The ensuing silence was thick, stifling, and utterly surreal.
Natsuki Subaru found himself amidst the debris, his body marked by burns and bruises, yet defiantly alive. He gazed up at the rooftop, his mind grappling with the impossible sight before him.
White hair. Bandaged eyes. That infuriatingly cocky grin.
It was him. But it wasn't quite him. He was… a child.
"Gojo… sensei?" Subaru whispered, the name carrying a mix of hope and confusion.
Arakiya hovered in the air, one hand pressed to her bruised cheek, her presence radiating a murderous intent. While she didn't recognize the name, she sensed the threat. The boy on the roof exuded power—a vast, boundless ocean of negative energy that made her very soul recoil in revulsion.
It was a different kind of negativity than Subaru's—less unsettling, yet somehow far more potent.
"…Who are you? Another nuisance?"
Gojo leaped down from the ledge. He didn't fall; he floated, landing on the cobblestones as gracefully as a feather. With his hands tucked into the pockets of his kimono, he tilted his head at the Spirit Eater.
"A nuisance? Ouch. That stings, lady~ I'm just a wandering traveler who can't stand to see bullies prey on the weak."
He turned his head slightly, the fabric covering his eyes seemingly locking onto Subaru.
"I feel like I've seen that face somewhere before… but where, where, where, where…" Gojo tapped his chin repeatedly before snapping his fingers. "Oh, right! That city—Priestella. You were with me during that whole ordeal. Glad to see you looking… healthy, I suppose."
Subaru blinked. The voice was unmistakably the same. The attitude was unchanged. But there was no recognition behind those bandages, which was to be expected.
"I… yeah," Subaru managed to stammer, forcing a pained smile. "A hand would be fantastic, though? Actually, two hands. Maybe an entire arm."
Gojo swayed slightly, humming in response to Subaru's request—but offered no answer.
He turned back to Arakiya, his expression shifting as if he were contemplating something.
"So, you're the 'Spirit Eater,' huh? Berstetz mentioned you. Said you were strong. A Divine General just like Yorna-san…"
Gojo stepped forward, shrugging casually.
"But honestly? You look like a walking temper tantrum with a flamethrower, at least from my perspective right now…"
Arakiya's eyes blazed with fury.
"Annoying child."
She didn't waste breath on further words. Her wand sliced through the air in a sharp arc—a beam of concentrated light, moving at the speed of light itself, shot toward the white-haired boy.
It struck the space where he had been standing. Far too swift for any eye to follow.
"———"
——BOOOM!!
The explosion tore through the plaza, hurling dust and shattered stone into the air.
Arakiya lowered her wand, her expression a mix of boredom and dawning confusion.
But as the dust settled, a voice sliced through the silence, bright and mocking.
"Aaah~ you missed me, Ara-chan!"
Her eyes widened.
"What?"
Gojo stood in the center of the crater, untouched. The beam had fizzled out inches from his skin, defeated by the infinite distance he wore like a second layer. He brushed a speck of dust from his shoulder, looking almost disappointed.
"I expected more from you… to be honest. That didn't even mess up my hair."
As he took another step, the ground beneath him erupted. A pillar of crimson hellfire engulfed him, a vortex of incineration that would have vaporized anyone else.
Satoru Gojo simply walked out of it, waving a hand theatrically to clear the smoke.
"But don't you worry~ 'cause I'm not here to fight you! At least, not unless you force my hand. I'm just here to stop the chaos at Guaral from happening. Aka—— I'm here to stop this revolution. Right now."
Arakiya remained silent, her brow furrowing deeper. Why couldn't she hit him?
Subaru's eyes widened at Gojo's words. He stepped forward, pain flaring in his ribs.
"W-What? What do you mean, Gojo-sensei?"
Gojo clicked his tongue, shaking his head with visible irritation.
"Stop calling me that. Whatever 'Gojo-sensei' you knew before… he's gone. Forget about that schmuck."
Subaru's pupils trembled. The words struck him harder than any physical blow.
