JJK: Chapter 60

Title: Plans

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“Sukuna, if I die, you’ll die too! If you don’t want to die, help me!”

“I refuse."

Inside his mental domain, Sukuna watched the scene unfold with great interest. Upon hearing Yuji Itadori’s desperate plea, his grin stretched unnaturally wide, his eyes brimming with pure malice.

“Just two fragments of a soul—did you get something wrong? Of course, if you’d like to trade places, that’s an option too. But once I’m out, the first thing I’ll do is kill Fushiguro. Then that woman… Oh, your expression when that happens will be priceless! Hahaha!”

Without Sukuna’s help, as he had said, there was indeed a real possibility that Fushiguro Megumi and Nobara Kugisaki—likely still not far from here—could be killed. Yuji had to stall for time!

Despite these thoughts racing through his mind, Yuji had no way to defend himself from the incoming attack. In the next instant, the cursed spirit—moving at a speed he could barely comprehend—sent him flying with a single punch. Yuji crashed through a wall and landed in a more expansive area. If this newly-born cursed spirit weren’t toying with him for amusement, Yuji would likely already be dead.

"You have to help others," his grandfather’s words echoed in his mind.

The cursed spirit, like a gleeful child, clasped its hands together. Terrifying cursed energy began to gather between its palms. As the attack neared, Yuji’s mind flashed back to his grandfather’s dying words.

'But… this feeling... It hurts so much! Am I going to die here? If I die here, will it be the right kind of death? If only I hadn’t eaten that finger… No! I can’t think like this!'

'But... I don’t want to die!'

The words of Principal Yaga from his enrollment, his grandfather’s parting advice, and countless faces—Fushiguro, Kugisaki, the seniors at school, and that grieving mother—all floated before Yuji’s eyes.

'That old man was right: Jujutsu sorcerers never die without regrets. If that’s the case… then all I want is to say my death had meaning at the end. So I’ll take all this anger, fear, and regret and smash it together!'

Blue cursed energy ignited around Yuji’s injured right fist. With all his remaining strength, he struck at the cursed spirit’s face. Though he successfully summoned cursed energy, the gap in their strength couldn’t be bridged by a burst of resolve or adrenaline.

The cursed spirit easily caught Yuji’s attack, its childlike amusement growing. With a strange sound, it casually swatted Yuji aside, sending him crashing into the ground once more.

As shards of broken concrete flew into the air, Yuji coughed up a mouthful of blood. His incredible physical endurance and the passive defensive properties of Sukuna’s presence in his body were the only reasons he wasn’t already dead—his internal organs shattered beyond repair.

Lying on the ground with blurred vision, Yuji prepared to accept his death. 'At least Fushiguro and Kugisaki might have escaped…'

But then, sunlight suddenly poured through the ceiling above him.

'Light? Oh, the ceiling broke.' he thought numbly.

The cursed spirit, reaching down to grab Yuji, was suddenly struck and hurled to the ground. A shadow blocked the light above, and a voice spoke near Yuji’s ear.

“Not too late, right? How’d you end up tangled in this mission?”

Yuji, who was now being effortlessly lifted off the ground, felt a warm surge coursing through his body. His hazy consciousness sharpened. With regained clarity, he looked up to see none other than his senior, Shin Shuichi.

Shifting his gaze, Yuji noticed the cursed spirit now sprawled on the ground, a gaping wound in its body that was slowly healing.

Descending from above, Shin had pierced the cursed spirit with an arrow upon arrival. Spotting Yuji’s battered form, he confirmed that the injuries were mostly physical and stabilized him using Reverse Cursed Technique. Patting Yuji’s shoulder, Shin reassured him, “Don’t worry. Leave the rest to me.”

The cursed spirit, once playful, was now visibly tense. Its wounds healed completely as it stood, sharp eyes locking onto Shin. An incomprehensible growl escaped its throat.

“Stop barking." Shin said nonchalantly.

Without activating any visible technique, Shin suddenly closed the distance between them. A simple kick sent the cursed spirit flying, crashing through multiple walls and raising a massive cloud of dust.

