In the previous chapter, Gojo and Kaito had an intense conversation in which it was revealed that part of Shiro's soul still lingered. Despite this disturbing revelation, the two decided to engage in combat, which took them to the forest near the city. During the fight, Kaito was on the verge of death, but in that critical moment, he came face to face with Shiro's soul. Determined, Kaito completely destroyed that remaining part, taking full control of the body and restarting the confrontation with even greater intensity.
As the battle progressed, both fighters pushed each other to their limits. Kaito demonstrated a unique use of cursed energy, unlike that of conventional sorcerers. However, Gojo, with his innate ability to analyze and adapt in combat, managed to copy parts of Kaito's technique, developing his own style based on this new understanding of energy.
At the moment
Kaito sighed and, without warning, turned and started walking toward a fallen log. He sat down calmly on it.
—From now on… I won't fight you.
Gojo watched him curiously, without losing his smile.
—Oh, really?
—I hope you entertain my pets
Gojo tilted his head, his interest growing.
Kaito rested an elbow on his knee and stared at him.
Gojo gave a light laugh and took a step forward, taking a fighting stance.
—Don't get so carried away…
The air around them tensed. Gojo kept his smile, but his gaze grew more serious.
Suddenly, a strange distortion appeared in space. It wasn't a normal ripple, but something different... a crack of black energy, like a swirling vortex devouring the light around it.
From that crevice emerged a figure. At first glance, it appeared humanoid, but its body was made of pure darkness and shadows. Yet, a blue glow emanated from its being, an intense energy that coursed through its silhouette like ethereal flames. Its body was covered in armor formed from the same energy it radiated.
Kaito looked at him calmly and spoke in a firm voice:
—Kill him, Blue Shadow.
The creature's eyes glowed with a deep blue glow as it fixed its gaze on Gojo. Without another word, it moved its hand to its side. From the darkness of the ground, a sword forged from pure shadow emerged. The creature took it naturally.
—Yes, Kaito-sama , the shadow replied.
Gojo raised an eyebrow in surprise, but before he could analyze the situation, the shadow disappeared.
In an instant, she appeared right in front of him, bringing her sword down with a swift slash.
Out of pure instinct, Gojo dodged by moving his body to the side. However, the instant the blade descended, a slashing wave erupted from its edge, advancing at high speed and devastating everything in its path.
BOOM!
The explosion echoed across the battlefield, raising a cloud of dust and destroying everything in the direction of the attack.
Wasting no time, Gojo reacted. He spun around and launched a precise kick at the shadow, hitting it square in the torso. The creature shot forward at high speed, bouncing off the ground several times until it crashed hard near the mountains.
However, as the dust began to clear, the shadow slowly rose, without a single wound on its body.
Gojo narrowed his eyes with a smile full of intrigue and thought.
Interesting… He wasn't harmed at all. His ability is peculiar. He's able to control darkness, and I felt my attack being absorbed… it was strange. And that speed… It's definitely a special-grade curse. To think he can create something like that…
He glanced sideways at Kaito, who was still sitting there with absolute calm.
The shadow fixed its glowing eyes on Gojo and spoke in a deep, ethereal voice:
—Boundless darkness… devours everything.
From his feet, darkness began to spread in all directions with overwhelming speed, covering the ground like an ocean of shadows that expanded out of control.
Gojo reacted instantly, propelling himself into the air and hovering as darkness rapidly surrounded him. In a matter of seconds, the shadow had consumed the entire terrain until it reached the edge of the mountains.
Then, suddenly, the darkness stopped.
Without warning, an invisible force pulled Gojo downward with tremendous pressure. The air thickened. Gravity in the area increased dramatically, compressing the debris from the previous battle and dragging it down into the darkness.
Gojo frowned, stopping mid-descent with a subtle effort. However, the pressure around him only intensified.
And then, in a single instant…
Everything was devoured.
The darkness suddenly contracted, returning to the shadow's feet, as if it had never existed.
The battlefield had changed completely. What had once been a battle-torn wasteland was now an absolute wasteland, devoid of any trace of life or debris.
The only thing that remained intact was the place where Kaito was still sitting.
Gojo watched the shadow closely, but it simply smiled in amusement.
In a blink of an eye, the shadow appeared before him in the air, its sword descending with a lethal slash.
Gojo reacted instantly, raising his right hand and catching the blade firmly. A violent wind erupted from the force of the impact, shaking the surroundings.
—Don't be arrogant, thing.
