An Instant Kill

In the dark underground chamber, the once-stagnant water suddenly defied gravity.

Without warning, the murky puddle around the Aquatic Cursed Spirit's feet surged violently.

The water compressed in an instant, forming a high-pressure Water Blade with an edge as thin as a cicada's wing. It slashed diagonally upward with devastating speed.

Squelch-!

Under the Water Blade, tough scales and muscle gave way like rotten leather.

With a teeth-grating sound of tearing flesh, the cursed spirit's thick right hind leg was severed at the base. Black, filthy blood sprayed like a fountain across the surrounding water.

With one supporting leg gone, the cursed spirit's massive body instantly lost its balance and lurched violently to the right.

But as a Semi-Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, it unleashed a ferocious survival instinct in its desperation.

Its cloudy yellow compound eyes grew bloodshot with pain. It decisively abandoned its efforts to suppress the ever-spreading crescent-shaped wound on its abdomen and forced every last trace of black cursed energy in its body into its throat.

"Gwaa-!"

With a shrill roar, a highly concentrated orb of cursed energy, reeking with a pungent stench, formed inside its gaping maw. Before its body fell, it tried to spit a devastating blast at the boy ahead and take him down with it.

"Now!"

But a dark afterimage had already torn through the dim air.

Seizing the instant the Water Blade threw his opponent off balance, Feng shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

His boots broke the water's surface without raising even a stray splash.

The Replica of Mikazuki Munechika traced a cold, breathtaking silver crescent through the air.

The slash slipped precisely into the blind spot at the cursed spirit's neck, exposed as its body tilted.

Crack.

The sharp blade cleaved through the thick defense of cursed energy and severed the hard bones of its neck.

Without the slightest resistance, the blade passed cleanly out the other side.

The enormous, deformed head flew into the air amid a gush of black blood.

The unfinished orb of cursed energy spun out of control, veered off course, and slammed into a nearby support pillar, blasting rubble and dust into the air.

The massive headless body collapsed, crashing into the standing water and throwing up a huge wave.

"It's over."

His cool, steady voice rang through the echoing underground reservoir.

As his words faded, the head that had rolled into the water and the headless torso began to seethe violently.

Without cursed energy to suppress them, the crescent-shaped wounds left by Mikazuki Munechika multiplied and spread at a terrifying rate, rapidly consuming the cursed spirit's remaining flesh.

Within a few short seconds, its enormous body turned into a cloud of purple-black ash and vanished into the damp air.

Hum-

A strange disturbance came from overhead.

The dark "Curtain" shrouding the entire abandoned facility began to unravel from its apex, dissolving into black particles in the night sky.

Cool moonlight once again spilled underground along the ruined entrance stairs.

Satoru Gojo stood at the top of the stairs, his hands still tucked casually into his trouser pockets.

He leaned forward slightly, his white hair stirring gently in the night breeze.

Though he wore a blindfold, his appraising gaze seemed almost tangible as it crossed the layers of darkness and settled on Feng, who stood below with his sword in hand.

"Oh? All done already? A whole three minutes faster than I expected."

Satoru Gojo gave a loud whistle, then descended the stairs at an unhurried pace with his long-legged stride.

The sound of his dress shoes striking the water was unusually distinct in the empty underground facility.

"The moment your opponent abandoned its defense to prepare a final counterattack, you closed the distance without hesitation and beheaded it from an extremely... no, a remarkably tricky angle.

"There wasn't a single unnecessary pause between your control of the Water Blade and your sword strike."

Satoru Gojo stopped three paces from Feng, his mouth spreading into a brilliant grin. He even raised his hands and applauded.

"To coordinate your own cursed technique and a newly acquired cursed tool so seamlessly... should I call you a born fighter or a cold-blooded executioner?

"As your first individual assessment since enrolling, I'd say that performance earned full marks."

"Is that so... but I did have an innate advantage as a sorcerer, and you were watching from the sidelines, Gojo-sensei..."

Feng spoke after a moment's thought.

Satoru Gojo stopped, ripples spreading from where his dress shoes rested on the water.

He casually brushed aside the short white strands hanging over his forehead, and his trademark brilliant smile faded a little.

In its place came a purer, more rational analysis-the kind only a top sorcerer could offer.

"An innate advantage? That's no reason to sell yourself short."

Satoru Gojo strode straight into the standing water. Limitless Jujutsu automatically pushed the surrounding liquid aside, keeping his shoes perfectly dry.

"In Jujutsu Society, compatibility between cursed techniques can certainly determine your starting position. But what really decides life and death is the instinct to seize an opening.

"That cursed spirit wasn't very intelligent, but at the last moment, it chose to stop suppressing its wounds and gather cursed energy for a counterattack instead. That was a very decisive tactical trade-off."

Satoru Gojo raised his right hand, pointing his long fingers toward the stretch of water where purple-black ash floated.

"If you'd hesitated for even half a second, or backed away to play it safe, the water in this terrain would have channeled its cursed energy blast and swept you right into it.

"But not only did you stay put, you used the Water Blade to destroy its balance and forcibly interrupt its attack."

The tall, white-haired man approached the boy and bent down slightly, looking into his dark red eyes from above. His voice became light and lilting again.

"That approach to fighting-pushing your own advantages to the limit and cutting off every chance your opponent has to survive-doesn't just appear out of thin air because I'm standing nearby.

"That's your own 'instinct.'"

Satoru Gojo straightened, slipped his hands back into his trouser pockets, and turned toward the stairs leading aboveground.

He left his back completely unguarded to Feng and the sharp blade in his hand, his steps light.

"At its core, combat between jujutsu sorcerers is a survival game of deception and exploitation.

"Relying too heavily on environmental advantages is certainly a potential weakness, but knowing how to use everything available to achieve your goal is an impressive talent in itself."

When he reached the stairs, Satoru Gojo looked back and waved down at him.

"All right, now that you've wrapped up your combat assessment perfectly, it's time we headed back.

"I missed tonight's evening sale on my favorite Edamame Cream Daifuku at Kikusuian, you know. As a reward for your excellent performance, tomorrow's errand is all yours~"

Cool moonlight spilled down the stairs, stretching Satoru Gojo's slender shadow far behind him.

The damp night breeze swept in through the entrance, dispersing the last lingering foul, bloody stench in the underground facility.