Chapter 81 — The Sealing of the Strongest
A few minutes earlier—
Gojo Satoru arrived alone beneath the Shibuya Hikarie building.
There, in the suffocating dark of the underground, he was met by several special-grade curses lying in wait.
The enemy had filled an entire subway car with artificially created cursed spirits, unleashing them into the crowded station — a massacre in motion.
In order to minimize civilian casualties, Gojo had no choice but to unleash a 0.2-second Domain Expansion.
In those fleeting instants, using only pure physical skill and his immense cursed energy control, he obliterated thousands of those artificial curses — all within mere minutes.
Even for him, it was exhausting.
It had been years since Gojo last felt fatigue like this.
The last time… he'd nearly died.
And this time, though he lived—
he was captured.
Sealed, at last, by the man wearing his dead friend's face.
---
"I knew it," Gojo said quietly, staring straight at the man before him. "You're not Geto."
Bound by the Prison Realm, Gojo's six eyes observed every detail — every muscle, every breath, every flicker of cursed energy.
Everything about this man screamed Geto Suguru.
The body, the voice, even the faintest cursed signature.
But his soul… told a different story.
---
"You didn't hand Geto Suguru's body over to Shoko Ieiri, did you?"
The imposter — or rather, Kenjaku — smiled as he adjusted the stitches across his forehead, sealing his skull back into place.
"You've always had this… inconvenient streak of kindness, Gojo. And thanks to that kindness, this body became mine."
He gestured to himself with amusement.
"This vessel has been extremely useful."
Kenjaku's cursed technique allowed him to transplant his brain into other bodies — seizing them completely, along with their inherent cursed techniques.
A grotesque form of immortality.
Geto Suguru's body, with its Cursed Spirit Manipulation, was perfect.
And now, it had served its purpose in sealing the strongest sorcerer of the modern era.
---
After all, the Prison Realm may have been said to "seal anything that exists,"
but it came with a condition:
The target had to remain within its range for one full minute —
a minute in their own perception of time.
For anyone else, that was impossible.
But only someone like Geto Suguru — someone who could make Gojo stop, even for a moment,
someone tied to him through memory and regret —
could anchor his mind long enough for the seal to take hold.
---
"Don't worry," Kenjaku said pleasantly.
"It's only a seal. You'll come out eventually — in a hundred years, perhaps… or a thousand."
He crouched in front of Gojo, his tone light, almost kind.
"You're far too strong. You'd only get in the way of what's to come. But don't fret — when the new world is born, I hope we meet again."
His words dripped with calm cruelty — the arrogance of one who had already won.
---
Gojo chuckled.
"Tell me, Kenjaku… have you forgotten who defeated that body you're using?"
Kenjaku paused, curious.
"That vessel — Geto Suguru — was beaten a year ago," Gojo said, eyes glinting behind his blindfold. "Beaten senseless by someone who'll one day surpass even me."
"…You mean Okkotsu Yuta?"
Kenjaku's smile returned. "Yes, I'm aware of him."
He waved dismissively.
"I don't see much potential there. Infinite cursed energy reserves, the ability to copy techniques — impressive, sure. But it all stems from one thing: his attachment to that cursed spirit, Rika. His power is bound by love and loss. He'll never become you."
He sounded certain. Centuries of experience had made him confident in his judgment.
Gojo just grinned wider.
"You underestimate him — like you underestimate everyone."
Then, his tone shifted — quiet but sharp.
"Yuta might not be the problem. But there's someone else you've overlooked."
Kenjaku frowned slightly. "Oh?"
Gojo tilted his head.
"That guy's the type who doesn't talk, doesn't plan — he just kills. If it had been him here instead of me, you'd all be dead already. Every last one of you."
---
Kenjaku smiled thinly. "You really think so?"
Gojo smirked, closing his eyes.
"I don't think. I know."
Even now, trapped inside the Prison Realm, Gojo Satoru didn't feel fear.
Only amusement — and absolute confidence.
As long as that man was still out there, the curses would never win.
---
Kenjaku gazed at him one last time, expression unreadable.
"Funny. Even now, you still believe in others."
Gojo opened his eyes — those radiant, infinite eyes — and smiled.
"No… I just know monsters when I see them."
---
Outside, in the streets above, chaos roared through Shibuya.
And somewhere in that chaos, Zen'in Shinsuke felt the air shift.
A faint, cold smile touched his lips.
"So… it's started."
---
Gojo gave a self-mocking chuckle — only at a moment like this would that guy seem a little likable.
"You mean Zen'in Shinsuke, right? His strength is unquestionable — a bit troublesome, but… if it's him, he shouldn't derail my plan."
Kenjaku thought of another person at the school: a name whose record alone could be called special-grade. Still, he didn't worry. Like Okkotsu Yuta, he had power, but they weren't true obstacles — certainly not some ordinary man without cursed energy.
"Is that so? I hope you don't run into him. If you do, you'll end up disliking him," Gojo said lightly.
Kenjaku waved away Gojo's warning. "You needn't trouble yourself. For now—good night, Gojo. We'll meet again in the new world."
He ignored the rest and sealed Gojo with the Prison Realm. The compact, eye-studded cube — the Prison Realm — shrank and dropped into Kenjaku's palm. Its eyes slowly closed: the sealing process had completed.
"Is that thing… useless now?" Mahito asked, eyes on the Prison Realm in Kenjaku's hand.
"One seal per use," Kenjaku replied. "Unless the trapped one ends themselves from within, it can't be reused."
"How tedious. Still, that troublesome fellow is dealt with for now."
Suddenly the Prison Realm's eyes flared open. Star-like pupils winked to life across its surface. Kenjaku's hand slackened and, with a thud, the cube fell and gouged a dent in the pavement.
"What—? He can get out?" Mahito instinctively took a step back, bracing for Gojo to strike.
The other curses widened their eyes and readied themselves for battle. Kenjaku's expression changed; Gojo was proving far trickier than expected — no wonder he was called the strongest of their age.
"The Prison Realm is still digesting his information. For the moment, it can't take him away," Kenjaku said, settling cross-legged and waiting for the seal to finish processing Gojo's psyche.
"So what now? Should we recruit Sukuna?" Jogo asked. "With Gojo out of the picture, getting Sukuna on our side would tip everything in our favor."
"This isn't about you," Choso said, indifferent. "Right now I just want to kill Yuji — avenge my brothers."
"Absolutely not. Yuji is Sukuna's vessel. I won't allow you to kill him," Jogo snapped, glaring.
"It doesn't matter — Jogo, I want to kill Yuji too," Mahito chimed in helpfully. "Look: Gojo's neutralized, the balance between us and the sorcerers is even. We can beat humanity ourselves. Getting Sukuna on board would only guarantee a wipeout."
"Besides, Sukuna is unpredictable. I prefer we rely on ourselves," Choso added.
"No! We need a hundred percent certainty. Have you forgotten how Hanami died? Even with Gojo gone, there's still a stubborn obstacle!" Jogo argued, analyzing the stakes seriously.
With that, Mahito and Choso rose and dashed off ahead. "Let's race: whoever reaches Yuji first wins — you recruit Sukuna, I kill Yuji."
"Yuji is mine. I'll kill him myself and avenge my brothers!"
"Hey, you two idiots — wait for me!" Jogo hurried after them, and then Dagon followed close behind.
Kenjaku watched the curses disperse and smiled slightly. "Go ahead. Make a bigger scene if you like."
He remained seated on the ground, eyes narrowed, amusement and calculation flickering across his face.