In a quiet café, Shinsuke Zenin had run into someone who knew where Toji was. He went over and sat down across from him.
Seeing that familiar face, Koji Shigu paused in surprise.
"Toji? Is the mission already... No, you're not Toji."
Koji realized his mistake. The face, so similar to Toji's, had thrown him off.
But having dealt with Toji so often, he quickly noticed that the man before him wasn't Toji.
"Hello. I'm Toji's older brother, Shinsuke Zenin. Do you know where Toji is right now?"
Shinsuke wore a faint smile as he asked politely.
"His older brother? Toji has a brother? He never mentioned that."
Koji didn't doubt Shinsuke. With that face, it was hard not to believe him.
"But if you're looking for Toji, you can wait a while. Judging by the timing, today's the last day of the mission. If things go smoothly, he should come to collect the rest of his payment.
"Of course, even if he fails, he'll still give me an explanation."
Koji spoke unhurriedly. "If you're not in a hurry, you can have a cup of... Hm? Where'd he go?"
Only after he'd started speaking did he notice the man had vanished without him realizing.
"Toji's older brother, huh... Interesting."
After finishing the last of his coffee, Koji left too. He had a feeling that the Sorcerer Killer he'd worked with for years was going to fail this time.
But that had nothing to do with him. He was just a small-time middleman.
Meanwhile.
Inside Jujutsu High's barrier, the two prodigies, Satoru Gojo and Geto Suguru, had finally delivered the Star Plasma Vessel, Riko Amanai, safely to her destination.
Everyone relaxed. After all, no assassin would be foolish enough to break into the barrier, and it could detect the presence of any Jujutsu Sorcerer.
"Phew, we finally made it. I'm exhausted. I'm never taking another job looking after a kid."
Satoru stretched, looking irritated, with a trace of fatigue and reluctance in his eyes.
He was exhausted because he hadn't slept in three days. The reluctance came from knowing that Riko, with whom they'd shared such wonderful times, was about to be assimilated by some old man.
They called it becoming one with him, but in reality, it was no different from death.
"These past few days have been the happiest of my life. Thank you!"
Riko didn't argue with Satoru. Instead, she thanked them sincerely.
They had let her experience, even if only briefly, what it felt like to have real friends. She'd thought she liked being alone, but the truth was that she'd simply never been part of a lively group.
"I don't want to be thanked by a kid."
Satoru looked faintly disgusted, but the corners of his mouth crept up as he secretly basked in the praise.
Geto smiled and said nothing, his eyes narrowed.
Caught between them, Kuroi looked reluctant. Was the little girl she'd cared for all this time really going to leave her forever today?
"Whoosh!"
Just as they were savoring this last moment of ease, a flash of cold light appeared. A long blade sliced through the air and pierced Satoru's body.
The tip thrust through him from behind, running him clean through.
Blood ran down the blade and soaked his clothes.
Everyone's faces changed; their pupils contracted and their bodies tensed in an instant.
"Satoru!" Geto shouted, Cursed Energy surging through him.
He unleashed Cursed Spirit Manipulation. A crack appeared in the air, and a monstrous Cursed Spirit tore its way out.
Satoru, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He paid no mind to the blade through his body and turned to inspect Toji's face.
"Say, haven't we met before?"
"Don't worry about it. I'm not good at remembering men's names, either." Toji gave a faint smile and yanked out the blade.
"You avoided the vital organs? No wonder you're a once-in-a-century genius from the Gojo Family."
"Roar—!"
As Toji taunted him, the enormous Cursed Spirit opened its gaping maw and lunged at him, swallowing him whole.
Satoru looked at Geto. "Take Riko and go. I'll deal with him."
Geto fell silent for a moment, then acted, taking Riko toward Tengen.
Satoru stayed behind to face the Sorcerer Killer, Toji Fushiguro.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Geto had barely left when a long blade pierced the Cursed Spirit. Toji stood before Satoru, covered in blood and carrying a broad-bladed sword, with an ugly Cursed Spirit coiled around him.
