Got i
With the fall of the sun, the rays that covered the open landscape slowly dimmed, painting the ground in deep orange and crimson hues. A young boy turned his gaze, looking into the distance, his posture relaxed yet alert. Across from him stood a man with broad shoulders and signature spiky hair, his presence alone bending the air around him despite the complete absence of curse energy.
Toji:
Brat, you can see me now, even though I lack curse energy.
Kai's gaze followed Toji as he walked closer, his steps silent yet heavy, the pressure of his existence pressing down like an invisible weight. Emi stood nearby, breathing hard, sweat clinging to her skin.
Kai:
Well, my perception has raised, and I can sense the pressure you subconsciously release into the air. But other than that, I would only be able to sense malevolent intent as well.
While Kai spoke calmly with Toji, the sharp pants and frustrated grunts of a girl echoed behind him. Emi was still attacking Kai relentlessly, launching strike after strike, but he avoided every attack with perfect efficiency, never wasting a single movement. Each dodge was minimal, each step placed exactly where it needed to be, as if the world itself was guiding his body.
Kai raised his left arm, blocking Emi's strike with his elbow. At the same time, he shifted his weight and took a step to the right, changing the angle entirely. Now positioned at her blind spot, he moved like flowing water and snapped out a hand knife with his right arm the instant his foot settled. Emi couldn't block—it was impossible. Her left arm was fully extended, and her body position locked her right arm behind her own balance, denying her any chance to defend. All of this happened while Kai continued speaking to Toji, barely sparing Emi a glance.
Toji watched closely, interest sparking in his eyes as he witnessed how much Kai had improved in just a single month. The precision, the calm, the absolute control—it wasn't normal growth.
Toji:
Brat… what did you do?
Emi pushed herself up and rushed in again, spinning into a roundhouse kick aimed at Kai's head. Kai shifted lightly, almost lazily, and raised his right elbow to parry the strike. Using the redirected force, he stepped in and twisted his body with a full 180-degree rotation, bending low. His right knee drove upward into the back space between her left leg, striking perfectly at the balance point. Emi's momentum collapsed instantly, forcing her to drop to one knee.
In the next heartbeat, Emi was on her back, staring up with wide eyes as a saber rested lightly against her neck. Kai had beaten her again. Yet his attention had never left her father.
Emi:
I've had enough for today. I know when to retreat.
Kai lowered his gaze to her and reached out a hand, helping her up with a calm expression.
Kai:
It is good to know when you give up and give yourself time to come back later and try again.
Kai:
As the saying goes, you can always live to fight another day.
Toji felt sudden pressure against his leg and looked down to see Emi hugging him tightly, her arms wrapped around him without warning.
Toji:
Yes, my little Mi-mi. Knowing your limits is good. In this work, there are many who are strong, and knowing when to fight and when not to will help you outlive them all into old age—like your old man.
Kai pulled the sabers from his sides and placed them gently on the ground. The atmosphere shifted as he turned fully to face Toji, the air growing heavier.
Kai:
It's time, Sorcerer Killer.
Toji's grin widened as he lowered himself into a stance, muscles coiling like steel cables beneath his skin.
Toji:
It's time to see your Grade.
The ground cracked violently beneath their feet as a massive gust of wind erupted outward. In an instant, Toji and Kai vanished from sight, moving at blinding speeds. Curse energy surged through Kai's body, turning dark—almost black—like the night itself. It clung to him like living shadow, forming a dense aura that distorted the air.
The first clash exploded through the battlefield.
Toji launched a punch toward Kai's ribs, the force behind it capable of shattering bone instantly. Kai felt the world slow. His blindfold slipped free and fluttered away. Dark crimson eyes ignited with light as Kai perceived the vectors of space itself. He saw the flex of Toji's muscles before they moved, the displacement of air, the feedback of force traveling through space.
With a slight shift, Kai caught Toji's arm with his right hand and bent it inward, positioning the elbow atop Toji's forearm. The momentum wasn't stopped—it was absorbed. Kai rotated from his knees through his hips, redirecting the force and launching a jumping knee strike into Toji's torso.
Toji reacted instantly, slamming his palm against Kai's knee and redirecting the impact. But Kai used that redirection to spin further left, leaping and switching legs midair. He inverted his body and delivered an upside-down kick straight into Toji's chest.
Toji crossed his arms and blocked, skidding backward two meters as the ground shattered beneath his heels. With a flex of his foot, he vanished and reappeared in front of Kai while Kai was still falling, launching a brutal side kick.
With no time to land, Kai planted one hand into the ground, twisting his wrist and snapping a counter kick upward. A sonic boom detonated as their strikes collided again. The shockwave ripped through the area, debris exploding outward, chunks of earth torn free and hurled into the air.
Kai was thrown back by the force, flipping through the air before landing cleanly on his feet.
Dust settled slowly. Kai brushed dirt from his clothes, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he grinned.
