August 2006.
The air was unusually hot and dry.
"What a glare."
Beneath the blazing sun, a burly man in a black T-shirt that defined every contour of his muscles slowly raised his head, his expression full of mockery.
Behind him stood the sealed doors of the forbidden vault.
In the space of a single day, he had personally killed the target commissioned by the higher-ups-the [Star Plasma Vessel], Riko Amanai.
He had also used his unique constitution and sheer strength to kill the current bearer of the Six Eyes, Satoru Gojo, and severely injure his companion, Suguru Geto, who possessed Cursed Spirit Manipulation...
Once again, he had proven his reputation as the [Sorcerer Killer].
And his name was...
"The Heavenly Restriction Tyrant, Toji Fushiguro."
A black [Curtain] abruptly appeared beneath the blazing sun overhead.
Born without cursed energy, with a physique and senses at the absolute peak, Toji Fushiguro instantly detected the change in his surroundings. He sprang backward and assumed a fighting stance.
After surveying the circular [Curtain] that completely enclosed him and the surrounding hundred meters, Toji Fushiguro finally fixed his gaze on a vortex that had suddenly appeared between the two rows of stone pillars directly ahead...
"Want a weapon?"
"You'll have to get it yourself~"
Guixu Ying's voice drifted out of the vortex like a ghost.
As the user of the cursed technique, he could naturally create and isolate an independent "timeline," unaffected by reality.
Put simply, Toji Fushiguro had now been plucked out of his predetermined timeline, just like the deceased Kashimo...
"Heh... get it myself."
"Easy for you to say."
The vortex expanded as Hajime Kashimo's own voice rang out.
Almost the instant Hajime Kashimo appeared in the white robes of an ancient sorcerer, Toji Fushiguro moved.
Without a word, without any warning.
Toji never asked the names of dead men.
Nor would he bother remembering where someone who suddenly attacked him had come from...
After all, even he probably couldn't remember everyone he had offended...
Bam-!
As someone with heavenly restriction, Toji Fushiguro had no cursed energy, but his speed, reflexes, and strength had all been enhanced to the extreme.
Even Hajime Kashimo, appearing in a fully incarnated state, could only raise his arm and take that vicious roundhouse kick head-on.
"Hm?!"
Surprise flashed across Toji Fushiguro's cold, arrogant face. Clearly, he was astonished that Hajime Kashimo had taken his blow and only staggered back a few steps.
But that surprise quickly turned into pure killing intent.
As the Inventory Curse Worm on Toji Fushiguro's shoulder spat out the [Inverted Spear of Heaven]—a weapon that could prevent any cursed technique from activating or functioning, embodying the power of an absolute rule—a long staff, predominantly red with black accents, appeared in Hajime Kashimo's right hand...
"That weapon... can [prevent] cursed techniques from activating."
Hajime Kashimo leaped backward to gain some distance, muttering as his gaze darkened slightly.
Among the opponents he had faced four hundred years ago, he had never encountered an enemy possessing both [heavenly restriction] and the [Inverted Spear of Heaven].
Without question, then, fighting Toji Fushiguro-
Set his blood boiling!!!
"Interesting!"
Toji Fushiguro attached the [Chain of a Thousand Miles], spat out by the Inventory Curse Worm, to the blade of the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
He had no information on this sorcerer who had suddenly appeared, much less any idea why his opponent had come.
But that single kick had already told him:
His physical strength is at least on par with Grade 1 Sorcerers who train their bodies.
In that case...
Toji Fushiguro's lips curved into a faint smile. With a powerful swing of his right arm, the Inverted Spear of Heaven—the weapon that had broken through Limitless and embodied absolute penetrating power—shot toward Hajime Kashimo's neck at a terrifying speed, aiming to take his life!
Toji Fushiguro expected Kashimo to block with his cursed tool or dodge, then attack him with his own unique cursed technique.
Either way, Toji Fushiguro was confident he could close in with his overwhelming strength and speed and kill him in hand-to-hand combat.
But Hajime Kashimo's next move was something he had never anticipated:
Faced with the choice Toji Fushiguro had offered him-block or dodge...
Hajime Kashimo chose...
[Attack]
Ducking his head sharply, Hajime Kashimo used the properties of his Lightning Cursed Energy to accelerate instantly and charge straight at Toji Fushiguro's face.
The hurtling Inverted Spear of Heaven skimmed his scalp, cutting away only a few strands of cyan hair. Then, just as Toji Fushiguro intended, the technique-nullifying blade wrapped securely around the black staff cursed tool.
