“How is this possible…?”
Natsuki’s strength was beginning to put even Sukuna under pressure.
He was too weak right now.
With only one finger’s worth of cursed energy, many of his techniques were still unavailable, while Natsuki’s attacks only grew fiercer.
“What’s wrong?” Natsuki taunted. “Is this really all the legendary King of Curses can do?”
“Shut up!”
Sukuna erupted in fury, releasing all the cursed energy his current body could muster.
Several Dismantles shot toward Natsuki from every direction. Sukuna made no effort to control the attack and included Megumi within its range as well.
As the King of Curses, he had never endured such blatant humiliation before.
There were some insults even he could not tolerate!
Natsuki, however, had already prepared for this.
He murmured a brief incantation and thrust out his right hand.
“Rho Aias!”
A seven-layered shield shaped like overlapping flower petals unfolded before him.
Against a one-finger Sukuna, even a single layer would have been enough.
The invisible slashes struck the shield and vanished without leaving so much as a mark.
“Now it’s my turn.”
A bow and arrow appeared in Natsuki’s hands.
This time, he did not use Caladbolg II.
As a future nuclear warhead disguised as an archer, Caladbolg II was currently the most powerful Noble Phantasm in his arsenal when it came to raw destructive force.
Besides, Natsuki had no intention of killing Itadori Yuji.
A normal projected Noble Phantasm would be more than enough.
He nocked the arrow.
Drew the bow—And fired.
Sukuna moved to evade, only to realize the first arrow had been a feint.
Natsuki released a second shot almost immediately.
Boom—!
The explosion swallowed the entire area.
When the smoke cleared, Sukuna was down on one knee and his left arm had been blown off at the shoulder.
“RAAAAGH!”
He roared, not from pain, but from humiliation.
The mighty King of Curses had been reduced to this state by some nameless brat!
“Damn you!”
“I’ll kill you!”
Sukuna prepared to activate Reverse Cursed Technique.
Then he reconsidered.
A wise man knew when to retreat.
Sukuna understood the limits of one finger’s worth of power better than anyone, and he was clearly no match for the boy in front of him right now.
That technique seemed similar to Construction.
And those strange crimson eyes…
‘So this era’s sorcerers aren’t entirely worthless after all.’
Sukuna smirked to himself.
“I’m not healing it.”
“Let this useless brat deal with it himself.”
With that, the markings on his face faded and clarity returned to his eyes.
Itadori Yuji was back!
“Huh? My arm…”
He stared blankly at the missing limb.
Then the pain finally registered.
“ARRGGHHHHH!”
Megumi hurried over.
“Itadori! Your—”
“Don’t move yet.”
Natsuki approached them.
“I can’t use Reverse Cursed Technique, but I do have another way to heal you.”
He crouched beside Yuji as a gentle white light gathered around his right hand.
[Healing Light—With a Catch]
Natsuki had received this superpower quite some time ago.
Its healing ability was excellent, he had once used it to save a kitten with a broken leg.
Unfortunately, it came with one rather questionable side effect.
The patient experienced such intense comfort that they could hardly keep themselves from moaning.
To put simply…it was the ultimate massage of love.
“This might feel a little strange,” Natsuki warned him. “Try to endure it.”
He pressed his hand against the stump of Yuji’s shoulder.
White light seeped into the wound, and the severed arm began to reconnect.
“Kyahhhh…”
Yuji’s face immediately turned red.
An indescribable wave of pleasure spread through his entire body, as though he had sunk into the world’s most relaxing hot spring and every cell in him had started cheering.
“Ah… Mm…aaahhh”
A soft, embarrassingly sweet sound escaped his throat, startling even him.
Megumi turned away and struggled desperately not to laugh.
Natsuki had long since grown accustomed to the ability’s ridiculous side effect.
“Almost finished.”
A few minutes later, Yuji’s arm had fully reattached. Even his earlier injuries had disappeared without leaving a scar.
“All done.”
Natsuki stood and dusted off his hands.
Yuji remained slumped on the ground, his face burning red.