But the shadow only widened its smile, revealing its sharp teeth. With its left hand, it grabbed Gojo's wrist, the one still holding the sword.
Gojo frowned, surprised.
Without giving him time to react, the shadow yanked Gojo to the side, forcing him to release his blade. In a fluid motion, the shadow spun his sword in his hand and launched a vertical slash from Gojo's stomach to his shoulder.
Gojo's eyes widened slightly as he felt the blade pierce his flesh.
A jet of blood gushed from the wound.
But before the shadow could continue its attack, Gojo, his hand still held by the creature, raised his fingers and whispered in a low voice:
-Red.
A crimson sphere shot at point-blank range into the shadow's face.
BOOM!
The explosion was enormous, throwing the shadow and everything around it in a single direction, while the roar shook the air like thunder falling from the sky crashing against the mountain.
Gojo followed the path the shadow had been thrown with his eyes. Then he looked down at his torso and touched his wound, observing the blood on his hand with a certain calmness.
From his place, Kaito, who had been watching silently, spoke:
—Apparently, you're not used to seeing your own blood.
Gojo glanced at him, slowly descending to the ground. A crooked smile crossed his face as he replied:
—So that's what bothered me… You created an interesting creature. Its darkness not only negates the existence of the cursed energy… or rather, it negates the rituals themselves. But it barely managed to nullify my barrier.
Kaito remained silent.
Gojo looked back at the blood on his palm and muttered:
—It's true... I haven't been hurt in a long time.
At that moment, Gojo's wound began to smoke, healing completely.
Kaito narrowed his eyes and commented in a neutral tone:
—I see you have a healing ritual… as they call it in this era.
Gojo smiled serenely.
—Reverse ritual.
"I see... reverse ritual," Kaito repeated thoughtfully.
At that moment, a thunderous sound echoed from the mountain. Rocks could be heard tumbling down the slope, as a figure emerged from the dust.
It was the shadow.
His head was completely destroyed, but he still walked with a firm stride. He advanced a few more meters, and a new head sprouted from his neck. The crunching of bones accompanied the movement as he slowly twisted his neck, as if he were cracking it.
Then he looked up, and seeing Gojo, he smiled in amusement.
In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from the scene… and reappeared there, preparing for combat.
Gojo didn't flinch. He calmly raised a hand in front of his face.
—Domain Space: immeasurable emptiness—he said in a firm voice.
At that instant, an invisible barrier unfolded from his body, spreading at great speed.
Kaito and the shadow were trapped inside the domain.
Both motionless.
Time itself seemed to have stopped.
Gojo slowly lowered his hand, a smile barely visible on his face.
"I didn't mean for it to come to this," he said casually. "It's hard to find someone capable of standing up to me. I was just having a bit of fun."
Kaito and the shadow remained completely motionless, trapped in the absolute domain.
Gojo took a few calm steps toward the shadow. His footsteps were soundless, as if the space itself avoided interrupting him. When he reached his target, he reached out and placed his fingers on the creature's chest.
In that instant, the shadow was completely destroyed. Its body exploded into dark particles that spread in all directions, dissipating into the air like smoke devoured by the light of the domain.
Gojo looked up at Kaito and spoke, as calmly as if he were giving a lesson:
—You were interesting... But I'm a wizard. So die.
He pointed his hand at him.
But then, blood suddenly gushed from the seven orifices of his face: eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Still, his voice remained firm:
—Don't even try. You won't be able to move... die here.
However, at that precise moment, something impossible happened.
From the top of the domain, a luminous crack opened as if the sky were shattering. The sound of breaking glass echoed in all directions. From that celestial rupture descended multiple swords, streaking through the air like meteorites.
They dug into the ground, surrounding Kaito in a perfect circle. The blades vibrated with energy, forming a floating armor around him, a living shield.
More swords erupted from the crack, this time hurtling towards Gojo with such fierce speed that they resembled lightning.
But none of them managed to reach him. The swords stopped millimeters from his body, motionless, as if an invisible, unbreakable force had frozen them in midair.
Gojo didn't blink. With precise, millimetric movements, he formed a seal with his hands.
"Purple," he declared in a firm voice.
On either side of his body, two spheres emerged: one blue, one red. They spun with violent intensity, colliding with each other in a spiral of pure energy, until they merged into a single, luminous, devastating mass.
He aimed directly at Kaito...
And fired.
The energy swept away everything in its path. Space began to warp, the ground cracked like glass under impossible pressure, and matter disintegrated in a storm of absolute power. The already fractured domain was consumed by light.
