Chapter Summaries

After losing to Qingxiao, Takaba questioned whether he should remain a comedian and relived the loneliness and failures that had shaped his twenty-year pursuit. Qingxiao struck him and insisted he was funny, and Takaba recommitted himself to making people laugh.

• Takaba lost both rounds to Qingxiao and admitted that he felt less talented and wondered if he should have become a comedian.
• Takaba remembered his family opposing his career, his repeated failures onstage, and the partnerships that ended in disappointment.
• Takaba admitted that he had become a comedian because he wanted people to notice and remember him.
• Qingxiao punched Takaba and challenged him not to abandon his dream over a setback.
• Takaba declared that he would keep pursuing comedy because making people laugh was how he wanted to live.

Takaba and Qingxiao relived their years building a comedy act together, from awkward early shows to the National Comedians Competition. Onstage, Takaba teased Qingxiao about combat rankings and knives until he challenged him to make him kneel and beg.

• Qingxiao pulled Takaba to his feet, and the dining car transformed into a college theater where they performed their first routine, “The Interview.”
• Takaba and Qingxiao worked small venues after graduation, supporting each other through bad shows as their audiences and reputations grew.
• At the National Comedians Competition, Takaba and Qingxiao began their routine on a packed stage.
• Takaba joked that Qingxiao ranked below an average angry man and warned that training would not protect him from a knife.
• Takaba moved close to Qingxiao and claimed he could make him get on his knees and beg.

Takaba and Qingxiao turned their staged fight into a chaotic performance that won over the theater, and Takaba became emotional at the audience’s enthusiastic response. Qingxiao quietly warned him not to cry and ruin the mood.

• Takaba provoked Qingxiao into punching him, then pretended to be badly injured and made Qingxiao beg for forgiveness.
• When the audience laughed and applauded, Takaba revealed the act and teased Qingxiao, who punched him again into the backdrop.
• Qingxiao helped Takaba up, and they laughed, bowed together, and accepted the audience’s cheers.
• Takaba grew teary as he realized the crowd was applauding him, and Qingxiao told him not to cry.

Qingxiao parted ways with Takaba after promising to meet again and set off to find Hiromi Higuruma. Meanwhile, Megumi Fushiguro fought Reggie, but Reggie exploited Megumi’s distraction over Itadori and wounded him with a barrage of objects.

• Qingxiao exchanged contact details with Takaba, agreed to appear at one of his shows, and left Desolate Street as Takaba resolved to keep performing.
• Qingxiao checked the points leaderboard, spotted Hiromi Higuruma’s ID, and headed toward him.
• Megumi Fushiguro fought Reggie, whose receipts produced weapons and restored his injuries, and concluded that he needed to end the battle quickly or change locations.
• Megumi heard signs that Itadori was in danger and summoned Nue to assess the situation, while Reggie prepared an attack.
• Reggie hurled a mass of furniture, vehicles, rebar, and rubble at Megumi, who dodged most of it but suffered a bleeding shoulder wound.

Megumi Fushiguro lured Reggie into an indoor swimming facility and unleashed his Chimera Shadow Garden, stunning Naoya as he watched. Reggie activated Hollow Wicker Basket to counter the domain’s sure-hit effect, but a Divine Dog attacked his calf before he could finish taunting Megumi.

• Naoya watched Megumi Fushiguro struggle against Reggie and decided to intervene if Megumi was about to lose.
• Megumi Fushiguro escaped on Nue toward an indoor swimming facility, with Reggie pursuing him on an electric scooter.
• Reggie summoned two freight trucks that Megumi dodged, then struck Megumi with flowerpots as Naoya arrived.
• Megumi Fushiguro expanded Chimera Shadow Garden, engulfing the swimming facility in darkness and surprising Naoya and Reggie.
• Reggie activated Hollow Wicker Basket to counter the domain’s sure-hit effect, but a Divine Dog emerged from the shadows and bit his calf.

Megumi Fushiguro used Chimera Shadow Garden to make his shikigami attack Reggie, then turned the domain’s weight-transferring shadows into a contest of endurance. When Reggie summoned a house to crush him, Megumi dispelled the domain, leaving Naoya watching and mocking their fight.

