Lu Yun vs. Kenjaku

The old bastard Lu Yun spoke of was, naturally, Kenjaku, the mastermind lurking in the shadows.

That was right-Kenjaku had also helped bring about Masamichi Yaga's death sentence.

Having become the new head of the Kamo Clan, Kenjaku was naturally qualified to attend the Jujutsu Higher-Ups' meetings and sit on the Council of Elders, just as Satoru Gojo had been as the former head of the Gojo Clan.

As a member of the Council of Elders, there was nothing unreasonable about continuing to prune away the remnants of Gojo's faction after successfully sealing Satoru Gojo.

And as a staunch supporter of Satoru Gojo who even possessed the technology to mass-produce an entire army of cursed corpses, Masamichi Yaga was naturally Kenjaku's top priority for elimination.

Having already gained covert control over virtually the entire Council of Elders, Kenjaku still felt uneasy after dispatching a designated Executioner, so he had secretly hidden high in the sky to watch the battle himself.

There was also a little of Kenjaku's twisted appetite for entertainment behind it.

For the execution of Tokyo Jujutsu High's principal, Masamichi Yaga, the Executioner Kenjaku had chosen was none other than a colleague who shared a substantial friendship with him and could empathize with him most deeply: Yoshinobu Gakuganji, the principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High!

Ordering the principals of two sister schools to fight each other to the death-wasn't that a different sort of star-crossed pairing?

As expected of an ancient monster from the same era as Tengen, Kenjaku was quite the connoisseur.

There was no way he would miss such an entertaining spectacle.

And so, the reason for Okkotsu's confusion was not hard to guess.

Okkotsu's judgment had been correct. Lu Yun was indeed considerably faster than him.

The moment he learned Masamichi Yaga's location from Panda, Lu Yun activated his Thunder Beast form and raced through the sky.

A streak of blue-violet light cut across the night sky so fast that, before Kenjaku could retreat after sensing his presence, Lu Yun had already appeared before him.

"Oh, it's you, Hajime Kashimo. You seem to have changed quite a bit, though."

Recognizing the newcomer, Kenjaku looked slightly surprised as he rode a dragon-shaped cursed spirit.

The man before him undoubtedly carried Hajime Kashimo's cursed energy signature. But the hairstyle, completely different from four hundred years ago, and the lightning abilities he had never seen before put Kenjaku on guard.

Why had this battle fanatic come here to interrupt him instead of seeking out Sukuna?

Lu Yun folded his arms across his chest, lightning surging beneath his feet as he hovered steadily in midair.

"I was wondering why I sensed this lingering, chilling presence. Turns out it's Jean De Mud Duck, Itadori Lao Feng."

The narrow eyes beneath the stitches narrowed slightly. Kenjaku keenly detected something unusual in that form of address.

"You even know about that? You're not Hajime Kashimo, are you?"

No wonder Hajime Kashimo had teamed up with Angel. This kid had been influencing him.

Familiar with Hajime Kashimo's temperament, Kenjaku knew that Kashimo would never have made such a choice on his own. The moment he saw Lu Yun, his confusion was resolved.

But with his old question answered, a new one arose in Kenjaku's mind.

Symbiosis?

To think that Hajime Kashimo would make a choice like that.

Lu Yun seemed nothing like the original person Kenjaku had painstakingly prepared as Hajime Kashimo's incarnated vessel. As the mastermind, Kenjaku had personally selected and placed the incarnated vessels for every ancient Player reborn through incarnation, so he naturally knew their personalities well.

Lu Yun bore no resemblance to the incarnated vessel he had selected. There had to be something strange going on.

Staring intently at Lu Yun, Kenjaku's eyes flashed.

"I gave myself away that fast?"

Lu Yun froze. Though he had never intended to pretend to be Hajime Kashimo, it still surprised him that Kenjaku could tell the instant they met.

First Ryu Ishigori, and now Kenjaku-how could all these old bastards spot the difference between him and Hajime Kashimo at a glance?

"Could it be the Bun Head? No, maybe Kashimo's just too old and doesn't have my youthful energy. Yeah, that must be it."

The appearance of an unexpected factor immediately piqued Kenjaku's interest, and he probed:

"You seem a lot more interesting than Hajime Kashimo. So, what brings you here?"

Lu Yun answered as though it were obvious:

"To kill you, of course."

He had never expected to be lucky enough to run into Kenjaku here. Naturally, Lu Yun had to seize the chance to finish off this scheming old bastard in one go. Otherwise, who knew what trouble he would stir up later?

"Quite the big talker, aren't you? If you think you can do it, go ahead and try."

The corners of Kenjaku's mouth curled upward. He likewise thought nothing of Lu Yun. Never mind Lu Yun-he did not even regard Hajime Kashimo as a threat. Though he had never seen Kashimo's hidden trump card, Kenjaku was completely confident he could overpower him.

After all, the difference between sorcerers with domains and those without was like night and day, and Kenjaku's domain was particularly special.

He was also quite curious about Lu Yun's secrets. This was the perfect opportunity to subdue him and take him back for questioning.

Kenjaku directed the Rainbow Dragon cursed spirit to retreat, deliberately putting distance between himself and Lu Yun.

"Let's start by testing you a little."

Lu Yun certainly would not let Kenjaku leave just like that. Lightning surged around him as he prepared to give chase, but Kenjaku suddenly raised a hand.

Countless black shadows poured from his wide sleeve like a torrent, covering the entire sky in an instant.

[Cursed Spirit Manipulation]!

The technique Kenjaku used was the innate cursed technique of Suguru Geto, the owner of his current body.

A staggering swarm of cursed spirits surrounded Lu Yun until his figure could no longer be seen in the sky.

"Hmph. Cheap tricks."

A cold snort came from within the swarm. Lu Yun watched the cursed spirits gradually closing in on him with utter disdain.

"Screee!!"

It sounded as though thousands upon thousands of birds were crying out at once. Lightning surged and blossomed in Lu Yun's pale palm, blue-white arcs leaping wildly as countless tiny sparks shot out from its center.

The flickering lightning lit his face in the darkness, and Lu Yun grinned.

"Bring it on."

As though they understood him, one grotesque cursed spirit after another rushed at Lu Yun, each carrying a nauseating stench.

Lu Yun's expression did not change. He opened his fist into a palm, his figure becoming a streak of lightning as he wove through the attacking cursed spirits. His lightning-wreathed hand was like an unstoppable blade, slicing through their bodies as smoothly as a hot knife through butter.

And that was not all. Residual lightning flickered over the bodies of the cursed spirits his palm had cut open. Under the effects of Cursed Energy Erosion, all the cursed energy remaining in the dead spirits became fuel for the lightning. Once consumed, they abruptly exploded, dealing explosive damage while spreading lightning to other cursed spirits and creating a chain reaction.

Lightning flashed within the swarm. One cursed spirit after another burst into showers of lightning like fireworks. In moments, every last one had been cleared away, and Lu Yun's figure reappeared in the sky.

Shaking the remaining cursed spirit blood from his hand, Lu Yun chuckled.

"This move is called [Chidori]."