More than ten minutes ago, inside the Sakurajima Colony.
"Looks like it worked. That saves me the risk of taking action myself."
Because the Culling Game had once existed here and an unknown great battle was about to begin, most of the original residents had already moved away from the areas covered by barriers.
In this desolate part of the region, Kenjaku had already sensed the results of his plan being carried out in Kyoto.
He had sent curse users there to interfere with the Pure Barrier while carrying out his own plan in a completely different location. That way, even if those people noticed something was wrong right away, they would be distracted by the decoy and would not have enough time to come here and stop him.
Tengen's Great Merger was originally supposed to take place within his barrier. However, the Culling Game was already inside his barrier and was connected to Tengen's barriers to some extent.
In other words, by carrying out the process inside the Sakurajima Colony, Kenjaku could not only accelerate the Great Merger but also avoid having his movements discovered by Tengen beforehand because of leaking cursed energy.
He had refused Tengen access to all the barriers of the Culling Game and prevented cursed energy from leaking out to ensure that the amount of cursed energy inside had reached the required level.
This came with its own risk, though. If the cannon fodder he had sent to Kyoto failed, he would have no choice but to personally take the risk and go to another Pure Barrier.
After all, the only way to make Tengen lose consciousness for a certain amount of time was to damage the barrier maintaining his soul.
Getting this far had truly been a risky move for Kenjaku.
Feeling the changes taking place in his body, he smiled. Everything was going exactly as he had planned because he had already cast the God Feeding Art.
The God Feeding Art was difficult to use while Tengen's consciousness was clear. To summon Tengen, he first had to interfere with the barrier that maintained Tengen's soul.
Kenjaku had already tested this long ago. He had tried using the technique before damaging the barrier. The technique failed, but it did not end completely. Tengen was not nonexistent, nor was he someone the God Feeding Art could not be used on. The conditions simply had not been met.
Because of that, the interrupted technique would resume once the conditions were fulfilled.
At this moment, a second pair of eyes grew on Kenjaku's face, while his head also began to lengthen. He made no attempt to stop the transformation.
Endless cursed energy surged toward him without pause from every part of Japan. Kenjaku seemed to have become the very center of a vortex.
"Amazing! So this is the Great Merger?!"
Never before had he felt so full of power. Even his physical senses were becoming sharper and stronger.
However, his joy lasted only for a moment.
Kenjaku's gaze followed the road ahead. Through the biting cold wind, a figure gradually became clearer.
"You came, Mukuro Fushiguro."
It was unexpectedly fast.
Kenjaku merely frowned without showing much emotion before speaking to the newcomer.
Something was strange. No matter how useless the curse user he had sent there was at attracting attention, there was no reason his location should have been exposed so quickly.
Mukuro saw through his confusion and spoke, "If you're wondering why I didn't go to Kyoto, then you might be disappointed."
* * *
Meanwhile, at the Yamakuni Mausoleum Pure Barrier in Kyoto, the chaotic presence of cursed energy continued to spread.
The remains of cursed spirits were scattered everywhere, their bodies drifting away in the wind after death.
"Do you know what will happen if you do this? We're followers of Sukuna-sama! The strongest sorcerer in history!"
Several curse users who had once been active in the jujutsu world and had gained some fame were now tied up outside the Pure Barrier. The oldest and ugliest man among them shouted angrily toward the people in front of him.
"The Big Three Families are about to become history, yet you're still going to stand with those damn Jujutsu High sorcerers and try to oppose the gods?!"
They had all come here under Kenjaku's orders to interfere with the Pure Barrier. In return, they had been promised that they would not be killed by Sukuna once his era arrived.
For people who loved causing chaos, nothing could be better than a world ruled by the King of Curses. They also had no doubt about who would emerge victorious. After all, they had grown up hearing about Sukuna, so in their eyes, the legendary figure naturally carried far more weight than a few kids.
Bang!
The moment the man finished speaking, a foot suddenly grew larger in his vision.
He was kicked to the ground, and several teeth flew out with his blood and scattered across the ground.
