Culling Games XII

{AN: OMG SOLO LEVELING IS BACK!! Chapter out now! Don't read this fanfic and read the manwha!}

--------------------------------

In the emergency room of Jujutsu High, Arai and Yuta looked at Shoko, who had just finished stitching up Angel.

"It seems this is all I can do with reverse cursed energy," Shoko said, glancing at Angel, who was looking at her right arm that was missing. The reverse cursed energy from someone else healing you is much less effective than when you use it on yourself.

"Are you still able to use your technique?" Arai asked.

"I am. Though I am in no condition to participate in combat, this is where my role ends. I will free Gojo Satoru from the Prison Realm as promised."

"Angel, are you able to transfer bodies like Sukuna did?"

"I'm afraid not. You see, the reason why so many sorcerers joined Kenjaku in this game was that they did not know how to incarnate. Only Sukuna managed to discover how after dying, only he managed to discover how to turn into a cursed item by himself."

"Releasing Gojo is good enough. With him on our side, things should be more even. Take your time to heal," Arai said as he and Yuta left the room. In his hands was the back of the Prison Realm, the final gift from Tengen before he was supposedly absorbed by Kenjaku.

Though they couldn't get a hold of the front of the Prison Realm, the back was in their hands. Using Angel's technique to cancel all techniques, they would be able to release the seal on Gojo.

"You all heard the additional rules, didn't you? No more players can be added, meaning that Gojo can't participate in the Culling Games. Also, the last rule means that the game will end when all players die except Sukuna and Kenjaku, meaning that they will aim to kill all of us," Yuta said, concerned.

"That's what Kenjaku did. He made the game, but having such a large-scale event must have required a pact. A pact that required the help of Kogane and the barriers used by Tengen. That's the reason why this guy aimed to kill me in Shibuya, to make sure no one could interfere with the pact. Because the moment I do, I'll be able to mess his plans up."

They arrived in a room where everyone was getting ready.

There, Arai walked up to Malenia, who was with Itadori and Choso.

"Isao, I heard from Shoko that you're back in the flesh. Though different from the usual one," Malenia said. Both her brothers looked back at Arai.

"I incarnated like the old sorcerers have, but instead of what Kenjaku did for other sorcerers, I used my innate technique," Arai said, then turned to look at Itadori, who bowed his head to him. He was about to open his mouth, but Isao stopped him.

"Don't apologize, Itadori."

Itadori, who still had his head low, refused. "I will. Because of me, you and everyone in Shibuya had to suffer. You died because of me and your dau—"

"Like I said, that was Sukuna, not you. Just like how he'll pay for taking over your friend's body, he'll do the same for taking my daughter's life. So instead of talking about our feelings, let's talk about how we'll kill him."

Their conversation could have continued due to Itadori's guilt, but Choso stopped him and shook his head, gesturing for him to stop as it would only worsen the situation. Everyone in the room could tell that Arai was angry but held it in. Unleashing it here would do nothing.

No, he would hold it in until he came face to face with Sukuna.

"Our first step is releasing Gojo Satoru from the Prison Realm. With his personality, he'll face Sukuna by himself when released, so our preparations need to come after their fight."

"How are you so sure of that?" Angel walked into the room with Shoko's help. "Gojo's been sealed in the Prison Realm where time doesn't flow. Therefore, what is trapped inside will never die of old age or starvation. Only by killing themselves would the seal break, so the time Gojo Satoru has experienced inside can range from seconds to millennia. His mental state after that may very well be broken, and by your words, if that man is the strongest, then undoing the seal may result in our demise."

Everyone became nervous at the sound of that. An evil Gojo is not what they need right now.

Itadori imagined an evil Gojo throwing orbs of Red at a city while laughing evilly. "That does sound dangerous."

At Saitama Prefecture's Kiroko Mines, the 4th Jujutsu High training ground, Takaba placed down the Prison Realm on the ground and ran to take cover. Everyone got ready and took cover behind clay walls, except for Arai, who floated with a slab of clay, and Angel, who wielded her trumpet with her one arm.

Arai's gaze fixed directly on the box that trapped Gojo. He knew that everyone worked hard to get this box and free him, and even he had to praise their efforts and planning, especially Okkotsu Yuta, who made quick work of multiple powerful sorcerers and wiped out the higher-ups.

'It's time you wake up, Gojo.'

Angel took a deep breath before exhaling.

"Salmon!" Inumaki shouted into the megaphone, giving the go-ahead for Angel.

[Jacob's Ladder!]

The beam of light landed directly on the cube, creating a storm of dust around everyone.

Arai watched with anticipation as the dust cleared.

"Sensei!"

"It's safe now, right?!"

Everyone came running to the Prison Realm but found nothing. It was nowhere to be found, nor was its supposed prisoner.

While everyone was trying to figure out where Gojo was, Arai frowned. He felt it, his danger sense had warned him for a split second. It wasn't warning him of Angel's technique, but something else.

Someone else.

A familiar sensation.

Just then, a rumbling sound occurred around everyone. The ground they stood on shook.

"An earthquake?!"

Japan, as an island country, was no stranger to earthquakes, but one that happened right after releasing Gojo was no coincidence.

And everyone realized this.

Arai smirked, looking at the rising sun.

"Welcome back, you bastard."