The Gods

His revival this time was solely to find the King of Curses—Sukuna—and fight him, the kind of battle that would decide both victory and death.

Now, it seemed that someone even stronger than Sukuna had appeared. Although he had been frightened, his feverish fighting spirit could no longer be suppressed. That was why he had appeared on the rooftop.

Kashimo Hajime saw the scene before him and let out a laugh. "Well, well, your sorry state is truly hilarious."

Jogo had already been blasted away, but he could not hear a word of it.

Kashimo Hajime, meanwhile, noticed that the person who had sent him flying had disappeared. His gaze then landed on the Ryujin Jakka in Jogo's hands.

"This broken sword... actually possesses such terrifying power?" Kashimo Hajime muttered as he slowly extended his hand, trying to approach Ryujin Jakka.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the blade, the crimson patterns on Ryujin Jakka suddenly erupted with blinding light. A scorching wave of fire swept outward from the blade in all directions.

"Hmph!" Kashimo Hajime snorted. Lightning Bolt instantly surged around his body, forming a lightning shield that protected him.

The wave of fire crashed into the lightning shield with a crackling roar. The powerful impact caused the rooftop floor to split apart.

"Interesting." A flicker of excitement flashed through Kashimo Hajime's eyes. He increased his Cursed Energy output, and the lightning shield blazed brightly, forcibly driving the wave of fire back.

Ryujin Jakka seemed to have been provoked. The blade trembled violently, giving off a low hum, while the temperature of its flames soared once again.

"Come on!" Kashimo Hajime roared. He stamped both feet against the ground, and his entire body shot toward Ryujin Jakka like a bolt of lightning.

He clenched his right fist. Lightning condensed over it into a gigantic lightning blade, which came crashing down toward Ryujin Jakka.

"Boom!" The instant the fist-blade collided with the sword, a terrifying storm of energy erupted.

Kashimo Hajime was blasted backward by the force, carving a long trail across the rooftop.

Although Ryujin Jakka remained embedded in Jogo's body without moving, the radiance on its blade grew even more dazzling. The flames also burned more fiercely, as if they were declaring their contempt for Kashimo Hajime.

Kashimo Hajime struggled to his feet, a trace of blood hanging from the corner of his mouth. His gaze, however, had grown even more feverish.

"No weapon has ever excited me this much. Today, I'm taking you with me no matter what!"

As he spoke, he formed hand seals. Lightning surged wildly around his body, gradually gathering into a huge sphere. Countless lightning snakes faintly writhed within it.

Just as the lightning sphere was about to leave his hands, and the violent energy tore at the air—

"?What are you doing??"

A cold voice suddenly rang beside Kashimo Hajime's ear!

It had not come from in front of him, but from behind!

Kashimo Hajime's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart seemed to be gripped by an invisible hand!

There was no time to think. His battle instincts overrode everything! He forcibly interrupted the lightning sphere's formation. His Cursed Energy instantly reversed course, and with a muffled groan, he twisted his body and shot away!

"Crack—!" Lightning exploded. He transformed into a jagged streak of electricity and instantly shifted sideways!

Two hundred meters away, Kashimo Hajime steadied himself at the edge of another rooftop. His chest heaved violently, and a thin line of blood trickled from his mouth—the backlash from forcibly interrupting his technique.

He suddenly raised his head and swept his electric gaze toward the previous location... There was no one there?!

Impossible! The voice had been right beside his ear!

"Such pointless theatrics. What were you doing just now?" the cold, indifferent voice rang out again.

This time, it came clearly from behind him!

The hair all over Kashimo Hajime's body stood on end! He spun around!

Chen Tian stood there.

He had appeared without a sound, as if he had always been there and Kashimo Hajime had simply never noticed him.

He was so close that Kashimo Hajime could almost feel the cold aura of vacuum lingering around him.

Dressed in black, calm and composed, with white hair hanging down, Chen Tian's eyes looked down at him placidly, as though he were nothing more than a stone by the roadside.

When had he returned?! When had he gotten behind him?!

Kashimo Hajime's heart pounded wildly. The cold fear was so distinct that it overwhelmed his boiling battle intent.

The speed and perception he had always been proud of were nothing but a joke before this man!

The enormous lightning sphere lost control and exploded at the position where he had been standing moments before!

