Chapter 184 – One Hundred and Seventy-Second Chapter – No Chances Given
Again, he saved her.
As she looked at the familiar face of the young black-haired man, a sense of security surged from within her, but soon after, the girl felt ashamed of this unconscious reliance.
“I-I…”
Yukinoshita Yukino tried to speak, but was interrupted by a hand gently resting on her shoulder, “You’ve already done well enough.”
“The barrier is down, most of the cursed spirits released in Shinjuku have been cleared out, it’s over now.”
“Take some time to rest now.”
All injuries were healed, a warm sensation came from her shoulder like a beautiful illusion, making one wish to sink into that warmth unwilling to wake up again.
This couldn’t continue.
The black-haired girl lowered her head slightly, taking a small step forward.
Dependency on him couldn’t be forever.
Slightly tilting her body, she gently leaned her head against the solid chest of the young man, her arms relaxed and hanging loosely by her sides.
Weakness couldn’t always define her.
“Hmm… really, so tired…”
Yukinoshita closed her eyes lightly, as if to release all the accumulated pressure and fatigue. She breathed out deeply through slightly opened lips.
Lin Qi didn’t say anything; he just gently patted the girl’s back with his hand, glancing around with a sidelong look in his eye.
Rimei’s little maidservant had quietly slipped away without anyone noticing. Although he wanted to use her to tease Sukuna himself, the current situation clearly made addressing the students’ psychological issues more pressing.
Previous battles, although equally bloody and tearful, did not reach the severity of this Oni Night Parade.
Seeing someone who could save five people cruelly murdered before their eyes, realizing one’s own weakness, and feeling helpless—these emotions, although Lin Qi could not resonate with them yet, he could understand.
No matter whether it was Yukino or Hachiman, they used to be ordinary high school students struggling with their awkward youth just recently.
Now, they fight to save innocent humans and confront terrifying enemies, battling for life.
A sudden mindset change wasn’t easy to come by.
Even if it could happen, it would inevitably leave scars on their hearts.
His existence and intervention had led these students who should live in the light, into the darkness of the world. Thus, he must take responsibility.
“You must have a lot you’d like to tell me.” Lin Qi placed his hands on her shoulders, straightening her posture, “Let’s move elsewhere to talk. Just wait for me a moment.”
He drew two fingers out of his pocket and approached Itadori Yuuji, saying briefly, “Eat.”
“Th—this is… Sukuna’s fingers!?” Nanaami建ren exclaimed, hurriedly trying to stop him, “Please hold a moment, Mr. Lin Qi!”
“Huh?”
As he turned his head, Shirogane hurriedly explained, “We can’t confirm the capacity limits of Itadori as a vessel. We should collect all his fingers first, then let him eat them all at once…”
Nanaami建ren’s voice became smaller as he continued, suddenly realizing the truth.
Itadori Yuuji, from start to finish, lived only to eliminate the curse Sukuna. Once he eats all twenty of Sukuna’s fingers, he will be killed to finally cleanse the two-faced curse.
In hindsight, could his character possibly be just as bad as Satoru Gojo?
“This isn’t complicated. I’m just in a bad mood and need someone who can handle my full strength punch,” Lin Qi shrugged nonchalantly, tossing the fingers casually to Itadori.
Itadori staggered to catch them, then grimaced. “I need to eat both of these disgusting things…!”
Although obedient to Lin Qi’s words, Itadori needed mental fortitude to swallow the waxy-looking fingers.
After swallowing saliva, Itadori gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, lifting one finger into his mouth and gulping it down quickly, followed by the second.
He spat out his tongue and started gagging like a ghost, his expression distorted.
The next moment, Itadori’s pupils constricted abruptly as a heavy feeling emerged in his body, consciousness gradually sinking as if from a sea surface deep into the ocean, leaving physical control fading away.
Shutting his eyes slowly, black lines appeared on his face, his eyes reopening to reveal crimson irises and a second pair of eyes opening.
A savage and malevolent aura immediately enveloped Itadori. Nanaami建ren and Fushiguro Megumi instinctively tensed in guard:
“This aura is… Sukuna!”
This is precisely what I feared might happen!
Nanaami thought discontentedly to himself.
“Counting this one, it’s his sixth.”
Not Itadori, but rather Sukuna said as if he hadn’t fully shown his smile, raising his hand in front of him, crossed.
Bang!
At that instant, while Sukuna took possession of Itadori’s body, Lin Qi attacked.
His fist landed on Sukuna’s crossed forearms, sending the latter flying like a cannonball, crashing into the wall with a deafening impact that even shook the entire underground space.
Enormous cracks spread across the wall. Sukuna was deeply embedded, judging by the angle of his forearms’ bend, Lin Qi’s fist had broken both his forearms.
Lin Qi shook his hand, brows relaxing, “That feels much better.”
Silence fell between Nanaami建ren and Fushiguro Megumi. Their defensive stances looked like clownery.
Nanaami silently lowered his arms, then pushed up his goggles idly, moving nervously.
“Fushiguro-kun, did you anticipate this kind of situation?”
Fushiguro nodded stiffly, “No… though I thought Rikqi-san would overpower Sukuna, I didn’t expect this much of a gap.”
Seeing how Sukuna, possessing six fingers of cursed energy, still couldn’t fight back against Lin Qi.
Sighing, Nanaami admitted, “No wonder Itadori-kun said Lin Qi’s power exceeds Gojo.”
Meanwhile, when two-faced Sukuna, sent flying by a single punch, realized the gap between him and Lin Qi was unbridgeable, decisively switched consciousness out of Itadori, leaving his wounds untreated.
Hmph, he wouldn’t let this black-haired child humiliate him.
…
After-school, then becoming Jujutsu Sorcerer:
