I make the rules

"Mahito, I'm enjoying this fight!"

Hanami was probably the gentlest of all the special grade cursed spirits.

An extremist environmentalist.

For the first time, she experienced the joy of battle. The murderous instincts she had always buried and suppressed with reason finally saw the light of day.

Unable to restrain the desire within her, she hurled her massive frame toward Yuji Itadori and Todo.

At the same time, countless thin roots burrowed out of the ground. They were in no hurry to pierce their enemies' bodies.

Instead, like little hands, they suddenly grabbed at their ankles from time to time.

They did little damage, but hindered their movements.

And even if an opening lasted only an instant, Hanami would immediately rush in to deliver a fatal blow.

The roots created through Hanami's cursed technique divided her attention and cursed energy.

But they made things even harder for Yuji Itadori and Todo, who had to keep watching the ground.

Unlike a special grade cursed spirit, they couldn't rapidly repair their bodies.

Clap, clap, clap!

"Finish her before she adapts."

As Todo clapped, the two sprinted toward Hanami, rapidly swapping positions as they dodged the roots and charged right up to her.

Todo's massive fist instantly smashed into Hanami's head.

Just as she tried to retaliate, he switched with Yuji Itadori, who was already poised to strike and threw another punch.

Driven back by their constantly shifting double-team assault, Hanami accumulated wound after wound.

"Their builds are so different that I don't have time to adjust my stance to defend or counterattack after they switch."

"Every time he claps, I don't know whether he'll switch with me or Ryomen Sukuna's vessel.

Each successive choice between the two slows my thoughts and reactions, restricting my movements."

"This is bad! At this rate-"

Like a charging bull, Todo's iron fist tore upward through the air and smashed into Hanami's hard jaw, momentarily stunning her.

Bam!

Yuji Itadori followed immediately. Black sparks gathered around his hand as an attack raised to the terrifying power of 2.5 slammed into Hanami's chest, sending her flying.

Another black flash.

The record holder for consecutive black flashes was Kento Nanami.

Landing consecutive black flashes wasn't unusual if someone wanted to land more than one.

In fact, doing so nonconsecutively or on different days was harder.

Whether the first black flash came through chance or ability, successfully landing one temporarily put the sorcerer into something akin to a state of being high.

Manipulating cursed energy, which normally required deliberate control, became as natural and effortless as breathing.

It was as though everything else revolved around them, as they entered a state of omniscience and omnipotence.

At that moment, Yuji Itadori had fallen into that strange mental state.

Black sparks gathered around his fist. With a sense of space warping around it, his thunderous punch smashed into Hanami's chest.

Hanami's neck snapped back. Blood sprayed from her mouth as her body sustained damage.

But Yuji Itadori wasn't finished. His powerful leg left an afterimage as it lashed toward Hanami like an iron whip, the air shrieking around it.

Black sparks appeared around his leg as well, making Hanami double over and cough up blood.

Todo looked gratified and delighted. Itadori had already landed three black flashes.

Three in a row-a feat to astonish the world!

Hanami forcibly stabilized her injuries, bent forward, and clenched her fist to counterattack:

"Don't get carried away!"

But Todo had already appeared behind her, his hands ready to clap and swap positions at any moment.

Noticing him, Hanami immediately prepared to attack in Todo's direction, anticipating Yuji Itadori switching into his place.

However.

Clap!

Even though Todo clapped, their positions remained unchanged.

"Just because I clap doesn't mean I'll activate my cursed technique. It's simple, but easy to fall for, isn't it?"

Hanami hurried to defend her rear, but it was already too late.

"Black flash!"

Facing Hanami's completely exposed back, Yuji Itadori wore a serious expression as his space-warping black sparks slammed into her.

Hanami's back ruptured, leaving an obvious opening. Yuji Itadori's attack had severely injured her.

"I've never been hurt this badly before. And yet...

The pleasure of battle hasn't diminished at all!"

Hanami flung both arms wide. Flowers packed with little monsters bearing sharp fangs suddenly bloomed behind her, writhing and screeching like animals.

"Bloom, bloom, bloom, bloom!"

The trees covered in cursed buds sprayed wildly at her enemies like Gatling guns, spewing bullets called cursed buds.

Clap!

Todo immediately clapped, switching Yuji Itadori with Hanami and leaving himself alone within the cursed buds' line of fire.

"Todo!"

Yuji Itadori worried about Todo, but Todo immediately raised both arms in front of his head as dense cursed energy gathered around his body.

"Don't worry about me, brother!"

"As long as I properly reinforce my body with cursed energy, seeds of this caliber can't hurt me."

Just before the seeds struck, Todo suddenly appeared inside a classroom.

His idol, Takada-chan, pushed open the classroom door and walked in, asking gently:

"Really?"

The two then rapidly discussed and analyzed the information within his mental space.

He finally realized that his opponent was a cursed spirit, and an attack of this caliber most likely concealed another trick.

With his IQ of 530,000, he reached his conclusion in an astonishing 0.01 seconds.

Todo immediately dispersed the cursed energy around his body, relying solely on his powerful physique to withstand Hanami's attack.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Hanami stared at Todo in shock. He had dispelled his cursed energy at the very instant the attack hit.

Had he figured it out?

Once a cursed bud struck, it would absorb its host's cursed energy and grow.

The more the host used jujutsu, the deeper its roots grew. Being hit by this move essentially immobilized its victim, making it an extremely troublesome attack.

Seeing that the move had failed, Hanami wanted to expand her domain and quickly finish Todo and the others.

