Megumi helped Tsumiki up as she looked to Kiyotaka and said, "Thank you so much."
"There's no need to thank me. I have a binding vow that makes me..."
Kiyotaka started saying this, but then thought, 'When was the last time I thought of that Binding Vow with Gojo-Sensei? Haven't I just been saving people on impulse for a while now?'
Kiyotaka smiled and said, "It's fine. Fushiguro here is a close friend."
Kiyotaka said this, gesturing to Megumi, who looked surprised for a second before smiling.
Megumi helped Tsumiki inside as he let her sit in a chair, and then he smiled to the group, saying, "Thank you guys so much."
Nobara smiled and said, "Hey, Ayanokoji already said it. It's fine."
Hana nodded, saying, "Exactly."
Tsumiki turned to Hana and asked, "Are you... Megumi's girlfriend?"
Megumi froze on the spot as he blushed and shouted, "Hey! Don't just say that out of the blue!"
Hana was frozen still and completely red as realisation flashed in Kiyotaka and Nobara's minds, and they both thought, 'So it's like that!'
Nobara smiled and said, "Yep, these two are quite the item. They're so cute together. Hehe."
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
Megumi shouted this as Nobara giggled and Hana thrust her hands out in front of herself, saying, "Wait, no. It's not like that. Me and Megumi are um... uh..."
Hana blushed, being unable to say anything as Kiyotaka, with a small smile, said, "I think you two are well suited for each other."
Megumi looked at him, dumbfounded at this, and then saw his smile and Nobara's smirk and thought, 'These people... are evil Curses.'
Tsumiki laughed a little and said, "I was just kidding, but aren't you popular, Megumi?"
Megumi sighed, saying, "Don't do that kind of stuff."
Tsumiki smiled, giggling a little and said, "Sorry. Sorry."
She then asked, "Gojo-San is sealed, right? How are we going to help him?"
They looked to Hana as Angel, then said, "I'll free Satoru Gojo once everyone gathers and is ready."
Tsumiki sighed in relief and said, "Thank goodness."
Megumi then said, "We should get you out of the Culling Game now."
Kiyotaka nodded, saying, "Agreed. I recommend sending her overseas if possible."
Tsumiki looked to Kiyotaka and said, "I'm not leaving Megumi alone to deal with all of this."
"He won't be alone. He'll have us."
Kiyotaka said this as Tsumiki's eyes widened, and she said, "Megumi... please just don't die. Please."
Megumi smiled and said, "Don't be stupid. I'm not going to die."
"Let's give you two some time. We'll free Gojo and then get her out of the Culling Game."
Kiyotaka said this as Megumi nodded and said, "Alright."
Kogane then popped out and said, "A Player has added a new rule to the Culling Game. Rule 15: Entry of new Players is closed from this moment onwards! November 18, 21:09, 2018."
Then it announced, "A Player has added a new rule to the Culling Game. Rule 16: When all players other than Suguru Geto and Shiro Yanamori have died, the Culling game will come to an end."
Kiyotaka's eyes sharpened, and he said, "Kenjaku. He's abusing the system, is he?"
Megumi's eyes widened, saying, "Now he wants to end the Culling Game?"
"It's likely served its purpose."
Kiyotaka said this and then said, "It's likely he's threatening the Kogane with the destruction of the barriers holding up the Culling Game. It would rather prolong the game as far as possible."
Kogane popped up again and declared, "A Player has added a new rule to the Culling Game."
Everyone looked shocked, thinking, 'Again?!'
Kogane continued saying, "Rule 17: If a player wishes to fight another being, then they will automatically enter a binding vow to ensure fairness. Outside influence will be taken as a breach of the agreement and will kill the offending party based on affiliation and intent."
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "Looks like he's become aware of you, Kugisaki."
Nobara sighed and said, "Well... that is one downside of being a beautiful woman. You get noticed really easily."
Megumi and Kiyotaka deadpanned as Tsumiki, and Hana laughed at this.
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Choso stood next to Kiyotaka, handing over a book, saying, "Kiyo, take this."
Kiyotaka accepted it and looked at it, thinking, 'This is research on the soul. It must be from Tsukumo-san.'
Choso smiled and said, "Tsukumo wanted you to have it. You'll probably be able to make some good use of it, too."
Kiyotaka nodded and said, "Then I'll handle it with care."
Kiyotaka then thought, 'The expression he's showing is a bit complicated. He seems worried about something. No. He's worried about someone in particular.'
