Jujutsu Kaisen: Nozomi no Sora

See you after Chapter 45

There was a small bandage on each of Fukuguro Megumi's cheekbones, just enough to cover the marks left by Sukuna under his eyes.

Xuan Yi stood a few steps away, raised his hand in greeting, but felt his arm was extremely stiff. The ancestral hall was dimly lit, and Fu Hei Hui's face was half-hidden in shadow, his exposed eyes staring intently at him.

There was no warmth in his eyes, only the restlessness of a wild beast driven to the brink. Xuan Yi could even sense the aura emanating from the other person—unease and irritability, like a string stretched to its limit, ready to snap at any moment.

In Xuan Yi's mind, Fukuro Megumi has always been the type who has talent but is too lazy to use it to his full potential.

He had finally overcome his own limitations for his sister during the Eighty-Eight Bridges Incident, but who would have thought that Sukuna would suddenly turn on him, taking over his body and leaving him in this state. Not only that, Fushiguro Miki was also kidnapped by Wan, while he himself was left tied up in this dark and gloomy place. Anyone in his shoes would probably go crazy.

Ke Fukuro was still able to sit there and talk. Heaven knows how much strength he was using to suppress himself and prevent the pain from exploding.

Footsteps approached from behind Xuan Yi.

Otsuku Yuta walked over, smiling and waving at Fushiguro Megumi.

"Long time no see, Hui."

Fukuro Megumi looked up, a brief look of surprise flashing in her eyes before they darkened again.

"Senior Yigu".

Yi Gu knelt down in front of him, his gaze level with Yi Gu's. He took a closer look at the talismans and chains covering Yi Gu's body and smiled with relief.

"I heard from your teacher that you were badly injured. But you seem to be alright now, that's great!"

Fushiguro Megumi twitched the corners of her mouth, but it wasn't a smile.

"What's so good about it?" He moved his shoulders, which were bound by chains, the clanging of metal particularly jarring in the empty shrine. "As long as Sukuna remains in my body, this world will have one more unstable element. Unlike Hisahito, I can't suppress Sukuna's soul; right now, I can only rely on these talismans to seal his magical power and sever the connection with Sukuna. But what's the point?"

He paused, his voice carrying a sense of self-destructive weariness, his head bowed, the stray hairs on his forehead obscuring his eyes.

"If the seal fails, that guy will immediately use my body to hurt others. He might find it amusing and kill everyone!"

Why isn't that idiot worried about this at all? Why doesn't he just kill me?

Xuan Yi frowned slightly as he looked at Fu Hei Hui, who was bound by thick iron chains.

Megumi Fushiguro's situation is different from Itadori's experience in the juvenile detention center incident.

Yuujin Itadori survived because Sukuna also wanted to live. If Sukuna had really intended to die together with him, Itadori probably wouldn't have survived until Miss Shoko's treatment!

Therefore, even someone as strong as Gojo Satoru couldn't guarantee that Fushiguro Megumi would come back to life after killing Sukuna.

Is the risk of doing so too high for him?

Xuan Yi didn't know.

Is it really possible to successfully seal Sukuna by wrapping Fushiguro Megumi into a rice dumpling in this way, which is similar to making a humanoid cursed object?

Xuan Yi didn't quite believe it.

Even if those talismans could suppress magical power, they could probably be easily broken through by an existence of Sukuna's level. Rather than saying it was to seal Sukuna, it would be more believable to say it was to prevent Fushiguro Megumi from acting rashly.

As for why Sukuna has been able to remain quiet until now, perhaps it's because Gojo Satoru and Sukuna have established some kind of bond between them!

Xuan Yi rubbed his forehead, no longer wanting to guess.

The depletion of his magical power from the battle with Lu Suo has not yet been recovered, and his head is still throbbing so badly that he feels like vomiting.

Watching Fushiguro Megumi's body sway with excitement, her breathing becoming rapid, and the chains binding her rattling.

Xuan Yi couldn't help but speak up, "Things haven't gotten that serious yet, have they? Gojo-sensei is so strong, he'll definitely have a way to solve this!"

