"You're so loud."
A black-haired boy with a bun and bangs hanging over his forehead impatiently dug his finger into his ear, clearly uninterested in the brown-haired man's angry outburst.
"By the way, isn't the Time Vessel Association supposed to be a group of non-sorcerers? This guy is obviously a sorcerer," Gojo Satoru asked with a puzzled look.
"They probably just paid to hire him. They've got plenty of money," Geto Suguru replied casually.
Sonoda Shigeru kept struggling. "...The Pantheon taught me the meaning of continuing to exist. This has nothing to do with being hired!"
"You're sorcerers too, right? Do you seriously think humans—those hopeless creatures—are worth protecting!?" His voice cracked as he shouted, his emotions in chaos. "The moment my wife and daughter were brutally murdered by the very people I risked my life for, I understood—humans don't deserve to be protected!"
"All of humanity should just merge with Master Tengen and die together!" His furious roar echoed, but no one paid any attention.
In reality, he didn't care about the Pantheon's so-called purification of humanity or anything else. He simply wanted to drag humanity into destruction along with him.
After all, there was nothing left in this world that he cared about. Even if the world ended in the next second, he'd only clap and cheer.
Gojo Satoru and Suguru Geto exchanged disgusted looks.
"I don't know why you think Master Tengen evolving would somehow make all of humanity merge with him... From what you're saying, you were a sorcerer before, right? A Jujutsu High graduate? Well, whatever."
Suguru Geto shrugged. "I sympathize with what happened to you, but deciding to destroy all of humanity because of it? That's just childish."
"That's it? That's all you have to say?!" Sonoda Shigeru's eyes widened in fury. Despite being restrained, he forcefully activated his technique.
Unlike the previous wolf head, this time a fully-formed shadowy blue wolf emerged, its body swirling with black mist. The giant beast lunged at the ponytailed boy, its gaping maw reeking of blood.
But before the wolf could reach its target, a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of Suguru Geto.
Gojo Satoru stepped in, standing motionless with a grin.
The shadowy wolf lunged at the white-haired boy, but it couldn't touch him. The misty fangs, filled with deadly intent, stopped just an inch from his body and could move no further.
"Well, this is surprising," Gojo Satoru remarked with a raised eyebrow. "Geto, are you getting rusty? Or just slacking off?"
Watching Gojo Satoru make exaggerated expressions at him, Suguru Geto gave him a sidelong glance. "You're so annoying."
Just then, a pale arm emerged from the swirling darkness. A clenched fist struck the back of Sonoda Shigeru's head, knocking him unconscious.
"Well then, miss, whose side are you on?"
After swiftly dealing with Sonoda Shigeru, Suguru Geto turned with a smile, looking at the short-haired girl who had been silently observing from the side.
"These two were already fighting before we got here, so she's probably not an enemy, right?" Gojo Satoru waved dismissively, showing little interest in Yukinoshita Haruno. "Anyway, let's hurry up and find the Star Plasma Vessel and bring her back to Jujutsu High."
"Huh?"
Gojo Satoru spoke casually, but then he noticed something.
The short-haired girl had been staring at him the entire time, an amused smile on her face. He returned the look with what he thought was a charming grin.
"What's up? Can't take your eyes off me? Could it be that you've fallen for my—"
"Yo, you damn white-haired freak."
Before he could finish his self-praise, Hayashizaki cut him off with a grin. "Been a while."
Suguru Geto raised an eyebrow at the way Hayashizaki spoke so casually to Gojo Satoru, as if they were old friends. "You know this person, Satoru?"
"Huh? Definitely not. Do I even know you?" Gojo Satoru pulled down his sunglasses slightly, revealing his striking blue eyes as he studied the short-haired girl carefully. "No, that's not right. If I knew you, I wouldn't have forgotten. Are you from one of the Big Three Families?"
"Nope." Hayashizaki's smile grew sweeter as he took a step toward the white-haired sorcerer. "We won't meet until a few years from now."
"Huh? What the hell are you talking about?" Gojo Satoru scratched his head, completely lost.
But as the girl kept walking closer, an uneasy feeling crept over him.
A pale fist suddenly filled his vision, growing larger in his bright blue eyes.
He didn't know why she was attacking him out of nowhere, but Gojo Satoru didn't even try to dodge. He simply activated his Limitless technique.
Yet, the invisible barrier surrounding him only managed to hold the punch back for a brief moment. The next second, her soft-looking fist passed through effortlessly and landed square on his face, sending him flying.
Spinning through the air, the stunned Gojo Satoru crashed onto the grassy field with a loud thud.
Suguru Geto's usually half-lidded eyes widened in shock. He didn't even have time to assume a battle stance—his face was filled with disbelief. "Satoru... actually got hit!?"
This girl—she broke through Gojo Satoru's Limitless technique!
How was that possible? Was it her cursed technique?
"Whew~!" Hayashizaki whistled, shaking out his fist with a satisfied grin. "That felt great!"
*So this is that 'old friend' you mentioned?* Yukinoshita Haruno's curious voice echoed through his mind.
"Yeah." Hayashizaki looked at the white-haired sorcerer struggling to get up from the grass, his usually flawless face now sporting a swollen cheek. "Doesn't he just make you want to punch him?"
"Wait, so you came all this way just to punch him?" Yukinoshita Haruno asked hesitantly.
"What else? If I wait a few more years, he won't be so easy to bully," Hayashizaki replied matter-of-factly.
Haruno wasn't sure how to respond to that.
On the other side, Suguru Geto had already rushed to Gojo Satoru's side. "Are you okay, Satoru?"
"Do I look okay to you?" Gojo mumbled through a swollen face that resembled a pig's.
"Pfft…" Geto couldn't help but laugh at the sight of his friend pointing at his swollen cheek. But he quickly composed himself and put on a serious face. "Just to clarify, did you not have time to activate your technique's defense?"
"How could that be?" Gojo shook his head. His striking Six Eyes were fixed on a short-haired girl who seemed to be talking to someone they couldn't see. "The Limitless Technique did block that brat's punch at first, but it only held for a moment before it was broken through."
"So, it's because they have a special technique?" Geto guessed.
"No…"
Gojo slowly shook his head, his expression growing serious. "That was a Domain."
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