Chapter Text
21:24, Shibuya
Itadori wrapped his fist in cursed energy and slammed it hard against the barrier that barred sorcerers from entry, but the barrier didn’t budge. Growing anxious, he said, “Dazai-sensei, should I go inform the others to take down the barrier from different points? You-”
Dazai looked up and studied the solid, pitch-black barrier. “Itadori-kun, step aside,” he said suddenly.
“Huh?” Itadori Yuuji was caught off guard. Then, he saw something unusual: an unfamiliar energy glowing from Dazai Osamu’s palm. Unlike the somber and heavy aura of cursed energy, this one seemed lighter, clearer, pure. Before Itadori could understand what was happening, the "cursed energy" suddenly expanded, stretching outward like a transparent white net. It rose to the top of the barrier, completely engulfed it, and forcibly swallowed the pitch-black veil whole.
Wait, swallowed it? Itadori struggled to grasp what had just happened and was about to ask when a finger pressed to his lips. “It’s a secret, okay, Itadori-kun,” Dazai said with a gentle smile. Despite Dazai-sensei’s friendly, harmless expression, for a brief moment, Itadori sensed something terrifying hidden beneath.
Was it just his imagination? He stammered, “O-Okay, Dazai-sensei!”
Dazai straightened up and returned to his usual unthreatening demeanor. The barrier had vanished, and the white, benevolent energy in his hand flickered a few seconds before fading. Dazai noticed this detail, but before he could dwell on it, the entire building suddenly shook violently.
With his heightened reflexes, Itadori instinctively grabbed Dazai and leapt back more than ten meters. A deafening crash followed, and thick dust clouds rose, obscuring their vision. The building… collapsed?
No time to think. “Sensei! Are you okay?!” he asked loudly, setting Dazai down.
Dazai coughed a few times, deeply frowning. Something unexpected had clearly occurred. He waved a hand. “I’m fine.”
As they checked on each other, the rumbling gradually subsided, and the thick dust began to settle. The building hadn’t fully collapsed—it had snapped at the middle and crashed toward the west side, away from their location.
Then, a beam of light burst from the rupture.
A blinding blue-white light, two hues that merged into a dazzling glow, cut through the thick night sky like a gash.
Five seconds later, the light faded, revealing a strange floating shadow above the broken structure.
Itadori squinted, then shouted, “Gojo-sensei!”
The figure hovered motionless. Only then did Itadori notice something was wrong: it was definitely Gojo-sensei, but he was bound by something.
“Itadori-kun,” Dazai called in a serious tone. “You can get up there, right?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Go and find a way to bring Satoru down. I’ll join you shortly.” His eyes scanned the area sharply.
“Is that okay?”
A man stepped out from behind the rubble, arms crossed. “A valuable comrade, lost.”
Dazai smiled faintly. “Or perhaps… it’s your plan that’s going awry?”
“Oh?” The man, dressed in monk robes with half-tied long hair, feigned humility. “And why do you say that?”
“You’re holding that thing in your hand, aren’t you?” Dazai sneered. “Planning to feed it to Itadori?”
The man furrowed his brow. “Dazai-kun, false accusations are unbecoming.” He tilted his head toward the collapsed structure, where Gojo floated. “Besides, I am deeply concerned about my dear friend Satoru.”
“Funny, I’ve heard you’ve been dead for years.”
“Is resurrection not allowed?” he replied with a grin. “Nice to meet you, Dazai-kun. I am Geto Suguru.”
Dazai coolly retorted, “That isn’t you, is it? Stealing someone’s name and body… how pathetic.”
The monk-like man grinned widely and ripped open the sutures on his scalp, revealing a glistening, fleshy brain with a mouth. Both the brain and his mouth let out a distorted, overlapping laugh.
“Dazai Osamu, do you know why I’m here?”
Before Dazai could answer, the man, Kenjaku, restored the seam on his head, returning to his composed form.
“Not knowing the enemy’s intel must be stressful for you, hmm?” he mused. “Don’t underestimate me, I’ve been watching you.”
Dazai remained silent.
“What, no witty retort?” Kenjaku tilted his head. “I heard you solved the last crisis perfectly.”
