"Rumble—!"
On the highway in the outer suburbs of Tokyo, a blinding flash of lightning advanced at a terrifying speed that seemed to tear through space itself!
Under this horrific kinetic energy, the hard asphalt road shattered inch by inch like a fragile cracker.
The violent airflow formed a visible white sonic boom cloud behind Yoru, uprooting trees and road signs along the way.
"Faster! Faster!"
Yoru roared frantically in his heart.
His eyes had turned bloodshot from extreme congestion, as if two fires were burning fiercely in his sockets.
On his forehead, the Slayer Mark representing ultimate power emitted a terrifying heat, nearly igniting the surrounding air.
[TOTAL CONCENTRATION: THUNDER BREATHING, FIRST FORM: THUNDERCLAP AND FLASH - GODSPEED!]
This was the most explosive and fastest move in Thunder Breathing.
Due to the immense strain on the leg muscles, it was originally restricted to only twice a day.
But at this moment, Yoru had completely cast aside concerns of life and death.
He squeezed every bit of potential from his body without reservation, forcibly maintaining the 'Godspeed' state at a constant peak!
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
His heart beat violently within his chest.
His heart rate had even surpassed the 200 bpm mark!
Boiling blood surged like a rushing river, delivering a continuous stream of power to his every limb.
Yet, under such extreme speed, Yoru's mind was strangely calm.
Or rather, it was an absolute rationality frozen by intense fury.
As he sprinted, his mind frantically retraced every detail of recent events.
From the attack at the Okinawa Aquarium to the negotiations at the underground horse racing track, and then the trap in that dilapidated apartment.
Every image and every line of dialogue was infinitely magnified and dissected in his mind.
Suddenly...
...a scene flashed through Yoru's mind.
It was a few days ago when he had first sensed someone spying on Jujutsu High. He had activated the Transparent World and locked eyes with that mysterious figure from a distance.
At the time, Yoru thought that with the powerful perception of the Transparent World, he had seen through Toji's stealth.
He thought he had successfully intimidated the assassin, making him wary of acting.
But looking back now, an uncontrollable chill suddenly crawled up Yoru's spine!
'It wasn't that I saw through him at all...'
'It was he... who intentionally let me see through him!'
Yoru gritted his teeth, blood even seeping from his gums.
He finally understood Toji's terrifying tactical prowess!
That man possessed a body granted by Heavenly Restriction that was beyond human reach; his ability to conceal his presence had reached perfection.
If he truly wanted to hide, even with Yoru's Transparent World, it would have been impossible to catch his gaze so easily from such a distance!
Toji was doing it on purpose.
He intentionally showed a flaw, letting Yoru sense his presence.
The goal was to build a sense of blind confidence in Yoru's mind—the illusion that everything was under control!
He exploited Yoru's Transparent World and his transmigrator's psychology of wanting to control the overall situation.
He created a delusion in Yoru: 'As long as I keep an eye on him, he won't be able to cause any trouble.'
It was precisely this confidence built on false information that led Yoru, after the negotiations failed at the underground track, to bite the bait Toji threw out without hesitation—
Megumi Fushiguro.
Toji had long since seen through Yoru's weakness. He knew Yoru was not only powerful but also possessed a near-obsessive savior complex.
Such a person would never pass up any leverage that could restrain an enemy.
Even if that leverage was just a defenseless five-year-old child.
Thus, Toji ruthlessly placed his own flesh and blood on the chessboard, successfully executing a perfect lure-away tactic!
"You... bastard!!"
Yoru let out a beast-like roar as his violent killing intent surged skyward, physically tearing through the thick clouds above!
He had actually been played like a fiddle from start to finish by that cursed-energy-less monkey!
This intellectual crushing, this feeling of being toyed with in the palm of someone's hand, brought Yoru's rage to its peak!
What terrified him even more was the current situation at Jujutsu High.
Satoru Gojo had been maintaining his Limitless technique for three days straight; he was in a state of extreme mental and physical exhaustion.
The moment they stepped into the Jujutsu High barrier was exactly when their vigilance would be at its lowest and their guard most relaxed!
That monster Toji would never let such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity pass!
"Hold on, Satoru Gojo!"
"Suguru Geto, Riko, you absolutely cannot die here!"
On Yoru's retina, the system's blinding red warning continued to flash frantically.
[SYSTEM: WARNING! VITAL SIGNS OF KEY PLOT CHARACTERS ARE DROPPING RAPIDLY!]
The gears of fate had begun to spin madly toward the most desperate abyss.
Yoru pushed his breathing technique to its absolute limit once again. The muscles in his legs began to seep fine beads of blood, unable to withstand the horrific explosive force.
He transformed into a streak of red lightning cutting through the darkness, charging toward Jujutsu High with a reckless, tragic intensity!
Faster!
Even faster!
I have to make it in time!
Yoru was like a miniature sun falling upon the earth, ruthlessly crushing every obstacle in his path.
Inside the Jujutsu High barrier, the scent of blood filled the air.
Satoru Gojo knelt on one knee, a massive amount of blood gushing from the puncture wound in his chest.
Intense pain washed over his already exhausted mind in waves.
But his Six Eyes stared fixedly at Toji Fushiguro nearby, without the slightest hint of retreat.
Satoru forced down the metallic taste of blood in his throat, his voice low and raspy.
"Take Riko and go first. Head to the Tombs of the Star Corridor."
"This guy... I'll handle him."
Suguru Geto stood in front of Riko, his brow furrowed. "Satoru, your condition right now..."
"I said, I've got this!"
Satoru snapped his head up.
Though his face was as pale as paper, a wild, almost manic grin tugged at the corners of his mouth.
"It's just a bite from a fly with no cursed energy."
"I am... the strongest!"
In this world, no one could walk away unscathed after wounding him so severely.
Suguru Geto gave Satoru a deep, knowing look.
As his best friend, he understood Satoru's pride all too well.
Moreover, in the current situation, protecting the Star Plasma Vessel was the top priority.
"Don't die, Satoru."
Suguru immediately summoned a flying cursed spirit and grabbed the shaken Riko Amanai, racing toward the Tombs of the Star Corridor without looking back.
Deep in the passage, Riko looked back while running, her vision blurred by tears.
The white-haired boy who always claimed "I'm the strongest" now left a silhouette that looked so precarious.
When Yoru returned to Jujutsu High in this near-self-destructive state, what kind of hellscape would he face?
Would he choose to snatch his comrades' lives back from the grip of the Grim Reaper first?
Or would he draw Shiranui immediately and unleash an absolute killing blow on the Sorcerer Killer?
The center of the storm, the feast of slaughter, had already begun.
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