Roy led Satoru Gojo into the villa.
Settling in the first-floor living room, Gojo glanced around.
As the strongest jujutsu sorcerer, he'd seen plenty.
But this was his first time in a home built like a war fortress.
Inside, his Six Eyes' range shrank to three meters.
"Your place is wild," Gojo said.
"Just some defensive magic, in case," Roy replied, sitting opposite. "What's your deal?"
"Reimbursement for medical bills."
"How much?"
"Kidding, relax," Gojo shrugged. "Your punch laid me out for a day, but I forgive you."
"Sounds more like a grudge than forgiveness."
"It hurt like hell, man. Thought I was done for."
"How about I cover the bill, and you head out?"
"Cough, don't be so impatient. Just venting a bit," Gojo coughed, leaning forward, hands clasped, his face serious. "Roy, I'm here for one thing: I need you to help me kill some people."
"Details."
Roy's eyes lit up, attentive.
"Two hours ago, Jujutsu High was attacked," Gojo began. "The enemy was a mixed bag—cursed spirits, sorcerers, even mages."
"I was out on a mission. By the time I got back, it was over."
His voice turned icy, a killing intent surfacing. "They targeted Sukuna's fingers and Yuji Itadori, stored at Jujutsu High."
"Yaga's team was stretched thin. They abandoned the vault to cover the students' escape."
"Even so, Jujutsu High paid a steep price."
"Seven Grade 1 sorcerers dead, twenty-six Grade 2s, and everyone else, including Yaga, critically injured."
"…Got the picture," Roy said, processing the grim report. "What's Itadori's status?"
"Minor injuries. But Megumi Fushiguro got captured covering him."
"Fushiguro? How?"
"The woman chasing Itadori was a Longinus wielder. Megumi summoned Mahoraga to buy time, sacrificing himself so Itadori could escape."
"Itadori's group is at the Church's Tokyo branch now. No worries there."
"What's the Church saying?"
"Platitudes. They'll 'gather intel' and 'call HQ for backup.' I'm done waiting."
Gojo slapped a contract on the table, his expression stern. "Four special-grade cursed tools, 30% of the Gojo clan's assets, 20 billion yen, and a favor from me."
"I want you to seal the battlefield and wipe them out."
"No need for the favor. For Itadori's sake, I'll cut you a deal."
Roy's fingertip glowed with mana, signing the contract.
It activated, splitting into two copies, one for each.
Pocketing his, Roy stood. "You said seal the battlefield. So you know where they're hiding?"
---
Shibuya outskirts, a commercial building.
"Woo! That was a hell of a score!" Mahito plopped onto a sofa, celebrating, then glanced at a man and woman nearby. "Lege, Haba, how'd you do? Meet the goal?"
"Got Sukuna's fingers, but Haba botched it. Didn't grab Yuji Itadori," Lege replied.
"Huh? You fumbled that?" Mahito blinked at the woman in a gothic dress.
"Shut it," Haba snapped, her face sour.
She'd been careless.
She hadn't expected Megumi's Mahoraga to grow resistant by taking hits.
She toyed with it early, but it got harder to damage.
By the time she went for Balance Breaker to finish it, time ran out.
Tokyo's supernatural factions weren't just Jujutsu High.
Sensing yokai and Church agents closing in, she ditched Itadori and fled.
Still…
"Didn't get Itadori, but I snagged another good target," Haba said, snapping her fingers to summon the unconscious Megumi via teleportation array.
"I checked. His body has high curse and poison resistance—a rare natural trait."
"Compared to Itadori, I think he's a better vessel for Sukuna's revival."
"Seriously? You're not just covering your screw-up, right?" Mahito teased.
"Keep yapping, and I'll gut you."
"Fine, fine, you win," Mahito backed off, shrugging.
Haba turned to the silent Lege. "What do you think? If needed, I'll grab Itadori."
"No need," Lege shook his head.
Reviving Sukuna was secondary.
His real target was Roy.
Ignoring Megumi, Lege looked at a man in the shadows. "Lord Creuserey, Gojo Satoru went to Kuoh Town."
"Likely to get the Red Dragon Emperor's help."
"Oh? He's playing along," Creuserey opened his eyes, a feral grin spreading. "Lege, nice work."
"Once I crush the Red Dragon Emperor myself, you'll get credit."
"I'm unworthy. This went smoothly thanks to you, Lord Creuserey," Lege replied, his tension easing.
Since orchestrating the juvenile detention and Hero Faction attacks, he'd been hunted by Gremory devils.
Dodging them, Lege spent ages linking with the Brigade of Calamity's biggest backer, the Old Demon Faction, and contacting Creuserey Asmodeus.
A descendant of the original Demon Lord Asmodeus, Creuserey was one of the Old Demon Faction's three leaders, immensely powerful.
Like his peers, he despised the current four Demon Lords, viewing them as enemies.
Roy, a Gremory devil, was tied to the Lucifer faction.
Naturally, he was a thorn in the Old Demon Faction's side.
Using Roy's elimination as bait, Lege easily convinced Creuserey to greenlight this trap.
There were hiccups, though.
The plan was to capture Itadori to lure Roy.
But Haba's failure let Itadori's group escape to the Church.
