Chapter 137 ⟴ The Hand of Prometheus

'So it was true! I must have been marked during the fight at Nakano Hospital. To think it could teleport directly to my side, ignoring all distance!' Suguru's body stiffened, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

The Spatial Transference Technique's sheer absurdity made him break into a cold sweat. It could instantly teleport to any position around him, defying space itself. Such bizarre speed and unpredictable positioning posed a lethal threat.

Miguel and the Hasaba sisters — Nanako and Mimiko — from the Star Religious Group remained silent. The livestreamed massacre of Kyoto's Jujutsu Community had haunted their sleepless nights. They feared Daiki might suddenly turn on them and destroy the Star Religious Group completely.

None had even noticed when he took the ancient stone tablet.

『Host has collected the Prometheus' Grimoire!』

『Reward: Authority — Hand of Prometheus!』

A cold mechanical voice echoed in his ears as information about the authority flooded his mind.

Like the Prometheus' Grimoire itself, the Hand of Prometheus could steal abilities through touch — whether Innate Jujutsu Techniques or Campione Authorities. With it, Daiki could reduce his victims to ordinary humans.

Better still, the Authority wasn't limited to his physical hands. It extended to his unobservable Ghost Hand, allowing it to harvest abilities from anything its phantom touch reached.

'The Immortal Basilisk Constitution, the Seven Nails of Damnation, the unobservable Ghost Hands, and now the theft-master Hand of Prometheus.' A subtle curve formed at Daiki's lips.

Let Hell's Primal Devils come — even if the Heretic Gods and Campiones returned, he could suppress them all with these powers.

An eerie silence fell over the Star Shrine grounds.

Sweat drenched Suguru's hair as dread crept into his heart. He dared not look back, knowing the horror that waited there. He could sense Daiki's murderous intent, ready to strike at any moment.

"You know, Suguru." Daiki's voice carried a hint of nostalgia, "I've always admired your dedication to our kind. Your passion for protecting Sorcerers... it's almost poetic."

"Don't mock me." Suguru growled, his voice trembling with rage.

"Mock you? No, I'm quite serious." Daiki's footsteps echoed softly, "You were meant to be the catalyst for change in the Jujutsu World. Such potential... such conviction. It would be disrespectful to simply let you fade away without proper acknowledgment."

"Then why...?" Suguru's question hung in the air.

"Because evolution demands sacrifice." Daiki's tone hardened, "The old order must fall for the new to rise. Your role in this story is coming to an end, but I'll ensure your power serves a greater purpose."

Suguru's nerves were so taut he didn't dare swallow, fearing he'd miss the crucial moment to act.

Four thousand Cursed Spirits under his control stood ready to strike, while his honed muscles remained coiled, prepared to dodge any attack.

"Are you ready?"

What infuriated him most was Daiki's dismissive attitude — not only holding back from striking first but even announcing his attack.

Anger flashed in Suguru's eyes.

Satoru Gojō at Jujutsu High had survived — the Jujutsu World's doctors had pieced him back together. But without his Six Eyes, he could no longer claim the title of Strongest in the Jujutsu World.

The Gojō Family's hereditary Limitless Technique demanded extraordinarily precise Cursed Energy control — a precision only possible with the Six Eyes.

Any Sorcerer from that clan hoping to use Limitless faced two insurmountable conditions.

First was inheriting the Innate Technique itself, though this was useless without the second condition: possessing the Six Eyes, the Jujutsu Trait to control it. Throughout generations, only those rare Gojō clan members born with both traits could wield their family's power.

Without his Six Eyes, Satoru could no longer claim his position as the strongest.

Though they stood on opposite sides, Suguru's feelings for his high school friend remained unchanged, and this thought fueled his rage.

As Daiki prepared to strike, Suguru's fury — both old and new — exploded. His muscles coiled and he launched himself upward.

۞ Cursed Spirit Manipulation! ۞

His sleeves billowed as Cursed Spirits erupted like a tidal wave, while he simultaneously aimed a devastating kick at Daiki's neck.

Boom!

The massive energy burst forced Nanako and the others to shield their eyes. Even Miguel's sunglasses couldn't pierce the dust cloud that followed.

None could see the battle within the haze, but they noticed how Suguru's wave of Cursed Spirits had suddenly, inexplicably stopped.

A familiar sensation of combat made Suguru's heart freeze.

His face twisted as he spat out the words: "Limitless technique!"

