BOOM!
A deafening roar exploded within the underground training hall!
The heavy door, forged from high-strength alloy that even a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit would struggle to penetrate, was kicked so hard it buckled and deformed, sent flying like a piece of scrap metal!
With a thunderous clang, it slammed into a concrete wall over ten meters away.
Amidst the swirling dust...
...a tall man wearing a tight black T-shirt strolled in, hands in his pockets.
His muscles were corded and defined, making him look like an ancient beast brimming with explosive power.
A signature rakish grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, and his narrow eyes glinted with a mix of nonchalant laziness and cold calculation.
It was the very man who, ten years ago, had fought a climactic battle against Yoru at the Tombs of the Star Corridor—the man Yoru eventually 'convinced' through a combination of physical force and cold hard cash.
The Sorcerer Killer, Toji Fushiguro!
"Old man..."
Megumi Fushiguro, having just regained a sliver of strength from his exhaustion, looked at the familiar figure he hadn't seen in a decade. His expression became an intricate web of emotions.
Anger, confusion, and a tiny spark of longing he refused to admit even to himself.
This deadbeat father of his had vanished without a trace after selling him to the Zenin family.
Then, for reasons unknown, he had inexplicably changed his mind and entrusted Megumi to Satoru Gojo and Instructor Yoru.
It had been ten whole years.
The man had seemingly evaporated from the face of the earth; even when Megumi awakened the Ten Shadows Technique, he never once returned to check on him.
So why was he suddenly standing here now?
"Yo."
Toji Fushiguro seemed completely oblivious to his son's complicated gaze.
He nonchalantly scratched his ear, his tone as casual as if he were greeting an old acquaintance on the street.
"I heard some ageless old monster has been giving my kid a hard time lately."
"I just happened to be passing through Shibuya, so I figured I'd drop by."
"Tsk, tsk. You really did a number on the brat, didn't you?"
Toji glanced at Megumi, who lay gasping for air on the ground, and a faint, almost imperceptible trace of satisfaction flickered in the depths of his eyes.
Though he claimed not to care...
...how could he truly ignore his own son, especially after the boy had awakened the Ten Shadows?
It was just that his way of showing concern was forever awkward and tsundere.
"Passing through?"
Yoru looked at the dangerous man before him, a faint, knowing smirk playing on his lips.
"The Gojo clan's secret training hall is thirty meters underground and surrounded by barriers."
"To 'pass through' all that and end up here is quite the feat."
Toji shrugged and grinned, a look filled with primal ferocity and battle hunger.
"Enough talk."
"It's been ten years, and I've got a decade's worth of pent-up frustration with nowhere to go."
"Let's see if you've gone soft over the last ten years!"
The moment the words left Toji's mouth, a crisp, authoritative system prompt chimed in Yoru's mind:
[SYSTEM: DING! HOST IS FACING THE INTENSE BATTLE LUST OF THE "SORCERER KILLER," TRIGGERING A VIOLENT RESONANCE!]
[SYSTEM: SYNCHRONIZATION RATE HAS SURPASSED THE CRITICAL POINT! CURRENT PROGRESS: 40%!]
[SYSTEM: CONGRATULATIONS TO THE HOST: CORE ABILITY—SLAYER MARK—AWAKENED!]
[SYSTEM: DUE TO SYNCHRONIZATION RATE EXCEEDING 40%, THE HOST'S PHYSICAL FUNCTIONS HAVE ACHIEVED A QUANTUM LEAP!]
[SYSTEM: NOTE: WHILE THE "SLAYER MARK" IS ACTIVE, THE HOST'S PURE PHYSICAL STRENGTH WILL FORMALLY RIVAL A FULLY REALIZED "HEAVENLY RESTRICTION"!]
"BOOM!!!"
An absolute, terrifying surge of heat erupted from deep within Yoru!
In less than a second, his body temperature skyrocketed to an outrageous degree.
On his previously pale forehead and cheeks, a deep crimson mark—shaped like flickering flames, both eerie and divine—emerged from beneath the skin and bloomed into existence.
That was... the awakening of the Slayer Mark!
In that instant, the world became clearer than ever before. Every vibration of an air molecule, every fiber of muscle—nothing escaped his senses.
More importantly, he felt a colossal power capable of leveling mountains surging through his entire being.
