HRU: Chapter 313/314

Chapter 313: Before Collapse

When Satoru released the cracked version of Cursed Technique Reversal: Red, everyone present at the sister school goodwill event instantly felt the impact of that power.

Kamo Kenshin, Mei Mei, and Iori Utahime all turned toward the explosion of energy, expressions frozen in shock as a deep unease surged in their chests.

This terrifying power… was aimed at them.

Who released it?

Could it have been Satoshi?

But that didn't make sense. Wasn't Satoshi still chanting a Kidō spell? This energy wasn't supposed to be coming from his direction.

Was there something wrong with their sense of direction?

Mei Mei's eyes suddenly widened. She clearly felt where the power had erupted—it was exactly where Satoru and Satoshi had fought earlier.

Now, Satoshi had appeared here, but Satoru's trio hadn't shown up yet. That meant… this overwhelming power might've come from Satoru's side…

What's going on?

When did Satoru and his group become capable of wielding power like this?

Under this kind of force, there's no way the three from Kyoto could resist.

Mei Mei had no choice but to accept the reality.

As expected, the Kyoto Polytechnic trio were clearly the weakest participants in the entire goodwill event.

The moment she felt the power of Red, Iori Utahime immediately activated her technique, throwing up a transparent barrier to protect all three of them.

This was her only defensive measure. Though she had no confidence in its ability to block such mysterious and overwhelming energy, it was the only thing she could do under the circumstances.

As the trio's primary fighter, Kamo Kenshin could only accept Iori's protection in silence.

Having experienced Satoru's instruction firsthand, Kamo Kenshin understood clearly—there was no way to counter this power head-on.

On the other side, not far away, Satoshi stood with his back to them, finally finishing the last lines of his long incantation.

Through his Zanpakutō's perspective, Satoshi had already discerned Satoru's intention, and was shocked that he had figured out how to crack Cursed Technique Reversal.

Even though he knew in advance the direction Red would take, Satoshi made no attempt to dodge.

First, under the scrutiny of Satoru's Six Eyes, evasion wasn't going to be easy.

Second, Satoshi wanted to test his newly mastered arts using Satoru's strongest technique.

...

"Bakudō #81: Dankū."

This was the highest-level Kidō that Satoshi had mastered so far—and it was also his personal favorite.

Dankū brought with it a strange sense of calm and stability.

The moment Satoshi finished chanting, Kamo Kenshin and the others tensed up.

They were all waiting to see what kind of power Satoshi's Kidō could unleash. Could Iori Utahime's shield really endure both Satoru's mysterious He and Satoshi's unknown Kidō at the same time?

Even Utahime herself wasn't confident in the slightest.

But then… why hadn't Satoshi's Kidō manifested? Why hadn't it caused any impact?

Utahime immediately sensed something off.

Satoshi had just invoked a Bakudō! That meant it wasn't an attack-type Kidō. The functions of Bakudō and Hadō were different.

Thinking back to when Sukuna's fingers were sealed, Satoshi had used Bakudō #4: Hainawa to bind them.

So the essence of Bakudō… was binding?

That meant its purpose could also be defense or suppression?

But then, what exactly was Satoshi trying to seal with this high-level binding spell?

Could it be…

Utahime's eyes widened.

This was Satoshi's binding spell. He used this Bakudō to defend against Red!

Just as she said that, a shockwave filled with immense cursed energy surged toward them at extreme speed.

This power was unstoppable. Its oppressive aura was suffocating. The black energy at its core resembled a black hole, radiating a terrifying gravitational pull that threatened to devour everything in its path.

...

At the same time, Gakuganji felt Satoru's attack and couldn't help but worry about the Kyoto Polytechnic trio.

He knew Satoru's target was Satoshi, but the fire at the city gate always burned the innocent.

Now Mei Mei, Iori Utahime, and Kamo Kenshin were caught in the crossfire.

They were directly in the path of Satoru's technique, and if things continued this way, they'd be swallowed up by it...

Yaga Masamichi wiped sweat from his forehead. Although he was technically the homeroom teacher of the first-years, in truth, he hadn't taught the trio anything specific.

This move by Satoru was something he had completely figured out on his own.

And Yaga knew very well—he wouldn't be able to withstand that power either.

So... could Satoshi block it?

Compared to the anxiety in Gakuganji and Yaga's hearts, Yuki's eyes lit up.

She didn't believe for a second that Satoshi would be caught unprepared.

Others might not have seen it, but she'd already guessed it—the chant Satoshi had just finished was likely to block Satoru's attack.

Bakudō #81: Dankū? It sounds incredibly formidable.

With the anticipation of the entire audience, Satoru's Red roared forward and smashed directly toward Satoshi.

Everyone expected Satoshi to release his Zanpakutō to defend against Red.

But what happened next completely defied expectations.

The corners of Satoshi's mouth curved into a faint smile. He turned slightly, glanced in the direction of Utahime's trio, and then walked forward slowly…

He's sphere of light was now less than ten meters away from him—it would hit in the blink of an eye.

Is Satoshi really that arrogant?

Kamo Kenshin's jaw dropped. He was sure that if he were hit by that black energy, he'd be crippled or lose consciousness entirely.

