The Front of The Back

Spurred by Nanami's last words, Yuji keeps resisting his execution, but Yuta unleashes abilities the boy cannot match, among them an altered Rika. Underground in the tunnel, Choso can barely follow Naoya's pace and reaches for a heavier version of his technique.

Yuta keeps swinging his katana, opening a shallow cut on Yuji's cheek. Snatching a survival knife from inside a parked SUV, Yuji blocks a strike, then stamps on the lodged katana and snaps the blade with his foot. Even disarmed, Yuta steadies himself with the reminder that he is Gojo's pupil.

Yuji's relief that both fighters are weaponless collapses when a massive creature appears at his back and clamps its hands over his head, freezing him in place. Yuta calls the being Rika, orders it to hold Yuji still, then quietly drives the broken katana into his chest and apologizes. As blood runs from Yuji's mouth, Sukuna, startled for a moment, breaks into a grin.

In the tunnel, Projection Sorcery keeps Naoya ahead of Choso, who eats a vicious punch. Choso recognizes that Convergence is useless while he cannot steer blood outside his body and that Naoya, winning easily, has no reason to expose his technique. Asked who he is, Choso names himself the eldest of ten siblings and triggers Flowing Red Scale: Stack, the markings shifting across his face.

The installment wraps the duel of Yuji Itadori against Yuta Okkotsu and carries on the fight of Choso against Naoya Zenin, both staged in Shibuya within the Culling Game Arc. Yuta and Yuji share the cover, and the events run through Episodes 48 and 49. Jiro Awasaka and Gojo feature in flashback, while Rika and Sukuna both appear. Its Japanese title is one of only three written entirely in hiragana without kanji, following Chapter 27 and Chapter 64.