Laser vs. Flames

Special Grade cursed spirit Jogo's miniature volcano silently vented dark red steam. Its enormous single eye remained fixed ahead as Dagon's lingering presence in the air rapidly faded.

"Cursed spirits... are, in the end, the true backbone of this land. I look forward to our next meeting."

Jogo's voice was hoarse, carrying an almost fanatical sense of purpose.

With a casual wave of its hand—

A terrifying wave of flames swept forward, aimed directly at the Jujutsu High group.

"Fall back!"

A hoarse, weary voice forcibly cut through the rolling heatwave.

Shiyue Shuo stood in front of everyone.

His body was twisting. Not from fear, but from the intense heat radiating from his body.

"Boom!"

Two blazing-white high-energy beams shot from Shiyue Shuo's pupils.

"Screech—!"

The white beams collided head-on with the dark red wave of fire in midair. There was no explosion as expected, only the teeth-grinding sound of stones rubbing together—the sound of extreme heat consuming extreme heat.

At that moment, the Heat Vision granted by the Pig Talisman displayed its brutal power—it consumed no cursed energy, its output depended on its wielder's control over the talisman, and in an instant, it sliced through the cursed-energy flames, cleaving the heatwave powerful enough to incinerate a Grade 1 cursed spirit apart.

Jogo's single eye abruptly contracted, and a thread of magma spilled from the volcanic vent atop its head in shock.

However, Shiyue Shuo felt terrible.

"Whew... hah..." He gasped heavily as the scorching air continuously burned his lungs.

Although the lethal risk from the Dog Talisman's failure had been suppressed by the Reverse Cursed Technique sealed within the katana, without the Dog Talisman, his body was undoubtedly that of an ordinary human. In this "high attack, low defense" state brought by the Pig Talisman, every inch of exposed skin keenly felt the pressure Jogo brought.

This was also the first time he had switched talisman abilities so frequently, and it placed a tremendous burden on his brain. Tinnitus crashed over him in waves like the sea.

Wisps of steam seeped from the corners of his eyes. They were tears that had escaped his eyes and evaporated instantly in the heat.

"Shiyue!" Maki Zenin clenched the katana in her hand, her knuckles turning white.

"Shiyue, don't force yourself." Kento Nanami tried to step forward to support him, only to be driven back by the heatwave.

"Don't come over. Keep heading downstairs." Shiyue Shuo stared at Jogo. "I'll hold it here."

"Arrogant human, do you think barely blocking one of my casual attacks means you can defy nature's will?"

Jogo sneered, its contempt for humans plain to see.

"Maximum: Meteor."

Its body vanished from the spot. The next second, the concrete ceiling above Shiyue Shuo collapsed. Countless massive flaming rocks fell from above the platform, each carrying the terrifying cursed energy poured into them by a Special Grade cursed spirit.

"This is the fire you're so proud of? Watch closely!"

Shiyue Shuo abruptly raised his head. The beams from his eyes merged into one, transforming into a scorching sword that reached from heaven to earth and perfectly sliced the falling meteor down the middle.

However, Jogo was still a Special Grade, a cursed spirit with exceptional mobility. The instant Shiyue Shuo focused on cutting apart the meteor, Jogo had already closed in. It extended a hand, heat gathered in its palm that could melt through anything in an instant.

Just then, Jogo suddenly stopped attacking. Its sensitive senses caught a subtle change in the air—the presence of Sukuna's Finger.

As a cursed spirit that was extremely cautious and prioritized the bigger picture, Jogo instantly realized there was a more urgent task.

It glanced at Shiyue Shuo blocking its path, then at the exhausted but still-living Jujutsu High group. Realizing it could not kill this boy in a short time, it decided to prioritize its original plan—finding Sukuna's vessel, Yuji Itadori.

"Humans, you got lucky this time." After leaving behind that threat, Jogo transformed into a streak of fire and vanished into the darkness, heading off to find Yuji.

With Jogo's departure, the extreme temperature on B3 slowly began to subside. The tense group finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shiyue, how are you?" Kento Nanami stepped forward and supported the swaying Shiyue Shuo.

"I won't die... but I'm in bad shape." Shiyue Shuo panted heavily. "Mr. Nanami, take everyone to Miss Ieiri first. Kokichi Muta will guide you."

"What about you?" Kasumi Miwa asked worriedly.

A flash of golden-pink light passed through Shiyue Shuo's eyes again. The Pig Talisman had not merely granted him laser eyes—it had also given his eyes thermal vision capable of sensing cursed energy and cursed techniques.

Using the Pig Talisman's thermal vision, he detected a signal in an extremely weakened state through the thick floors.

It was Megumi Fushiguro.

And behind him, there was clearly a curse user following him.

"I have something more important to deal with." Shiyue Shuo shook off Nanami's support.

"If I don't stop him, all of Shibuya will be doomed to be leveled."

His objective was clear. He knew what choice Megumi Fushiguro would make in his desperation: summon the nightmare of every past Ten Shadows Technique user, the untamed Mahoraga.

Because of his intervention, Jogo had left B3 early. That meant Sukuna might awaken earlier than in the original story. If Mahoraga happened to be summoned when Sukuna awakened, then the Malevolent Shrine Domain would instantly reap every life within a radius of 140 meters.

"No, I have to hurry."

The longer Shiyue Shuo spent in the world of jujutsu, the deeper his feelings for it became. To him, this was no longer a manga world, but the real world where he lived.

Shiyue Shuo dragged his exhausted body through the tunnels. In his vision, Megumi Fushiguro's signal was rapidly weakening. The curse user was using a cursed technique to lock down Megumi Fushiguro's ability to move.

Fushiguro... don't do anything stupid. I'm coming right now! Shiyue Shuo roared inwardly.

When he finally rushed out of the platform and reached a secluded alley in Shibuya, the sight before him made his pupils constrict.

Megumi Fushiguro, his face covered in blood, leaned against the wall, his body pinned there by several black shadow needles. The gaunt curse user let out a lecherous laugh and slowly raised the blade in his hand.

Megumi Fushiguro's lips had already parted slightly.

"Buru... Yura Yura..."

The chant had begun.

"Don't!"

Shiyue Shuo roared. Ignoring the stabbing pain in his head, he fired two blazing-white beams of Heat Vision through the rubble in the alley, precisely melting off the curse user's arm at the instant he swung his blade.

"Ah—!" The scream was especially piercing in the rainy night.

However, Megumi Fushiguro's chanting did not stop. He had fallen into a semi-conscious state from excessive blood loss, yet the ritual to summon Mahoraga continued under the instinctive drive of his cursed energy.

A massive ball of cursed energy, carrying the shadow of a wheel, slowly began to form above Megumi Fushiguro.

Shiyue Shuo rushed to Megumi Fushiguro's side and forcefully shook his shoulders. "Fushiguro! Wake up!"

But Megumi Fushiguro's consciousness had long since sunk into darkness.

At the same time, an evil presence shot into the sky from the distant center of Shibuya.

Ryomen Sukuna had awakened.

Shiyue Shuo looked at Mahoraga, which was preparing to slaughter the curse user, then listened to Sukuna's wild laughter echoing from afar. He knew that the true trial was about to begin.

"Click."

Shiyue Shuo lowered his head and looked at his bloodstained mechanical watch:

23:00

The hour of the Rat had arrived.

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