The mission had been a complete success. After all, every single objective had been accomplished. The so-called "peak" of the Jujutsu world, that brat Gojo? Dead. The ponytailed kid, clearly full of himself? Lying on the ground like trash. The Star Plasma Vessel? Dead. And the payment? Already in his bank account, with a generous bonus on top to sweeten the deal.
Everything had gone exactly as planned.
So why? Why, in the name of all the fucking shit in the Jujutsu world, was Toji seeing that little shit standing right in front of him? "Is this real?"
"Yo. Long time."
Satoru Gojo was there, standing, flashing a wide grin. The upper half of his uniform hung open, revealing a white shirt soaked in dried blood, and his white hair was stained a dark red on the left side—the exact spot where Toji had rammed his blade.
Somehow, Gojo had survived, most likely thanks to Reversed Cursed Energy. But what truly caught the bounty hunter's attention were the Six Eyes, which seemed to shine even brighter than when they fought. 'Something's changed,' Toji thought, his instincts screaming in alarm.
"Amanai Riko—did she suffer?" Gojo asked calmly.
Toji narrowed his eyes, yanking the Inverted Spear of Heaven from the cursed spirit's mouth on his shoulder. "You mean the girl? Put a bullet straight through her skull."
"A quick death, then." Gojo concluded, his grin never faltering. "Ah! Before anything else—" He gave an exaggerated bow. "I want to thank you. When you so kindly stabbed me, you gave me the push I needed to finally understand the core of cursed energy."
Toji ground his teeth, his grip tightening around the weapon's hilt so hard his knuckles turned white. "You're talking a lot for someone who was bleeding out on the ground just a few minutes ago, brat."
"Maybe so. It's just that… I've never felt more alive," Gojo said, grinning like a madman, tilting his head toward the sky and spreading his arms wide.
'I already killed you once.' Toji planted his feet firmly on the ground, muscles tensed, adjusting his grip on the Inverted Spear of Heaven. "This'll be some extra work…" Toji wasted no more time, lunging forward, the force of his movement shattering the ground into a cloud of debris.
The world around him blurred, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Gojo, thrusting the Spear straight toward the kid's heart. 'It's over—'
!
His eyes widened when, at the very last second, Gojo stepped to the side, making the blade pass just inches from his chest—close enough to tear a few strands of his clothing.
Toji didn't stop to question the failure. He twisted his body in a fluid motion, the Inverted Spear tracing an upward arc toward Gojo's neck. The strike was so fast no human eye could possibly follow.
But Gojo could. He leaned back with an almost supernatural precision, the blade whistling past his throat by mere millimeters.
'How the fuck did he get so fast!' Toji roared in his mind, frustration swelling in his chest. He unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes, the Spear carving deadly arcs, each blow faster than the last. But every single one met nothing but air. Gojo seemed to be reading his attacks in advance, dodging with insulting ease—his grin never leaving his face.
'Change of plans!' Toji stomped the ground hard, the impact shattering asphalt and sending chunks of debris flying. He spun his body, sweeping his leg to kick the fragments straight at Gojo. 'While you activate your Infinity and expect me to charge head-on again, I'll—'
Moving at high speed, Toji slipped past the debris, the Inverted Spear poised to pierce Gojo's flank. But when he reached the kid's blind spot, he froze.
Gojo wasn't there.
"My eyes are locked on you this time," a cold, razor-sharp voice said from right behind him.
Toji reacted purely on instinct, spinning around as he slashed with the Spear. But once again, he struck nothing but empty air.
'What the—'
"Black Flash"
BAM!!!
Before Toji could even process what had just happened, a brutal impact slammed into his right ribs, the force knocking him a few inches to the side. 'Ugh!' The pain followed right after, but it was something he could endure. What really pissed him off was the maniacal laughter that came next.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The adrenaline spike, mixed with the overwhelming euphoria of finally grasping Reversed Cursed Energy along with the release of a Black Flash, made Gojo feel omnipotent.
