Chapter 181

Tokyo No. 2 Colony, Part 1 (2①) is the one hundred and eighty-first chapter of Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen.

Summary
In the aftermath of the climactic battles in the Sendai Colony, Yuta decides to spare Ryu and Uro. They believe he's too naïve but Yuta is able to take their points thanks to the newest rule. Meanwhile, Kinji Hakari meets an aspiring mangaka in the Tokyo No. 2 Colony.

Plot Details
Following the end of the battle in the Sendai Colony, Yuta talks to the defeated Uro in order to retrieve her points. She tells Yuta that his strength has a limit and she's seen power beyond the horizon of strong fighters among sorcerers and curses with her very own eyes. She imagines Sukuna's original form and claims that such power takes the form of overwhelming aggression that disregards anything else like a calamity.

Yuta moves on to Ryu, who tells him he's too soft and that he won't receive praise for his actions. Yuta replies that Uro also told him something similar, that there was no value in sparing an opponent's life. Ryu is surprised to learn that Uro survived and believes his blasts must've weakened after using domain expansion. Ryu sits up and asks what Uro kept getting upset about during the fight and asks if it was a lover's quarrel. Yuta says it's something like that and Ryu tells him to stop acting like it's a bother. Yuta explains that anything he could've said to her would've just led to violence because he's blessed. Ryu doesn't really understand what Yuta meant but still respects his words.

After a brief break, Yuta decides to get back to his mission and asks Ryu to hand over his points. Ryu is initially confused but his Kogane explains that a new rule was added to the game that allows players to transfer points to one another. Ryu believes he understands why Yuta spared their lives now and asks if he would've killed them without that rule. Yuta suggests it was a possibility but he smiles and tells Ryu to just be grateful to his comrade. Thanks to the point transfers from Uro and Ryu on top of the points he gained from eliminating Dhruv and Kurourushi, Yuta has now scored 190 points.

Sometime before the Culling Game, a young man with blue hair and blue eyes named Charles Bernard filled out his visitor's registration at Shueisha's publishing house in Tokyo. Two of the staff members noticed and discussed if he brought in a manga submission. They also commented on how unusual it is for a foreigner to do so.

Charles Bernard met a Shueisha staff member to review his manga submission. While improperly sitting on a desk, Charles expressed that he's always pondered what makes a manga creator. They don't need licenses and in Charles' opinion, experience doesn't necessarily validate a creation either. The employee looked over Charles' manga while hardly listening to his words, wishing he would just sit in a chair. He only commented that the foreigner's Japanese is pretty good but Charles responded by repeating the same sentiment back, confusing the man. The employee stated that's obviously the case because he's Japanese and Charles reveals that he was born and raised in Japan although his parents are French. The employee apologized for assuming and Charles dismissed it because he believed it would be the start of a long relationship between him and the publishing studio.

The Shueisha employee is mostly unimpressed by Charles' manga submission and critiques the story, the genre, the tone, and most of all, the artwork. He used one example of one panel where a character's finger is bent too much in one direction. The employee tries to show Charles by sticking out how own finger, but Charles immediately breaks it to match the manga's art. Irritated, Charles told the man to watch movies or stare at photos if he wanted realistic artwork. He believed a publishing house should appreciate the passion that is can't be replicated in precise artwork. Charles finishes his tirade after assaulting the employee and storms out of the building, deeming the entire experience a waste of time.

In the present day, it is November 12, 12:11 P.M. at present. Charles is on a ferries wheel with Kinji Hakari and asks him if he knows exactly what makes someone a manga creator. Annoyed, Hakari answers that he doesn't know. Charles is thankful there is still electricity in the area but Hakari isn't and suggests he normally wouldn't ride a Ferris wheel with a man. Charles points out that he could've refused but Hakari wants to scope out the area in case he brings a girl back one day. Charles is surprised Hakari believes Tokyo will recover from the Culling Game, claiming that he is the exact opposite, as someone who's only come to gaze upon the end of it all.

Ever since curses flooded Tokyo, there haven't been outlets for manga, and creators that Charles respected are giving up. Charles asks Hakari to give him a reason to fight because heroes in battle manga are always fighting for positive reasons while the Culling Game only incites fights for negative ones. Charles asks Hakari to provoke him enough to instill hatred to the point where he could kill. Hakari decides to oblige and thoroughly insults Charles. He says he would never read Charles' creepy manga because his gloomy disposition might infect him. He also tells Charles to stop whining and to start fighting, garnering an emotional reaction. With tears in his eyes, Charles asks why Hakari would say such mean things.

Character in Order of Appearances

 * Charles Bernard
 * Takako Uro
 * Ryu Ishigori
 * Yuta Okkotsu
 * Sukuna (Flashback)
 * Kasumi Miwa
 * Kinji Hakari

Battles & Events

 * Culling Game

Locations

 * Sendai Colony
 * Sendai City
 * Tokyo No. 2 Colony

Jujutsu
Shikigami
 * Kogane