"Before the match ends, passage through here is forbidden."
This sentence wasn't loud.
In fact, his tone was as calm as if he were stating an objective fact.
Like "The weather is nice today" or "What's for dinner?"
But to the ears of the Kyoto School students, it was nothing short of a thunderclap.
In the forest, the previously noisy cicadas seemed to vanish in an instant.
The wind stopped.
The leaves ceased their rustling.
The entire world felt as if someone had pressed the pause button.
All that remained was the boy standing upon the scorched earth and the black blade in his hand—not yet unsheathed, but already radiating a heart-stopping aura.
A drop of cold sweat slid down Noritoshi Kamo's forehead.
As the next head of the Kamo family, one of the Big Three, he had seen many powerful individuals.
He had even caught a distant glimpse of a Special Grade Sorcerer once.
But no one had ever made him feel such a sense of "absolute insurmountability" just by standing there, as Yoru did now.
'Damn it...'
Noritoshi Kamo cursed inwardly.
Their original plan was to split into two groups: the main force would surround and kill Yuji Itadori, while Aoi Todo would stall the most troublesome one, Yoru.
As long as they killed Sukuna's Vessel, the objective of this Goodwill Event would be achieved.
As for Yoru?
Although he was rated as a "Pending Special Grade," he ultimately lacked cursed energy. As long as Todo could stall him...
But he never imagined.
That bastard Aoi Todo had been nowhere to be found from the start, and Yoru had appeared directly before all of them!
And in such a domineering fashion—
A single person surrounding their entire Kyoto School!
Meanwhile.
At the other end of the forest.
The Tokyo School group, running at full speed, also heard that deafening peal of thunder.
"That's..."
Megumi Fushiguro suddenly stopped and looked back toward the direction of the thunder.
He was all too familiar with that golden-red lightning.
It was Yoru.
"Looks like Yoru has made his move."
Maki Zenin pushed up her glasses, a wild grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"He's certainly making a lot of noise."
"Should we go help?"
Panda asked with some concern.
"Judging by the sound, it seems to be in the direction of the Kyoto School. Could Yoru have charged into the enemy base all by himself?"
"It's highly likely."
Nobara Kugisaki shouldered her hammer, looking excited.
"As expected of Yoru! A real man should just take down the whole field!"
"Salmon!"
Toge Inumaki nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry about him."
Maki Zenin looked away and focused forward again.
"That guy is ridiculously strong."
"If even he can't handle it, we'd just be in the way if we went."
"Since he's blocking the Kyoto School's main force for us, let's take this chance to clear out all the cursed spirits in the forest!"
"We're definitely winning this match!"
"Let's go!"
At Maki's command, the Tokyo School group accelerated again, charging toward the area where cursed spirits were concentrated.
They chose to believe in Yoru.
They believed in the boy who always smiled gently yet could stand before everyone at the most critical moments.
...
...
Back at the scene of the standoff.
Noritoshi Kamo took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
He glanced at his companions.
Aside from Mechamaru, who remained in a combat stance, Momo Nishimiya was so frightened that she had flown to the highest point and didn't dare come down.
Mai Zenin's hand was shaking; although her gun was pointed at Yoru, she was clearly lacking confidence.
As for Kasumi Miwa...
This simple blue-haired girl was gripping her sword hilt tightly, her face pale and her eyes filled with fear.
They couldn't keep stalling like this.
The match had a time limit.
If the entire team was held up here by Yoru alone, Kyoto School would lose completely!
"Listen."
Noritoshi Kamo lowered his voice, transmitting it to everyone via cursed energy.
"His goal is only to block us."
"We don't need to defeat him; we just need to break through his line."
"Use our numbers to our advantage and break out in different directions!"
"I'll keep him occupied. The rest of you, take the chance to rush past and kill Yuji!"
"Understood."
Everyone responded in unison.
Despite their fear, their training as sorcerers allowed them to react quickly.
"Scatter!"