۞ Innate Technique ⟴ Neutral Limitless: Infinity! ۞

"Oh my, what a nostalgic technique. Did you recognize it? Your dear friend's power now serves me. Ironic, isn't it?" Daiki's voice dripped with mockery as he watched Suguru's face contort with rage.

When the dust cleared, Miguel and the others watched in horror as their master's kick hung suspended, unable to reach Daiki's body. Between them stretched an invisible barrier, imperceptible to ordinary eyes.

It was unmistakably the Limitless technique of the once-strongest Satoru Gojō!

Suguru stared, disbelieving.

Though he knew of Daiki's ability to possess others' Techniques, witnessing his friend's power being wielded against him struck him to his core.

"You know what they say about power, Suguru? It's meant to be shared. Allow me to demonstrate."

۞ Hand of Prometheus — Theft! ۞

Squelch!

The unobservable Ghost Hand materialized without warning.

A phantom giant hand pierced through Suguru's chest from behind, extracting the renowned Cursed Spirit Manipulation from within him.

The Ghost Hand drew the luminous essence of Cursed Spirit Manipulation into its palm.

Suguru collapsed, horrified. His Innate Technique — which should have been eternally branded on his brain and soul — had vanished completely!

'...This will destroy the entire Jujutsu World!'

This casual theft of Sorcerers' Innate Techniques reminded him instantly of Tengen, the possessor of the Immortality Technique.

When Daiki's greed fully awakens, it would spell doom for the Jujutsu World. The entire world would become his eternal garden!

Miguel stood paralyzed, utterly stunned.

For someone of Suguru's caliber to fall in an instant — was this new Jujutsu Inspector General truly so formidable?

Since the Ghost Hand had stolen the ability, it merged completely with Daiki's body upon reaching his palm, failing to meet Collection criteria.

{T/N: This means he absorbed the Technique as it is, including its flaws and possibly without the complete mastery that the System could provide.}

'It seems I can't use the Hand of Prometheus on Tengen.' As Daiki reflected, he couldn't hide his desire for the Immortality technique.

Stealing Getō's Innate Technique had taught him a lesson: when encountering valuable abilities in the future, he should take them directly — subterfuge was unnecessary.

With Cursed Spirit Manipulation gone, the four thousand Cursed Spirits within Suguru began to rampage. The spectacular chaos threatened to tear him apart.

{T/N: All the Cursed Spirits was still inside him, not inside the "Technique".}

"Inspector General, please stop! Please, save Mr. Suguru!" Nanako and Mimiko cried out in despair.

The sisters had come from a remote village where ignorant villagers had imprisoned them for being Sorcerers — the very incident that had sparked Suguru's defection. No one could remain unmoved watching their savior face death.

The two girls fell to their knees before Daiki. Miguel joined them in desperate supplication, hoping for mercy.

Though Suguru had issues with ordinary people, he harbored no ill will toward Sorcerers — especially in the Star Religious Group, where everyone treated each other like family.

Daiki lifted the Hasaba sisters' smooth, jade-like chins. Their tear-stained faces looked pitiful, like abandoned kittens.

"Inspector General, no matter what happens in the future, we are your people." The sisters pleaded, trying their best to appear earnest.

Having witnessed the Kyoto Jujutsu massacre footage, they made no demands — only gazing at him with desperate eyes.

"Then prove your sincerity from now on." Daiki said, releasing their chins. Even without their pleas, he needed to locate one particular Special Cursed Spirit among the four thousand.

It was the interdimensional Special Cursed Spirit that had once been Tōji Fushiguro's Cursed Tool Arsenal before Suguru subdued it.

Daiki raised his fingertip, and bizarre vortexes erupted forth, drawing in the four thousand Cursed Spirits who could barely resist. According to Cursed Spirit Manipulation's calculations, when the level difference exceeds two Grades, the taming process becomes unnecessary — acquisition is unconditional.

The gap between Daiki and these Cursed Spirits far exceeded two Grades.

『Detected host collecting Special Grade Cursed Spirit — Inventory Curse!』

『Reward: Space Storage!』

Beyond the Inventory Curse meeting collection criteria, Daiki was shocked to discover that all other Cursed Spirits failed to meet the Collection Space's standards.

This included even a Special Grade Cursed Spirit that Suguru had prized.

۞ Hand of Prometheus — Theft! ۞

'What worthless trash. No wonder he was defeated. A Special Grade Cursed Spirit incarnating as Tamamo-no-Mae that can't even deploy a Domain?'

Daiki used the Hand of Prometheus Authority repeatedly, but only managed to extract Cursed Energy that barely exceeded ordinary Special Grade Cursed Spirits — a result that made him frown.

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