The Tall One's Yours, the Short One's Mine

The short man's frenzied, roaring figure froze, the crazed grin stiffening on his face. He whipped his head toward the direction Qingxiao was approaching from, the fervor in his eyes replaced by cold killing intent as he fell utterly silent.

Before the flames and thick smoke from the explosion had cleared, a tall, straight-backed youth burst through the billowing black smoke and landed firmly beside Satoru Gojo.

It was Qingxiao, who had settled Shoko somewhere safe and rushed over to help.

He looked up. Amid the devastated ruins, Satoru Gojo swayed slightly, his breathing unsteady and blood staining the corner of his mouth. Clearly injured, he gritted his teeth and stubbornly stood guard beside Suguru Geto.

Suguru Geto lay motionless among the scattered rubble, his eyes shut and his face deathly pale, unconscious. Several cursed spirits clustered around him, watching the area ahead and shielding his body.

Qingxiao raised his eyes, his gaze piercing the hazy smoke to lock precisely onto the two figures atop the distant ruins.

Satoru Gojo turned toward Qingxiao and hurriedly warned him, his voice urgent and grave, "Qingxiao, be careful! That tall one is Kamo Xiansheng, a Semi-Grade 1 curse user and a traitor to the Kamo Clan. He's incredibly strong. People call him the second Kenjaku. He's tough to deal with.

"As for the short one up there, his name's Wengu Che. He's a Grade 1 curse user and a complete lunatic! His cursed technique is Earth Manipulation. He was the one who planned that whole chain of explosions along the street!"

Qingxiao nodded slightly, his expression calm and utterly unflustered, and quickly made arrangements. "Got it. Take Geto to Shoko right now. Have her treat him first and stabilize his injuries. Leave this to me."

The two curse users in the distance did not attack rashly. They simply stood still and watched coldly, patiently waiting for an opening.

Satoru Gojo gave him a long look. Knowing how dangerous the situation was, he wasted no time on sentiment. "All right. Give me ten seconds," he said in a low voice.

Then he grabbed Suguru Geto and vanished in a flash.

Qingxiao looked straight at the two men atop the distant rubble and, with a touch of nonchalance, exposed their objective. "You can stop hiding and testing us. I've already figured it out. You two went to all this trouble to ambush us and blow up an entire street just for that bounty of several hundred million yen on Satoru Gojo, right?"

He raised an eyebrow slightly and continued in an assertive tone, "I know how this works. You're just after money. Name your price, and we'll pay double. Back off and leave, and we'll let today's incident slide. How about it?"

Atop the elevated rubble, Kamo Xiansheng slowly curled his lips. An icy smile appeared on his face, and his tone carried an irrevocable resolve.

"Now that things have come this far, words aren't going to settle this, are they?"

Before he finished speaking, both figures moved.

Kamo Xiansheng and Wengu Che charged down in unison! They moved fast, the sudden force of their steps crushing the concrete beneath them. Two whistling rushes cut through the air as cursed energy erupted around them, enveloping the entire field of rubble.

The short Wengu Che moved as elusively as a ghost. Using Earth Manipulation, he pushed off the shattered ground with every step to gain speed, his body wreathed in violent, chaotic cursed energy and his killing intent bone-chilling.

Beside him, Kamo Xiansheng remained utterly composed, his movements crisp and efficient. Traces of Blood Manipulation stirred around him as he pressed his palms together, aimed at Qingxiao, and activated Convergence.

At the sight, Qingxiao could not help sucking air through his teeth and silently swore, Fuck. The bluff didn't work.

He abandoned every hope of getting lucky, straightened his back, and planted his feet slightly apart. Cursed energy raced through him, his muscles abruptly tensed, and his blade-sharp gaze locked onto the two charging figures as he prepared to fight them both alone.

Just as Wengu Che was about to close in and Piercing Blood fired toward Qingxiao, a figure flashed into view.

Whoosh-!

The air tore apart in an instant. Satoru Gojo flashed forward, ignoring the distance between them, and instantly planted himself beside Qingxiao.

Limitless easily blocked Piercing Blood. The condensed bead of blood hung in midair, unable to get even a fraction closer to Satoru Gojo.

Wengu Che and Kamo Xiansheng abruptly halted their charge, forcibly stopping in front of the two youths. Their fierce assault stalled in midair, and the tense atmosphere on the battlefield grew even more suffocating.

Qingxiao turned toward the white-haired youth beside him. "You got back even faster than I expected."

Satoru Gojo nodded slightly. Beneath his blindfold, his eyes were cold and composed, all traces of his usual joking manner gone. His tone was casual yet utterly confident. "The tall one's yours, the short one's mine."

Qingxiao readily agreed, the cursed energy around his fists blazing ever more fiercely. "Sure. The tall one looks like he's got something to him. Just right for me to practice on."

Satoru Gojo gave a soft snort, his voice carrying its usual arrogance. "Then I've got the easy end of the deal. This lunatic's just right for loosening up."

To the two curse users opposite them, those casual words dividing up their opponents were nothing short of blatant contempt.

Wengu Che flew into a rage. His already obsessive, deranged face twisted completely, his eyes red and bloodshot. His cursed energy surged wildly, the ground beneath him cracking layer by layer as loose stones trembled and leaped into the air.

He glared fixedly at Satoru Gojo, his shrill roar echoing through the ruins. "You think you can look down on me?!"

Beside him, Kamo Xiansheng's expression darkened completely as well. His narrow eyes and brows frosted over, and the cursed energy around him grew denser.

"Arrogant." His thin lips parted slightly, his tone chilling to the bone. "Two mere Jujutsu High newcomers, and you dare act so conceited."

Amid the ruins, a fight to the death was about to erupt.