But Dagon's death surfaced in her mind.

"Araki Itsuki hasn't appeared yet. Even if I kill these people, I won't escape alive once my cursed technique burns out."

She turned her branch-bearing eyes toward Fushiguro, but could see no sign of any hidden ability.

"Why did Araki Itsuki say he could expand a domain too? Was he bluffing?"

"Without any companions nearby, I can't leave myself vulnerable to burnout.

The commotion I've caused should already be enough to help Mahito complete his task."

While she hesitated, the black curtain suddenly dissipated.

A figure stood high in the sky, as though he alone was honored throughout heaven and earth.

The strongest jujutsu sorcerer of the present day.

Satoru Gojo.

Araki Itsuki also suddenly appeared beside Fushiguro, yawning with boredom.

Seeing Araki Itsuki and Satoru Gojo appear at the same time, Hanami instantly formed countless enormous roots and sent them charging toward Fushiguro, Araki Itsuki, and the others, then immediately began retreating.

Araki Itsuki grabbed Fushiguro, easily dodged them, and reached Inumaki and Maki.

Watching this, Satoru Gojo said, "That special grade seems pretty good at running away. She's a little far off, too."

"In that case, let's get a little reckless."

Satoru Gojo had already removed his black blindfold, revealing the azure eyes of his Six Eyes.

He brought his hands together, rapidly circulating his cursed energy and channeling it into his cursed technique.

"Cursed technique lapse: Blue!"

"Cursed technique reversal: Red!"

Two perfect, opposing, mutually repellent spheres appeared, spinning rapidly with terrifying cursed energy.

Under Satoru Gojo's control, they finally merged into an energy wave capable of cutting through space.

"Hollow Purple!"

This was a move few knew about even within the Gojo Clan.

By overlapping cursed technique lapse, Blue, and cursed technique reversal, Red, it generated imaginary mass that could be launched outward.

It manifested as an energy wave capable of cutting through space, leaving smooth-edged circular gaps wherever it inflicted damage.

With its long range and immense diameter, it left nothing intact in its path.

As Satoru Gojo made a flicking gesture, Purple surged straight toward Hanami, crushing everything before it.

"I'll withdraw first."

Hanami still had no idea what had happened.

She watched Araki Itsuki warily as countless trees rose beneath her feet, wrapping around her as she rapidly descended.

Fushiguro and the others wanted to stop Hanami, but Araki Itsuki waved them off. "Back up a little. Don't go near her."

"What's wrong?"

Fushiguro and Maki looked puzzled.

Sensing the terrifying cursed energy in the distance, Araki Itsuki explained:

"Your beloved teacher Satoru Gojo is about to show off."

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

A terrifying shock wave swept toward them, ravaging the earth and leaving enormous trenches and scorched ground in its wake.

The surrounding trees suffered collateral damage as well, twisting and yellowing, their leaves long since obliterated.

Yuji Itadori, Fushiguro, and the others stared slack-jawed at the terrifying scene, unable to reconcile it with their normally goofy, unreliable teacher.

"Is this what a special grade can do?!"

Todo laughed. "Still as absurdly powerful as ever. With that, we can't even tell whether she was exorcised."

Satoru Gojo landed on the ground and looked at Araki Itsuki, who had only just reached the battlefield. He couldn't shake the feeling that Araki had done something behind his back.

"Araki, where did you go?"

Araki Itsuki innocently spread his hands. "I got lost while walking around. I only just made it back."

Then he waved at Maki and turned to leave:

"Don't forget to find someone to recommend you for promotion later."

Maki gave Araki Itsuki a puzzled look. The very reason she had joined the Goodwill Event and worked so hard was to distinguish herself on this stage.

She wanted to attract enough attention to pressure the higher-ups and break free of the Zenin Clan's restraints.

"It goes against certain people's rules. They won't approve my promotion."

A mocking smile curled Araki Itsuki's lips.

"Doesn't matter. From now on, my rules are the rules!"

Elsewhere.

In a pit filled with trees, the cowardly Haruta Shigemo, who bullied the weak and feared the strong, held a strange weapon whose hilt was a hand.

"I ended up doing nothing. I wonder if I'll get scolded."

"But compared to me, you really worked yourself to death."

Hanami emerged from the shadows, her body mangled and half of it worn away.

Without even enough cursed energy to repair her body, she collapsed unconscious on the ground.

Looking at the mutilated Hanami lying there, his cruel, bullying nature surfaced.

"How pitiful. Let me put you out of your misery."

He grabbed the hand-hilted sword on his back, intending to kill Hanami with a sneak attack, but Mahito suddenly appeared.

He draped an arm around Haruta Shigemo like an intimate friend, his palm pressed firmly against Shigemo's chest, ready to activate Idle Transfiguration at any moment.

"Don't take liberties, mere human. I'll kill you."

"Oh, come on. I was only trying to help her. Don't curses understand that kind of subtle consideration?"

Haruta Shigemo hurriedly spread his hands in surrender, and Mahito released him.

"Where's the stuff?"

"It's all here."

"The special grade cursed objects-six of Ryomen Sukuna's Fingers kept at Jujutsu High.*

*And numbers one through three of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings, also special grade cursed objects."

Looking at the cursed objects in his hands, Mahito's eyes filled with cold hatred.

"You didn't stop Hanami from retreating?"

"You're too arrogant, Araki Itsuki. No one stood in the heavens from the beginning."

"If we sealed Satoru Gojo, released Ryomen Sukuna, then attacked you together..."

"How would you handle that?"