HRU: Chapter 303/304

Chapter 303: Strong Body

Faced with Satoshi's overwhelming strength, Satoru had to carefully track every point where his brother's Zanpakutō landed.

Infinity slowed the speed of the Zanpakutō.

But there was a detail others missed that made Satoru uneasy.

He noticed that with each strike from Satoshi, the distance between them kept shrinking.

Satoru instantly understood what his brother was trying to do.

The opponent was using supersonic-speed Zanjutsu to repeatedly strike the same point, attempting to create a spatial rupture.

In short, Satoshi was using his Zanpakutō to adapt to Infinity.

The moment he realized this, Satoru felt a deep chill.

Satoshi wants to break through my Infinity. Is that something a human can even do?

His expression turned grim.

There was no denying it—every clash of their blades sent space vibrating around him. It felt like, with the next blow, that unreachable barrier might finally break.

He had no idea where Satoshi got such a crazy idea, but the intensity of the moment left him no room for distraction.

"But I'm ready too!" Satoru whispered. His fingers formed a gun-like gesture, and cursed energy suddenly surged out, forcing Satoshi back.

This kind of high-intensity battle was beginning to overload his Six Eyes.

A throbbing pain rose from the back of his head.

But it wasn't only because he was on the defensive.

Satoru smiled slightly, narrowing his eyes as he looked at his younger brother. "Satoshi, you really are just like me. Even with Infinity, I can't let my guard down for a second."

He had expected to be pushed back from the start.

He'd even resisted the urge to call Suguru in.

He wanted to see for himself—just how wide the gap between them truly was.

Not to mention, even in a one-on-one, he still had a chance.

"Like now!" Satoru's Six Eyes gleamed bright blue.

An immense surge of cursed energy burst from his body, weaving through the air like threads of a spider web.

In the next instant, Satoru vanished with a tap of his toe.

When he reappeared, he was already pressed up against Satoshi, instantly locking his body with a grappling technique.

Satoru's smile widened.

At the same time, a spell circle flared to life in his hand—he had completed the incantation without anyone noticing.

"Don't underestimate your brother, Satoshi."

Caught by surprise, Satoshi's expression shifted slightly.

When did he cast it? Even my Six Eyes didn't detect it.

Normally, a powerful spell required an activation process to replenish cursed energy—even for someone like Satoru, with unparalleled energy efficiency.

But Satoshi possessed Six Eyes.

He was hypersensitive to fluctuations in cursed energy. It often affected his battlefield judgment.

Even caused dependency.

Satoru knew this and exploited it.

He had devised a feint that could hide all signs of cursed energy buildup.

A surge of danger ran through Satoshi's body, refined by Heavenly Restriction.

Things are getting interesting.

With his body immobilized, dodging wasn't an option.

He hesitated for a moment, thinking about activating his Bankai—but immediately dismissed the thought.

Unleashing Bankai recklessly could cause frostbite. With Satoru so close, it would be difficult to avoid injuring him as well.

Since I can't dodge, I'll just take it.

The scene unfolding before the spectators left countless people stunned.

Swoosh! Satoru's hand slashed through the air as he triggered the cursed technique.

A massive burst of cursed energy struck Satoshi's back with a deafening impact.

Boom! A spell explosion echoed out.

The force of the cursed energy blast sent Satoshi flying like a broken kite.

His Zanpakutō dropped to the ground with a clang.

Shoko turned pale and rushed forward.

Suguru extended a hand to stop her. "Don't worry. Satoshi's body will be fine."

"This guy, Satoru, targeted his Six Eyes specifically. That concealed technique sacrificed raw power for stealth."

Hearing that, Shoko breathed a little easier.

She knew this was the result of Satoru's intensive training.

When using Infinity, part of the excess cursed energy output was refined into threads.

And redirected.

To others, it would've been a waste of cursed energy.

But for Satoru, it was an external storage unit that could be instantly mobilized for attacks.

For problem children like Satoru and Suguru, a monster like Satoshi had always been like a sword of Damocles hanging above their heads.

It kept them from slacking for even a moment.

If nothing goes wrong, the next move will be the real one. Can Satoshi handle it?

Shoko looked down with worry in her eyes.

"..."

Satoru stood still, eyes fixed on Satoshi's flying form.

He knew.

That attack had sacrificed cursed energy output for speed—an ordinary Grade 1 sorcerer would be incapacitated by it.

All of his prior setup and misdirection had been to land this single blow. One that might truly defeat Satoshi.

The next moment, Satoru pressed his palms together and began chanting a spell rapidly.

Clad in his black Jujutsu High uniform, he turned into a black blur, chasing after the flying form of his brother.

The only sound he heard was the deafening howl of the wind.

"..."

Satoshi looked at the approaching Satoru in surprise.

He didn't expect his idiot brother to fool even his Six Eyes.

That illusion... reminded him of that virtual technique used against Sukuna in the original timeline—Cursed Technique Reversal: Red.

To be able to hide his cursed energy buildup like that…

He had to admit, Satoru was a genius.

But without pressure, it was hard to forge new techniques.

The reason he lost to Sukuna back then was precisely because of this move.

Now that his brother was giving him this pressure, the outcome would be different.

For example, that future trump card meant to face Sukuna—he had already mastered it, even as a first-year high school student.

Satoshi was satisfied with that.

"Satoru, you've improved a lot lately." Satoshi glanced at him and smiled faintly.

"Haha, and this isn't even all of it, Satoshi!" Satoru had already flashed in front of him again.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 304: Who Is Stronger?

As soon as the words fell—

His decisive move, Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue, which had just finished its cooldown, erupted once more!

The cursed energy around Satoru surged again, reaching an unimaginable peak.

