Wow. Chills.
Seeing it directly before my eyes, the thought that I could actually die crossed my mind.
Fortunately, Ibuki-douji had parried it with her Noble Phantasm. If she hadn't, I would have been ground into atoms along with the scenery.
"How was it?" I asked.
"Hmm... it's dangerous, but not impossible to block. I felt the buildup, so I can definitely prepare for it next time."
Ibuki-douji, standing beside me, had a twinkle in her eyes. For how dangerous the situation was, she was incredibly cheerful and composed.
Gojo Satoru's 'Hollow Purple' is a genuine threat. If categorized as a Noble Phantasm, its destructive scale would transcend Anti-Army and comfortably sit at the Anti-Fortress level. It wasn't something I could afford to be careless against.
And yet, the trials we've faced were far more grandiose. The beams of light fired by Goetia, the mastermind behind the Incineration of Humanity. The world-burning blade of the Fire Giant, Surtr. Plus, countless other Noble Phantasms of similar magnitude.
In terms of raw scale, there are things far worse than Hollow Purple scattered across the history we've survived.
'It's not enough to make me lose my cool.'
Keep the vigilance high, but stay calm. It was a perfect state of mind.
A resonant boom echoed as a wave of blue light unleashed by Ibuki shattered the barrier Gojo had erected. Stone dust cascaded down, revealing the hidden space beyond.
"Toji. Stay close to me. I don't want you getting backstabbed by Gojo Satoru just as you're about to clock out for the day."
"If you're offering protection, I won't say no," Toji replied with a smirk, gripping the Inverted Spear of Heaven tightly. One look at his eyes told me his nerves were stretched to the limit.
Where was he? I scanned the surroundings and locked eyes with Gojo Satoru, who was floating behind us.
"You guys... what the hell are you?" Gojo asked the moment our gazes met.
The crazed expression he wore right after his awakening had vanished. Now, his face held a visceral chill—an unmistakable caution bordering on fear.
"Me?"
"Yeah. You, and that woman with the tail standing next to you. Your energy flow is far too alien to be called Cursed Spirits."
"You can see all that? Those Six Eyes really are something else."
"They are. Except for the part where they're exhausted as hell," Gojo said, baring his teeth in a grin. His suppressed aggression, fueled by tension, was growing thicker by the second.
"Regardless, what are you?"
"It's a secret."
"Oh, is that so? Then I'll just have to find out for myself."
A frantic light flickered in Gojo's eyes. He was ready to strike instantly.
"Ooh! This is fascinating. Is this the jujutsu of this world?" Ibuki's voice rang out, but she was already several moves ahead of him. In the blink of an eye, she shifted through space. She was now floating naturally behind Gojo, observing him with genuine wonder.
"When did she—?!" A startled Gojo immediately opened the distance.
Since both were flying through the air, just tracking them was making my head spin.
"Ah, sorry! Did I startle you? I was just so curious that I accidentally got too close," Ibuki apologized, playfully sticking out her tongue. True to her role as the 'big sister' type, her tolerance for others was quite exceptional.
"I really can't wrap my head around this. It's not Cursed Energy, but there's a massive power flowing through her. It feels like I'm peering into the depths of the ocean," Gojo muttered, his brow furrowed as he watched Ibuki from a safe distance.
"Oh my? I've never heard it described that way. Is that also a type of Mystic Eye?" Ibuki asked.
"In a way, yes," I answered, tilting my head back to look at them.
Mystic Eyes. Eyes with specialized supernatural effects. Just hearing the name gives you a general idea. The Mystic Eyes of Petrification that turn the observer to stone. The Mystic Eyes of Enchantment that act like a literal hypnosis app. And of course, the infamous Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. There are many types, and their ranking system is quite intricate.
—Are you perhaps the Shiki Nanaya of Korea?
For some reason, a very ancient 'Moonie' meme popped into my head. There was no real reason for it.
"Anyway, you're saying you're my opponent now?" Gojo asked.
"Hmm... I don't particularly want to fight, actually? That's why I didn't kill that girl—the Star Plasma Vessel."
"What?" Gojo's eyes widened. He looked like he'd been struck from behind.
"But for now, I'll test you out. I was curious," Ibuki didn't miss that opening. She vanished and reappeared behind Gojo instantly.
Schlick!
Ibuki's arm swung down mercilessly toward Gojo's back. A clawing strike from a Divine Spirit-class Servant would normally tear a body to shreds, but her hand never reached him.
"Oh? Is this the 'Limitless' Master mentioned? Things really do slow down." Ibuki murmured, looking at the conceptual sparks flying in the empty air. She looked surprised. Even though she was applying enough force to make her arm tremble, she couldn't break through. It was as if her speed was being halved infinitely until it reached a state of total stillness.
"Wow, this is just ridiculous," Gojo laughed, turning his body toward Ibuki.
Even though it had slowed down, the sharp claws continued to move forward without stopping. The Limitless technique manipulates the concept of infinity. Its basic characteristic is that everything becomes infinitely slower the closer it gets. He explained it using Achilles and the Tortoise—an infinite series converging to zero.
Personally, I just understood it as 'Stasis.'
Using this stasis as a foundation, the Limitless technique allows for the application of cursed techniques: Blue, Red, and Purple. So, was he invincible? Close, but there were ways to counter it. The guaranteed hit of a Domain Expansion. Toji's Inverted Spear of Heaven. Or the Black Rope that disrupts techniques... though that wasn't available yet.
However, right now, none of that mattered. Toji was right here.
"Hmm... I've got the gist of it. I understand now." Ibuki pulled her hand back and immediately returned to my side. Her return was as instantaneous as her departure.