"With a face like that, you shouldn't be talking. It's disgusting. Can't there be more people in this world who look like Toji?"
The young man who had delivered the kick sighed as he casually adjusted his hair. He did not even bother keeping his eyes on the curse user.
"They're just small fry. We won't get anything useful out of them even if we question them. We might as well kill them."
Beside him, a middle-aged man stood bare-chested with his muscular body exposed. He frowned as the X-shaped scar on his forehead trembled slightly.
"Wouldn't it be more interesting to let them watch their dreams crumble with their own eyes? Hahahaha!"
Farther behind them, an old man who was stroking his beard and gulping down strong liquor walked over, wrapping an arm around the young man. He laughed loudly while burping from the alcohol.
Only then did the curse users realize that in less than five minutes after they touched the Pure Barrier, so many jujutsu sorcerers had gathered here. Moreover, without exception, they were all famous elite fighters from the jujutsu world.
The ones responsible for guarding this place were the combat members of one of the Big Three Families, the Zenin clan, led by Naoya, Jinichi, and Naobito!
"Just wait. Sukuna-sama will definitely succeed—"
Bang!
The curse user lying on the ground with blood covering his face still wanted to say something harsh to comfort himself, but Naoya kicked him again.
"I told you, don't make noise if you are ugly."
* * *
"You sent someone else? Aren't you afraid that person would be me? At the very least, you should have welcomed me with the 'strongest,' right~?" Kenjaku guessed that the person sent there might be Yuki.
"I knew you wouldn't go," Mukuro answered him.
In truth, with Kenjaku's strength, even without obtaining a powerful sorcerer's body, he was not someone anyone below special grade could deal with.
As such, Jujutsu High had not arranged for anyone to guard the other three Pure Barriers. They had only left the Big Three Families' forces stationed nearby. They would attack once they confirmed that the person there was not Kenjaku.
Of course, the drawback was that the Pure Barrier would inevitably suffer damage. But that was something Kenjaku could have done anyway, so Mukuro had simply done his best to reduce the casualties among the sorcerers.
"Come on, why don't we become friends? How about we witness this beautiful moment together?"
Kenjaku spread his arms wide. His sleeves fluttered wildly in the wind, and he made no attempt to hide the bottomless amount of cursed energy that the Great Merger had granted him.
In his current state, he was practically like Hakari during his jackpot's immortal period.
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry."
Mukuro said nothing more. As the number in his right eye changed, a trident began to materialize in his right hand. He dragged its tip across the ground, sending sparks flying.
"Seriously~ Then let me ask you one last question. How did you know I was here?"
Kenjaku put away his playful expression and clearly prepared himself for battle.
"Since you asked, I have a very impressive student. You should know him too."
Mukuro smiled when he mentioned him.
"I see. Mechamaru." Kenjaku immediately understood.
Mechamaru's cursed energy output range was unmatched in the entire jujutsu world. The boy had probably guessed part of his plan and arranged for tools capable of sensing other people's cursed energy to be placed in several suspicious locations beforehand.
Kenjaku had to admit that it was a clever move.
Bang!
At that moment, Mukuro's trident was already about to reach him.
But in the blink of an eye, a terrifying pressure suddenly descended upon him.
Even someone as powerful as Mukuro was forced to stop. His entire body sank under the pressure as both feet were driven deep into the ground.
"The controllable range is pretty small, but it's enough to keep you from getting close. After all, I have something more important to do right now."
Kenjaku's fist, strengthened by cursed energy, smashed toward Mukuro.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out as dust and smoke shot into the sky.
Yet there was no sign of Mukuro within it. Kenjaku could only stand there in confusion after his attack struck nothing.
"Can physical strength really be improved even further?"
He straightened up and looked toward the distance.
At the instant before the attack was about to hit, Mukuro had already moved out of the range of his gravitational pressure.
"Can't you just die quietly? I really don't want to lose to some guy who does nothing but eat sweets."
The wind stirred the tips of Mukuro's hair, revealing the clear number "4" in his right eye.
**
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