Everyone has called me a genius since the day I enrolled.
The bloodline of the Zenin clan. The inheritor of the Ten Shadows Technique. The only one in centuries possessing a cursed technique capable of rivaling the Six Eyes.
And my teacher is the head of the Gojo clan—the strongest modern jujutsu sorcerer.
Upon enrolling, I was evaluated as a Grade 2 sorcerer, capable of undertaking missions independently, and praised by everyone as having limitless potential.
These labels attached to me once made me feel an illusory sense of satisfaction, as if I truly were a genius—making me feel that perhaps I really did have some talent. Although not overwhelmingly strong, at least not bad.
Until I met him. Yuji Itadori.
His dazzling light completely enveloped me. His kind character—just like my sister Tsumiki's—and his talent rivaling Gojo-sensei's. There was a reason everyone revolved around him.
A true genius would always say, "Leave everything to me," and then solve all the problems alone.
Just like what Itadori had always been doing. And as for Megumi Fushiguro himself—at such a critical juncture, he couldn't even create an opportunity for Yuji, and he was struggling immensely just to stall a clone of that curse.
He couldn't protect the comrades behind him.
"..."
The residual cursed energy in his body was pitifully low. It would be best to do something before it was completely exhausted and he became useless.
Although Choso and Nanami-san hadn't lost consciousness, they had both suffered varying degrees of injuries. Even if they could still fight, there was no need to let them continue.
Megumi slowly raised his hands, forming a hand sign he had practiced countless times in his mind.
I've never been any kind of genius. I've just had better luck.
Even so, there are things someone like me can do.
"Furube, Yurayura—" (With this treasure, I summon—)
The shadow beneath Megumi's feet began to expand. Centered around his knees, the pitch-black shadow spread outward into an irregular circle, and surging cursed energy rose from his body.
"...?"
The oppressive feeling created by the cursed energy was almost tangible. The clone cursed spirit—already extremely sensitive to cursed energy—noticed Megumi's actions and instinctively retreated a few steps.
And Sukuna—who was standing on the roof of the school building with his hands in his pockets, watching the battle out of sheer boredom—also sensed this cursed energy.
Cursed energy originating from Mahoraga.
"Eight-Handled Sword, Divergent Sila..."
"Hey brat, what are you doing?"
Megumi looked up in surprise. Although he knew Sukuna had been watching them from high up, he didn't expect Sukuna to intervene.
"Sukuna, are you going to get in my way too?"
Megumi's face was already covered in cold sweat, the sweat sliding down his cheeks to the ground.
"Who cares about you? I'm asking what you are doing. What's the deal with this shikigami?"
Sukuna rolled his eyes at Megumi.
He previously thought Megumi was just a simple weakling, but after sensing Mahoraga's cursed energy, Sukuna became somewhat curious.
...I see. It's a subjugation ritual, right?
A technique to summon the strongest shikigami he couldn't defeat, forcefully dragging the opponent down with him in mutual destruction.
To possess such formidable cursed energy, this kid's cursed technique must be no ordinary thing.
"...We can't let the casualties increase any further."
Megumi panted heavily.
"Choso-san and Nanami-san can no longer fight. Yoshino's cursed energy is completely depleted. And Itadori is trapped in the dream and can't get out—who knows for how long."
"If no one steps up now, everyone will die."
"So you step up yourself?" Sukuna chuckled softly. "Sacrificing your own life?"
"My life isn't worth much to begin with. If I can trade my life for everyone else's survival, it's a worthwhile exchange."
Megumi's eyes were resolute. He opened his mouth, wanting to continue the incantation—
"Is that so? What a waste of talent."
Although he recognized the talent in Megumi's cursed technique.
Sukuna still couldn't muster any interest in Megumi. This kid's personality was simply too boring.
"If you don't value your own life, that's your own business and has nothing to do with me."
However, for Yuji's sake.
He would give Megumi a few pointers.
"But that idiot kid, Yuji Itadori, truly considers you a friend."
"If you die, he'll probably be very disappointed."
"..."
Megumi knelt in place, his expression going blank.
After a moment, although his fingers still maintained Mahoraga's hand sign, that dangerous cursed energy was no longer gathering.
Four hours before the group began this mission.
Inside a training ground at Jujutsu High.
"Hah—Hah—Hah—"
Megumi rested his hands on his knees, beads of sweat dripping from the tip of his nose onto the dojo floor. The young man was covered in cuts and bruises. In front of him was a four-eyed, four-legged deer shikigami, lying in a pool of blood with a cursed tool piercing its head.
"Finally..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Megumi pitched forward. The sea urchin-haired boy fell to one knee. Just then, a warm hand patted his shoulder.
Megumi turned his head. "Itadori? I..."
"Don't move. You'll be fine soon."
Yuji crouched beside Megumi. The white glow symbolizing the Reverse Cursed Technique covered Megumi's shoulder, quickly repairing the wounds he had just sustained one by one.
