Fushiguro Family
"Dad!"
Toji Fushiguro reached out and ruffled his daughter Tsumiki's hair.
"Stay home and don't worry. I'll be fine. Your dad is strong, you know."
Tsumiki rubbed her nose, trying not to look anxious. "Then Dad, you have to come back safely."
Toji nodded, stood up, and walked out of the house. Only after the door closed behind him did he let out a long breath.
"Jogo… a Special Grade Disaster Cursed Spirit. I really don't have much confidence in this one."
He clicked his tongue in irritation.
"Damn it. A mission this dangerous and that guy did not even think about giving me a raise."
Still grumbling, Toji kept walking down the road. Then his steps slowed.
Someone was standing by the roadside.
The figure carried a large blade on her back, her posture straight and confident. Maki Zen'in crossed her arms and looked straight at him.
"Need help, Master?"
Toji waved his hand dismissively. "Just call me cousin."
Maki rolled her eyes. "I am only one grade above Megumi, so we are practically schoolmates. Calling you cousin makes the whole seniority thing feel weird."
Toji let out a short laugh. "Then blame your old man for having you so late."
"Tch."
Maki turned her head away. "That unpleasant attitude of yours has not changed at all."
"I'm flattered."
Toji stretched his arms and shoulders. "Go help the others from Jujutsu High. Jogo is enough for me alone."
"You think I can't help you?" Maki frowned. "My Heavenly Restriction is fully awakened now. There is not a single trace of Cursed Energy left in my body."
Her voice became firmer.
"I am strong now."
Toji glanced at her. "Still not enough."
"What did you say…"
Clang!
Before she could finish, Toji had already drawn the Inverted Spear of Heaven and rushed forward with a savage grin. His speed was terrifying. Maki's pupils shrank, and she barely managed to pull out the True Steel Lacerator to block.
Clang!
The two blades collided, and in the next instant a monstrous force crashed into her. Maki was sent flying like a ragdoll.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Her body smashed through several buildings before she finally forced herself to stop. The moment she steadied her footing, Toji was already in front of her again, still wearing that same feral smile.
Clang!
Another strike. Maki barely blocked it, and the impact numbed both her arms.
This time, however, she twisted her body violently and finally shook off the force behind the blow. She swung the True Steel Lacerator toward him. The blade trembled in the air, letting out a sound like a roaring beast.
Toji's eyes lit up with interest. He raised the Inverted Spear of Heaven and met the strike head on.
Clang!
The weapons collided again. This time Toji did not move an inch. He blocked the attack effortlessly and shook his head.
"The power is there. But you are still missing something."
"Missing what?"
"Eyes that can see everything."
His tone was calm, almost casual. Then his body exploded forward again and vanished.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The air echoed with violent shockwaves as Toji moved at insane speed.
"So fast…"
Maki froze in shock. Even with a fully awakened Heavenly Restriction, she could not follow movements like this. His figure had become nothing more than an afterimage.
She raised her blade and took a defensive stance, her heart tightening.
Where would he attack from? How fast would it be? How much power would he use? Her thoughts spiraled out of control as sweat slid down her forehead.
Missing something?
Eyes that can see everything?
They both had a fully awakened Heavenly Restriction. So what was the difference between her and this man?
What was she still failing to understand?
Toji's voice suddenly sounded right beside her ear.
"In the end, life is made up of things outside the circle."
Maki spun around instantly, but he was not there.
Then his voice sounded again, right next to her.
"If you cannot step outside your own circle, you will never understand your own life."
"Why can't you focus?"
Bang!
The attack landed without warning. Maki was thrown backward again before she could even react.
She struggled to stabilize herself, but the next strike came immediately.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
In Toji's hands, Maki was nothing more than a ball being struck back and forth, completely unable to fight back.
His voice continued to echo in her ears.
"Use the moment of impact to feel everything about your opponent's life."
"Smell the sunlight. See the sound. Use every part of your body to experience everything in front of you."
"When you reach that point, the opponent, the physical body, even victory and defeat will stop mattering."
"This is the answer you are looking for. This is what you still have not understood. This is the gap between you and me."
"This is… freedom."
In the next instant, Toji's strike cut down with brutal force and smashed against the blade in Maki's hand.
Bang!
The True Steel Lacerator was knocked out of her grip. She was thrown across the ground, rolling several times before finally stopping.
Toji looked at her coldly. "You still have a long way to go."
He turned and began to walk away, waving his hand casually.
"Go help the others at Jujutsu High. And while you're at it, take care of my useless son."
Maki lay flat on the ground, staring at the sky.
Her chaotic thoughts slowly began to settle.
Her body felt light. Her mind became clear, empty, almost free.
Smell. Taste. Sight. Hearing. Touch.
It felt as if the world had suddenly shifted into perfect clarity.
"Wait."
Her voice stopped him.
Toji paused and turned around, slightly surprised.
Maki slowly stood up and picked up the True Steel Lacerator from the ground. There was a faint smile on her face.
"Hm?"
Toji's expression sharpened. He could feel it.
Maki vanished.
In the next instant, she appeared right in front of him.
Clang!
The True Steel Lacerator collided with the Inverted Spear of Heaven again. A violent shockwave exploded outward, and the ground cracked beneath their feet.
Toji blocked the strike, but his eyes dropped to the ground.
His feet had been pushed backward, carving deep lines into the earth.
Then he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha…"
He looked at Maki again. She was completely different now. Calm. Focused. Perfectly balanced.
At this moment, a pure physical monster equal to Toji Fushiguro had finally been born.
Maki Zen'in.
Maki rested the blade on her shoulder and looked at him.
"Well, Senior?"
"Can I come with you now?"
Toji chuckled and turned away again.
"Then hurry up. Don't slow me down."
"Tch."
Maki quickly followed behind him.
"That unpleasant attitude of yours really hasn't changed at all."
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