Tombs of the Star Corridor 2

At that moment...

Tengen, in the Main Hall, also began dismantling the Emptiness Barrier.

The Emptiness Barrier was dispelled one second before Yuki Tsukumo's Simple Domain collapsed completely.

This time...

Yuki Tsukumo emerged unscathed.

She descended into the next layer of the Emptiness Barrier along with Kenjaku and the others.

One glance was enough.

Kenjaku knew this plan had come from Ken Kaneki!

An old fossil like Tengen could never have come up with a trick like this.

Now...

He also understood what Yuki Tsukumo and the others were planning. Pointing at the ground, he said, "The next layer..."

"Is another Emptiness Barrier, isn't it?"

Yuki Tsukumo merely answered with a savage grin, offering no explanation as she charged toward him.

Just then!

He sensed tremendous danger.

He spun around.

As he ducked, the top of his skull also detached during the turn.

Seeing that Headbutt had failed...

Maki decisively changed tactics, driving her blade diagonally downward and straight through Kenjaku's heart.

Squelch!

Bright red blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

Looking at Maki Zenin, who possessed no cursed energy whatsoever, Kenjaku understood everything.

"You again..."

"Kaneki."

Tachibana Mio's cursed technique had been used to turn Maki Zenin into someone with absolutely zero cursed energy.

Before Uraume could act, Maki pulled out her blade and retreated.

The next second!

Razor-sharp icicles formed instantly and shot outward in every direction.

At that moment...

Yuki Tsukumo shattered the icicles and hurled a fist imbued with virtual mass at Uraume.

At the same time!

The sound of shattering glass rang out.

Someone else had invaded the Emptiness Barrier.

Before her right hand could reach Uraume, an invisible slash severed it.

Blood gushed out like a fountain.

At the sight...

Yuki Tsukumo's pupils abruptly contracted.

Clap!

A clap rang out just in time.

Aoi Todo instantly swapped Yuki Tsukumo to safety.

"What a sorry state you're in..."

"Kenjaku."

The two people who had invaded the Emptiness Barrier were none other than "Yuji Itadori" and Tachibana Mio.

No!

It was Ryomen Sukuna!

As Sukuna stepped into the Emptiness Barrier, the entire Tombs of the Star Corridor shook violently.

It was like an earthquake.

"Sukuna!!!"

Realizing everything, Choso let out a furious roar.

He fired [Piercing Blood], already compressed through [Convergence], straight at him.

Sukuna answered with a slash.

The slash split [Piercing Blood] in two, traveling up its length toward Choso.

Clap!

At the critical moment...

Aoi Todo swapped Choso away.

Sukuna glanced at Aoi Todo, an excited, twisted grin spreading across his face.

"Lord Sukuna."

Uraume respectfully dropped to one knee.

"Uraume."

Sukuna was about to say something else.

Then, as though sensing something, he raised his head toward the boundless white expanse of the Emptiness Barrier.

The next second!

Someone destroyed the Emptiness Barrier overhead from the outside.

Satoru Gojo appeared above them, his expression cold.

The moment they saw him...

Aoi Todo, Maki Zenin, and everyone from Jujutsu High felt their anxiety ease.

Then...

Their hearts tightened again.

They still hadn't had time to tell him how to counter an Open-Barriers Domain.

Seeing this...

Mei Mei immediately controlled a crow to notify the three people still in the Sendai Colony.

"It seems..."

Kenjaku said to him, "Kaneki managed to rescue you after all."

Having his heart pierced by the Soul Liberation Blade wasn't enough to kill him.

However...

The hole in his heart had yet to heal.

Satoru Gojo ignored him.

He looked down at Sukuna.

Sukuna gave a contemptuous smile. "That brat who can predict the future..."

As he spoke...

He looked up at Satoru Gojo and asked with a smile, "Do you remember what I told you?"

The words Sukuna had spoken back then surfaced in Satoru Gojo's mind.

"Once I've taken complete control of this brat's body, you'll be the first one I kill!"

