Furube, Yura Yura

Lightning Phantom: Consumes cursed energy to create a phantom clone made of lightning at the user's current location.

Wait, what the hell is this? A Clone Technique?

Despite gaining yet another new ability, Lu Yun didn't look particularly pleased.

After so many attempts, he had finally noticed a pattern in the abilities he received: the ability gained from defeating an enemy would, to some extent, relate to that enemy's own characteristics.

"Cursed Energy Erosion" from Kurourushi and "Cursed Energy Discharge" from Ryu Ishigori, for example, were both closely tied to their abilities.

When he first saw Megumi Fushiguro, Lu Yun had wondered whether he could get Mahoraga's absurd ability to adapt to anything out of him. Instead, he had ended up with this thing. He was sorely disappointed.

Clearly, getting something good wasn't that easy. Still, it was better than nothing. Used well, it might even turn out to be an amazing skill.

Lu Yun firmly believed there were no useless abilities, only useless users. How effective something was depended on the individual using it. He wasn't like little Kashimo, a guy who relied solely on raw stats. His unbeatable technique was what had gotten him this far.

After consoling himself, Lu Yun activated his newly acquired Lightning Phantom with a thought, and lightning flickered across his body. He slowly stepped aside, revealing another "Lu Yun," identical to him, still standing where he had been.

"Huh? Why are there two Mr. Lu Yuns?"

Sitting beside the fire, Okkotsu's eyes suddenly widened at the sight.

Am I so tired I'm hallucinating?

He rubbed his eyes hard and opened them again. There were still two Lu Yuns before him.

"Oho."

Lu Yun rubbed his chin, carefully examining the clone in front of him.

"It does have some of my roguishly handsome looks, but..."

Despite its identical appearance, the lightning clone's eyes were empty and lifeless, frozen exactly as they had been when Lu Yun activated the ability. Moreover, its cursed energy fluctuations were nowhere near those of his real body. Any sorcerer with even a little skill could easily tell the two apart.

"Is this a new ability you've developed, Mr. Lu Yun?"

Curious, Okkotsu came closer and examined the lightning clone alongside Lu Yun.

Lu Yun nodded, folding his arms as his eyes gleamed.

"Okkotsu, what do you think?"

"Um..."

Okkotsu extended a finger and gently poked the lightning clone. To his surprise, the instant his finger touched it, the seemingly solid clone collapsed into a burst of lightning and rapidly vanished into the air.

Yuta Okkotsu's finger froze in place, and he stared dumbly.

"N-no, that wasn't my fault!"

Okkotsu raised both hands and turned toward Lu Yun to indicate that he hadn't done anything.

Lu Yun ignored him, looking thoughtful instead.

It collapses at a touch, has no consciousness of its own, doesn't respond when I try controlling it, and consumes a fair amount of cursed energy. Looks like this Lightning Phantom ability...

"Isn't this just completely useless?!"

Lu Yun furiously flung down his electric baton. He genuinely couldn't think of any practical use for this ability.

"Eek! This has nothing to do with me."

Okkotsu ducked his head and silently edged away from Lu Yun.

Ugh, so noisy. My head hurts. Where am I? Right, Yuta Okkotsu! And Lu Yun, he...

As his awareness gradually cleared, Yuji Itadori abruptly opened his eyes and sprang upright from the ground. Sitting opposite him was Yuta Okkotsu in his white Jujutsu High uniform.

"Ah, Itadori, you're awake. I'm so glad you're all ri-"

"Ha! Ha!"

Naturally, Itadori's awakening couldn't escape Okkotsu and Lu Yun's notice. Okkotsu was about to make a proper show of his concern, but hearing the faint huffing from beside him, he wisely dropped his exaggerated expression.

"Uh, I'm glad you're okay."

Itadori had heard the noise too. He turned to look, only to see a blue-haired man in white whom he had never met.

"Yo, you're awake, Itadori."

Lu Yun greeted Itadori as though nothing had happened.

That voice-there's no mistaking it.

"You're Lu Yun?"

Indeed, the mysterious blue-haired man in white was Lu Yun, now out of his spider suit.

At Hajime Kashimo's strong insistence, Lu Yun had reluctantly changed out of his Spider-Man cosplay outfit, picking out a white martial arts uniform at a roadside clothing store that looked much like the one little Kashimo had worn before.

"That's right. Since you look completely lost, I'll let your senior Okkotsu explain everything that happened."

Casually dumping the trouble on Okkotsu, Lu Yun sat off to the side and continued studying how to use his new ability.

Wasn't Okkotsu his Executioner?

With Lu Yun no longer paying attention to him, Itadori could only turn a puzzled look toward Yuta Okkotsu.

Okkotsu, who had intended to explain things himself anyway, began.

"Itadori, here's what actually happened..."

"Oh, so that's it."

After hearing Okkotsu's explanation, Yuji Itadori understood everything. There was still one thing he couldn't figure out, though. Pointing at his companion lying on the ground beside him, Itadori asked in confusion,

"Why is Fushiguro lying on the ground too? Didn't he come here with you, Okkotsu?"

With his eyes rolled back, Megumi Fushiguro certainly didn't look like he was just resting.

"Ah, Fushiguro, he..."

Unsure how to make excuses for Lu Yun, Yuta Okkotsu could only turn his gaze toward the culprit.

Following his gaze, Itadori looked at Lu Yun again as well.

Seeing both of them staring at him, Lu Yun remained utterly unconcerned.

"Forget about Megumi Fushiguro."

"How can I do that?!"

Itadori protested,

"Fushiguro is an important friend of mine."

Lu Yun shrugged.

"Relax, he's fine. I just noticed how tired he was, so I used a little force to lull him to sleep."

"Really?"

Itadori still looked doubtful.

If he remembered correctly, Lu Yun had "lulled" him and his big brother "to sleep" in exactly the same way.

Lu Yun spread his hands. He could hardly tell them he'd done it for the reward.

"I understand the situation now. In short, we're planning to go see Tengen first, right?"

At some point, Choso had gotten up from the ground too.

"I might know how to get to the Tombs of the Star Corridor."

"Huh?"

Itadori and Okkotsu both reacted in surprise.

Even after spending so much time with him, Itadori hadn't known that his big brother knew things like this.

"Didn't Mahito steal Sukuna's Fingers and us Death Painting Wombs before? We'll just be doing the same thing."

Choso explained.

"Amazing. You can even do something like that? That's my big brother for you."

Itadori exclaimed in admiration.

Damn that guy.

Clutching his head as it threatened to split from the pain, Megumi Fushiguro slowly rose after his brief spell of unconsciousness.

"Fushiguro, you're finally awake."

The moment he opened his eyes, Itadori's large face filled Megumi Fushiguro's vision.

"Oh, it's you, Itadori."

Pushing the large face away, Fushiguro finally noticed the blue-haired guy.

"You?!"

Megumi Fushiguro instantly clenched both hands into fists and held them horizontally in front of his chest, one above the other, rapidly reciting his signature incantation.

"Furube, Yura Yura!"