in his eyes.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts. This is awful, awful, awful... Yuji's heart was a jumble of emotions as he endured the pain. Why did I... If I hadn't snatched that finger back then, if I hadn't eaten it, then... back then... Stop! Don't think about it!

No, no... I want to run away, I want to run away, I want to run away. I don't want to die... Yuji's mind was filled with memories, yet he stared in utter unwillingness at his hands that were about to collapse. If I die here... if I die here, would that count as a "proper death"?

"Aaaah!!!" Yuji roared. As Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction's cursed energy blast struck him, the bricks and tiles on the ground were sent flying along with him.

Am I... really this weak? As Yuji was blasted away, his grandfather's words surfaced in his mind. But he was too weak. He couldn't save anyone—not even himself.

After releasing its cursed energy, Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction slowly walked toward Yuji. Its eyes were filled with mockery, as though the human before it were merely a toy it could crush whenever it pleased.

But before that human died, how much amusement could he bring it?

Yuji slumped on the ground, a solid wall behind him that had now been smashed through with a massive hole.

"I was too full of myself. I thought I was strong. I thought I was strong enough to choose how I died, but... I wasn't." Yuji raised his right hand. Of its five fingers, only the thumb remained; the rest had disintegrated under the other's powerful cursed energy. "I'm too weak. Far too weak. I don't want to die. No... no!"

Yuji shakily rose to his feet, pressing his mangled hands against his face. "But... I still have to die!"

In that brief moment, Yuji thought of Satoru Gojo, Principal Masamichi Yaga, and Lin Ran.

"Curses are born from humanity's negative emotions. So hatred, fear, regret—pour all of it into my fist and let it out!"

Yuji clenched his right hand into a fist. A surge of red energy emerged, wrapping around his entire fist. He fixed his gaze on Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction, which was still laughing freely, and charged forward.

That punch contained far too many emotions and reasons. At that moment, Yuji felt filled with power as he swung his fist at Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction's face.

"Smack!"

Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction did not move an inch. With one hand, it calmly caught Yuji's fist, as if telling him that it was completely useless against it.

"Damn it!" Yuji instantly felt all hope vanish. The gap in strength between them was simply too great.

"Awoo~~~"

"Awooo~~~"

"That howl..." Yuji suddenly raised an eyebrow, and a smile appeared on his lips. "It's Fushiguro's signal!"

At that very moment, Yuji's presence abruptly changed, and black markings appeared across his face.

A moment ago, Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction had been gripping Yuji's hand in mockery. The next, it immediately released him and retreated several steps.

It could clearly sense that this human's presence was completely different from before. It wasn't merely an outward change, but a fundamental transformation.

"That brat is really irritating. He completely looks down on me." Ryomen Sukuna's voice came from Yuji's mouth. Yuji had now been possessed by Ryomen Sukuna; only this way could they defeat Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction.

Ryomen Sukuna glanced at Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction, which stood frozen to the side, too afraid to make a move. As he walked past it, he raised a hand and patted its shoulder. "Wait a moment. I'm thinking."

"I'm thinking about how to make that brat regret it." Ryomen Sukuna's tone was utterly calm, but Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction, with one of his hands resting on its shoulder, was nowhere near as composed.

Where was its previous arrogance now? With Ryomen Sukuna's hand on its shoulder, it did not even dare move, because it could clearly feel an overwhelming pressure and danger.

Ryomen Sukuna paid no attention to Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction. Instead, he thought to himself, Before I can catch up to them, that brat will force me back down. Then this situation, with Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction still here, is what will give him the biggest headache. Let's see how I make all your efforts go to waste.

The "them" he referred to were Fushiguro Megumi and Lin Ran. If he tried to kill Fushiguro Megumi and Lin Ran, Yuji would certainly suppress him again. Thus, the current situation, with Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction present, was what Yuji feared most.

"Hey, let's go kill those brats." Ryomen Sukuna patted Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction's shoulder again, then turned and walked away with his back to it.

The moment that hand left Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction's shoulder, it immediately leaped backward.

"Follow me." As Ryomen Sukuna raised his hand, Yuji's severed fingers had already been restored. He crooked a finger, signaling for Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction to follow.

Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction finally calmed down slightly. Ryomen Sukuna's utter disregard for it had been nothing short of an insult to its strength. How could a proud Special Grade Cursed Spirit like it endure that?

Amid its tense and complicated emotions, Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction held both palms before itself. Orange-yellow cursed energy rapidly gathered, and once it reached a certain level, it thrust the energy forward with one hand. A terrifying shockwave instantly spread toward Ryomen Sukuna.

"Idiot!" Ryomen Sukuna snorted. Turning around, he pulled his other hand from his pocket, restored it, and casually raised it to block the incoming cursed energy blast.

That powerful attack could make Yuji's arm collapse, but before Ryomen Sukuna, it was no more than a fart. Aside from kicking up some dust, it had no real effect whatsoever.

Only afterward did Ryomen Sukuna realize, Damn, I healed this hand too.

"Hah?!" Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction thought it was seeing things. That move should have been able to kill him, yet it had been blocked so easily without any effect at all. It was utterly stunned.

"You don't like taking walks?" Ryomen Sukuna was not angered by Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction's attack. "Makes sense. Cursed Spirits only stay where they were born. Fine, fine. Then you can..."

Ryomen Sukuna suddenly smiled. In the next instant, he appeared before Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction, raised a hand, and grabbed its face. "Die here!"

"Boom!"

Ryomen Sukuna slammed Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction into the ground, burying half its body in the earth. The force behind it was obvious.

"What's wrong?" With both hands in his pockets, Ryomen Sukuna bent over and looked curiously at Cursed Womb: Heavenly Restriction lying on the ground. "Don't tell me you're dead already?"