"Hmph."
Toji Fushiguro let out a faint chuckle as he rolled his neck. A series of harsh cracks echoed from his bones.
He completely ignored Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro, despite them holding the two cursed nails that sustained the Curtain.
His massive frame lowered slightly.
The muscles in his legs tensed.
The floor beneath his feet fractured.
Boom!
The spot where he had been standing collapsed into a crater as he launched himself forward like a cannonball.
Using nothing but overwhelming physical strength, he shot straight toward Sol at the corridor entrance.
The air split apart with a deafening sonic boom.
He carried no weapon.
His fists alone possessed enough power to crush steel.
Yuji and Megumi barely had time to react. A violent gust swept past them, nearly knocking them off their feet.
"So fast..."
Yuji's pupils shrank.
Facing a punch powerful enough to pulverize even a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, Sol remained completely composed.
He did not move his feet.
Just before the fist reached him, he simply raised his right hand and opened his palm.
Bang!
A deep, thunderous impact erupted through the narrow corridor, like two massive slabs of metal colliding.
A violent shockwave burst outward, sweeping away chunks of broken concrete.
Yuji and Megumi instinctively raised their arms to shield themselves as they were forced several steps backward, their eyes filled with disbelief.
At the center of the collision, Toji's charge came to an abrupt stop.
His fist was firmly caught in Sol's open palm.
It could not move forward another inch.
The faint grin on Toji's face stiffened.
For the first time, a subtle ripple appeared in his empty eyes.
His punch, powerful enough to blast through a building's support wall, had vanished into Sol's defense as though swallowed by the ocean.
Sol's arm remained perfectly still.
Even his clothes failed to flutter.
Looking directly at Toji, Sol spoke in an indifferent tone.
"Good strength."
Toji bared his teeth.
The excitement in his eyes only intensified.
Almost simultaneously, his free fist shot toward Sol's side from a difficult angle, moving even faster than before.
Sol seemed to have expected it.
The hand gripping Toji's fist shifted downward, redirecting the force, while his body moved aside by the smallest margin.
Toji's strike skimmed across Sol's clothes and missed completely.
At the same time, Sol extended his index and middle fingers together, driving them toward Toji's throat with lightning-like speed.
Toji reacted with inhuman reflexes.
He snapped his head backward.
Sol's fingers sliced through the air, barely grazing his skin.
The attack missed.
Instead, Sol's fingers slid across Toji's arm.
Rip.
The sleeve covering Toji's arm split cleanly apart, as though cut by an invisible blade.
A faint white mark appeared across his tanned skin.
It failed to draw blood.
The two separated, each sliding back several meters.
Their brief exchange had been so fast that neither Yuji nor Megumi could fully follow it.
Yet every strike carried enough danger to make their blood run cold.
Neither of them doubted that a single clean hit from either fighter would leave them critically injured, if not dead.
Toji glanced at the white mark on his arm before looking back at Sol.
The excitement burning in his eyes only grew stronger.
He slowly licked his lips, as though he had found prey worth hunting.
In contrast, Sol remained as relaxed as ever.
It looked as though he had merely brushed away an annoying insect.
Yuji and Megumi were completely confused.
Their eyes shifted between the two combatants before dropping to the cursed nails in their hands.
Their minds struggled to make sense of the situation.
Wasn't Sol supposed to be their enemy?
He had sealed Gojo Satoru.
So why was he fighting the terrifying man who had suddenly appeared?
More importantly, he wasn't losing.
Toji had clearly come after them and the cursed nails.
Why had he turned his attention to Sol instead?
"What... what's going on?" Yuji asked, looking at Megumi.
Megumi frowned, his eyes constantly shifting between Sol and Toji.
He couldn't understand it either.
One thing, however, was obvious.
Whether Sol was an ally or an enemy could wait.
The resurrected Heavenly Restriction user standing before them was the immediate threat.
For now, Sol was the one keeping him occupied.
"Don't lose focus," Megumi said quietly. "This is our chance. Destroy the cursed nails."
Whatever Sol's objective was, they still had to complete their mission.
Yuji nodded without hesitation.
Both of them immediately poured cursed energy into the black cursed nails, preparing to destroy the Curtain's foundation.
The instant their cursed energy made contact with the nails, Toji moved.
Although he was still facing Sol, his body suddenly bent backward at an impossible angle that completely defied common sense.
Bang!
The ground beneath him exploded once again.
He shot backward like a cannonball, rushing straight toward Yuji and Megumi.
His true objective had never changed.
He had to stop them from destroying the Curtain's anchor.
He still intended to speak with Megumi. If the boy escaped now, there might never be another opportunity.
"Watch out!"
Yuji shoved Megumi aside without hesitation.
At the same time, he roared and concentrated cursed energy into both arms, crossing them in front of his body to brace for the incoming impact.
As Megumi was pushed away, his hands rapidly formed signs.
It might already be too late, but he had no better option.
Someone else moved first.
Just as Toji was about to crash into Yuji, Sol appeared in front of him like a ghost.
Without a word, he simply raised his hand.
===
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