Ikuyo… Ikuyo… what a nice name, Ryu murmured.
(It means "let's go" in Japanese.)
Then, suddenly, he shouted:
"IKUYO!"
He charged at me, firing twenty Granite Blasts at once while closing the distance with terrifying speed.
I raised my shields, blocking as many as I could—but the sheer number of attacks overwhelmed me. A few blasts slipped past, grazing my arms and shoulders.
I gritted my teeth, feeling burns spreading. The smell of burned flesh filled my nose.
I tried enlarging the shields to cover more area—but then he slowed his charge and fired stronger but less numerous attacks, and suddenly the next blasts pierced through the defenses. I was caught in a horrible dilemma.
I forced my body to heal using Reverse Cursed Technique, patching my injuries as the burns and bruises stacked.
Ryu closed in. Too fast.
I swung my sword at him, but he sidestepped effortlessly, kicking the sword aside.
I tried to jump back to create distance while controlling the displaced sword, but he punched me straight in the face. My head rattled; one of my teeth flew out, clattering across the barrier floor.
I summoned a new sword immediately and slashed at him—but he dodged again with effortless precision.
Before I could react, he had already charged another Granite Blast. I tried to block with my sword, but fragments of the attack hit my body, burning my chest and arms.
I stumbled back, but Ryu wasn't done. He grabbed my hand, holding me steady.
Before I could free myself, he punched me with his free hand. I tried to defend with my other arm, but he knocked it aside with ease and punched me in the face again. Blood trickled from my lips.
I attempted to use my technique to defend, but my concentration broke as he punched me once more, pulling my arm toward him for leverage.
My vision blurred. Pain radiated through my skull and torso.
Then he charged another Granite Blast—this time grabbing my head and lifting me off the ground by my hair, hurling me into the air.
The blast followed, slamming me into the barrier with a sickening crunch.
I lay there, vision blurring, and I was barely able to move.
Ryu walked slowly toward me. His face wore a look of mild disappointment.
"You're using a sword… and you can't even swing it properly," he said.
My fists clenched when I heard his comment.
Ah… this pisses me off. Fighting you felt like watching someone ruin a perfectly good dish by tossing in some disgusting ingredient at the last moment.
He continued, calm, almost taunting:
"You can't fight either… even a non-sorcerer has better hand-to-hand combat than you."
I noticed him glance into the distance, his expression softening slightly.
Then, without another word, he turned and left.
Tengen dissolved the barrier after concluding I had lost. The world snapped back to the familiar surroundings of Jujutsu High.
I sat on the ground, feeling violated and exhausted. My body trembled as I tried to use Reverse Cursed Technique—but my output was unstable. My wounds weren't healing properly.
Yuta was right beside me before I even realized. He kneeled down, hands glowing, and began using his Reverse Cursed Technique on me.
Three minutes later, I was fully healed. My burns, bruises, and even the teeth were healed and regenerated.
Tears sprang to my eyes.
"Yuta-san…" I whispered, suddenly throwing myself at him in a hug.
He froze, shocked.
"You… you're the best," I continued, holding him tighter.
I'd just gotten my ass completely handed to me, and all I wanted was comfort.
"My hero…" I said, choking on the words. "Yuta-san, thank you so much!"
He blushed, looking away.
The Kita Aura radiated around me—bright, overwhelming. Yuta was the first person in the JJK world to experience it firsthand.
He tried to respond, but the aura was too strong. Flushed and embarrassed, he simply walked away, unable to speak.
I watched him leave, heart pounding, then suddenly ran after him, grabbing his hand.
He turned, confused.
"I… Yuta-san, did I do something wrong? Please tell me… anything! I'll listen!"
Another wave of Kita Aura washed over him. He mumbled, flustered, that nothing was wrong—and then bolted away.
Weird…
Was it because I was weak?
No. Yuta wasn't that kind of person.
I frowned, watching him disappear. My chest still burned—not from the fight, but from the sheer intensity of my emotions.
I really needed someone right now.
Ryu also pulled mortal combat level like combo on me...
If only Yuji hadn't left an hour ago…
I walked around Jujutsu High with my clothes tattered and destroyed.
Then I spotted a cat. My heart lifted instantly.
I immediately ran to the kitchen
Kitchen staff looked horrified when I walked in with destroyed clothes.
I grabbed a piece of raw beef on the kitchen counter. I knew that cats love raw meat the most.
I ran back to the cat's last seen location after I ignored the horrified kitchen staff.
I found the cat, and I immediately jumped on it.
"Oh, you're the only one who would love me right now," I said, hugging the cat.
The cat hissed at first, annoyed and scared, but the moment it smelled the beef, it decided the "hug" was worth tolerating.
I exhaled, letting a small smile creep onto my face. For now, at least, I wasn't completely alone. I thought as I rubbed my face against the cat.
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End of chapter