The plot thickens in Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo chapter 6. The fight between the serial first-grade repeater Masaki and the unconscious Maru reveals more than just Maru’s powers.
SPOILER WARNING AHEAD
As the fight between Masaki and Maru rages on, Maru’s twin brother, Cross, looks on from a distance. It seems Cross has a bigger agenda for which it’s convenient that Maru loses control against an Earthling. The threat of war appears all too real.
Masaki struggles to handle Maru’s powers. Levitation, enhanced strength and speed, even manipulating the laws of nature. It’s all Masaki can do just to defend himself. Right when Maru has him cornered, Tsurugi swoops in. He’s smart enough to realize what could happen if Maru kills an Earthling and makes a plea to their friendship. This inexplicably strikes a chord in Cross, who steps in and ends the fight.
This was a very interesting chapter. I appreciated how it played to both Akutami’s (writer) and Iwasaki’s (artist) strengths. They balanced each other very well. The action was engaging and dynamic, with creative use of the changing battlefield. The writing rambled a little, but it gave keen insight into the characters’ perspectives that informed, and in Cross’s case contradicted, their actions.
Memorial Moments
Two moments really stuck out to me. The first was the fight in the gym. I was racking my brain trying to figure out why the “do-re-me” solfege scale was playing in the background. The only explanation I could think of was that it reflects Masaki’s pursuit of childlike innocence under the guise of a warped and violent nature. He can justify it all he wants, but he can’t escape his twisted desires any more than Maru’s onslaught.
The second moment was when Cross stopped Maru from hurting Tsurugi. In hindsight, this small face turn wasn’t all that surprising, but it does add an extra layer of complication. Cross had seemed entirely open to the idea of war between the Simurians and Earthlings. And yet Tsurugi’s appeal for coexistence moved Cross enough to intervene. How this will play out is anyone’s guess, but it was just the right wrinkle to shake up the status quo.
Several questions remain unanswered. Who is the hooded man Masaki referenced? Just how strong is the horned Simurian? And why did Cross want war to break out, only to abandon the notion at the last second? We’ll have to keep reading to find out. Catch up on the story by visiting the official Viz Media manga web page for Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo.
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