Blinding lightning instantly swallowed the area. Wild bolts leaped and lashed the ground, blasting the cracked concrete into pieces!

Smoke and shattered stone mixed with the scorched smell of electricity and spread through the air.

Within the smoke, Chen Tian remained perfectly still. Even the hem of his clothes had not been disturbed. When the torrent of impact reached half a meter before him, it struck an invisible wall and instantly vanished.

Kashimo Hajime watched helplessly as the attack he had gathered with all his strength failed to make his opponent move even half a step!

He stared fixedly at Chen Tian, his teeth grinding audibly. The Cursed Energy in his body rampaged through his meridians like a frightened beast, yet he did not dare let it roar out.

Fear wound around every limb and bone like cold vines.

Chen Tian slightly raised his eyes. His gaze swept across the smoke from the explosion before finally settling on Kashimo Hajime's face. There was not a ripple in his eyes, only a trace of irritation at having been disturbed.

"Too much noise." His voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the lingering thunder. "You disturbed me."

The next second, Chen Tian's figure seemed to flicker.

Every muscle in Kashimo Hajime's body instantly tensed to the limit! Lightning instinctively burst out around him as protection!

He only felt his body suddenly become lighter, as if some point of support had vanished. He looked down in horror!

Blood sprayed wildly from the severed area of his right shoulder like water from a broken pump! His entire right arm had been severed cleanly at the shoulder without him noticing. It spun through the air in a tragic arc before crashing to the ground!

The pain surged in like a tsunami a moment later!

"Gah—!" Kashimo Hajime screamed in agony, cold sweat instantly soaking his entire body!

"I told you. You're too noisy." Chen Tian's icy voice sounded again, like a whisper from the god of death.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

Three slashes too fast for the nervous system to react to flashed across his remaining three limbs!

Kashimo Hajime's scream abruptly stopped. His pupils shrank to pinpoints from the agony and overwhelming terror!

He watched as his left arm and both legs separated from his body like broken doll parts. A huge amount of blood splattered across the rooftop like ink!

"Thud!" His body, stripped of all four limbs, slammed heavily onto the ground beside Jogo, who had likewise been reduced to a limbless torso. Blood and flesh blurred together.

His only remaining head let out a beast-like howl. "You bastard—!!!"

At the brink of life and death, every scheme was cast aside!

Kashimo Hajime erupted with the last of his Cursed Energy! It was the final trump card he had prepared for Sukuna, one that burned his life and soul!

"Mythical Beast! Amber!!!" He used every ounce of strength to roar out the technique's true name!

Violent blue arcs of electricity, as tangible as flames, instantly wrapped around his remaining head!

The core of his Cursed Energy throbbed violently. An ancient and savage aura was about to break free! He was going to forcibly complete this transformation beyond his limits. Even if it lasted only an instant, he would still bite off a piece of his opponent!

His vision suddenly blurred.

It was as if the entire world had been fast-forwarded, then frozen in place.

Kashimo Hajime's berserk will, his burning Cursed Energy, his unwilling roar... everything stopped at this moment.

His eyes, forced wide open, clearly saw—

A headless body lying in a pool of blood, blue arcs of electricity still crazily leaping from its severed neck as they tried to complete the transformation.

That... was his body?

Then the world spun.

He felt himself falling.

The ground... the cracked concrete ground... was getting closer.

A dull impact sounded.

Kashimo Hajime's final field of vision froze on his headless body, its limbs severed, yet still radiating terrifying Cursed Energy.

That cold black figure stood indifferently at the edge of his vision, like a rock unchanged since ancient times.

His consciousness sank into eternal darkness.

God

"What a hassle." Listening to the roars of the Cursed Spirits, Chen Tian sighed softly. "How had he never noticed those so-called Cursed Spirits before?"

Chen Tian had regained his memories several years ago, but he had never encountered any monsters like Cursed Spirits.

A large part of the reason was the transformation that the Enma Sword and Ryujin Jakka had brought to his body. Ordinary people might not sense it, but Cursed Spirits could clearly perceive the immense power within Chen Tian's body, causing those mindless Cursed Spirits to instinctively keep far away from him.

Chen Tian walked to the edge of the rooftop and closed his eyes.

