Leader, What Are You Doing, Leader!

The roar of thunder exploded within the hospital.

Sukuna flew straight back, his body continuously smashing through several walls before finally stopping, buried deep beneath the rubble.

"Yuji!"

Megumi Fushiguro cried out instinctively.

"Hey, hey, hey, I just saved you, little dark-haired kid, aren't even gonna look at me?"

The unique form of address made Megumi Fushiguro look up to see Jie Jian lowering the leg he had just raised, looking at him with a dissatisfied expression.

Before Megumi Fushiguro could say anything, Sukuna burst straight out from the rubble.

Emerging right along with him was Panda, whom he had tossed aside earlier.

Panda immediately entered Gorilla Mode, eyeing Sukuna with a vigilant expression.

Sukuna's condition was not good at the moment.

Jie Jian's kick had possessed immense force, directly indenting a large chunk of Sukuna's side waist; if it were a normal person, their life would likely be in mortal peril.

Yet these injuries were not considered severe to Sukuna.

Under Sukuna's Reverse Cursed Technique, they were fully repaired in merely a moment.

Sukuna cast a cold gaze at Jie Jian, raising one hand and making a motion as if to execute a slashing attack.

"Get lost, brat."

Instead of moving, however, Jie Jian raised the corners of his mouth high.

He glanced at the little finger clutched in Sukuna's hand.

"Lord Sukuna, when did you become so fond of talking?

Didn't you used to just attack directly? Now you're even taking the initiative to let me leave.

If I'm not mistaken, the majority of your power has been transferred into your little finger, hasn't it?"

Jie Jian's words brought joy to Megumi Fushiguro and Panda!

Had it been Sukuna at his peak, they would have possessed almost no chance of victory.

Yet if it were merely a Sukuna lacking full power, they just might win!

Not only that, but Jie Jian's next sentence greatly lifted the spirits of both human and panda.

"Sukuna, though I don't know why you were able to come out, you clearly could have attacked Panda just now, yet chose to throw him away."

"It seems you must be unable to harm anyone during this period, right?"

Sukuna's silence made Jie Jian all the more uninhibited.

He walked right up to Sukuna and violently swung his body about.

"Hit me if you dare, hit me if you dare!"

"I came over, and here I am again! How's that, how's that! Hit me, you idiot! Hahaha!"

Jie Jian's irritating voice echoed inside the hospital; not only Sukuna, but even Megumi Fushiguro and Panda fell silent.

Still, this indirectly confirmed for Megumi Fushiguro and Panda that what Jie Jian said was true.

Sukuna truly could not harm others!

Jie Jian's voice came again.

"I'm telling you, Sukuna, no matter how you attack me in a moment, I won't dodge. Hurt me and just wait to be struck by divine retribution!"

Although the Binding Vows of Jujutsu Kaisen lacked heavy constraints, once established, no one would violate them.

For once violated, no one knew what might happen!

It might be just like divine retribution, where you merely walked down the street and got crushed to death by a flower pot falling from the sky.

Or during a battle with someone, your cursed energy would suddenly cut out for a moment!

For the sake of their own safety, no one chose to violate a Binding Vow.

Time ticked by second by second, and Sukuna knew the duration he could remain was growing shorter and shorter.

Two paths now lay before Sukuna.

First, to re-ingest the snapped finger, letting his power return to his body.

Yet should he do that, his plan to occupy Megumi Fushiguro's body today would completely go down the drain.

Furthermore, after today, the "Enchain" Binding Vow between him and Yuji Itadori would become completely invalid, and Sukuna might never be able to resurrect again in this lifetime!

Second, to forcefully attempt to break through Jie Jian's blockade and shove the finger into Megumi Fushiguro's mouth by force.

Sukuna was a man who loved taking risks.

Compared to remaining perpetually trapped inside Yuji Itadori's body, he preferred to take a risky gamble!

He raised his head and sneered at Jie Jian.

"Will you really not dodge? I don't believe it."

The moment his voice fell, Sukuna's body shot forward like a bullet.

"Right on time!"

Jie Jian shouted loudly, his body advancing instead of retreating as he rushed straight to meet Sukuna.

Did you think I was a coward!

I'm here to mess you up, Sukuna!

Their fists collided in mid-air, and a violent shockwave erupted from the center of where their fists met.

Jie Jian let out a sneer.

"Bluffing, aren't you, Sukuna? You didn't even attack me!"

Mind you, Sukuna excelled at slashing attacks; he clearly could have slashed at close range, yet chose a fist collision with Jie Jian.

That proved Sukuna was just bluffing a moment ago!

"Oh? What about now?"

Right as Sukuna and Jie Jian's fists collided, Sukuna extended his other hand.

Sukuna thrust his palm out, pressing it flat against Jie Jian's chest.

