Suguru was dead. The thought was a shard of ice in his mind, a truth he had been forced to accept. And yet, here stood a phantom, an imposter wearing his best friend's face, moving with his best friend's grace. A thief of ghosts.
What happened to us, Suguru?
The silent cry echoed in the hollow space where their shared future was supposed to be.
You were meant to be by my side until the end... and yet..
He grit his teeth, the sound a low grind of bone and fury. He swallowed the bile of his own grief. Now was not the time. Gojo knew he had to cage the storm inside him; rushing in with nothing but rage had already proven to be a fatal mistake. It was just… his mind, a machine that perceived the universe in fractions of a second, that processed information faster than any being alive, could not compute this one, simple, agonizing fact.
No... This is the fault of the bastard who sent me away. If whoever did it hadn't interfered in my life… everything would still be the same. Everything would be completely normal.
"Shouldn't you be focusing on the battle at hand, Satoru Gojo?"
The voice—Suguru's voice—sliced through his thoughts. Gojo's eyes snapped wide. Reality crashed back in. He pivoted on the ball of his foot, the sole of his shoe carving a line in the fractured stone as he leaned back, a dancer evading death. The cursed blade hissed through the space his chest had occupied a heartbeat before, its edge corrupting the very air. For a fleeting moment, Infinity shattered yet again.
He tried to press the attack, but his body hesitated. Seeing that face, that smile twisted into a mask of cold amusement… this snake wearing the skin of his brother… he was strong. Unnervingly so.
Gojo threw his arms up, his forearms catching a brutal front kick aimed at his sternum. The bone-jarring impact sent shockwaves through him, the cobblestones beneath them exploding outward. Jagged lines of cursed energy crackled across the ground like black lightning.
He twisted again, weaving around a follow-up kick by a razor-thin margin as the shimmering wall of Infinity snapped back into existence.
Is it just muscle memory? Suguru's instincts moving the limbs? No…
His eyes, the color of the sky, narrowed into slits.
This bastard is just that skilled!
Across from him, the thing wearing Geto's face let its palm slap against the nigh-impenetrable barrier of Infinity. Kenjaku's eyes twitched at the noticeable defensive construct's re-appearance—not in frustration, but in calculation. He was timing it. He was measuring the precise interval it took for Satoru Gojo to re-establish his cursed technique after it was nullified by the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
The number solidified in Kenjaku's ancient mind.
Four seconds.
At the exact same instant, the Six Eyes delivered the same cold, tactical data to Gojo. The equation of this fight had just been solved. That blade was the variable that could kill him, or badly injure him, which he considered more likely.
Satoru's breath escaped him in long, ragged bursts, a desperate attempt to anchor himself amidst the tempest raging within.
"If hitting you is so difficult, then try this!"
His foot slammed down, cracking the already fractured cobblestone. The sheer force of his invoked negativity, a manifestation of the limitless, tore at the fabric of space itself. A vortex bloomed around his outstretched palm, forcibly yanking Kenjaku's arm holding the inverted spear towards his waiting grasp to the side.
"—Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue."
He spun, his mangled left arm screaming in protest. Yet, even through the searing agony, a stubborn resolve tightened his jaw. For Suguru.
The fist ignited with cerulean, dragging Kenjaku into its brilliant impossible center. The impact was explosive, Kenjaku's head snapping back, blood blooming crimson against his grinning face. He was hurled through the air, a broken doll, crashing through one of the surrounding building's shattered windows, swallowed by the night.
Kenjaku's head snapped up, a disbelieving grin still plastered on his face as he shook off the glass and the blow.
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue, is it...? Impressive..."
He twisted, anticipating the sound of an imploding wall behind him. His dagger rose instinctively, but the familiar azure glow met him once more instead. A chunk of the interior wall, ripped free by Blue, hurtled towards him. A distraction. Perfectly executed, in the blink of an eye.
"—However..."
Kenjaku leaned back, narrowlyevading a fist that came from his flank, crackling with amplified Blue. The force of the blow, had it landed, would have been devastating.
As he twisted, his dagger flashed upward, slicing a shallow, inch-deep gash into Gojo's side.
Infinity shattered once more.
Anti-Gravity System—
When Blue attempted to wrench Kenjaku from his footing again, it met unexpected resistance. The ground surrounding the fake-Geto imploded, flattened by an invisible force. Wooden floorboards cracked and splintered as if gravity itself had intensified a hundredfold, negating Blue's pull completely.
"—!!"
The crushing weight slammed even Gojo to his knees. Every bone in his body screamed under the impossible pressure as the surrounding structure began to buckle and fold, collapsing inwards.
CRACK—!!
A palm met Gojo's gut just as the debris rained down. The amplified weight of the falling rubble transformed into a brutal weapon, raking across Gojo's back, drawing blood despite his desperate reinforcement with cursed energy. He retched, gastric acid and blood coiling in his throat, before being flung backwards, out of the collapsing building and back across the fractured plaza.