• Reggie realized Megumi’s domain had no sure-hit effect and mocked him, while Naoya watched from the rooftop and dismissed it as useless.
• Megumi explained that the domain let his shikigami emerge from shadows in every direction, and Reggie deduced that its weight was being transferred to Megumi.
• Reggie dropped three cars onto the domain, forcing Megumi to endure their combined weight, but Megumi summoned Max Elephant to press Reggie down in return.
• Reggie summoned another car as Megumi’s Great Serpent wrapped around him, and both sorcerers struggled under the weight of their shikigami and the cars.
• Reggie summoned a two-story house to crush Megumi, so Megumi dispelled Chimera Shadow Garden before the house could land on its shadows.
• Naoya watched from the swimming hall’s broken window and scoffed at Megumi and Reggie’s weightlifting contest.

Megumi Fushiguro defeated Reggie in the pool after the falling house soaked Reggie's receipts and disabled his Cursed Technique. As Megumi struggled to recover at the pool’s edge, Naoya Zenin spotted a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit sneaking toward him.

• Megumi Fushiguro and Reggie fell into the pool as the upside-down house crashed down after them.
• Reggie discovered that his soaked receipts had become unusable, then grabbed Megumi and forced him underwater.
• A Divine Dog bit Reggie's leg, allowing Megumi to break free and attack him from the front.
• Megumi and the Divine Dog overwhelmed Reggie, and Megumi broke Reggie's throat with an elbow strike.
• Naoya Zenin watched Megumi win, then noticed a Grade 2 Cursed Spirit approaching him.

Wounded and nearly out of cursed energy, Megumi Fushiguro was ambushed by a grade 2 cursed spirit after leaving the swimming complex. With the Divine Dog badly injured and no strength left to fight, Megumi summoned untamed Mahoraga, risking both their lives.

• Megumi Fushiguro hurried toward Tsumiki and Itadori despite his injuries, while the wounded Divine Dog sensed someone hiding nearby.
• A grade 2 cursed spirit appeared behind Megumi and knocked the Divine Dog into a broken wall, reopening its wounds.
• The cursed spirit mocked Megumi and revealed it had waited until he was exhausted after fighting Reggie.
• Megumi realized he had no shikigami left to use except Mahoraga, whose summoning could kill both him and the cursed spirit.
• Megumi chose not to give in and chanted the ritual to summon Mahoraga.

Megumi Fushiguro summoned Mahoraga, which struck him down and pursued Naoya Zenin. With Mahoraga gone, the Grade 2 Cursed Spirit regained its composure and approached the badly injured Megumi.

• Naoya Zenin realized Mahoraga's summoning put him in danger and fled the swimming facility with Projection Sorcery.
• Mahoraga manifested on Desolate Street, terrifying the Grade 2 Cursed Spirit.
• Megumi Fushiguro told the Grade 2 Cursed Spirit to keep fighting, then Mahoraga slapped him into a wall.
• Mahoraga ignored the fleeing Grade 2 Cursed Spirit and pursued Naoya Zenin, who ran for his life.
• The Grade 2 Cursed Spirit recovered its composure and walked toward the half-dead Megumi Fushiguro.

Itadori arrived in time to drive off the Grade 2 Cursed Spirit and carry the badly injured Megumi Fushiguro toward Jujutsu High with Tsumiki. As Megumi lost consciousness, Sukuna appeared through a mouth on Itadori’s face and said, “Enchain.”

• The Grade 2 Cursed Spirit judged that it could not defeat Itadori, then dispersed into smoke and fled.
• Itadori found Megumi Fushiguro injured in the wall, learned that Reggie was dead, and carried Megumi on his back.
• Tsumiki followed them and wiped blood from the corner of Megumi’s mouth.
• Itadori urged Megumi to stay awake and told him that he had dealt with Haruta and stopped the killings of ordinary people.
• Megumi lost consciousness while still breathing, and Itadori hurried toward Jujutsu High.
• A mouth appeared on Itadori’s face, and Sukuna said, “Enchain.”

Qingxiao confronted Hiromi Higuruma in an abandoned theater and offered him the choice of surrendering his Culling Game points or fighting. Higuruma refused, and the chapter ended as he activated his Domain Expansion.

