Tokyo Jujutsu High was built halfway up the mountainside, accessible only by a long mountain trail.
Red torii gates lined the trail, one after another with only a few steps between them.
In mythology, torii gates marked the threshold between realms. Legend said that passing through a torii would bring one from the human world to the heavenly realm where gods dwelled.
Here, these torii served as nodes for the barrier. Each gate represented another layer of protection, with hundreds of them symbolizing hundreds of barriers.
"It's quite the grand display, I must admit."
Baobhan Sith's high heels tapped lightly on the stone steps, and with each step, another invisible barrier shattered. A crack splintered across a torii gate, its once-bright red now dull and lifeless.
Her skirt flowed with each stride, and the crisp rhythm of her heels announced the breaking of each barrier.
She didn't have to do anything. Just her presence alone shattered each barrier, not pausing her for even a second.
The more one understood the strength of Master Tengen's barrier, the more surreal this scene became.
"Miss, stay behind me!"
A figure stepped protectively in front of Riko Amanai, as the intruder's approach made it clear she wasn't here for an afternoon chat.
Despite her obvious lack of jujutsu powers, Amanai's maid stood in front of her charge without hesitation. But she wasn't alone; the two figures standing before them as shields were none other than Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru.
"Satoru, are you all right?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Gojo shot back, "Who do you think I am?"
Geto's concern was understandable—Gojo had been maintaining his technique at full power for days on end and hadn't slept in two nights.
Not ideal conditions.
"Oh my, have you two finished your conversation?" Baobhan's voice cut in as the final barrier shattered with a crackling sound, and she stepped onto the last stone step.
"Ah, how considerate you are," Gojo replied mockingly. "But causing this much commotion might get you swarmed by reinforcements any minute now."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Baobhan tilted her head in feigned confusion before her smile turned into a mocking grin. "Are you the type to worry when ants gather around you? You just need to swing the blade a few more times; it's not as though I'll be the one cleaning up the corpses."
"Huh? What's with that smug look on your face?"
It seemed the two were already rubbing each other the wrong way.
Geto never took his eyes off Baobhan, calling to the others behind him. "Satoru and I will handle things here. You two get inside. Once you're with Master Tengen, you'll be safe."
"But…"
Riko cast a worried glance at the broad backs of her bodyguards, but her maid grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward the entrance to escape.
"That would be… troublesome for me."
Watching the two girls begin to flee, Baobhan raised a hand toward them—only to be interrupted.
"I won't let you get to them!"
A massive white worm suddenly surged from behind Geto, its foul mouth gaping wide to devour Baobhan whole.
The attack caught her attention, her expression turning to one of pure disgust.
Countless slashes sliced through the giant worm's body in an instant. The massive curse, one of the strongest in Geto's arsenal, disintegrated to nothing in less than a second.
"I despise insects. My dear mother despised them too—whether they crawl on the ground or fly in the sky, whether they're massive or swarm in numbers. I detest them one hundred, no, one thousand times over."
"Still calling her 'mother,' are you?" Gojo taunted. "You really are just a little girl who hasn't grown up."
Despite his words, his tone held none of his usual nonchalance. A dense wave of cursed energy built up in front of him, surging like a storm.
Cursed Technique: Blue—Maximum Output!
The blue sphere crackled like a miniature black hole, pulling everything around it with a powerful gravitational force.
Gojo swung his arm, and the sphere hurled toward Baobhan, roaring with unleashed fury.
It hit her squarely, because she hadn't even tried to dodge.
Wind whipped through Gojo and Geto's clothes as the blast kicked up a cloud of dust, and both raised their arms instinctively to shield themselves.
"What's going on?"
Geto, unable to see through the dust, turned to the Six Eyes user for answers.
But what he saw was Gojo's face, usually a mask of casual confidence, now uncharacteristically tense.
"I know my attack hit her dead-on, but… her cursed energy hasn't wavered at all. What kind of cursed technique does she have?"
Just then, a voice echoed from within the swirling dust.
"Ah, I nearly forgot I was here on a mission. Letting the target escape would be… inconvenient."
A chill ran down Geto's spine. He spun around, voice frantic as he shouted to the two girls just about to enter the building. "Get down!"
A clear slice cut through the dust, a transparent slash racing toward Riko and her maid. They ducked just in time, the attack passing close enough to brush their hair and leaving a jagged gash in the stone wall behind them.
That was close—but neither was harmed. Geto let out a breath of relief.
"Oh my, is it really okay to relax so soon?"
Her voice cut through the air again, as menacing as ever.
This time, though, Geto realized her voice sounded much, much closer.
"Geto—!"
When?!
No—that wasn't the right question right now. The only option was to escape!
In an instant, Geto formulated his plan: summon his toad curse to leap out of range, then follow up with his squid curse to delay her pursuit. He'd buy time and—
Though he was only a student, Geto had no shortage of battle experience.
Unfortunately, that experience was meant for dealing with jujutsu sorcerers and curses.
Not monsters.
His toad curse barely hit the ground before it was shredded into pieces.
One squid curse after another launched toward her, each one destroyed the moment it came near her, unable to even graze her clothes.
There was nothing to stop her. With ease, Baobhan extended her hand, gripping Geto by the throat and lifting him off the ground.
"Checkmate."
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T/N: I hope she doesn't kill them AFAFA