Bang.
A muted impact echoed.
Toji Fushiguro's ferocious charge was stopped once again, effortlessly intercepted by Sol with a single hand. His fingers locked around Toji's kicking ankle, instantly nullifying the force behind it.
The wind that had been rushing toward Itadori abruptly died down.
Megumi Fushiguro's incantation faltered midway as he stared, stunned.
Toji narrowed his lone eye, fixing his gaze on Sol at close range.
Being halted repeatedly by overwhelming force stirred something primal within him. The ferocity buried deep in his body surged to the surface.
He twisted sharply from the waist, his trapped leg slipping free like a fish. In the same motion, his other leg whipped across toward Sol's head like steel.
Sol leaned back just enough to avoid it. At the same time, his free hand snapped forward, catching the incoming ankle with perfect precision.
Now, Sol held both of Toji's legs.
Toji hung suspended in midair.
He showed no panic.
Instead, he used the grip as leverage, his core exploding with power as his upper body surged upward. His fists came crashing down toward Sol's face like heavy hammers.
A ruthless exchange. Injury for injury. Life for life.
Sol's interest finally sharpened.
He released Toji and flung him away, then casually shrugged off his jacket. Since devouring the gods, he had not had a proper fight.
Toji adjusted his balance midair and landed smoothly. He rolled his neck with a soft crack, a faint hint of excitement appearing in his eyes.
This opponent was far more interesting than expected.
Sol tossed aside his Jujutsu High jacket, revealing a lean, powerful frame. His muscles were not exaggerated, yet every line carried explosive strength, refined to a terrifying degree.
He took a simple stance.
No excess movement. No wasted energy.
His presence was restrained, his gaze steady, like a volcano waiting to erupt.
Toji bared his teeth in a grin. A sorcerer with a body trained to this level. He liked it.
In the next instant, he moved again.
Faster. Heavier. His fist tore through the air, driving straight toward Sol's face.
Sol did not evade.
He met it head-on.
Bang.
Their fists collided with a dull, crushing sound.
Air rippled outward. The ground beneath them cracked. Muscles tensed, veins rising as raw strength clashed without restraint.
A flicker of surprise crossed Toji's eyes.
His power had been matched.
Worse, Sol's arm had not budged.
Before Toji could adjust, Sol's other hand shot forward, silent and precise, targeting his ribs.
Toji reacted instantly. His elbow dropped, deflecting the strike while his knee drove upward toward Sol's abdomen.
Sol pulled his core back slightly, then slapped down with his left hand, pressing the knee aside. Using the force, he slid back half a step, dispersing the impact.
At the same time, his right leg lashed out, sweeping low toward Toji's supporting ankle.
Toji leaped.
Midair, he twisted into a spinning kick, the wind slicing sharply.
Sol ducked under it. One hand touched the ground as his legs whipped upward, coiling toward Toji's lower body.
With no footing, Toji still forced his body to respond. He twisted midair, crossing his legs just in time to block, then kicked off and flipped backward to create distance.
They separated once more.
In mere seconds, they had exchanged a relentless barrage of attacks and counters.
No cursed energy.
No techniques.
Only pure combat, every strike aimed to kill.
Itadori and Megumi watched in silence, barely breathing.
They could not interfere. They could barely follow the movements.
It felt as if an invisible boundary surrounded the two fighters, something that would tear apart anything that dared step in.
"They're… insane," Itadori muttered.
Now he understood, at least a little, how Sol had managed to seal Gojo-sensei.
This was violence stripped to its core.
Megumi tightened his grip on the cursed nail, his palms slick with sweat.
His eyes stayed locked on Toji.
That fighting style. That overwhelming physical presence. And the unsettling sense of familiarity he could not shake.
"Now," Megumi said sharply, snapping back to focus.
Whatever Sol's role was, ally or enemy, their priority remained the same.
Destroy the cursed nail. Break the curtain.
Itadori nodded.
Both of them gathered cursed energy into their palms, preparing to strike.
Just as they moved—
Toji reacted without even looking.
Reaching behind him, he grabbed a handful of dust and debris from the wall and flicked it backward with pinpoint accuracy.
Itadori clicked his tongue in frustration.
This guy was fighting Sol head-on and still interfering with them?
Toji ignored the result entirely.
His attention had already returned to Sol.
Because something had changed.
The moment Toji made his move,
Sol moved too.