Yuji's mind raced, spiraling with confusion and dread. Why had Geto shown up now? Why had he taken an interest in Yuko of all people? It made sense for someone like Geto to target Yuji given his strength and connection to Sukuna, but Yuko? Was there something about her that he didn't know?
"Yuko, we need to leave. Now!" Yuji's voice cracked with urgency, anxiety bleeding through his tone. His thoughts were a jumble, but one thing was clear—he wasn't ready to face Geto. He didn't have Reverse Cursed Technique, and his strongest attack, Supernova, would leave him dangerously drained. He couldn't afford to take chances.
"Y-Yuji, what's going on?" Yuko's voice trembled as she clung to him. She didn't fully understand the situation, but she could feel the suffocating weight of cursed energy that Geto had left behind. It was unlike anything she'd encountered before—dark, vicious, and overwhelming.
"That man... he's a criminal to jujutsu society. A threat," Yuji said sharply. "I didn't want to drag you into this until we were ready to enroll, but we can't wait anymore. We're going to Tokyo Jujutsu High. Now."
His eyes darted to her injuries. Yuko's arm was bleeding, and her ankle was badly twisted. Cursing himself for not noticing sooner, Yuji bent down and scooped her up into his arms.
"W-wait, Yuji!" Yuko squeaked, caught off guard by his sudden move, but he didn't give her time to argue.
Yuji reinforced his legs with cursed energy and shot forward at speeds Yuko hadn't known he was capable of. She held onto him tightly, her heart pounding from a mix of fear and adrenaline.
Choso, though far away, felt the spike of his brother's anxiety even without being connected through their dream world. His chest tightened with the instinct to rush to Yuji's side, but he restrained himself. For now, he had to stick to their plan—staying in the shadows to keep Kenjaku, whom he believed to be Noritoshi Kamo, unaware of their movements.
As Yuji bolted across the city, he suddenly felt a massive wave of cursed energy directly above him. He glanced up just in time to see a towering, seven-foot-tall humanoid figure, pitch black and oozing with malice, aiming to crush him.
"Damn it!" Yuji growled, reinforcing both himself and Yuko with cursed energy. In a split-second decision, he threw Yuko to the side, ensuring her landing was safe even as she screamed his name.
"YUJI!"
Yuko landed roughly but miraculously found herself cushioned by a bed inside a nearby building. She gasped in shock at the sheer force Yuji had displayed, but her relief was short-lived as she heard the sounds of destruction outside.
The curse slammed into Yuji with tremendous force, sending him flying through multiple buildings. Before he could recover, the creature grabbed his legs and dragged him through the rubble like a ragdoll.
Pain exploded through Yuji's body, but he gritted his teeth, refusing to let it overwhelm him. Twisting his torso, he grabbed the curse's hands and wrenched himself free, spinning midair.
Pouring every ounce of cursed energy he could muster into his leg, Yuji delivered a devastating kick to the curse's head. The impact sent the creature hurtling backward, crashing through debris.
Yuji landed heavily, clutching his side. His breathing was ragged, but his focus was razor-sharp. "What the hell? Where did this special grade even come from?" he muttered, his voice edged with frustration. He clenched his fists, realizing the dire situation he was in. There was no running from this fight. It was do or die.
Meanwhile, miles away, Satoru Gojo had just received troubling news.
"A sighting of Geto in Sendai, huh?" Gojo muttered to himself, his usual carefree tone laced with curiosity. He leaned back in his chair, spinning it slightly as he mulled over his options.
Initially, he had planned to investigate the Geto sighting himself, but reports of a special grade curse in the same area caught his attention. Special grades were always a spectacle, and there was no way he could resist the opportunity to show one to his students.
"Megumi!" Gojo called out, grinning as he stepped into the training grounds where his protégé was practicing.
Megumi looked up, her expression as deadpan as ever. "What now?"
"We're going to Sendai," Gojo said cheerfully, ignoring Megumi's obvious exasperation. "Time to see what it's like fighting a special grade. How fun!"
Megumi sighed, already bracing herself for whatever chaotic lesson Gojo had planned. She had no idea how much worse things were about to get.
Dodge and counter—those were Yuji's only options. The special grade curse was relentless, and every attack he landed only seemed to make it stronger. To make matters worse, the curse was too fast for him to charge up any of his more powerful blood manipulation techniques. Yuji grit his teeth in frustration. How? How had all his progress led to this? This damn curse—one Sukuna or Gojo could easily obliterate with a flick of their finger—was completely overwhelming him.
Yuji ducked left just as the curse swiped at his head, narrowly avoiding the attack. He countered with a punch to its chest, sending it flying backward—but not as far as his earlier hits had. His strikes were losing their impact.
'It's absorbing my attacks and healing itself at the same time,' he realized, his mind racing for a solution. He clenched his fists. 'I've got to figure something out before it's too late.'
Activating Flowing Red Scale Stack, Yuji grounded himself, channeling cursed energy into his hands. He spread his arms wide and aimed his palms forward, his blood boiling with power.
"Piercing Blood!" he shouted, unleashing a crimson stream of cursed energy directly at the curse's head. The attack made contact, beginning to pierce through the creature's skull. Encouraged, Yuji poured even more energy into the attack, his determination surging.
But before he could finish it off, he felt something grab his arms from behind.
"What the fu—" Yuji started, but the words were cut off as a grade 1 curse materialized behind him, forcing his arms apart. His attack was disrupted, and the Piercing Blood sputtered out.