Attacking Jujutsu High was one thing; raiding a Church branch was another. They couldn't storm in.
Luckily, Gojo, blinded by rage, settled the wounded and headed to Kuoh.
Kuoh had few heavyweights, and Roy was the only one likely to help.
On paper, only Lege, Mahito, and Haba were notable threats.
Given the Red Dragon Emperor's arrogance, he'd probably just bring Akatsuki members for a sweep.
Toichiro Suzuki and the Five Supers were overseas, leaving Japan's Akatsuki branch without top-tier fighters.
The Old Demon Faction would block the espers, then spring Creuserey as the hidden ace, teaming with Haba.
A Balance Breaker Longinus wielder and a snake-enhanced Demon Lord-tier fighter.
Together, Roy was doomed, no matter his strength.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
A surge of cursed energy pulsed nearby.
Lege perked up, eyeing Megumi, rising from the floor.
"You're the ones who woke me?" Black markings spread across Megumi's face as he stood, scanning the room. "Cursed spirits, mages, devils… what's this, a villain convention?"
"Whoa! His body really can handle Sukuna's fingers!" Mahito cheered, having fed one to test.
A wound slashed Mahito's chest, flipping him over.
"Shut up," Sukuna lowered his palm, locking eyes with Lege. "Explain the situation."
"No problem," Lege grinned.
This gave them someone to stall Gojo.
Handing over the collected fingers for Sukuna to consume, Lege briefed him on the state of affairs.
"Red Dragon Emperor, Gojo Satoru, Brigade of Calamity… not bad. This era's more fun than the past," Sukuna smirked, catching up.
As a pure villain, he loved devouring the weak and fighting the strong.
Lege's plan and the Brigade suited him perfectly.
But…
"Only nineteen fingers?" Sukuna frowned, sensing his incomplete power.
Lege shrugged, feigning helplessness. "Nineteen's the max. The last one's with the Red Dragon Emperor."
He'd used that finger to bait Roy at the detention center.
It backfired, costing him Hanami and the finger.
Roy had since stashed it somewhere unknown.
Lege couldn't risk Kuoh to retrieve it.
Still…
"Don't worry. I've got a backup to restore your peak," Lege said, nudging Haba. "Bring out your little sister."
---
Two hours later, Shibuya outskirts.
"Here," Gojo stopped before a commercial building, scanning. "Per Church intel, the terrorists retreated here."
"Then let's set up an isolation barrier," Roy said, signaling Suzuki and the others to prep the battlefield.
He extended Senjutsu perception toward the building to pinpoint enemies.
But as it neared, an invisible wall blocked it.
"Interesting," Roy raised an eyebrow, ready to push harder.
A red glow flared at the building's peak, swelling fast.
In moments, a massive isolation barrier enveloped the building and a kilometer around it.
Figures emerged from the structure.
Cursed sorcerers, special-grade cursed spirits, rogue mages…
Hundreds swarmed, forming an encirclement in seconds.
Gojo frowned, warning, "Roy, these numbers are off. We might've walked into an ambush."
"I'm not blind," Roy replied, hands in pockets, eyeing a figure atop the building.
"How's it feel, Red Dragon Emperor?" Haba, holding a parasol, smirked down. "Like the gift I prepared for you?"
"For me? That's a new one," Roy raised an eyebrow. "So you hit Jujutsu High to kidnap Itadori and lure me?"
"Exactly! Too late to figure it out. Time to die!" Haba summoned a purple flame, hurling it down.
Roy drew Gram, slashing upward.
A destruction-charged sword aura burst forth, slicing the flame and pressing on.
"That's the legendary Demon Emperor Sword?" Haba's face hardened, recognizing Gram.
As a Longinus wielder, she wasn't weak.
Unleashing a torrent of purple fire rain, she overwhelmed the sword aura.
Teleporting to midair, she continued.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Four massive fire walls rose around her, sealing the battlefield in a blaze.
Her aura surged.
Purple flames morphed behind her into an eight-headed, 200-meter beast.
"Partner, that's Yamata-no-Orochi," Ddraig's voice rang from Boosted Gear. "[Altar of the Purple Flame Sovereign] is a unique Longinus. Its form and traits shift based on the nailed sacrifice."
"No clue where she got it, but she nailed Yamata-no-Orochi's soul."
"Spot on!" Haba laughed, overhearing. "I absorbed its soul with my purple flames."
"This subspecies Balance Breaker is [Tyrant's Verdict of Blazing Sanction]."
"Long-ass name," Roy muttered, entering Balance Breaker.
"BoostBoostBoostBoostBoostBoostBoostBoostBoost!"
His aura exploded.
In a flash, he appeared before the purple-flame Orochi, swinging Gram.
With a slash, Haba gaped as the beast was cleaved in two.
"Wait, your strength's off!" Haba yelped, teleporting across the battlefield.
But a crimson figure appeared dozens of meters away, matching her move.
"No way!" Haba's face twisted, teleporting again.
No matter how often she warped, she couldn't shake the crimson shadow.
In seconds, Roy's raw power and speed ignored the regenerating Orochi, closing in on Haba.
Sensing danger, Haba ditched the plan, yelling, "Creuserey, help! I can't beat this guy!"
---
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