Chapter 13: Kagekiri's Return and Clash with Gojo

We see Kaede in a remote area outside the city, a place in ruins with almost nothing left to indicate what it once was. With a heavy heart, he walked towards the center, where it seemed there was nothing, but with a burst of his energy, several seals began to appear on the ground, shifting the earth and revealing a staircase leading to a room with a dusty altar inscribed with ancient markings. Infusing his voice with cursed energy, Kaede said:

"Ancestral shadow, hidden legacy, awaken and unleash your power. Kagekiri, respond to the call of the Kazehaya clan."

The inscriptions on the altar began to glow with a dark light as bars started to rise and disintegrate bit by bit. Inside the altar lay a katana.

Kaede reached out and grasped the handle, drawing the blade to reveal a completely black sword with small engravings on it.

"Finally, after a thousand years... you're in my hands again."

The katana seemed to recognize the cursed energy of its former wielder and began to emit a purple aura, making the engravings glow with an intense violet light.

"I missed you too, my girl, but unfortunately, we don't have much time." Kaede quickly sheathed the sword and began to ascend back to the surface. Just as he emerged, a white-haired figure appeared a few meters ahead of him.

"Well, I finally caught up to you. Whew, that technique of yours is really fast," said Gojo, who had finally reached Kaede. "Hm? What is this place? Some ancient ruins...? Is this where you're from...?"

"Let's just say it's my old home..." Kaede replied to the bandaged man, preparing for combat.

"You know what's going to happen, right? I really don't want to do this, but that body doesn't belong to you," said Gojo, also getting ready for the fight.

"Don't worry, I didn't intend to usurp this body. I have a plan, after all..." Kaede finished speaking, unsheathing Kagekiri, which was emanating an enormous amount of cursed energy.

"Nice katana. I see why you came here," the white-haired man commented as he began to stretch. "Well... I'm ready."

With those words, Kaede appeared behind Gojo, swinging the blade of Kagekiri, but it struck nothing. Gojo hadn't moved; the blade remained close to him but unable to touch him.

"Do you have the same ability as her? I have a guess about why you use that bandage. Let's clear up the doubt," Kaede said as he infused his energy into the katana and, adopting a stance, declared:

"Yami no Hoi (Darkness Enveloped)."

The entire area was engulfed in a dense black mist charged with cursed energy.

In a swift motion, Gojo removed his bandage, revealing his intensely blue eyes to the world. Although the fog made it difficult to see completely, he managed to evade the blade just in time as it cut through his infinity, grazing his cheek.

"How?" Gojo wondered as a small drop of blood trickled from the wound before it quickly healed.

"Hahaha, you're just like her. She made that same face when I did this, but without the advantage of being a woman," Kaede said upon finally seeing Satoru's eyes. "Gods, I never thought I'd have to face two of you, Limitless and Six Eyes. What a nuisance."

"...You mean Gojo Miyako?" Satoru finally understood. "You... were the one who defeated her?" he asked, this time speaking with a rare seriousness, finally viewing Kaede as a possible threat to his life.

Kaede just nodded, giving a nostalgic smile. "Miyako... A thousand years ago, her power was an insurmountable obstacle that I believed was almost impossible to overcome, but that was the detail... almost..." He then pointed his weapon at Satoru. "Who would have thought that a thousand years later I'd face her descendant? Haha, let's see if over time you surpassed the limit she imposed on the world."

After finishing his sentence, he slashed the air with his katana, creating a rift that sped toward Satoru, forcing him to dodge at the last moment. Ignoring his infinity again, it cut a few strands of his hair.

Repositioning himself quickly, Satoru gathered cursed energy.

"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."

He released an enormous amount of concentrated energy.

Quickly, Kaede took a defensive stance and said:

"Enerugī Kyūshū (Energy Absorption)."

He received Gojo's attack completely with Kagekiri's blade, retreating from the force of the impact, resisting as much as he could while the katana absorbed all the energy possible. But he could only hold out for so long before the attack broke his stance and sent him flying several meters, destroying what little remained of the place.

"Ouch, I'm really worn out, haha, but well... one last attack before I succumb," he said, looking at Satoru, who returned his gaze, but with extreme caution, watching for any movement.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, haha, I'm not a threat to you... yet, haha." With that final laugh, he stood up and took another stance, channeling all his cursed energy into the katana. "You know what we're going to do, my girl."

The katana, as if responding, began to shine like the moon itself, absorbing all the energy its wielder was giving it along with the energy absorbed from Satoru's attack.

Sensing the impending danger, Satoru began to charge a mix of blue and red energy in his palm.

"Konton no Ichigeki (Strike of Chaos)."

"Kyoshiki Murasaki (Hollow Technique: Purple)."

Kaede unleashed the katana's energy, disintegrating all matter in its path, aiming directly at the Six Eyes wielder.

Satoru, combining his red and blue, launched a purple energy blast toward Kaede, also disintegrating everything in its path.

Both techniques collided, trying to annihilate each other, but neither gave way. They exploded in such a manner that, if there was anything left of the old clan, it was now history. The area was flattened, and we could see both Kaede and Satoru in perfect condition... well, Kaede was already panting as if it were his last moments.

"Haa, haa! Haha, I suppose I should thank you for holding back so much," a panting Kaede said to Satoru. "I guess that's it. Tell Itadori to take good care of Kagekiri. I don't want any of those disgusting high-ranking sorcerers touching her because then we'll have a problem." With that warning, Kaede passed out, the marks disappearing from his body as it began to snore.

The katana beside Itadori started to emit energy threateningly toward Satoru for what he had done to its master.

"Hmm, a sentient katana? That's new," he said as he grabbed the handle and sheathed it again. "Kazehaya... I thought the name sounded familiar." With that, he picked up Itadori's body and disappeared from the scene.