Rumble—
The Hero Association's hovercraft tore through thick clouds, its engines roaring below.
Inside, the cabin was bathed in soft, steady light.
Gaio sat with his arms crossed, his trench coat wrapped around his tall frame. His eyes were closed, head slightly lowered, breathing slow and even.
The atmosphere at the other end of the cabin was a stark contrast.
Satoru Gojo was practically sinking into the plush seat, a wide, curious grin visible beneath his blindfold. Leaning forward, elbows on his knees, he bombarded Zekinger with rapid-fire questions:
"Hey, hey, Mr. Zekinger! Don't be so stiff! Let's chat! Your S-Class heroes—besides that mysterious Blast guy, who's the toughest? Atomic Samurai? Heard his blade's lightning-fast. Or Tornado? That telekinesis is wild, right? Or maybe Superalloy Darkshine? Those muscles look solid!"
His words came out like a machine gun, relentless and eager.
Zekinger sat ramrod straight, his blonde hair impeccably combed, brow slightly furrowed. Facing this enigmatic, powerhouse "ally" from another island, his professional composure kept him calm and analytical.
He didn't directly answer who was "toughest" but instead activated a holographic display from his wristwatch, showing portraits and profiles of the S-Class heroes.
"Mr. Gojo," Zekinger said with precision, "hero strength is complex. Their abilities vary widely, so a simple 'strongest' comparison isn't entirely scientific."
He pointed to Atomic Samurai's portrait. "Take Atomic Samurai, for instance. His slashes can cut at the molecular level, with speed and precision at the human pinnacle. But…"
He glanced at Gojo. "Against your absolute defensive spatial barrier, it's questionable whether his slashes could even reach you."
The hologram switched to Tornado, floating mid-air. "Trembling Tornado's telekinetic destructive power is undeniable, but it's still a mental-driven physical interference."
Zekinger paused. "Your spatial technique, in theory, is a natural counter to such physical energy impacts. Whether Tornado's telekinesis could breach your barrier's limit is… uncertain."
"Superalloy Darkshine, the pinnacle of physical defense and strength." Zekinger's analysis was merciless. "Against your spatial isolation, his physical attacks might be ineffective."
"Drive Knight, tech-based, versatile attack methods, but still reliant on energy blasts and physical strikes…"
"Flashy Flash, speed-based assassin type, but breaching a spatial barrier…"
One by one, S-Class hero profiles flashed by as Zekinger coolly dissected their abilities and limitations. His conclusion was nearly universal: against Gojo's rule-breaking "Limitless" spatial defense, most S-Class heroes' proud attack methods—especially physical and energy-based—would be heavily diminished or outright nullified.
"…In summary," Zekinger closed the hologram, removing his data glasses, "excluding Blast, whose details are scarce, only a rare few with rule-bending, mental suppression, or unique penetrating abilities might pose a threat to you." He hesitated, as if weighing whether to mention a specific name.
"Ha! Knew it!" Gojo slapped his thigh, sinking deeper into his seat with excitement. "Sounds like you've got a lot of 'muscle-brained' physical types here. Kinda boring!"
He shook his head, tone light and carefree. "But that's fine—less hassle. Hope that Blast guy can at least spark my interest…"
Before he could finish—
BOOM!!
Not the engine's roar!
A cataclysmic bellow, like the end of the world!
The hovercraft lurched violently to one side, as if slapped by an invisible giant hand! No buffer, no warning—just a gut-wrenching, disorienting tilt that threatened to hurl organs out of throats!
"Urgh!" Zekinger, caught off guard, was flung against the cabin wall, his forehead slamming into cold metal with a dull thud.
"Whoa!" Gojo yelped as he was thrown from his seat, but a flicker of his technique stabilized him mid-air, his white hair fluttering from the inertia.
Alarms blared, red lights flashing wildly as the craft's stabilization system groaned on the verge of collapse!
Only Gaio remained unmoved.
