Takaba Fumihiko maintained a pose like a hero's finishing shot atop a skyscraper in an action movie, letting out laughter loud enough to shake heaven and earth, to the point where literal "Hahaha" sound effects manifested in the air.
Takaba Fumihiko shouted, "Kenjaku, you truly are a worthy rival! But I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, so let's meet again another time! Ha, haha, hahahahaha...!"
Kenjaku stared blankly as Takaba Fumihiko disappeared amidst that classic three-stage laughter. His shoulders slumped involuntarily.
"I really lost to you."
Kenjaku sighed.
"Ah, if it weren't for Mahito chasing after me, maybe I could have had some real fun with you. But while you can be free and easy, I'm facing eternal torment at any moment."
As he spoke, Kenjaku looked toward Kogane and said:
"Kogane, exchange."
Suddenly, Kogane emitted a series of beeps.
"Jujutsu Sorcerer hostility detected! Jujutsu Sorcerer hostility detected! Master, Master, a Jujutsu Sorcerer is attacking!"
Pop.
Kogane disappeared.
As if perfectly timed, someone slowly limped out from an alleyway between the high-rise buildings.
Kenjaku frowned as he looked at the approaching Jujutsu Sorcerer.
Before this, it wasn't as though no one had attacked him and Takaba Fumihiko, but those people had, without exception, been swept into Takaba Fumihiko's Cursed Technique and transformed into supporting actors in a comedy theater, even making the entire script more entertaining.
Any Jujutsu Sorcerer who experienced that once chose to stay far away from them afterward.
Kenjaku's battles were at least within the realm of common sense, but fighting Takaba Fumihiko was completely nonsensical.
A battle where all knowledge of jujutsu became useless and one had to keep up with Takaba Fumihiko's brainwaves just to barely survive was as disgusting to experienced Jujutsu Sorcerers as frog urine.
Because of this, most people who wished to challenge the Special Grade Sorcerer would wait until the battle between Kenjaku and Takaba Fumihiko ended before leisurely stepping out and introducing themselves to fight Kenjaku.
As for Takaba Fumihiko...
They simply acted as if he didn't exist.
Kenjaku felt annoyed, thinking that another one had come.
"Ah, enough already."
Kenjaku smoothed his bangs.
"Let's settle this quickly, exchange for the Comedian technique, and end this Dream Walk Migration. I'm really going to have nightmares."
"Don't say that. I've been looking forward to this battle for a long time."
The newcomer spoke as he stepped out from the alley.
Kenjaku's pupils contracted in shock, and his hand froze midway through smoothing his bangs.
"Yo."
Geto Suguru, dressed in monk's robes, greeted Kenjaku.
"First time meeting you, thousand-year-old Curse User wearing my corpse."
"I am Geto Suguru, the true owner of the body you're wearing, and I've returned from Hell to collect your debt."
Kenjaku slowly lowered his hand. After remaining silent for a moment, he revealed a thoughtful expression.
"I see."
"Then you are the secret weapon Mahito prepared specifically for me."
Kenjaku fell into deep thought right in front of Geto Suguru, muttering to himself.
"Come to think of it, the scouting Cursed Spirits I've been releasing lately have been disappearing mysteriously. I thought other Sorcerers had simply killed them in passing."
"After all, even a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit is worth points to other Sorcerers, so it's normal to kill them upon encountering them."
"I didn't expect it to be you."
"Because it would have been troublesome if you found out."
Geto Suguru stood calmly.
Kenjaku took a deep breath and formed a hand seal.
"It seems you don't intend to chat much with me."
"No, I'd like to."
Geto Suguru's lips twitched.
"But at least fix your face first."
"Even I don't want to fight a guy with an afro and a face covered in soot."
About ten minutes later.
With a clean face and long hair draped over his shoulders, Kenjaku spoke with a serious expression.
"I see. You truly are the secret weapon Mahito prepared for me."
"Thinking about it carefully, you indeed should harbor deep hatred toward me, and my characteristics are truly countered by yours."
"If I'm not mistaken, the moment I fall into a weakened state, your Cursed Spirit Manipulation will activate against me."
"Even within the Dream Walk Migration, I would become a spirit under your control."
Geto Suguru nodded slightly.
"Cursed Spirit Manipulation can freely absorb Cursed Spirits, but in the past, all Cursed Spirits possessed intelligence lower than that of beasts."
"Even after absorbing and releasing them again, there was no difference to me."
"But you are different, Kenjaku."
"After absorbing you, whether the released Cursed Spirit will retain consciousness is something even I don't know."
