The city was burning with cursed energy.
Roars of monstrous spirits rattled glass panes, smoke and dust rising like black pillars into the cold December air.
Sorcerers darted through the streets and across rooftops, slashing down curses as fast as they could appear, but there were too many, far too many.
For the last few minutes, Tokyo and Kyoto had been locked in a relentless struggle.
Even the most seasoned Grade 1 sorcerers were beginning to feel the strain.
Satoru Gojo, however, stood unfazed.
His fists were bare, his jacket loose and unscathed, not even a speck of blood or ash on him.
He had just caved in the face of a hulking cursed spirit with a single punch when something, someone, flickered across his peripheral vision.
A glint.
A stream of crimson.
Gojo's head tilted sharply, his senses honed beyond instinct.
Perched high on a nearby building was a man, tall and broad shouldered, long hair spilling down to his waist like flowing blood in the moonlight.
"Nice reaction."
The figure called down casually, his voice light, familiar, unnervingly so.
"I just got here and you saw me immediately."
Gojo turned fully now, the laughter dying from his lips.
His chest tightened as he studied the man's face, the air between them suddenly heavy.
He looked… older, sharper, transformed by power, but there was no mistaking those eyes.
Gojo's hand trembled faintly at his side.
"Roy?"
he called out, his voice uncharacteristically raw.
"Is that you?"
The man's lips curled into a grin, sharp but warm at the edges.
"In the flesh!"
Gojo blinked once, then let out a strained chuckle, the sound cutting through the tension.
"Tch… I was worried Geto might've fed you curses or some twisted nonsense."
Roy laughed back, shaking his head.
"Nah, you've got the wrong idea there. I'm still me."
He didn't elaborate.
Instead, Roy leapt gracefully from the rooftop, landing on the ground with a heavy thud that cracked the pavement.
The impact sent a ripple of cursed energy through the street, and every sorcerer in the vicinity froze, their gazes snapping to him.
Roy lifted his arm and casually pointed straight at Gojo.
"Come at me."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Gojo tilted his head, hands sinking into his pockets, his grin slowly returning.
"So that's how it is, huh? Geto put you up to this?"
Roy gave a small shrug, crimson hair swaying with the motion.
"Kinda. He wanted me to stall you."
His scarlet eyes narrowed, a dangerous edge slipping into his smile.
"But me? I'm planning on beating you."
The words landed like a bomb.
Shock rippled through the sorcerers standing nearby.
Some shifted into guarded stances, others simply stared in disbelief.
Mei Mei's eyes lit up with interest, a faint smile tugging her lips as she muttered to herself.
"Now this… this could be entertaining."
Principal Yaga, however, stood rigid, his heart heavy.
Unlike the others, he knew, just like Gojo that Roy's cursed technique was unlike anything else.
The boy he had once watched from the shadows had become something far more dangerous.
Gojo exhaled slowly, then took a deliberate step forward, and then another, each one echoing with quiet finality.
His voice dropped, calm but edged with curiosity.
"Do you really think you can handle me, Roy?"
Roy's smile widened.
He didn't answer immediately, he just let his cursed energy pour outward.
Crimson light flared around him, seeping from his body like a living aura.
It pulsed, twisted, expanded, until the very air seemed to shudder beneath its weight.
Chains rattled faintly at his sides as the pressure intensified, crushing against the chests of everyone nearby.
The other sorcerers stumbled back, wide eyed. The sheer density of the energy, the oppressive pressure of it was unmistakable.
This was no Grade 1, no pretender.
This was power on par with a Special Grade.
Gojo's lips curled upward, delighted.
"Heh. So you've really grown."
He reached up casually, tugging the bandages loose from around his eyes.
The cloth fell to the ground, revealing the infinite glow of the Six Eyes.
For a moment, his gaze softened, nostalgic, almost proud.
Then, his grin sharpened.
"Think about this carefully, Roy. You're about to step into something you can't walk back from."
Roy tilted his head, crimson aura flaring brighter, his smile almost playful.
"Then make me regret it."
Gojo's expression turned serious at last.
His voice lowered, testing.
"Tell me what Geto's planning."
Roy wagged a finger at him, mockingly.
"No, no, no. Only by beating me do you get what you want."
The words carried weight, challenge, and defiance all at once.
The two of them stretched, shoulders rolling, muscles loosening.
Around them, the battlefield seemed to quiet, as if the curses themselves were waiting to see what would happen.
Gojo's grin widened again, excitement burning in his eyes.
Roy's crimson aura flared until it painted the night.
And with that, two forces, teacher and student, allies once upon a time, readied themselves to clash.