And then, the final roar:
—BOOO ...
A deafening roar shook the air, as if the world had collapsed in on itself in a single second. Everything went white.
When the explosion finally subsided, all that remained was an immense crater that stretched across the terrain, like the scar of a cataclysm.
A little away from the center was Gojo. His body bore multiple cuts and wounds that were slowly beginning to heal, emitting steam and smoke as his healing technique took effect. He looked off into the distance, an amused smile on his lips.
—To think you could handle that… you're a lot tougher than I thought.
In the center of the crater was Kaito. The cloud of dust partially covered his body, leaving only half visible. He was leaning against a fragment of one of his destroyed greatswords, his gaze fixed and expressionless.
Around him, everything was in ruins. The swords that had once protected him were now twisted and broken pieces, scattered across the earth. Blood slowly trickled down the metal fragments until it reached the ground.
The cloud of dust began to dissipate, revealing his figure in full.
The other half of his body had been destroyed. Only his right side remained, leaning against the sword fragment, and blood oozed from one half of his body, dripping down the metal fragment and onto the ground.
Gojo finished regenerating and spoke in his usual relaxed tone.
—I'm still surprised you managed to use your cursed ritual… but now I understand.
He smiled.
—That… isn't your body yet. Or rather, it's not you in the flesh. You control it like an avatar. A kind of first-person puppet… like a video game.
He took another step, without looking away.
—The body you use received the information from the Immeasurable Void… and you didn't take the damage. It was, so to speak, the "game's avatar." Your true self isn't here. It's somewhere else.
His eyes were fixed on Kaito's hand, the only one he had left.
—That ring on your other hand…
…that's where you really are. That's the real you.
Gojo raised his hand once more, pointing his fingers at him.
—This is over.
And he whispered:
-Red.
But at that instant, hundreds of spatial ripples appeared behind Kaito, extending into the sky.
From the ring on his hand, a deep, reverberating voice resonated with authority:
— Enkidu .
From the golden waves emerged shining spikes: chains of divine gold that shot violently towards Gojo, moving at a speed impossible to follow.
Gojo barely had time to react. The red sphere was already glowing at his fingertips...
But it was too late.
The chains pierced his arm with brutal precision, piercing it with a metallic snap.
They immobilized him.
Wasting no time, Gojo gritted his teeth and, with a precise movement, severed his arm at the shoulder, freeing himself. He jumped back just as the other ends of the chains hit the ground where he stood. The "Red" accumulated in the fingers of his severed arm exploded with a powerful bang:
—BOOM!
The roar shook the entire battlefield, sending up a cloud of smoke and rocks.
But the chains were unharmed.
They emerged from the dust cloud, moving swiftly toward Gojo. Noticing them, he disappeared, increasing his speed as he ran across the terrain. The chains chased him, trying to cut through him, destroying everything they touched.
While fleeing, Gojo regenerated his arm.
Meanwhile, a portion of the chains that emerged from the waves curled around themselves, surrounding Kaito and enveloping him in a protective sphere of living gold. The others continued their relentless assault, launching themselves at Gojo with even greater speed, breaking the sound barrier.
As he ran, Gojo squinted at the chains with his Six Eyes. As he did so, he saw them distorted, as if they were a glitch in reality itself. He opened his eyes in surprise and immediately brought a hand to his head, gritting his teeth against the sudden pain.
"Shit... that hurt," he thought. "Those chains aren't a special-grade weapon... they're something else."
He then looked towards Kaito, but he was still completely covered by the golden sphere.
Gojo increased his speed even further and suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. In a firm voice, he declared:
-Purple.
On either side of his body, two spheres emerged: one blue, one red. They spun violently, colliding with each other in a spiral of pure energy, until they merged into a single, luminous, devastating mass.
But this time, Gojo focused all his power on it, causing it to grow even bigger, becoming colossal.
He aimed directly at the chains and at Kaito... and fired.
The sphere of energy tore through everything in its path, warping space and devouring matter itself, until it slammed into the sphere of golden chains protecting Kaito. The impact was brutal, as if two worlds had collided at a single point, and a thunderous sound shook the battlefield.
—BOOO ...
Everything turned white.
The nearby mountains collapsed under the shock wave. The original crater expanded even further, forming a gigantic scar on the ground, as if a meteorite had fallen there.
Those watching the fight didn't know what to say. The level of power was escalating; it was impressive, overwhelming. They could only watch from a distance, not daring to intervene.