"The rebels want to take over this city as a command center, I think. But I can't allow that. Who knows how many innocent people will die because of it in the longer run? Ya get what I'm saying?"
"Wait… wait, wait, wait…"
Subaru's mind raced. If he was understanding this correctly… Gojo was fighting for the Empire? Or at least, against the rebellion?
"…I feel like there's been a big misunderstanding here, Gojo-sens—"
"Hey..."
The frown on Gojo's face deepened. It wasn't playful anymore. It was cold, genuine annoyance.
"The Satoru Gojo you knew? Whatever that stupid guy was like? He's dead. So just forget about him and go live your own life."
"'Cause I don't want any part of it."
"——I… I can't do that!" Subaru yelled, his voice cracking with raw emotion. "As I told you before in Priestella… you saved me! You made me who I am today! You're my savior, my hero, my friend! So I can't just leave you like this!"
He screamed, anger and sadness bursting out with every word.
Gojo did not smile. He did not look away.
Where he might have told a joke or laughed, he instead made a declaration far more serious than anyone would expect from a child.
"He saved you. He made you who you are today. But he is gone. All that's left is… me. Meaningless. Purposeless. I will not cling to the past of something I can't remember. So leave already."
Subaru's breath hitched. His hands shook as he reached toward the person standing just feet away.
"How can you… how can you say that?! I—I'm standing against this whole Empire because I want to bring you back…! Please don't—don't say that type of stuff! Just give me a chance… give all of us who knew you a chance and——"
Beneath the bandages, Gojo's eyes twitched. His gaze sharpened.
"——Are you saying you're part of the revolution?"
Subaru took an involuntary step back, his face trembling. Although, it was not from fear.
He bit his lip, but didn't give up that quickly, this was his chance. Perhaps the only chance he has to get back his best friend. His hero.
"You've been lied to, Gojo-sen——!!?"
Before he could even finish what he wanted to say, an unseen force yanked him off his feet.
"Go take a breather, dude. Maybe it'll help you forget too."
A subtle flare of blue engulfed Subaru's body and hurled him sideways. He crashed through one wall, then another, and another—finally slamming to a halt against a pile of rubble three blocks away.
"———"
Subaru lay in the debris, staring up at the broken ceiling with a hollow expression.
—————————————————————
I really didn't think I'd run into that annoying guy here. Someone like him… I'd rather not look at him any longer. All he reminds me of is things I'd much rather forget about...
Gojo let out a silent breath as he eyed the gaping hole in the buildings. The Six Eyes scanned the rubble, finding a lack of movement. He lowered his hand and shook his head.
"…Though, I thought the guy would be strong enough to come out of something like that pretty fine based on what I saw back then... guess I overestimated him." He shrugged.
Swiftly, he averted his attention back to the threat before him.
"…Ah?"
Shadows engulfed him—darkness crushing inward from every angle with the weight of a mountain.
For several moments, he was buried—unharmed, thanks to the Infinity surrounding him, but thoroughly annoyed.
Then, with a grunt of effort, he pushed outward using nothing but explosive cursed energy.
——BOOM!!
Debris blasted away. Chunks of earth rained down like hail. He dusted off his kimono and fixed his gaze back on the woman who had attacked him.
Arakiya clicked her tongue, swiping her arm through the air to conjure another spell.
"Why... can I not hit you?!" she suddenly screamed, her composure shattering.
Ah.
Gojo's lips curled into a smirk.
So she's a complete idiot. She might be annoying to take down with how I am right now strength-wise… but an idiot is still an idiot~
—————————————————————
The streets of Guaral twisted like a labyrinth of stone and shadow, and for Abel, each turn seemed to draw him closer to peril.
"This way, Your Excellency!" Zikr exclaimed, sword drawn as he maneuvered through the turmoil. "City Hall lies just beyond the market district!"
Abel sprinted forward, his breath coming in sharp gasps. Pain radiated from his side, where Todd's axe had grazed him earlier—though the wounds were superficial, they were sufficient to stain his garments with blood.
