Chapter 7
The mission location is an Abandoned Chemical Plant in the Tokyo Suburbs. The smell of rust and chemicals mixed together; even with two masks on, Tu Bai still found the odor pungent.
Gojo Satoru walked ahead of him, holding a tablet that displayed the structural map of the factory.
Target: Special Grade Cursed Spirit 'Satiator'," Gojo Satoru said as he walked, "Its ability is to absorb Cursed Technique energy and convert it into its own attacks. It is known that it can absorb techniques below Grade 3 without any pressure, Grade 2 takes three seconds, Grade 1.. I haven't tried that yet, so I'll try it today.
Tu Bai followed half a step behind him: "Absorbing Cursed Techniques? Then what about Gojo-senpai's.."
Limitless is also a Cursed Technique, so theoretically, it can be absorbed too," Gojo Satoru said casually. "But it has to touch me first.
The interior of the factory was very dark, with only a few slivers of sunlight shining through the broken windows. There was standing water on the ground, reflecting the distorted shadows of the pipes. The Cursed Energy Residue in the air was very thick, like a viscous mist.
Gojo Satoru stopped walking as he reached the Central Reactor Area.
It's coming.
Tu Bai followed his gaze. In the shadows of the reaction vessel, something was wriggling. At first, it was merely a mass of black shadow, but it slowly expanded, stretched, finally took shape.
That thing had no fixed form, appearing like a mass of constantly shifting black gelatin. Human faces would occasionally surface on its surface, only to transform into twisted limbs. Most bizarrely, the space around it distorted slightly, like air under high heat.
The characteristics of its Cursed Technique cause an Energy Disorder Field around it," Gojo Satoru explained. "Ordinary physical attacks might be more effective—it's a pity I didn't bring a Hammer today.
The Cursed Spirit moved.
It wasn't lunging; it was "flowing." The black gelatinous substance spread along the ground with great speed. Tu Bai instinctively retreated, but Gojo Satoru stood his ground without moving.
The moment the gelatinous substance touched the ground beneath Gojo Satoru's feet, Limitless activated.
The black gelatinous substance was halted by that layer of space infinitely close to him, but it did not retreat; instead, it began to "suck." Tu Bai saw minute cracks appearing in the space around Gojo Satoru—not actual cracks, but a visual distortion caused by energy being drawn away.
Oh?" Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow. "It really can suck.
He raised his hand, a pale blue sphere of light condensed in his palm.
Try this.
The Azure Light Orb was fired, but it didn't fly out as usual. The moment the orb made contact with the surface of the Cursed Spirit, it was "swallowed" inside. The black gelatinous substance expanded by a layer, its surface shimmering with the same azure light, then—
Reflect.
A chibi version of Gojo Satoru shot back. Gojo Satoru dodged to the side, the Azure Light Orb grazing his shoulder before slamming into a tin can behind him, exploding a large hole through it.
Interesting," Gojo Satoru smiled. "It can absorb and even reflect. If this ability could be replicated, it would cause a revolution in the Jujutsu World.
The Cursed Spirit wriggled again, this time sprouting over a dozen tentacles that thrust toward Gojo Satoru simultaneously. Limitless remained effective, but every single tentacle was absorbing energy. Tu Bai saw the space around Gojo Satoru distorting more and more visibly, like a landscape viewed through a heat haze.
"Gojo-senpai!" Tu Bai couldn't help but shout.
Don't come any closer," Gojo Satoru said. "It is testing the limits of my Cursed Technique. Wait a little longer.
Wait for what? Tu Bai didn't know. He stood five steps away, his palms covered in sweat.
The absorption speed of the tentacles is increasing. Gojo Satoru suddenly let out a "tsk."
In the next second, Limitless vanished.
It wasn't a release; it was being forcibly "sucked through." Tu Bai saw those tentacles break through the final layer of spatial distance, thrusting straight toward Gojo Satoru's chest.
Time seemed to slow down.
Tu Bai's mind went blank. He didn't think, he didn't plan; it was purely an instinctive reaction. Demon Power surged from his body like an explosion, all rushing toward his hands.
Construction.
It wasn't a shield, nor a wall, but a multi-layered composite structure—the outermost layer was a honeycomb-like buffer, the middle was high-density metal, the innermost layer was an elastic gel. With the three layers stacked together, the thickness exceeded half a meter, Silver Demon Wards flowed frantically across the surface.
A barrier appeared in front of Gojo Satoru, standing between the tentacles and Gojo Satoru.
The tentacles slammed into the barrier.
The first layer, shattered. The honeycomb structure was torn apart like paper.
Second Layer, shattered. The high-density metal let out a piercing, twisting sound before splitting into fragments.
The Third Layer held for 0.5 seconds—the Gel Layer was compressed to its limit and deformed, but it did not break.
In that 0.5 seconds.
Gojo Satoru moved.
He didn't need a barrier for protection at all—Tu Bai only realized this later. The moment the barrier shattered, Gojo Satoru had already completed the reconstruction of his Cursed Technique. It wasn't that the Limitless was "sucked through"; rather, he had actively deactivated the outer layer to concentrate his energy into a single point.
