Nuo as he is now isn't worthy of my full power!

What the hell was this guy trying to pull?!

Even if he couldn't tell humans from curses, surely he could see the wreckage everywhere and the shattered rooftop slabs!

Fushiguro trembled with anger. If he summoned Mahoraga now, not only would he and Itadori die in the ritual, but this lunatic would too.

Another life on my conscience for no damn reason. Just great... holy shit!

Fushiguro's eyes suddenly widened as he cursed inwardly!

Before Sukuna could act, the suicidal madman swung a slap straight at the King of Curses' face.

This guy really had guts!

Sukuna thought the same thing as he easily dodged the slap.

[Valor Points +666]

He paid out! He actually paid out!

The King of Curses really was something else!

He'd only eaten one pickled chicken foot and wasn't even at a twentieth of his full strength, yet he could cough up this many Valor Points.

If I let him regain his full strength and milked him a few more times, couldn't I stop eating beef too?!

At that thought, Jiahao's gaze burned hotter, and his resolve to join Jujutsu Society grew firmer.

Although he could slowly become a god by staying in the Mortal World, how could that pace compare to Jujutsu Society, where The Bold Are as Numerous as Hemp?

"Very good. Even an ant dares bare its teeth at an elephant."

"I must give you this: your courage is commendable."

Sukuna's amused gaze settled on Jiahao before flicking toward the tense Fushiguro.

"But are all the jujutsu sorcerers of this era as weak as you?"

The bleeding, spiky-haired boy kneeling nearby had mediocre cursed energy. This black-and-white-haired one before him was a little stronger.

But that was all.

His gaze falling on Jiahao's bandage-wrapped hands, Sukuna gave a mocking smile and beckoned with a finger. "Come on. Try a little harder."

"You can take a few more breaths of fresh air before I get bored."

Jiahao glanced at Sukuna's fading tattoos, frowned slightly, and turned toward the piano. "I'll pass this time."

"As you are now, you're not worthy of my full power."

[Fushiguro shocked: Valor Points +111]

[Sukuna bewildered: Valor Points +239]

[Sukuna enraged: Valor Points +777]

The most malevolent King of Curses in history, the undisputed strongest a thousand years ago!

Since he had only just possessed this body, Sukuna's first reaction was to wonder whether something was wrong with his ears.

Only then did fury strike, making him laugh wildly in rage!

Not worthy of his full power...

Ever since Sukuna's birth, no one had dared say anything like that to his face.

Sukuna raised his hand, fingertips poised. "You're awfully arrogant, brat!"

Just as he was about to unleash a slash, the savagery suddenly cleared from Sukuna's eyes.

"What's going on? This brat's body..."

As the tattoos on Itadori's body faded, Sukuna's voice grew drowsy.

"King Jiahao!"

"What are you doing here? Why did you haul the classroom piano outside again?!"

Itadori spoke in utter bewilderment, then turned toward Fushiguro and jumped. "Fushiguro, why are you looking at me like you want to kill me?"

"You're hurt pretty badly. Want me to carry you to the hospital?"

What was going on? Had Sukuna's possession failed, or was this an act?

Not daring to let his guard down, Fushiguro knelt on one knee, the shadows at his feet shifting restlessly.

Damn it, what should I do?!

He couldn't tell at all whether the one speaking before him was Itadori or the King of Curses.

"Yo."

As Fushiguro wavered, a reassuring voice reached his ears.

"You're quite a mess, Megumi."

"Mr. Gojo, what are you doing here?!"

"Hehehehe. I heard a special grade cursed object went missing, so I came to take a look. Had nothing better to do."

Carrying a bag of souvenirs, Satoru Gojo laughed at his misfortune, then pulled out his phone and snapped a flurry of pictures of the battered Fushiguro.

"Come on, look this way!"

"I'm sure the second-years would love to see Megumi with blood all over his head."

"Hehe, hehehe!"

The long-legged, white-haired man letting out that creepy laugh was this era's boldest... strongest.

Jiahao swept back his Taiji-colored hair, his burning gaze scanning Satoru Gojo from head to toe.

Not only the strongest, perhaps the boldest as well.

Anyone who could say, "Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one," without a shred of embarrassment was clearly no slouch in the boldness department.

Having saved the evidence of Fushiguro's humiliation, Satoru Gojo finally remembered why he was there. "Right, did you find Sukuna's Finger?"

"Those old geezers upstairs will nag forever over a missing special grade cursed object."

"...Sorry!"

Itadori raised a hand. "If you mean the evil finger, I ate it."

"For real?"

Satoru Gojo stepped forward, his blue eyes studying Itadori through his black blindfold. "They really have blended together. Interesting!"

Fushiguro sighed, organized his thoughts, and explained the situation to Satoru Gojo. "This happened, then that happened."

"I see!"

After the explanation, Satoru Gojo understood the situation.

"Anything else wrong with your body? Can you switch control with Sukuna whenever you want?"

Itadori scratched his head. "Hmm... I think I can."

At that, Satoru Gojo spread his long legs and started warming up. "Then let Sukuna out. Switch back after ten seconds."

Seeing Itadori's hesitation, Satoru Gojo smiled confidently. "Don't worry. I'm invincible."

Here he comes!

Feeling that chilling, evil cursed energy again, Fushiguro's scalp tightened.

Then he instinctively caught the bag of souvenirs tossed through the air... Kikufuku.

"A Sendai specialty. Super tasty."

Here was another white-haired man who completely ignored the King of Curses, and his behavior was no less bold.

"Sir, watch out!"

Seeing Itadori suddenly vanish, Fushiguro shouted a warning.

Satoru Gojo clapped his hands and teleported out of the attack's path, then plopped down on Sukuna's back as he bent forward in his lunge.

"The edamame cream daifuku is absolutely incredible!"

Sitting on Sukuna's back with his legs crossed, Satoru Gojo was still introducing the snack he planned to eat on the trip home.

Nearby, Jiahao couldn't help nodding, quietly taking note of Satoru Gojo's more natural style of bold words and deeds.

The strongest of the modern age, and the strongest in history.

Jiahao wasn't about to waste this rare chance to witness the two strongest men's first battle of boldness.

Jiahao raised his left index finger, aimed it at the black-and-white keys, and lowered his head with a solemn, focused expression.

"Do re mi, do re mi~"

"Do re mi fa sol la si~"

[Valor Points +86]

Just as Jiahao had expected, aside from the dark-haired hater, he hadn't squeezed a single boldness point out of either of the two strongest.

Ordinary displays of boldness couldn't stir their emotions at all.

With that in mind, Jiahao deployed his other nine fingers, aiming them at the black-and-white keys.

"If do re mi isn't enough, let's try another tune."

With that, Jiahao slammed all ten fingers onto the piano, hammering the keys in a clattering frenzy.

Beneath the pale moonlight, the ghostly figures of the two strongest flickered in and out of sight.

The hard reinforced-concrete floor crumbled layer by layer like tofu beneath the shock waves of their mighty cursed energy colliding.

On the constantly trembling rooftop, rubble danced wildly around Fushiguro's feet to the deranged piano melody.

Clutching the bag of sweets, Fushiguro looked left at the two men laughing wildly as they traded blows, then right at the moonlit Motorcycle Piano Man losing his mind.

"Heh."

Not a single person on this rooftop was human.