Behind them, Kuna and Holly stood guard, their eyes scanning the rooftops with a fierce determination.
"That man…" Kuna growled, pressing a hand against the shallow knife wound on her side. "He fights like a specter. There is no honor in his combat!"
"Because he is not a warrior... but a hunter," Abel replied, his voice strained. "And we are his quarry."
They turned a corner into the desolate market square. Stalls stood abandoned, goods scattered in the aftermath of panic.
Zikr's foot caught on something thin and taut—a wire.
"——Down!" Abel shouted, tackling him aside.
A net filled with heavy stones swung down from the eaves, crashing into the space where their heads had been moments before, obliterating a fruit stand.
"...Persistent."
The voice reverberated from the rooftops, yet its owner vanished before they could pinpoint his location.
Kuna pivoted, releasing an arrow toward the sound. It thudded harmlessly into a chimney.
"Where is he?!" she yelled, frustration boiling over. "Reveal yourself, coward!"
"He seems to thrive on unpredictability. He knows he cannot defeat the Shudraq in a fair confrontation, so he avoids granting you one," Abel remarked, pushing himself back to his feet.
They pressed onward, yet the assaults continued unabated.
A loose cobblestone triggered a cascade of razor-sharp debris. A sudden burst of fire forced them into a narrow alley.
Todd Fang was omnipresent yet elusive. He did not engage in direct combat or deliver monologues; instead, he merely set obstacles in their path, gradually exhausting their stamina and sanity.
"He anticipates our route," Abel deduced, his mind racing. "He knows we are heading for City Hall. He is herding us toward traps he has already established. He has been prepared for this."
"Then we must alter our course!" Zikr urged.
"No. That would be futile. If we deviate, we squander time. And time is a luxury we can no longer afford with Arakiya loose in the city."
They burst from the alley into the main plaza. City Hall loomed ahead—a grand edifice with the Empire's flag defiantly waving from its highest tower.
"There!" Holly pointed. "We just need to get inside!"
As they dashed across the open terrain, a figure emerged from behind a statue of the Emperor.
It was not Todd.
A squad of ten heavily armored soldiers obstructed their path.
"Halt!" the captain commanded. "By order of Private Fang, no one is permitted to enter!"
"Private Fang?" Zikr's expression contorted in disbelief. "What authority does he possess? His rank does not confer such power!"
"I am Second Class General Zikr Osman! Step aside!"
The soldiers hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances between their general and one another. Just as they began to move, an unforeseen event transpired.
A smoke bomb landed among them, exploding into a dense cloud.
Chaos ensued. Amid the confusion, Todd struck—not at Abel, but at the soldiers. He incited panic, barking contradictory orders, creating a disorienting fog of war within a twenty-meter radius.
"They are imposters! Do not be deceived; eliminate them!" Todd's voice pierced through the haze.
The soldiers, gripped by fear and confusion from the sudden loss of visibility, attacked indiscriminately.
"Damn it!" Kuna shouted, drawing a dagger and charging toward the soldiers. "We must fight through!"
As the Shudraq engaged in combat with the soldiers, Abel's attention was drawn to a figure amidst the chaos.
For a brief moment, through a gap in the smoke, he discerned the masked soldier positioned on the steps of City Hall. Rather than participating in the fray, he stood as an observer.
In one hand, he firmly grasped a torch.
His cold, unyielding gaze was fixed upon the flag that adorned the building above.
"No…" Abel gasped, the realization striking him with a chilling clarity.
Todd was not attempting to thwart the incineration of the flag; he intended to ignite it himself.
Should Todd set the flag ablaze, he could manipulate the narrative to suggest that the rebels were culpable—that the city had succumbed and the intelligence had disseminated too rapidly.
This act would trigger the "Sanitization" protocol while they remained vulnerable, still under siege by Arakiya. Todd was prepared to sacrifice all of Guaral merely to eliminate Abel, whom he had designated as the 'spider's head.'
