Todo Aoi grinned wide. "Alright, everyone—this fight's ours as long as Hayashi stands. Special-grade? So what?!"
His voice yanked them out of their shock. Right now, beyond the cursed spirit Hayashi had blasted away, four foes remained.
That bald guy? A curse user—easiest to handle. Take him out first.
That was the unanimous call.
"Move!"
Todo slammed his fists together, cursed energy bursting from his feet as he charged the curse user.
The butcher-clad curse user, Juzo Kumiya, paled. This many at once? Even he couldn't tank that.
"Hey, hey—help me out here!" Juzo Kumiya swung his axe at Maki Zenin, the closest. A white arc of cursed energy slashed down.
Maki's pole naginata met it fast, but his power wasn't weak—she slid back several meters.
Then Yuji Itadori and Todo rushed in, hammering Juzo Kumiya with a barrage.
"What's with that Hayashi?" Lumi's face darkened. Per Geto Suguru and Mahito's intel, this wasn't right.
A Jujutsu High newbie shouldn't be this strong. Last time in the sewers, he wasn't this insane.
"Cough, cough…"
"Damn it," Barb Croc clawed out of the dirt pit, arm fully healed via reversed cursed technique. His face twisted—that hit hurt, bad.
Over the years, he'd crushed plenty of jujutsu sorcerers—trash, all of them. Then Gojo Satoru rose, and he laid low.
Now, with a leader charging ahead, he'd joined up. Win? Rule the world. Lose? Just death.
But his death wouldn't be cheap—it'd mean something.
Yet here, right out the gate, a kid not even twenty had smashed him, trashed an arm.
Barb Croc—a defense-focused special-grade cursed spirit. Normal sorcerers couldn't touch him.
"Old croc, still kicking? Move it—we're short on time," Lumi barked, then sprang into action.
Brown fur surged off him like waves, curling into a torrent that roared toward the students.
Juzo Kumiya wasn't strong, but he was a body—they couldn't let him get swarmed to death.
"Dodge!" Fushiguro Megumi's eyes flashed. He leapt back as razor-sharp fur pierced his former spot, cratering the ground.
Everyone went all-in now. Numbers gave them an edge—coordination was rough, but they knew each other's moves well enough.
Hayashi wouldn't let them fall. Hanami and that skybound special-grade hadn't moved yet. If they did, it'd get ugly.
So—drop one fast.
His gaze locked on Barb Croc, back up from the pit.
The spirit glared—fury mixed with wariness.
"Points have been slow lately. Do me a solid and let me cash in, old turtle," Hayashi said. The crimson armor peeled back from his face, revealing a greedy glint.
Barb Croc didn't catch the words, but he wasn't dumb—nothing good there.
Crimson Armor snapped shut. Hayashi blinked forward, appearing before Barb Croc, fist flying.
"Same power twice?" Barb Croc scoffed. That last hit was explosive—critical-style.
Maybe Black Flash, but off. He couldn't name it.
"Guess what? I can," Hayashi said. Right fist swung—Azure Black Flash aimed at Barb Croc's head.
"Forward Spin—Croc Feast!"
Barb Croc's right fist glowed green. A crocodilian head of cursed energy formed, jaws snapping at Hayashi's punch.
Bang!
A shockwave rang out. Their fists collided, cursed energy flipping the surrounding dirt. Barb Croc's eyes widened—he lacked a domain, but his technique outclassed most special-grades.
This kid matched it. Even Jogo had praised his strength—first-rate sorcerers were no issue.
Barb Croc was stunned. So was Hayashi. This wasn't even doubled Azure Black Flash—normal special-grades shouldn't block it.
This unseen turtle could. Not simple.
Hayashi's cursed energy was still climbing—not maxed out, still room to grow.
It grew slow, though. In this battle, the drain was massive. No quick kill? Stalemate.
With so many special-grades here, Todo and the others could hold a bit—but not long. Hayashi felt the pressure.
One punch flopped. No more holding back—another flew.
"Azure Black Flash—Power Doubled!"
[Power Doubled: Random Multiplier]
[Power Doubled ×3]
"Again?!" Barb Croc's eyes shifted. What freak was this?
Same move, over and over.
Cursed spirits outstripped sorcerers in cursed energy—way more juice.
But Hayashi? A cursed spirit in human skin.
"Forward Spin—Croc Feast!"
Another green croc head met Hayashi's Azure Black Flash.
Bang!!
This time, Barb Croc's arm shattered. His body hurtled back, consciousness nearly fading.
"How—" Barb Croc's mind reeled. Same move—why so much stronger? Triple the last hit, at least.
Crunch!
He bit off his tongue, snapping awake. Mid-flight, he regrew his arm, legs kicking back, skidding to a stop in a deep gouge.
"Tough old turtle—king of turtles, huh? Croc-turtle, I mean," Hayashi grinned, teeth flashing. Damn durable.
Even reversed cursed technique couldn't keep patching arms forever, right?