Gojo's body trembled. His feet cracked the pavement as he landed, barely catching his breath. The residual cursed energy that once danced around him like a storm now flickered like the dying embers of a fire.
He lifted a trembling hand to activate Limitless again—
Nothing.
His cursed technique wouldn't respond. His energy was drained to the bone.
"Damn it…" he muttered, staring at his hand like it betrayed him.
He clenched his fist and took a stance, channeling everything into physical combat.
And then—
Black Flash.
A sound like air cracking, pressure rupturing, cursed energy aligning perfectly in 0.000001 seconds.
Gojo struck Mahoraga across the face.
Then another.
And another.
"LOOK AT ME!" Gojo shouted mid-combo. "I CAN DO BLACK FLASHES NOW TOO!"
He threw his fist into Agito's ribs, sending the Shikigami spiraling across the battlefield, barely regenerating.
Between panting gasps, Gojo laughed like a lunatic.
"Nanami tried so damn hard to teach me this... I couldn't get it back then. But you, Sukuna? You gave me the right kind of motivation!"
He wiped the blood from his mouth, eyes manic.
"I'm the best for a reason."
The earth cracked under his feet as he launched forward again—but even that wasn't enough.
Mahoraga's wheel spun. Adaptation again.
Gojo's attacks were losing their edge. Agito reassembled. Sukuna raised a hand.
He was done playing.
"Cleave."
A slash carved down the heavens, a vertical torrent of destruction aimed right for Gojo's core.
Gojo's knees buckled.
He couldn't move.
He smiled through exhaustion.
"Guess this is it, huh?"
But then—
Time slowed.
A swarm of black crows flew in, cutting through the cursed air like knives. With unnatural precision, they surrounded Gojo in a spiral and pushed him aside—just barely out of the slash's path.
The cursed cleave missed by inches, splitting the ground behind him into an abyss.
Gojo collapsed, blinking at the winged saviors.
And then he saw her.
Mei Mei.
Cloaked in black, her axe glinting under the fractured sunlight, standing between him and Sukuna like a monolith of cool disdain.
Gojo blinked.
"Mei Mei…? What the hell are you doing here?"
She tilted her head, brushing her hair back.
"You said it would be a one-on-one. But now it's a three-on-one."
Her crows circled behind her like ghosts.
"So… I figured it was time to level the odds."
Gojo gave her a tired grin.
"Alright. Fair enough. I don't mind reinforcements. I could use a water break anyway."
From across the shattered battlefield, Sukuna's eyes narrowed.
"…You insects just don't know when to die."
Mahoraga let out a groan. Agito screeched.
Mei Mei spun her axe in one hand.
"Oh, and one more thing."
Gojo raised a brow. "Yeah?"
She smirked.
"I brought friends."