Facing Todo

Jujutsu High.

Araki Itsuki helped Fushiguro up from the ground, where he lay panting, and asked in confusion:

"Fushiguro, why are you getting beaten up again?"

Fushiguro wiped the dust and sweat off his forehead, then spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

"I ran into a lunatic with nothing but Pineapple on the brain."

Meanwhile, Todo was sizing up Araki Itsuki too, an intrigued expression on his face:

"You're Araki Itsuki, the genius who exorcised a special grade cursed spirit right after enrolling?"

"What kind of girls do you like?"

Araki Itsuki waved a hand. "Gentle, considerate little schemers who only ever fuss over their dear big brother, I guess. Anyway, my type isn't the same as yours and Itadori's."

That brought a question to Araki Itsuki's mind. Yuji Itadori and Todo were unquestionably the same type of man.

Exceptional physiques, defined muscles, and outstanding athletic ability.

"Do athletic guys like you all like tall women with big asses?"

Todo flashed a sharp grin. "Of course!"

Yuji Itadori's eyes lit up too, and he wanted to rush over and discuss it with Todo.

"But beating up our little Fushiguro like that was going too far."

Yuji Itadori waved his arms, cheering him on. "Exactly, exactly!"

Todo smiled, the muscles in his arms tensing. "But you don't look like a muscular close-combat fighter."

Araki Itsuki waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, relax. I can still play with you for a bit."

Then he reluctantly removed the Special Grade student ID from his chest and handed it to Yuji Itadori beside him. "Keep this safe for me."

"Special Grade?!"

Fushiguro stared in shock at the words "Special Grade" on the card in Yuji Itadori's hand. He knew Araki Itsuki was strong, but he hadn't expected him to have already reached the same rank as Yuta Okkotsu, the upperclassman he admired.

He also wondered when the higher-ups had become so accommodating. After all, upperclassmen like Hakari had already left the school because they couldn't stand it anymore.

But the situation at hand mattered more. He warned, "Be careful, Araki. He's fast!"

Yet a second later, his eyes widened in bewilderment.

Araki Itsuki had vanished from his side at some point and was standing silently behind Todo like a ghost.

Like a mischievous child, he wore a wicked grin as he slowly extended his right hand, silently reaching for Todo's shoulder.

Bang!

The instant Todo lost sight of Araki Itsuki, his intellect, far surpassing Einstein's, reacted.

He spun around at lightning speed, his iron fist tightening with terrifying muscle power as he struck behind him as though he could see the future.

Yet a trace of bewilderment and delight suddenly appeared on Todo's face.

By the time he had barely turned around, Araki Itsuki's left hand had somehow wrapped around his upper thigh, while his right hand clamped tightly onto his waist.

"It's the Guillotine!"

Todo immediately understood what Araki Itsuki intended.

Veins bulged on his arm. He bent it to gather force and hurriedly drove an elbow into Araki Itsuki's back, hoping to stop the Guillotine with his immense strength.

But just as his elbow touched Araki Itsuki's back, before he could unleash enough force to damage his body, Todo felt himself become weightless.

Then he was hoisted high into the air and slammed into the ground like a meteor.

Bang!

A deafening thud rang out. The paving tiles and earth looked as though they had suffered a barrage of missiles.

Everything around Todo shattered and collapsed, forming a terrifying web of cracks.

Stars flashed before Todo's eyes. Even with his constitution, he felt dizzy and nauseated.

Araki Itsuki got up easily and walked over to the dumbstruck Itadori and Fushiguro, asking curiously, "Did I hit him too hard?"

Fushiguro nodded with difficulty. He had thought Todo was already fast enough, but Araki Itsuki was even more terrifying.

"Is he okay?"

Although this was their first meeting, Yuji Itadori felt an immediate affinity for Todo and grew concerned about his injuries.

"I'm fine..."

Todo answered for himself, then climbed out of the dense web of cracks.

He touched the blood on his forehead and looked at Araki Itsuki with even greater excitement.

"My blood is boiling like scalding water, and my body is cheering with joy. Finally, something interesting is about to happen."