As the dust cloud began to completely dissipate, something was revealed that left everyone breathless: the chain sphere was still intact.
Gojo opened his eyes seriously and his expression changed.
"If that doesn't work..." he muttered.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone. He reappeared right next to the golden sphere, placing his hand in front of it. He formed a seal with his fingers and said firmly:
—Domain Space.
The barrier began to close at full speed, surrounding the area with crushing energy... but, in that instant, everything went slow.
Gojo opened his eyes wide.
At the same time, inside the sphere of chains, Kaito wasn't just standing there. His consciousness was within the ring. A dark space, with no floor or horizon, just emptiness. If he looked up, he could see a drop of light suspended, identical to the crater he'd been in long ago.
Her hair floated lightly, moved by a nonexistent breeze.
Kaito spoke, in a calm voice:
—I didn't think someone would force me to appear so soon... It would have taken me time for this body to assimilate all my power, but it doesn't matter now.
He raised his hand, and in a solemn tone declared:
—Creation. Strengthening. Restoration. Fusion of the three points… initiation.
In a flash, his form disappeared from the plane of the ring... and appeared within the sphere of chains, in the physical world.
And in that instant, the two bodies—the avatar and the real Kaito—merged into one.
The cursed energy surged to its peak, growing relentlessly, enveloping everything with a suffocating intensity. And then, everything returned to normal... for a moment.
Gojo's Domain closed completely, as if finally managing to contain that overwhelming power. But it was at that precise moment that something happened. A subtle cracking sound, like glass shattering… and then, the Domain shattered into a thousand pieces, exploding like glass under impossible pressure.
Gojo narrowed his eyes and muttered:
—Damn… it was too late.
From the sphere of chains, a golden light began to escape through the holes with increasing intensity. It shone brightly… too brightly.
A minute later, a shockwave of pure power erupted from within him, sweeping everything in its path with a scorching gale.
The observers opened their eyes in horror. Even the three students watching from afar broke out in a cold sweat, unable to tear their gaze away from the impossible scene before them.
Gojo smiled faintly, tilting his head as the wind whipped across his face. His tone was calm… but his entire body was tense. He was ready for whatever was coming.
At that instant, all across Japan, the curses roaming through cities, towns, and remote corners stopped in their tracks. Their bodies trembled, their eyes widened in panic... and then they began to flee, uncontrollably, hiding in the darkness as they shuddered in sheer terror.
In Tokyo, the sorcerers felt the presence at the same time. A cursed energy so overwhelming it made everyone's skin crawl. They turned in the same direction, their faces reflecting bewilderment, even among the highest-ranking members of the jujutsu world .
In a hidden place, a peculiarly shaped being slowly opened its eyes. Its voice resonated gravely:
—That cursed energy... who the hell is it?
In another corner of Tokyo, the four special curses and Kenjaku felt the same shudder. A wave of cursed energy enveloped them, so intense that for a moment the air seemed to thicken. Everyone turned their heads in the same direction, in complete silence.
Yogo was the first to speak:
—That power… it's his. I wonder who could be facing him.
Kenjaku, with his usual cold tone, replied:
—There are only two beings capable of forcing him to fight seriously: Sukuna… or Satoru Gojo.
Yogo smiled bitterly and muttered:
—I hope they kill each other.
Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the golden chains slowly fell away, revealing Kaito's true form. His long white hair fell over a new, dark and majestic outfit: reinforced black pants and boots, a black yukata with gold trim, partially open to show his torso, and bandages on his wrists. A second cloak rested on his shoulders like a mantle. He calmly opened his eyes: his sclera were black, his irises red, with slitted pupils. It was the same dreaded appearance from years ago.
Kaito's cursed energy finally stabilized. He looked up at Gojo, who was watching him seriously. Kaito stepped forward and spoke:
—You destroyed much of my previous body. I couldn't regenerate it because my brain was damaged. That body functioned as a medium; it could only control weapons and use remote abilities. Her brain became saturated with information, which is why it paralyzed, right? It was interesting… I even worried. If I hadn't appeared at that moment, she would probably have died. It would take her weeks to regain mobility. That ability of yours is annoying.
Kaito looked down, contemplating his new body.
—I thought about destroying the brain completely, but regenerating it would have been ineffective and it would be a second time and could have consequences. So this was the best thing: avoiding the total destruction of the body by fusing it with me. Apparently, I retain my old appearance... not bad. But inside, everything has improved. My original body could no longer contain so much power. It was broken by pain, battles, transformations. Now, with this fusion, I no longer have to hold back from breaking. Although these clothes... they're a bit old-fashioned for this era, don't you think?
