"Na—"
Before the classic Japanese exclamation could finish, the person closest to the door had already been knocked down.
Akira didn't stop. He kept moving, hitting anyone in sight.
Thanks to Organization Q's over-the-top costumes, there was no need to worry about hitting the wrong target.
Of course, Akira was using the martial arts he had been training in for the past few days.
With no classes and no other missions, Akira had thrown more than ten thousand punches. His coordination between cursed energy and physical movement was becoming second nature, no longer requiring conscious thought.
As his body moved, cursed energy flowed naturally.
Every move, every step carried immense power, sending both people and objects flying through the air with ease.
In the blink of an eye, the large hideout had been reduced to rubble by Akira. More than ten low-level members lay scattered on the ground, their fate uncertain, unable to even draw their guns.
One condition for activating "Black Flash" is complete focus and total effort, and in this state, no ordinary person could possibly keep up with Akira.
The only one who managed to avoid harm was the curse user.
This also revealed Akira's practical method for identifying curse users—the Jojo Method.
The sheer brutality of the fight made the remaining enemy abandon any plans of a "cursed technique display," opting instead to silently unleash his curse.
It took the form of a purple mist.
Akira, unwilling to recklessly charge in, grabbed one of the fallen lackeys and threw them into the mist.
The instant the body touched the mist, their clothes and exposed skin began to corrode rapidly.
"A corrosive mist-type ability?" Akira assessed calmly.
"That's right, my cursed technique is called—"
The curse user thought he had found the perfect moment to start a proper jujutsu battle, not realizing he was up against a non-traditional jujutsu sorcerer with no cursed technique.
Before he could finish speaking, Akira had already grabbed two more lackeys and hurled them at the enemy, with such force that it seemed like he was trying to crush him.
The curse user felt a wave of absurdity wash over him.
Who exactly is the curse user here?
How is it that you're more ruthless, more skilled at killing than I am?
Aren't you supposed to be a "good guy" who at least shows some regard for life?
Of course, by "ruthless," he meant it relatively.
The curse user himself didn't care about his companions' lives; in fact, he didn't even see the non-curse users as his comrades. Whether they died by being thrown or were dissolved by his cursed mist, it made no difference to him.
The greatest advantage of his curse was its longevity and low energy consumption. Even if everyone in the hideout turned into a pile of sludge, it wouldn't be an issue.
Wait!
His goal wasn't just throwing people or wasting time; he was using those thrown bodies to create openings.
As the curse user dodged the second "flying body" attack and saw Akira preparing to throw a third person, he finally realized something was wrong.
But by then, it was too late. On the third throw, Akira put all his strength into it.
The force behind the throw, combined with the mass and volume of the human body, created a wind pressure that dispersed the corrosive mist for a brief moment, just long enough for Akira to seize the opportunity.
One punch!
Another punch!
The curse user, a step too slow, was struck squarely in the jaw—a fragile spot on the human body, often the decisive factor in professional boxing matches.
With Akira's strength, one punch would surely result in at least a concussion. Whether the man would be reduced to a drooling idiot or not would depend on his luck.
After landing the blow, Akira didn't pause. He followed through, charging forward and breaking through the corrosive mist entirely.
Without a proper "cursed technique explanation," Akira couldn't be sure whether the mist would disappear if the user lost consciousness.
Given the nature of the mist, Akira didn't want to linger in the hideout any longer. He grabbed the curse user and walked outside.
Throwing the curse user to the ground, Akira patted his face lightly. After a couple of taps, he gave up and muttered to himself:
"Almost forgot, his body might have been cursed too. Better safe than sorry; I'll head back to Jujutsu High and have Ms. Shoko check him out. Plus, I can report the negligence of certain people to Gojo-sensei!"
Just as Akira took out his phone, his expression suddenly shifted, and he quickly stepped back.
At almost the exact same moment, there was a loud bang, and a nearby wall crumbled, sending debris flying everywhere.
"A sniper?"
Akira shifted his stance, moving in a serpentine pattern as he slipped into the shadows, avoiding the light.
It was at that moment that a faint yellow hue spread across the sky, descending like a dome.
Someone had cast a "Curtain."
As the Curtain dropped, two figures dressed in white military uniforms and cloaks appeared under the night sky, one in front and one behind, effectively cutting off both Akira's path forward and his retreat.
The enemy was well-prepared. Seeing no point in hiding anymore, Akira loosened the cloth wrapped around his back and slowly stepped forward:
"So, this is a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. I've fallen into a trap. If I'm not mistaken, you two must be the core of Organization Q—"
"Bayer, the organization's strongest fighter." The long-haired man in front announced.
"Kokun, the organization's coordinator." The man behind him let out a sinister laugh.
To be honest, in the real world, such self-introductions would be pretty cringeworthy, but paired with their overly dramatic outfits, it somehow felt fitting.
"Isn't the strongest one supposed to go after the strongest opponents? Why come after me?" Akira asked sincerely, though his words were anything but pleasant.
"Because there's still a little gap between us and your 'strongest,'" Bayer admitted frankly, which caught Akira slightly off guard.
"Looking at your outfits, I thought you'd care more about appearances."
"Do you really think we care?" Kokun pointed to his own face, which was completely covered, without a single gap. "Ten years ago, I lost my face, all thanks to Jujutsu High. I swore I would get my revenge, a hundred times over."
"You can't take on the main target, so you go after others instead. That's some 'super revenge multiplier' you've got there."
"That's because we're villains," Bayer replied shamelessly. "Let's make a deal: if you beg me while crying, I'll spare your life."
"That's quite the villainous thing to say."
"No, that's what Gojo Satoru said to me ten years ago. I'm just repeating his words."
Bayer's reply made Akira's face stiffen for a moment.
Gojo-sensei, you really know how to stir things up.
As Gojo's student, Akira couldn't be outdone.
"In that case, I'll return the favor too: If you beg me while crying, I'll spare you."
Bayer and Kokun burst out laughing, clutching their sides as they did.
"Did you hear that, Kokun?"
"I heard, Bayer."
"Are today's youth always this arrogant? Ah, the glory of the Showa era is truly gone."
"I finally understand why you and that Grade 1 sorcerer split up. He's beyond foolish."
"Allow us to take the place of that irresponsible teacher and teach you a lesson in reality. Let's see if you're still so confident after this."
Bayer raised his right hand, and several rifles floated out from behind him, lining up neatly in front of Akira.
The next second, gunfire erupted.