Lying Flat for His Sister, Otherworldly God-Man, Megumi Fushiguro

After Higuruma expanded his domain and pulled Sukuna inside, Okkotsu took the opportunity to withdraw, using Ui Ui's technique to return to Jujutsu High.

Afterward, at Shiratori Gotsu's direction, Shoko removed the appendix, right pinky finger, and right ring finger from Nobara Kugisaki, who was in a deep coma.

After having Rika eat them, Okkotsu successfully copied Kugisaki's Straw Doll Technique and went to the finger's sealing chamber to stand by.

The moment he saw cracks appear in the barrier of Higuruma's domain, Shiratori Gotsu shouted:

"It's time. Start hammering!"

Upon receiving the order, Okkotsu and Kugisaki's grandmother immediately picked up their hammers and nails.

From two directions, they hammered down hard on Sukuna's Finger, to which a straw doll had already been attached!

"Straw Doll Technique: Resonance!"

"Straw Doll Technique: Resonance!"

The next moment, the barrier of Deadly Sentencing shattered.

At the same time, the shock to Sukuna's soul took the form of black spikes that pierced his chest from within.

Sukuna's eyes immediately rolled back, and the hands that had remained locked in a sign to maintain his domain's output came apart involuntarily.

That's that woman's...!

Nobara Kugisaki's face sprang unbidden to Sukuna's mind.

But wasn't that woman dead...?

Just then, another face suddenly forced its way into Sukuna's field of vision, flashing him a sly, nasty grin.

All four eyes on Sukuna's face widened at once.

He would never forget that face...

It was the Culling Game ghost Sukuna had personally laid to rest. Now, with Hollow Wicker Basket wrapped around him, he had used Ui Ui's technique to return to the battlefield...

"Shiratori... Gotsu!"

Sukuna roared.

"You don't have to shout so loud, I can hear you just fine! Ryomen Sukuna!"

Shiratori Gotsu laughed in response.

In his hand was the blunt-bladed Cursed Tool Kento Nanami had used throughout his life. Prolonged exposure to Nanami's Cursed Energy had engraved the Ratio Technique into it.

Shiratori poured nearly seventy percent of his Cursed Energy into it and slashed fiercely at Sukuna's side!

"Too slow!" Sukuna immediately gathered his Cursed Energy, reaching for Shiratori Gotsu's arm and neck with two hands.

"All the muscles in your body, spasm!" Okkotsu's Cursed Speech exploded in Sukuna's ears through the walkie-talkie clipped to Shiratori Gotsu's chest!

Sukuna's body stiffened, then began convulsing on the spot as if he were having a stroke.

The next moment, the black spikes of Straw Doll Technique: Resonance once again burst through Sukuna's chest.

"Sukuna, take this!"

Shiratori Gotsu's attack came crashing down. The technique on the Cursed Tool activated the instant it touched Sukuna's body, and black lightning exploded at the same moment!

"Black Flash!"

Shiratori Gotsu unleashed the full force of his Special Grade Cursed Energy output, combined with a critical strike from the Ratio Technique's weak-point attack and the amplification of a Black Flash triggered by chance-

Blood sprayed across the ground. With his waist nearly half severed, Sukuna felt all his internal organs trembling.

Under that blow, Malevolent Shrine's output weakened to the point where it could barely inflict more than superficial wounds.

The moment Shiratori Gotsu landed the Black Flash, everything around him seemed to slow down.

The whole world became comfortable.

Every flow of Cursed Energy was perfectly smooth, as silky as Dove chocolate.

So this is...

He raised the Cursed Tool again and slashed down at Sukuna's right arm-

The core of Cursed Energy!

"Black Flash!"

Sukuna's arm crashed to the ground amid black lightning, and the shrine of Malevolent Shrine...

Exploded once again!

"Everyone, get in there! Beat him up!" Shiratori Gotsu shouted.

"Got it!"

First to arrive was Maki's Soul Liberation Blade, which pierced Sukuna's heart.

Then came Ryu Ishigori, who had been waiting on the outskirts:

"Granite Blast!"

Immediately afterward, Itadori's fist, charged full of Cursed Energy, smashed into Sukuna's face:

"Fushiguro! Wake up!"

Time returned once more to the pre-battle meeting.

The group's discussion had already turned to separating Sukuna from Megumi Fushiguro.

Holding Yuki Tsukumo's notebook, Itadori pointed to a passage and explained to everyone:

"According to Ms. Tsukumo's notes, souls may mix to some extent, but apparently they don't completely merge into one."

"Aren't Yuji and Sukuna a special case?" Choso, an Incarnated Vessel himself, raised a question. "I can't sense the human soul that originally belonged to this body at all."

"It's written on the next page."

Itadori turned the page:

"If the gap in Cursed Energy between a Cursed Object and its vessel is too large, this can happen too."

"But even then, the soul has basically just sunk to the bottom, rather than disappearing or merging with the other one."