The special grade curse wasted no time, lunging at Yuji with terrifying speed. Together, the two curses pounced on him, pinning him down as he struggled beneath their combined weight.
Meanwhile, high above the chaos, Gojo stood with Megumi and Yuko, observing the fight. Gojo held Yuko securely under one arm and balanced Megumi under the other, much to the girl's irritation.
"So, let me get this straight," Gojo said, glancing down at Yuko. "You ran into Geto, who apparently sent these curses after you two?"
Yuko nodded, still catching her breath from the earlier events. "Yes, but Yuji told me not to worry about him. He said Geto wasn't the biggest problem right now..."
Gojo turned his attention back to the fight, watching Yuji struggle. "Interesting kid," he mused, smirking.
Megumi, on the other hand, frowned as she watched Yuji fight. "Are you going to help him?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Only if he really needs it," Gojo replied, smiling as he rested his chin in his hand. "But don't worry, I've got an eye on him."
Megumi sighed, crossing her arms as she glanced at Yuko. "Looks like you'll get to see what your friend's really made of," she muttered, trying to suppress her curiosity about this surprisingly strong boy fighting below.
Yuji quickly charged up a massive amount of cursed energy, releasing it in an explosive burst that sent both curses flying backward. He panted heavily, taking in the momentary reprieve as he prepared himself. Great, now they're jumping me. This feels just like Gojo versus Sukuna and Maharaga, he thought bitterly.
Without hesitation, he activated Flowing Red Scale Stack again, his cursed energy roaring to life as he squared off against the two curses. He decided to target the weaker, grade 1 curse first, hoping to eliminate the numbers advantage. But as he dashed toward it, the special grade curse intervened, blocking his attack and defending its companion.
Yuji's eyes narrowed. They're working together. So Geto really did send them after us, he realized. He gritted his teeth, kicking the grade 1 curse away to give himself some breathing room before clashing with the special grade once more. Their blows traded with rapid ferocity, Yuji's strikes sending shockwaves through the area.
"You absorb my hits, huh?" Yuji muttered, analyzing the curse's movements. "You're like the opposite of Yuko's technique... SO I'LL JUST OVERWHELM YOU!" he shouted, pouring more energy into his strikes.
The curse tilted its head slightly, then grinned, revealing its jagged mouth as if mocking Yuji's plan.
Yuji ducked under one of the curse's wild swings, and in that instant, he felt it. A surge deep within his soul, a premonition he couldn't ignore.
"BLACK FLASH!" he roared, his fist connecting perfectly with the curse's body. The shockwave rippled through the air, warping the space around them. He could feel it now—the zone. The rhythm of cursed energy coursed through his veins like a symphony.
"BLACK FLASH!" he shouted again, landing a second perfect strike, the force sending the special grade reeling.
Sensing the danger, the grade 1 curse rushed to help its companion. But Yuji turned to meet it head-on.
"You've been outclassed since the start," he growled, pouring every ounce of focus into his next move.
"BLACK FLASH!" His fist obliterated the grade 1 curse completely, its form dissipating into nothing.
'That's three. Let's tie Nanami's record, shall we?' Yuji thought, a fierce grin spreading across his face. He turned his attention back to the special grade.
"BLACK FLASH!" he roared once more, the fourth strike sending the curse crashing through the walls of the building and into the streets outside, utterly destroying their surroundings.
High above, Gojo, Megumi, and Yuko watched in stunned silence.
"Holy shit," Megumi muttered, completely bewildered by what she was witnessing.
"Agreed," Gojo and Yuko said in unison, neither looking away from the carnage below.
Down below, Yuji stood amidst the rubble, his body buzzing with the overwhelming energy of four consecutive Black Flashes. He smirked, completely in the zone. "Heh. Is that all you got?" he asked, more to himself than the curse.
In response, the curse began to giggle—a low, sinister sound that echoed ominously. Slowly, it began to walk toward him, its aura more menacing than ever.
Yuji didn't back down. He matched its pace, walking toward it with the same intensity. "So, you're no pushover, huh?" Yuji cracked his knuckles. "Good. Let me go all out!"
But just as he rushed forward, a sudden pang of danger shot through him. His instincts screamed too late. His arm was ripped clean off his body.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Yuji screamed in pain, clutching the stump of his arm as blood sprayed from the wound. Acting quickly, he used blood manipulation to close the wound and stop the bleeding, though he couldn't heal it.
Panting heavily, Yuji glared at the curse, which stood motionless, pure cursed energy radiating from its form. That's when he noticed something. The aura... it's different now. Did it—? His eyes widened in horror.
It ate a Sukuna finger when I sent it flying. HOW?!
Yuji's mind raced, the truth hitting him like a ton of bricks. Geto planned this. He wants me to grow. He's trying to force me into a corner!
The curse grinned again, as if taunting him, its energy spiraling even higher. Yuji gripped his remaining fist tightly, his frustration boiling over. "Damn my arm. I can't heal it," he muttered bitterly.
Then, something clicked in his mind. Binding vows. That's what made Sukuna so strong. That's what could push him past his current limits.
A wild grin spread across Yuji's face as he laughed through the pain. "HAHAHAHA! This fight's not over yet!"
Reaching deep within himself, Yuji made the vow.
In exchange for overwhelming strength and speed, I won't use my cursed technique for one minute.
The moment the vow was made, Yuji felt it. His cursed technique locked itself away, bound by invisible chains. But in return, his strength and speed more than doubled, his body practically vibrating with power.
"Let's go, you freak!" Yuji roared, rushing at the curse with renewed ferocity, his grin widening. The fight was far from over.