"Zikr!" Abel shouted, his usual composure fracturing. "Stop him! He plans to initiate the purge!"
Zikr's eyes widened in alarm. He broke away from the melee, charging up the stairs.
"I won't allow you—!"
Todd glanced down, his expression almost indifferent.
"Sorry, General… but you're too slow."
However, before he could successfully hurl the torch, pain surged through his leg—an arrow embedded deep in his thigh.
"Gah—!"
Todd staggered, the torch slipping from his grasp and rolling down the steps. He looked down at his wound, then up at Holly, who stood with her bow still aimed directly at him before being compelled to engage with one of the soldiers.
"Not today, mister!"
Todd limped backward, disengaging—but the delay was sufficient.
Zikr lunged from the steps below, slamming his shoulder into Todd and sending him crashing against the heavy doors of City Hall.
"Get inside!" Zikr shouted to Abel. "I'll deal with this traitor!"
Abel did not hesitate. He sprinted up the stairs, past the stunned soldiers and the flickering torch, bursting through the doors with the Shudraq at his heels.
They raced toward the roof with utmost urgency.
Abel reached the flagpole and drew his sword, despite the mounting exhaustion from his numerous injuries.
With a swift slash, he severed the rope that held the flag of the Empire—the emblem of the false emperor's reign—and it fluttered down into his outstretched hand.
He seized a torch from a sconce on the wall and raised it high.
"——For the revolution."
He cast the flag to the ground and immediately ignited it.
As the fabric blackened and curled to ash in the wind, the signal was given in that very moment. Guaral had fallen.
Yet below, on the blood-slicked steps, Todd Fang was far from finished, despite his injuries.
He parried a fierce swing from Zikr's blade, the impact grazing his side before he brought his axe down in a ruthless arc.
Zikr barely blocked it, the force driving him to one knee, sparks flying between their weapons.
"Strategy is certainly your forte over combat," Todd observed, his voice eerily calm. "Though I suppose we share some similarities in that regard."
"——Who are you?!" Zikr yelled, disregarding the remark.
"A man trying to kill you, at the moment."
"That doesn't—Hrk!!"
Todd's fist struck Zikr's abdomen with shocking force, expelling the air from his lungs in a wet cough. Zikr staggered back, blood flecking his lips as he struggled to regain his breath.
Todd glanced down at the arrow still lodged in his leg, then up to where the flag had once flown—now gone, cut down and burned.
He did not appear defeated, as one might expect.
He looked… rather relieved.
"...Good. Now he'll be utterly incapable of hiding."
The revolt had truly commenced, yet with the likes of Arakiya still prowling the city, one might question whether this was a favorable development.
Zikr lunged again, gripping his sword tightly, but Todd moved with sudden, brutal efficiency—a kunai drawn from his inner pocket sank deep into Zikr's leg.
The general gasped as he crumpled onto the cobblestones, struggling to rise, but the agony was too overwhelming to endure.
"Consider yourself fortunate that I'm not one for taking risks, Zikr Osman—or else your life would be forfeit. Even if I failed to eliminate that masked man here, I have a good memory."
"The Empire… will not forgive you… for this!" the general retorted, his voice strained.
Todd raised an eyebrow beneath his mask and let out a derisive laugh.
"You're the one betraying us, not me. Focus on your own survival."
With a pronounced limp, Todd Fang turned away and disappeared into the lingering mist.
"What a pathetic display from Jamal… getting delayed, likely by something trivial, and forcing me into a risky situation. That bastard."
—————————————————————
Abel observed the final flickering remnants of the Empire's flag, now reduced to a mere heap of ash upon the rooftop. Despite the heavy weariness that enveloped him, he maintained a posture of strength and determination, embodying the emperor that his supporters required him to be.
He turned abruptly at the sound of approaching footsteps, his gaze sharpening as a battered figure emerged onto the roof.
