Iori Hazenoki vs. Kenjaku is a battle between incarnated Culling Game player, Iori Hazenoki and the curse user, Kenjaku. It occurs in the Lake Gosho Colony during Kenjaku's attempt to eliminate the remaining players in the Culling Game to end the event.
Prologue
Kenjaku hunts down the remaining Culling Game players.
On December 24, Kenjaku leaves Sukuna's side to kill all the remaining players participating in the Culling Game in preparation for the Great Merger.[1] Around the same time Satoru Gojo's clash with Sukuna's concludes, Kenjaku arrives at the Lake Gosho Colony.
Kenjaku murders a female sorcerer who was fleeing from him and is immediately confronted by Iori Hazenoki. Unlike the woman, who was questioning Kenjaku's motives, Hazenoki is fully aware of why Kenjaku is attacking. Kenjaku gets a notification on his phone and watches the live feed Gojo's death at the hands of Sukuna. Hazenoki watches as well and expresses his disappointment that he won't be receiving any backup.
Kenjaku explains he's been using cursed spirits as sensors to track the group of jujutsu sorcerers opposing Sukuna and tells Hazenoki not to expect any help. Hazenoki taunts him for being ready to flee at a moment's notice and Kenjaku responds by making the point that they're in a one-on-one confrontation.[2]
Battle
A horde of cursed spirits rush in at Hazenoki from his left. He steps back and rips a tooth from his mouth as they close in to attack him. Kenjaku asks if Hazenoki truly believed he could hold out in the event backup was coming. Hazenoki throws his tooth into the swarm of curses and detonates it, resulting in a massive explosion that destroys the cursed spirits and large section of the forest along with them.
Kenjaku's cursed spirits target Hazenoki's neck.
A long cursed spirit climbs along a tree to attack Hazenoki while he's retreating from the explosion. He takes out his eye and throws it at the curse in an attempt to destroy it. The curse eats the eye and contains its detonation within its body, surprising Hazenoki. While he's distracted and trying to heal his eye with reverse cursed technique, four flying cursed spirits with sharp, pointed beaks stab him in the neck.
Kenjaku approaches Hazenoki as he's injured in kneeling with four spikes jabbed through his neck. This prevents Hazenoki from healing himself from the neck below. Kenjaku is aware Hazenoki can use reverse cursed technique and reveals that's why he targets his head. Hazenoki asks the same question the female player who died earlier did, wanting to know why Kenjaku is doing this. Kenjaku tells him that he's going to eliminate all the Culling Game players to initiate the Great Merger between Tengen and the people of Japan. Hazenoki doesn't understand why and Kenjaku elaborates by asking him if he wants to see what he hasn't seen. Kenjaku wants confirmation of what he finds interesting and believes that's what it truly means to be alive. Hazenoki utters his last words in protest before collapsing to his death.[3]
Aftermath
Takaba unaffected by Kenjaku's attack.
Shortly after Kenjaku kills Hazenoki, he notices another sorcerer approaching. Fumihiko Takaba appears, announcing that he's arrived from afar to Hakodate. Kenjaku corrects him by telling him they're in Iwate and ponders the situation. Kenjaku didn't sense a change in the overall cursed energy volume in Shinjuku, meaning he didn't notice Takaba leave the area. Mei Mei's crows aren't around and Kenjaku wonders if her brother used his teleportation technique to transfer Takaba. Kenjaku is minorly unsettled and doesn't understand why his enemies chose Takaba to ambush him.
Kenjaku tries to dismiss Takaba quickly and attacks him with a wave of cursed spirits. He says the only awakened Culling Game player that interests him is Hiromi Higuruma. However, Takaba not only survives the attack, but takes no damage. This shocks Kenjaku, who can't explain how he felt his attack worked only for it to be forced into failing. After agreeing that the most thrilling thing in the world is when comedians who are only there to pad out the cast end up stealing the show, the two begin their battle.[4]
References
- ↑ Jujutsu Kaisen Manga: Chapter 222 (p. 12-13).
- ↑ Jujutsu Kaisen Manga: Chapter 239 (p. 1-9).
- ↑ Jujutsu Kaisen Manga: Chapter 239 (p. 10-16).
- ↑ Jujutsu Kaisen Manga: Chapter 230 (p. 16-19).
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