Kai:
Tell me now, Sorcerer Killer… have you ever been graced by death?
Toji stepped from the dust cloud with a purple, worm-like creature coiled over his shoulder. He reached into it, pulling out a dagger as the curse spirit spat out a strange spear. A long chain unraveled behind it as Toji wiped the weapon from side to side, grinning wider.
Toji:
Heh… brat, you're actually not far from becoming a Grade 2 sorcerer... now Use your curse technique.
With the dagger at his side and the chain spinning, Toji flicked his wrist and launched the spear toward Kai at terrifying speed.
Kai:
Storage curse spirits.. and is that Inverted Spear of Heaven, huh…I guess it's only fair I use my curse technique then.
…Dismantle…
Kai's eyes blazed brighter. Space itself seemed to halt as countless shockwaves erupted outward. The ground was completely shredded, ripped apart by invisible slashes that carved through space at impossible angles. The spear's momentum was erased as the slashes severed the paths it traveled.
Kai was no longer where he stood.
He appeared in front of Toji with a high kick—but Toji snapped the chain, wrapping it around Kai's leg.
Cleave: Reentry
Countless slashes erupted around Kai's leg, cutting the space between the chain and his body, preventing contact entirely. Kai wrenched his leg free and charged in, but this gave Toji just enough time to reclaim the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
They shifted into pure hand-to-hand. Toji dropped the spear between strikes constantly, switching grips, reversing angles, aiming for Kai's head. Each time—
Cleave: Reentry
Space stalled. Impact slowed. Kai slipped away by inches. Even as the spear canceled his slashes, it always bought him enough time to reposition.
Kai:
This cursed tool is annoying. Luckily, I can deal with it far better than Gojo can. I use Cleave: Reentry to cut space itself, reducing its speed and impact force. That gives me enough time to react before it reaches me. But I know Toji is only using 20 or 30 percent at best… he's holding back to test me.
Toji:
This brat… he's the only one with a way to temporarily stop the advantage of this curse tool. I'll have to increase my speed—no. This is just a test. Haha… this brat is good. I'm getting excited in my old age.
With rapid slips, parries, and counters, both fighters clashed relentlessly. Kai lacked the raw strength to deflect Toji outright, so he absorbed each impact, redirecting the force and using it to fuel his next strike. Cleave: Reentry activated constantly, space tearing and healing with every exchange.
Toji dropped the spear between blows repeatedly, using the chain to try and restrain Kai. But Kai slashed the space just enough every time, freeing himself before the chains could close, dancing on the edge of death with absolute focus as the battlefield around them was torn apart.
Emi POV
Kai is moving almost like he already sees Papa's next moves, like he can see the future before it happens. He isn't countering with raw power but with timing, momentum, and force disruption so precise it feels unreal. Every movement he makes feels like time itself slows around him, like space bends just enough to favor his body. Papa's spear is being stopped seconds before it can even reach Kai, as if something invisible is intercepting it, freezing it in place. Then Kai calmly shifts his head or twists his body, and the spear surges forward again—only to strike empty air every single time.
Toji uses the chains next, snapping them forward with lethal precision meant to bind Kai's limbs. But the same thing happens again. Something stops them mid-path, and Kai moves his arms or legs away before the chains can even tighten. It's like there's an invisible warning before every attack, a gap in reality that only Kai can feel and exploit. I knew there was a reason he said it would be unfair if he used his curse technique on me, but this… this is far beyond what I imagined.
Even if I were to use Intent, I don't think it would matter. I don't think I could even touch him. When I look at the ground, there are countless slash marks carved deep into the earth, spreading outward in every direction. The soil is torn apart, stone split cleanly as if cut by invisible blades. Whatever is stopping Toji's spear is also shredding the battlefield itself. So that's Kai's curse technique… slashing space itself.
And even though toji is holding back, I know I wouldn't be able to do anything if I were in Kai's position. Not even close.
I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms as only one thought runs through my mind—I need to get stronger. My eyes follow Kai, watching his expression. He's so calm. Too calm. Almost detached. Even while facing toji, his face doesn't show fear or hesitation. As if this fight means nothing to him.
I've never seen this side of Kai before.
Is this what he's like when he truly fights seriously?
Can he actually win?
And when Papa finally grades him… I'll have to catch up. No matter what.
Then the final clash happens. Kai spins upside down into a kick at the same moment toji launches a side kick of his own. The collision detonates like an explosion, and all I can see is a massive cloud of dust and debris swallowing them both. The shockwave ripples through the air, rattling my bones.
Kai:
Should we continue, or is that enough?
Toji grins.
He raises his spear and, with his other hand, pulls out a saber. He clamps the dagger from his waist between his teeth. With a single step, he vanishes—and reappears directly in front of Kai with such speed that even Kai wasn't ready for it.
Kai:
Wait—no, this is beyond what he was using before. I just barely saw his silhouette move through space.