Zikr Osman appeared significantly worse than during their last encounter. His skin was marred with cuts and bruises, and he limped heavily on one leg, dragging it with evident discomfort. Nevertheless, he maintained a disciplined posture and an unwavering gaze.
"Zikr Osman."
Despite his injuries, the Second Class General did not waver. He knelt and bowed his head in a gesture of respect.
"I must apologize… Your Excellency. I failed to... eliminate the traitor." His voice remained steady, bearing the weight of his admission.
Abel exhaled softly, crossing his arms.
Only a fool would evaluate Zikr's performance based solely on appearances. The general was a strategist, not merely a combatant. To have confronted a strange adversary like that man, to have survived, and to have safeguarded the objective was a testament to a level of courage that transcended conventional duties.
"Your efforts are commendable nonetheless. I take it the traitor escaped?"
Zikr blinked, momentarily taken aback by Abel's response, but he nodded in affirmation.
"Yes… It is regrettable that I could not eliminate such a troublesome enemy. I can only express my apologies."
"Do not. I will not accept an apology from someone who has no reason to offer one." Abel then shifted his gaze toward Kuna. "Kuna—if you possess any medical skills, attend to him. Promptly."
"It's… basic at best, but it will have to suffice." Kuna stepped forward, assessing Zikr's injuries. "I'll be doing the same to you afterward, Abel, so don't be stubborn!"
Abel nodded curtly, his expression remaining unchanged even as the pallor of blood loss drained color from his face.
"We have played our roles, and we have executed them well. Even with an unforeseen third party complicating matters… we have emerged victorious." He furrowed his brow slightly. "All that remains is to place our trust in Natsuki Subaru's strength against the Second Divine General—"
Before he could complete his thought, Holly burst through the rooftop door, her expression fraught with urgency.
"Bad news," she announced, her voice strained. "I caught a glimpse of what's happening deeper in the city—and it does not bode well!"
Abel's gaze fixed intently upon her. "Explain."
"Subaru… is no longer the one fighting the Divine General. In fact, I did not see him at all."
A chilling silence enveloped the rooftop.
"…What?"
—————————————————————
"Hahahaha! Come on, come on~!"
Satoru Gojo's exuberant laughter resonated through the ravaged streets, his tone vibrant and almost frenzied. He dashed ahead of the tempest that pursued him, skillfully navigating the streets of Guaral as if engaged in a game of tag.
In pursuit was Arakiya, her expression contorted in a fierce snarl of unrestrained fury. The hellfire that had previously enveloped her was supplanted by crystalline wings of earth magic, which beat the air with sharp, resonant strikes, propelling her forward at such velocities that the world around her became a blur.
Her attacks had transformed from the controlled volleys she had employed against Subaru to amplified, focused, and lethal spells—designed not merely to kill but to obliterate.
Drawing her legs close to her chest, she oriented her body parallel to the ground. With a decisive diagonal sweep of her wand, she unleashed a pressurized jet of water magic.
The jet sliced through the air with the swiftness of a guillotine blade, much faster than the speed of sound.
——WHOOSH!!
Gojo's feet skidded across the cobblestones, his form flickering in a burst of blue cursed energy. The water jet narrowly missed his body, cleaving through an entire row of buildings instead. The structures groaned under the strain before collapsing with a thunderous roar, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the street.
"Hrr!! You foolish little child!!"
Arakiya's scream cut through the chaos. As debris fell like hail, Gojo was already in motion. His wrist flexed, blue energy flaring around his limbs as he propelled himself upward with explosive speed.
He aimed a punch directly at her face—a strike reinforced with sufficient cursed energy to shatter steel.
Yet, she was not there.
She dissipated before impact, her form scattering into golden motes of light that evaded even his heightened senses.
"Tch——" he clicked his tongue in frustration.
Infinity held him suspended in midair as he twisted, the Six Eyes beneath the bandages scanning frantically for her reappearance.
She materialized behind him, arms extended, wand pointed, mana surging like a breaking dam.
A smirk curled on his lips. He could perceive the flow. He could anticipate the spell and—
"——El Jiwald!"
