JJK X FATE: Chapter 55/56

Chapter 55: Grit Your Teeth, the Strongest

At the training ground, Yaga and the others had already moved to a high vantage point atop an ancient tower, observing the battle from above. The tower itself exuded a sense of historical weight.

In the center of the field, three figures fiercely assaulted a single white-haired figure.

From time to time, a bolt of lightning would strike that white-haired target.

Shoko watched the fight with great interest.

Because she could naturally use Reverse Cursed Technique and even output it externally, Shoko had always been regarded as a precious talent in the Jujutsu world and was heavily protected.

As a result, she hadn't witnessed many battles, especially not one at this level.

The seamless coordination between Eichi and his shikigami, and Satoru's overwhelming ability to respond instantly to all attacks, were both novel and fascinating in her eyes.

On the battlefield, Eichi himself was feeling a bit helpless.

He had a method to break through Limitless, but a trump card only worked when used unexpectedly.

So, he couldn't rush. He had to wait for the right moment.

Facing the near-cheating power of Limitless, Eichi decided to apply intense pressure and try to force Satoru into making a mistake.

It wasn't an unrealistic plan. After all, the current Satoru hadn't made Limitless fully automatic yet.

However, he was no longer the same person from a few years ago, the one who would get distracted by sudden attacks and subconsciously let Limitless drop.

The current Satoru was already a battle-hardened powerhouse.

Eichi's encirclement continued.

Thinking about it, Satoru seemed to get surrounded a lot.

Even if it was just Eichi and his own shikigami this time.

"Muda muda. (It's useless.)"

Eichi's punch once again stopped just in front of Satoru.

The distance between the punch and Satoru was less than a centimeter, but in truth, it might as well have been infinite.

A side kick sent Black Divine Dog flying.

Satoru grinned at Eichi.

"So, what's the loser going to do, Eichi?"

He spoke as though victory was already his.

Six Eyes and Limitless, taken alone, weren't overpowered.

But when combined, they created a terrifying synergy.

Especially when wielded by someone like Satoru, a genius among geniuses.

His Cursed Energy reserves weren't endless, but thanks to the precise manipulation granted by Six Eyes, he maximized every bit of it.

Through that absurd control, Satoru kept his energy consumption and recovery perfectly balanced.

That's why he always seemed like he had infinite Cursed Energy.

Since that was the case, Gojo Sanction Plan A, activate.

Receiving Eichi's command, Qiongqi, which had been idling in the distance like a stationary lightning turret, spread its wings and flew into the sky.

White Divine Dog faded into the shadows.

"Oh? More tricks?"

Satoru wasn't concerned about Eichi's sudden change in tactics. In fact, he looked even more intrigued.

He had absolute confidence in himself.

No matter what Eichi pulled, Satoru believed he could win.

He even looked forward to seeing the frustrated expression Eichi would make after losing.

If Eichi knew what he was thinking, he'd definitely say, "Celebrating too early. No wonder you lose."

Qiongqi circled overhead, rapidly gathering countless wind currents into a massive, swirling storm.

"Trying to outlast me in a Cursed Energy contest?"

Satoru guessed.

"And Black Divine Dog is likely hidden to strike at the critical moment, keeping me locked in Qiongqi's attack range?"

He felt confident he had already seen through Eichi's strategy.

Blue.

A miniature black hole formed in front of him, its terrifying suction force seemingly enough to shred Eichi to dust.

Eichi clasped his hands together, summoning a vast stream of water that surged forward.

"Oh? Max Elephant's ability?"

"Yeah, but now it's called Giant Elephant."

"Interesting. Then call it out. Let me see."

"As you wish."

White Divine Dog sprinted behind Eichi and dissipated.

Eichi formed hand seals.

"Giant Elephant."

Moo—!

A Giant Elephant, even slightly larger than Qiongqi, materialized.

Under Satoru's curious gaze, the Giant Elephant charged with thunderous footsteps, sharp tusks pointed straight at him.

The tusks halted just in front of Satoru.

"Pretty strong."

Satoru judged, feeling Limitless devour a considerable amount of energy to block the impact.

The raw strength, Max Elephant's signature water ability, and—

Satoru's Six Eyes caught the movement. A snake tail, hidden behind the Giant Elephant, suddenly lashed out.

He struck it with his palm, flinging it aside with ease.

"Interesting. But the weakness is also obvious."

Blue.

Satoru waved his hand, and Blue descended from above.

The Giant Elephant, too slow to dodge, was struck head-on.

"Bit too clumsy, isn't it?"

He smiled.

"It's too soon to celebrate, Satoru."

"Hmm?"

He glanced again.

The Giant Elephant hadn't taken as much damage as expected.

"Enka, huh?"

"You guessed right, but there's no prize."

"Also…"

Eichi pointed toward the sky.

"It's coming."

Qiongqi, having completed its charge, dropped the massive spherical storm down toward Satoru.