Toji could indeed yank the Chain of a Thousand Miles back immediately, pulling in both the Inverted Spear of Heaven and Hajime Kashimo's cursed tool and depriving his opponent of his weapon.
But the price would be taking that fist, packed with Lightning Cursed Energy, square in the chest.
Is this guy insane?!
There was no need to weigh his options. Silently cursing Hajime Kashimo's reckless fighting style, Toji Fushiguro released his grip on the Chain of a Thousand Miles.
Relying on the overwhelming speed his physique afforded him, Toji Fushiguro met Hajime Kashimo's right fist, packed with Lightning Cursed Energy, with a punch of his own, using his speed advantage to thwart Hajime Kashimo's suicidal gambit...
Or had he?
Boom-!!!
Violent electrical charges crawled over Toji Fushiguro's fist, and a tingling numbness that shook him to his core swept through his body.
As their fists collided, Hajime Kashimo was sent flying into a tree trunk by Toji Fushiguro's punch. But Toji, who had taken an electrically charged punch himself, hadn't come out unscathed either:
The knuckles of his right fist were charred black, and a faint burnt smell reached his nose, making him frown deeply.
"Healing this will be a pain..."
"But it's over!!!"
Grabbing the Chain of a Thousand Miles, Toji Fushiguro yanked hard, dragging back both the Inverted Spear of Heaven and Hajime Kashimo's cursed tool.
Although Hajime Kashimo had driven the black staff firmly into the ground, Toji's monstrous strength tore it straight out and sent it flying toward him...
The chain snapped taut. Pivoting around its blade, the Inverted Spear of Heaven spun between his fingers, tracing a silver arc before settling securely into his grip.
Watching the black staff fly toward him under the force of his pull, Toji Fushiguro suddenly had a wicked thought:
He would kill Hajime Kashimo with Hajime Kashimo's own cursed tool!
He reached out with his left hand to catch it. Yet just as Toji Fushiguro was grinning and arrogantly proclaiming his victory, he caught sight of Hajime Kashimo smiling as he unsteadily rose to his feet.
He... smiled?
What does that mean?
Why is he smiling?
While he was still puzzling over it, the black staff cursed tool before him suddenly blazed with dazzling light-
It was lightning.
Incredibly powerful lightning.
Lightning that embodied absolute power.
Hajime Kashimo had intended to use this move from the very beginning.
He wasn't an idiot, nor was he a fool.
He had witnessed Toji Fushiguro's fight with Satoru Gojo through Guixu Ying and knew just how overwhelmingly dominant his opponent was at close range.
Even if he was fast, and his strength ranked among the best of all sorcerers.
His opponent was a pure monster like Toji Fushiguro. His chances of winning in close combat were no higher than thirty percent.
So he had to feign weakness and make his opponent lower his guard.
And the outcome proved he had succeeded.
From the moment Toji Fushiguro threw the Chain of a Thousand Miles and he planted his cursed tool in the ground, he had been accumulating electrical charge in it.
That reckless charge at his opponent's face and the punch he threw had also been a gamble to force Toji Fushiguro to let go of the Chain of a Thousand Miles.
As purple Thunder erupted with a roar, it was clearly too late for Toji Fushiguro to dodge the bolt right in front of him.
Left with no choice, he raised the Inverted Spear of Heaven and slashed at the staff cursed tool, attempting to use its properties to stop the purple Thunder from spreading any farther.
But when the edge of the Inverted Spear of Heaven touched the black staff, the lightning did not hiss out of existence as he had expected...
This was not a cursed technique.
It was pure Thunder, governed by physical properties.
Violent Thunder engulfed Toji Fushiguro's body. For elite sorcerers with ample cursed energy, who could coat their bodies in it for protection, lightning of this intensity might only restrain them or obscure their vision.
But...
Toji Fushiguro's constitution was, unfortunately, heavenly restriction.
Without cursed energy, he couldn't gather any to protect himself.
No matter how powerful his body was, faced with Thunder that could penetrate his nerves and paralyze him, he was almost inevitably forced into complete immobility.
And at that very moment, Hajime Kashimo stopped holding back. Unleashing his full speed in an instant, he appeared right in front of him...
A relentless barrage of fists rained down on Toji Fushiguro's body. The influx of positive charges inevitably triggered Hajime Kashimo's cursed technique...
Purple lightning illuminated the entire [Curtain].
Without question, the victor of this battle was-
Lightning.
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