“So… strong…” Yuji murmured, awestruck. Having just experienced how easily his own attacks had been countered, he could fully grasp the terrifying power behind Shin’s casual strike.

As the dust settled, the cursed spirit emerged. Its sharp claws gleamed with concentrated cursed energy, tearing through the air as it lunged at Shin.

But Yuji’s vision suddenly shifted. The next moment, Shin, who had been standing in front of him, was behind the cursed spirit. The monster’s claws, still reaching forward, no longer had a target.

Appearing at its back, Shin grabbed the cursed spirit by the nape. In what felt like a prolonged moment, Shin slammed it into the ground with enough force to shatter the reinforced concrete, sending it crashing through to the floor below.

Yuji Itadori fell helplessly after being thrown. Just before hitting the ground, a hand caught him mid-air and gently set him down. Not far away lay the twisted form of the cursed spirit.

After placing Yuji on the ground, Shin Shuichi glanced at the cursed spirit with disappointment. Then, with a shift in thought, he found it reasonable—it was, after all, just an ordinary, newly-born special-grade cursed spirit. Judging by its behavior, it likely didn’t even possess much intelligence. The gap between special-grade cursed spirits could sometimes be even greater than that between a special grade and a grade one sorcerer.

Shin stepped on the cursed spirit, driving it several centimeters into the ground, and offered it one final chance. “Can you perform a Domain Expansion? If you can, show me. If not, this is your end.”

The cursed spirit snarled and struggled under his foot, trying to summon cursed energy to break free. Its futile efforts confirmed it had no Domain Expansion. With no value left in his eyes, Shin increased his output of cursed energy. In a crisp explosion, the cursed spirit shattered beneath his foot, breaking apart like brittle bone.

The remnants of the cursed spirit bypassed the natural process of decay. All that remained was a few handfuls of ash, which soon scattered into the air, erasing its final traces.

“Oh? What’s this? A fragment of Sukuna’s finger?”

Shin picked up the quiet, unmoving object lying on the ground. Approaching Yuji, who appeared dazed, Shin assumed it was due to his injuries, particularly his severed hand. Smiling reassuringly, he said, “Don’t worry about this injury. If it’s purely physical, Reverse Cursed Technique can heal it. Let me fix you up—leaving you like this feels odd.”

“Oh, oh! Uh, thank you, senior.”

Yuji looked at his severed hand and the missing fingers on his other hand. Before long, they regrew as if nothing had happened. His astonished face reflected his amazement as his body returned to its unscathed state.

“All done. Mission complete. Let’s head out,” Shin declared.

Yuji hesitated before speaking. “Senior, I want to retrieve the body of a victim and return it to their family. Also… there are two people whose situation I haven’t confirmed yet.”

Shin sighed, then nodded. “If that’s what you want, go ahead. But don’t bother looking for survivors. Aside from you and me, there’s no one alive in this area anymore.”

Yuji paused before nodding solemnly. With the cursed spirit exorcised, the altered field created by its Domain disappeared. The reform school returned to its original state, leaving no further danger.

—-—

“Ah, Jin…”

Seeing the white-clothed corpse, Jin Okazaki’s mother collapsed in grief over the body. Silently, Yuji stood nearby, having carried the victim’s remains outside.

Not far away, Fushiguro Megumi and Kugisaki Nobara approached. Without turning, Yuji muttered, “I don’t want to think about complicated things anymore. I just want to do what I can, even if it’s just a little help for someone else. That’s meaningful, right?”

Megumi said nothing, but Nobara noticed Yuji’s hands. He turned to explain the situation, leaving her stunned as she glanced at Shin, who was conversing with Ijichi.

—-–

Shin addressed Ijichi with a cold tone. “Report the mission details to Gojo-sensei later. If I hadn’t arrived, people here would’ve died, right?

Special-grade-related missions are rare enough; when did the higher-ups become so charitable?”

Ijichi wiped sweat from his brow, feeling the growing pressure of reporting to Gojo Satoru later.

“To waste a precious finger to probe Sukuna’s response… only to fail. Sukuna didn’t even show up. Was this your plan, Geto?”