The Giant Elephant, recovering from its hit, also stood and charged again.

The Giant Elephant's attack wasn't the issue. The real problem—

Satoru looked over his shoulder at Eichi, who had positioned himself not far behind.

"If I try to escape, Eichi will intercept me."

"In that case..."

His Six Eyes sharpened. Confidence radiated from him.

"I'll break through from the front."

He clenched his right fist and struck the Giant Elephant's head with immense Cursed Energy.

His left hand pointed to the sky, launching another Blue to meet the descending storm.

The snake tail lashed out again, briefly halting Blue at the cost of its own destruction.

The trunk rose, unleashing a powerful torrent of water.

Satoru struck the Giant Elephant again.

The water stopped.

But that didn't matter. The Giant Elephant had already done its job.

The spherical storm crashed down.

A golden chess piece appeared in Eichi's hand.

The violent windstorm that seemed ready to tear everything apart collided with Satoru's Limitless.

He retaliated at full strength, defeating the Giant Elephant swiftly.

"Hm?"

A sudden surge of Cursed Energy behind him caught his attention.

The storm's interference disrupted the precision of his Six Eyes.

"Woof!"

White Divine Dog charged into the storm.

"Divine Dogs? The Cursed Energy feels familiar... but something's off."

He quickly repelled it with a few strikes.

Then, Eichi appeared.

"I expected you to act about two seconds earlier."

"Showing up now is good enough."

"You really won't let me leave this storm, huh?"

Satoru didn't think the storm itself was a threat. At worst, it just forced him to increase the Cursed Energy used on Limitless.

Another torrent of water gushed out.

The downed Giant Elephant once again disrupted his vision and movement.

"It didn't disappear? Then the Divine Dogs—"

He glanced at the Divine Dogs getting up again in the distance, then at Qiongqi still hovering above.

"Isn't Ten Shadows Technique limited to two summons?"

"True, only two at once," Eichi replied, "but White Divine Dog isn't summoned as a Ten Shadows shikigami this time, but as a Heroic Spirit Shikigami."

Just then, a translucent figure fully cloaked in a purple hood appeared behind Satoru.

Spiritual Base Shadow – Caster Medea.

Using Eichi's pressure, and aided by the storm and water flow interfering with Six Eyes, Medea had successfully approached undetected.

She drew a uniquely shaped dagger and stabbed it into Satoru's lower back.

Rule Breaker. Originally an anti-mage Noble Phantasm, in this world it functioned like the Inverted Spear of Heaven, canceling all techniques of the target it pierced.

For jujutsu and shikigami alike, it was fatal.

Under its effect, Satoru's Limitless was forcibly dispelled.

"What?!"

At that moment, Eichi stepped forward and took a stance.

"Grit your teeth, Strongest."

Power surged from his feet, through his waist, and into his fist.

It was a punch containing everything he had.

"Gojo Ascension Punch!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 56: Five Dark Histories +1

When the storm descended, those watching from outside lost sight of the battlefield.

"Rainbow Dragon."

A silver-white Rainbow Dragon appeared, circling around them and blocking the airflow stirred up by the storm.

Yaga felt numb by now. He had long known this year's students were exceptional, especially Satoru, who was said to be capable of disrupting the balance of the Jujutsu World.

But what was going on with Eichi?

That elephant just now, and the massive winged tiger flying overhead.

None of that was recorded in the Ten Shadows Technique materials.

And the aura they gave off, it was far too powerful.

Yaga had participated in Cursed Spirit exorcism missions and had taken down Grade 1 Cursed Spirits, but those two Shikigami clearly weren't at the Grade 1 level.

"Geto, what is that?"

Shoko asked from beside him.

After the battlefield had been completely engulfed by the storm, Shoko had lost all visibility and was now simply watching Qiongqi circling in the sky.

Yaga silently gave her a thumbs up. He also wanted to know exactly what those two mysterious Shikigami were.

The Big Three Families, who treated their inherited Techniques as symbols of prestige, didn't actually keep them completely secret.

Most of the Shikigami in the Zen'in Family's Ten Shadows Technique, along with Limitless and Blue, were well-known within the Jujutsu World.

"That's Eichi's Shikigami, Chimera · Qiongqi."

"Chimera?"

"Yeah. It's a method of fusing different Ten Shadows Technique Shikigami to create stronger ones."

"I see."

"Then what about this one?"

Shoko pointed to the Rainbow Dragon circling around them.

After testing it a few times and confirming it wouldn't attack, she even reached out to touch it.

"The Rainbow Dragon, among Special Grade Cursed Spirits, is considered one of the weaker ones. It only has decent durability."

"Huh? This thing's a Special Grade?"

Shoko was stunned. She touched the Rainbow Dragon again with greater interest.

Having always been under protection, she hadn't even seen a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit in person, let alone a Special Grade.

What's the structure of a Dragon anyway?

I really want to dissect it.

Clink, clink.

She tapped its scales with her finger.