• Qingxiao found Higuruma bathing in a tub on the theater stage and sat down to speak with him.
• Qingxiao offered Higuruma two choices: hand over his points or fight.
• Higuruma refused to give up his points, believing the Culling Game could allow justice where the law could not.
• Qingxiao stood up and prepared to fight, while Higuruma questioned whether Qingxiao had come only for a battle.
• Higuruma rose from the tub and activated Deadly Sentencing.

Higuruma opened his domain and put Qingxiao on trial, first for stealing sweets from Satoru Gojo and then for murdering a university president. Judgeman confiscated Qingxiao’s cursed technique and cursed tool, leaving the two ready to fight with close combat.

• Higuruma opened his courtroom domain and Judgeman charged Qingxiao with stealing sweets worth 478,200 yen from Satoru Gojo.
• Qingxiao objected that the theft charge was too minor and demanded a retrial, which Judgeman granted.
• Judgeman charged Qingxiao with murdering a university president in 2006, and Qingxiao explained that the president’s brutal workload had driven students to suicide and created a special grade cursed spirit.
• Higuruma asked Judgeman to deliver a verdict, and Judgeman sentenced Qingxiao to confiscation, taking his cursed technique and cursed tool.
• Qingxiao remained eager to fight using cursed energy and close combat, while Higuruma transformed his gavel into a giant mallet.

Qingxiao defeated Higuruma in close combat, but Higuruma sacrificed the use of his domain for a year to hold another trial. As Judgeman began presenting records of Qingxiao’s killings, Qingxiao realized Higuruma was seeking a death sentence.

• Higuruma used his transforming gavel to attack Qingxiao, who blocked one strike and dodged another.
• Qingxiao closed in, disarmed Higuruma with a punch, and incapacitated him with a second punch to the abdomen.
• Higuruma acknowledged that he could not defeat Qingxiao in hand-to-hand combat and vowed not to expand his domain for a year in exchange for a trial.
• Higuruma expanded his domain again, and Judgeman began reading records of Qingxiao’s killings.
• Qingxiao realized Higuruma intended to sentence him to death.

During Higuruma’s domain trial, Qingxiao’s attempt to defend his past killings instead convinced the judge that they were premeditated, and Higuruma sentenced him to death. Back in the abandoned theater, Higuruma’s Executioner’s Sword remained active, but he deactivated his Cursed Technique just as Qingxiao was about to strike him from behind.

• Higuruma’s Shikigami recited the details of Qingxiao’s past killings, and Qingxiao admitted that his victims deserved to die.
• Qingxiao claimed he had investigated each victim before killing them, and Higuruma pointed out that this amounted to premeditated murder.
• Qingxiao gave up trying to defend himself, and Higuruma found him guilty and sentenced him to death.
• The domain dissolved, but Higuruma retained the Executioner’s Sword, which Qingxiao recognized as fatal if it touched him.
• Qingxiao rushed behind Higuruma and raised a knife-hand to strike, but Higuruma deactivated his Cursed Technique before the blow landed.

Qingxiao defeated Higuruma after Higuruma could not bring himself to carry out a death sentence, and Higuruma then offered to defend him in court. As Qingxiao left the theater, he sensed Mahoraga nearby and raced toward it.

• Higuruma dispelled his Cursed Technique and hesitated to kill Qingxiao, so Qingxiao struck him down.
• Higuruma admitted he could not sentence a good person to death, and Qingxiao challenged the law behind his judgment.
• Higuruma abruptly offered to defend Qingxiao, outlining possible defenses for his killings and joking that stealing desserts would be harder to excuse.
• Qingxiao accepted Higuruma as his monthly client and left the theater.
• Qingxiao checked the Culling Game scoreboard, saw that Megumi Fushiguro had gained five points, and then sensed a powerful Cursed Energy nearby.
• Qingxiao recognized the approaching Shikigami as Mahoraga and sprinted toward it.

Qingxiao fought Mahoraga while Naoya escaped, using repeated Black Flashes to damage Mahoraga and strengthen himself. The battle continued as Qingxiao carefully kept his attacks just ahead of Mahoraga’s adaptation.