It was not a projectile; it was instantaneous.
Dozens of beams of light emerged from every conceivable direction—above, below, left, right. They did not travel; they simply existed, striking from angles that even the concealed Six Eyes could not track in that singular, frozen moment.
The world was engulfed in white.
However, the light did not touch him.
The beams vanished as swiftly as they had appeared, dissolving against the infinite space surrounding his body. They halted mere millimeters from his skin, slowing infinitely before fizzling out into harmless sparks.
A chilling thrill coursed down Gojo's spine.
If I didn't have Infinity… that would have killed me!
This realization did not instill terror within him; rather, it exhilarated him.
Ever since he had healed and assumed this unfamiliar form, a restless anger had simmered beneath his skin—a frustration with his own limitations, his forgotten past, and everything that had transpired up to this moment. He had felt constrained.
But this woman? This "Spirit Eater"?
——She was perfect.
She attacked with greater speed than he could muster. She possessed more firepower than he did.
Yet, she could not touch him in the end.
Without hesitation, Gojo raised his hand to his face. He tore away the bandages in a swift motion, allowing the white cloth to flutter to the ground like a flag of surrender.
The Six Eyes opened fully.
The world erupted into intricate detail. He perceived the flow of mana in the air, the microscopic vibrations of Arakiya's wings, the heat radiating from her skin. His infinite perception contracted, focusing intently on the woman before him.
A wild, unrestrained grin spread across his face. His blue eyes glowed with the intensity of a collapsing star.
"Okay, lady. Bring it~!"
Arakiya fixed her gaze upon him, her attention drawn to his eyes—those unsettling, inhuman orbs—and for the first time, her fury wavered.
"What... are you?" she inquired in a hushed tone.
"Me?" Gojo responded with a laugh, extending his arms theatrically. "The name's Satoru Gojo~ Don't forget it, will ya~?!"
He directed a finger toward her.
"——Now let's dance!"
Gojo's proclamation lingered in the atmosphere for a brief moment before reality itself began to distort.
A singularity emerged in the space between them, a point of infinite attraction. Arakiya growled as the gravitational force seized her, pulling her inexorably forward. Her crystalline wings fractured under the strain, disintegrating into shimmering dust.
"You... insufferable... BRAT!" she exclaimed.
Despite her evident fury, she adeptly maneuvered to avoid harm.
Her form dissolved into light once again, slipping through the gravitational pull like smoke through fingers, and she reappeared dozens of meters away, her wand weaving through the air.
A barrier of crystal shards erupted from the ground beneath Gojo, aimed to impale him.
Gojo's fingers intertwined the moment he sensed the attack and reacted.
"Boooooring~" he taunted, shaking his head. "Is that all you've got? I thought you were a General!"
Arakiya's eyes narrowed, her primal rage still present but sharpening into a focused determination. She recognized that brute force was ineffective; she required speed—speed that transcended comprehension.
Raising her wand high, the air around her began to resonate, vibrating with such intensity that the windows of nearby structures shattered.
In an instant, Gojo's Six Eyes flared to life.
His mind processed the information in mere nanoseconds: the mana density, the vector, the murderous intent.
Suddenly, she unleashed a barrage of light that enveloped him almost instantaneously.
However, with the bandages removed, the Six Eyes operated at maximum capacity. He could perceive the mana coalescing and the lines of light tracing through the air a microsecond after they were unleashed.
Yet, he realized that he could not evade the attack; if he attempted to do so, it would spell his doom without the protection of Infinity.
His body—this diminutive, child-sized vessel—was too sluggish. Even with the reinforcement of Cursed Energy, his muscles could not remotely match the speed of his perception. It was akin to observing a bullet in slow motion while being unable to step aside.
A lattice of searing white light crisscrossed the space surrounding Gojo. It formed a cage of lasers, a grid of total annihilation.
Nevertheless, he did not need to dodge or defend in the conventional sense—because the Limitless would protect him.