The next instant, violent cursed energy condensed in the palm of his hand.

Not just Jie Jian, even Megumi Fushiguro and Panda behind him noticed.

This meant Sukuna was about to use his slashing technique!

Sukuna had deliberately increased the obvious pre-cast motion of his technique so that Jie Jian would see it and retreat to dodge!

"Jie-daige / Jie-chan, look out!"

Megumi Fushiguro and Panda's voices came from behind.

Yet, who was Jie Jian?

With the big talk already shouted out, who ever backed out halfway through acting cool?

He smiled coldly, acting as if he completely didn't care about Sukuna's attack.

Sukuna, too, could no longer figure out what Jie Jian was doing.

Even so, his technique was already prepared, and he could not stop.

Dismantle · "Hachi"!

Sukuna's slashing technique possessed multiple moves with varying levels of power.

The most basic was naturally the ordinary slash, "Dismantle".

"Dismantle" could be unleashed repeatedly without extra restrictive conditions, making it extremely convenient to use.

Still, "Dismantle" possessed a flaw as well—its attack power was relatively low, rendering it less effective against formidable opponents.

And at times like this, the higher-tier slash "Hachi" appeared!

"Hachi" was a high-power slash to which Sukuna had applied a Binding Vow.

Through the Binding Vow, he added the prerequisite that "it must make physical contact with the target," thereby vastly amplifying the power of the slash.

At this moment, the slash Sukuna released upon Jie Jian was precisely this strengthened slash, "Hachi"!

The violent slash was unleashed from Sukuna's hand, and Jie Jian's soul perceived the might of the move right away.

Yet by then, it was already too late for him to dodge.

A split second before the slash reached his body, Jie Jian violently raised his other hand, swatting toward Sukuna with all his might.

Without even the slightest sound, Jie Jian was split in two from the chest!

His lower body still stood rooted in place, while his upper body tilted forward like a Geodude.

Simultaneously, Jie Jian's open palm struck fiercely across Sukuna's face with lightning speed!

To execute this strike, Sukuna's already meager cursed energy was practically exhausted to its last drop.

"Eat a slap from your grandpa here!"

Amidst Jie Jian's shout, Sukuna was sent flying through the air once more.

Having taken a direct backhand slap to the face, Sukuna felt a wave of humiliation.

In all his long years of living, this was the first time he had ever been so thoroughly humiliated by anyone other than Satoru Gojo!

Did you know how much psychological trauma a backhand slap to the face could inflict on a child who had only lived for a thousand years!

At this moment, the one minute allotted for Sukuna to occupy Yuji Itadori's body was about to arrive.

According to the "Enchain" Binding Vow, Yuji Itadori was about to awaken.

Looking at the scant cursed energy remaining within his body, Sukuna knew his plan had failed!

And the root of all this was that Jie Jian lying on the ground!

Sukuna gazed at Jie Jian and shouted in a low voice using his final moments.

"Jie Jian? I've remembered you, I'll never forget you for as long as I live!

The moment I wake up, you'll be the second person I kill!"

With the conclusion of those final words, Sukuna's soul grew dormant once more.

No, perhaps it shouldn't be called dormant.

Sukuna's soul had now completely transferred into Yuji Itadori's little finger.

Yuji Itadori's body temporarily held no trace of Sukuna's soul.

Regaining control of his body, Yuji Itadori instantly read the memories of that one minute.

He stared in disbelief at Jie Jian, who had transformed into a Geodude before him, and shouted out.

"Jie, Jie-daige!"

Yuji Itadori remembered; he remembered everything!

With the conclusion of "Enchain", all memories concerning this Binding Vow rushed back into Yuji Itadori's mind.

He never expected that because of him, someone had "died" at Sukuna's hands.

Not only Yuji Itadori, but Megumi Fushiguro and Panda beside him also lowered their gazes with gloomy expressions.

At this moment, Jie Jian seemed to possess a final trace of consciousness.

He looked up at Yuji Itadori, forcing out a difficult smile.

"Why is your voice shaking, Yuji."

"Because... because..."

Yuji Itadori did not voice those words, only pointing with a trembling hand toward Jie Jian's severed torso.

Jie Jian mustered his remaining strength to lift his arm, extending a single index finger and shakily pointing it forward.

"Keep walking forward, Yuji, your comrades are waiting for you, and I'll be waiting for you all up ahead."

"As long as you don't stop your steps, the road will keep stretching onward, so don't you dare stop!"

Having spoken, Jie Jian seemed to have exhausted every last ounce of his strength.

His upper body slumped against the ground, and his arm dropped limply down.

Though Jie Jian had completely lost his voice.

Yet his index finger still pointed steadfastly ahead.

"Jie-daige!!!"