• Qingxiao arrived in time to knock Mahoraga away from Naoya and ordered Naoya to leave the battlefield.
• Qingxiao struck Mahoraga with a Black Flash that destroyed half its chest, but Mahoraga regenerated within seconds.
• Qingxiao hit the same spot again, then blocked Mahoraga’s Sword of Extermination with his fist as the Dharma Wheel slowly turned.
• Qingxiao traded repeated Black Flash blows with Mahoraga, controlling their power to stay ahead of its adaptation.
• As Mahoraga’s Dharma Wheel accelerated, Qingxiao felt his Heavenly Motion grow stronger with every punch.

Qingxiao fought Mahoraga with Black Flash and physical blows, pushing the shikigami to adapt to his attacks. He was still locked in the battle when Sukuna’s cursed energy and Angel’s Jacob’s Ladder erupted in the distance, alerting him that something had happened to Itadori, Megumi, and Hana Kurusu.

• Mahoraga struck Qingxiao with a blast of compressed air, but Qingxiao braced himself and charged back in.
• Qingxiao clashed with Mahoraga’s Sword of Extermination, landing repeated Black Flashes as their battle destroyed the surrounding block.
• Qingxiao used Earth Is Receptive to boost his power and tore open Mahoraga’s shoulder and neck before its Dharma Wheel adapted to Black Flash.
• Mahoraga developed gray armor that nullified Black Flash, so Qingxiao continued battering it with physical force until its regeneration began to fail.
• A golden pillar of light and a surge of Sukuna’s cursed energy interrupted the fight, and Qingxiao realized something had happened to Itadori, Megumi, and Hana Kurusu.

Qingxiao used his domain and overwhelming power to dissolve Mahoraga, then raced toward the golden light where Itadori was fighting. Meanwhile, Sukuna activated their binding vow and took control of Itadori’s body.

• Qingxiao used Raise Blue and his domain, Seeking Truth by Abandoning Cleverness, to dissolve Mahoraga and the Sword of Extermination.
• Qingxiao infused the Xiqu Knuckle Dusters with all his cursed energy and struck Mahoraga, reducing him to dust.
• Qingxiao headed toward the golden light, hoping Itadori would survive the crisis ahead.
• Sukuna said “Enchain,” causing Itadori to lose consciousness as Sukuna took over his body.

Sukuna transferred his consciousness into Megumi Fushiguro by forcing his severed finger down Megumi’s throat, then faced Hana Kurusu’s Jacob’s Ladder. He survived by pretending to be Megumi and manipulating Hana and Uraume, leaving Hana rushing toward him as the attack vanished.

• Sukuna broke off his left little finger and fed it to Megumi Fushiguro, taking over his body while Itadori collapsed nearby.
• Uraume revealed herself to Sukuna and pledged her loyalty, while Sukuna listened to Guyue Qingxiao fighting Mahoraga in the east.
• Hana Kurusu arrived, recognized Sukuna’s possession, and struck him with Jacob’s Ladder, which began burning him and threatening to expel him from Megumi’s body.
• Sukuna suppressed his curse markings and called to Hana as Megumi, convincing her that he was hurt and asking for help.
• Uraume pulled Sukuna behind her and prepared to attack Hana, prompting Hana to cancel Jacob’s Ladder and rush toward Megumi.

Sukuna brutally incapacitated Hana Kurusu after she dispelled Jacob’s Ladder, then decided to flee with Megumi Fushiguro rather than face Qingxiao. He asked Uraume to hold Qingxiao off and promised to marry her once he had settled into his vessel.

• Sukuna struck Hana Kurusu in the chest, shattered her breastbone, and severed her left arm.
• Angel lost consciousness and cursed Hana Kurusu for being lovesick, while Sukuna dismissed her as no longer a threat.
• Uraume approached Sukuna and asked whether she had ruined his plans, and he silently accepted her flattery.
• Sukuna judged that his injuries and depleted Cursed Energy left him unable to fight Qingxiao, so he planned to escape with Megumi Fushiguro.
• Sukuna asked Uraume to hold Qingxiao off for five minutes and promised to marry her once he had settled in.