On a bustling street, several peculiar figures walked openly, unnoticed by the crowd. Speaking was a cursed spirit with a head resembling a volcano. Beside him were two equally monstrous cursed spirits. The man addressed as Geto—the supposedly deceased special-grade sorcerer Suguru Geto—strode confidently ahead.

Entering a restaurant, a server greeted them, asking if he was dining alone. After confirming he was, Geto and the three cursed spirits took their seats as if nothing were amiss.

Jogo’s tone was sharp as he questioned, “Are you sure Sukuna’s revival won’t spiral out of control? Counting Gojo Satoru, whom you always emphasize, are you confident this plan won’t backfire?”

Sitting at the table, Suguru Geto, his forehead marked by stitches, wore a faint smile as he replied casually, “This trial wasn’t fruitless; it helped gauge another player’s threat. I’ve warned you before about that boy—his technique is particularly troublesome. A word of advice: you and your comrades would do well to avoid him. He’ll kill you.”

Small sparks popped from the volcanic orifice atop Jogo’s head as he growled, “If Gojo can only be sealed once, what’s your backup plan to deal with that boy?”

The smile faded from Geto’s face. “No plan is perfect. Life is full of variables, and adjustments must be made. That boy is undoubtedly a problem. Gojo Satoru can be sealed, but the method is singular. To neutralize the boy, we’ll need alternative measures.”

Jogo’s expression darkened as his molten head began to bubble audibly. “Don’t tell me you don’t have a plan for this!”

Geto chuckled. “How could I not? Jogo, as a cursed spirit, aside from the three accompanying you, do you know of any others?”

Jogo cast a glance at Hanami, Dagon, and Mahito, then snorted. “No. My ‘family’ consists of only them. We’ve only existed for a short time. What are you implying?”

A playful smile curved Geto’s lips. “Strictly speaking, curses don’t operate within the traditional framework of life and death. Take Sukuna’s fingers, for example, or other curses capable of reincarnating. Aren’t you curious if there are other ancient curses that have persisted through time?”

Though Jogo didn’t trust Geto entirely, the wealth of knowledge and strategic intelligence the man offered made him a reliable collaborator. As for ancient curses, Jogo wasn’t particularly well-versed in the subject.

“In the jujutsu world, myths are often more than mere stories. Many named monsters and demons throughout history have had a basis in reality. Some were powerful sorcerers or curses, like Ryomen Sukuna. Others left such an impression on human memory that their existence became legend.”

Geto leaned back, his amusement evident. “It’s hard to say whether these curses emerged from legends or if the legends themselves stemmed from curses. The relationship is fascinating, really. Who knows, Jogo—you might leave your own mark in history one day.”

Lava sputtered from Jogo’s head, the restaurant’s air heating noticeably. The manager, puzzled, muttered something about checking the air conditioning.

Geto raised three fingers. “To win this war, three conditions must be met:

1. Use the special-grade cursed object, Prison Realm, to seal Gojo Satoru.

2. Fully revive Sukuna, with particular attention to Yuji Itadori.

3. Reawaken ancient curses to stall that boy, Shin Shuichi, and prevent him from interfering with the first two objectives.”

Hearing Prison Realm mentioned, Jogo’s mood shifted dramatically. “Prison Realm? That forbidden artifact is in your possession? Ha!”

The restaurant’s temperature spiked dangerously, sweat pouring from the staff and customers alike. Jogo’s laughter intensified, filling the air with an oppressive heat.

Geto waved a hand dismissively. “Calm down. You’ll overheat the place. Don’t cause unnecessary trouble.”

With a cruel smile, Jogo raised a glowing finger, his cursed energy flickering like flames. “How about this?”

In an instant, the restaurant’s manager, who had approached their table, burst into flames, becoming a human torch. The same fate befell a nearby server, followed by the remaining patrons. Within moments, the entire establishment had turned into a scene of charred remains, leaving only Geto and the three curses untouched.

“How many of Sukuna’s fingers worth of power do I wield?” Jogo asked.

Geto thought for a moment before answering. “Roughly eight or nine.”

A jagged grin spread across Jogo’s face. “Good! Hand over Prison Realm, and I’ll kill Gojo Satoru—or that boy—for you!”