Gojo smiled slightly.
—And to think this was the real you. You look stronger.
In that instant, Kaito's black yukata disintegrated like smoke, giving way to a golden suit of armor with black details that fit his body perfectly. From his waist descended a dark cloak, adorned with golden lines and metallic inlays that fluttered in the wind.
The chest was covered by a firm, sharp plate, embossed with golden carvings in the shape of claws or wings. In the center, an inverted diamond emblem shone, radiating a silent energy. Black lines ran across the torso and shoulders like magical circuits, giving it a majestic, almost divine appearance.
Kaito's energy had changed. It was now a dark mist with golden glints that seeped out and enveloped his entire body.
Gojo narrowed his gaze, serious.
—There's so much cursed energy… that it becomes visible like a fog. Interesting…
The students watching from afar instinctively stepped back. The air was so thick it seemed to crush them. It was as if their very existence was being repelled by the presence of that power.
—This doesn't make sense... Gojo-sensei's energy is infinite, yes, but Kaito's is different. It's so dense… it seems to solidify in the air. As if it were forming miasma on its own.
He paused, swallowing.
—It shouldn't be possible for cursed energy to materialize like this.
Nobara clenched her fists, uncomfortable.
—I don't like this. Even if I don't want to say it… if we stay here, it could end badly. I can barely stand.
Megumi nodded gravely.
—That makes sense. At this rate, any attack could reach us. It's not smart to stay so close.
Itadori remained silent for a moment. His eyes were fixed on Gojo's figure. Then he murmured decisively:
—I'm staying.
The others looked at him, surprised. He continued firmly:
—I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling. I feel like Gojo-sensei... is in danger. I want to keep watching.
Nobara snorted, annoyed, but with a small smile.
— Tch … always so impulsive. Okay, then I'll stay too. I'm not going to miss this now that things are getting good.
Megumi sighed resignedly.
—In the end, no one leaves… That's fine. But stay alert. At this level, even watching can kill us.
And so the three stood firm, witnesses to the clash of monsters.
In the middle of the battlefield, Kaito spoke as the cursed energy swirled around him like a storm:
—That mastery of yours is interesting. I've only seen it twice in my era… Back then, combat was more physical, hand-to-hand, not so much based on cursed techniques or rituals. I suppose things changed over time.
Gojo watched him closely.
—So in your time there were no domains… I see.
Kaito nodded calmly.
"Rituals weren't used the same way either. Do you know how they were used in my era?" he asked thoughtfully, but didn't wait for a reply. "It all depended on the imagination. That's what I noticed. Each user shaped their ritual in their own way, even if they shared the same principle. The difference lay in how they visualized it."
Gojo remained silent, attentive.
"I'm sure," Kaito continued, "that you, too, adapted your technique through modern knowledge… right? I suppose things like mathematics helped you perfect it. But there was someone in my time, with skills similar to yours. He didn't know much about mathematics… and yet, he was able to create perfect barriers and cuts with his katana. He was a genius, better than you, Gojo Satoru. Your ancestor… was superior to you."
Gojo narrowed his eyes, more serious than before.
—And what are you looking for by telling me all that?
Kaito spoke calmly.
—There's no hurry…
Gojo spoke during the fight, his voice tense but firm:
—At first you said you wanted to spread the cursed energy throughout the world… is that really your goal?
Kaito answered without hesitation:
—That's right. I already told you... I'm going to rebuild my clan. I'll break that barrier, and I'll kill anyone who stands in my way. Will you continue to interfere too? If so, your grave will be here... right next to the others. Those you call... followers or students, I don't know.
Gojo was surprised for a second, but then he smiled arrogantly.
—Oh, yeah? So what are we waiting for? I want to see you try.
At that instant, Kaito took a step forward… and disappeared. He reappeared right in front of Gojo with impossible-to-follow speed and threw a direct punch. Gojo covered himself with his forearms, taking the full impact. The blow was brutal, launching him like a high-speed bullet.
Before he could hit anything, Kaito appeared beside him again, giving him no time to react. With another crushing blow, he slammed him into the ground.
—BOOM! —The roar shook the ground, raising a huge cloud of dust and debris.
Kaito spoke from above, his tone implacable:
—You see? You can't beat me. I've broken through what kept you safe.
