Episode 36

Dull Knife (鈍刀) is the thirty-sixth episode of the Jujutsu Kaisen anime adaptation and the twelfth episode of the second season.

Summary
As Mei Mei, Yuji Itadori, and others make their way toward Shibuya Station, Jujutsu High managers are being targeted by the enemy. This leads to a confrontation between Nobara and the curse user, Haruta Shigemo. As things become desperate for Nobara and Akari Nitta, Nanami steps in and showcases what it really means to be a grade 1 sorcerer.

Plot Details
While remembering his life before becoming a sorcerer, Kento Nanami finds Kiyotaka Ijichi unconscious and bleeding out at Shibuya Station by exit 13 at 9:44 P.M.. He is infuriated by the sight of his dying friend.

At 10:02 P.M., on the Fukutoshin Line Platform between Meiji-Jingumae and Shibuya Station, Mei Mei walks after Niji Ebina, who is missing his right leg, as he attempts to flee. Ui Ui sits on top of Ebina's defeated cursed spirit nearby as Mei Mei explains how her innate technique works and the training she underwent to become a grade 1 sorcerer. Ui Ui applauds and makes Ebina clap for his sister as well. Mei Mei then prepares to kill Ebina, who begs for forgiveness and swears to never do evil again. Amused, Mei Mei asks Ui Ui what a person's life value is proportional to. Ui Ui gladly answers that life's value is in proportion to how useful they are to Mei Mei. Then she asks Ebina the same question and he is unable to answer, remaining silent with his head bowed. Mei Mei believes that the reason the curse user lost is because he is unable to measure a person's life value. She then reveals that service potential is life itself for her before swinging her axe down on Ebina.

Meanwhile, Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro destroy the curtain preventing sorcerers from entering Shibuya Station, though the curtains trapping Gojo and the civilians remain active. Megumi suddenly notices Ino falling from the Shibuya C Tower and rushes to break his fall with Nue. Yuji manages to catch him before he hits the ground and notices the injuries to his head.

Ogami orders her grandson to take care of the sorcerers at the bottom of the tower. However, she shockingly discovers that Toji Fushiguro usurped control over her grandson's body, despite her only channeling Toji's body's information using her Séance Technique. Toji comments that it is likely due to his body "being special" before promptly killing Ogami as per her orders to kill sorcerers.

Elsewhere, the Zenin Team battles transfigured humans in the Shibuya Station. Nobara Kugisaki and Akari Nitta notify Maki Zenin that Ijichi sounded like he was attacked while he was on the phone with them. The second-year orders the two to locate Ijichi, as managers are crucial for communication within the city since cell phones cannot be used. Nobara and Akari split up from Maki and Naobito Zenin, who does not contribute to any of the fighting.

After rescuing Ino, Yuji wants to go back up to the tower and avenge him, but Megumi reveals he's not dead and persuades Yuji to focus on rescuing Satoru Gojo. The first-years agree to part ways, with Yuji heading to the station while Megumi takes care of Ino. At the same time, Ui Ui tells his sister that the curtain has been taken down and Mei Mei gets excited at the prospect of Satoru Gojo owing her big time.

While on their way, Nobara and Akari are confronted by the curse user Haruta Shigemo on Shoto Bunkamura Street. He is happy to finally run into a girl after taking out so many male managers. Nobara believes that Shigemo is the one who attacked Ijichi and she asks Nitta to pretend to hide in the subway entrance while escaping through another. Shigemo interrupts their whispering by throwing his sword at Nobara. She deflects it with her hammer and charges at him while Akari runs. He avoids her attacks while his thrown sword chases after Akari by itself. Eventually, the sword catches up to Akari and slashes her ankles, causing her fall. Through this attack, Shigemo learns that Akari is not hiding and runs after her, with Nobara giving chase.

Entering the station, Shigemo runs up to Akari and delivers a soccer kick to her sternum, injuring her and upsetting Nobara. Regaining his sword, Shigemo continues to effortlessly dodge Nobara's attacks and parries her thrown nails into the ceiling above himself with his sword. Using Hairpin, Nobara causes the ceiling to collapse on Shigemo, who remains in place as the debris falls around him without injuring him. Unable to see the curse user due to the debris and believing he is defeated, Nobara shifts her attention to Akari, allowing Shigemo's sword to fly out of the dust cloud and land a punch on her jaw, concussing her and leaving her extremely dazed.