"Wait, 'basically'?"

Hana Kurusu raised her hand. "What if Megumi is a special case?"

Itadori touched his face.

"I just casually added 'basically' myself..."

"There was once a Cursed Spirit called Mahito. His technique could forcibly merge other people's souls together and turn people into other creatures."

"As long as a technique like that isn't involved, two souls shouldn't merge together... probably."

"With all these complications, why don't we just forget about Megumi Fushiguro?"

Hajime Kashimo, who had barely spoken up to that point, suddenly chimed in.

"I also think we can forget about Megumi Fushiguro."

Shiratori Gotsu immediately joined in on the attack.

"Absolutely not!" Itadori and Hana Kurusu retorted in unison.

"Anyway, I believe what's in these notes."

Itadori looked serious.

"So, basically, we use damage to the soul to lower Sukuna's synchronization rate with Megumi Fushiguro's body."

"That way, Angel's technique, Jacob's Ladder, can eliminate Sukuna without harming Megumi Fushiguro, right?"

Not wanting to waste any more words, Shiratori Gotsu, who had read the original story, summed it up plainly.

"That's right. Do you have any plans for that, Shiratori?"

Itadori looked at Shiratori Gotsu.

"If I remember right, Nobara Kugisaki's technique is the Straw Doll Technique."

"And didn't you hide a Sukuna's Finger somewhere, teach?"

Shiratori Gotsu looked at Satoru Gojo.

"How did you know?" Satoru Gojo looked somewhat puzzled.

"Anyone could guess that. Gathering all the fingers would mean Yuji Itadori had to be executed. And knowing you, teach, there's no way you'd let that happen."

"So you must have hidden one finger to make sure the execution could never happen. Am I right?"

Hearing this, Satoru Gojo raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know me so well? We haven't really had any contact before, have we?"

"I'm a fan. I've been secretly following you all along."

Shiratori Gotsu made it up on the spot without batting an eye.

After all, he couldn't exactly say he knew from reading the original manga.

"I see. Looks like everyone really does love me!"

Satoru Gojo beamed.

"Come on, if you want an autograph, I can sign one for you right now!"

"Ah, really? I'm so touched! Please sign my face, teach! Then I'll never wash it again for the rest of my life!"

Shiratori Gotsu struck a rather exaggerated pose.

Everyone fell silent.

"No wonder you have such an unreliable personality," Shoko remarked. "You're a fan of Satoru's. That explains it."

"That explains it."

Hakari repeated.

"That explains it."

Kirara repeated after him.

"Ahem, let's get back to the Straw Doll Technique."

Seeing the conversation veer off course, Shiratori Gotsu immediately spoke up to get it back on track:

"Doesn't the Straw Doll Technique have a move called Resonance?"

"According to what I found in the records, Straw Doll Technique: Resonance uses the connection between body parts to attack the soul directly."

"In other words, if we use Resonance on that Sukuna's Finger you hid, teach, we can also affect the synchronization rate between Sukuna's soul and Megumi Fushiguro's body, right?"

Hearing this, Itadori's face clouded with sorrow.

"But, Shiratori... you know that Kugisaki is in a deep coma right now because of her brain injury..."

"I'm afraid..."

"It's fine. We only need the technique."

Shiratori Gotsu said without hesitation, "Let Rika eat Kugisaki's appendix, pinky, and ring finger to copy the Straw Doll Technique."

"But... don't we need Kugisaki's consent for that...?"

Okkotsu hesitated.

Shiratori Gotsu waved a hand.

"Exceptional times call for exceptional measures. Let's use it first, then have Ryu Ishigori fix her up with Frosting Blast afterward."

"Also, does Kugisaki have any relatives or anyone else with the same technique? We can just bring them over."

"She does," Satoru Gojo said, rocking his chair back and forth. "As far as I know, Kugisaki's grandmother is a veteran Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. She also has the Straw Doll Technique."

"Then let's ask the old lady to come help."

"Sure, I'll have old man Gakuganji arrange it in a bit."

Satoru Gojo readily agreed.

With all the weakening effects stacked together, Sukuna's synchronization rate with Megumi Fushiguro's body had fallen to an extremely low level.

As a result, Itadori's soul-shaking fist had successfully reached Megumi Fushiguro's soul world.

It worked!

Itadori rejoiced inwardly.

But when he saw Megumi Fushiguro curled up on his hands and knees before him, he couldn't help freezing.

"Forget it... Don't worry about me anymore. None of it matters now..."

Megumi Fushiguro's soul had lost the will to live after Sukuna used his body to kill Yorozu, who had taken over Tsumiki Fushiguro.

It had sunk completely into the abyss.

"Don't worry about me... Just kill me and Sukuna together..."

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Itadori from head to toe, instantly cooling the joy in his heart...

"What the hell are you so depressed about?!"

Just as the atmosphere froze, Shiratori Gotsu's voice suddenly rang out in the soul space.