I love the subtlety in the way Akutami shows Megumi’s character development in this arc, culminating to Megumi’s resolve here — how he finally sheds his earlier frantic desperation (fuelled by Tsumiki’s approaching participation deadline), and his calm acceptance of what he needs to do to survive this ordeal so that he finally return to his friends/family’s side. To continue protecting those he wants to keep safe (Tsumiki, from having to participate in active killing, and also Yuuji, by giving him a reason to live/keep moving forward despite the atrocities Sukuna had committed while unsurpressed in Shibuya).
I also really love Megumi’s line “俺はただ全力で降りかかる火の粉を払えばいい” when he reaches this moment of clarity. Even though this chapter marks the first time he’s killed on-screen and taken a human life (as opposed to exorcising a cursed spirit), there is no ‘madness’ in him despite how methodically ruthless he was when he begins fighting off Reggie’s men. There is still a clear brightness, a sharpness in his gaze, much like Yuuji’s in the previous chapter — showing Megumi’s sudden clarity of thought/conscience, and perhaps still, of his child-like desire to ‘save unequally’, and then to return to the side of the people he cares about (the one thing that truly matters to him).
The narrative and his thoughts are not framed as a spiralling ‘madness’ either. Instead, he thinks “What am I doing?” and then “Don’t lose your head; Trust in the others” — as if to pull himself out of the adrenaline rush of a fierce battle; to find his centre again and re-compose himself so that he doesn’t lose himself completely to his own emotional turmoil and impulsive desperation.
It’s also interesting how Akutami has Megumi’s line reference this particular proverb; in its original context, it’s to describe something that’s done as protection and/or in self-defense—literally, waving off the sparks before they land on you and burn you. The sparks are metaphoric of any possible obstacles, hardships and difficulties that one might encounter, akin to weathering through a storm of fire (or in Megumi’s case now, it’s the explosive bombs from Reggie’s men).
AND THIS. This is the thing that gives Megumi hope and makes him strengthen his resolve, that encourages him to fight back seriously when he’d been feeling overwhelmed before by the odds against him. Knowing that Yuuji had managed to win Higuruma’s help to add the new rule to the Culling Game; that Megumi can always trust Yuuji to keep his promise to “save” him (and in turn, to help save Tsumiki); that Yuuji has his back and will do his utmost best to come through for him so they’ll survive this together… hence THAT SMILE… hhprhdjskfjv Megumi is sO SOFT for Yuuji and I have Feels….
Third part of my Jujutsu Kaisen actor AU!! Off camera, Yuji was actually really nervous about getting is hair color changed (his bro lended his Switch to distract him, it helped…a bit) EDIT:PART1,PART2andPART4!