He raised his hand, pointing a single finger toward the Cursed Spirit's core.
Hollow Purple.
There was no sound.
Or rather, the sound was annihilated. Tu Bai saw a distorted, purplish-black beam of light shoot from Gojo Satoru's fingertips; it didn't travel in a straight line, but advanced in a spiral, causing space itself to tremble wherever it passed.
The Cursed Spirit wanted to absorb it, but it was too late. The beam was too fast, too dense, its energy level was too high. The black gel began to disintegrate the moment it touched the beam; it wasn't being shattered, but rather dismantled at a molecular level.
The entire process took less than two seconds.
The Cursed Spirit vanished, leaving behind even no Cursed Energy Residue. Only a deep, spiral-shaped trench remained on the ground, its edges as smooth as a mirror.
Silence returned to the factory.
Tu Bai slumped on the ground, gasping for breath. That last strike had drained seventy percent of his Demon Power, leaving his limbs weak and his vision blurring. He looked down at his hands; they were trembling.
Footsteps approached.
Gojo Satoru crouched down in front of him.
Hey," Gojo Satoru said. "Were you trying to protect me just now?
Tu Bai looked up. Gojo Satoru was still wearing his sunglasses, but the curve of his lips was strange—it wasn't a smile, nor was it anger, but an expression that Tu Bai could not understand.
I.." Tu Bai's voice was dry, "I didn't know.. it just..
You think you can protect me?" Gojo Satoru reached out and poked his forehead. "Do you even know what that is? A Special Grade Cursed Spirit. A Special Grade capable of absorbing Cursed Techniques. If it actually tried to absorb that barrier of yours, it wouldn't even last 0.1 seconds.
Tu Bai was speechless.
And besides," Gojo Satoru continued, "I don't need protection at all. I deactivated the Limitless myself to concentrate my energy on the core. Did you think I was backed into a corner?
.. I'm sorry.
"Who asked you to apologize?" Gojo Satoru sighed.
He raised his hand and took off his sunglasses.
Tu Bai saw those eyes clearly for the first time at such a close distance and under such bright light.
Ice-blue irises, like a frozen sky, with tiny fragments of light swirling deep within. The pupils were very small, contracting slightly when looking at someone. The eyelashes were light-colored and very long. There were faint, shallow smile lines at the corners of the eyes.
Those eyes were looking at him now, without any obstruction, without any barrier.
However," Gojo Satoru said, "I agreed.
Tu Bai froze: ".. Agree to what?"
Agree to let you protect me." Gojo Satoru smiled, this time it was a genuine smile, his eyes curving upward. "Even though it isn't necessary, but.. thank you.
Tu Bai opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Gojo Satoru put his sunglasses back on, stood up, reached out a hand to pull him up. Tu Bai grasped that hand, his legs still weak as he was pulled up, causing him to stumble. Gojo Satoru steadied him by the shoulders.
Has your Demon Power run out?
.. Yeah.
Serves you right," Gojo Satoru said, though his tone wasn't harsh. "Don't do something so stupid next time. If anyone is going to protect you, it's me—that's a senior's privilege, understand?
Tu Bai nodded, then shook his head.
Gojo Satoru said nothing more, putting an arm around him as they walked out. The sunlight outside the factory was blinding, causing Tu Bai to squint his eyes.
Ijichi waited by the car, upon seeing them come out, he stepped forward to meet them.
Is it settled?
Yeah," Gojo Satoru said, "Send him back. He's overextended and needs rest.
"And what about you, Gojo-senpai?" Tu Bai asked.
I have another meeting." Gojo Satoru pulled open the car door and shoved Tu Bai into the back seat. "Get some good sleep. No training tomorrow; you're off duty.
The car set off. Tu Bai leaned against the car window, watching the scenery receding outside. The Abandoned Chemical Plant gradually drifted away, disappearing from sight.
He raised his hand and looked at his palm.
The sensation of the Demon Power flowing while constructing the Barrier just now still lingered. That reckless impulse, that sense of urgency that he "had to do something"..
He closed his eyes.
Those ice-blue eyes surfaced in his mind.
Without sunglasses or any obstruction, staring straight at him.
Thank you.
The car drove to the bottom of the apartment building, Tu Bai's legs were still weak when he got out of the car. He leaned against the wall as he walked into the building, took the elevator, opened the door, collapsed onto the sofa.
The phone vibrated.
It was a message from Gojo Satoru: 【Are you home?】
Tu Bai replied: 【Mm.】
Gojo Satoru: 【Don't overthink what happened today. Get some good rest.】
Tu Bai stared at the screen, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He wanted to ask: Why did you take off your sunglasses? Why did you say thank you? Why..
In the end, he only replied with: 【Mm.】
The other party did not reply again.
Tu Bai lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting long patches of light across the floor.
He raised his hand to shield his eyes.
A sense of emptiness from the exhaustion of Demon Power still lingered in his palm, but something in his chest was burning hot.
It wasn't Demon Power, but something else.