When Hayashizaki returned to the juvenile detention center with an unscathed Itadori Yuji, Fushiguro Megumi was leaning against the low wall in the corridor, resting. Yukinoshita Yukino stood nearby, quietly waiting.
When Yukino saw Hayashizaki's somewhat unfamiliar figure, the trace of worry in her eyes finally faded. Although she didn't think Hayashizaki would lose, she had been a little concerned.
"Everything's settled, and I had my fun," Hayashizaki said with a fresh smile as the black markings and extra eyes on his face disappeared.
"Beating up Ryoumen Sukuna feels way better than Gojo Satoru."
"That's good," Yukino replied with a gentle nod.
"Huh?"
Itadori Yuji blinked in confusion after hearing what Hayashizaki said.
"You even fought Gojo-sensei? Really?"
"Ask him yourself," Hayashizaki shrugged, not caring much about the fact that he had beaten Gojo Satoru.
"Isn't Gojo-sensei supposed to be the strongest?" Itadori scratched his head, looking puzzled.
"Did he say that himself?" Hayashizaki raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," the pink-haired boy nodded.
"Pfft!"
Hayashizaki couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
"Maybe he was... before he met me."
Itadori Yuji seemed to think that discussing such matters behind Gojo-sensei's back wasn't appropriate, so he decided to keep his doubts to himself for now, planning to ask Gojo directly the next time they met.
The three walked along the hallway leading to the dorms. Megumi Fushiguro lifted his eyes to glance at them. Upon seeing Yuji safe and sound, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Megumi's clothes were torn and tattered, with a scrape on his forehead leaving a bloodstain across one cheek, though it had been wiped away.
"Hey, Megumi! You're all beat up again!"
Yuji grinned and greeted him cheerfully.
"Are you an idiot? And whose fault do you think that is?"
Megumi's face darkened immediately at Yuji's words.
"Ah, true. My bad!"
Yuji chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. Then he asked, "What about Nobara? Is she okay?"
"She's fine. Just a little injured. I already asked Ijichi-san to take her to the hospital. He should be back soon."
"That's a relief."
Yuji let out a sigh of relief before turning to Hayashizaki. "Hayashizaki-san, can you help heal Megumi?"
"No problem."
Hayashizaki placed a hand on Megumi's head, using reverse cursed energy to heal him. As a bonus, he ruffled Megumi's spiky hair into a mess.
A reverse healing technique like Shoko Ieiri's, something even Gojo-sensei couldn't manage…
"Thank you very much," Megumi said seriously. He stood up, bowed slightly, and asked, "I have one question for you, Hayashizaki-san."
"What? No need to be so formal," Hayashizaki said casually, sitting on the low wall nearby.
"What's your relationship with the Zenin clan?" Megumi asked cautiously, choosing his words carefully.
"The Zenin clan? Ah, you mean because of the Ten Shadows Technique?" Hayashizaki quickly understood what Megumi was getting at, especially since it was the Divine Dog that had carried Yukinoshita Yukino earlier. "So, your technique is the Ten Shadows as well?"
Megumi nodded.
"I'm not connected to the Zenin clan at all," Hayashizaki replied with a smile, answering honestly but leaving Megumi even more puzzled.
"Though, now that you mention it…"
The final shikigami of the Ten Shadows Technique, Mahoraga, had yet to be fully tamed due to Sukuna's interference during the ritual. Hayashizaki decided to finish it before Ijichi Kiyotaka returned.
He stood up, walked to an open area a short distance from the group, clenched his fists, and quietly chanted,
"Is that—!?"
Under Megumi's stunned gaze, Hayashizaki summoned Mahoraga and effortlessly destroyed it.
As a fellow wielder of the Ten Shadows, only Megumi fully understood how powerful Mahoraga was. According to the Zenin clan's history, no sorcerer who had awakened the Ten Shadows Technique had ever successfully tamed Mahoraga. The ritual was known as a desperate measure—a final move used to ensure mutual destruction with an opponent.
Yet Hayashizaki had already been regarded as someone on the same level as Gojo Satoru in terms of power. Killing Mahoraga with ease wasn't surprising, especially since Gojo-sensei could do the same.
What shocked Megumi was that Hayashizaki had used another technique outside of the Ten Shadows—one identical to the techniques Ryoumen Sukuna was said to possess.
"A single person… can wield two techniques at once!?"
"Is it a technique like Okkotsu-senpai's, where you can copy someone else's technique?"
After taking Mahoraga under his command, Hayashizaki canceled its summoning. To his surprise, he discovered that a completely destroyed Shikigami could be revived using points.
Since Divine Dog, as the initial Shikigami, could be summoned without subduing and only required mastery of the technique, its revival only cost 500 points. Without hesitation, Hayashizaki spent the 500 points to revive Shiranami.
After all, it was Shiranami who helped Yukinoshita Yukino overcome her fear of dogs. Naturally, Hayashizaki wouldn't neglect it.
Feeling delighted, Hayashizaki returned to the group. Fushiguro Megumi seemed to want to ask him something, but realizing it involved the secrets of Hayashizaki's technique, he swallowed his words.
Not long after, Ijichi Kiyotaka, who had ensured Nobara Kugisaki was taken care of, drove back.
After learning that no one was injured, he finally let go of the anxiety weighing on him and heaved a deep sigh of relief.
Still, the cleanup work would likely give him a headache and cost him some hair, given that the fight between Hayashizaki and Ryoumen Sukuna had caused more destruction than a demolition team.
At Hayashizaki's request, Ijichi Kiyotaka dropped him and Yukinoshita Yukino off at the apartment complex where Yukinoshita Haruno lived before taking Itadori Yuji and Fushiguro Megumi to the hospital where Nobara Kugisaki was.
Before leaving, he thoughtfully handed each of them an umbrella, proving once again how dependable a working adult could be.
The two of them stood in front of Yukinoshita Haruno's apartment. Yukinoshita Yukino rang the doorbell several times, but there was no response.
"Looks like my sister isn't home. What should we do?"
She asked, a bit troubled.
Hayashizaki formed hand seals and sent a shadow through the crack under the door, summoning Mahoraga inside to open it from within.
"…"
Seeing the massive white Shikigami with its head nearly touching the ceiling and completely blocking the entryway, Yukinoshita Yukino was left speechless.
After dismissing Mahoraga, Hayashizaki walked into the apartment as if it were his own, pulling out two pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet.
"Come in. Why are you just standing there?"
He called out casually.
Yukinoshita Yukino, unsure of what to say, sighed and followed him inside. After changing into the slippers, she entered the living room and found Hayashizaki rummaging through the refrigerator.
"What are you doing? Are you hungry? I can cook dinner."
Although she had countless questions, seeing Hayashizaki digging through the fridge made Yukinoshita Yukino suppress her curiosity for now and ask with concern.
After all, Hayashizaki had gone through an intense battle today, and it was his first day having his own body—he must be starving.
But the moment she finished speaking, her expression froze.
Hayashizaki shut the refrigerator door, cracked open a can of beer, and took a long gulp. He let out a satisfied "Ah~!" before turning to face Yukinoshita Yukino, whose face was now dark with annoyance.
"Hm? What did you just say?"
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