Cursed Technique Lapse, Blue, at maximum output.
The moment Toji saw the boundless expanse of blue, the corners of his mouth turned up.
'Now's the moment.'
The moment Gojo Satoru focused solely on offense, neglecting defense.
That was the moment Toji had been waiting for.
From the arsenal curse's mouth sprang forth a Inverted Spear of Heaven. The Armament Haki, drawn to its limit, enveloped Toji's entire body and the spear in stark blackness.
Gojo Satoru was unaware of the Armament Haki. He was also unaware of the Inverted Spear of Heaven. Both were things Toji had never mentioned or used in front of Gojo and Geto.
While Gojo had seen glimpses of the Armament Haki, the Inverted Spear of Heaven was entirely new to him. It had been deliberately hidden.
For this very moment.
Even Gojo Satoru couldn't imagine and prepare for a weapon he had neither seen nor heard of. The Inverted Spear of Heaven, capable of forcibly disengaging any active technique regardless of its nature, was not common or famous enough for Gojo to anticipate.
Moreover, the Armament Haki compensated for the Inverted Spear of Heaven's relative fragility, ensuring it wouldn't be destroyed even by the explosive force of Blue, allowing it to pierce through.
All of this became possible in the hands of a physically gifted individual with zero cursed energy, capable of tearing through the void itself.
That was Gojo Satoru's critical mistake.
Enveloped in the Armament Haki, Toji overcame the pulling force of Blue. Counteracting the sensation of being drawn in, Toji swung the Inverted Spear of Heaven powerfully towards Gojo's neck from the front.
Powered by the Heavenly Restricted Body's strength and clad in the Armament Haki, the Inverted Spear of Heaven pierced through Gojo Satoru's invincible defense, embedding itself in his neck.
Crack!
Blood burst forth. Gojo's neck was half-transpierced, staining the Jujutsu High uniform red with his blood.
"Cough...!"
Even as Gojo spat out blood, he tried to grasp Toji's hand.
At that reaction, Toji's green eyes displayed a sharp murderous intent. Like during his days as a sorcerer killer who delivered certain death to his opponents, Toji maneuvered the embedded Inverted Spear of Heaven, slicing through Gojo's upper body.
Slash!
"Satoruuu—!!!"
Geto cried out as he saw Gojo collapse, drenched in blood.
Breathing heavily, Toji turned to face Geto, who charged at him, having lost all reason. It was a mistake. It wasn't supposed to go this far. But with a reverse curse technician around, it shouldn't be a major problem.
Geto, with veins bulging in his eyes, reached out towards Toji's arsenal curse.
'I have to seal the arsenal first!'
While the Heavenly Restricted Body's physical abilities are remarkable, there's a limit to the attack patterns without a curse tool.
'The functions are special, but the power it holds isn't extraordinary. I'll subjugate and seal the arsenal curse first, then from a distance, I'll unleash all the curses I've subdued to kill him.'
The moment Geto's hand touched the arsenal curse, intending to carry out his resolve,
Whoosh!
A strong repulsion force flung Geto away.
Thud!
Toji's roundhouse kick landed squarely on the bewildered Geto's head. As he staggered dizzily, another kick to the side sent Geto flying.
"Argh...!"
Geto crumpled to the ground in the sports field, writhing before eventually becoming still. He wasn't dead, as his heartbeat could be heard; he seemed to have fainted. Toji had intentionally held back just enough.
'What was he trying to do?'
He had attempted to steal Toji's arsenal curse. It seemed he was unaware that a curse that has already formed a servitude contract cannot be a target of curse manipulation.
'It's not an easy fact to know.'
Toji himself had learned it from an old book deep within the Zenin family's archives when he was young.
In any case, it was over. Both of them. Toji checked the arsenal curse's condition before putting the Inverted Spear of Heaven back into its mouth. He sighed.
"Annoying brats."
Though it took a bit more effort than expected, Toji emerged victorious without a scratch.
