Turn it up!

Another day passed.

At a deserted hot spring deep in the mountains.

Jogo sat on a rock with a pipe between his lips. In its bowl, the screaming flames of human souls flickered.

Looking at the withdrawn Mahito, most of his body submerged in the hot spring, Jogo frowned. "That Dimensional Copy sorcerer... Mahito was completely outmatched?"

"Yeah. It was a crushing defeat, without question."

Beside him, Kenjaku pulled off his hood. "Honestly, I'm surprised he even sent Mahito back alive."

Meeting Jogo's hostile gaze, Kenjaku shrugged. "Don't take your anger out on me, Jogo. I warned you both beforehand, didn't I?"

"I told you not to provoke Satoru Gojo, but you wouldn't listen. In the end, Hanami brought you back with nothing left but your head."

"Mahito was even worse. I specifically said not to attack that lunatic sorcerer yet, but he just had to get right in his face and provoke him."

At this point, Kenjaku paused. "He got taught a brutal lesson, but this might actually be a good thing for Mahito."

"A good thing?!"

Watching the withdrawn Mahito blow bubbles in the hot spring, Jogo released a surge of steam from his head. "He got beaten this badly, and you call it a good thing?!"

"Haven't you noticed?"

Kenjaku fanned away the steam, looking at the sliver of Mahito's head poking above the water. "He certainly depleted a lot of his external cursed energy, but the soul at his core has made noticeable progress."

"Once Mahito recovers, he'll soon grasp the essence of jujutsu... Domain Expansion."

Jogo narrowed his single eye, his blazing gaze seeming to pierce Mahito's flesh and reach his soul. "A silver lining, then."

Mahito certainly looked miserable on the outside, but at his core, there were signs of an evolution, like a butterfly about to emerge from its chrysalis.

Jogo took a drag from his pipe of screaming souls and looked at Kenjaku. "You said that lunatic sorcerer injured Mahito without using Domain Expansion. How did he do it?"

"Probably through a domain..."

As a Jujutsu Sorcerer who had survived for a thousand years, Kenjaku's knowledge and understanding of curses were in a league of their own within Jujutsu Society.

Even Sukuna had only survived until now because he had been sealed, whereas Kenjaku had spent a thousand years walking the world alive.

He had witnessed the strongest of every era with his own eyes, along with all sorts of cursed techniques with bizarre effects.

But when it came to how Jiahao had injured Mahito, even Kenjaku sounded a little uncertain.

"He extended a domain's sure-hit effect to his punches and kicks, allowing him to strike Mahito's soul without expanding a domain."

"Domain Amplification..."

Jogo looked thoughtful. "If we mastered that move, we might be able to bypass Satoru Gojo's Limitless."

Recalling the humiliating battle that night, the Mount Fuji atop Jogo's head showed faint signs of erupting.

He had gone all out without damaging a single white hair on Satoru Gojo's head. Without expanding his domain, he couldn't even touch the hem of Gojo's clothes.

An absurdly powerful Satoru Gojo, and a lunatic who could beat Mahito into depression!

Overthrowing the old humans' rule... really was harder than ever!

"Jogo."

Just then, Mahito, who had been depressed for so long, rose from the hot spring. "After fighting that dimensional sorcerer, I understand now."

"I hate to admit it, but the facts prove we're no match for Jujutsu High at all."

"Charging in blindly won't work. We should stick to Geto's plan."

"Gather all the fingers and offer them to Sukuna... even if we end up being wiped out."

After a moment's thought, Jogo tossed aside his pipe. "Fine!"

"The one laughing out loud in the wilderness a hundred years from now doesn't have to be me. As long as curses can stand as humans, that's enough!"

Kenjaku's eyes narrowed slightly, the faintest smile curling his lips. "In that case, let's start preparing."

"For the first step of the plan, someone has already delivered the finger we left at Junpei's house to Jujutsu High for us."

"Hanami has confirmed its location. Now we just have to wait for the Goodwill Event to take place as scheduled."

Invading the Jujutsu Sorcerers' stronghold, a dark forbidden zone for cursed spirits.

At the thought that Hanami might encounter Satoru Gojo, the ruler of that forbidden zone, during the operation, Jogo couldn't help worrying for his companion.

But once the plan succeeded, curses would be able to walk openly in the sunlight...