"If you're worried about Tsukumo-San, then you can go to her. We can call you if you're needed somewhere."
Kiyotaka said this as Choso shook his head, saying, "She'll be safer if I'm near and able to help deal with the solution."
Kiyotaka nodded and said, "Agreed. That is the most logical decision, but we don't have to take that route. We have enough leg room, so if you change your mind, then it's fine."
Choso smiled and said, "It's fine."
Kiyotaka then asked, "Also. Are you sure about that?"
Choso nodded, saying, "I'll entrust them to you."
Kiyotaka nodded and said, "Alright. I'll live my life to the fullest. I'll refuse to die until the bitter last second of my life."
Choso smiled, saying, "That's good. Continue living, Kiyo. I want you to live happily."
Kiyotaka smiled and said, "By the way, there's someone back in ANHS Colony that I've come to see as a younger sister."
Choso looked surprised, saying, "Younger Sister?"
Kiyotaka nodded, saying, "Yes. Though I suppose the bond is still a bit fresh for now."
Choso shook his head and said, "That's fine. If they're a sibling of yours, then they're a sibling of mine as well."
"If anything does go wrong, I'll entrust her and Yuki to you.
Choso shook his head, saying, "I'd die first before letting anything happen to you."
"Just in case."
Kiyotaka said this, and Choso sweated, saying, "Then in the same way, I'll entrust Tsukumo-San to you if something happens to me."
Kiyotaka nodded, saying, "Got it, Ni-san."
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Everyone stood in Saitama prefecture, Kiroko Mines (Jujutsu High Training Ground No.4). The [Back] Of the Prison Realm was placed in an open area as everyone stood behind sandbags. Hana flew up into the sky, and Inumaki called out, "Salmon!"
Hana then shouted, "Jacob's Ladder!" as the attack landed on the [Back] Of The Prison Realm, and they all thought, 'What happened? Is it safe?'
Kiyotaka deadpanned, saying, "He's not here."
Nobara sweated, asking, "Did he get erased as well?"
They approached only to see that nothing was left, and Hana sweated, asking, "Might Satoru Gojo actually be some kind of evil spirit?"
Shoko sighed and said, "Well, can't really argue that Gojo's personality had some evil to it."
Then the ground shook as everyone shouted, "An Earthquake. This can't be a coincidence."
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Kenjaku stood there and said, "I had placed the Prison Realm at the subduction zone 8000 meters below the surface in the Japan trench, and of course, I placed Cursed Spirits to act as sensors beneath the multiple layers of seals overtop. Tengen told me all about the [Back] after being absorbed. Supposedly, even if the seal were somehow broken, you would perish alongside it"
Kenjaku looked to Gojo, who was standing above and asked, "So tell me, how in the world did you do it?"
Kenjaku stood there and said, "It's been a long time since you were able to truly relax. How was it?"
Gojo stared at him and said, "Hey. You should choose your words more carefully. After all, they will be your last."
Gojo moved to attack Kenjaku with a red, but Sukuna interfered, as the attack was cancelled, and Gojo thought, 'What? I can't use Limitless? That Vessels Technique. He's using it to nullify Limitless.'
Satoru Gojo was not a Player in the Culling Game. Due to this, even if he expressed a desire to fight another entity, Rule 17 would not trigger.
Gojo looked to him and asked, "Who the hell are you?"
"Do you still remember?"
Sukuna asked this as he smirked and said, "I will finish you."
Gojo smirked, saying, "You? Even though you couldn't take over Kiyotaka and so had to run away to another vessel with your tail between your legs?"
Uraume glared, shouting, "You swine!"
Gojo swung his fist, knocking out Uraume in one hit as they spat out blood and collided with a wall, and Gojo asked, "And who are you?"
Kejnaku then said, "Sukuna, wait. Before you fight him, you have to make good on your promise to me."
Gojo smirked playfully, saying, "To think the great Sukuna would obey instructions his momy knit on his hanky."
Sukuna looked to Kenjaku and said, "That's fine by me."
Gojo then asked, "Maan. What day is it even?"
Kenjaku answered, saying, "November 19th."
Gojo scratched the back of his head and said, "How about we do this on the 24th of December?"
Kenjaku laughed and said, "Hahaha. How poetic."
Gojo then said, "Having two death anniversaries will make things complicated, no?"
Kenjaku smiled, saying, "You'll die, you know."
Gojo smirked and said, "Nah, I'd win."
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Urame unwrapped something to reveal 3 of Sukuna's Cursed Fingers and said, "My sincerest apologies. No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to find your last 2 fingers. I'll accept whatever punishment you bestow upon me."
