Sōjun Minamoto could already guess what Tengen was thinking—it was nothing more than realizing the situation was beyond saving. He tried a token resistance, then decisively abandoned the Ten Great Barriers and chose to defend just one location.
His thinking was simple: relinquish control of the Ten Great Barriers and concentrate all forces in one place. As long as breaching that place was sufficiently difficult, the balance of risk and reward would make everyone back off and settle into a stalemate.
Unfortunately for him, Sōjun Minamoto cast his eyes toward the depths of Jujutsu High—where the surface of the Tombs of the Star Palace lay—his true target...
Tengen's location.
To gather the ultimate Cursed Spirits, a host was essential. This host had to meet specific criteria, like possessing an assimilation-type Cursed Technique and the ability to evolve through integration. Across the entire jujutsu world, only two individuals fit the bill: himself and Tengen.
He could never be that host, so it had to be Tengen.
Sōjun Minamoto turned his gaze away.
The strange phenomena spreading across the land hadn't stopped. The Ten Great Barriers were now fully revealed. Star sand surged over them, and the ten originally protected regions were now draped beneath a black gauze-like sky, speckled with twinkling starlight.
The disturbance was so great that night and day flipped—stars shone in broad daylight. Anyone who could see curses, whether human or cursed spirit, would witness the anomaly.
The higher-ups, aware of the Ten Great Barriers' locations, would soon realize that the areas undergoing these changes were exactly where the barriers had shifted.
For now, though, their focus could only remain fixed on the skies overhead.
Sōjun Minamoto effortlessly folded the Ten Great Barriers beneath the White Bone Tree, making them equal in rank to the Jujutsu High barrier.
There hadn't been the slightest effective resistance.
He even found it a bit dull—so much so that he had the leisure to consider how to deal with Yaga later. Meanwhile, he observed the jade-like leaves blooming atop the tree canopy, intricate patterns etched across their surfaces.
Cursed energy sigils emerged across the tree trunk.
Those sigils represented Jujutsu High, the deep forest, and the newly merged Ten Great Barriers.
Dark lines began to creep along the trunk, weaving together to further fortify the barriers, merging them seamlessly. The bark, smooth and jade-like, was now covered with strange, symbolic folds.
With that, the Ten Great Barriers had fully come under his control. The localized phenomena began to gradually fade.
Above Jujutsu High, the sun reappeared, and the sky turned a vivid blue. It was a bright, clear day—as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.
But the massive white jade-like tree before them had grown even taller and grander, overshadowing the Sacred Tree and establishing itself as the greatest wonder of the surrounding mountains.
After briefly absorbing the barrier's power, Sōjun Minamoto separated from the White Bone Tree and stepped forward, immediately locking eyes with the onlookers.
"What happened?" Masamichi Yaga stepped up, positioning himself directly across from him, blocking the Jujutsu Headquarters representatives behind.
Members of his faction lined up at his back.
Sōjun Minamoto narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over them.
Familiar faces—Satoru Gojo, the Haibara siblings, students he had taught in recent years—some already graduated, others still in school. Toge Inumaki, Nobara Kugisaki, Panda… all among them. None of them were weak.
Talent was overflowing.
In contrast, the Jujutsu Headquarters representatives behind them stood in scattered clusters, two or three to a group. Their abilities varied greatly, and the only real advantage they had was age.
Sōjun Minamoto smiled faintly. The generational shift was already underway. The old guard was fading, and the new generation was rising—a future that matched the vision he had when he first arrived at Jujutsu High.
Back when Yaga taught him, he had thought of repaying him in this very way.
Yaga himself never asked for anything, but Sōjun Minamoto had expectations for himself.
Now, that promise was fulfilled.
He said nothing, merely looked up at the sky.
A few others followed his gaze.
There was nothing above. Just when they began to think he was being deliberately cryptic...
Boom!
A fireball came crashing down toward Jujutsu High—only to be blocked by the invisible barrier overhead. Waves of fire rippled outward, gradually spreading. The shape of the barrier became visible, and the flames reflected off everyone's faces. The intense heat made the tips of their hair curl slightly.
The ones in that area happened to be the representatives of Jujutsu Headquarters.
It wasn't that Sōjun Minamoto was targeting them on purpose—they were simply weaker and reacted slower. They hadn't had time to protect themselves with cursed energy.
A sudden uproar erupted.
The attacker was Jogo.
Kenjaku had arrived. Sōjun Minamoto felt a wave of relief.
He had been deep in thought while inside the tree, and in the end, all he could come up with was escape.
There really wasn't much he could do against Masamichi Yaga. Maybe not even Mr. or Ms. Minamoto could help.
Fleeing might be shameful—but it worked.
Of course, Sōjun Minamoto hadn't chosen this moment to assimilate by chance. He and Kenjaku had a silent understanding.
Before making his move, he roughly calculated the timing. The incident with Itadori showed that Kenjaku had already allied with the Natural Disaster Cursed Spirits. So the next phase—storming Jujutsu High and seizing the Prison Realm—was due.
And things were unfolding exactly as he predicted.
Floating in the sky now were Jogo, Hanami, and Dagon—the full lineup. Kenjaku wasn't visible, but Sōjun Minamoto knew he had to be lurking somewhere.
Jogo continued gathering fireballs in his hands, launching them at rhythmic intervals against the barrier. Dagon's cursed energy flowed strangely around his body, and the faint roar of the sea could be heard...
"New cursed spirits!" Masamichi Yaga said sternly.
His eyes met Satoru Gojo's. Calm amid the chaos, he issued orders, and the sorcerers behind him quickly dispersed to carry out their roles.
"Which one is Satoru Gojo?" An aged male voice suddenly rang out. Jogo's mouth curled into a grin as he looked down at the group, the fireball in his hand growing ever larger. The searing heat distorted the air around him.
"Oh?" Satoru Gojo raised an eyebrow at the question. He had been preparing to leave, but now paused, tapping his foot lightly to launch himself into the air, rising until he stood directly across from Jogo.
Splash—shhh—
A rush of seawater surged forth at just the right moment, defying the laws of physics as it crashed against the barrier. It swelled and receded rhythmically, straining the barrier to its limit.
Kenjaku's involvement was clear.
Satoru Gojo plunged into the sea-like torrent like an unmoving reef. With opponents pairing off, Hanami dropped straight down—the barrier failed to stop it.
With their unique constitutions, the cursed spirits, especially Hanami with its exceptional concealment abilities, took full advantage of the added burden from the seawater. The barrier was already pushed to its "limit."
This was what Sōjun Minamoto had promised them: "I won't stop you"—but he wouldn't fully release the barrier either. It would be maintained just a notch stronger than the one Tengen once upheld.
If they couldn't break through even that, there was no point in talking about cooperation.
Sōjun Minamoto felt increasingly at peace.
As soon as Hanami landed, a sorcerer stepped forward to intercept.
Three battlefronts quickly formed, pulling everyone into the fight.
Sōjun Minamoto took it all in, and through his connection to a certain soul, he also located where Kenjaku was hiding.
But he said nothing.
Masamichi Yaga still stood across from him, eyes locked on his.
Riko Amanai remained at his side.
For a moment, none of them moved.
Sōjun Minamoto was still waiting—waiting for the moment when the situation peaked...
He intended to assimilate Tengen today.