"I thought I'd get a dessert, but it seems I've only found a half-price pastry nearing closing time?"
"If this is all there is, then I'll be slightly disappointed."
Ishiryu Ryu lightly jumped out of the crater. Under his gaze, Itadori got back up, assuming a combat stance.
His left hand trembled slightly; Ishiryu Ryu's Cursed Energy shockwave had nearly crippled his hand,
luckily, he was a sports student, with incredibly strong physical capabilities.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Kakashi, on the other side, wasn't so lucky. He coughed twice, spitting out two mouthfuls of blood, clearly
injured.
'Are Special Grade Sorcerers all monsters?' Enduring the pain, Kakashi grumbled internally.
With his strength, he could easily handle Grade 1 Sorcerers, and the few people inside Jujutsu High were no match for him, but encountering a Special Grade meant it was his turn to be overwhelmed.
Their Cursed Energy-enhanced bodies were like Gai, specializing in taijutsu, so tough and rigid it was impossible to get close. And they possessed Cursed Techniques akin to Kekkei Genkai.
A ninja like him, unless possessing a special physique, was simply too fragile. Just
taking a shockwave similar to Shinra Tensei nearly killed him.
Itadori took a deep breath. In just a few seconds, he had largely recovered. Sports students were just
resilient; he was completely fine.
"Are you okay, Kakashi-sensei!"
"I'm mostly fine for now, but my mobility might not be as good."
Emerging from the dust was Kakashi, who had crashed through several walls. He wasn't seriously injured, but his surprise attack had failed; Raikiri couldn't land a hit on the opponent.
Ishiryu Ryu was a Special Grade Sorcerer; it was normal that their ambush failed to defeat him. Itadori knew from the start that this battle wouldn't end so quickly.
However, Ishiryu Ryu wasn't the only opponent present. Seeing his miserable state, Choso started getting ideas. If he could defeat Kakashi, his points would also reach Special Grade level.
"What do you want?" Before Choso could make a move, a person emerged from Kakashi's shadow.
Fushiguro Megumi, who had been lurking, appeared with a dark expression. His ambush had no effect on Ishiryu Ryu; the shockwave had sent them all flying.
"More reinforcements? Then I can keep you tied up here."
Choso saw Fushiguro Megumi's points, nine thousand, higher than his own, so a quick resolution wouldn't be possible.
However, Choso planned to stall his opponent. Fushiguro Megumi also had to protect the injured Kakashi, giving Choso a huge advantage even if he was slightly weaker.
Missions like eliminating Gojo Satoru and Itadori didn't specifically require him to complete them; letting Ishiryu Ryu take them out was just as good.
Choso didn't intend to compete for first place. That so-called 'miracle' that could grant wishes was less important than his brothers in his eyes; completing the mission was enough.
On the other side, Itadori also noticed the situation here, but he couldn't disengage.
The appearance of an unknown Special Grade Sorcerer was completely beyond their imagination. It would be incredibly difficult for them to win with just their current strength, but he didn't intend to run. Gojo Satoru hadn't woken up yet, so escaping would be meaningless.
Focusing his mind, Itadori recalled the states of tree climbing and water walking from before. His entire body's Cursed Energy calmed down.
Sukuna, who was usually in his mind, was inexplicably silent, as if he had vanished.
Itadori had no time to ponder the reason; for now, it was a good thing. The Cursed Energy within him that belonged to Sukuna's fingers was now completely under his control.
The opponent's points were twelve thousand, while he had a full fourteen thousand. In terms of Cursed Energy quantity alone, he had a slight edge. His only shortcomings were that he lacked an Innate Technique and had insufficient combat experience.
Therefore, the best solution was to clash Cursed Energy head-on with the opponent!
Ishiryu Ryu felt Itadori's fighting spirit, and his previously subdued mood lifted once more. It was like a bakery about to close suddenly surprising him by restocking its shelves with fresh bread.
He was the only one who could directly fight a Special Grade. If he lost, even Gojo Satoru-sensei would be killed. Itadori knew this profoundly.
He had to unleash his full power—no, more than his full power, a power beyond full—to stall or even defeat Ishiryu Ryu!
'Oh? Was I mistaken?'
"That fighting spirit... so you're not some leftover 'discounted item,' but a true dessert after all."
Ishiryu Ryu noticed Itadori's gaze and began to take him more seriously.
'Thinking of countermeasures, I'll leave that to you, Kakashi-sensei.'
'We must resolve this here quickly, otherwise, as more enemies converge, we'll have no chance of winning.'
Just Ishiryu Ryu and Choso alone were difficult for them to handle, let alone the certainty of more people appearing. There was no time for hesitation now.
Itadori surged towards Ishiryu Ryu, faster than ever before. This was his true full power, without any interference, even utilizing Sukuna's strength!
"Excellent!"
Cursed Energy shockwaves launched simultaneously with his sprint, then split mid-air into four attacks, like homing missiles, assaulting Itadori from four directions at once.
Itadori, with extreme concentration, sharply twisted his body, dodging two of the attacks. Then, using the momentum of his twist, he punched backward at another shockwave.
Ishiryu Ryu's attack was used as leverage by him. Riding that impact, his speed explosively, wildly, powerfully increased again!
Not fast enough, he could be even faster! A tyrannical aura, identical to Sukuna's, emanated from Itadori's eyes.
The next instant, Chakra stimulated his body; his muscles felt like they were tearing from overuse, and numerous capillaries burst. Even a sports student couldn't defy these physical laws.
Ishiryu Ryu couldn't react in time to such speed; his body was unable to respond to the extreme velocity, making it impossible to even launch another shockwave to block.
"Black Flash!"
Itadori's shout and the sonic boom breaking the sound barrier reached Ishiryu Ryu's ears simultaneously, but before that, his fist had already landed, imprinting itself on his chest. Itadori had broken the sound barrier.
This was a punch infused with his entire will. Only after Gojo Satoru fell into a coma did he realize how much pressure his teacher had shielded him from. Almost everyone wished him dead, fearing the Sukuna within him, just as they feared Gojo Satoru.
He was the one who needed to grow the fastest in all of Jujutsu High. Whether training Chakra with Kakashi or working out on his own, Itadori was always the most diligent.
Ishiryu Ryu's appearance was merely a catalyst, igniting all the emotions he had suppressed within himself.
Cursed Energy rotating with fourteen thousand points of power—Black Flash!
A pitch-black rift erupted between him and Ishiryu Ryu, and the black Cursed Energy engulfed them.
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