Chapter 81

Blink, blink.

Long white eyelashes followed the motion of the eyelids, fluttering down and then lifting again.

The sky-blue eyes captured the clarity of a rare winter sky.

He sees everything.

He understands everything.

Everything Gojo Satoru thought he had seen and understood up to now was merely the surface. Now that he had grasped the essence of cursed energy and mastered the art of reverse techniques, he could see beyond the limits of the world and cursed energy.

So…

"Ah…"

…It was delightful.

"Ahahaha! Ha, hahahahaha!"

Endlessly, boundlessly.

Shoko Ieiri's pale, dismayed face barely registered to him. At this moment, Gojo Satoru was too absorbed in savoring his own emotions.

'Good.'

Refreshing. Liberating. He had never felt so good in his life.

Gojo sprang to his feet, looking around. Where is it? Where is it? His actions were buoyant and lively, like a child searching for a hidden gift box on their birthday. Then, his gaze met Toji's, who was standing quietly and watching.

"Ah!"

There you are! Gojo Satoru beamed brightly.

"Gorilla, no… Zenin Toji! Thank you! When you drew that cursed tool to stab my neck, I realized it then! The strange cursed energy emanating from that tool!"

…Physically healed, but not mentally. Shoko Ieiri quickly assessed the situation and moved from Gojo to Geto.

"And then it hit me. You couldn't possibly be unaware of my Limitless, yet you charged at me with an ordinary cursed tool? And you, a member of the Zenin family? No, nooo! That couldn't be! So, at that moment, I focused all my nerves on the reverse technique!"

Bright blue eyes encapsulated the world. Right now, Gojo Satoru was truly, truly in high spirits.

"Nearly died, but it was at the brink of death that I grasped the essence of cursed energy, the inversion of techniques! I had never gotten the hang of it before. The only one who could, Shoko, would just go whish and voila, speaking in riddles. Ahaha, hahaha!"

Toji observed Gojo closely. He was rambling. This wasn't about revealing information under a binding. He wasn't even in a state to be aware of such a thing.

'He's in a state of excitement (High).'

Becoming engrossed in the thrill of battle is a common occurrence. Toji had encountered a few sorcerers in such a state before.

However, the current Gojo Satoru wasn't the same as those Toji had faced before.

'...Different.'

He could tell without needing to use Observation Haki. The Gojo Satoru before him was different from the youth Toji had just confronted and slashed at the throat.

Born like a comet during a time when curses were subsiding, Gojo was the powerhouse the Gojo family and the sorcery world had imagined and longed for over centuries.

The modern era's strongest sorcerer.

Though it seemed ridiculous that all it took was one stab with a knife, considering Gojo was born with the Limitless and belonged to the Gojo family, it's unlikely he'd ever be in a situation to be stabbed in the neck anyway.

'I want to defeat him.'

Suddenly, a desire surged within Toji.

It was the desire of a warrior who wished to battle a strong opponent, but also the desire of Zenin Toji, who had hardly ever been truly recognized in his life.

Before him undoubtedly stood the strongest sorcerer of the modern era.

If he could defeat him, all in the sorcery world would have to acknowledge it.

The strength and existence of Zenin Toji.

Slight rustle.

It was when Toji, with his vacant green eyes fixed on Satoru, grasped the handle of the Inverted Spear of Heaven protruding from the curse's mouth.

However, he did not pull it out.

The hand holding the Inverted Spear of Heaven twitched. Dominating Toji's mind now were anticipation, excitement, and…

'...A sense of discord.'

Something was off.

Toji snapped to his senses as if doused with ice water and released his grip on the Inverted Spear of Heaven. He then became aware of the sense of discord filling his mind.

...The dulled Armament Haki from extensive use in the recent fight was sending a strange warning throughout his body.

Zoro's words from years ago, when Toji first began learning Armament Haki, came to mind.

"Because your senses and physical abilities are so good, you'll unconsciously try to use those instead Armament Haki."

Back then, he didn't understand why that was bad. He vaguely thought it was because it hindered learning Armament Haki.

'...Now I see.'

Beyond the limits of what the body can perceive. Even if perceived, failing to properly relay it to the brain.

Armament Haki makes one aware of such things.

There's no winning. Absolutely not.

At least not now.

"You'd be taken down in an instant."

It was exactly as Zoro said.

Thud.

Zoro's hand grabbed Toji's. With that small force, Toji's body stopped as if obeying an irrefutable command. Looking up at Toji, Zoro asked calmly,

"Are we going to fight?"

Deep concern, conviction, and some form of readiness were evident on his youthful, innocent face.

He knows.

...About the outcome when Toji fought with Gojo.

Toji took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. He gently placed his thick hand atop Zoro's head.

"We're not fighting."

Softly.

After softly stroking the green hair, Toji fully retracted the Inverted Spear of Heaven into the curse, then rolled up the arsenal curse and swallowed it.

"I refuse unpaid labor. That's enough lessons for today."

Beating someone up might be fun, but getting beaten up isn't fun at all. Toji wasn't foolish enough to engage in a fight he was certain to lose. After giving them a good beating as planned, it was time to withdraw.

"…Huh?"

Seeing the bewildered face of Gojo Satoru made Toji feel a bit better. He chuckled lightly and clapped his hands briskly twice.

"Alright, that's a wrap~ Everyone, disband, disband!"

Toji approached the fallen Geto and hoisted him up. Thanks to Ieiri's reverse technique, the injuries had healed, but Geto was still out cold.

'I'll just dump him at the infirmary.'

Leaving a student unconscious could lead to trouble for Toji's livelihood.

Gojo, who had been dazedly watching the scene, protested belatedly.

"Wait a seeecond! Running off after stabbing me in the neck, where do you think you're going?!"

"When the lesson ends is up to the teacher."

And once the lesson is over, there's no reason for the teacher to stick around, especially if the student is a guy.

Toji, who would never make a good teacher even if he died and came back, thought this as he turned away.

Gojo was shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Wait! I'll give you money. I'll give you as much as you want, so let's fight againnnnn!"

"No thanks. I'm gonna dump this guy in the infirmary and then take a nap with my Marimo son."

Did you really think I'd come here just to die for you, you fool? Toji sneered.

Fighting Gojo with all his might and winning was out of the question, but Toji still was the physical education teacher at Jujutsu High. There were still plenty of opportunities to get the better of him during non-cursed energy physical classes.

Watching Toji walk away leisurely while carrying Geto, Gojo stomped his feet in frustration.

"Just once, just one more time, let's fighttttt! Shoko, catch that guy!"

"Do you want me to die?"

Ieiri, who had just finished using a reverse technique and was resting, grimaced. Catching someone who had just beaten both Gojo and Geto at the same time was akin to asking her to commit suicide.

Just when she thought she could finally rest. Such was her fate. Ieiri murmured to herself as she stood up and then turned back to Gojo.

"Oh, Gojo? You come to the infirmary too. We need to check if there's something wrong with your head."

"I'm fine!"

"I don't think so."

He clearly wasn't in his right mind. Though he always was a bit off.

'Well, who can stop him.'

He'll return when it's time. Ieiri thought as she hurried towards the infirmary.

Left alone, Gojo, now in a more ruined sports field than before the lesson, pulled at his hair in frustration.

"Ah, so annoying! Where's the law in thissss!"

Revenge match should be granted! His howls, unheard by anyone, echoed loudly throughout Jujutsu High.

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