Even the Tiger of West Junior High could not recover his dignity so quickly after making noises like that.
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
“Wh-What exactly was that…?”
“A healing technique.”
Natsuki smiled with narrowed eyes.
“The rest was just a side effect. Don’t worry about it.”
Yuji looked ready to cry.
That had been far too humiliating!
“Th-Thanks…”
He quietly expressed his gratitude.
At that moment, a tall man with white hair suddenly appeared on the school rooftop.
He wore a blindfold and carried a bag of kikufuku from Sendai, specially ordered with extra sugar.
An amused smile played across his face.
“Well, well~”
Gojo Satoru looked over the wrecked battlefield.
“Looks like I’m late.”
He turned toward Megumi.
“Megumi, did you finish the mission?”
Then his attention shifted to Yuji.
“Oh? So this is Sukuna’s vessel?”
Finally, his gaze settled on Natsuki.
“And who might this be…?”
Natsuki waved his hand casually.
“Amamiya Natsuki. Just a helpful citizen who happened to be passing by.”
Gojo laughed.
“A helpful citizen managed to injure Sukuna?”
“You’re clearly not ordinary~”
He walked over to Yuji and examined him for a moment.
“Hmm… He really is compatible as a vessel.”
Then Gojo looked back at Natsuki.
“So, Mr. Helpful Citizen…”
“Would you like to visit Tokyo Jujutsu High?”
Natsuki raised an eyebrow.
“Visit?”
“That’s right~”
Gojo’s smile grew even brighter.
“We can have a nice long conversation.”
“Especially about those very interesting techniques you just used.”
…
On the rooftop of an abandoned school building in the distance, a man dressed in monk’s robes lowered his binoculars.
A line of stitches ran across his forehead.
“It seems the plan has encountered an unexpected variable…”
The man who wore Geto Suguru’s face, but was actually Kenjaku, narrowed his eyes.
“Who is that boy?”
…
The Curtain completely disappeared.
Gojo left with Yuji and Megumi, while Natsuki politely declined the invitation to visit Jujutsu High.
“Maybe next time.”
Gojo did not pressure him.
“Then I’ll look forward to next time~”
The three gradually disappeared into the distance.
Natsuki remained where he was and focused on the power within his Sharingan.
His battle with Sukuna had increased its visual prowess far more than exorcising an ordinary Cursed Spirit ever had.
“So I was right…”
He murmured to himself.
“Fighting stronger opponents brings greater growth.”
If he continued battling Special Grades, the Mangekyō would soon be within reach.
…
At Tokyo Jujutsu High, Ieiri Shoko finished examining Yuji in the infirmary.
“His arm regenerated perfectly. There aren’t any lingering side effects.”
She looked toward Gojo.
“What technique did that boy use?”
“No idea.”
Gojo rubbed his chin.
“But it definitely wasn’t Reverse Cursed Technique.”
“The effect was similar, but the principle behind it was completely different.”
Shoko nodded.
“If he can injure Sukuna with one finger’s worth of power, he’s at least Grade 1.”
“He’s stronger than that,” Gojo replied with a smile. “I don’t think he was fighting seriously.”
“Interesting.”
Shoko lit a cigarette.
“Planning to recruit him?”
“Of course.”
Gojo gazed out the window.
“We can’t let someone that talented slip away.”
…
Meanwhile, Natsuki was resting with his eyes closed aboard the shinkansen home, replaying the battle in his mind.
Sukuna was indeed powerful.
Even with only one finger, the King of Curses had been terrifying.
“I still need to become stronger.”
Natsuki opened his eyes, and the tomoe revolved inside his crimson pupils.
He was not far from reaching three tomoe.
Once he awakened the Mangekyō, many things would become much easier.
…
At the same time, inside a dark residence somewhere else, Kenjaku examined the report in his hands.
“Amamiya Natsuki… a student at Toyogasaki Academy…”
“A light novel author… and a suspected jujutsu sorcerer…”
His eyes narrowed.
“What an unusual combination.”