"Master, I think that's enough. What do you want to do? Should we keep fighting? Or should I put more power into it and actually kill him?" Ibuki asked, looking at me. Her eyes held the gaze of a Divine Spirit—looking down upon a human as if they were a mere insect. It was enough to send a chill down my spine.
"It's fine. Stop there." I reached out and tickled Ibuki's exposed navel. And her side for good measure.
"Ahhh! Really! How can you tickle me there so suddenly? Are you trying to stimulate your big sister?" Ibuki squirmed, her cheeks flushing. She was back to her usual self.
I laughed along with her before locking eyes with Gojo, who was still suspended in the air.
"Take the Star Plasma Vessel and go back. She's inside the Time Vessel Association building. She'll wake up in a few hours."
"You're just going to leave after doing all this?"
"Yes. I apologize for attacking you, but I felt it was necessary. You looked like you needed a push to truly awaken."
"Me?" Gojo slowly descended to the ground. His brow was furrowed with a mixture of curiosity and discontent. "Why, exactly?"
"Because I figured that would keep the jujutsu world and the Cursed Spirits quiet. I really don't like having to work, you see."
"What kind of logic is...?"
"That's all I have to say. Even if you were truly on the verge of death, I would have saved you, but I am sorry for the surprise attack. I mean it." I cut him off irresponsibly. Explaining everything in detail was far too tedious, and the timing was poor anyway. I needed to wrap this up first.
"Don't go blabbing about me to others. If you're that curious, wait until you've cooled your head, then talk to Mr. Yaga."
Tell Yaga. Some of my information would leak, but that wasn't a bad thing. Both Gojo and Yaga had poor relationships with the higher-ups. Gojo, in particular, loathed them. Therefore, my information wouldn't leak to the Jujutsu Headquarters that I so despised.
"Yaga? You... you even know Yaga-sensei?"
"We're acquainted. He doesn't know the details, and we've made a Binding Vow to ensure he doesn't talk about me. However..." I paused to catch my breath. Meanwhile, Gojo had fully planted his feet on the ground. At least my neck would hurt less now.
"Since I've given permission this time, it shouldn't violate the vow. Just tell him that you, Yaga, and your friends Geto and Ieiri are the only ones allowed to know."
"Hey! How do you know about them too—?!"
I didn't wait. I simply let Ibuki scoop me up. It was time to go home.
"Toji-san, get on Ibuki's back. We're flying out."
"Uh? Right." Toji did as he was told, hanging onto Ibuki's back while still holding the Soul-Liberation Blade.
"I expect you'll be in touch soon. It'll be better to meet once you've calmed down."
Let's go. On my signal, Ibuki took to the skies. I kept an eye on our surroundings in case he followed, but fortunately, he didn't. Gojo simply stood there, staring blankly at the space we had occupied.
It felt like a nightmare to him. He lived in the unrealistic world of jujutsu, yet this was something even more surreal. It was something that escaped his understanding entirely.
"...Just what was that?" Gojo muttered, scratching his head. Whether it was the boy or that woman who felt like a Cursed Spirit, he couldn't grasp their underlying structure.
"Ah!" Amanai! He suddenly remembered the Star Plasma Vessel, Riko Amanai. He immediately rushed into the Time Vessel Association building, searching for the place where she lay sleeping.
Clap, clap, clap—
As he entered a wide hall, the sound of rhythmic clapping echoed. There was a human shape wrapped in white cloth. Cursed energy flowed within. Gojo realized that the person lying beneath the white shroud was indeed Amanai. He moved to retrieve her immediately.
The flow of cursed energy meant she was alive. 'She really is alive.'
Under the blue lighting, the cultists continued to clap. Their smiles were devoid of emotion. It was a macabre, eerie scene. But so what? Gojo ignored the atmosphere entirely. The only thing that mattered was that Amanai was alive.
"Satoru...!" The door burst open as his friend, Geto Suguru, rushed in. He looked incredibly frantic.
"Hey, Suguru." Gojo blinked calmly. Geto's gaze fell upon the white bundle in his arms.
"Is that...?"
"Yeah. It's Amanai. She's alive."
"Riko-chan is... alive?" Geto's eyes widened. He had seen the blood spray from her temple. He had smelled the gunpowder as she collapsed. "Is that true?"
"Yeah. They said they never intended to kill Amanai in the first place."
"They didn't? Then why? More importantly, who are 'they'?"
"They said they set this up to make me awaken... honestly, I don't really get it. I'm annoyed that I was manipulated. It's complicated."
They didn't kill her? Just for the sake of Gojo Satoru's awakening? 'I don't see the motive.' It was confusing. It was a relief, in a sense, but his head was a mess.
"Anyway, let's get out of here. Or... should I kill these humans? With how I am now, I could kill them all without a single problem." Gojo asked, blinking slowly. He spoke of mass murder as if it were nothing. Like sweeping away dust. That was the level of his current detachment.
"Eh? No. There's no need for that. The police will deal with them eventually," Geto replied, finally regaining his composure. They stepped outside. The Time Vessel Association was no longer an issue.
He didn't fully understand how, but Amanai was alive. She wasn't dead. Though calling himself 'The Strongest' felt a bit embarrassing now... it seemed he would be able to keep his promise.
'For now... thank God.' Geto exhaled a long sigh once they were outside. As long as she lived, it was fine.
"Suguru. Let's head back to Jujutsu High. I've got questions for Yaga-sensei, and we need to finalize this Star Plasma Vessel business."
"Yeah. Good work."
The two friends walked down the road as the sun finished setting. Even the dark glow of the twilight felt warm.