The confrontation never truly escalated.
Just as Satoru Gojo was about to fight seriously—
Grrrrk.
A loud sound came from Yagami Sora's stomach.
The tense atmosphere shattered instantly.
"Ah… sorry."
Sora rubbed his stomach with an embarrassed smile.
"Crossing time and space burns an absurd amount of energy."
"Can you buy me food first?"
"In exchange, I'll tell you about the Star Plasma Vessel."
Gojo stared at him.
"…Are you a starving ghost that just reincarnated?"
But despite complaining—
He relaxed his stance.
His curiosity about this strange boy who could repel his punch was too strong to ignore.
Beside him, Suguru Geto immediately caught the important part.
"You said Star Plasma Vessel."
"You know where Riko Amanai is?"
"Of course."
Sora casually pointed toward a nearby building.
"If my memory is correct…"
"She should be jumping out of that window right about—"
CRASH.
The window above shattered.
A girl in a school uniform leapt out.
Behind her—
Several armed men in black suits followed.
"…Now."
"Seriously?!" Gojo and Geto shouted simultaneously.
Thirty minutes later—
Inside a small dessert café.
The table was buried under a mountain of empty plates.
Cakes.
Ice cream.
Sundaes.
Yagami Sora was eating at a terrifying speed.
Like a bottomless pit.
Gojo stared at the pile of plates.
Even he, a famous sweets addict, felt shocked.
"…Hey."
"How long has it been since you last ate?"
Gojo asked.
"I like sweets too, but this is ridiculous."
"You're going to get diabetes."
"The brain consumes huge amounts of sugar when it runs at high speed."
Sora replied without looking up.
He shoved another piece of strawberry cake into his mouth.
"And besides…"
"Food in the future doesn't taste this good."
Geto frowned slightly.
"The future?"
"Did something happen in the jujutsu world?"
Sora swallowed the cake.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"A lot happened."
"Enough to overturn the entire jujutsu world."
"Maybe even human society itself."
"But it's too early to explain."
"You only need to know one thing."
"If certain key points aren't changed…"
"…the future becomes a disaster."
Gojo twirled a spoon in his hand.
"So you're claiming to be from the future?"
"That's such a cliché plot."
"Even I can't travel through time."
"How could you possibly do it?"
"Believe it or not."
Sora shrugged.
"But I know plenty about your past."
"For example—"
"Yesterday, Gojo stole snacks from the principal's office."
"And stuffed the wrappers into Geto's desk."
"Pfft!"
Geto sprayed tea everywhere.
"So it was you, Gojo!"
"I knew something was strange!"
"That was an accident!"
Gojo protested immediately.
Then pointed back at Geto.
"And what about you?!"
"You secretly let a Grade 1 cursed spirit escape during the last mission!"
"Breaking the rules is still breaking the rules!"
Geto's face flushed.
"You—!"
"Enough."
Sora wiped his mouth.
He looked at the two young sorcerers.
Still idealistic.
Still untouched by tragedy.
A strange emotion appeared in his eyes.
"I came back for one reason."
"To prevent a tragedy."
Riko blinked while eating a sundae.
"…Does that mean I die during the merger?"
Sora shook his head.
"No."
He looked at all three of them.
"Not just you."
"If nothing changes—"
"Riko dies."
"Geto defects."
"And Gojo becomes the lonely 'Strongest.'"
"That future…"
Sora said quietly.
"…is incredibly boring."
Suddenly—
Sora stopped moving.
He felt something.
A gaze.
Cold.
Sharp.
Completely devoid of cursed energy.
Like a scalpel slicing through the noisy crowd.
An apex predator watching its prey.
"…He's here."
Sora placed his spoon down.
The lazy smile on his face slowly faded.
Replaced by excitement.
"That man."
Gojo and Geto instantly became alert.
"Who?" Gojo asked.
Sora turned his head toward the window.
Across the street—
Leaning against a telephone pole—
A tall man stood lazily.
Black shirt.
Muscular build.
A scar across his lip.
Holding a horse-racing ticket like an ordinary gambler.
But his eyes—
Were cold.
Dead calm.
Toji Fushiguro.
The Sorcerer Killer.
The man with Heavenly Restriction.
Their eyes met.
For a moment—
The noise of the entire street seemed to vanish.
Only the invisible clash between two predators remained.
Toji frowned slightly.
His original targets were Gojo and the Star Plasma Vessel.
But now—
His instincts were screaming.
That black-haired boy sitting by the window—
Was dangerous.
Even more dangerous than Gojo.
"…Who the hell is that?"
Toji muttered quietly.
"He wasn't in the intelligence."
"Can't the Time Vessel Association even provide accurate information?"
But instead of retreating—
A cruel smile slowly appeared.
"The stronger the prey…"
"…the more interesting the hunt."
"And if I bring back the head of that unknown variable…"
"…the payment should be even better."
Inside the Café
Gojo frowned.
"Who were you looking at?"
"There's nobody there."
Toji had already disappeared.
"An ordinary person?" Gojo guessed.
Sora laughed quietly.
"Ordinary?"
"That's the man who almost killed you."
Gojo's expression froze.
"He has zero cursed energy."
"But his physical ability surpasses human limits."
"Your Limitless isn't absolute against him."
Sora stood up slowly.
Cracking his neck.
"Satoru."
"Geto."
"Prepare yourselves."
"That man doesn't care about sorcerer rules."
"He won't fight using cursed techniques."
"He'll just use the simplest method possible."
"To kill you."
Then Sora smiled.
But this time—
It was the smile of someone facing a worthy opponent.
"But don't worry."
"With me here…"
"…hell just became an amusement park."
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