The sudden attack stunned everyone.
Geto Suguru's expression twisted in rage. "They actually tracked us all the way to Jujutsu High's gates!?"
The enemy had chosen the perfect moment—attacking when they were just about to enter the school's barrier, at their least guarded state. And on top of that, right when Satoru had just deactivated his technique.
Yukinoshita Haruno… was she working with the attacker?
No, thinking about that now was pointless!
Geto Suguru focused his gaze on the black-haired man who had just ambushed Gojo Satoru.
Gojo struggled to turn his head, looking at the man who had just put a hole in his stomach. There was something oddly familiar about him.
A grin tugged at Gojo's lips. "Have we met before?"
"Don't worry about it. I'm just like you," Zenin Toji smirked. "I don't remember guys' names either."
Gojo Satoru raised his hand, a blue light blooming in his palm as Limitless reactivated.
Zenin Toji immediately felt a powerful force pulling him backward.
The moment Gojo broke free, dark ripples spread behind Geto Suguru. A massive, worm-like cursed spirit shot out from the black void, swallowing Zenin Toji mid-air in one gulp.
"Satoru!"
Geto ran toward the injured, kneeling boy, wanting to check his wounds, but Gojo raised a hand to stop him.
"I'm fine. The technique didn't activate in time, but I avoided any vital organs, and I reinforced my body with cursed energy so the blade wouldn't cut deeper."
Gojo stood up with a grin. "This kind of injury is nothing. It's like poking a sweater with a pin—not a big deal."
"More importantly, we need to protect Riko first."
He turned toward the cursed spirit that had swallowed Toji. Even though the man hadn't moved since being eaten, Gojo knew he wasn't finished yet.
"I'll handle this guy," he said. "Geto, you take the others to Master Tengen."
Hearing that, Geto instinctively turned toward Amanai Riko and Kuroi Misato's last known location—only for his pupils to shrink in shock.
They were gone.
"Good luck, you two."
A lazy-sounding voice drifted down from above. Geto followed the direction of the voice and saw Riko and Kuroi sitting on a thick tree branch, looking completely confused.
Right beside them sat Yukinoshita Haruno.
But something was different—subtle, yet significant.
At some point, the short-haired girl's eyes had turned a brilliant ruby red, and an extra pair of narrow pupils had appeared beneath her eyelids. Mysterious black markings traced along her delicate face.
An overwhelming pressure radiated from her, making it feel almost impossible to resist.
"What… is this…?"
Geto Suguru suddenly realized that, in front of Yukinoshita Haruno at this moment, his hands were trembling slightly.
And his legs—felt like they were rooted to the ground.
He couldn't move.
Even Gojo Satoru, who was fully focused on the enemy, couldn't help but turn his head to glance at the short-haired girl, who suddenly seemed like a completely different person.
"Possession? No… that's not right. Her appearance hasn't changed, so it's more like something has taken control of her…" Suguru Geto quickly came to the right conclusion. "What exactly is inside Yukinoshita?"
He thought back to how he and Satoru had been effortlessly taken down earlier. If someone like that was determined to take Amanai Riko away, the two of them might not be able to stop it.
"Why are you looking at me? Watch the enemy." Hayashizaki reminded them with a hint of impatience.
Snapping back to reality, the two of them turned their attention back to the wriggling curse spirit that had swallowed Zenin Toji.
The next second, the curse spirit's body started trembling violently. A blade pierced through its flesh, gleaming coldly under the warm early summer sunlight.
With flashes of steel, the curse spirit was sliced apart in an instant. Its purple blood and torn flesh scattered everywhere, revealing the strong figure of Zenin Toji.
He was drenched in the curse spirit's blood, a worm-like curse coiled around his shoulder. Resting on his other shoulder was a large sword with a white mane tied to its hilt.
Exhaling a deep breath, Toji looked past Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru, his gaze landing on the short-haired girl sitting on a tree branch not far away, legs crossed.
Something was off.
This was no ordinary young sorcerer. Just from sensing her presence, Toji could tell that this girl was far stronger than Gojo Satoru.
Killing the Star Plasma Vessel with someone like her in the way? That was impossible.
Toji's expression darkened.
He had made all the right preparations—using the thirty-million bounty to wear down Gojo Satoru and the other sorcerers, setting a time limit on the job as a distraction to lower Gojo's guard and slow his reaction, and then delivering the final, fatal strike himself.
Everything had lined up perfectly—until this monster appeared out of nowhere.
Sometimes, no matter how well you plan, things don't go your way.
A bit frustrating, but the Star Religious Group's job wasn't worth his life.
This one was trouble. Time to pull out.
Just as Toji was about to slip away, a playful voice suddenly spoke right next to him.
"Oh? Running away already?"
A chill shot through his body. His eyes widened as he turned to see the short-haired girl perched on the tree behind him, cutting off his escape route.
His arm muscles tensed. Without hesitation, he swung his cursed tool—the five-billion-yen-grade Soul Liberation Blade, capable of cutting through anything, even souls—toward her in a flash.
The blade, which could slice through anything, stopped.
It was caught between three pale, delicate fingers.
No matter how much force Toji applied, the sword wouldn't budge. His hand trembled as he struggled to push it forward, but the blade refused to move even an inch.
Meanwhile, the short-haired girl only smiled calmly, as if she was barely trying.
"No cursed energy at all… a Heavenly Restriction? I see. No wonder I didn't notice you until you attacked," Hayashizaki observed, studying Toji's body with interest.
Realizing his strike had failed, Toji immediately pulled back, leaving a deep trench in the ground as he retreated. Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted toward the Star Plasma Vessel.
If this monster was blocking his escape, that meant there was no one protecting the Star Plasma Vessel.
This was a small window of opportunity—he had to take it.
But then—what?!
On the tree ahead, Hayashizaki was there too, smiling at him alongside Amanai Riko and Kuroi Misato.
Toji forcefully stopped in his tracks, his legs dragging deep grooves into the ground.
He turned his head.
Behind him, the short-haired girl was still standing there, smiling just the same.
A clone…
A bead of sweat rolled down Toji's face.
…
(End of Chapter)
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