Seven kilometers away, Sukuna sensed that immense Cursed Energy was gathering.
But Ijichi's barrier threw his judgment slightly off, and he misjudged the timing and scale of Satoru Gojo's first attack.
A pillar of light tore through the night over Shinjuku, streaking across seven kilometers.
The energy had weakened considerably over the distance by the time it arrived, but it still blew off both of Sukuna's arms and leveled several square kilometers of the surrounding neighborhood.
Sukuna did not fall.
Reverse Cursed Technique flared at the stumps, and his arms were restored almost instantly.
He looked at his newly regrown hands and acknowledged the weight of the blow.
Then Satoru Gojo's voice came from afar: "You seem to have misunderstood. Let me make myself clear-you're the challenger here."
That was some serious swagger.
Ye Xuan didn't understand.
How could he still swagger like that when he knew he had lost?
Eula said, "So strong... is this what the strong from another world are like?"
Ye Xuan curled his lip. "You really haven't seen much. For ordinary people like you who use Visions, he's certainly strong. But to Ronava, he's not worth mentioning."
Kasumi Miwa froze for a moment. "Who's Ronava?"
Ye Xuan tilted his chin toward Ronava. "There, her."
Kasumi Miwa looked at Ronava's palm-sized face, the corner of her mouth twitching. "This little girl?"
"She's old enough to be Sukuna's ancestor. She's a god who rules over death."
Kasumi Miwa fell silent for two seconds. "...Sorry to bother you."
How was a little girl like that a big shot too?
Yuji Itadori couldn't hold back anymore. "How could Gojo-sensei lose?"
Ye Xuan turned to look at him. "So it's Heavenly Emperor Hu."
A thought suddenly struck Kasumi Miwa. "Is that for the same reason as Great Emperor Miwa?"
She knew why she would be called Great Emperor Miwa, yet she could still say the nickname with a straight face.
Even I, Ye Xuan, acknowledge your swagger.
"No, it's not. After Satoru Gojo died, Yuji Itadori became the strongest in the world. He's half human and half cursed spirit. According to the theory of balance, the stronger cursed spirits are, the stronger humans become, and the stronger humans are, the stronger cursed spirits become. He stepped on his right foot with his left and became the strongest."
Yuji Itadori didn't take the bait, his eyes still fixed on the battlefield. "So how did Gojo-sensei lose?"
He was more concerned about his teacher than his future self.
He still remembered how Gojo-sensei had saved him, protected him, and led him out of the fog.
The sorcerers watching nearby had all pricked up their ears in unison some time ago.
Ye Xuan thought for a moment. "He let his guard down while giving his victory speech and didn't dodge the attack Sukuna bought on credit."
That was an awfully sloppy way to die.
Ye Xuan wasn't finished. "Dying was one thing. But Satoru Gojo's life flashing before his eyes turned this 'strongest' into a clown."
Shoko Ieiri frowned. "What did that bastard Satoru see when his life flashed before his eyes?"
Ye Xuan cleared his throat and imitated Satoru Gojo's tone. "'Sukuna was too strong. And it didn't look like Sukuna was going all out, either. He would have won even without the Ten Shadows. I almost feel a little sorry for him. I couldn't show Sukuna my all in that fight.'"
"Even at the end, he still thought Sukuna had held back. Then he added, 'I'm so glad it was someone stronger than me who killed me, not time or illness.'"
Everyone watching fell silent.
If that was true, Satoru Gojo really had become a clown.
Ye Xuan turned and patted Eula on the shoulder. "Watch how they approach the fight. It might be useful to you."
Eula stared at the battlefield for a long time, but all she could turn over in her head were their absurd stats and dazzling mechanics. Approach? What approach?
Seeing her bewildered expression, Ye Xuan sighed.
"Looks like you don't understand anything."
Eula bristled and shot back, "What do you understand?"
"Don't you think it's cool how they can still get all worked up and say these wildly heroic things, even with their faces beaten swollen?"
Ye Xuan tucked his hands into his pockets, speaking with confidence. "Think about it. You run into an evenly matched enemy, and the fight is really hard. Then you find an opening and get the upper hand. Wouldn't it be cool to say, 'Amber's still watching from behind me, so let me show off a little longer'?"
Ronava nodded beside him. "Not bad."
Eula said, "..."
Ye Xuan was satisfied. "Ronava gets me after all. Let's head back once Satoru Gojo and Hajime Kashimo are dead. There won't be any more fun after that."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yuji Itadori suddenly shouted, "Look, Gojo-sensei won!"
On the battlefield, an unrestricted Hollow Technique: Purple erupted at point-blank range, destroying Sukuna's left hand and large portions of his body. Mahoraga's magic circle shattered in the light as well.
Satoru Gojo walked out of the rubble, heat still rising from his scorched body, and immediately began reviewing what had happened.
"An unrestricted 'Purple' with no designated target, one that would catch even me in it... but it looks like the extent of the damage was different. Whether or not it's your own Cursed Energy seems to make a big difference. Well, as long as the result's good, right? My improvised, remotely operated 'Purple' seemed to work out pretty well, didn't it? This is my first time blowing myself up."
Among the onlookers,
"That means-"
"Yeah, Gojo won."
The next second, Satoru Gojo was cut in two.
None of the people from Jujutsu High could bear to watch. Yuji Itadori froze on the spot.
But Ye Xuan waved a hand. "What are you panicking for? He dodged it."
Satoru Gojo had indeed become two halves-but instead of two-point-five, he became two-toru Gojo and three-toru Gojo.
Ever since learning he would die, he had been on guard against this moment.
First, he played dead. When Ryomen Sukuna was about to give his victory speech, Reverse Cursed Technique healed the damage he had taken, and Satoru Gojo raised his hand and slapped Sukuna across the face with a Black Flash.
Black Flash accelerated his recovery, and immediately afterward came Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void.
Then he delivered the finishing blow.
Sukuna was defeated, and Megumi Fushiguro went with him. Not even ashes remained.
There was no chance of him coming back from the dead.
Satoru Gojo stood in the middle of the ruins, still bearing wounds, his clothes torn to rags and one eye swollen shut. Even as he spat blood, he continued:
"The reason you lost was that you didn't remember my body's proportions. But let me praise you all the same-"
"Well done, Ryomen Sukuna. I don't think I'll ever forget you."