But just as Kaito took another step, Gojo pointed his fingers at him. A burst of energy violently pushed him elsewhere, launching him through the air.
Kaito landed gracefully, gliding to a stop. Gojo slowly sat up, staring at his arms—they were completely crushed. However, in an instant, he healed them completely, never taking his eyes off Kaito, whose expression was now much more serious.
Kaito looked at him calmly and said:
"You're wondering how I got through your barrier, aren't you? Well... let's just say I have some pretty special weapons. They don't belong to this world. I simply copied a portion of their runes and integrated them into my armor. I know it's an offense to desecrate that power... but I believe it's better than unleashing them on beings unworthy of their strength."
Gojo smiled slightly and spoke in a challenging tone:
—It's been a long time since anyone saw me as a threat. When I fight, it's almost always for fun… but you're showing me a new path to growth. Hahaha…
Kaito tilted his head slightly, silent.
Gojo inhaled deeply and sighed.
—You said my ancestor was better than me… That may be true. But you know what? I don't care.
He opened his arms, and in that instant, he unleashed his cursed energy in all its splendor. The ground shook. The air grew heavy. The entire battlefield began to shudder.
A smile spread across his face as he declared:
—I'll show you the difference between you and me. Don't think you can beat me that easily.
Gojo's energy expanded in all directions, violently overflowing with power. It was as if a second blue sun had been born on Earth.
Kaito smirked.
—Then show me what you're capable of, genius of this age.
The flow of cursed energy that Kaito had been holding back until now was suddenly released. A dark torrent with golden flashes surged forth like a tsunami of power.
Both energies collided. One black with gold. The other, bright blue, like living flames.
The impact was immediate.
The ground began to crack. Small rocks floated in the air, while gusts of sheer wind spread out from the collision point in all directions. The sky seemed to darken for a moment.
Gojo, with his arms outstretched, declared in a firm voice:
—Red. Blue.
In that instant, the entire space seemed to freeze for a second. Small spheres of energy, some red and some blue, began to materialize across the battlefield, floating in the air and glowing with immense power. Gojo slowly lowered his arms, observing his creation.
Kaito looked at him carefully and uttered a single word:
— Enkidu .
Dozens of golden portals opened in all directions across the battlefield. From each emerged the tips of golden chains, shining brightly. Behind Kaito, two more larger portals appeared, from which emerged more chains, thick and heavy, charged with cursed power.
Gojo watched the display with an amused smile, but suddenly, blood began to flow from his nose. He took a step back, feeling slightly dizzy.
Kaito noticed this and spoke in a curious tone:
—Apparently, this new technique is more difficult for you than you let on. You're pushing your brain to its limits… but you regenerate it quickly. Interesting. It's good to be able to learn from you.
Gojo wiped the blood with his sleeve and replied, still smiling:
—It doesn't matter. Thanks to you, I'm improving a lot. But there's something that puzzles me… why doesn't my Purple attack work against you?
Kaito watched him silently for a few seconds, then looked away at one of his golden chains.
"That chain…" he began, "is one of the items I mentioned earlier. Replicating abilities like yours is nearly impossible. All I do is copy parts of its runes and apply them to another weapon… but it almost never works. In fact, it's only worked for me once."
He paused briefly, his gaze scanning the battlefield, noticing how the spheres floated around him.
"I thought it wouldn't be necessary to use it," he added, narrowing his eyes. "But apparently it won't be so easy to get you out of the way."
Gojo frowned, attentive.
Kaito continued with his explanation:
—This chain is special. Very special. It adapts to the enemy. The stronger my opponent, the more powerful and resilient it becomes. It analyzes, detects, and finds the weak point. It's like a system that identifies the error to exploit it… and once it catches you, it never lets go.
Kaito raised a hand, and one of the chains vibrated loudly.
—This chain… is capable of trapping even the gods.
Gojo opened his eyes slightly.
—What do you mean by "gods"?
Kaito smiled serenely.
—You wouldn't understand... So let's just leave it here.
He leaned forward slightly, as his cursed energy began to rise again.
—It's time to begin.
Gojo adopted a fighting stance and thought, concentrating:
"So it's that way... As I suspected, my attacks won't work against him. Before I expanded my Domain, I was just playing around, testing it out... but that was a mistake. I should have killed him when I had the chance. Now... I'm not sure I can defeat him."
A smile appeared on his face.
"This hasn't happened in a long time… but it's fun. It makes my heart race."
Kaito stared at him, with absolute seriousness.