"Although the subjugation ritual will be interrupted if a second person participates, if I just stay on the side and heal you whenever you get injured—like now—it doesn't violate the rules. We just exploited a loophole in the subjugation ritual."
During Megumi's process of subjugating the shikigami earlier, Yuji had been looking for opportunities to heal him. Finally, after dragging it out for a whole hour, Megumi successfully subjugated a new shikigami.
"...Yeah."
Megumi nodded.
Seeing that Megumi's wounds were mostly healed, Yuji stood up, took an unopened bottle of sports drink from his backpack nearby, and handed it to Megumi.
"But speaking of which, why are you so hardworking today? You just came back from outside and immediately sought out Gojo-sensei for special training, and you were so proactive about subjugating a new shikigami."
Megumi took the drink, looking out the dojo window at the tranquil night view, and was silent for a moment.
"After the exchange event, I thought a lot. Or rather, since I met you, I've always felt this way."
"I feel that I am simply too weak—unable to even help the comrades around me. I don't want to continue like this."
"Itadori, I want to become stronger."
Megumi looked at Yuji earnestly.
The latter, in response, smiled gently.
"Sure. Then let's get stronger together."
"I've always believed this. Everyone says I'm a genius, but the number of people my hands can save is ultimately limited."
"But with you, Maki, Inumaki, and the others—once you all become stronger, we'll be able to save even more people."
Yuji extended his hand toward Megumi. "It's a promise."
"...Yeah. It's a promise."
Megumi grasped Yuji's hand.
Back to the present.
Just as Megumi was hesitating, a hand pressed onto his shoulder.
Megumi looked up and found that it was Kento Nanami, who was wiping away a nosebleed. The man's clothes had been mostly destroyed by the curse's stomach acid. His glasses were nowhere to be found. His face bore bruises.
"Fushiguro, how is your condition?"
But Kento Nanami's voice was still steady, as if the wounds on his body didn't exist at all.
"Can you still stand up?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Megumi wiped the sweat from his face.
"Good."
Kento Nanami didn't ask further—just pulling him up from the ground.
Right at this moment, the sound of tumbling rubble came from not far away. Megumi turned his head and saw Choso walking out from a hole in the school building's wall. The hem of his white kimono had been ripped open by rebar, revealing a wound on his side that had turned dark purple.
Holding his abdomen, he slowly walked over to the two of them.
"My Piercing Blood just now did cause effective damage to it. This guy is a Special Grade curse with a physical body."
"Although this means it cannot be harmed by the Reverse Cursed Technique, it also proves that this curse's physical body cannot be easily healed by cursed energy like ordinary curses."
"Fatal wounds in the eyes of ordinary people are also effective against it. As long as its head is blown off, this guy will highly likely die."
Choso analyzed the weakness of this clone for the two of them.
"But among us..."
Before Megumi could finish speaking, Choso raised a hand to interrupt him.
"I hope you two can cooperate with me. If I can unleash a 100% power Piercing Blood fully charged, I might be able to successfully deal a severe blow to this clone."
"But whether you believe me or not is up to you."
"...But I'm already heavily injured. I probably won't be able to stall this Special Grade curse to make it stand still and let you hit it."
Kento Nanami nodded, but brought up a difficult problem.
"Same here. While I'm accumulating cursed energy, I also have to divide my attention to stop the bleeding. But it doesn't matter. As long as we stall until Yuji wakes up, it'll be fine," Choso replied.
Although they couldn't be sure exactly when Yuji would wake up either.
"...I have a way."
Just as the two were at their wits' end, the shadow beneath Megumi's feet condensed into a four-eyed, four-legged deer shikigami with horns and ears on its head.
Round Deer—the shikigami Megumi had just subjugated tonight.
Specks of snow-white light drifted down from the Round Deer. As the specks floated around, the wounds on Kento Nanami and Choso's bodies gradually began to heal.
"Is this... the Reverse Cursed Technique?"
Kento Nanami was surprised.
A metallic taste welled up in Megumi's nasal cavity, and a nosebleed slid from his upper lip to his chin.
"Cough... Cough... Using this now... is still a huge strain for me. But don't worry about me... as long as I can help you guys."
His cursed energy was already completely depleted. Megumi didn't tell the two beside him about this.
But it doesn't matter. As long as we can win... anything is fine...
Megumi didn't want to be so useless anymore. He didn't want to always hide behind Yuji and Satoru Gojo.
If he could become stronger, perhaps his sister wouldn't have been "cursed."
If he could become as outstanding as Itadori, perhaps he could cure Tsumiki.
"But that idiot kid, Yuji Itadori, truly considers you a friend."
"If you die, he'll probably be very disappointed."
Sukuna's words had awakened Megumi.
"I've always believed this. Everyone says I'm a genius, but the number of people my hands can save is ultimately limited."
