"I refuse."
On the window ledge, Toji rested his chin on one hand, watching the crazed boy below. He didn't even think before turning him down.
A second round? What kind of joke was that? That would cost extra.
Not to mention, judging from the confident look on the kid's face, he had probably mastered the Reverse Cursed Technique. If he didn't go all out with the intent to kill, there was no way he could win. So why bother? He was a man with a family now. He had no reason to take part in a pointless, risky fight that would only cheapen himself.
"Huh?"
Satoru, who had been brimming with excitement and ready for round two, froze on the spot, stunned.
After getting the location from Suguru, he had rushed here at full speed, so fast he hadn't even waited for his best friend. On the way, he'd already imagined how their rematch would play out. Now that he'd fully grasped the essence of his technique, he was sure he wouldn't lose to anyone again.
But what he hadn't expected was for his glorious revenge to die at the very first step: the challenge itself being rejected.
Should he force it?
No, that wouldn't be right. He lost last time. Forcing a fight now would be beneath him.
The prodigy who was destined to stand at the top of the jujutsu world from birth stood there rubbing his chin, thinking hard about how to beat Toji up without losing his dignity.
"Hey, white-haired idiot, you look like you're doing fine. So when are you sending the money?"
Mukuro's voice broke his train of thought.
"Money… that's right, money!" Satoru's eyes lit up in realization. "Toji Fushiguro! I'll pay you double! Let's have another match! Don't worry, Shoko's on her way here, so you won't die!"
He spread his arms wide and shouted up at the man on the windowsill, his eyes burning with an uncontrollable desire to win.
"Um… could you maybe hurry a bit? If we drag this out, I'm afraid things might get troublesome..."
The cult leader, though not fully understanding their conversation, was growing nervous. The fact that a jujutsu sorcerer had already found them was bad enough.
"You take the Star Plasma Vessel and this guy downstairs to get the money. I'll keep him company for a while."
Mukuro spoke when he noticed his brother glance his way.
The Gojo clan was filthy rich. It would be a waste not to bleed them a little more.
"Hm?"
Riko looked a bit puzzled but still silently followed behind Kuroi, walking after Toji.
The man looked scary, but since he was the brother of the person her mother had hired, surely he'd protect her… right?
And besides, Satoru was here, alive and well.
So, the group began making their way toward the conference room below.
Mukuro, on the other hand, jumped off the window and landed steadily right in front of Satoru.
"Oh? Heterochromatic bastard, you want to challenge me too?"
Satoru frowned when he didn't see Toji, but after thinking for a moment, he figured Mukuro would make a good warm-up.
"Double the pay. You fight me. If you win, Toji will take you on himself. But let's be clear, you're the challenger here."
Mukuro toyed with the Inverted Spear of Heaven he'd taken from Toji, looking completely at ease.
"You've got guts, brat."
Satoru grinned but didn't agree with his second part of the words.
With a light tap of his foot, he rose into the air and beckoned with his finger.
Boom!
A deafening crack split the air as Mukuro vanished from sight, leaving only shattered ground behind.
"You're not as fast as him. And this cursed tool's strange energy lets me track your every move."
The next instant, Mukuro appeared right before Satoru, the Inverted Spear of Heaven in his hand. They were barely an arm's length apart.
But in Satoru's eyes, everything unfolded exactly as he predicted. With the Six Eyes and his acute sense for cursed energy, Mukuro's movements couldn't escape him.
Sky-blue eyes met deep-sea blue ones; it was the same look they'd exchanged ten years ago.
Ultimate technique versus ultimate physique. From the very beginning, the two had been natural opposites.
Satoru moved back, making a gun gesture with his fingers.
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red!"
A brilliant crimson glow flared at his fingertips, forming a burst of condensed cursed energy that shot forward instantly.
But just before it hit, Mukuro raised the Inverted Spear of Heaven to block it.
Bang!
A violent explosion followed as the impact sent him crashing into the ground, the floor shattering beneath him and dust surging into the air.
"Something's off…"
Satoru hovered above, brows furrowed. When Mukuro blocked that attack, he'd felt something strange, something he couldn't quite name.
"So this is the Gojo clan's Limitless reversal technique, Red, huh? Not bad. Packs quite a punch."
The smoke cleared, revealing Mukuro standing there unharmed. His tone was calm as he spun his weapon between his fingers. That blast hadn't left a scratch.
The only difference was his right eye, it now glowed with purple flames, and the number "4" shimmered within it.
The Asura Path, fourth of the Six Paths.
It boosted his physical ability, which was already at the peak because of Heavenly Restriction, even higher, especially his strength and speed.
With that and the Inverted Spear of Heaven's power combined, he had shattered Satoru's Red by sheer force.
"I see… so this is your real strength. Interesting! Now this is getting fun!"
Satoru's grin widened. He had thought Mukuro was just a warm-up before fighting Toji, but now he realized otherwise.
This wasn't a snack; these brothers were a full-course feast.
With his power surging and a rare worthy opponent before him, Satoru's madness flared once more.
"Come on!"
He hooked his finger, and an immense suction force, like a giant invisible hand, reached out to grab Mukuro and pull him in.
Mukuro didn't resist. Instead, he used the pull to propel himself upward, flying straight toward his foe.
"Cursed Technique Reversal—"
Satoru stepped back again, fingers ready to strike, but just as Mukuro neared him, he vanished.
"So fast!"
Even with the Inverted Spear of Heaven in hand, Mukuro's speed had become almost untrackable. Not even the residual cursed energy from the weapon could help Satoru pinpoint him anymore.
"Cursed Technique Amplification: Blue!"
He swung his arm, and the ground below twisted upward from the immense gravitational pull. Stone pillars shattered, debris and rubble swirled into a violent storm, leaving Mukuro no foothold in the air.
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