Arms still crossed, leaning against the cabin wall, the violent lurch seemed like a mere breeze to him. His eyelids didn't even twitch, his body steady as a rock, his trench coat without a single extra crease. The force that could warp alloy seemed to dissipate harmlessly around him.
Gojo steadied himself, his playful grin vanishing, replaced by a rare seriousness. He snapped his head toward the reinforced porthole.
Zekinger struggled to his feet, forehead bruised, blood trickling down his nose. His bloodshot eyes locked onto the view outside, pupils shrinking in terror as icy dread flooded his veins!
Outside—the sky was gone.
In its place, the charred remnants of stars!
A colossal steel warship, so massive it froze the soul, filled the entire view! Its underside bristled with countless cannon ports, glowing with blinding white light, swelling like millions of exploding stars!
"What… what is that…" Zekinger's voice was hoarse, each word trembling with despair. He saw it!
Where City A once stood below… now a sea of light! Buildings, roads, everything—vaporized silently in pure white!
"Whoa…" Gojo's seriousness morphed into wild excitement, his grin stretching wide. His Six Eyes (even through the blindfold) locked onto the apocalyptic warship, burning with intensity. "Now that's one hell of a welcome party!!!"
The cabin was chaos.
The Jujutsu High crew braced themselves with their robust physiques—Maki Zenin gripped an alloy handle, her arm muscles bulging; Yuji Itadori's feet rooted to the floor; Megumi Fushiguro pressed against the wall, his shikigami wolf faintly visible; Atsuya Kusakabe's sour face was grim, cursed energy surging to anchor him; Yuta Okkotsu was held fast by a massive claw from his side.
In contrast, the Hero Association's suited staff were like ragdolls in a washing machine—ties askew, glasses shattered, one poor guy wedged headfirst in a seat gap.
"Alert disengaged, craft stabilized," the pilot's hoarse voice crackled over the intercom. "City A… static …completely gone."
Dead silence.
The disheveled Association staff froze, some with mouths agape, throats bobbing soundlessly.
Zekinger slumped in a corner, hair a mess, muttering, "How… how is this possible…"
Click.
The sound of boots on metal broke the silence.
Gaio stood, his trench coat flaring sharply. The Enma Blade materialized in his right hand.
"Let's go," he said simply, then vanished from the cabin.
"Perfect~" Gojo ripped off his blindfold, his blue Six Eyes glowing eerily in the dim cabin.
He curled his fingers, a blue energy orb spinning wildly at his fingertips, distorting the air with gravity.
Buzz—!
Gojo collapsed into a pinpoint and disappeared.
Zekinger's "This…" caught in his throat as the Jujutsu team rushed to the porthole.
Below, the Hero Association headquarters stood alone in the ruins, like a black tombstone.
Not far off, the five-headed brown monster, Merzargard, cackled, swinging its four arms. Nearby lay the broken-arm A-Class hero, Iaian.
Four powerful figures battled the beast—Atomic Samurai's blade flashed like a torrent, Silver Fang's fists flowed like water, Puri-Puri Prisoner's muscles bulged, Metal Bat's swings howled!
Each attack tore gaping wounds in Merzargard, but the flesh wriggled and healed instantly!
"Hahaha! Useless! The bombardment's coming! You'll all turn to ash!" Merzargard roared.
As if answering its call, the warship's countless cannon ports lit up again! Blinding white light surged, turning the grim sky a lifeless white!
"Damn it!" Atomic Samurai's pupils shrank, roaring, "Brace!!!"
Before his words landed—
BOOM!!!!
The sky shattered! Countless white meteors, trailing destructive flames, ripped through the air toward the ruins, the S-Class heroes, and the laughing monster!
A cascade of death swallowed everyone's vision!
Buzz—!
Green light swept the sky, freezing the house-sized destruction shells mid-air!
Tornado floated, arms crossed, green curls dancing without wind, her face full of disdain as she eyed the battered S-Class below. "Hmph! Can't even handle trash? Maybe you should all retrain in C-Class!"
She tilted her chin up at the warship, flipping her hand. "Back at you!"