—Four seconds.
Infinity reignited—
"Tch—!!"
His pupils contracted as Kenjaku descended from above, dagger poised. But before he could close the distance, a dark projectile slammed into Kenjaku's guard from the side. He twisted mid-air, disengaging, landing several meters away.
Brushing off the minimal damage, he averted his gaze from Gojo, who was struggling to recover.
"Ah, of course. How could I forget about you..."
His eyes settled on the source of the attack. The Authority of Pride—Natsuki Subaru, his brow furrowed in righteous anger.
"You're... one evil bastard, you know? Why even do all this? Is it just some sick game, to please yourself or something?!"
Kenjaku shook his head, a faint smile touching his lips.
"...Not at all. It's something far greater... This world is a playground, vast, incredibly vast... yet it lacks one thing. Cursed Energy. That is my desire. That is why I am doing this—"
Suguru's eyes widened, his serene expression fracturing into a mad grin.
"—To bring alive, the world of Heian once more!!"
"—..."
Subaru could only clench his jaw, stunned into silence.
Gojo, finally catching his breath, frowned.
"...You killed my best friend... for that?"
His expression wasn't anger, but a profound, heart-wrenching sadness. It was a look that stole years, making him seem just as impossibly young as he truly was.
"...Then... what about Gojo-sensei's memories?! Why that?!"
Subaru quickly yelled.
Kenjaku let out a slow breath.
"--I have no quarrel with either of your existences. As sorcerers, you belong in the world I intend to create. But the Six Eyes and the Limitless combined is far too dangerous in a world with countless... opportunities to only amplify that innate technique even further. I certainly would have preferred if he'd forgotten everything, started anew, or never woken up at all. But alas, I suppose I overestimated the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony."
His gaze flickered towards the unconscious Rui Arneb.
"--I..."
Gojo honestly didn't know what to say. He'd harbored suspicions since encountering Aldebaran, but... his memories? Lost? It was hard to believe yet...
Kenjaku raised his free hand. A black line tore through the air, only to be pried open by a pair of white, draconic claws. From the yawning maw of darkness emerged a white dragon, easily a dozen meters in length at least.
"Unfortunately, I have no intention of allowing you to get involved with this battle. Though, you shouldn't die to something like this, if you are as powerful as I presume."
The dragon coiled, its jaws snapping shut against air.
Subaru instantly raised his guard, but Gojo's voice cut through the tension.
"—Hey, you! That curse, don't underestimate it, and kick its ass! It's the 'Rainbow Dragon,' and its durability isn't too shabby—"
"There are, I believe, more pressing matters, Satoru~"
Kenjaku smiled, the final syllable laced with the chilling, familiar cadence of Suguru Geto.
A guttural growl escaped Gojo's throat. The moment he surged forward, a prickle of recognition snagged his attention, his Six Eyes darting, scanning the immediate surroundings.
These are...
"Scissors—?!"
Gojo's guard snapped up, his head whipping to the side. His gaze locked onto a curse he knew all too well; a cursed spirit he himself had helped arm, now turned against him. A simple domain, not inherently overwhelming on it's own, but amplified by a binding vow that trapped him, denying escape without a single vexing condition.
A simple question.
The cursed spirit's head lurched sideways. A woman's form, draped in a dark coat, her black hair a cascade of shadow. Countless beady eyes blinked in unnerving synchronicity as her neck craned, a sickening crack echoing.
"I-I-Is my h-h-hair pret—pretty?"
The question hung in the air, demanding an answer.
"—Get out of my way!"
SNIP—!
A searing pain sliced across the side of his face, raw and immediate. Without hesitation, Gojo flung his palms apart, unleashing his full power in that instant.
Strands of his signature silver hair fluttered to the earth. A thin crimson line split his cheek, warm blood welling. It would have been so much worse had he not ended this spirit now.
That unconscious brat, that Subaru, and Meili are out of its range—so I can really push it now.
"Maximum Output: Blue!"
A colossal sphere of pure, implacable blue bloomed in his palm, a nascent singularity. It pulsed, intensifying, the crushing force of attraction beginning to warp reality itself, to drag everything into its inescapable maw.
He swung, and swung again. The blue followed the violent arc of his hand, a cataclysm that tore through the ground at his feet and consumed the Vengeful Spirit in one annihilating wave. Then, with a roar, it ascended into the sky, vanishing without a trace.
"——!"
Ignoring the trickle of sweat that clung to his forehead—a testament to both mental strain and steady blood loss—Satoru's head snapped around, his senses zeroing in on the lingering cursed energy.
"That is…!"
He clicked his tongue. A swarm of green-centipede curses, mere cannon fodder imbued with Kenjaku's power, surged toward him. They piled onto his defense, gnashing and biting against the insurmountable barrier of Infinity.
Is he trying to exhaust me with cannon fodder? Tsk!