Now...

Sukuna had succeeded.

If Kenjaku could turn this body into a prison for him, he could naturally turn it into a prison for Yuji Itadori instead.

Of course...

Tachibana Mio's help had also been indispensable.

Having figured it out...

Satoru Gojo turned his gaze toward Kenjaku for the first time and asked, "You did this, didn't you?"

Hearing that...

Kenjaku understood what he meant and admitted with a smile, "That's right. It was me."

As soon as he finished speaking...

Satoru Gojo swooped down to attack him, only for Sukuna to reach out from beside him and intercept the blow.

"I told you, once I had complete control of this body, I'd kill you first..."

A chilling murderous intent gleamed in Sukuna's four eyes. "Once I've killed you, I'll kill that brat who can predict the future."

Just thinking about how that brat had once looked down on him infuriated him. He wanted nothing more than to tear him to pieces right away!

"Hah!"

Satoru Gojo scoffed. "You needed a rag hand-sewn by Mommy to take full control of your body, and you're still putting on airs."

"How embarrassing, you idiot!"

"Bastard!"

Uraume was just about to charge forward.

Then a figure appeared out of nowhere behind them, making no attempt to conceal his immense cursed energy.

"Who?"

Uraume sensed his presence.

Uraume spun around to attack, only to be met by a fist imbued with [Blue]!

"Urgh!"

Uraume spat out a huge mouthful of blood.

Curled up like a cooked shrimp, Uraume shot away like a cannonball.

"Brat."

An indifferent voice rang out.

The all-too-familiar figure before him slowly turned around, revealing a face that was both deeply familiar and strangely foreign.

It was clearly the same face, yet the expression was entirely different.

In an instant...

Kaneki understood everything.

If I'd known...

I would've used [Star Rage] in that punch!

A familiar slash flew toward Ken Kaneki, but it never struck him. [Inviolability] deflected it, and it sliced open the Emptiness Barrier behind him.

"[Limitless]..."

Both Sukuna and Kenjaku looked startled.

They hadn't expected...

Ken Kaneki's cursed technique could acquire even the [Limitless] cursed technique.

Crack!

Kaneki cracked the ring finger of his left hand, fixing his scarlet kakugan on Kenjaku. "You really deserve to die!"

"Kenjaku."

"Heh..."

Kenjaku chuckled mockingly. "You're just like you are in your manga. Always cracking your fingers."

He wasn't the same as his manga counterpart.

Pain tempered his anger, allowing him to remain calm and think through his options.

Sukuna was delighted by the shock and anger on Ken Kaneki's face. "What's wrong?"

"Surprised?"

"Yeah..."

Kaneki lowered his eyes. "I didn't think Kenjaku could go this far."

Hearing that...

Sukuna's smile widened, and he asked, "Do you regret it?"

"If you hadn't hidden Megumi Fushiguro away, I would've taken his body instead."

He knew Ken Kaneki and Yuji Itadori were close.

So...

He deliberately twisted the knife where it hurt!

"I do."

The corners of Sukuna's mouth lifted at that answer.

Then Ken Kaneki continued, "What I regret is being weak by nature. I never make up my mind until the last possible moment, and I've missed so many opportunities because of it."

"If only..."

"I'd been more decisive back then."

"I could've awakened my cursed technique sooner, and none of this would've happened."

Back then...

He should have been more decisive.

He should have met Suguru Geto, whatever the cost.

After saying that, he cleared his throat twice, changed his voice, and addressed Kenjaku, who was looking at Satoru Gojo. "Isn't it time you woke up?"

"How much longer are you going to let someone else pull your strings?"

"Geto..."

He deliberately used Satoru Gojo's voice to say those words.

Having done voice acting in his previous life, he could naturally pull it off with ease.

During the actual Shibuya Incident, Satoru Gojo had never spoken those words aloud.

So.

As his voice faded.

Suguru Geto's body moved against Kenjaku's control, reaching up and clamping a hand tightly around his own throat.