It was a win for Zenin Toji.
Toji gestured towards Ieiri, who was standing at a distance. She seemed quite worried about rushing over with full force. One was unconscious, and the other had his throat pierced; it would be strange if she wasn't worried.
Roarrrr!
A one-eyed giant curse bellowed from within the forest. Toji turned towards the noise.
"Ah, I should have asked Geto to recall the curses."
Caught up in the excitement, he had made a mistake. Toji clicked his tongue. It was difficult to wake up someone unconscious.
'A curse running wild in Jujutsu High would be troublesome.'
While dispelling it was easy, doing so would diminish Geto's power, something Toji wanted to avoid if possible.
As Toji was pondering what to do next,
Bang!
He turned towards the sound. Behind a pale-faced, rushing Shoko Ieiri, Zoro was seen knocking down the Rainbow Dragon with a sword.
Screech!
The Rainbow Dragon twitched its white body before collapsing to the ground with a thud. Leaving the fallen Rainbow Dragon behind, Zoro, with a face full of excitement, charged at the one-eyed giant curse. The fact that the Rainbow Dragon remained down without disappearing suggested it was likely knocked unconscious.
"..."
Having worried when Zoro was around made me a fool. Toji rubbed the back of his neck. He felt a strange mix of emptiness and fatigue.
'Maybe because I've drawn too much Armament Haki in such a short time.'
This was the first time Toji had used so much Armament Haki in such a short period.
'The haki is the power of the spirit. It has its limits.'
If the Armament Haki is overused in a short period, one might not be able to use it for some time or it could even shorten one's lifespan, Zoro had said before.
Trying to wrap his fist in the Armament Haki, as expected, not a bit of it emerged. He had indeed exhausted it, Toji realized.
'I need to rest.'
Shoko Ieiri, seeing her peers lying bloodied on the sports field, turned pale. Despite habitually calling them trash, she knew and believed in her peers' strength more than anyone, making the shock all the more intense.
"How could this happen... they could have really died..."
"That's why I called you in advance. Heal them quickly."
Ieiri nodded rapidly, her fear palpable, but Toji thought it reasonable and turned away. It was true he had attacked more severely than planned.
Just as Ieiri was about to pour her reverse technique on the significantly more critical Gojo,
"Don't do that one."
A young yet calm voice stopped her hand in its tracks.
Zoro, having subdued all of Geto's curses, approached Toji and Shoko, wiping the purple fluid of a curse off his face with his fingers. His youthful, round face betrayed a mix of surprise and joy.
"It's not over yet."
"What are you talking about? The training's already finished. If you don't use the reverse technique right now, Gojo's going to die!"
Ieiri found it strange that she couldn't pour the reverse technique on Gojo despite the child's words. A mere kid, yet there was an odd charisma in his words and demeanor.
"He'll handle it himself."
"What do you mean...?"
Twitch.
Gojo's hand moved as he lay in a pool of blood. Both Ieiri and Toji stepped back in surprise.
Zoro looked down at the fallen Gojo.
Honestly, Zoro had been a bit worried when Toji said he'd be teaching. Not about Toji, but the students learning from him.
But since Toji wanted it, Zoro didn't say much. He thought there'd be something for the students to gain from fighting someone as strong as Toji.
But then...
"You're doing pretty well, Dad."
To bring him to this point so quickly. Zoro smiled, feeling the strong presence through his clairvoyance.
Gojo Satoru's condition began to stabilize. The gushing blood significantly lessened, and his breathing returned.
"...Reverse technique?"
Ieiri murmured in a daze. Almost simultaneously, Toji also exclaimed in astonishment.
"What a monster."
As if melting snow, all of Gojo's wounds disappeared. The wound pierced by the heavenly reverse spear on his neck, the diagonal slash across his torso.
"..."
Gojo Satoru's body trembled weakly. Once, then twice.
And then, his blue eyes opened again.
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