Araki Itsuki looked at Todo's delighted expression. "In that case, I'll play with you a little longer and hold back my strength some more."

"No nee-"

Before Todo could finish, Araki Itsuki had already closed in.

The muscles along the instep of his right foot tightened, and a fast, vicious high roundhouse kick hurtled toward Todo's head.

Todo hurriedly ducked. This time, he could keep up with Araki Itsuki's speed.

Before he could counterattack, Araki Itsuki kicked at his neck again. When it was blocked, he flowed into a downward kick, changing direction in a flash to strike at his head again.

Todo first braced his shoulder, letting his thick muscles absorb Araki Itsuki's question-mark kick. Just as he tried to grab Araki Itsuki's right leg, he felt a gust rushing toward him.

Araki Itsuki had immediately followed his question-mark kick with a sweeping feint, then unleashed punches one faster than the next, raining down like a storm as he tried to break through Todo's solid guard.

Finally.

Araki Itsuki seized the moment when Todo turned sideways behind his guard and drove a hook through the exposed opening into his face.

The muscles on Todo's face bunched into layer upon layer of creases, finally absorbing Araki Itsuki's blow as they rippled.

But he was still sent flying, smashing through a wall.

Araki Itsuki didn't press his advantage. Instead, he stood where he was and sighed, taunting Todo as he lay buried in the rubble:

"Todo, you're not getting me fired up at all. This is like eating noodles boiled in plain water. Completely tasteless."

Todo threw off a broken plank covering him and charged at Araki Itsuki again:

"Again!"

The instant he reached Araki Itsuki, Todo threw an uppercut at his chin. Araki Itsuki immediately raised an arm to block.

But a smile appeared at the corner of Todo's mouth. He twisted sharply sideways, withdrawing his right uppercut and flowing into the motion as his hidden left elbow blasted toward Araki Itsuki's head.

Just as he seemed about to succeed, Todo noticed panic gradually appearing on Araki Itsuki's face-and suddenly felt something was wrong.

His absurd intellect immediately constructed an empty movie theater. Sitting there alone, he rapidly reviewed every martial arts film and show.

Hundreds of films and shows played at high speed in the theater he had built in his mind, countless exchanges of punches and kicks flashing before his eyes.

At last, he found the answer he wanted.

"I can't keep attacking."

Outside his mind, only 0.01 seconds had passed!

Under the puzzled gazes of Fushiguro and the others, Todo suddenly halted his attack and leaped backward, putting distance between himself and Araki Itsuki.

Yuji Itadori was baffled. Todo's elbow strike had been about to land after that change-up, so why had he suddenly canceled it?!

The panic vanished from Araki Itsuki's face, replaced once again by a wicked grin.

He rubbed the back of his head and sighed helplessly. "Come on, Todo. That IQ of 530,000 is basically cheating."

"I was ready to smash a Superman Punch right into your face, and you still managed to react?!"

Todo stood where he was and analyzed it calmly. "There was nothing wrong with my change-up, but the range of the movement affected its speed. That would leave a gap in my upper guard.

"Even if it only lasted an instant, I believe you could seize that opening to counterattack."

Araki Itsuki looked at Todo's head and said enviously, "With that IQ, why even be a jujutsu sorcerer? What couldn't you make a fortune doing?"

When Todo was in third grade, he felt that some rude high schoolers were looking down on him. So he clenched his fists, and the bell rang to begin the match.

He had ended up in a sorry state, but he had taught those high schoolers a lesson.

By rights, Todo should have been happy after beating people older than him. Instead, he felt only boredom and emptiness.

Even if he defeated boring people, all he gained was more boredom.

Yuki Tsukumo's arrival changed him.

That stunning girl, with a cool motorcycle parked beside her in the sunset, loudly praised him.

"Nicely done, boy!"

"What... kind of girls do you like?"

And so his boring life took a turn.

And now.

He looked at Araki Itsuki, who wore a languid expression yet didn't leave a single opening anywhere on his body.

A fervor and fighting spirit he hadn't felt in a long time blazed within him.

"Again!"