Chapter 115 – Chapter 103: This is really my escape route!
“An unfamiliar face.”
Mahito looked with great interest at the black-haired youth who fell into his sight.
“Yuuji, don’t come over! Mahito’s target is you!” After a brief moment of shock, Yoshino Junpei immediately yelled at Itadori Yuuji to back off.
“What?” Itadori Yuuji was taken aback.
“You know, since all the actors have made their moves, you can settle down and die in peace.” He reached out to grab Yoshino Junpei, but his hand froze almost instantly.
“Huh?”
Sudden bloodlines appeared on his right hand, followed by the arm falling apart like a piece of sashimi onto the floor.
When did he attack?
Did that unknown guy do this?
Mahito stared blankly at the arm severed and lying on the floor.
“So you actually dare to make a move in front of me? Looks like you’re disregarding me, kid.”
Lin Qi looked somewhat exasperated but realized something: besides a few people from the Jujutsu High Specialization, his strength has not been exposed yet.
No problem then.
“Junpei Yoshino, right, come on over, nothing to worry about,” Lin Qi casually invited him over.
The boy with the slicked-back fringe looked cautiously at Mahito, who had not yet reacted, while keeping an eye on him and approaching Itadori Yuuji.
“Junpei, are you okay?” asked Itadori Yuuji with concern.
“Hm…” Looking at the wound on his right hand, Junpei nodded.
Lin Qi glanced, then placed his hand on Junpei’s shoulder, activating a reversal technique.
“…Healed?” He looked at his newly healed right hand in surprise, subconsciously clenched his fist, and recalled what he pulled out from his pocket—a rotting dark red finger.
“Right, when Mom died, she was clutching this.”
“Oh oh, Sukuna’s finger. This is a Special Grade cursed object, your mother must have been killed by the cursed spirit attracted to this thing. It’s likely that was planted at your home by the person across from you.”
Lin Qi took a look and casually tossed it to Itadori Yuuji nearby.
“Really? Here and now? Are you sure, Qi Teacher? If Sukuna comes back now, it wouldn’t be ideal, right?”
“Don’t worry, just eat it,” Lin Qi shrugged. “I believe in your ability to suppress Sukuna.”
Though Yuuji had doubts, he reluctantly agreed to his trust in Qi, swallowing the finger under everyone’s watchful eyes, including Yuuji’s surprised gaze.
Seeing Yuuji swallow Sukuna’s finger, Mahito’s eyes flickered with surprise, though his smirk remained annoying.
“Reversal techniques capable of healing others, you’re quite a character!”
As he spoke, his severed arm regrew.
“Say, do you think the body creates the soul, or the soul creates the body?” he asked with a smile, “like, which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
Seeing no one answering, Lin Qi puzzledly pointed at himself.
“You asking me?”
“Yeah, occasionally we should hear the thoughts of strong people,” said the stitched-faced man with a nod.
“Screw off,” Lin Qi shrugged and turned to urge his group.
“What are you three waiting for? Go gang up on him!”
Mahito’s smile suddenly froze.
“Seems like you don’t enjoy chatting much.”
“But unfortunately, your attacks can’t truly hurt me.” His arm regrowing, he smiled confidently again, danger creeping into his gaze, “It’s not just healing, inspiration forms the body. As long as the shape of the soul is maintained, the body doesn’t take injury…”
Just as he finished speaking, his newly healed arm shattered again, blood splattering in his dazed face.
“Is that so?” Lin Qi retracted his hand after severing Mahito’s arm once more, “Thanks for the reminder; you’re not entirely bad.”
Mahito’s smile froze again.
Am I injured?
His attack was… targeting my soul!
“Can you see it? My soul!” The stitched-faced man’s eyes bulged, his twisted grin showing madness.
Lin Qi ignored him and patted Yuuji and Yukino on the shoulder.
“Minions, now!”
“Why not resolve it directly, Qi Teacher?” asked Yuuji, still recovering from eating Sukuna’s finger.
“No fun if I do it too fast. And look at him,” Lin Qi refused Yuuji’s proposal, “Don’t you find him annoying? Don’t you want to unleash your fists against him?”
Without hesitation, Yuuji loudly agreed.
“Snow-Under, avoid being touched by him.”
“I understand,” Snow-Under slightly nodded.
“Same for you, Junpei.”
“Yes!” Junpei firmly nodded.
After a while, Yuuji hadn’t received any instructions yet, so he asked, “Me?”