Fushiguro suddenly looked up, her eyes glaring fiercely at him like a ferocious beast.

"What do you know, you newbie who just joined the vocational college?" His voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed rage. "The horrors of Ryoumen Sukuna, is that something you, a mere brat, can even imagine?"

Xuan Yi swallowed hard, swallowing the rest of his words back down his throat.

That's terrifying! That's incredibly rude of them!

...Kid?

I'm clearly older than him!

Yi Gu You Tai frowned, reached out and placed his hand on Fu Hei Hui's shoulder, his voice deepening.

"Hui, what you're saying is going too far. We will never allow someone to sacrifice themselves to save everyone else."

"I don't want to hear any more of this, Otsuko-senpai." Fushiguro Megumi turned her face away, her voice lowered. "I'm a little tired. After you've finished asking your questions, please leave quickly."

"Alright." Yuta Otsuki sighed helplessly, then straightened up as if he suddenly remembered something. "Oh right, we've found a lead on Fushiguro Miki."

Fushiguro Megumi's eyes widened suddenly.

A brief silence fell over the ancestral hall.

Fushiguro Megumi didn't make a sound, but her shoulders slumped slightly.

Just then, Xuan Yi seemed to hear a rustling sound coming from outside.

"...The loser goes in first, rock, paper, scissors! No, no, let's play again!"

It was the sound of Japanese knotweed.

Following the sound, Xuan Yi walked to the door and peeked out. Yuujin Itadori and Nobara Kugisaki, who were still pushing and shoving each other and plotting something, were startled by Xuan Yi's sudden appearance and started rambling incoherently.

Xuan Yi knew exactly what those two were thinking.

As Sukuna's original vessel, Itadori Yuujin naturally blamed himself for Sukuna taking over Fushiguro Megumi's body. After all, he now knew that if he hadn't been deceived by Sukuna and hadn't been bound by that bondage, he could have dragged Sukuna down to hell with him during the juvenile detention center incident. How could he have let the innocent Fushiguro Megumi suffer the pain she was in now?

As for Nobara Kugizaki, seeing her two former companions struggling in pain while she was powerless to help, she was also somewhat afraid to appear in front of Megumi Fushiguro.

"Let's be frank, you two have always had a pretty good relationship, right?"

Xuan Yi didn't give the two a chance to hesitate, and pulled them into the ancestral hall with one hand on each arm.

"Hisuhito? Kugisaki?"

Fushiguro Megumi showed a hint of surprise.

"Yo, Fushiguro!" Itadori Yuujin greeted him somewhat awkwardly, but his expression immediately turned serious when his gaze fell on the chains covered with talismans on Fushiguro Megumi's body.

He took two steps forward, squatted down, and looked directly into Fushiguro Megumi's eyes.

"Fukuguro, you have to hold on!" Itadori's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm. "If you die because of Sukuna, I'll blame myself to death!"

Fukuro looked at Itajō without saying a word, and after a long while, he responded in a low voice.

"I see."

When he spoke again, most of the hostility had dissipated. He looked at Yi Gu You Tai and Xuan Yi, who was standing quietly to the side, and his lips moved slightly.

"……Feel sorry."

Having calmed down temporarily because of her sister's situation, Fushiguro Megumi then meticulously described all the details about "Man"—from his appearance to the characteristics of his techniques—as requested by Otsukoshi.

"This information is very valuable," Yigu promised earnestly. "We will bring Miss Tsumiki back safely."

Please.

Yuta Otsuko showed a relieved smile, then clapped his hands at the three people behind him.

Let's go!

"Great, I've been wanting to teach that bastard a lesson for ages!"

"Then we'll be a special four-person team! Let's call it the 'Bone Team'!"

"Hmm? Should it be named after me?"

"Absolutely! I heard from the teacher that the senior is very strong!"

Itadori turned around with a grin and waved at Fushiguro Megumi.

Goodbye, Fushiguro!

Fushiguro leaned back on the stone chair, watching the figures preparing to depart in the distance.

His tense nerves seemed to relax a little over the past two days, and he let out a soft breath.

"Okay," he said softly. "See you later."