(Pov Satoshi)
They didn't respect the one-on-one, unfortunately. Ogi and Jinichi came in at first as massive purple fists rushed towards me. I jumped, landing on a nearby streetlight to dodge when Ogi appeared, his sword still being drawn, and yet it was already burning. I leaned back, avoiding the cut as the heat passed over my face.
I swung the hammer, connecting with his sword on the downswing and redirecting it. I used my hand to punch Ogi, sending him flying back before I jumped once more, landing back on the street. Once I landed, the ground itself began to shift as large hands rose to grab me. I smashed the stone apart, destroying the large fingers, allowing me to slip through.
Once outside the first, a group of them wearing plain outfits and masks attacked all at once. They were clearly Kukuru, the unit made up of those without a technique but with enough cursed energy to fight still. Their attacks were well coordinated, but not well enough to stop me from dodging past them, landing strikes, and knocking them down.
I wasn't trying to kill the entire clan. I had no personal issue with them, at least not anymore. Honestly, I hadn't thought about these guys since grabbing Maki and Mai all those years ago. They had ceased being important after that. It's not like I'm not confident in my victory, as a freshly powered-up Maki managed to solo the whole clan after nearly being killed by cursed spirits.
Jinichi came in again, his shirt having disappeared at some point. It really was an epidemic at this point. A mass of pink fists followed him, each poised to strike while his own hands blazed with cursed energy. He struck out, aiming for my head, but each punch missed, even when he added in the floating ones. Each attack slipped past me, only ever grazing my hair.
I pulled back as the fists began to dissipate before smashing the handle of my hammer upwards, striking Jinichi in the jaw. He stumbled for a moment before collapsing onto his back. He'd likely have a concussion, but that was light given the alternative.
As I moved on, I once again encountered Kukuru members, but when I went to attack, I found myself frozen in place. Off to the side, I could see a small figure with his hands out, his eyes were bleeding as he struggled.
"Now, Ogi-San, take him down!" He shouted as Ogi once more appeared, now sporting a gash across his cheek. "Hold him, Ranta, this will be over in a moment!" He declared as his cursed energy surged, covering his body, his sword once more blazing with a flickering flame of cursed energy.
I was stuck, though not because of Ranta. I knew with enough effort I could break free from his technique. He had Paralyzing Gaze, which was very self-explanatory, and it functioned similarly to cursed speech, where the stronger the opponent, the worse the backlash. If I broke free, it would likely kill him, and he was the one I especially didn't want dead; he was just too wholesome.
Damn bad situation, honestly. As Ogi approached, I kept thinking about what to do, and it was unfortunate how clear the choice was. Obviously, I wasn't going to let them kill me. Not only would I be dead, but being killed by Zenin Ogi was just so embarrassing. That left me with the unfortunate choice of breaking free and killing Ranta in the process.
Just then, I was able to move again, and when I looked up, I saw Ogi flying away as small glass shards rained down. Ranta was lying on the ground, still breathing but seemingly unconscious, and standing where Ogi had been was Naoya.
"You guys seriously didn't think this would work out for you, right?" He asked in a condescending tone.
"Naoya, what are you doing?" I couldn't help but ask my own confusion at this sudden turn.
"What does it look like? These fools wouldn't know real strength if it punched them in the mouth. There are a select few who understand what it means to be strong: Zenin Toji, Gojo Satoru, and you, Gojo Satoshi, the three strongest in our time." He said. "It is that strength that I too shall one day reach, and yet despite the evidence and the very example we had within our own clan, they refuse to see it. So I shall help show them the true meaning of strength and prove myself as the one true leader of the Zenin clan!" He yelled.
I'm sure that if I could see my own expression at this moment, it would be completely exaggerated, but honestly, I had to give the guy some credit. He might be completely delusional, but that delusion was actually a great mindset for Jujutsu.
"Alright, man, whatever you say, let's do this. Just try not to kill anyone." I said, readying my hammer once more.
"Of course, as useless as they are, they're still my clan." He responded that his arms were lax at his sides, but I could see the rest of him was tense, ready to move and use his technique.
Things had gotten very interesting; maybe dealing with these guys wouldn't be such a pain after all.
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Sorry for the short chapter. I saw the Backrooms movie, and it's all I can think about now. If you haven't, then you should see it. Next time, the rest of the fight will include Naoya.