He didn't even need his cursed technique. A mere jab of his fist, laced with cursed energy, was enough to eviscerate them. The ground beneath them cracked open from the sheer impact.
Only then did Kenjaku emerge, sliding into view from the side, the inverted spear clutched in hand, poised to strike—
He's too focused on attacking me with that cursed dagger…
A manic grin stretched across Gojo's blood-streaked face as he pivoted to face Kenjaku.
"—Then in that case!!"
Gojo lunged forward, not away, but towards the powerful thrust of the curse-woven dagger. He danced on the edge of fatality, evading the worst of it, but Kenjaku's speed still carved a clean, narrow gash across his side.
Kenjaku's eyes widened in confusion, then dawning shock.
"—?!"
Realization flared, and a predatory grin split Kenjaku's face.
Satoru Gojo had deactivated Infinity on purpose!
A masterful gambit. A bait. If executed perfectly, it could shatter the momentum of this battle entirely!
BOOOOM—!!!
The black sparks of fate, unburdened by memory or preference, chose their wielder. Satoru Gojo had gambled, and…
"BLACK FLASH!!"
He had emerged victorious.
His fist met Kenjaku's face with an explosive force so cataclysmic that half the skin, along with an eyeball, was instantly atomized. It was practically deleted from existence from that miniature singularity of power. Black and red lightning crackled outwards in that infinitesimal moment, warping space itself, amplifying the output of Gojo's strike to an unimaginable degree.
Kenjaku was flung backward, staggering, but landing on his feet. He raised a hand, and the wild grins on both their faces spoke of a shared ecstasy, a mutual thrill in the unfolding chaos.
Gojo surged forward—
—Kenjaku dismissed the Inverted Spear from the curse embedded in his shoulder. From the circular maw of that purple monstrosity, a three-section red staff emerged, its segments linked by rings.
Playful Cloud.
Gojo's fist slammed into the central joint of the crimson staff. Amusement warred with a surging battle-maniacal fervor as he plunged deeper into the zone.
Impact after impact rained down as Gojo weaved and stepped, evading every swing and thrust of the Playful Cloud. Though it lacked a cursed technique imbued into it like the Inverted Spear of Heaven, he felt it deep in his gut—a strike from this would be catastrophic.
"SATORU GOJO, YOU TRULY ARE…"
"—A JUJUTSU SORCERER!!"
Kenjaku yelled, his own grin widening further as Gojo leaped over the next swing of the staff, the displaced air a visible testament to its ferocious power.
The fake-Geto twisted, and Gojo pirouetted through the air. The center joint of the Playful Cloud slid along the back of his own nape before he repositioned the weapon into his opposing hand, driving it upward in a bone-shattering attempt toward Gojo.
Yet, the strongest sorcerer narrowly evaded, his palms clapping as he warped away with—blue.
His foot then connected cleanly again, smashing into Kenjaku's flank. The blow seemed to land with surprising resilience. Kenjaku used the opening, striking Gojo's already bleeding arm with the staff—the sickening crack of bone echoed amidst the anarchy as the two warriors separated for a fleeting moment.
Exhaling, Gojo, in his current state, barely registered the sensation of his fractured bone, nor the encroaching mental exhaustion.
Kenjaku's half-evaporated face began to knit itself closed, a new eye manifesting as tissue reformed from nothingness—good as new, just like that.
Reverse Cursed Technique!
Gojo acknowledged it, his eyes wide, but the grin didn't fade—it intensified. He dashed forward once more.
If I can land that Black Flash again… just once more… I can feel it! This enlightenment! It's almost… within reach!
A shadow passed over Kenjaku's ancient features. The truth of the situation crystallized before him.
He, more than anyone, understood the terrifying boon of the Black Flash. It was not simply a surge of strength. It was a gateway. With every chaotic spark, the user's soul was thrust deeper into the abyss of cursed energy, forcing upon them an instinctual, transcendent understanding of their own cursed technique.
And Satoru Gojo, the anomaly of the modern age, was bathing in those black sparks. It was a countdown. If the wielder of the Limitless and the Six Eyes were to rediscover the secrets of Reverse Cursed Technique so soon after losing his memories, Kenjaku's planning would crumble to dust.
He clicked his tongue, a sound of profound annoyance. The Playful Cloud was dragged back into the maw of the purple curse atop his shoulder.
Kenjaku's hands moved, not with the speed of combat, but with the gravitas of a priest performing a forbidden rite. They clasped together, forming a lattice of fingers that felt like a blasphemy against the natural order.
Gojo stopped dead in hesitation. A cold dread, sharper than any blade, pierced through him as the Six Eyes screamed a warning. They were trying to process an impossible equation, a technique that his very being recoiled from.
That sign…!?
An incantation reserved for the pinnacle of Jujutsu, a blasphemous reshaping of reality itself, was whispered into existence.
"—Domain Expansion..."