The conversation between the two was extremely serious.
Their killing intent clashed, and both wore confident expressions.
It seemed they had both forgotten the bizarre scene when they first met and regarded this dialogue as their true first encounter.
Kenjaku waved his hand.
"Then... let's see what you've got!"
Kenjaku's confidence naturally had a basis.
Besides his own Brain Exchange Technique, he possessed two other Cursed Techniques:
The same Cursed Spirit Manipulation as Geto Suguru, and the Anti-Gravity System inherited from Itadori Yuji's mother.
Even without relying on the Dream Walk Migration, he already possessed multiple Cursed Techniques.
Unless he faced the highest powers in the world—Mahito, Gojo Satoru, and Ryomen Sukuna—Kenjaku believed that no one else, even Yuta Okkotsu or Yuki Tsukumo, could match him.
Ultimately, Geto Suguru's Cursed Spirit Manipulation relied upon Cursed Spirits.
He himself was not particularly strong.
Furthermore, Geto Suguru had only recently been resurrected. During these two months, he simply lacked the ability to collect many Cursed Spirits.
Kenjaku was the complete opposite.
Over the course of a thousand years, he had seen countless Cursed Spirits and knew the locations of many unpurified Special Grade Cursed Spirits.
After obtaining this body, he had actively gathered those Cursed Spirits, surpassing Geto Suguru in both quantity and quality.
How could he possibly think highly of Geto Suguru?
"I'm being underestimated."
Kenjaku said calmly.
"Then let us test it, Geto Suguru."
"Whether you are truly capable of serving as the 'secret weapon' meant to snipe me."
Geto Suguru formed a hand seal.
"I'll show you what I've been doing while you were trapped in that endless comedy stage with Takaba."
Boom—!
A massive amount of Cursed Energy suddenly erupted from behind Geto Suguru.
It wasn't one or two.
Ten.
Twenty.
No—even more.
Fifty.
Seventy.
Nearly one hundred Special Grade Cursed Spirits appeared one after another behind Geto Suguru.
Under the control of Cursed Spirit Manipulation, these spirits bowed their heads and glared at Kenjaku with eyes full of malice.
Geto Suguru had not deceived the people of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
His theory had been correct.
As time passed, the residual Cursed Energy of countless Jujutsu Sorcerers within the four great barriers continuously intertwined.
Among them were remnants left behind by Special Grade Sorcerers.
These remnants gave birth to terrifying Special Grade Cursed Spirits within the Dream Walk Migration.
Their number still could not compare to the quantity that existed a thousand years ago.
After all, Ryomen Sukuna's era had lasted for a very long time, and even gods had been slain back then.
At present, no god had yet died within the Dream Walk Migration, resulting in a lack of quality.
But there was one crucial difference.
Back then, Special Grade Cursed Spirits appeared one by one.
Now—
They had all been gathered together.
Not just in the Tokyo Second Barrier.
Whenever Special Grade Cursed Spirits appeared in other barriers, the people of Tokyo Jujutsu High honored their promise.
If they could spare a Special Grade Cursed Spirit without killing it, they would.
Using Kogane's teleportation, they would send those Special Grade Cursed Spirits to Geto Suguru for absorption.
The nearly one hundred Special Grade Cursed Spirits before him represented the combined total from all Dream Walk Migration barriers over the past two months, especially the Sendai Barrier.
Within Yuta Okkotsu's barrier, multiple Special Grade Sorcerers existed, and none of them avoided life-and-death battles.
As a result, they contributed the greatest number of Special Grade Cursed Spirits.
Although their quality was far inferior to Jogo, Hanami, and Dagon, their quantity was astonishing.
Combined with the fact that every Special Grade spirit possessed its own Domain Expansion, there was no doubt that the current Geto Suguru had reached the absolute peak of Cursed Spirit Manipulation in history.
"Are you ready, Kenjaku?"
Geto Suguru smiled.
"How do you like me as a secret weapon?"
Kenjaku licked his lips and laughed.
"Give me a chance to exchange for [Cursed Technique: Comedian] first, and then we'll fight, alright?"
"Now is not the time for a battle with Takaba, Kenjaku."
Geto Suguru chuckled.
What characterized fighting Takaba Fumihiko?
Imagination.
Fantasy.
And—
Daydreaming.
Then his expression became serious.
"Special Grade Curse User."
Geto Suguru.
"Please advise."
About two hours later—
Kenjaku was absorbed by Geto Suguru's Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
(T/N: He lost at the very brink of success. That has to be despair inducing Lmao)
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Next Bonus Chapter at 700 Powerstones.