Following Noritoshi Kamo's shout.
The Kyoto School members instantly turned into blurs, scattering in different directions.
Momo Nishimiya dived from high above, attempting to fly over Yoru.
Mechamaru activated his thrusters, using heavy fire for cover as he pushed forward from the left.
Mai Zenin and Kasumi Miwa took the right flank.
And Noritoshi Kamo himself charged straight at Yoru!
"Blood Manipulation: Crimson Binding!"
The blood bag in his hand burst, and the blood transformed into a crimson net, descending toward Yoru.
Facing a five-pronged attack, Yoru remained where he stood, unmoving.
He didn't even draw his sword.
He merely lifted his eyelids slightly, and a faint light flashed within his golden-red eyes.
Absolute battle instinct.
Although he hadn't fully reached that legendary state, with the 18.9% Synchronization Rate boost, Yoru's perception had reached an appalling level.
In his perception, everything around him seemed to become clear.
The flow of the wind, the vibration of the leaves, even the fluctuation of cursed energy within everyone.
Even without looking, he could clearly predict their next moves.
"I told you."
Yoru's voice rang out again.
Still calm, yet carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Passage is forbidden."
Boom!
An invisible aura suddenly erupted from Yoru.
It wasn't cursed energy.
It was a state of being at its absolute purest.
Momo Nishimiya, who was about to fly over, suddenly felt her body grow heavy. She couldn't even control her broom and fell straight from mid-air!
"Eek—!"
She let out a terrified scream.
On the left, Mechamaru's alarms blared loudly.
[WARNING! WARNING! HIGH-ENERGY RESPONSE DETECTED! DANGER LEVEL AHEAD: SPECIAL GRADE!]
That feeling of being locked on gave even him—a puppet with no sense of pain—the illusion that he would be dismantled in an instant.
He subconsciously stopped his propulsion, his massive mechanical arm blocking his front as he switched from offense to defense.
Kasumi Miwa and Mai Zenin on the right were in even worse shape.
The moment Yoru's gaze swept over them, they felt as if a cold blade were pressed against their throats.
One more step forward, and they would die!
And Noritoshi Kamo, right in front, felt it most intensely.
His Blood Manipulation hadn't even touched Yoru before it inexplicably dissipated three meters away from him.
No.
It didn't dissipate.
It was evaporated by that searing heat!
With just a glance, Yoru had sealed off all escape routes.
He hadn't even lifted a finger; purely through his aura, he had forced the entire Kyoto School back!
This wasn't even a battle on the same level!
"How is this possible..."
Noritoshi Kamo stopped in his tracks, looking at the boy who remained where he stood without even a ruffle in his clothes, his eyes full of disbelief.
To be able to do this just with an aura?
Is this guy really a "Heavenly Restriction" user without cursed energy?
Even Toji Fushiguro back then wasn't this exaggerated!
"Do you still wish to continue?"
Yoru's fingers lightly brushed the hilt of Shiranui.
On the black scabbard, a red light faintly pulsed like breathing.
"If you insist on passing."
Yoru tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharpening.
"Then I'll have to make sure you leave here on stretchers."
The air was dead silent.
The Kyoto School group looked at each other; no one dared to make the first move.
The pressure was simply too overwhelming.
Noritoshi Kamo gritted his teeth so hard his gums bled.
As the next head of the Kamo family, he had his own pride.
If he was too scared to even throw a punch at a single person during an official Goodwill Event, how could Kyoto School ever hold its head up in the jujutsu world again?
Where would the Kamo family's face go?
"Don't let him scare you!"
Noritoshi Kamo suddenly roared, breaking the silence.
"No matter how strong he is, he's only one person!"
"And he has no cursed energy; there's no way he can maintain this aura for long!"
"Since we can't go around..."
A ruthless glint flashed in Noritoshi Kamo's eyes as he crushed another blood bag.
Blood boiled around him, transforming into sharp blades.
"Then we'll deal with this variable first!"
"All units, attack!"
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