Itadori looked a little embarrassed but still smiled and thanked James. Without this intense special training, his strength would not have improved so quickly.
"It's about time for you to head back," James said with a wave. "Oh, and I've got good news for you—your friends can now purify that special Cursed Spirit together."
James turned and walked away, his back fading into the distance. Itadori stood in the middle of the desolate countryside, staring after him before pulling out his phone and typing a lone question mark.
---
The next day, James officially recommended Itadori Yuji as a first-grade Jujutsu sorcerer. Gojo Satoru followed suit by recommending Fushiguro Megumi and Kugisaki Nobara as first-grade sorcerers as well. Xia Yujie backed Inumaki Toge for the same rank.
As for Okkotsu Yūta—all three of them agreed without hesitation: he deserved the title of special-grade Jujutsu sorcerer.
The old system of avoidance, seniority, and bureaucracy had been abolished. In this new era, strength was everything. The stronger the Cursed Spirit you could exorcise, the higher your Jujutsu level would be.
The new generation had officially stepped onto the stage of history.
---
While the Jujutsu world experienced sweeping change, something far more sinister was brewing in Shibuya, Tokyo.
Nozomi and the Four Calamities walked casually through the busy streets. On the rooftops of towering skyscrapers, hidden Curse Users were already in position.
In the middle of the hustle and bustle, the flow of people came to a sudden halt. Everyone paused and looked upward in confusion.
A massive black barrier was rising slowly into the sky, arching high over the buildings and blanketing all of Shibuya in darkness.
Invisible cursed waves surged from the dome, sweeping through the panicked crowd. Ordinary people's expressions grew dull, their eyes vacant. One by one, they began to stagger and sway, wandering the streets like zombies.
And then, all at once, they chanted in unison:
> "Gojo Satoru…"
There was no doubt—this was a declaration of war.
---
At Tokyo Jujutsu High, the students and teachers watched the ominous hemisphere rising over the city.
The highest-level emergency alarm blared through the halls.
Yaga Masamichi swiftly assembled every available Jujutsu sorcerer. The command was simple: go to Shibuya and rescue the civilians.
"Gojo... they're coming for you. Don't act impulsively," Yaga warned.
Gojo Satoru merely smiled and adjusted his blindfold. His thoughts, as always, were unreadable.
They quickly arrived at the edge of Shibuya and approached the curtain of black energy. Itadori reached out and slowly pushed his hand into it. Surprisingly—it passed through!
The others followed, one by one, confirming that Jujutsu sorcerers could enter freely.
But the scene inside was horrific.
Civilians stood motionless in the streets, like lifeless mannequins. In the distance, Cursed Spirits rampaged, devouring humans in grotesque, bloody bites.
Without hesitation, Gojo Satoru teleported in. A few flickers of light later, every nearby Cursed Spirit was shredded to pieces. He grabbed a dazed civilian and tried to exit the barrier—but just as he feared, the person couldn't be brought out.
Jujutsu sorcerers could come and go... but ordinary people were trapped.
---
Itadori and the others joined him, eliminating the remaining scattered Spirits. But surrounded by throngs of unresponsive civilians, they hesitated.
Gojo immediately called Suta Daisuke.
"Moshimoshi. It's Gojo Satoru."
"I already know what's happening," Suta replied. "Breaking that barrier by force is nearly impossible. You've got two options: either kill everyone inside to weaken the cursed flow, or destroy the anchor point of the barrier."
"Every barrier has one," he continued. "Once it's removed, the entire structure collapses layer by layer. I'm heading there now. In the meantime, find that anchor point. Fast."
Gojo nodded and relayed the plan to the others.
"When you go looking, be careful. A barrier like this can't be made by a Cursed Spirit alone—there has to be a Curse User near the anchor."
He paused, his voice turning lighter.
"I'm going to meet whoever's so desperate to see me. Don't worry—I'm strong."
Gojo's words calmed the team somewhat. Still, it was obvious—the enemy was prepared. Walking into danger alone?
He glanced back and gave a final order:
"Saving the civilians is our top priority. Move!"
In the next instant, he vanished—teleporting deep into the city.
---
Fushiguro Megumi took a deep breath and addressed the group.
Itadori, Kugisaki, Inumaki, Panda, and Maki gathered around. Okkotsu Yūta, now special-grade, was often assigned missions across the country and wasn't in Tokyo today.
"Everyone, get ready. Kyoto's on its way, and the other schools are responding too. Even if we don't make it out of this—we'll buy time!"
They split into pairs:
Megumi and Maki
Kugisaki and Panda
Itadori and Inumaki Toge
Each duo combined melee and ranged capabilities. Following the strongest cursed energy signatures, they raced off.
Behind them, first-grade sorcerers from Tokyo Jujutsu High arrived. Some rushed into the barrier; others stayed outside on standby.
One of them, Kusakabe Atsuya, stood near the edge and stared up at the enormous dome.
"This is a nightmare..." he muttered. In such a dense urban area, there had to be hundreds of thousands of civilians inside.
If they couldn't stop this...
Kusakabe shivered and tried not to think too deeply. He resumed his patrol around the perimeter.
---
Elsewhere inside the dome, Gojo Satoru moved rapidly through the city, scanning every corner with Six Eyes.
Too many people, he thought grimly. If a real battle breaks out here...
Then he saw it—the subway entrance.
He flickered forward and descended into the underground platform. The place was packed with civilians, each one standing still, eyes hollow.
Gojo's shoes clicked against the concrete as he walked forward. A tense, silent atmosphere filled the air.
Suddenly—a gust of wind!
A sneak attack!
A Curse User disguised in the crowd lunged, arm outstretched.
But Gojo didn't even turn. The attacker's palm stopped inches from his neck, frozen in midair. He was forced back, shaking his hand in disbelief.
"Unlimited Technique... lives up to the name," he said with a strained grin.
From the shadows, Nozomi stepped forward, smiling.
Gojo stared at the unfamiliar face. Though he'd never seen this man before, the sutures on his forehead reminded him of something—something James had once mentioned.
"So this is your plan?" Gojo sneered. "Gather civilians together and bet on the idea that I won't go all out?"
Nozomi shook his head. "We didn't bet on anything. But if we can even limit you a little, it's enough."
Gojo's gaze sharpened, but internally, he remained composed.
Because he knew—he wasn't the key to victory.
In this new era, his presence—or absence—was no longer decisive.
"I know what you're thinking," Nozomi said with a smirk. "James wouldn't fall for something like this. He'd have sliced Tokyo in two before letting himself be trapped. Compared to him, you're just a shadow."
A blatant attempt to stir doubt.
Gojo chuckled.
"Yeah... that sounds like him."
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