"Rest easy. I'm sure the last two are in Satoru Gojo's possession."
Urame gave Sukuna a finger, asking, "Is that so?"
Sukuna ate it, saying, "Well, I know he's hidden one of them to stave off Ayanokoji's execution by proposing it be delayed until after he consumed all my fingers, so it's not far-fetched to think he might have hidden another."
Uraume gripped their hand, thinking, 'That man, he's disgraced me in front of Sukuna-sama not once, but twice.'
They then felt pain in their chest, thinking, 'Damn it!! Even after using my Reverse Cursed Technique, the wound still hurts.'
Sukuna smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. This brat Shiro's Cursed Energy Capacity is more than enough to make up for a single finger's worth of power. As for tthe the last finger... this should do the trick."
Sukuna held a head and said, "I think it's supposed to be a Shinbutsu Mummy. Kenjaku... no, Tengen... is this meant to be ironic? Or is it..."
With this act of consuming his own mummified corpse, Ryomen Sukuna returned to a state equal to that of his time in the Heian Era.
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Gojo sat in a seat in an empty room as he thought, 'Kiyotaka and Yuta managed to hold things together while I was gone. They all managed it.'
Gojo smiled and, while thinking of all of his students, he said, "I really am proud of my students."
Utahime walked in saying, "You're not usually so sincere."
Gojo smiled and said, "Ah, you're here, Utahime. I'm willing to bet that you've been helping out here and there. Thanks."
Utahime looked confused, saying, "Why are you talking like that? So.. respectfully."
Gojo sighed and said, "What are you talking about? Maybe your weakness has spread to your ears?"
Utahime looked to Gojo and said, "Listen here, Satoru. I wasn't just doing all of this for the students! I was doing it for you as well."
Gojo looked surprised, saying, "Hehe. From the way you're saying that, you sound like you have a crush on me."
Utahime grabbed his collar and said, "Stop it already."
"Hehe."
Utahime glared and said, "Stop making that face. That awkward face!"
Gojo's eyes widened as Utahime then said, "Just... let's just return to how things were. I'll be happy with that much."
Gojo got up from his seat and hugged her, saying, "Sorry. Guess your weakness infected me for a second."
Utahime sighed, saying, "I can't even get angry over your comments anymore. Idiot."
"Also, when you said [You're not usually so sincere]. Aren't you also sincerely proud of your students?"
Utahime looked surprised before smiling and saying, "Well, of course."
"Even if mine are more impressive."
Gojo finished what he was saying as Utahime shouted, "Gojo!!!"
Gojo simply laughed as she glared at him, thinking, 'There's always a gulf between me and other people, even if they adored me. You can admire a blooming flower, but you can't ask it to understand you, but... maybe it's okay if I can't completely understand you all. Maybe it's okay to let you all in, in spite of that.'
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Gojo looked to Kiyotaka and asked, "So... Junpei died..."
Kiyotaka nodded as Gojo gripped his hand in anger.
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "He died, cursing Mahito with a smile on his face."
Gojo's eyes widened as he smiled and said, "I knew he was insane enough to be a Sorcerer."
Gojo's face became serious as he then asked, "About your role in this [Merger]. How did you become suitable for it?"
"The White Room. I facility dedicated to mass producing equally superior people through harsh conditions."
Kiyotaka said this as Gojo's eyes widened in anger, asking, "Where is it? I'll destroy that place right now."
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "There's no point in getting angry over it anymore. I'll handle the rest from that point on."
Gojo looked to Kiyotaka and said, "Alright. If you say so."
Gojo sighed and said, "Still, to think a place like that has existed, stealing the youth of children. Ugh. I can't stand it."
Gojo then thought of Yuki and grinned, asking, "Who's the girl by the way?"
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "A friend and... romantic interest. I won't be making anything official until Sukuna and Kenjaku are dead, though."
Gojo smiled and said, "I really am glad you're enjoying your youth even if it's while all this crap is going on."
"But now it's time for that discussion, right?"
Kiyotaka asked this, and Gojo nodded, asking, "What do you know about the Vessel Sukuna has swapped over to?"
"His name is Kanamori Shiro, and he's a fellow survivor of the White Room just like me and Yuki."
Gojo nodded, asking, "Then he was probably pretty strong even before getting turned into a Sorcerer."
"He's always been a sorcerer. He was the only one my father couldn't control, and that's the reason he was able to escape."
Gojo's eyes widened as he asked, "What do you mean by that?"