Within his perception, countless points of light appeared: black Cursed Spirits, red Curse Users, blue Jujutsu Sorcerers, and Yuji Itadori, who was half blue and half red.

Chen Tian stood there with his eyes closed and placed his hand on the Enma Sword.

Then he drew the sword, swung it, and returned it to its sheath in one fluid motion.

There were no special effects, nor was there anything earth-shattering like when he had sliced apart the barrier. It had simply been an ordinary sword swing.

Yet in that seemingly unremarkable instant, the entire city of Tokyo seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand.

Centered on Chen Tian, an invisible ripple rapidly spread outward.

The Cursed Spirits rampaging through the ruins, whether low-level specters or powerful Special Grade Cursed Spirits, all seemed to be tightly gripped by an invisible force.

The Cursed Spirits, which had been baring their fangs and waving their claws, instantly froze. Fine cracks then appeared across their bodies.

Black Cursed Energy surged within the cracks like boiling magma.

Immediately afterward, with a pop like a balloon bursting, one Cursed Spirit after another exploded where they stood. They turned into countless lumps of flesh before transforming into black mist and dispersing.

On the city streets, a gigantic Cursed Spirit was just about to swallow a passerby when, in the next second, its head separated from its body. The cut was smooth and even, as if it had been sliced by the sharpest surgical knife.

It did not even have time to let out a roar before it crashed to the ground and vanished.

The Curse Users represented by the red points of light did not escape either.

They were controlling their Cursed Tools and preparing to launch lethal attacks against the Jujutsu Sorcerers when they suddenly felt a chill shoot from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads.

Before they could react, their bodies were cut into several pieces, and blood splashed across the streets.

Yuji Itadori was on a rooftop with Fushiguro Megumi, discussing how they should find Angel after the barrier was broken.

Suddenly, both of their bodies jolted. They quickly ran to the edge of the rooftop.

On the streets below, the players and Cursed Spirits that had still been fighting were either torn into pieces or split in half from head to toe.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"Was that... Nero?" Yuji Itadori asked incredulously. He could sense that the Curse Users and Cursed Spirits had been cleaved apart by something.

He was very familiar with it. Back in Shibuya, he had witnessed Sukuna's Cursed Technique and Domain being shattered by Chen Tian while inside his body.

"It should... be." Fushiguro Megumi took a deep breath. He had also personally witnessed Chen Tian's power.

"Then he should have been the one who broke the barrier too, right?" Itadori asked uncertainly.

Fushiguro Megumi nodded. "I can't think of anyone else."

Itadori sighed. "Megumi, if we had gone to ask him for help before entering, do you think we wouldn't have needed to go through so many battles?"

Fushiguro Megumi was rendered speechless. After a long pause, he said sarcastically, "Yes."

Itadori suddenly became excited. "Then do we still need to find Angel? Couldn't we just have Nero cut open the Prison Realm?"

Fushiguro Megumi rolled his eyes at him. "It isn't that simple. The Prison Realm is a Special Grade Cursed Object, and its internal structure is unusual. It's said to have been imbued with a special Cursed Technique. Forcibly opening it from the outside would lead to unpredictable consequences.

"Someone once tried to forcibly open the Prison Realm's 'inside' from the outside using Jujutsu. The seal became disordered, and the Prison Realm split into countless identical spaces. The real exit was hidden among them, making it extraordinarily difficult to find."

Itadori scratched his head. "That's such a hassle... But Nero is so strong. Maybe he has a way?"

Fushiguro Megumi frowned and thought for a while. "Leaving aside whether Nero would be willing to help, even if he acted, he might trigger a new crisis just like the person who tried to open the Prison Realm before.

"Besides, we don't know where he is now or whether he's willing to get involved in the affairs of our Curse world."

Itadori pouted. "It would be such a waste to give up after someone this powerful finally appeared."

Fushiguro Megumi patted him on the shoulder. "Let's first look for Angel according to the original plan. According to Tengen, Angel's Cursed Technique can eliminate all Cursed Techniques. Maybe she can undo the Prison Realm's seal and help us deal with Jogo too!"

Yuji Itadori nodded helplessly. "All right. I suppose that's the only thing we can do. But once this is over, I'm definitely going to find Nero and ask him how to become stronger."