It was as if he had ripped off the chains that bound him and touched something divine. Beyond mortal comprehension. He felt like he had transcended. 'I want more! I want more! More! More!' He lunged at Toji with the Six Eyes glowing with a feral intensity. "Black Flash!"
BAM!
Gojo's fist smashed into Toji's chest before he could react, followed by an explosion of black energy that shook the air. The bounty hunter was sent flying backward, his feet shattering the ground as he dug his heels in to resist. 'This fucking brat thinks he can take me on in hand-to-hand combat?!'
More enraged at the mere thought of someone trying to fight him barehanded, Toji closed the distance with a roar, his right fist shooting forward like a missile straight at Gojo. He hadn't even thought it through, blinded by hatred, only remembering Infinity when it was already too late.
But, unexpectedly, the punch landed squarely on Gojo's face, a sharp crack echoing through the place. 'He deactivated Infinity!' Toji quickly realized, eyes widening at the audacity.
Gojo's head snapped violently to the side from the blow, a tooth flying along with a spray of blood. 'MORE! MORE! MORE! MORE!' But he didn't falter—he immediately started hammering Toji with nonstop attacks, the two colliding in a storm of blows, their movements so fast that only elite sorcerers could distinguish their silhouettes amid the blurs.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
The air cracked with every impact as blood sprayed. Toji's Inverted Spear carved slashes across Gojo's arms, chest, and ribs—flesh splitting open only to be sealed moments later by Reversed Cursed Technique. No matter how hard Toji tried, he couldn't drive the Spear into the sorcerer's body for good.
Gojo, on the other hand, hurt Toji far less, managing only a deep cut across the bounty hunter's forehead, blood streaming down and mixing with sweat and dust.
'How the fuck does he already have this much control over Reverse Cursed Technique?!' Toji thought furiously, dodging a flurry of Gojo's punches. 'But that won't be a problem—'
The hunter cut his thoughts short, ducking instinctively from a curse-infused punch aimed at his chin. The strike missed by mere centimeters, so close Toji felt the air ripple. 'Is he getting stronger, or am I getting slower?!' He clenched his teeth, realizing just how dangerous this fight was becoming.
Gojo Satoru wasn't just a prodigy—he was a monster in the making, turning every second of battle into a stepping stone for his evolution.
Every brutal strike from Toji, every cut from the Inverted Spear, seemed to be absorbed by Gojo as experience, making each following attack harder and harder to land. His blue eyes blazed with insatiable hunger, decoding the bounty hunter's movements and refining his technique with each exchange.
'He's using me to evolve!' Toji concluded, and as much as it hurt his pride to admit, he knew that if he didn't end this fight now, he'd be in serious trouble.
"YOU WERE A LOT BRAVER WHEN I WAS EXHAUSTED!" Satoru shouted, his voice dripping with provocation, blending with the chaos.
'I need to drive the Inverted Spear into him! That way, he won't be able to use any technique and I'll win—' Toji's thoughts were cut off when Satoru, in a burst of speed, landed a spinning kick wreathed in cursed energy right to his face.
The blow made the hunter's world spin for a second, just long enough for Satoru to charge forward with his fist raised, eyes glowing with pure madness.
BAM!
Toji's head snapped back, blood pooling in his mouth.' Strong—I'm stronger!' Regaining his balance, he dodged another punch and spat blood straight into Gojo's eyes. 'Now!'
Taking advantage of the momentary blindness, Toji swung the Inverted Spear, the sharp tip cutting the air toward the sorcerer's neck. 'I won!'
But the spear never struck him.
!!!!!!!!!!!
A chill shot down Toji's spine, freezing him to the core. He spun around quickly, sensing danger at his back. His eyes locked on Gojo, a few meters away, floating upside down, smiling like a demon. The sorcerer's right hand was pointed at him, shaped like a gun.
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red "