"We can't let Itadori keep acting as the bait alone. A Special Grade Sorcerer isn't someone he can handle."
Kakashi, who had been hiding inside a building, also saw Ishigori Ryu's information. If that guy truly possesses the power of a Special Grade, there's no way Itadori can defeat him.
To be safe, they decided to split into two teams. Nanami Kento, who had just arrived, chose to stay behind and guard Gojo Satoru, along with Inumaki Toge, Kugisaki Nobara, Panda, and Uzumaki Naruto.
None of them are suited for high-intensity frontal combat, or rather, they lack the stamina for it.
Actually, Naruto was supposed to join the fight, but his one hundred thousand points made everyone dismiss the idea.
Hiding his presence was more important than his combat power.
If the points Naruto possessed were seen, it would likely lead to everyone ganging up on them, trying to seize that terrifying sum.
Of course, the more pressing matter now was how to face the enemy.
"Ishigori Ryu? I've never heard that name. How did a Special Grade suddenly appear?"
Fushiguro Megumi's face was filled with shock as he looked at the opponent's information. The power gap between a Special Grade Sorcerer and a Grade 1 was immense; they were completely unprepared to face a Special Grade.
There were only three known Special Grades: Gojo Satoru, Okkotsu Yuta, and Tsukumo Yuki. Right now, the only one in Japan was the sealed Gojo Satoru.
Special Grade power was indeed rare, but these incarnated and resurrected sorcerers were all powerful individuals Kenjaku had spent a thousand years gathering from different eras.
"Sasuke, Fushiguro Megumi, coordinate your attack with me."
"Maki, you hide and wait for an opportunity."
Kakashi immediately laid out the plan. They had to strike by surprise and end it quickly; otherwise, their chances of winning a direct confrontation with a Special Grade were low.
Fushiguro Megumi and the others had never heard of Ishigori Ryu and had no intelligence on him.
This meant there was a possibility he had obtained his Special Grade points through the Culling Game, meaning his actual strength might not be at that level.
In this world, Special Grade combat power was a complete watershed. A Grade 1 sorcerer was barely equivalent to a jōnin, but a Special Grade Sorcerer would be considered a powerhouse even among the Kage-level.
Without further hesitation, Kakashi gave the others a look and quickly formed hand seals.
Zen'in Maki, meanwhile, retrieved the Special Grade Cursed Tool, Playful Cloud, from Fushiguro Megumi's shadow, then ran off on her own, not moving with the other three.
On the street, the original asphalt road had been destroyed by Ishigori Ryu's shockwave. The three stood on the dust-strewn ground.
Itadori didn't dare make a reckless move. Against Choso, he had relied on the Body Flicker Technique to create an intelligence gap, which was the only reason he had a chance of winning. Now, he faced a new enemy who was clearly stronger than Choso.
He was certain the man was an enemy. It was a simple deduction: anyone asking for Gojo Satoru's whereabouts definitely wanted to kill him.
Unlike his cautiousness, Ishigori Ryu stared at Itadori with great interest, especially at his impressive fourteen thousand points. As for Choso at his side, he paid him no mind.
"Why are you all looking for Gojo Satoru? Is it just for his points, or do you have a grudge against him?"
"To be honest, I don't even know who Gojo Satoru is. However, a voice told me that as the price for my resurrection, I have to kill Gojo Satoru."
"But before that, let me see what you're made of, vessel of the 'King of Curses'."
Ishigori Ryu made no attempt to hide anything, but his words left Itadori completely baffled.
What did he mean, 'the price for my resurrection'? Wasn't he alive and well? Not knowing Gojo Satoru, plus the mention of resurrection... could it be that he wasn't from this era?
Thinking about the globe-spanning Culling Game, the so-called miracle that could grant wishes, and resurrected sorcerers, Itadori's sense of déjà vu grew stronger and stronger.
I understand completely now. This is a Holy Grail War!
'Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!'
Without any warning, the ground beneath Ishigori Ryu's feet cracked, and Kakashi burst out from below.
The sudden attack excited Ishigori Ryu. Cursed Energy gathered in his pompadour, which resembled Higashikata Josuke's, and the center of his hairdo acted like a cannon barrel, firing a powerful Cursed Energy shockwave.
The powerful shockwave blasted a crater in the ground. Kakashi's figure vanished in the attack—it was a Shadow Clone.
"As I thought, you're not alone."
Ishigori Ryu had anticipated this. It was impossible for Itadori to be wandering around alone. It was like fishing—casting a line and waiting for the willing to take the bait.
Without engaging in conversation, Itadori used the Body Flicker Technique to appear right in his face the moment he spoke.
Bam! His fist was caught. Ishigori Ryu looked over, the 'cannon' on his head also taking aim at Itadori.
'Danger!' Itadori had already witnessed the power of that shockwave. Taking a blast at this close range would basically render him combat-ineffective.
He tried to dodge the cannon's aim, but Ishigori Ryu's hand gripped his fist tightly, preventing him from pulling away. Was this the power of a Special Grade?
If he couldn't dodge, then he wouldn't. Itadori steeled himself, gathering Cursed Energy into his free fist and swinging it at Ishigori Ryu's head, intending to meet him head-on.
"Commendable courage," Ishigori Ryu praised, seeing his intent, but his own movements didn't pause for an instant.
Just as Itadori gritted his teeth, preparing to take the shockwave head-on, his teammates arrived.
'Raikiri!'
The urgent sound of chirping electricity, like a flock of birds, drew Ishigori Ryu's attention. Kakashi emerged from the ground again, his right hand enveloped in the Raikiri.
Through his research over the past few days, Kakashi had discovered that reinforcement with Cursed Energy was completely different from with Chakra. Nearly every sorcerer was a taijutsu expert with formidable defenses.
In that case, his Raikiri was perfect for the job. Famous for its piercing power, its only drawback was that it was too conspicuous, making it very difficult to land a hit.
He had used a Shadow Clone to distract Ishigori Ryu and was waiting for an opening. Itadori's attack had perfectly tied him up.
Although the opponent was clearly stronger, as long as he could strike by surprise, it should have a significant effect—just as Kakashi thought this, he saw Ishigori Ryu's expression.
Faced with an attack from both front and back, Ishigori Ryu actually smiled. It was a smile of pleasure, of enjoyment. He was enjoying this fight!
'This is bad.'
Seeing this, a helpless expression crossed Kakashi's face. As a veteran of countless battles, he quickly realized that his opponent was a battle maniac, much like Guy.
People like that were usually incredibly powerful—the weak ones died long ago.
With his ninja's dynamic vision, he could clearly see his opponent's movements. A massive amount of Cursed Energy was released as kinetic energy, slamming towards him like a wall.
If he had ever fought Pain, he would have recognized this. Ishigori Ryu's technique was a complete knock-off version of Shinra Tensei.
A crater four or five meters in diameter appeared on the street with him at its center. Kakashi and Itadori were sent flying by the shockwave, crashing through several walls before finally stopping.
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