Even without cursed energy, he now stood at the pinnacle of physical evolution on this earth—
An equal to the Sorcerer Killer!
"Oh?"
Sensing the sudden explosion of terrifying pressure from Yoru—one that even seemed to slightly eclipse his own—
...Toji's narrow eyes ignited with an unprecedented fervor.
"This feeling... As I thought, you're the most interesting monster in this world!"
"BOOM!!!"
Before he even finished speaking...
...the concrete beneath Toji's feet shattered into a web of cracks!
His massive frame left an afterimage as he lunged forward like a heavy shell fired from a cannon, appearing before Yoru in an instant amidst a terrifying sonic boom!
He used no cursed tools!
With nothing but raw physical power, he threw a simple, brutal punch straight at Yoru's face!
"Bring it on!"
Battle lust burned just as fiercely in Yoru's eyes.
He didn't retreat, nor did he draw his blade.
Total Concentration Breathing: Constant was pushed to its absolute limit!
"CRACK!!!"
Two fists, devoid of even a trace of cursed energy yet possessing power far beyond human limits, collided violently in mid-air!
A visible shockwave radiated outward from the two of them!
The entire underground training hall shook violently!
The reinforced light fixtures overhead shattered under the impact, raining glass shards down like hail.
"This..."
Megumi lay in a far corner, staring wide-eyed at the clash. It was like watching a battle between gods.
'Is this power really attainable by a human body?!'
These two monsters hadn't used even a lick of cursed energy.
Yet the destruction wrought by each collision was more despair-inducing than that of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit!
"Hahaha! Glorious!"
Toji laughed maniacally, his attacks coming like a relentless storm.
Elbow strikes, knee thrusts, headbutts!
He utilized every part of the human body as a lethal weapon, pushing each to its absolute extreme.
Meanwhile, Yoru kept the Transparent World active at all times.
His movements appeared slow, yet he always caught Toji's openings a split second before the explosion of power, neutralizing them with the most precise applications of force.
The collision of these two titans of physical power was a visual masterpiece, a perfect fusion of violence and artistry.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Shocking, massive craters were carved into the walls of the training hall.
The entire space felt as though it might collapse at any moment.
Just as the two were about to engage in an even more devastating exchange...
"That's enough."
Yoru suddenly pulled back his fist and stepped back lightly, disengaging from the fray.
"You didn't come all this way just for a spar, did you?"
Toji stopped as well.
He cracked his neck, his joints popping loudly.
"Tsk, boring."
"You're still as slippery as an eel, just like ten years ago."
Toji hadn't gone all out because he knew Yoru hadn't either.
This exchange was more like a long-overdue greeting after a decade apart.
He turned his head toward Megumi, who was still dazed in the corner.
Suddenly, with a sharp whoosh...
...Toji pulled a pitch-black Special Grade dagger radiating a sharp chill from his waist and tossed it toward Megumi.
Thud.
The dagger landed perfectly in the concrete right in front of Megumi, sinking deep into the floor.
"This is..."
Megumi stared blankly at the weapon.
"Just some piece of junk I picked up. Too heavy to carry around."
Toji shoved his hands back into his pockets and turned, walking toward the shattered metal door.
"Hey, kid."
He stopped at the entrance without turning back.
"Don't die."
"If you can't even handle a little turbulence like this, I won't acknowledge you as my son."
With that, the awkward Sorcerer Killer vanished into the depths of the underground tunnel without a backward glance.
Silence returned to the training hall.
Megumi gripped the Special Grade dagger tightly, his eyes reddening, but he bit his lip hard, refusing to let a single tear fall.
Yoru watched Toji's departing back, a satisfied smile touching his lips.
'What a tsundere.'
With Toji acting as a shadow guardian...
...and his own personal training...
'Just how brightly will you shine in the brutal Culling Game to come, Megumi?'
"Let's go."
Yoru patted Megumi on the shoulder.
"That's enough special training for today."
"Tomorrow, come with me to Jujutsu High."
"It's time to visit some old friends."
With Yoru's return, the undercurrents of Tokyo finally began to surge wildly.
And as for that special new student set to enroll this year, the one hiding a terrifying Vengeful Cursed Spirit within...
...what kind of storm would he bring to this seemingly peaceful jujutsu world?