Under the horrified gazes of the crowd, Satoru recited another spell. With oppressive force, Blue burst forward, hurtling toward Satoshi.

Satoshi's expression turned serious.

He instantly understood—this was Satoru's trump card. A strike meant to determine victory.

He wasn't made of stone.

Even though his body was off-balance at the moment, Satoshi quickly ran countless defensive strategies through his mind.

His Zanpakutō had already slipped from his hand. There was no time to summon it again.

"Satoru, it's not that easy to topple me," he said softly, glancing up at his brother while forcefully pressing his hands together.

His thin lips moved as he began to chant something under his breath.

Satoru's brow furrowed slightly. He noticed the change.

He could end the fight here by defeating Satoshi.

But he didn't allow himself to get distracted.

He raised both hands, sending a surge of deep-blue cursed energy rushing forward.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Satoshi suddenly lifted his head, his vivid pupils meeting Satoru's gaze directly.

At that exact moment—

Satoru's Blue detonated with a thunderous roar.

The ground erupted again.

Boulders and dirt scattered like shrapnel, trees collapsed, and the entire battlefield flipped upside down.

A massive cloud of dust spread outward.

Seeing this, Shoko and Suguru's faces changed.

They moved.

Not far away, the three students from Kyoto Jujutsu High were also watching.

All three were stunned.

"Terrifying... is Satoshi going to lose?" Utahime's voice trembled. She stared at the distant swath of destroyed forest, shock written across her face.

Flames danced among the broken trees, and Utahime felt a chill rise in her heart.

As a Grade 2 sorcerer, if she were caught in that blast, she'd be instantly incapacitated at best. At worst, she'd die on the spot.

"Was Satoshi defeated? These two are just too strong. Even we Grade 1 sorcerers couldn't intervene in their battle," Mei Mei muttered, swallowing hard.

Kamo Kenshin nodded solemnly.

He took a deep breath. His expression grew heavier.

Whether it was Satoshi or Satoru, both were monsters. "Even Satoru can't be underestimated."

"Do you think Satoshi's really lost?" Utahime asked quietly after a moment of silence.

Kamo Kenshin was silent for a beat, then replied, "Even if Satoshi's body is strengthened by Heavenly Restriction, it's still no match for a body reinforced by such vast cursed energy."

"Plus, he was already hit earlier by Satoru's cursed energy and is still in a stiffened state."

"In this condition, taking Blue at close range..."

Mei Mei's forehead broke into a cold sweat. "Looks like his brother Satoru isn't holding back at all. Isn't Satoshi in serious danger now?"

Kamo Kenshin shook his head. "Hard to say."

The moment Blue detonated, he sensed another force pushing against it.

It's difficult to say exactly what happened.

Back at Jujutsu High—

"Did Satoshi just lose?" Countless students stared at the screen showing the explosion of Blue, their expressions frozen in disbelief.

That was the shadow of the sorcery world, Gojo Satoshi.

Who would have thought he could be brought down so easily by his brother?

Well, not easily.

Satoru's deception was nothing short of brilliant. He had disguised the awakening of his cursed energy as mere residual energy, effectively deceiving Satoshi's Six Eyes.

It was a testament to his terrifying talent in cursed energy control.

He used a Limitless Technique that even Satoshi—who knew it inside out—failed to anticipate.

It was unbelievable.

Yuto swallowed hard, unable to hide the shock on his face.

Satoshi also had Six Eyes.

The moment cursed energy began to awaken and flow through the body, he should have sensed it, then used movement techniques refined by cursed energy to respond.

In normal combat, he'd have been able to react the moment it was activated.

The first Blue had worked because Satoru used white mist to obstruct Satoshi's Six Eyes.

But this time, Satoru had truly displayed his mastery.

Yuki exhaled slowly, her expression turning serious. "Could it be..."

"No," Toji cut in flatly. "If Satoshi loses that easily, then you're underestimating him."

Everyone around them fell silent.

Their expressions changed subtly.

"But Toji, his Zanpakutō is out of reach. Without any Cursed Technique or weapon, how can he turn things around?" Yuto looked visibly unsettled.

Gakuganji, hearing Toji's words, narrowed his eyes and added, "That attack just now would have crushed even a Grade 1 sorcerer, let alone Satoshi, who couldn't even activate his cursed energy to shield himself."

"Gojo Satoru might surpass his brother and become the strongest sorcerer in the modern age." Kamo Shinji, standing nearby, stared at the screen's dust cloud and exhaled slowly.

He felt a pang of frustration.

He couldn't even imagine Kamo Kenshin surpassing someone like Satoru...

"The Gojo family has finally given birth to a true dragon..."

Standing nearby, Zenin Ogi wore a bitter expression.

Satoshi looked like he'd just been crushed.

He should have felt some satisfaction.

But knowing the one who beat Satoshi was his twin brother Satoru only gave him a headache.

The Gojo family had twins.

So did the Zenin clan.

But Maki and Mai... didn't even come close.

Neither of them awakened the Ten Shadows Technique. Mai had only a sliver of talent. Maki had cursed energy on par with a regular human...

As one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families, it was shameful.

He glanced at the five scorching flames still crackling across the field, his chest filling with envy.

Not only was Satoshi born there, but even Satoru was now showing talent equal to or greater than his brother's.

What kind of ridiculous luck did the Gojo family have?

Yuki scanned the room with a calm gaze. "Don't jump to conclusions too quickly. That explosion looked devastating, yes, but did any of you notice?"

"When Blue detonated... it wasn't alone. There were two distinct surges of cursed energy in that moment."

Yaga Masamichi looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "You're saying Satoshi countered it? In that state? That's impossible!"

(To be continued.)