And in that instant, they both disappeared.
The entire battlefield activated at once. Red and blue spheres hurtled toward Kaito, while golden chains shot out of portals in the air to intercept them.
The crash was immediate.
The chains slammed into the spheres, destroying them one after another, but they also targeted Gojo, launching attacks from multiple angles. At the same time, the remaining spheres moved to cover him, halting part of the assault. Each time a red sphere was destroyed, it exploded with a thunderous roar; the blue ones, on the other hand, slowed the impact with relentless force.
It all happened in a single instant.
Kaito and Gojo appeared in the center of the battlefield, initiating hand-to-hand combat at superhuman speed.
Gojo threw a series of precise, swift punches, but Kaito dodged them with ease, moving with fluid footwork . Their bodies were a blur of energy blasts and explosive movements.
The spheres continued to float, some chasing Kaito, who nimbly dodged them. At the same time, the chains attacked Gojo, who also dodged them, moving with perfect reflexes.
They fought in a dance of destruction, at a speed no ordinary human could keep up with. The real battle had begun.
Gojo suddenly increased his speed and appeared behind Kaito, launching a direct kick to his back. Kaito shifted his body slightly to the side, nimbly dodging the attack, and counterattacked with a backward elbow, aiming for Gojo's face. Gojo blocked the blow with one hand, although the force pushed him several meters, sliding along the ground.
Kaito flipped in the air and came down with his leg extended in a powerful vertical attack. Gojo dodged to the side, dodging with precision, as Kaito slammed violently into the ground.
—BOOM! —The impact caused a loud bang and kicked up a cloud of dust.
Wasting no time, Kaito shot out of the smoke, throwing a punch straight at Gojo. Gojo ducked just in time, dodging it, and countered with a punch to the stomach.
The impact knocked Kaito back a few steps, but it didn't stop him. He immediately launched a flurry of punches at Gojo, who dodged each one with minimal movement, backing away without missing a beat.
At that moment, several chains descended from the portals, attempting to impale Gojo from all sides.
But just before they reached it, several red spheres intervened, exploding on contact with a powerful bang:
—BOOM!
The explosion raised a large cloud of dust and debris, enveloping the entire battlefield.
From within that dense curtain, only the dull echoes of blows could be heard.
Blows that continued to land with inhuman force.
Gojo emerged from the smokescreen with a great leap backward, sliding along the ground to gain distance. But Kaito wouldn't let him.
He appeared right in front of him, attempting to trap him with a series of rapid attacks. Gojo nimbly dodged, launching a few counterattacks; only one or two hits reached Kaito, but they didn't cause any apparent damage.
Kaito didn't stop. He charged forward, but a kick from Gojo caught him square on, sending him flying and bouncing violently off the ground.
At that moment, several portals opened in the sky from above. From them, golden chains emerged and descended, attempting to impale Gojo.
Gojo twisted his body, pushing himself to the side with one hand, dodging the chain attack by inches.
Kaito appeared right above him, descending with a direct blow. Gojo tilted his body, and Kaito's fist slammed into the ground, creating a massive crack.
Using his momentum, Gojo braced himself with both hands, quickly stood up, and aimed at Kaito. Several red and blue spheres appeared around him.
Kaito's chains immediately launched themselves, blocking the spheres before they reached their target. Explosions echoed one after another, raising more clouds of dust that obscured the battlefield.
They both shot out of the cloud, colliding their fists in the air with such force that they caused another explosion. They both fell back several meters, but upon reaching the ground, they immediately disappeared, running at full speed while exchanging blows.
In the sky, Kaito's golden chains collided with Gojo's red and blue spheres, unleashing a parallel battle in the air. Each collision generated a shockwave, making everything around them tremble.
As the two fighters ran at high speed, a portal opened next to Kaito. From it emerged the hilt of a katana.
Kaito snatched it up and elegantly drew it directly from the portal. Then, in a cold voice, he said:
—Sword Technique. Item Ability... Delete.
He slashed straight at Gojo, who managed to dodge it by mere inches. The slash continued its trajectory and split the mountain behind him in two, causing a deafening roar.
But Kaito didn't stop.
He instantly appeared beside Gojo, slashing upward, attempting to slice him in half. Gojo twisted his body, narrowly missing it... but not nearly enough.
His arm flew through the air, severed by the katana.
Without wasting a second, Kaito adopted a new stance with his katana, raising it high and then bringing it down sharply in a downward slash. His voice was firm:
—Sword Technique. Item Ability... Endless Deletion.