Thus, for a fleeting moment, Gojo found himself encased in a radiant cocoon of suspended light. The accompanying heat also ceased, and, in that instant, the attack could not traverse the infinite distance that had manifested as it approached.
"Whoa," Gojo exhaled, his eyes wide with astonishment. "That was... actually kinda scary."
The beams dissipated, leaving spots dancing in his vision.
Arakiya regarded him, breathing heavily—her eyes flaring with confusion.
"Why..." she gasped. "Why do you not die?"
"I already mentioned it, silly~ You've never managed to hit me during this encounter. Simply put, my power reveals the true nature of Limitless—infinite division of space means that, although it may appear so, your attack never truly reaches me because the distance separating us remains technically infinite. The closer you come, the more I push you into nothingness…"
Gojo had merely unveiled his strategy, not out of arrogance, but because doing so with a Binding Vow enhances its potency in combat.
He chose to disclose this information because he did not underestimate Arakiya's potential to circumvent Infinity, regardless of the circumstances.
Gojo's grin widened as he observed Arakiya's disbelief.
The scene unfolded with a palpable intensity as Arakiya expressed her frustration vehemently, exclaiming, "That's stupid! Total crap!" Her wand was poised for another offensive maneuver, signaling her readiness for combat.
Suddenly, the ground beneath Gojo trembled violently before erupting, ascending rapidly into the air.
"Woah woah woah!" he exclaimed, bending his knees and leaping off the edge of the rising earth pillar. In mid-air, he deftly twisted his body, keenly aware of the approaching earth magic manifesting from the uplifted terrain.
The pillars, slender and formidable, were accompanied by numerous stone branches that surged toward Gojo in an attempt to ensnare him. However, he had already preemptively swiped his arm, enveloping his fists in a negative energy of a striking blue hue.
Yet, the branches ensnared nothing but empty space.
Arakiya's eyes widened in bewilderment, and in an instant, she expelled blood—real blood—her body bending inward as the force of the impact reverberated through her.
"Hrk——!!"
She gasped, propelled backward with the force of a cannonball. She crashed through everything, demolishing stone walls, pillars, and furniture, ultimately embedding herself in the debris several blocks away.
Observing the devastation, Gojo scratched his head in mild disbelief.
"Whoops... thankfully, this entire area seems to be evacuated... though I'm not sure about the rest of Guaral," he remarked, a hint of concern lacing his tone.
A profound silence enveloped the scene, only to be broken by a low, guttural growl emanating from the rubble.
In the distance, Arakiya rose enveloped in a pillar of blue flame.
Swiftly, Gojo himself had ascended into the air, warping the space around him to maintain his altitude.
"Getting a bit exhausted, are we?" he mused, observing her movements.
In a sudden motion, she swung her wand vertically. However, rather than conjuring fire or earth as she had previously, the air thickened with moisture.
Gojo's Six Eyes flared once moer, perceiving the mana condensing around him—not as a projectile, but as a sphere.
His eyes narrowed in realization, but before he could fully process the situation, a sphere of pressurized water materialized around his head.
This was not an attack aimed at decapitating him, as had been her previous attempts; rather, it served as a prison.
The water was dense, heavy, and frigid, encasing his skull and severing his auditory and respiratory functions.
Arakiya's expression morphed into a savage, triumphant grin.
"Drown, little monster!!" she taunted.
Gojo blinked, realizing he was submerged—his head encased in water. Through the distorted liquid lens, he could see Arakiya's smug visage.
He attempted to inhale, but his lungs burned in protest.
He had to acknowledge, at least, that the girl had executed a strategy more what than he had anticipated from her.
Although the water had not physically touched him, it enveloped everything around his head, including the oxygen that even he desperately needs to live.
Her mana reserves appeared vast, and while he was gradually navigating through it, depleting her energy would require considerable time, particularly for such a seemingly simple spell.
Nonetheless, he remained calm; succumbing to panic would only hasten his demise.
The negative energy of blue surrounding him persisted, and as he clasped his palms together, he warped through space itself, closing the distance between them instantaneously.