Was Satoshi really going to face this power head-on with his body?

This was the Reversal of the Gojo clan's Limitless Technique!

As a member of the Kamo clan, he knew just how devastating this move was. As the Six Eyes inheritor of the Gojo clan, there's no way Satoshi didn't know the power of Red.

So, why was he still so confident?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 314: The Wall

Inside the Yorozuya, Jogo and Yuto stared at the scene displayed by the live broadcast Curse Corpse. Then they turned to Zenin Toji and asked the question on both their minds.

"Toji, if you were facing Satoru's attack, could your body withstand it?"

If Toji couldn't withstand it, then neither could Satoshi.

Under the focused gazes of Jogo and Yuto, Toji shook his head.

"I can't block it."

His response was unequivocal. If he could block it, he would say so. If not, then he couldn't. It was that simple.

If this were a real battle, Toji was confident he could kill Satoru before the attack was released. The moment Satoru activated Red, Toji could close the distance and end him instantly.

Satoru wouldn't even have the chance to unleash the technique, let alone test if anyone could survive it.

But this wasn't an actual combat scenario. This was a direct confrontation of techniques.

And now, even Toji was looking forward to what Satoshi would do next.

If Satoshi's body was on par with his, then he couldn't possibly survive that hit.

So why was Satoshi facing the attack head-on?

Did he have something else prepared?

Toji's eyes brightened, filled with anticipation.

Inside the Yorozuya, Jogo and Yuto exchanged glances, feeling a wave of anxiety rise within them.

Unlike Toji, they didn't share the same confidence. Over the past nine years, they had personally witnessed Satoru's terrifying growth.

In direct combat, both Jogo and Yuto had been defeated by Satoru—even without him drawing his Zanpakutō.

They were well aware of how monstrous Satoru's strength truly was.

Even though Satoshi was strong, wasn't it reckless to challenge Satoru's Reversal: Red without preparing a backup?

...

While everyone was worrying over Satoshi's fate, He reached its maximum speed and slammed violently into him.

Iori Utahime, who had been watching intently, instinctively shut her eyes. She couldn't bear to witness the brutal scene that would follow.

Bang!

A thunderous explosion erupted, and Utahime could already picture the gruesome sight of Satoshi being consumed by the blast. She still didn't open her eyes—until she heard Mei Mei's startled cry.

"What... what is that?!"

The shock in Mei Mei's voice was unmistakable, prompting Utahime to raise her head instinctively.

And when she opened her eyes, she saw something she would never forget.

Satoru's Red had exploded directly behind Satoshi.

The towering flames that shot into the sky had struck what seemed like a transparent wall. Instead of devouring Satoshi, the black flames were forced upward into a sea of swirling cursed energy that burned against the invisible barrier.

The ground scorched by He became a storm of violent force. The energy reflected off the wall rolled back wildly, and the surrounding forest was quickly swallowed by the aftermath.

A deep fissure split the earth, and even spectators at the main goodwill event venue felt the tremors of the blast.

...

Even the Curse Corpse providing the live broadcast began to shake violently in midair, the signal flickering as if it might cut out at any moment.

Satoru's attack was undeniably powerful and terrifying. But what was even more astonishing was the square-shaped transparent wall that had appeared behind Satoshi.

The audience watching through the Curse Corpse feed could only guess that it must have been the Kidō Satoshi had chanted earlier.

But without firsthand experience, they couldn't grasp the sheer pressure of standing so close to it.

Right now, the trio facing He—Mei Mei, Utahime, and Kamo Kenshin—were overwhelmed by fear and awe.

Satoshi, walking leisurely through the chaos like he was in a garden.

The giant, square-shaped transparent wall.

The black flames erupting from the explosion.

The jungle and terrain being swallowed whole.

This entire scene shattered their expectations.

Even Kamo Kenshin, who had previously clung to confidence and a secret weapon from the Kamo clan, felt completely powerless.

In that moment, Satoru's devastating technique had become little more than a backdrop for Satoshi. And Satoshi—leisurely walking through the flames—looked like a demon stepping out of hell, about to claim their lives at any moment.

Mei Mei stared blankly at Satoshi. The black crow in her hand had already been released, and she had been prepared to trigger Black Bird Manipulation: Kamikaze the instant Satoshi was hit.

But after seeing his composure now, she completely gave up that idea.

Even if she used her trump card, Kamikaze, Satoshi wouldn't take it seriously, would he?

As for Utahime, she was overwhelmed with relief. She had been fortunate enough to witness Satoshi's Kidō.

Bakudō #81: Dankū.

So that was it. So that's the level of defensive Kidō he had used.

At this point, Utahime had forgotten her role in the goodwill event. All she could think about was whether she could learn Dankū too.

If I could master Satoshi's Kidō, then I wouldn't just be a support. I could protect others too—and fight beside them, right?

Utahime's heart was filled with longing for Satoshi's strength. As someone burdened by a Heavenly Restriction, he had still mastered the mysterious power of the Kidō arts.

She believed that Satoshi must have found a way to transcend the natural limitations of his cursed technique...

(To be continued.)