Chapter 148

Perfect Preparation (をむ) is the one hundred and forty-eighth chapter of Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen.

Summary
Maki returns to the Zenin Family to collect cursed tools for the Culling Game, but things don't exactly go as planned. Refusing to relinquish the family fortune to Megumi, the upper echelon of the clan conspire to kill him, Maki, and Mai. Maki walks right into their trap and is forced to face down her own father.

Plot Details
In order to fulfill her role in helping to combat the Culling Game, Maki returns to a place where she never feels welcome, home.

Maki goes to the Zenin Household to collect cursed tools and is greeted by Naoya. He taunts her for the injuries to her face and she simply mocks him back. Naoya believes all Maki had was her attractiveness and now that it's gone he asks if he should mercilessly bully her as he used to. He follows up by asking if she's just going to follow Megumi and Yuta like a lapdog but Maki ignores him and heads underground.

Maki exits a descends stone stairs into an underground tunnel that leads to a reinforced corridor closer to the cursed warehouse. Maki's mother awaits her in the corridor and reminds her that they cannot enter the warehouse. Maki shows her the keys and says that the head of the clan gave her permission.

Maki was the one who revealed to Megumi that becoming head of the Zenin clan was in Naobito's will. Megumi wanted to refuse but Maki insisted that he do it. She explained that he would inherit the family fortune as well as gain information about the Big Three Families and Jujutsu Headquarters.

Heavily reluctant, Megumi suggested that he step down and Maki take over for him but she knew no one would accept her. She pointed out that he's inherited the Zenin clan's prized Ten Shadows Technique and achieved its Domain Expansion. Megumi really didn't want to do it and asked if things like acceptance mattered if she becomes the clan head. She would still get the resources but Maki doesn't believe she's good enough to make this home a place where Mai belongs, not yet. Once Maki said that about her sister, Megumi understood.

In the present, as Maki walks by her mother, she's screamed at by to stop and come back. Maki's mother asks why her daughter is always like this and tells Maki to make her proud for once to have given birth. Maki continues to the doors that seal the cursed warehouse and opens them with a key. This unseals all the chains holding the tall pair of doors together, allowing Maki inside. However, she's shocked by what she see's there, her father unexpectedly sitting inside without a cursed tool in sight.

Ogi reveals that he anticipated Maki's move and emptied out all the cursed tools. He stands up, revealing his other daughter's injured body behind him. Mai has been sliced and is bleeding from her abdomen. Mai calls her twin an idiot for coming and Maki yells her name out of concern. Meanwhile, Jinichi meets with Naoya to fill him in on the circumstances.

Jinichi explains to Naoya that Megumi is the better choice for clan head because of his good relationship with Satoru Gojo and Noritoshi Kamo. At the same time, Jinichi refuses to allow an outsider to inherit the entire fortune. Naoya asks why they just don't get rid of him then but Jinichi explains they can't do that. Killing Megumi outright will hurt the Zenin clan's standing with the other Gojo and Kamo clans and they would fall behind in the power vacuum left behind by Satoru.

Naoya asks why they're doing it now if that's the case and Jinichi explains they're going to take advantage of the notice from Jujutsu Headquarters. It has been deemed a crime to unseal Satoru Gojo, so the Zenin clan is going to execute Megumi, Maki, and Mai as rebels plotting to do so. Naoya is amused by the plan and while killing his own daughters will boost Ogi's credibility, Naoya wonders if he is okay with this idea. As Ogi stands takes his swordsmanship stance across from Maki, Jinichi reveals to Naoya that this plan was Ogi's idea.

Ogi activates Falling Blossom Emotion and applies it to the sword standoff. He kept Mai alive as a bargaining chip in case Maki arrived with any unknown cursed tools that caused an emergency situation. Aware of any potential contingencies, Ogi readied himself to unleash a single mighty slash. Maki wields Juzo Kumiya's masterpiece, the cursed tool Dragon-Bone. After accumulating force and cursed energy, the user can eject them out of the black of the blade to increase its cutting power. Maki plans to take advantage of Ogi's ignorance of Dragon-Bone and feign entering a single strike duel while actually intending to hit back more than once.

Just before ending the standoff to engage, Ogi asks why Maki thinks Naobito was chosen over him as head of the clan. Maki asks if it's because he's a terrible person willing to kill his own children, prompting the start of the fight. Ogi unsheaths his blade while Maki flips Dragon-Bone into a reverse grip. She blocks Ogi's first slash and follows up with an attack of her own utilizing the momentum granted by cursed energy shooting out the back of the blade. Ogi tries to parry but his katana's blade is broken, allowing Maki to get behind him and go for the finishing blow.

With extreme reaction time, Ogi quickly spins around and counters his with his blazing cursed technique, cutting Maki down before the broken blade even hits the ground. Maki's injured eye is cut, breaking her glasses and her lower abdomen is sliced open as well. Left with grievous injuries, Maki doesn't understand what happened until she realizes that Ogi's blade has been replaced by the flames of his cursed technique. As she falls defeated, Ogi sheds a tear and reveals he couldn't become clan head because his children are worthless.

Character in Order of Appearances

 * Naoya Zenin
 * Maki Zenin
 * Yuta Okkotsu (Mentioned)
 * Maki and Mai's Mother
 * Megumi Fushiguro
 * Mai Zenin
 * Ogi Zenin
 * Jinichi Zenin
 * Juzo Kumiya (Mentioned)

Battles & Events

 * Maki Zenin vs. Ogi Zenin (Started)

Locations

 * Zenin Family Household
 * Cursed Warehouse

Jujutsu
Cursed Tools
 * Dragon-Bone

Ogi Zenin's Techniques
 * Blazing Courage
 * Falling Blossom Emotion