"———!!"
As he approached and drew his fist back, Arakiya's crystalline wings flapped, propelling her backward while simultaneously unleashing a wave of earth magic directed at him.
However, this maneuver merely elicited a manic grin from Gojo, as his body flickered and warped—what had been in front of him was now behind him.
His right arm, pulled back as far as possible, clenched into a fist and surged toward the Spirit Eater before him.
Amidst the bubbles and the warping effects of the water, he perceived her sudden defensive posture as she attempted to guard against a wave of her own redirected magic, which proved ineffective against its adversary.
While his efforts were little more than a nuisance to her, they provided Gojo with the opportunity to warp directly above her, delivering a devastating kick to her side with explosive force, propelling her at speeds exceeding the sound barrier back toward the desolate city streets below.
"CHECK——MATE!" he declared triumphantly.
The impact disrupted the spell surrounding his head, allowing him to cheer as he gasped for air, landing on the edge of a rooftop near the site of Arakiya's crash landing.
The water cascaded around him like rain, yet he remained completely dry as he observed the crater before him.
"Heey... hey hey hey?!"
The figure he had been watching had swiftly emerged from the center of the turmoil, swaying momentarily before regaining her composure.
"I thought mages were supposed to be totally glass-cannon types? But she took that better than almost anyone else could..."
With his hand resting on his chin, he suddenly clicked his tongue in realization.
So, this girl was sent here by Berstetz and Vincent. That's my guess, at least. Though, did they know how big of an idiot she was? Clearly, she doesn't give a crap about her surroundings... that would make sense, being how annoying they were in trying to keep me away from this place.
Gojo exhaled sharply, placing his hands in his pockets as he contemplated the scene, watching as Arakiya wiped the blood from her mouth with her arm.
Well, whoops—— I did say I was going to end this whole show here, but I might have to leave early. Or at least, drag this girl away from the city before this fight moves elsewhere where actual civilians might be.
Arakiya lifted her gaze to him, her eyes ablaze with a cold, focused animosity. She raised her staff, the air around her beginning to resonate with an alarming concentration of mana.
"I will... erase you."
However, before she could unleash her next incantation, a voice sliced through the tension with the precision of a blade.
"——How unsightly."
It was not a shout but rather a statement of undeniable authority, delivered with the gravitas of a sovereign.
From the shadows of a nearby alley, a figure emerged. She moved with a grace that rendered the devastated street akin to a royal carpet. Her hair blazed like fire, and her gown was a stunning blend of crimson and gold. She wielded a crimson sword, gripping it firmly.
The woman in red surveyed the destruction around her with a sneer of utter contempt.
"To think that you, of all individuals, would descend to brawling like a common thug, and against a child, no less."
She directed her gaze toward Gojo, her crimson eyes piercing through him.
"And you. You engage in combat with the reckless abandon of a fool. Do you intend to obliterate that which you profess to protect?"
Gojo blinked, sensing an unusual pressure emanating from her——it was not mana, but a pure, unadulterated presence.
"Huh, well... rude, but I guess not wrong—— who are you?" Gojo asked, tilting his head.
Hearing Gojo's words, the woman smiled. It was a terrifying, beautiful expression.
"I am the Sun itself, boy. And you are standing in my light."
She pointed her crimson blade directly at Arakiya.
Gojo's gaze shifted toward the direction of the woman's sword, anticipating a reaction of fury from Arakiya.
Yet, that was not the response he witnessed.
"——Arakiya."
Narrowing her crimson eyes, the woman focused intently on the other girl.
The one who maintained her silence amidst such circumstances was the brown-skinned, silver-haired demi-human—the Imperial General First-Class, ranked Second, Arakiya.
She was reputed to be the second most formidable individual in the Vollachia Empire, a fact that her abilities had consistently demonstrated.
"P-P——Prin... Princess?"
However, Arakiya's previously otherworldly demeanor and appearance had been overshadowed by the arrival of this new woman.