"You're asking for it!"
Although it couldn't speak, the Special Grade curse's eyes clearly conveyed that sentiment.
Dozens of tentacles, imbued with terrifying cursed energy, slammed down like a falling mountain.
The force was enough to flatten a tank into a pancake instantly.
But just as the tentacles were about to make contact with Yoru...
His blade moved.
"Sun Breathing, Third Form: Burning Sun!"
Clang—!!!
A deep red, arc-shaped slash swept out like a rising sun.
The strike, carrying incredible heat and a razor-sharp edge, collided violently with the onslaught of tentacles.
Psh-psh-psh-psh-psh!
There was no metallic clash, only the wet sound of a blade carving through flesh.
Those iron-hard tentacles, which even Yuji's superhuman strength couldn't budge, were as fragile as tofu before Yoru's blade.
They were severed instantly!
The cuts were as smooth as a mirror and smoked with golden flames, emitting an agonizing sizzle.
"ROAR—!!!"
The Special Grade curse let out a blood-curdling howl of rage.
Despite the searing pain from its wounds, its pride as a Special Grade wouldn't allow it to accept being suppressed by a mere monkey.
A massive surge of cursed energy erupted, forcibly smothering the golden flames on its injuries.
Regeneration!
Though its speed was twice as slow as normal, the severed tentacles still squirmed as they began to regrow.
"Kill him! Tear him to shreds!"
Boom!
The ground shattered as the Special Grade curse vanished from its position.
When it reappeared, it was directly above Yoru, raining down a barrage of claws like a torrential downpour.
Fast!
It was even faster than before! This was the true speed of a Special Grade!
However.
"Too slow."
Yoru's eyes remained as still as a calm lake.
His blade carved afterimages into the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
In the narrow corridor, a rapid-fire sequence of sparks exploded.
The silhouettes of the man and the curse became nothing more than blurred lines in their high-speed exchange.
On one side was a pitch-black storm of malice-filled curses.
On the other was a blood-red tide of sword ki, wreathed in the brilliance of the sun.
"What... what kind of level is this battle...?"
Megumi Fushiguro stared, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
His dynamic vision couldn't keep up with their movements at all!
All he could see were the shockwaves detonating in the air and the deep gouges appearing out of nowhere on the walls.
'Regenerate! Regenerate! Regenerate!'
The Special Grade curse roared inwardly with madness.
It tried to drag Yoru into a war of attrition by trading blows, but something felt wrong!
As the fight continued, it realized with terror that its regeneration was slowing down further.
At first, it had been instantaneous.
Then it took a second, then two...
By now, the wounds cut by the blade felt as if they had been cauterized by a branding iron; no matter how much cursed energy it used, they wouldn't close!
The blade in Yoru's hand was like a sun whose heat kept stacking.
Every strike stripped away its ability to heal.
Its once ferocious assault gradually became sluggish and stiff under the scorching heat of that brilliant sun.
"It's over."
Yoru caught a momentary hitch in the curse's movement.
It was the exact second its regeneration failed—an opening!
"Sun Breathing, First Form: Waltz!"
Swish!
Yoru transformed into a streak of red lightning, closing the distance to the curse instantly.
The blade, glowing cherry-red from the extreme temperature, traced a perfect circle in the air.
In that instant, it was as if a literal sun had risen within the cramped hallway.
Searing! Dazzling! Absolute!
The air evaporated instantly, and the temperature spiked.
Even the stagnant water on the floor turned into steam in a heartbeat.
"ROAR!!!"
Sensing its imminent death, the Special Grade curse went into a frenzy.
It unhinged its jaws, condensing a massive amount of purple cursed energy to blast this reckless human point-blank.
"Think you're faster?"
A cold smirk played on Yoru's lips.
Through his fire-lit eyes, the curse's movements seemed to crawl.
In this state, he could faintly see the flow of the core cursed energy within its body.
"Your movements... are far too slow."