"But with you, Maki, Inumaki, and the others—once you all become stronger, we'll be able to save even more people."
Itadori's words were also kept close to his heart.
He couldn't always think that simply dying would solve all problems. That was just running away—running away from the future where he could solve problems together with his comrades.
Yes, he still had friends. He still had a teacher. And he still had family.
We made a promise! To save more people together!
Megumi clenched his fists, his teeth grinding audibly. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva mixed with blood foam and raised his hands once more.
"Divine Dog!"
Understanding the plan, Kento Nanami dashed forward first. The white Divine Dog followed closely behind, while Choso stayed in place to charge his attack.
The clone swung a claw at the approaching Kento Nanami. Kento Nanami dodged sideways, the claw brushing past his face. At the same time, the Divine Dog trailing behind him pounced, biting into the clone's arm.
Seizing the opportunity, Kento Nanami swung his blunt blade at the clone's torso.
Ratio Technique: a technique that forces a weak point to be created as long as the specific target point is struck.
BANG!
The blade struck the side of the clone's waist, but it only cut in half a centimeter before being jammed by the opponent's muscles.
The clone raised a claw and swiped at Kento Nanami. The latter quickly retreated backward, barely dodging the opponent's attack, but his chest was still scratched by the tips of its claws.
"Fushiguro, it's up to you!"
Just as the clone hoisted the Divine Dog biting its arm and punched right through its body to severely injure it.
SQUELCH!
The Divine Dog's summon was canceled, turning into a puddle of black liquid.
The clone felt a surge of violent cursed energy coming from above. It instinctively looked up.
Megumi had already arrived directly above it.
Nue's talons were firmly grasping his shoulders, holding him high in the air.
"You seemed to be having a lot of fun fighting just now!"
"Then how about lifting something heavy!"
Megumi formed a hand sign, and a pool of black shadow rose beneath his feet.
"Max Elephant!"
Although it wouldn't play a decisive role, unfortunately, this was the highest power output skill he could think of.
Enhanced by Megumi's cursed energy, Max Elephant's weight and size had increased tremendously.
BOOM—!
Max Elephant plummeted straight down with its four feet facing downward under the pull of gravity. The clone raised both arms in an attempt to block the falling elephant's belly. At the moment of contact, the soles of its feet cracked the asphalt road into a spiderweb-like pattern.
As long as it could temporarily render it immobile.
In the brief few breaths the clone was suppressed, Choso's charging was already complete.
Veins bulged on the back of his hands, and white steam rose from his arms.
"..."
Just as the Piercing Blood at Choso's fingertips was about to fire, Megumi coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Pfft."
Megumi's vision went black. A sweet, metallic taste welled up in his throat, and blood sprayed uncontrollably from his mouth and nose.
He could no longer maintain his cursed technique. Max Elephant and Nue both turned into black shadows and dissipated at the same time. Having lost his support, he fell powerlessly from mid-air like a puppet with cut strings.
Just hold on a little longer... No. I've reached my limit.
However, one second before Megumi was about to crash heavily onto the ground.
"..."
The patterns on the face of Sukuna—who had been standing on the roof with his hands in his pockets watching this scene expressionlessly—gradually faded.
"Hehe. Brat, you're quite fast."
Sensing that Yuji was about to take over the body, Sukuna did not resist. The man closed his eyes, directly handed over control of the body, and retreated his consciousness back into his Innate Domain.
When the body opened its eyes again.
Yuji's consciousness had returned. The pink-haired young man's gaze swept over the battlefield before him, and he understood the current situation in an instant.
A pink figure flashed past the corner of Megumi's eye like lightning. And in the next second, he felt a pulling sensation at the back of his neck.
Yuji grabbed the collar at the back of Megumi's neck, landed lightly on the ground, and then let go.
THUD.
Megumi collapsed the moment his feet touched the ground. The young man lay flat on his back, blood continuously flowing from his throat and nasal cavity.
"Itadori, leave me be... Go help Choso..."
Megumi's consciousness was already beginning to blur. Before losing consciousness, he saw the pink-haired young man in front of him smile at him and give him a thumbs up.
"You did well, Fushiguro."
This time it wasn't "Leave it to me," but "You did well."
Is that so... I also... managed to help...
Megumi lost consciousness.
"Next—"
Yuji turned around, exchanging a glance with Choso not far away. Scarlet liquid unfolded behind him like a living curtain—larger than any previous time.
This blood surged toward the clone in the distance like a tsunami. The curse raised its arms to defend, but Yuji's intention wasn't to attack at all.
The blood was continuously compressed in the air, finally dividing into countless slender blood ropes.
"Crimson Binding."
SQUELCH—!
The blood ropes suddenly tightened, embedding deeply into its flesh, completely locking down its struggling strength.
And Choso did not let this fleeting opportunity slip away.
"Piercing Blood."
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