As expected, a regular scalpel probably wouldn't cut through.

Yaga-sensei's eye twitched slightly.

How were "Special Grade" and "weak" being used in the same sentence?

Only decent durability?

If yesterday he had been full of ambition, hoping to raise this rare generation of geniuses into the pillars of the Jujutsu World…

Then today, Yaga's heart felt nothing but numbness.

Satoru, of course, didn't need to be mentioned. The Six Eyes and Limitless combo guaranteed his rise to the top of the Gojo Family and possibly the entire Jujutsu World.

Artoria was one thing. The Jujutsu Headquarters had already classified her as a Special Grade Imaginary Heroic Spirit. The words "Special Grade" said it all.

And now Eichi and Suguru were the same.

Eichi's strength had already been shown on the battlefield.

Suguru hadn't even entered the field yet, but just being able to casually summon a Special Grade Cursed Spirit said enough. Even a "weak" Special Grade was still a Special Grade.

Yaga turned to look at Shoko, who was still poking the Rainbow Dragon.

This one couldn't be taught either. A prodigy with Reverse Cursed Technique.

For the first time since becoming a teacher, Yaga Masamichi began to doubt his own qualifications.

Limitless, Domain Expansion?

All he could think was:

Were these kinds of prodigies really ones he could still teach?

As the storm over the field cleared, everyone immediately turned to see the result.

Soon, a shocking sight unfolded.

Eichi leapt into the air, his legs off the ground, launching a full-force Shoryuken.

Above him, Satoru had been sent flying.

"No way. Limitless was breached?"

Suguru was stunned.

If anyone on the field understood Limitless best, it was Suguru.

Yaga had only read reports. Shoko had only seen the name.

Artoria didn't care.

Only Suguru, having spent years alongside Satoru, had never given up on the idea of one day breaking through Limitless to properly teach his unruly best friend a lesson.

Because of that, he fully understood what it meant for Limitless to be broken.

How did he do it?

Suguru quickly scanned the battlefield.

Soon, he caught sight of a mysterious figure draped in a purple robe.

Caster. Medea?

Rule Breaker.

So that was it. A Noble Phantasm that could negate all Techniques.

Suguru understood immediately.

Eichi, on the other hand, felt conflicted about Medea. He had written incredibly brilliant magical battles for her in the animated works, showcasing her talents to the fullest.

Yet every time people mentioned Medea, it wasn't those beautiful, detailed sequences they remembered...

It was that teasing… scene with Artoria.

Eichi had long given up.

Fine, as long as you have imagination, do whatever you want.

On the battlefield, Eichi watched as Satoru was launched skyward by his punch, then lost consciousness midair and crashed headfirst into the ground.

His signature white hair was now stuck in the dirt, with his body sticking out like a buried carrot.

This was a victory of information. Eichi knew all of Satoru's abilities. But Satoru had no idea Eichi could manifest Heroic Spirits through Spiritual Base Shadow.

But Satoru himself wouldn't mind.

As he had always said,

The good part about inherited Techniques is that they come with instructions, so you don't have to figure them out.

The bad part is that your information is always leaked.

Satoru had always assumed people knew his abilities, and he had never tried to hide them.

If Satoru had kept a few cards up his sleeve and hadn't shown Sukuna his Domain...

Would the ending have changed?

Probably not. After all, Gege...

Looking at the unconscious Satoru, buried upside down in the dirt, Eichi reached into his shadow and pulled out his phone.

It would have broken if it had been in his clothes.

Click.

Eichi then rushed forward, posing next to Satoru with a bright grin, holding his phone diagonally with one hand and flashing a V-sign with the other.

Click.

He turned to Medea, who hadn't yet vanished from her summoning time.

"Medea, come take a few more photos."

Click. Click. Click.

"Oh, Suguru's here. Quick, join in. Shoko, come take one too. Trust me, you'll use this later."

Suguru nodded and happily took out his phone, walking over to join in.

Shoko scratched her head.

"Are we even that close?"

It was only their second day meeting, and he was already calling her by her given name.

But seeing how cheerful the two boys looked, Shoko let it slide.

"Hey, you three, that's no way to treat your classmate."

It was Yaga who spoke up.

"Ah, sensei, want to take a photo too?"

Thump. Thump.

Eichi and Suguru each got a solid bump on the head from Yaga's righteous iron fist.

"Be nice to your classmates! Shoko, go heal Satoru."

"Yes, on it!"

Shoko raised both hands in a goofy salute.

Wow, so scary. It wasn't just his looks that were fierce.

She thought to herself.

"Hey, you two, lend a hand and pull him out."

The truly weak girl was now online.

She couldn't pull him out. Absolutely couldn't.

"Yes."

"Coming."

Eichi and Suguru each grabbed a leg and pulled Satoru out, then lifted him up again...

And struck another pose.

Click.

Medea, from a distance, took one final shot before disappearing.

(To be continued.)