Just as the cursed energy beam was about to fire.
Yoru's blade swung again.
This time, it was an upward slash.
"Sun Breathing, Second Form: Clear Blue Sky!"
BOOM—!!!
A massive pillar of fire spiraled upward.
That wasn't just sword ki; it was the air itself ignited by the extreme heat!
The flames roared like a dragon, devouring half of the Special Grade's body.
The impending cursed energy blast was forced back by the strike, detonating inside the curse's mouth.
"GAAAAAAAH—!!!"
A piercing scream rang out through the air.
Under the stunned gazes of the others.
That invincible Special Grade curse was cleaved right down the middle!
Divided in two!
Golden flames clung to its remains, slowly consuming and purifying the cursed energy that tried to reform.
"So... so strong..."
Yuji Itadori's mouth hung open, his own pain forgotten.
Is this Yoru's true power?
Without using any cursed energy, relying only on sword techniques and breathing, he completely overwhelmed a Special Grade curse?!
"No way..."
Nobara Kugisaki was utterly dazed.
She had mocked Yoru for not having a cursed tool, but now it seemed she was the real joke.
Though that sword was ordinary metal, in Yoru's hands, it was more terrifying than any Special Grade cursed tool!
The flames slowly flickered out.
The curse's remains twitched once or twice before finally crumbling into ash and scattering in the wind.
Only a single finger was left behind.
Ryomen Sukuna's finger lay silently amidst the ashes.
Yoru stood still, his chest heaving.
Though the blade had cooled, it was now covered in spiderweb cracks from the intense thermal load.
"Whew..."
He tried to steady his breathing, but a sharp pain in his lungs made him flinch.
Pfft!
He couldn't stop a mouthful of blood from spraying out, staining the debris at his feet.
"Yoru!"
"Hey! Are you alright?!"
Megumi and Nobara's faces paled as they rushed to his side, catching the boy as he began to stumble.
"Cough... I'm okay..."
Yoru's voice was raspy. He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and offered a pale smile.
"Just... pushed myself a bit too hard."
He called it overextending, but only he knew his true state.
Every muscle screamed in agony, and his meridians felt as though they'd been seared by lava.
Forcibly using Sun Breathing repeatedly like that was a lethal gamble for his current body.
This wasn't a cost-free victory; it was a desperate win paid for with his own life force.
Crack—!
A sharp snapping sound broke the silence.
As Yoru tried to lean on his sword for support, the standard-issue blade, having reached its limit, finally gave way.
It shattered.
It broke into countless shards of scrap metal, clattering to the floor until only a bare hilt remained in his hand.
"Looks like... I'll have to ask Gojo-sensei for a proper sword next time."
Yoru looked at the hilt and let out a wry, helpless laugh.
Ordinary steel simply couldn't withstand the sheer power of Sun Breathing.
"Who cares about the stupid sword right now!"
Nobara looked at the shards, then at Yoru's eyes—which remained bright despite his fatigue. Her voice was still tinged with shock.
"Hey, Yoru..."
"That fire just now... and those insane slashes..."
"You aren't some shonen manga protagonist who got isekai'd here, are you?!"
Facing his companions' gazes as if they were looking at a monster, Yoru was about to laugh it off.
Suddenly, he sensed something and snapped his gaze toward the sky.
Over there.
A white-haired man with a black blindfold was floating in the air, watching the scene from above.
Satoru Gojo pulled down his blindfold slightly, revealing Six Eyes that shone like a blue galaxy.
The corner of his mouth hooked into a wild, unruly smile.
"What a fascinating way of breathing..."
"And a level of madness that rivals anyone's."
He looked down at the boy, his azure eyes reflecting the fading golden embers.
In those eyes, there was no longer just appreciation for an interesting thing, but also a deep expectation.
"Has the darkness those higher-ups always wanted to maintain finally met its nemesis?"
"I've finally found it..."
"The one who can completely burn this rotten jujutsu world to ashes..."
"The key."