Chapter 249: Hayashizaki’s Gift, Yukino’s Trump Card
The others followed Ryoumen Sukuna's gaze toward the sky, but all they could see was a tiny black dot floating among the clouds.
Only Sukuna could clearly make out the black-haired girl standing firmly on Nue's back, her expression calm and determined.
"Oh?"
He noticed her movements and raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement appearing on his face.
Suddenly, the temperature around them began to rise. The clouds in the distance turned a fiery orange, as if the entire sky had been set ablaze. Flames licked at the clouds, and the heavens themselves seemed on the verge of collapse. It was as if a second sun had risen overhead, shining so brightly that it was impossible to look directly at it.
The bright firelight illuminated her cold and elegant face. Flames ignited in her delicate hands as Yukinoshita Yukino took the stance of drawing a bow. The fire flowed like liquid, shaping itself into the form of a bow between her hands.
The flames gathered into a single arrow, resting on a bowstring made of fire. Her long, silky black hair whipped wildly in the scorching winds.
Her deep blue eyes, reflecting the fire dancing in her hands, locked onto Ryoumen Sukuna below with unwavering focus.
Even Uraume Hayato, with sharp eyesight, could see the drastic change in the sky.
She widened her eyes slightly, her usually cold face filled with disbelief.
"That… that's Lord Sukuna's…"
"Yeah. My technique. And that's not all."
A smirk tugged at the corner of Ryoumen Sukuna's lips. His interest in Hayashizaki and Yukinoshita Yukino had only grown stronger.
Not only had they mastered his technique, but they had also grasped Fushiguro Megumi's Ten Shadows Technique—using both abilities at the same time.
Was it because of a unique ability they possessed?
Ryoumen Sukuna's thoughts drifted back to his first encounter with Hayashizaki.
Inside an incomplete domain created by a cursed womb that had swallowed one of his fingers, a mysterious golden light—completely devoid of cursed energy—descended and formed into a golden cocoon. From that cocoon emerged a strikingly handsome black-haired young man, who proceeded to beat him senseless.
And then there was the time that foolish cursed spirit, Mahito, dragged everyone into his domain. The bizarre phenomenon that unfolded inside…
That was definitely a power beyond cursed energy.
The heat from above intensified. Ryoumen Sukuna's grin widened with excitement.
"Seriously… sorcerers never fail to surprise me."
The rising energy reached its peak. Yukinoshita Yukino let go of the arrow.
The flaming projectile tore through the air, streaking across the sky like a red comet, trailing fire as it shot toward Ryoumen Sukuna and Uraume with unstoppable force.
The scorching heat ignited the surrounding vegetation, and the ice that had sealed off the battlefield began melting at an alarming rate.
"This is my technique," Sukuna said, vanishing from the spot with Uraume.
The fire arrow struck the ground. The instant it made contact, the concentrated flames exploded outward in a massive blast, sending waves of heat rippling in all directions.
Blinding red light consumed everything in sight.
From above, one could see an enormous mushroom cloud rising from the heart of the Jujutsu High grounds, billowing high into the sky.
Crackle.
After a long time, the dust and smoke finally settled, revealing the devastated landscape.
A vast section of the forest had been reduced to ash, with burning embers scattered across the scorched earth. A massive crater had been blasted into the ground where the fire arrow had landed, and the remaining flames continued to smolder on the nearby trees and soil.
Even the surrounding buildings had suffered damage. The shockwave and explosion had torn through them, and any curses lurking nearby had been completely obliterated—leaving no trace of their existence.
Amidst the destruction, Ryoumen Sukuna reappeared.
One hand rested in his pocket, while the other lowered the white-haired girl he had been carrying. His four crimson eyes gleamed with unshaken confidence, as if everything had played out exactly as he had expected.
"Trying to take me down with my own technique? That's a bit naive. And the power behind it… it's lacking. You don't have enough cursed energy, do you?"
Sukuna paused, then suddenly gave a rare bit of praise.
"Well… but I doubt you were planning to end the fight with that attack, anyway."
He had intended to take both Uraume and Fushiguro Megumi with him. But before he could act, a fleeting shadow had whisked Megumi away.