Nobara loses balance in her legs and falls to her knees. Realizing that Nobara is concussed, Shigemo walks to her, kneeling over to talk to her in a taunting matter. Nobara tries to buy time by asking Shigemo about his motivations as he prepares to kill the two girls, struggling to talk due to the concussion. However, the curse user reveals that he doesn't have any convictions and kills simply because it's fun for him. He stabs Akari repeatedly while she's on the ground, angering Nobara. She tells him to stop and he replies mockingly by asking her to make him stop. Nobara stumbles back to her feet determined to save Akari, but struggles to attack Shigemo. Just as the two clash weapons, the glass door to the station shatters.

Nanami walks into the substation and immediately glares at the curse user with an angry expression on his face. Shigemo kicks Nobara away and notices Nanami's attire and wonders if he's supposed to kill non-black suits too. He attempts to hold Akari hostage, but realizes that she managed to escape using the escalator while he was distracted. Nanami appears behind him and asks Shigemo how many curse users there are and where they are located. Shigemo turns around and slashes Nanami in the shoulder before kicking him, claiming he doesn't know. However, both attacks are completely ineffective, surprising the curse user. Nanami angrily repeats his question, and before Shigemo could finish repeating his answer, he is punched in the face by Nanami using his Ratio Technique and launched across the room into a glass display case.

Realizing that he would have died had it not been for his cursed technique, Shigemo attempts to run away. However, Nanami grabs him by the hair and repeats his question once again. Before Shigemo can even answer, Nanami delivers a ferocious body shot that slams Shigemo into the wall behind him and cracks it from the impact. As Nanami stands over Shigemo, the curse user's cursed tool attacks Nanami from behind. However, Nobara nails it to the ceiling. Shigemo angrily tells her to read the room but Nanami interrupts and lifts him up by the throat. Instead of repeating the question again, Nanami reveals he found several dead managers on his way here. He charges his fist with cursed energy, asking if Shigemo is responsible. A terrified Shigemo apologizes, but Nanami nonetheless punches him in the face and sends him crashing out of the station and into a nearby building. Nobara is amazed by Nanami's strength, noting that he is exactly the model of what it means to be a true grade 1 jujutsu sorcerer. He walks away and tells Nobara they need to find Akari.

Meanwhile, on the Fukutoshin Line Platform underground, Mei Mei comes face to face with Pseudo-Geto. She is surprised to see Geto but quickly dismisses the idea that he could be alive, as well as the idea that Satoru messed up or that the two were colluding. She says it's a shame that her preferred of the two special grade students ended up this way. Pseudo-Geto replies that he also feels sorry to have to kill a former upperclassman and summons a special grade disease curse: Smallpox Deity to fight Mei Mei, promising to battle her himself if she manages to exorcise it. The disease curse immediately activates Domain Expansion, trapping Mei Mei inside a coffin. The curse begins chanting, causing a large gravestone to fall from the sky onto the coffin, much to Ui Ui's horror. Then the curse begins a three count, but Mei Mei breaks out before it ends. Ui Ui is excited to see his sister survive while Mei Mei is impressed, stating that it has been longer than she can remember since her life has been in danger even for a moment.

At 10:10 P.M., Yuji runs inside the Shibuya Station and wonders if he is going the right way since no one is around. Meanwhile, Nanami speaks with Nobara and Akari, who are sitting on two connected chairs recovering from their injuries. He reveals that Ijichi will be okay, as he did what he can for him and he tells the girls not to forget that Ijichi was originally training to be a sorcerer instead of a manager. He also informs the girls about Gojo's situation, something they didn't hear about since they headed indoors away from Yuji's yelling. Nanami asks them to wait for rescue while he joins the Zenin Team and heads for Shibuya Station. Nobara wants to go but Nanami insists that the coming battles require sorcerers grade 1 and above, anyone else would simply be in the way.

Yuji jumps down a flight of escalators and immediately runs into Choso, who recognizes Yuji as his brothers' killers. He activates Blood Manipulation: Convergence as he prepares to attack Yuji.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Kento Nanami
 * Kiyotaka Ijichi
 * Yu Haibara (Flashback)
 * Mei Mei
 * Niji Ebina
 * Ui Ui
 * Yuji Itadori
 * Megumi Fushiguro
 * Jiro Awasaka
 * Takuma Ino
 * Toji Fushiguro (Seánced)
 * Ogami
 * Maki Zenin
 * Akari Nitta
 * Nobara Kugisaki
 * Naobito Zenin
 * Pseudo-Geto
 * Haruta Shigemo
 * Choso

Locations

 * Shibuya
 * Shibuya Station
 * Fukutoshin Line Platform
 * Bunkamura Station

Battles & Events

 * The Shibuya Incident
 * Mei Mei vs. Niji Ebina
 * Nobara Kugisaki & Kento Nanami vs. Haruta Shigemo
 * Mei Mei & Ui Ui vs. Smallpox Deity (Started)