Cleave: Reentry is already active, slashes filling the space between Kai and the spear, slowing its momentum. But the saber moves through the slashes like they don't exist, ignoring the distorted space entirely. My breath catches. Horror flashes across Kai's face as realization hits him.
The saber cuts across his left cheek. It's shallow, but blood spills in a thin line.
Kai's eyes glow even brighter.
Kai:
I guess my pretty face will have a scar… And this curse tool uses distortions of space. I don't fully know how it does it, but now I have to watch out for both cursed tools.
Toji:
Lucky brat. This curse tool—called Archer of Distance—will deal with your unique slashes. It uses their pathways through space to reach you faster.
Kai rushes forward again, this time grabbing his sabers from the ground. He grips them tightly, one in each hand, flooding them with cursed energy. Cleave: Reentry is channeled directly through the blades, the air around them screaming softly as space begins to strain.
Papa flashes to Kai's side, positioning himself perfectly. The Inverted Spear of Heaven is thrust forward as a decoy, baiting Kai into activating his technique. As expected, Kai uses Cleave: Reentry, freezing the spear's momentum for just a few seconds.
But at the same time, the saber tears toward Kai's chest at blinding speed.
Kai reacts instantly. He hops with his left foot, planting his toe against the blunt side of the blade, using it as a stepping stone. While airborne, he stretches his arms out and parries the saber downward as it shifts toward his head. His sabers cross into an X, his eyes blazing as he chants.
Amplification Charge Extinguish: Dismantle
Countless slashes erupt at once, ripping through Toji 's body from every angle. The ground explodes beneath them. Trees are shredded, trunks split apart as if erased. The sound of tearing space is deafening, overwhelming everything else.
Kai charges forward—but a shadow forms behind him.
Before he can turn, a kick slams into his back, launching him across the battlefield.
A violent gust follows. Toji is already there, intercepting Kai midair. Kai twists his body using the momentum of the kick and crosses his sabers in front of his chest.
Cleave: Reentry
Toji swings the saber again. Kai reacts instantly, catching the chains and wrapping them around his sabers, trapping the Inverted Spear of Heaven in place. On instinct, knowing the saber will follow, Kai drops his sabers entirely. He snaps a kick into toji's saber arm as his eyes flare.
With a grin on his face
Kai:
I understand it.. now.
Amplification Charge Extinguish: Dismantle
Curse Technique: Cleave
The instant his foot makes contact, space tears open. Slashes detonate from behind toji, carving deep into his body. Blood sprays as pain unlike anything before crashes into him.
Toji:
This brat… he landed a critical hit on me.
Kai:
I was able to test it—just like Gojo with his Blue-fused punches. For me, combining Cleave strikes with Dismantle at the same time creates a distortion in space that lets me land a critical hit. But only with the chant strengthening Dismantle does it work. Normally, Cleave adjusts to the target's durability.
Toji's saber stops inches from Kai's throat. His body is carved with deep wounds, blood pouring freely, his arm barely hanging on. I hear a scream from Emi .
Toji grabs the dagger from his mouth and stabs it into his own chest.
He drops to one knee.
Pain floods his body—and then something terrifying happens.
Every wound seals shut. Flesh knits itself together at an insane speed. After thirty seconds, toji looks almost normal again. But I can see it—tiny wrinkles forming. He looks… older not fully noticable.
Kai:
Is that the cost of that curse tool? Did he sacrifice his lifespan to heal?
Emi rushes forward and throw herself into Toji's chest, tears spilling as she cling to him.
Toji Pat's the head of Emi to comfort her and his glaze lands of me.
Toji:
Brat, you did well. You're a Grade 2 sorcerer. And that final strike—you could even surprise-kill your opponent if done right. You only dealt that much damage because I was using 35% of my over ability, and my body wasn't at full durability. Otherwise, the cuts wouldn't have been so deep… and I wouldn't have had to trade a year of my lifespan to heal.
Five hours later
Kai lies in his bedroom at Jujutsu High, staring at the ceiling. The fight replays endlessly in his mind—every movement, every mistake, every hesitation. He realizes how much he still needs to adapt to his new perception and how much more potential he can draw from it.
Kai:
I never knew Toji had curse tools like that. Why weren't they in the manga or anime? Why didn't he use them against Gojo… He could've lived. Or maybe they were damaged long before that. I guess I'll find out soon. Only one year and a few months left.
Kai:
And at least now with My new Critical strike ..that I now need a name for, I have replaced black flashes damage increase... in a way since I gained a 100% boost from my critical strike.
Kai:
But I felt it..I need to be locked in ..as if I'm in the flow state to use it ,so the feeling should be similar to black flash but minus the difficulty.
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Authors note:
What did u think of the first part of the story the next will be a time skip and going into important Arcs of the story soon... Gojo ..Geto.. shoko.. who else will be back or added hehehhe.