Shattered Hope

Sukuna's lips curled high into a wild grin.

Uraume dropped to one knee, lowered his head respectfully, and spoke with deep remorse.

"My apologies, Lord Sukuna. I failed to find you a suitable body and allowed you to revive in someone like this. Please punish me."

In an instant, the memories that had belonged to this body flooded into Sukuna's mind, including Uraume's memories of being chased here.

Sukuna waved a hand dismissively.

He understood that Uraume had no other choice and could only use this person as his new vessel.

"It doesn't matter. You brought me back to life. You've done well."

Uraume lowered his head even further.

He answered nervously, "My life belongs to Lord Sukuna. It is my honor to be of use to you. I am not tired."

Sukuna paid no mind to his words and merely smiled as he shook his head.

"As you wish. As long as you're happy."

Before Sukuna and Uraume could finish speaking, Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro, who had been pursuing Uraume, immediately turned and fled when they saw Sukuna revive.

"Yuji, Hana, retreat!"

He shouted at Yuji, then faced Sukuna alone and raised his fists.

"Furube Yurayura!"

Mahoraga's familiar figure appeared once again.

But this time, Megumi had gotten smarter.

Only after seeing Kenjaku flee before him did Megumi realize that it was possible to run away during Mahoraga's exorcism ritual!

He did not need to run faster than Mahoraga. As long as he ran faster than his enemy, Mahoraga would attack the other person first.

Before Mahoraga emerged from its wrappings of bandages, Megumi Fushiguro bolted away, leaving Sukuna within Mahoraga's exorcism range.

Run, brother! Run!

Having just finished his conversation with Uraume, Sukuna smiled when he saw Mahoraga appear before him again.

"Oh? That brat Fushiguro is here too?"

Sukuna had wanted to take over Megumi Fushiguro's body, but it did not matter now.

So much time had passed since Megumi learned of his sister's death. His heart had most likely recovered.

If Sukuna turned his fingers into cursed objects again and made Megumi consume them now, he might not be able to completely take over Megumi's body.

If he could not completely suppress Megumi's soul, forcibly taking over his body would be too risky.

He simply had not expected his first battle after revival to be against Mahoraga again.

As the bandages binding its body shattered, Mahoraga descended upon the world once more.

Before Mahoraga was formally tamed by Megumi Fushiguro, each manifestation of it was an entirely new Mahoraga.

Therefore, Mahoraga's adaptation to Sukuna's slashes, accumulated in Shibuya, did not exist at this moment.

Looking at Mahoraga wielding the "Sword of Exorcism," the smile on Sukuna's face slowly vanished.

"What a pity. I know enough about you now. I have no interest in playing with you any longer."

He raised a hand slightly, flashed to Mahoraga's side, and gently placed his hand on its back.

"Hachi!"

Before Mahoraga could even rejoice at being born, Sukuna's full-power slash, Hachi, struck it in the next instant!

Mahoraga's body shuddered. The Dharma wheel above its head did not even have the chance to turn once before cracks spread across its body.

The next moment, Mahoraga's towering body collapsed with a roar, turning directly into ash that vanished into the air.

Uraume's expression did not change in the slightest at the sight.

To him, Sukuna defeating Mahoraga was perfectly normal. There was nothing to be surprised about.

However, at the very instant Sukuna defeated Mahoraga, a pillar of light reaching into the heavens enveloped him.

It was Angel's "Jacob's Ladder"!

Megumi, still on the ground, had not noticed that Angel, flying in the sky, had not followed his order to retreat.

As a jujutsu sorcerer from a thousand years ago, Angel's judgment was extremely sharp.

She had first remained hidden in the air, then unleashed "Jacob's Ladder" at full power the instant Sukuna expended a massive amount of cursed energy to defeat Mahoraga.

Sukuna had just unleashed Hachi at full power, consuming a great deal of cursed energy.

On top of that, he had only just switched to a new body and had not yet fully adapted to controlling it.

Faced with Angel's ambush, Sukuna truly did not have time to escape!

If this attack hit Sukuna, Jacob's Ladder's special effectiveness against cursed objects could very likely purify him outright!

However, things rarely went as hoped.

Just as the pillar of light was about to descend, a figure rushed out from the side.

"Lord Sukuna, watch out!"

Uraume leaped up and shoved Sukuna out of the pillar's range.

Jacob's Ladder descended at full power. Already wounded, Uraume did not even have time to cry out before turning into pale ash and scattering through the air.

In his final moment, Uraume saw that Sukuna had been pushed out of the pillar's range.

A rare trace of relief flashed through his eyes.

Sukuna rose to his feet and looked at the Uraume fading from the air. After a second of silence, he turned and stared hollowly at Angel in the sky.

"Angel, I didn't expect you to be revived too."

Angel looked at Sukuna, whose eyes were filled with rage, and mocked him.

"The Fallen, I didn't expect someone like you to have a day when you would be angered by another's death."

For an absolute powerhouse, what did the loneliness born from that teach you about whom you truly loved?

Sukuna did not answer Angel.

What answered her was a dense net of slashes.

Angel's mouth emerged from Hana Kurusu's face, and she spoke to Hana apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Hana. It seems I've dragged you into this."

Tokyo No. 1 Colony.

Yuji and Megumi did not dare stop until they had run beyond the colony's boundary.

They panted heavily, staring behind them with lingering fear.

As Mahoraga's summoner, Megumi could clearly sense that the Mahoraga he had summoned had not even lasted a moment before Sukuna instantly killed it.

He could not imagine how he and Yuji were supposed to fight Sukuna.

Megumi quickly steadied his heartbeat and hurriedly looked at Yuji.

"We need to unseal Gojo-sensei as soon as possible. Only he can deal with Sukuna!"

"That's right. We have to bring Gojo-sensei here."

Yuji nodded and began looking everywhere for Angel.

"Where's Hana? We need to take her to Jujutsu High."

However, no matter whether Yuji looked ahead or behind, up or down, he could not find Hana Kurusu, Angel.

Yuji's movements slowly came to a halt, and cold sweat ran down his face.

"Megumi, did you see Hana follow us?"

"N-no, I didn't." Megumi Fushiguro shook his head, his face pale.

The two swallowed hard as a terrifying thought entered their minds.

Could it be that Angel, Hana Kurusu, had not come out with them? Was she still beside Sukuna?!

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