Looking at Satoru's bewildered face, Toji generously explained his entire plan.
He had placed the bounty and set the mission's time limit. Beyond weakening them, the most important part was to make Satoru lower his guard when the time ran out and deactivate Limitless.
And as someone born without Cursed Energy, Toji could enter and leave Jujutsu High at will without the barrier noticing him.
All he had to do was lie in wait inside the barrier, then strike when Satoru had let his guard down completely.
As for Geto, Toji hadn't paid him much attention.
"So that's how it is."
Now that he knew the truth, Satoru grinned and spread his hands. A powerful force of attraction gathered in his palms.
"Now it's my turn!"
To show respect for his opponent, Satoru unleashed a powerful Jujutsu attack at Toji. A terrifying sphere of energy erupted with a fierce pull, tearing the ground apart.
The sudden attack blasted Toji into the ruins. Just as Satoru prepared to attack again, he realized that Toji had not a trace of Cursed Energy in his body.
What's more, Toji moved between the buildings as if teleporting. Satoru's senses and Cursed Technique couldn't keep up with his speed.
"Hey, hey, is that speed for real?"
Satoru was stunned. That speed was practically inhuman.
"Cursed Technique Lapse... Maximum Output... Blue!"
Unable to catch his opponent, Satoru chose a wide-area attack. A blue-black sphere of energy, packed with powerful Cursed Energy, gathered in his palm. With a sweep of his hands, its terrifying force mercilessly destroyed every building around him.
He would leave his enemy nowhere to hide!
As Blue destroyed everything, the area around Satoru opened up.
He gathered Cursed Energy and sensed the changes around him.
Although his enemy had no Cursed Energy, there was a weak Cursed Spirit on him. Even though it was weak, Satoru could still sense its movements.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."
Before Satoru could finish sensing his surroundings, numerous tiny Fly Heads appeared around him.
With the little Cursed Spirits interfering, Satoru completely lost track of Toji.
Just as he was about to use Blue again to get rid of those trash Cursed Spirits, he suddenly froze.
The next second, Satoru's expression changed. "No! I'm not his target!"
Realizing the truth, Satoru turned around on instinct.
"Heh... You're finally using your Cursed Technique to defend yourself."
Without warning, Toji appeared behind Satoru, gripping a short-handled reverse-blade sword. The muscles in his arm bulged.
"Riiip—"
The short blade erupted with an unusual Cursed Energy, violently breaking through Satoru's Limitless defense and plunging into his neck.
A vicious glint flashed in Toji's eyes. He struck with all his might, and the blade split half of Satoru's body open.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
His arm blurred as he stabbed every part of Satoru's body in rapid succession, then drove the final strike deep into Satoru's head.
"Thud!"
Satoru's eyes went blank. His body collapsed heavily into a pool of blood, and his life slowly ebbed away.
Toji's expressionless face remained unchanged as he put away his sword and headed into Jujutsu High.
Satoru was incredibly perceptive—perceptive enough to notice that Toji's hands were empty. Even Toji wasn't sure he could kill him, so he'd devised a chain of plans to weaken him.
Fortunately, Toji was the victor.
A few minutes after Toji left, Shinsuke Zenin arrived late. Seeing Satoru lying in a pool of blood, he felt a headache coming on.
"Seriously? Did you have to be in such a hurry? I hope I'm still in time."
He pushed off hard with both legs, his body turning into a blur as he flashed into Jujutsu High.
He could already sense that something had changed in Satoru's body. In short, Satoru was already on his way to unlocking a cheat ability...
A guy like that was hard to kill before the final act. Shinsuke decided to try another approach. If it came to it, he'd take his little brother and run.
Right now, he probably couldn't withstand the onslaught of the man about to become the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer in the modern Jujutsu World.
Before you continue