On the other side of the massive crater left by the explosion, Yukinoshita Yukino had also reappeared.
Standing beside her were two massive, imposing wolves—one black, one white.
The two Divine Dogs lowered their heads and gently placed the person they had been carrying onto the ground.
"Yukinoshita-senpai..." Kugisaki Nobara's eyes widened as she took in the aftermath of a single strike from the black-haired girl before her. "Isn't that a bit too strong?"
Even though she had successfully saved everyone, Yukinoshita Yukino's beautiful face remained serious. She asked, "Can you still move?"
"Of course!" Kugisaki Nobara stretched her body, then raised her arms in a bodybuilder pose.
"I-I can too..." Yoshino Junpei followed up. Since he had been frozen for the shortest time, he was the least affected.
"Ah, I should be fine," Fushiguro Megumi said as he struggled to his feet, but his expression remained tense. He glanced at the nearby figures of Nanami Kento and Ino Takuma, both covered in blood. "But Nanami-san and Ino-senpai..."
"You guys take Nanami-san and Ino-senpai out of here. Go find Shoko-san and get treated. I'll hold off Ryoumen Sukuna."
"Got it!" The three of them nodded and quickly moved into action.
Fushiguro Megumi forced himself to form a hand sign, summoning Great Serpent to carry the wounded away at top speed.
Meanwhile, Yukinoshita Yukino turned back to face Ryoumen Sukuna, who was still using Itadori Yuji's body.
A massive crater lay between them as they stared each other down.
Sukuna suddenly grinned, looking completely unbothered. "Where did that Hayashizaki guy run off to? Sending his little tag-along to die in his place?"
Yukinoshita Yukino thought for a moment before recalling Hayashizaki's usual tone and replying, "None of your damn business."
"Hah!" His grin widened, his voice lowering. "Killing you should make him suffer for a while, don't you think?"
A memory flashed through her mind—when Sukuna had taken her hostage to threaten Hayashizaki. Her dark eyes sharpened.
"Then go ahead and try."
"Uraume, don't interfere."
As soon as he finished speaking—before the white-haired girl could even respond—Sukuna's figure suddenly vanished. The wind he kicked up sent Uraume's silky white hair fluttering.
The sound of something cutting through the air rang out. Yukinoshita Yukino's pupils shrank, and she swiftly raised her arm to block the incoming punch from her side. She twisted her wrist and grabbed Sukuna's arm, throwing him away.
The pink-haired boy's body flew like a kite with its string cut, crashing through several thick trees in a row.
The next moment, the surrounding tree trunks were sliced cleanly in half. Invisible slashes came flying toward Yukinoshita Yukino.
She extended her fingers and swung them in a sword-like motion, neutralizing the attacks. The force of the clash sent gusts of wind sweeping outward, lifting her long black hair.
The instant their slashes collided, Sukuna had already lunged forward.
The black-haired girl barely had time to raise her arms in defense.
Boom!
Yukinoshita Yukino's body was sent flying like a cannonball. After tumbling several times in midair, she was caught by a passing owl shikigami.
Nue flapped its wings and soared over Sukuna like a bomber jet, unleashing multiple slicing attacks. Deep, smooth cuts appeared on the ground—but Sukuna was nowhere to be seen.
One by one, massive trees were uprooted and hurled like giant arrows toward Yukinoshita Yukino, who rode the owl shikigami in the sky.
She cut through the flying wood, bursting out of the debris just in time to meet Sukuna's fist with her delicate, pale hand.
Boom!
A loud impact shattered the ground beneath Sukuna's feet, causing deep cracks to spread out. His legs sank into the earth, lowering his stance.
Cleave activated!
Blood sprayed from Sukuna's right arm as deep gashes opened across it. Just before his limb could be sliced into pieces, the wounds closed up again, as if time had reversed.
His free left hand snapped forward like a whip, slamming into Yukinoshita Yukino's head and sending her flying.
She flipped gracefully in midair and landed, but the impact left her dizzy, forcing her to stumble back a few steps.
A trickle of blood ran down from her forehead, tracing a line across her pale cheek.