In that instant, millions of slashes erupted from the blade of his katana, shooting out in a single direction like an unstoppable gust.
Gojo opened his eyes, shocked by the brutality of the attack. In the blink of an eye, he activated his teleportation, disappearing just before being hit.
The gashes hit a nearby mountain, which was completely destroyed by the avalanche of cuts. The ground shook violently.
Gojo reappeared some distance away, turning his back on Kaito… but not out of carelessness.
Kaito appeared once more behind him, launching another precise and lethal slash. Gojo twisted his body at the last moment, staring at Kaito and throwing himself to the side. The slash tore through the ground, splitting it in two.
But Kaito didn't slow down. He chased after him without stopping.
Gojo, sliding along the ground, instantly regenerated his arm. He closed his fist, concentrated cursed energy, and formed a violet sphere between his fingers.
"Purple," he declared firmly.
He launched the attack directly at Kaito.
—BOOO ...
A colossal explosion erupted, shaking the battlefield once again.
Kaito was thrown backward, shielding himself with his katana as he stabbed it into the ground to slow his slide. The impact kicked up a thick cloud of dust and debris, but Kaito didn't fall; he stood his ground.
Across the field, Gojo was breathing heavily. His chest was heaving, sweat running down his forehead.
"Damn... this is tough," he thought. "My attacks are doing almost nothing. I'll have to try harder."
A faint smile crossed his face as he looked up at the sky, watching the golden chains and red and blue spheres clash against each other incessantly. It was like a storm hanging in the air.
"I need something to protect me… the continuous field of red and blue spheres that I created, applies the same principle as Infinity."
His expression hardened.
"But my brain is overloading. The pain is already starting to bother me. Even with the reverse ritual active... I need an alternative. Something similar in function, but different in structure. I know..."
Gojo smiled confidently. He lowered his head, then closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating.
"When I fight, I usually apply Blue and Red to my punches, punches, or kicks, in a subtle way, to increase the power... But that's not the ideal way. It's not enough. Hahaha... I got it!"
The cloud of dust dividing the field began to dissipate. Kaito looked up just as Gojo's figure became visible again. Gojo opened his eyes, watching him with a smile. He was ready to continue.
Gojo sighed and began to move his body, stretching calmly, as if he were relaxed. Then he opened his arms.
At that instant, a dark blue aura emerged from his body, expanding like a dense mist around him, enveloping his entire body. Seconds later, a second, red aura began to emerge, enveloping him in an even more intense energy.
The ground beneath him began to shake, crack... and finally break.
Kaito frowned, taking a defensive stance. But then, a brutal gust of wind shot out from Gojo in all directions, violently pushing the air forward, causing Kaito's hair to whip around wildly.
At that moment, the ground beneath Gojo's feet erupted, and his figure was left floating, suspended in the air by the sheer pressure of his energy.
The two auras, blue and red, began to merge. The result was a single, deep purple energy, thick and powerful, that surrounded him like a constantly moving storm. Everything around him began to collapse, slowly shattering under its pressure.
Gojo inhaled deeply, then exhaled sharply, as his energy continued to grow uncontrollably.
He fixed his gaze on Kaito and smiled with amusement.
He took a step forward. The ground beneath him turned to dust. He took another step, and the same thing happened.
Gojo seemed to walk on air itself, sustained only by the purple energy that kept emanating from his body.
Kaito inhaled deeply and spoke:
—So you did the same thing as with those red and blue spheres... but you applied it to your body.
Gojo didn't respond. He just looked at him in amusement, as a drop of blood trickled down his nose. However, that drop was immediately disintegrated by the pressure of his aura.
Kaito got ready.
At that instant, Gojo disappeared and appeared beside him, destroying everything around him with the impact of his arrival. He threw a direct punch, and Kaito blocked it with his katana, but he was still sent flying through the air. He stabilized himself in the air and landed on his feet.
Wasting no time, Kaito swung his katana and slashed straight at Gojo. The slash landed, but before it could reach him, it was destroyed in midair, causing a deafening crash:
—BOOM!
Everything behind Gojo was swept away by the impact wave.
Kaito opened his eyes slightly, surprised.
"The cut was destroyed before I arrived... I see."
His eyes shone with determination.
—Then it's time to start.
His body was filled with bright red lines. At the same time, his sword was covered with the same patterns.
Gojo, still smiling, adopted a fighting stance. At that instant, purple rays began to emanate from his body like live sparks.