Before her words settled—
Slash-slash-slash-slash-slash!
Countless blade lights appeared from nowhere! Like a billion icy moonbeams, they sliced through the frozen shells!
Whoosh!
In one instant, every shell split, disintegrated into fine metal powder, and drifted down! Not a single spark, let alone an explosion!
Silence.
Tornado's crossed-arm pose froze, her smug face tightening, green eyes wide as she stared at the drifting metal dust—who?! Who stole her moment?!
Below, Atomic Samurai's blade halted mid-air, Bang's fist aura stilled, Puri-Puri Prisoner's bulging muscles forgot to flex, and Metal Bat stopped shouting.
Everyone was stunned by this silent, domineering annihilation!
"Yo—!"
A playful male voice broke the silence, coming from atop a slanted boulder nearby.
A white-haired man sat cross-legged, hand propping his chin, blue Six Eyes scanning the dazed heroes before landing on Tornado's livid face, his grin wide and punchable.
"Hero Association folks, first time meeting? Looks like… you're in a bit of trouble?"
"Who's this white-haired punk?" Metal Bat growled, hefting his bat.
"Jujutsu world… but no blindfold," Silver Fang Bang squinted, his aura still swirling.
"Such a handsome guy!" Puri-Puri Prisoner clutched his cheeks, biceps trembling with excitement, screaming internally—That face! That waist! Those legs! Perfect!
Gojo's gaze locked onto the five-headed monster crawling from the dust, his grin stretching ear to ear. "Guess I'll… lend a hand?"
Whoosh!
No one saw him move, as if space itself was snipped.
One second on the boulder, the next beside Merzargard's head!
BOOM!!!!
A sickening bone-crunching sound erupted!
Merzargard's central head caved in like a smashed watermelon, collapsing and deforming!
The brutal force, perfectly contained, poured into the head!
The impact yanked its brown body off the ground, firing like a cannonball, crashing into a pile of rubble a hundred meters away, stones cascading like a waterfall!
Gojo's figure flickered like a mirage, reappearing above the rubble.
He even had time to wink at Puri-Puri Prisoner in the distance.
"Cang."
Gojo pointed casually.
Buzz—!
An indescribable gravitational force exploded at the center of the rubble!
Not just suction—it was as if space itself collapsed inward!
Tons of steel and concrete wailed with tortured metal screeches, compressing inward! Merzargard, at the epicenter, bore the brunt!
"Arghhh!"
Its tough flesh and bones, able to withstand S-Class slashes, groaned horribly! Four arms and five heads folded uncontrollably toward the center!
Regeneration couldn't keep up with the spatial collapse!
The view was just spinning rubble and the monster's warping body!
"Regeneration? Let's see if your flesh is faster or my gravity crushes your core to quarks first."
Gojo hovered at the edge of the gravity field, hands in pockets, white hair dancing in the chaotic spatial ripples, Six Eyes glaring down with absolute control.
The flesh writhed, then surged to reform! Gojo's grin froze. "Done… huh?"
"Kid!" Bang's voice cut through the dust. "That thing won't die! No matter how you shred it, it regenerates!"
Gojo turned, flashing Bang a grin. "Thanks for the heads-up, old man."
He tapped his temple. "But… I spotted a little secret."
His Six Eyes had pierced the surface.
Deep in Merzargard's writhing flesh, five unassuming glass orbs flickered, greedily absorbing surrounding tissue! All regeneration stemmed from them!
"Cang."
Buzz—!
Gravity erupted again! Merzargard, barely reforming, didn't even scream before being crushed, twisted, and shredded! Flesh splattered!
Just as the fresh pulp began to reform—
"Zhu."
Red light exploded from Gojo's fingertips! A compressed cursed energy blast locked onto the five flickering orbs!
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
The crisp sounds rang out! The five glass orbs shattered into dust under the cursed energy!
The flesh froze, all movement ceasing.
A faint, unwilling roar seemed to fade into the air. The massive body went limp, lifeless.