"He's had a Cursed Technique from birth. Equalisation. Normally, it allows you to equalise all physical and Jujutsu abilities, though I don't think that includes abilities that are a product of Cursed Techniques. With his level of Martial Arts and fighting ability, that's a death sentence to most people."
Gojo nodded, saying, "Agreed."
Kiyotaka then said, "The Maximum technique allows for the equalisation of Cursed Techniques."
Gojo nodded, saying, "I thought so."
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "The Reversal is a problem, though."
"Reversal?" asked Gojo.
"I suspect it allows him to create inequalities. For example, he could equalise everything with you but make an exception and keep his superior Cursed Energy Reserves."
Kiyotaka said this as Gojo smirked, saying, "Aww, poor baby has to put on cheats to keep up."
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "Don't underestimate him. I wasn't able to gain a complete understanding of Shiro's Cursed technique, so there could be things that I don't know about it."
"So about Shiro. He's a former friend, right?"
Kiyotaka shook his head, saying, "Not a friend. I didn't take the chance for that to happen. I cursed myself to loneliness."
Gojo looked at him, thinking, 'He already knows the Curse of being the Strongest.'
Goji sighed and said, "Let's go, train Kiyotaka."
Kiyotaka nodded, saying, "Alright. Let's go."
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[Gojo] blocked a kick and kicked [Kiyotaka] in the chest, sending him flying back as [Kiyotaka] grinned and said, "You're as fast a learner as I remember Kiyotaka."
[Gojo] showed a slight smile, saying, "I appreciate that you took the time to train me, Gojo-Sensei."
Ui Ui and Mei Mei stood off to their side as Mei Mei announced the battle of Satoru Gojo Vs Ryomen Sukuna to the entirety of Japan and began collecting bets as Ui Ui thought, 'Looks like the training is going well. That Ayanokoji is a freak of nature when it comes to Jujutsu.'
[Kiyotaka] smiled and said, "Your Cursed Energy Efficiency has improved a lot, so the Maximum Technique you invented while fighting the crazy lady in Tsumiki's body is becoming more energy efficient too."
[Gojo] sat there and said, "My Efficiency probably won't ever surpass yours, though."
[Kiyotaka] smiled and said, "I wouldn't bet my life on that."
[Gojo] then asked, "How about my Domain refinement?"
[Kiyotaka] smiled and said, "You've managed to refine your Domain to a significant degree. I'd say you're closer to my level in that than Yuta's at this point. I'd say the same about your overall skills, too."
"Gojo-Sensei."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for giving me back my youth."
[Gojo] said this as Kiyotaka grinned and said, "Don't worry about it."
—————————————————————————————————————
On the 24 of December, all the Jujutsu High Students and Yuki stood together as they looked awkward, and Hakari said, "[Do your best]?"
Panda then said, "[Make sure you come back alive]?"
Hakari shook his head, saying, "Doesn't really feel right, does it?"
Panda nodded, saying, "Yeah... up until now, winning has always been a given."
Yuki looked to Kiyotaka and asked, "Is he really that strong, Kiyotaka?"
"Considering the restraints from Shiro's will reducing his output and his inexperience with Equalisation, Gojo-Sensei would have killed the Sukuna we fought with, though with much difficulty."
Kiyotaka said this as Yuki's eyes widened, thinking, 'He's... really that strong?'
Kiyotaka then said, "Now that Sukuna has likely mastered Equalisation a bit more, this fight might end up being more difficult than ideal."
Everyone seemed to become tense as Kiyotaka said, "I still think Gojo-Sensei will win, of course."
Nobara sighed and said, "He'll be fine, won't he? I mean, it's Gojo-Sensei."
Megumi sighed and said, "Even if that's the case, we shouldn't send him off like that. He's going to fight Sukuna after all."
Kirara sat there and said, "Just can't seem to really work up the feeling to be worried or cheer him on."
Inumaki simply said, "Kelp."
Yuta smiled and said, "Haha, I think he'd be happy about it regardless."
Maki looked annoyed, saying, "If he replies with something like [That's a given!] I feel like I'd beat him to death before he even faces off against Sukuna.
Gojo walked down the stairs with a serious expression as Gakuganji and Utahime walked behind him.
Kiyotaka looked to him and said, "Have fun out there."
Gojo's eyes widened as he smiled and said, "Yeah. Got it!"
Gojo walked past them as they all shouted words of encouragement, and he smirked.
The battle of the strongest is about to begin.
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Chapter?
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