Zankei waved his hand, smoke clouding the atmosphere.
"Kenjaku..." Zankei muttered, "you lied to me; he wasn't even worth my time."
Zankei turned and started walking off, his traditional wear already ruined from his clash with Gojo Satoru. Disappointment was plastered on his face.
For ages, he had wanted to cut down the strongest, or whoever was above, a sense of habit he had nurtured.
His hair stood on his neck! Sensing the undying cursed energy that pulsed from Gojo Satoru.
Turning around, he saw the sorcerer standing with confidence, brushing a blood trail off his nose, a grin on his face.
"You did quite a number on me... And what you pulled off is quite cunning, to say the least!" Gojo said, his voice reaching Zankei's ears from afar.
"You're still standing?" Zankei's eyes widened with curiosity more than fear.
"You came in contact with Infinity with your last killing blow; it was just a thin layer, like comfy clothes." Gojo mused, stretching his hands.
Gojo continued, "You took the opportunity during our hand-to-hand combat sequence to place several of your cursed energy into me, perhaps a branch of your ability to activate?"
"But my Six Eyes kept filtering out unknown cursed energy from my reserve thanks to its extreme control, but you opted for something more dishonest..."
Gojo's playful tone disappeared.
"Your Cursed Technique is manipulation of heat, isn't it?"
"But it goes further; you can manipulate the very mechanics of heat. If I remember vaguely, it is the kinetic energy of molecules. But in essence, what you did was mess with my body's structure by stopping blood flow and quickly speeding it up to rupture my vessels!"
Zankei had a menacing look on his face, a smirk appearing.
It's no doubt; his Six Eyes do in fact help to pinpoint and understand how his enemies' techniques work. But he was holding back... A lot.
"So you're as smart as you're strong. Why didn't you do anything about it?" Zankei asked, mockery in his voice.
"There's nothing I could do; it's a dangerous process for your target's well-being." Gojo raised his hands, his playful smile appearing again.
"But I will exorcise you here." He added, his voice absolute, despite his playful tone.
Zankei tried reading him, readying himself into a stance again, but Gojo drew back his hand in a swift motion.
Zankei felt a pull he couldn't describe on his body, his feet digging the ground for balance, but his body lifted and was yanked violently, flying towards Gojo.
Gojo cocked back his fist, pulsing with an aura sucking in space.
BAM!!!
Zankei tried blocking, but his arms shattered, blood flying everywhere and bones visible, a gruesome sight.
In many centuries, Zankei Kubigari was in fear to initiate a sequence of CQC. The terrifying hit Gojo created made his body churn and implode.
Launched at breakneck speed in the air, he turned his head behind, seeing two orbs about to collide. One of Red, the other Blue.
The world seemed to slow down, Zankei's breath caught in his throat, looking back slowly at Gojo who had a childish expression as he wore back his blindfold.
"What a pity, this is all I could perform."
Before the two orbs and Zankei could collide, a figure appeared in Gojo's vision, so fast that it escaped his sight.
What also escaped his vision was Zankei Kubigari.
Gojo jerked his head side to side, his gaze searching for Zankei Kubigari.
His eyes landed on a huge cursed spirit, with bulging veins and muscles, pieces of armor plates guarding its chest and shoulders while it wore a robe for its lower body, a sigil mark on its helmet of a splitting skull.
Zankei jumped from its palm, landing on the treetop, the moon behind him.
Gojo tilted his head, thinking.
A Shikigami? That's an addition, alright...
"What a mediocre performance we put up; let's do our best to rectify that in our next clash." Zankei said with a hint of disappointment.
"Don't worry about a next time, because there will be no next time." Satoru said as he charged up a red, aiming at Zankei.
But before he could launch it, a scent of flowers invaded his nostrils, his brain relaxed, dropping his shoulders, unconsciously dismissing the attack he was charging.
"Heheheh..." Gojo chuckled on cloud nine, before slapping himself out of it, thanks to his Six Eyes and constant refreshing his brain.
He looked up to see the said Shikigami and Zankei out of sight.
"This is a huge problem... What a hassle!" He grumbled, rubbing his neck.
"I'll have to report back to Jujutsu High." He looked behind him, seeing the destruction caused by his encounter with two special grade spirits.
The sun gracing the sky, the scent of dew disappearing from the atmosphere.
"What a way to start the day..." Satoru said as he walked away.
Meanwhile, back at the beach, Zankei Kubigari stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze distant in thought. Kenjaku and the disaster curses all sat relaxed.
"So... How was it?"
Zankei didn't respond to Kenjaku, his gaze staring off into the sea, hair fluttering.
"Damn you!!! He cut me down before I got a chance to deal with that disgusting human!!" Jogo yelled at the top of his voice, eyes red and voice cracking.
Kenjaku paid him no mind. Dagon tried calming Jogo down, while Hanami played with bubbles from the sea.
Zankei turned around with one of Dagon's fish in his mouth, chewing it raw. He signaled to Dagon.
"Dagon, step aside." His gesture brief. Jogo was confused but didn't like where this was going.
"What are you tryin'--"
Slice!!!
His volcano-like head rolled on the floor, facing Zankei.
Zankei in response bent on his knees, looking down at Jogo, a creepy and unnerving smile on his face.
"Hanami..." he said, still looking down on Jogo, "I appreciate your distraction at Gojo, enabling me to escape... I was beaten bad by that sorcerer..."
Hanami, unsure of what to respond with, gave a slight nod.
Zankei threw away the bones of the fish, licking the purple blood off his fingers like sugar.
"Kenjaku... What is your ultimate goal?"
Kenjaku's raised his eyebrows, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Why so interested now?"
Zankei raised his finger. "One: if it'll involve clashing with people of Gojo Satoru's caliber, then I'll continue serving till then."
"Two: I hope it'll be a step forward for the ever-growing world of Jujutsu." Zankei stated his expectations. Kenjaku hummed in agreement.
"Ah yes, now you're thinking broadly. Your goals and mine are the same ultimately: to enjoy the peak era of Jujutsu... But we know nothing comes but once."
"That is why I'll be hosting the Culling Games, a battleground for Jujutsu sorcerers, and then, the Merger. A step forward in evolving humanity." Kenjaku spoke of his goals in ecstasy.
Zankei Kubigari turned back to the seawater, his hand shot into the body of water like a bullet and brought out three fishes, their teeth sharp and poised.
"I guess we can agree on something after all. I can start to feel my cursed energy reserve cut in half..."
Kenjaku chuckled, "It's still higher than 80 percent of sorcerers."
"So, what is your next move?" Zankei asked, but his eyes were on the struggling fishes, stabbing them with sticks for roasting.
"What better way to start the course than to fully revive the King of Curses."
Zankei snapped his neck back at Kenjaku, genuine excitement in his eyes.
"The King of Curses?!"