He pulled something from his sleeve, four of Sukuna’s fingers. “Though you were right about one thing: you’re not my target today. Your technique is troublesome, and I didn’t expect the barrier to fail so fast. Still, instead of guessing my intentions, maybe you should worry about your dear friend.”
A white beam of cursed energy shot toward Kenjaku like an arrow. He dodged sideways, losing a few strands of hair.
“My, how scary…” he muttered, feigning fear.
Before he could finish, more arrow-like cursed energy surrounded him.
“I may not know what you did to Satoru,” Dazai said coldly, “but since you’re here, I assume you’re ready to face the consequences.”
Just as Kenjaku tried to react, the energy vanished like water flowing away.
No, not vanished.
Kenjaku collapsed, shocked. The energy had entered his body?!
A violent clash surged from within, crushing his organs. Gasping for air, he realized something was opposing his cursed energy from the inside.
This ancient sorcerer, alive for over a thousand years, couldn’t believe it. How could such a thing exist?
A searing pain tore through every nerve. It felt like a rabid beast gnawing his insides. His cursed energy was completely blocked.
His vision blurred, muscles spasmed, and he gritted his teeth. “This… can’t be…”
Dazai picked up the fallen Sukuna fingers.
A voice echoed from the rooftop.
“Da-zai-sen-sei-”
“Gojo-sensei… has been… sealed-!”
The signal was restored.
Itadori pressed the still-blinking communicator. A buzz, then the stern voice of Principal Yaga:
“Finally. Itadori, what’s your status?”
“Gojo-sensei has been sealed,” Itadori replied heavily. “No sign of the enemy for now.”
There was a pause. “…You’re not joking?”
“Confirmed. His body is suspended with the seal. I tried to move him, but nothing works.”
“Where are you?”
“HIKARIE. He was revealed after half the building collapsed.”
“So… the enemy left because they couldn’t take him with them?”
“Seems likely…” Itadori muttered. He clenched his fists, staring at the unconscious, bound Gojo Satoru. An unfamiliar rage surged in his chest. What kind of sorcerer could possibly-
Someone took the communicator from him.
Itadori looked up to see Dazai’s cool expression. “Hello, Principal Yaga?” he said, walking toward the floating Gojo, bound by a red, fleshy seal. The night wind lifted his coat. Itadori gazed at the scene: Dazai standing below Gojo, a stark contrast of positions. Despite the grotesque sealing object on Gojo’s back, the scene in the moonlight was hauntingly beautiful.
Yaga seemed to be speaking on the other end. Dazai nodded. “What about the others?”
Itadori couldn't hear clearly anymore. Strangely, his head began to spin.
Just then, Dazai turned to him. “Kugisaki’s encountered a sorcerer. Nanami went to help. Fushiguro is unreachable. He was probably ambushed by a special grade. Itadori, you-”
Itadori staggered and collapsed onto Dazai.
Alarmed, Dazai caught him, then shoved him away.
Too late. The four Sukuna fingers in Dazai’s pocket had been instantly devoured by a mouth that opened on Itadori’s skin.
Without hesitation, Dazai flooded him with cursed energy. The surge stunned both Itadori and the curse within him into unconsciousness.
Dazai sensed something eerie, like everything had followed a pre-set plan, each move landing exactly as predicted. Focusing, he looked back at Gojo.
A faint white glow shimmered around Gojo.
This clearly wasn’t a normal sealing effect. The glow looked more like a protective barrier, one Dazai knew well.
Three or four days earlier, Gojo had jokingly asked to feel Dazai’s "positive energy" directly. Dazai had injected his power into Gojo, and they’d been shocked to discover it flowed within Gojo naturally.
That power, harmful to others, became a shield for Gojo. Likely, at the last moment before being sealed, Dazai’s energy activated automatically, forming this half-absorbed barrier-seal state.
Recalling the earlier sky-piercing light, Dazai chuckled softly.
“So…” he murmured, gently grasping Gojo’s suspended hand. No Limitless. No cursed energy. His hand was ice-cold. “…You still fell for it, you idiot.”
The moment they touched, No Longer Human activated, as expected.
Then, a voice fell.
“Prison Realm, close.”