Chapter 5: Maximum Output — Blue
Satoru Gojo moved first.
There was no warning.
No teasing grin.
No lazy posture.
Only fury.
The air cracked as he vanished from his spot and appeared directly in front of the curse. His fist shot forward like a cannon.
BOOM.
His punch slammed into the creature's chest with overwhelming force.
A shockwave burst through the hallway, shattering nearby windows and ripping tiles from the floor. The cursed spirit's scaled body bent around the impact before it was launched backward like a missile.
It smashed through the first wall.
Then the second.
Then the third.
Concrete exploded outward as the curse tore through the hospital structure.
Before the creature could even recover—
Gojo was already there.
He appeared behind it midair.
His leg swung in a brutal arc.
CRACK.
The kick struck the side of the curse's skull and sent it rocketing back toward the original hallway like a kicked ball.
Waiting there—
Suguru Geto.
The moment the curse reentered the corridor, Geto pointed forward.
"Go."
A massive dragon-like cursed spirit roared and lunged forward, its jaws clamping down on the creature's torso before slamming it into the ground.
The entire hallway trembled.
But before the dragon could crush it—
Gojo appeared again.
He grabbed the creature's horn and drove his knee straight into its face.
The bone cracked.
Then Gojo spun and launched the curse again with a savage roundhouse kick.
The creature bounced violently down the corridor.
Back and forth.
Kick.
Punch.
Throw.
The two sorcerers treated the Special Grade like a ping-pong ball, hammering it from one direction to another without giving it a moment to breathe.
Geto stepped forward and drove his elbow into the creature's ribs the moment it flew past him.
CRUNCH.
Then he flipped the monster over his shoulder and hurled it back toward Gojo.
Gojo caught it midair.
His hand wrapped around its throat.
For a brief second their eyes met.
Gojo's glowing Six Eyes were cold.
Terrifying.
Then he slammed the curse into the floor so hard the ground collapsed beneath them.
The creature coughed out a burst of dark purple blood.
But something suddenly changed.
Its horn began glowing purple.
So did its single eye.
The curse grinned.
---
[Cursed Technique: Blank Moment]
---
The world froze.
Dust stopped in the air.
Cracks in the walls halted mid-spread.
Even Geto's dragon stopped moving.
A strange purple haze covered everything.
---
[0:00:09s]
The curse slowly stood up.
Everything else remained perfectly still.
It glanced down at Gojo.
The white-haired sorcerer stood frozen mid-motion.
The curse walked toward him.
Then it raised its fist and punched Gojo directly in the face.
Or rather—
It tried to.
The fist stopped.
Right before touching Gojo's skin.
The air itself refused to let the blow land.
The curse blinked.
"What…?"
It tried again.
Another punch.
Another kick.
Another strike.
Every single attack stopped inches away.
As if reality itself was protecting him.
The curse growled.
"…what is this?"
It clicked its tongue.
Then its eye shifted.
Another target stood nearby.
Sanjiro.
Frozen in place behind Gojo.
The curse's lips curled into a cruel smile.
"Hehehe…"
---
[0:00:05s]
It sprinted toward the boy.
Its fist slammed into Sanjiro's stomach.
Then another.
And another.
Punches.
Kicks.
Elbows.
A brutal storm of attacks crashed into the helpless boy.
Even though time was frozen, the damage accumulated.
For five full seconds the creature unleashed every ounce of its rage.
Then it finished with a powerful spinning kick.
Its heel crashed into Sanjiro's chest.
---
[0:00:00s]
Time resumed.
All the stored damage detonated at once.
"AAAGHHH!!"
Sanjiro screamed as blood erupted from his mouth.
His body was launched across the hallway like a ragdoll.
He smashed through multiple walls before finally crashing into a distant concrete pillar.
The impact left a massive crater.
Then his body went still.
"Sanjiro!!"
Satoru,Suguru and Shoko. All three shouted at the same time.
Shoko immediately ran toward the fallen boy.
The cursed spirit tried to chase her—
But a thick blast of black ink slammed into its face.
Suguru's octopus curse roared as it fired another blast, launching the creature through a broken wall.
The hallway fell silent.
Gojo stood there.
Completely still.
His eyes were locked on the crater where his little brother lay.
For a moment…
The self-proclaimed strongest sorcerer in the world looked shaken.
Then he slowly turned his head toward the curse climbing from the rubble.
Something in his expression had changed.
The usual playful arrogance was gone.
Only cold fury remained.
He began walking forward.
One step at a time.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
His cursed energy started rising.
The air vibrated violently around him.
Then he raised his hand.
A sphere of blue energy began forming.
But this time—
It was different.
Far denser.
Far more violent.
The space around the orb twisted unnaturally as if gravity itself was being crushed.
Gojo's voice echoed through the ruined hallway.
"Cursed Technique…"
The sphere grew larger.
The suction force began ripping chunks of the floor toward it.
Broken debris floated in the air.
Even the curse felt its body being dragged forward.
Its eye widened.
"…Maximum Output."
The blue light intensified.
The hospital walls began collapsing inward.
"Lapse — Blue."
In an instant—
Gojo teleported.
He appeared directly in front of the curse.
The glowing sphere was already pressed against its chest.
"Die."
Then he released it.
The effect was immediate.
The curse's body collapsed inward like paper being crushed.
Bones shattered.
Scales twisted.
Its entire form was dragged violently toward the center of the technique as if a black hole had appeared inside its chest.
The creature screamed.
Its body folded.
Compressed.
Then—
It vanished.
Pulled apart into microscopic fragments.
A split second later—
BOOOOOOM.
The vacuum collapse reversed.
A violent explosion ripped outward from the destroyed space.
The entire hospital began collapsing.
"Suguru!" Gojo shouted.
Geto reacted instantly.
He summoned the portal curse they had captured earlier.
A black portal opened beneath them.
Geto grabbed Shoko and Sanjiro.
Gojo stepped inside.
The next second—
They appeared outside the hospital gates.
Behind them—
The entire building collapsed in a roaring explosion.
Smoke rose into the night sky.
But none of them looked at it.
Their eyes were on Sanjiro.
Shoko knelt beside him, her hands glowing with reversed cursed energy as she desperately healed his injuries.
Gojo stood nearby.
Silent.
His fists were clenched.
Suguru walked beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry," he said quietly.
"Shoko will stabilize him."
Gojo didn't respond.
His glowing Six Eyes remained fixed on his unconscious brother.
His voice came out low.
Heavy.
"Suguru…"
"How can I call myself the strongest…"
"…if I can't even protect the people important to me?"
For a moment the night was quiet.
Then Geto answered simply.
"Then get stronger."
His hand squeezed Gojo's shoulder once.
The smoke from the destroyed hospital drifted across the sky.
And beside them—
Shoko continued fighting to keep Sanjiro alive.