“Your move,” Lin Qi glanced at him.
“Why me?!” Yuuji felt targeted.
But before they could continue chatting, Mahito restored his arm with curse power and rushed toward them.
Lin Qi had already leaped out through an eight-holed ceiling nearby, casually watching from above. Seeing the curtains descend and a reliable adult waving to him, he warned the three below about the barrier.
“Idzichi set up a barrier; evacuations must be done. Let’s fight freely.”
“Alright!” Yuuji hollered loudly.
“Still worrying about others?” Mahito smirked while rushing towards Yuuji, his hands morphing into blades striking out towards the pink-haired teenager.
Yuuji leaned backward dramatically to barely avoid the blade, flipping backward to escape Mahito.
Avoiding the attack, Mahito didn’t stop, slicing toward the stunned Junpei, the cold steel reflecting in his pupils.
Snow-Under retreated to a corner near the window, dodging Mahito’s attempts to touch her, using invisible slashes from her hands.
Attacks against the soul…
She slashed Mahito’s neck, drawing blood.
Mahito’s movement towards Junpei halted, gripping his neck and retreating, doubt creeping onto his face.
He attacked me?
No, the cut is too shallow. If it were him, my head would be gone.
So… another entity capable of attacking the soul?
Mahito looked at Snow-Under earnestly.
Lin Qi’s own presence doesn’t need mentioning; his origin is from the soul realm and thus can see souls. Targeting the soul, he reasoned, wasn’t difficult.
Snow-Under, having housed Lin Qi’s soul and influenced by his guidance into the Realm of Birth, could naturally perceive and understand the form of the soul.
“Junpei, stay alert during the battle!” The black-haired girl reminded him sternly.
“Ah, sorry!” Junpei snapped awake, controlling a jellyfish familiar, attacking the distracted Mahito while also backing to stand in front of Snow-Under, “Senior, though I may not fight as well as you or Yuuji, I can reduce some harm for you.”
“It’s unnecessary. Take care of yourself,” Snow-Under said lifting her sword.
“You, too, Junpei,” Snow-Under added.
After moments, Yuuji didn’t hear instructions from Lin Qi; he asked,
“About me?”
“You handle it,” Lin Qi dismissed him.
“Eh, why not?” Yuuji, feeling singled out, wondered.
However, without time to chat further, Mahito recovered and lunged at the trio.
Lin Qi landed on the broken ceiling, sitting idly while observing from above, noticing a trustworthy adult from afar.
“Giving the thumbs up to Idzichi…” Mahito shouted with a smile.
“Already setting barriers, surrounding residents must have evacuated. Let’s give it everything.”
“Oh!” Yuuji responded.
“Still worried?”
Mahito had closed within range of the nearest target, Yuuji, whose eyes widened to dodge the sudden knife strike.
Snow-Under retreated to the living room window while Mahito’s attack missed, her invisible slash cutting through the air.
Only a soul-level attack can hurt him…
She slashed and sliced across his neck, making him stagger and retreat, confusion settling on his face.
“He attacked!”
No, the cut is too light, had he done it, my neck would’ve been cleaved in two.
So another direct soul attacker?
He looked at the focused Snow-Under.
Lin Qi’s soul experience made him able to see souls and attack them directly.
Snow-Under’s soul was connected to Lin Qi through consciousness and dragged to the Realm of Birth. Understanding the soul’s structure wasn’t surprising.
“Focus in battle, Junpei!”
“S-sorry!” Junpei responded sharply, controlling his jellyfish familiar to assail the distracted Mahito, while backing to Snow-Under’s side.
“Avoid Mahito,” Snow-Under commanded as the strike hit, Mahito halting with confusion.
“Useless!”
Blood surged from his wound, Yuuji was unharmed.
“The enemies of my soul?”
Three students, the mysterious black-haired youth’s power unknown.
“Too easy,” Mahito mocked.
“Chase!” He flew swiftly, Yuuji and Junpei following, Snow-Under breaking a window, fleeing outside.
Mahito laughed, flying high above, escaping.
“See you next time,” Mahito called, diving into curtains.
“S-stubborn!” Mahito crashed into the barrier, smashing into the curtain.
“Damn! Strong barrier!”
Facing Lin Qi, Mahito struggled, barrier compressing.
“Begin round two,” Lin Qi grinned.
…
After school, become a jujutsu sorcerer.
