"Oh—so your aren't as fragile as I thought."
Gojo Satoru tilted his head, eyes hidden behind his signature blindfold, a small, amused smirk tugging at his lips.
He looked down at Nakano Nino, who crouched like a frightened kitten on the rooftop floor, dust and debris clinging to her pajamas and hair. Her beautiful eyes were wide, brimming with fear and exhaustion, yet there was a fire there that hadn't been extinguished despite everything.
"You're… strong, girl," he said, voice soft, it was filled with genuine admiration.
Nino's body stiffened slightly at the praise, her small hands clenching unconsciously. She had been terrified moments ago, running and dodging the relentless filth, her mind screaming with survival instinct.
Yet she hadn't faltered.
Not once.
The thought of surviving something so monstrous, something that would have immobilized an ordinary person, made her chest swell with fear—and her tears threaten to fall again.
Her lips parted. "I… I…"
Before she could finish her sentence, a guttural roar echoed behind them.
"Evolution… Curse… Force… I'm going to… evolve!"
The true snake-level filth (Rank A-Shinja), massive and horrifying, had returned with renewed vigor. Its limbs twisted and reformed visibly as it moved, regenerating faster than the human eye could follow. Around it, the lesser filth—black, humanoid abominations driven purely by instinctive greed—bared their teeth and emitted shrill roars. Their eyes were glowing, filled with an unnatural lust for spell energy, and they had no concern for reasoning or mercy. They only craved power and sustenance.
Gojo, standing behind Nino, sighed softly, as though that monsters was just a mildly inconvenienced. "Noisy little things… fine. Let's get out of here first."
Before Nino could say anything, she felt herself being lifted effortlessly into Gojo's arms. Her heart raced. She can feel the warmth of his chest, combined with the sheer strength of his body, made her cheeks heat up, a blush creeping across her face. Her small hands instinctively clung to him, and though fear was still running through her veins, a strange sense of relief settled over her.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt safe.
The cityscape blurred as Gojo activated his Limitless Technique, teleporting them to a higher vantage point on a tall building.
Nino's heart skipped. From here, she could see the manic filth swarming below, their grotesque forms scattered across the broken rooftops like black ants.
Teleportation… she thought, her mind struggling to comprehend.
Gently placing her on the rooftop, Gojo ruffled her hair with a casual hand.
"Just wait here. I'll deal with these pests, then we can return you to the real world."
The words sank in, and Nino's mind whirred.
I can return to the real world?
Relief and hope surged inside her like a tidal wave.
A smile, small but genuine, formed on her tear-streaked face. She was going home.
"Then… please be careful," she said, raising her chin with a determined, almost serious tone. But her words were cut short as a sharp movement caught her attention.
"Be careful!!!"
In the afterglow of her vision, she saw a filth, faster and more precise than before, leaping toward Gojo. It wielded a five-meter-long metal bar, swinging with terrifying speed. The filth aimed to pierce Gojo's back, and Nino's chest tightened as she braced herself for the inevitable.
But a calm, disarming voice whispered in her ear. "Really… so disobedient."
Her eyes widened.
Gojo, as usual, seemed entirely unbothered. One hand casually rested in his pocket while the other grasped the metal bar with effortless ease.
His expression—was a mix of mild irritation and childish boredom, as though the filth's attack were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
The filth strained, muscles bulging as it tried to push forward, but Gojo held it in place, with almost negligible effort.
It roared again, frustration and hunger lacing every sound, but it could not penetrate the barrier of his strength. Its greed-driven instincts faltered against a force it could not comprehend.
Loosening its grasp on the bar, the snake-level filth twisted violently, falling backward. Before it could even land properly, Gojo extended his hand and unleashed a precise palm strike with Limitless.
BANG!
The force of the strike detonated through the air. The filth's body exploded with a terrifying crack, sending shards of blackened flesh scattering across the rooftop and even shaking nearby apartment buildings.
Gojo didn't flinch.
He stepped on the remnants of the creature's skull, index finger raised, and assessed the swarm below. The other filth, though weaker in strength were still numerous, writhed and advanced toward him.
"Annoying" he muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.
He began the mobilization of his power, as he used his Cursed Technique.
Scarlet light coalesced around his fingertips as he activated his Reversal Technique. A small red sphere, swirling with energy like a miniature superplanet, formed at the tip of his index finger.
The filth froze mid-attack, their senses reacting instinctively to the overwhelming aura of spell energy.
Gradually, the sphere turned into deep, glowing red.
Boom!
The resulting shockwave ripped through the area, tearing buildings and pavement alike.
Every last filth in the immediate vicinity was obliterated.
None remained to tell the tale.
Gojo lowered his hand and nodded slightly, satisfied. "Beautiful right?, Don't underestimate the aesthetic, girl—it's important in my line of work."
Gojo said in amusement, as he looked at Nino.
Nino, still catching her breath, couldn't help but stare in awe.
Every moment, every detail of what had just transpired imprinted itself into her memory. Gojo Satoru was terrifyingly strong, but there was humor, playfulness, and warmth beneath that immense power, the kind of warmth that made once heart filled with nothing but awe.
As the wind died down and the crimson light faded, Nino realized something: she had just witnessed something beyond ordinary understanding.
Yet despite it, she wasn't terrified anymore—not completely.
She had a protector, someone she could rely on, someone who could turn even the direst, most impossible situations into something… manageable.
And for Nakano Nino, that was enough.
...
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