Sol's speed surged.
He stopped defending and took the initiative.
With a single step, the ground trembled. His figure blurred as he closed the distance to Toji Fushiguro in an instant.
Toji's pupils tightened. He raised both arms to block.
Sol's punch came straight and heavy.
Thump.
The impact rang out like a hammer striking steel. A force far greater than before crashed into Toji's guard, numbing his arms. His body slid backward uncontrollably, his feet carving shallow grooves into the ground.
Before he could stabilize himself, Sol was already on him.
A second punch. Then a third.
They came like a relentless storm, each strike packed with explosive force, yet controlled with absolute precision. Not a trace of wasted movement or excess energy escaped.
Toji was dragged into the assault, forced entirely onto the defensive. He blocked, dodged, and adjusted, but found no opening to counterattack.
The smirk vanished from his face, replaced by focused intensity.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
The rapid collisions echoed like a drumbeat through the empty floor.
Their figures clashed and separated in a blur, only to collide again. The ground fractured beneath them, walls buckled, and debris was shredded by the force of their movements.
Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro retreated instinctively, putting more distance between themselves and the battlefield.
"Is this… Sol's real strength?" Itadori swallowed hard.
He had once considered confronting Sol himself. Now, the thought sent a chill down his spine. If he had acted on it, he would have been crushed without question.
Megumi watched intently, his focus fixed on Toji.
Even under Sol's overwhelming offense, the man held on. Every movement displayed refined combat instincts and physical ability far beyond normal limits.
Something did not add up.
If Sol could handle Gojo Satoru, why was this fight dragging on? He had not used any of those unknown abilities. If he had, the battle should have ended instantly.
"Forget that. We need to destroy the cursed nails now," Megumi said, forcing his attention away, urgency in his voice.
This fight was beyond them. Regardless of the outcome, their mission came first.
He glanced at the cursed nail in his hand, then at the two figures locked in combat.
Sol seemed to be driving Toji farther away from their position.
An opening.
"Itadori. Now."
Megumi's cursed energy surged as he crushed the black cursed nail in his hand.
Itadori acted at the same time, putting all his strength into it.
Crack. Crack.
The two special cursed nails shattered simultaneously.
The moment they broke, the small curtain within the massive barrier over Shibuya trembled violently, like a punctured bubble, before beginning to dissolve.
Three other curtains still remained, but with this central restriction lifted, sorcerers could now move freely within the larger barrier.
It also meant direct exposure to the Special Grade cursed spirits at the center.
"We did it!" Itadori exclaimed.
Megumi exhaled in relief, then immediately tensed, eyes snapping back toward the battlefield.
At the exact moment Itadori spoke, the fight stopped.
Toji deflected a heavy punch from Sol and used the force to leap back several meters, landing smoothly. He rotated his slightly numb wrist, then glanced at the shattered cursed nails in their hands before looking toward the fading curtain.
A flicker of disinterest passed through his otherwise empty expression.
His objective was gone.
Sol lowered his hands and stood still, his breathing steady, as if the intense exchange had been nothing more than a warm-up.
His dark red eyes shifted briefly toward the dissipating curtain, revealing nothing.
"Tch."
Toji clicked his tongue, clearly unimpressed by the outcome.
He gave Sol one last look, as if assessing an unfinished challenge, something left incomplete.
Then he turned.
Without hesitation, he burst through the side window, glass shattering as he disappeared into the chaotic night of Shibuya.
He had arrived abruptly, and left just as cleanly.
Itadori and Megumi stood frozen for a moment.
"He… just left?" Itadori stared at the broken window as the night wind rushed in, carrying distant noise and the scent of destruction.
Megumi frowned, his gaze shifting from the window to Sol.
His fist tightened, cursed energy circulating as his guard remained high.
Sol sealing Gojo Satoru was still the biggest question, and the greatest threat.
"Sol," Megumi said coldly, "why did you do it? Why seal Gojo-sensei?"
Itadori looked at Sol as well, confusion and urgency clear in his expression.
Sol turned slowly.
The sharp edge from earlier had faded, but his eyes remained unreadable.
He did not answer.
Instead, he looked toward the direction they had come from.
"Nanami and Takuma Ino are still on the rooftop," he said flatly. "Aren't you going to check on them?"
The words hit immediately.
"Nanami!" Itadori's expression changed as he sprinted toward the stairs without hesitation.
Megumi clenched his teeth, shot Sol a sharp glare, then followed.
Their questions could wait. Their allies could not.
Sol watched them disappear without moving.
He bent down, picked up his Jujutsu High jacket, brushed off the dust, and slipped it back on.
His awareness already covered the area. Nanami and Takuma Ino were exhausted and unconscious, but not in danger. Itadori and Megumi could handle the rest.
In the distance, the sounds of battle continued. If anything, they grew louder now that the inner curtain had fallen.
The plan of the cursed spirits and their allies was still unfolding.
And without Gojo Satoru, the remaining sorcerers were left to endure it.
===
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