"That's… it?" Iaian, clutching his severed arm, rasped in disbelief.
Gojo dispatched the monster like brushing off lint.
Silence.
Atomic Samurai's grip on his blade whitened his knuckles. Bang's aura stilled. Puri-Puri Prisoner cheered from a platform. Metal Bat's bat sagged.
This Jujutsu kid… was absurdly strong! Guess not everyone from that island was a scrub.
Gojo landed lightly, his sunny grin back, clapping his hands like he'd done something trivial.
"Forgot to introduce myself—I'm Satoru Gojo."
No one dared speak.
He was the sole focus.
Atomic Samurai's brow furrowed, staring at Gojo. "Mr. Gojo… that blade storm, slicing the shells without a spark… was that you?"
It was the pinnacle of swordsmanship he'd chased his whole life—silent, annihilating all in its path.
Gojo's Six Eyes widened, head shaking like a rattle. "Hah? No way!" He waved dramatically. "In that situation, I'd crush the shells and blast them away—explosions unavoidable."
He grinned, showing his teeth. "Plus—I don't even use a sword!"
"Then…" Atomic Samurai's heart jolted. Not him? Who could unleash such a transcendent blade storm…
Gojo turned, casually pointing to the Hero Association headquarters' rooftop.
"There," he said lightly. "That guy did it."
Whoosh!
All eyes followed his finger, locking onto the lone figure atop the black tombstone-like building!
Wind whipped up dust.
The trench coat's hem snapped in the high-altitude gale.
At the roof's edge, a tall figure stood.
The wind howled through the steel framework.
Genos's mechanical pupils contracted to red pinpoints, Child Emperor's palm cannon glowed blue, and the S-Class heroes tensed.
All eyes welded to the white-haired man—Gaio.
Genos stepped forward, voice icy. "Who are you?"
Gaio tilted his head slightly.
The movement was subtle, a mere glance at Genos, fleeting as an illusion.
Without lingering, his gaze snapped back to the massive steel warship dominating the sky.
A silent pressure, like icy water, enveloped the rooftop.
No one dared speak. The air was thick, suffocating.
BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Muffled, violent explosions, like war drums pounding the heart, echoed through the ship's thick hull from above!
Each shock made the steel framework groan.
This was ten times fiercer than the battle below!
Gaio's gaze seemed to pierce the alloy plating, locked onto the ship's surface.
His face, cold as a frozen lake, slowly softened.
A faint, excited smile curved his lips.
Not mockery or amusement, but the gleam of a hunter spotting prized prey.
Above, in a massive breach torn open by brutal force—
A yellow figure blurred with speed, scarlet cape fragments dancing in the blast waves.
White energy erupted like an uncontrolled star, clashing wildly!
Each collision shook the colossal ship!
Shockwaves rolled, mixed with metal shards, pouring from the breach like a waterfall.
Gaio stood still, his golden pupils reflecting the apocalyptic clash.
His smile deepened.
His lips moved silently, a whisper lost in the gale:
"Saitama…"
"You really are strong!"
At that moment, a roar pierced the thick alloy, tearing through the air like thunder in Gaio's ears:
"Serious… Beatdown!!!"
BOOM—!!!!
An indescribable force erupted from within the ship!
Not just an explosion—it was as if the air itself was ripped apart!
A visible white shockwave, like a world-splitting axe, burst from the breach, tearing through the thick clouds above!
Rip—!
The sky was cleaved open!
A massive scar stretched endlessly across the heavens, clouds fleeing wildly to either side, revealing the blue sky beyond!
The "scar" from that punch extended to the limits of sight, as if splitting the Earth in two!
BOOM! BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!
The ship's interior roared with explosions, ten, a hundred times fiercer, relentless!
Fire burst from every part of the ship, metal shards torn apart by wild energy spraying everywhere!
The ship's frame, already cracked from Saitama and Boros's earth-shaking battle, collapsed under this ultimate violence!
The piercing sound of metal snapping rang like a doomsday knell!