Jogo slapped his knee and stood, as though he had made up his mind.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

"Itadori, carry those bags of cement."

Outside the Jujutsu High Dormitory, Jiahao, sporting a brand-new outfit, was discussing their upcoming entrance with Itadori.

His multicolored wig looked like a peacock spreading its tail on top of his head.

His tight black sequined T-shirt featured a soaring divine dragon on the front and an enormous character for "Hao" on the back.

His faded, ripped jeans had fist-sized holes all the way down from the knees, with ragged threads sticking out around the edges as though a dog had chewed them.

Itadori's outfit was much the same as Jiahao's, except his hair was pink and his T-shirt featured a roaring tiger on the front.

Jiahao carried a speaker on his shoulder, while Itadori carried several bags of cement.

Looking at the enthusiastic Jiahao, Itadori asked awkwardly, "Jiahao, can I skip the dancing? Can I just cheer you on from the sidelines?"

"Itadori, don't make it awkward."

"As long as you're not embarrassed, they're the ones who'll be embarrassed."

With the speaker on his shoulder, Jiahao offered earnest advice. "It'll feel a little uncomfortable at first, sure. But once you get used to it, you'll naturally understand all the wonders of the Jiahao way!"

"Just imagine yourself dancing gracefully, surrounded by a crowd..."

"Fushiguro and the others below the stage, screaming, clapping, and calling your name!"

"No way! Absolutely no way!"

"Jiahao, do you think I'm a gorilla with zero IQ?!"

"No, maybe not even as smart as a gorilla!"

Itadori shook his head and declared, "It'll be social suicide. One hundred percent social suicide!"

"If Kugisaki and Fushiguro see me dressed like this, they'll make fun of me for the rest of my life!"

"Itadori!"

"Just think of this as training, a test of your resolve on the path of jujutsu!"

Seeing Itadori's desperate resistance, Jiahao intensified his tone. "Have you forgotten? A cursed spirit ate my arm yesterday because I was saving you!"

"And you're dragging your feet over this tiny request? I'm so hurt!"

Did this count as demanding repayment for a favor?

Itadori stared at Jiahao with beady eyes, his mouth twitching. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who brought that cursed spirit into Jujutsu High!"

"And didn't your arm grow back on its own the second after you put the Straw Hat on me?"

Jiahao said, "Leaving the details aside, just tell me whether I saved your life!"

"I can't leave them aside!!"

Itadori was on the verge of a breakdown. "Please let me off, Bro Hao! Can't I just be your cheerleader on the sidelines?!"

Seeing this, Jiahao sighed.

Jiahao reluctantly set down the speaker. Jiahao was forced to raise his right fist.

"Since reasoning won't work, your master also knows a little hand-to-hand combat."

Other people, when in doubt, sought guidance from the spring breeze.

Jiahao, when in doubt, went straight to violence.

Half an hour later.

Maki and the others, waiting at the training grounds, heard dance music drifting toward them, rising and falling in volume.

Having learned her lesson from yesterday's surprise attack, Kugisaki immediately drew her weapon and looked behind her. "...Is that fog?"

Panda, who had put on his fighting gloves, twitched his nose. "No, that looks like cement..."

Cement dust rose like thick fog, blotting out the sky and sun, with two figures flickering in and out of sight within it.

When the figures emerged from the cement fog, everyone froze as though struck by lightning.

A perfectly composed Jiahao with his speaker, and a bruised, swollen-faced Itadori with his cement.

Swaggering, splay-footed strides, and matching loafers.

Outrageously eye-searing outfits, and a DJ dance track booming across the entire school!

"Yo~ ladies and gentlemen!"

"From DJ Ahao Culture, dedicated to all our friends at Jujutsu High!"

"Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens, Music Factory, Dance Compilation! Get hyped!"

Jiahao turned the music up to full blast and nudged Itadori with his elbow.

At the signal, Itadori, too afraid to lift his head, silently pulled another half-pound of cement from his pocket and tossed it into the air.

Under the brilliant sunlight, cement danced across the sky.

Only when the two began swaying and dancing amid the cement did Kugisaki snap out of it, clamp her hands over her ears, and scream.

"Ah, my eyes have been defiled!"

Narration...

There was no time to mourn the mighty, invincible era of red hair. Taking the stage next was the era of burying love, with hearts sealed in cement.

Jiahao shouted, "Turn it up!"