Episode 18

Sage is the eighteenth episode of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime adaptation.

Summary
Megumi and Noritoshi confront their similarities and differences through battle. However, the Goodwill Event is suddenly upheaved by a sudden invasion!

Plot Details
Megumi runs through a temple building with cursed energy charged arrows in pursuit. He's able to avoid most of them as they crash into the environment but Noritoshi continues to fire. Two arrows end up behind Megumi but his Unknown Abyss Toads are able to catch them with their tongues. Megumi breaks off the tip of one of the arrows, splattering the blood on it on the wall. Megumi understands that Noritoshi's technique allows the arrow's trajectory to ignore the laws of physics.

Noritoshi tells Megumi not to insult him, requesting his opponent summon another shikigami. However, Megumi's Divine Dog is off doing something else right now. Megumi says that he won't help if Noritoshi collapses from blood loss but the Kyoto student notes that the arrows are pre-prepared. Each of them recognizes each other's technique from their connection to the Big Three Sorcerer Families. Megumi inherited to the Ten Shadows Technique of the Zenin Family, which allows him to summon ten different shikigami using shadows as an intermediary. Noritoshi inherited Blood Manipulation of the Kamo Family, granting him full control over his own blood.

Noritoshi uses his last arrow to break open the ceiling as a distraction. He descends the stairs in an instant and throws a right straight at Megumi. The Tokyo first-year blocks with his tonfa but the impact sends him reeling back. He's surprised by Noritoshi's power, who continues his onslaught and breaks Megumi's tonfa despite the cursed energy defense. Noritoshi explains that he can manipulate all properties of his blood to increase his physical attributes, an ability Megumi compares to doping.

Meanwhile, Kasumi comically laments losing her sword. Without Maki around, Kasumi can't get her sword back and she feels kind of useless. Her daydreaming is interrupted by a call from Mechamaru, but Toge is on the other side, commanding her to sleep. He unlocks the phone using Mechamaru's severed armand was guided around by Megumi's Divine Dog. After commanding the dog to return, Toge notices a powerful presence.

In the observing room with all the faculty, Utahime prepares to retrieve Kasumi. Principal Gakuganji recalls assigning Noritoshi a cursed spirit meant to kill Yuji. This same curse appears before Toge, but its suddenly killed and the special grade cursed spirit Hanami appears. Also invading the school, Mahito and the curse user Juzo declare its time for their plan to get underway.

When Noritoshi was younger, he learned that he must act as heir to the Kamo Family to protect his mother. She was a mistress and he was born an illegitimate son, however, Noritoshi inherited Blood Manipulation and was propped up as the heir because of it. In the present, Noritoshi engages in close-range combat with Megumi until he breaks his last remaining tonfa. He mentions that shikigami users who can fight at close range are valuable. Nortioshi seems proud but Megumi doesn't understand by he's acting so familiar.

Noritoshi has sympathy for Megumi because he believes both of them are devoting their lives to supporting the Big Three Sorcerer Families. He wants to kill Yuji to act as a proper heir and claims he is the same as Megumi. However, Megumi rejects this ideal and claims he has renounced any connection to the Zenin Family. He doesn't care who's right or wrong, Megumi simply wants to follow his conscience to save others. If they can't agree to that, then they can only agree to curse each other.

A toad suddenly appears behind Noritoshi but it's just a distraction for Megumi to buy time. It dispels just as Noritoshi turns to face it, giving Megumi the moments needed to summon his newest shikigami: Max Elephant! Noritoshi sees it as a big target and tries to strike first, but Max Elephant floods to a corridor with a torrent of water that pushes Noritoshi outside. Out in an open space, Noritoshi knows which shikigami Megumi will follow up with next. Right on cue, Megumi summons Nue and it strikes his opponent with electricity amplified by the water. Determined to protect his mother, Noritoshi resists the paralysis and immobilizes Nue using Crimson Binding. Refusing to lose, both sorcerer students charge at one another, but their fight is suddenly interrupted by a giant sudden mass of branches.

As Toge flees from them, he orders Megumi and Noritoshi to run away. At the same time, all the talismans keeping track of the Spirit Bash Race competition burn read. The faculty realizes that unregistered cursed energy killed the curses, meaning something unexpected has taken place. Yaga leaves to check on Master Tengen, leaving Satoru and Gakuganji in charge of securing the students. Mei Mei is also tasked with maintaining communication with everyone as she stays behind.

The jujutsu students flee from Hanami's branches but end up cornered by the special grade. Juzo notices the commotion and uses a cursed object to summon a specialized curtain. Satoru, Gakuganji, and Utahime don't make it in time as the barrier surrounds the battlefield. They prepare to break it down until Satoru realizes that this curtain denies his access in return for allowing all others. He asks the other two to go on ahead, where they encounter Juzo. The curse user feels tricked, thinking he was going to face Satoru Gojo. Gakuganji takes out his guitar and orders Utahime to go on ahead to save the students as first priority.

Megumi recognizes Hanami from one of Gojo sensei's drawings. He attempts to reach Gojo sensei by phone but Hanami breaks his phone and engages the students personally with blistering speed. Toge uses Cursed Speech to stop the Hanami from moving and the curse communicates with them telepathically. Hanami claims he wishes only to protect the planet and asks the sorcerers to die and become sages for the earth.