The massive ship, losing its final support, began an unstoppable, cataclysmic fall!
"Oh ho~"
On the ruins below, Gojo stood, hand on hip, gazing at the collapsing ship like it was a fireworks show.
"It's coming down."
"Damn it!" Bang's face changed, roaring, "Move!! Too close, too wide!" His aura surged, bracing for impact.
Atomic Samurai sheathed his blade, eyes grim on the falling shadow.
Metal Bat spat, gripping his bat. Puri-Puri Prisoner wailed, clutching his head.
Iaian, gravely injured, looked ashen.
Even Tornado, floating mid-air, tensed, her telekinesis ready.
Everyone braced to flee the catastrophic crash zone!
Only Gojo stood still, whistling casually.
"No need, no need~" He waved at the tense heroes, his grin brimming with confidence, then shouted toward the figure on the rooftop:
"Nero-kun—!!!"
His voice cut through the ship's crashing roar, reaching the rooftop clearly.
The moment Gojo's shout landed—
At the roof's edge, Gaio's right hand gripped the Enma Blade's hilt!
His eyes, locked on the falling ship, and the excited curve of his lips turned into a declaration.
"Saitama," Gaio's voice was soft but clear, echoing through the stormy heavens, "I've received your passion."
His eyes closed briefly, as if savoring the cold touch of the Enma Blade's hilt.
"Now…"
His voice surged, like a trumpet of judgment:
"…let me show you something!"
Buzz—!!!
The Enma Blade unsheathed!
Not a flash of light, but the world losing all color!
Time froze!
Sound vanished!
The falling ship, the erupting flames, the shockwaves, the flying debris—everything stilled in that moment!
The world became a frozen, grayscale painting!
Only Gaio's Enma Blade glowed with a dimension-defying blue light!
"Dimension Slash: Absolute!"
Gaio's wrist flicked!
No earth-shaking force, no blinding blade torrent.
Just a subtle, nearly imperceptible tremor rippled from the blade's edge, silently sweeping through the frozen spacetime.
Whoosh—!
The still scene was sliced by an invisible force!
Not one slash, not ten thousand!
A strike beyond counting, existing in countless dimensional rifts, covering the entire space centered on the falling ship in one instant!
Time resumed, sound returned.
But in everyone's eyes, the mountain-like warship, wreathed in flames and explosions, crashing with apocalyptic force, along with the tens of thousands of snarling alien monsters inside, underwent an unbelievable change—
Like being fed into an invisible shredder!
The massive ship, its unburst flames, scattered debris, and warped energy waves—instantly!
Disintegrated!
Not shattered by explosion, not broken by physics, but annihilated at the foundational level of existence, uniformly, silently… erased!
Like an invisible eraser had brushed over it.
Like billions of years of erosion in a blink.
Like processed by the most precise particle separator.
The massive shadow vanished.
The destructive roar vanished.
The ferocious monsters vanished.
All that remained… was a cloud of fine, shimmering metallic dust in the air.
A sudden breeze swept through.
The "dust" of the warship and its alien army swirled gently, carried by the wind, glinting faintly in the sunlight piercing the torn clouds, dissolving into the vast sky above the ruins.
As if the apocalyptic ship and its savage horde had never existed.
The battlefield sank into a deeper, suffocating silence than ever before.
Bang's aura stilled, his arms trembling slightly.
Atomic Samurai stared at his blade, as if seeking a lingering hum.
Metal Bat's jaw dropped, his bat slipping from his shoulder unnoticed.
Puri-Puri Prisoner's hands froze mid-cheer, his muscled body rigid.
Even Tornado, floating above, her green pupils pinpricks, her face etched with disbelief.
Genos's processors screamed with alerts, unable to parse the incomprehensible scene.
Child Emperor's mouth hung open, speechless.
Only Gojo, gazing at the fading dust cloud, looked like he was watching a spectacular magic trick.
He clapped lightly, the crisp sound breaking the silence.
"Bravo~" He grinned widely at the rooftop, "Way cooler than fireworks, Kiddo!"