Gaiden - Zenin Zoro 10

Zenin Megumi glared at Zenin Toji, as if questioning how he could do such a thing. Toji just shrugged.

"You know, son, this guy isn't an ordinary human. He'll be fine even if he goes in and out of a cursed spirit's stomach."

"No matter how you put it—"

Just as Megumi was about to say it was too much, a loud noise resembling something being ground by a blade echoed from afar.

Instinctively, everyone except Zenin Toji and Zenin Megumi covered their ears with their hands.

"What is this?" Nanami said, pressing his hands tightly against his ears.

Zenin Megumi quietly murmured.

"It seems my brother has started."

His battle with the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna.

Zenin Megumi took a calm, deep breath.

He couldn't just rush over there out of worry because he wouldn't be able to help in Zoro and Sukuna's fight. As frustrating as it was, that was the reality.

"Father, is Sukuna here in his complete form?"

"No. It seems like he's gathered between 12 and 16 fingers."

"Really?"

If that was the case, they had a chance. Megumi believed in Zoro's victory and needed to prepare for what would come next, just as he always had.

Zenin Toji placed his hand on Megumi's shoulder and spoke seriously.

"Megumi, you need to get these people out of here."

"What about you?"

"I have to go to your brother."

"The civilian evacuation…"

"That's not your job."

Zenin Toji cut him off sharply. Over the years, Geto Suguru, Gojo Satoru, and Zenin Zoro had reformed and established new rules for the sorcerer world. One of those rules was not to deploy underage sorcerers in crisis situations. In the past, teenagers were actively sent into these situations, and if something went wrong, the blame was placed on them. It was a terrible system.

Megumi, who had memorized the history of the amended sorcerer regulations, understood his father's words.

'According to the current sorcerer regulations, it's forbidden for non-adult sorcerers to be dispatched in such situations.'

Except for Zoro.

Technically, Zoro was also forbidden from being dispatched, but he often ignored the regulations and showed up at the scenes anyway. Due to his immense contributions to the sorcerer world and his overwhelming power, most rule violations were overlooked, and he wasn't held accountable.

Zenin Toji patted Zenin Megumi's shoulder reassuringly.

"Head back. Leave the rest to the adults."

Zenin Megumi bit his lip.

He knew. He knew this was against the rules. Still, he didn't want to retreat while his father and brother went into battle.

After all, the reason he learned jujutsu was…

ROOOOAR!

A giant dragon-shaped curse spirit burst through the building wall. All four sorcerers stiffened and took combat stances upon seeing the man standing proudly on the dragon's head.

The man atop the dragon, Geto Suguru, smiled at Zenin Megumi.

"Megumi, what are you doing here?"

"Teacher Geto…."

"Teacher? That guy is your teacher?" Maki asked in disbelief. After all, this man was the one who had thoroughly crushed them when they were first years, now second years.

Geto Suguru turned to Maki and asked, "Are you hurt, Maki?"

"I don't want to hear that from you."

After you beat me up so badly. Maki's aura grew even more menacing as she recalled the grudge from the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons. Although this wasn't exactly the same "Geto Suguru," he was still "Geto Suguru."

Feeling aggrieved at suddenly receiving hostility from another world's student, Geto briefly wore a regretful expression before realizing that the other version of himself was a curse user. Understanding the reason, he looked back at Zenin Megumi, deliberately shifting his gaze to avoid provoking Maki further.

"Keep running off like that, and you'll become even more of a problem child than Satoru."

Ugh. Zenin Megumi's face scrunched up. Seeing his openly displeased expression, Geto smiled kindly but spoke firmly.

"I understand you want to help, but everything you could do is already done."

The protective barrier for non-sorcerers had been completed by the barrier technique users from Tokyo Jujutsu High. Unless Sukuna personally appeared, it wouldn't be easy to break the barrier.

Moreover, Satoru is also there.

"Not just one, but both of them."

"But the Gojo-sensei from this world is sealed, isn't he?"

"He won't be for long. We decided to bring the Black Rope from the school storage."

The Black Rope is a cursed tool that nullifies all techniques it touches. Originally not from Japan but from Africa, it was recently loaned to them after negotiations with an overseas sorcerer.

Using the Black Rope, they could unseal the Prison Realm.

'We could have used the Heavenly Inversion Technique to forcibly release it.'

That, however, was in Zenin Toji's Inverted Spear of Heaven, stored inside his weapon storage curse spirit. Since Zenin Toji had arrived in a different location than where Gojo did, he hadn't met Gojo holding the Prison Realm.

'And instead of dealing with the Prison Realm, he went straight to protect Zoro.'

Treating an 18-year-old, who's considered one of the strongest special grade sorcerers in history, like a helpless child left at the edge of the water was overboard. Geto shook his head.

"Well then, Megumi, it's time for you to go back."

Smiling, Geto said, "Your father, Satoru, and I need to go get your brother."

...

Bam bam bam bam bam bam!

Sukuna's indiscriminate attacks flew in all directions, slicing through buildings like they were paper.

Zoro, with a sword in his mouth, rushed at Sukuna who was slipping through the gaps in the sliced buildings.

"Three-Sword Style, Black Rope Dragon Twister!"

Whoooosh!

A massive vortex of slashing attacks seemed to gather and absorb Sukuna's attacks before slicing through them. Watching from his rooftop perch, Sukuna thought to himself.

'A good attack. However, to be more efficient, he only needed to block the *Kai* coming at him directly… I see, it's to prevent significant damage to the city.'

Pathetic. Sukuna's face turned to one of boredom.

What does it matter if the slashes hit a city, a village, buildings, houses, animals, or humans?

'In any case, they'll all be meaninglessly cut, slashed, and killed with just a flick of my finger.'

To Sukuna, "humans" held that much meaning. If they were annoying, he killed them. If he found them interesting, he played with them. When he got bored, he killed them just the same. If they looked appetizing, he ate them.

The one before him had the power, yet he was using it to protect beings far weaker than himself.

"Despite having such power, you choose to gather and protect others? How pitiful."

Whether it's humans or curses, the more one is bound by others or their emotions, the weaker they become.

Zoro narrowed his eyes, untied the black bandana, and tied it around his head as he replied.

"What are you babbling about, curse?"

...

[Author's Note]

Vote with your power stones, it motivates me to keep posting chapters.

If you're interested, you can read 20 advance chapters on my Patréon.

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