"Tch." Yukinoshita Yukino wiped the blood off her face, clicking her tongue in annoyance.
Back when Hayashizaki was around, only their side could heal injuries using Reverse Cursed Technique, so she didn't think much of it.
But now, she still hadn't mastered it, while the enemy could heal themselves just fine. That's when she realized how frustrating and unfair it was.
It was disgusting—hitting the enemy over and over, only for them to recover like nothing happened.
"Go on, I can keep fighting for as many rounds as you want—until I get bored." Ryoumen Sukuna didn't rush to attack. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and grinned. "But judging by your face, you haven't learned Reverse Cursed Technique yet, have you? If that's the case, you won't last long."
Yukinoshita Yukino straightened her back, let out a sigh, and said nothing.
If possible, she really didn't want to use this. The system, which had been dormant for a long time, once told her it was a gift from Hayashizaki.
But Hayashizaki had given it to her for a reason—so she could protect herself.
"Not attacking? Then I'll come to you."
Seeing Yukinoshita Yukino remain motionless, Ryoumen Sukuna sneered, took a step forward, and shattered the ground beneath him. In the next instant, he shot toward her like an arrow.
Then, he saw her.
The black-haired girl bit her lip, crouched slightly, and pressed her palm against the ground.
Hayashizaki, lend me your strength.
A massive shadow spread out from her palm. From within it, a muscular, marble-white arm—sculpted like a Greek statue—emerged and struck Ryoumen Sukuna, sending him flying.
"What?!" Ryoumen Sukuna's eyes widened in shock.
The hand that had just smashed him into the air now pressed against the ground, revealing the rest of its towering form.
A massive, white-bodied entity stood tall. Its fearsome head bore two pairs of angelic wings, a thick serpent's tail extended from the back of its skull, and above its head, a floating formation spun like the helm of a ship. From its mouth, white mist escaped, filling the air with an overwhelming presence.
Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General: Mahoraga.
Hayashizaki's final trump card—Yukinoshita Yukino's strongest hand.
…
Tokyo Jujutsu High, underground, the Tombs of the Star Corridor.
A massive tree trunk, like something out of a Western fantasy tale, ran through the entire underground space, connecting top and bottom. Around this winding trunk, layers of old, intricate buildings spread outward, forming a maze-like structure.
Thick, twisted ropes made of hemp stretched from the tree trunk to the surrounding buildings. From a bird's-eye view, the entire underground space formed an incredibly complex and mysterious barrier formation.
Kenjaku walked down a stone staircase, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his monk's robe, his pace unhurried. He even had time to admire the eerie, otherworldly scenery around him.
Returning to the Tombs of the Star Corridor felt like coming home.
Soon, he arrived at the base of the giant tree, where its twisting roots formed an archway. He stepped through it into a vast, dome-shaped chamber.
Black symbols were carved into the stone floor, spreading outward in a circular pattern and converging at a single point on the ceiling.
In the center of this formation, floating cross-legged in midair, was a figure with an alien-like appearance.
"What brings you here this time, Kenjaku?"
The being—whose head resembled a giant thumb, with six eyes arranged vertically—spoke. Its aged voice was dry and raspy, like air being squeezed from an old bellows.
"Nothing much, just here to break the barrier that's sealing off Japan," Kenjaku replied with a smile, as if greeting an old friend he hadn't seen in years.
"Not using it?" Tengen asked.
"Ah, that was my original plan. But unfortunately, I never managed to obtain Idle Transfiguration," Kenjaku said regretfully.
"Idle Transfiguration is like a key. Without it, I can't modify the brains of the people I've marked, can't give them Cursed Techniques, or even strengthen their bodies to serve as vessels."
"Which means I can't carry out my experiment to optimize cursed energy." He shrugged helplessly. "So, I scrapped that plan."
"Then, will destroying the barrier that has protected Japan for a thousand years help you continue your experiment?" Tengen asked again.
"No, but at the very least, it will plunge Japan's Jujutsu world into chaos once more," Kenjaku said, his eyes glinting with an unreadable light.
"In the long passage of time, I've come to understand something very important."
"And that is—only chaos can create new possibilities."
…
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