CHAPTER 1: THE CHALLENGE

The midday sun was bright overhead, casting long shadows across the sparring grounds of Jujutsu High. The air held a rare calm—a momentary illusion of peace in a world that hadn't known rest in months.

Gojo stood at the center of the training field, his hands in his pockets, as Utahime, Yuta, Panda, Nobara, Maki, and the others gathered nearby. Conversation lingered, light and fleeting, until a shift in the atmosphere broke it all.

A cursed presence darkened the sky.

A sudden gust swept through the trees. The air thickened, electric.

And then—he appeared.

Floating silently in the air, cloaked in a haunting aura of raw cursed energy, was none other than Sukuna, wearing the body of Megumi Fushiguro like a tailored skin. His jet-black robes fluttered weightlessly, and his eyes, twin pits of cruel delight, scanned the field below with a king's arrogance.

Every sorcerer stepped back instinctively—except one.

Gojo didn't move. His blindfolded gaze tilted upward, smile already curling at the corners of his lips.

"You all look… tense," Sukuna said, voice echoing with twisted calm. "Relax. I'm not here to kill any of you. Not yet."

Panda took a step forward, growling. "What do you want?"

Sukuna ignored him.

Instead, his eyes narrowed—directly on Gojo Satoru.

"I came to issue a challenge," he said plainly. "A one-on-one duel."

The wind stilled. Time seemed to stretch.

"Just you and me, Satoru. No interruptions. No backup. No excuses."

His voice was low and sure, filled with lethal certainty.

"In Shinjuku. In seven days."

Whispers broke out among the others.

"A duel…?"

"He's serious…"

Utahime clenched her fists. "What's he planning…?"

Gojo, for once, didn't laugh.

Instead, he raised his chin slightly, smile tempered, eyes hidden beneath his blindfold but focused with crystal precision.

"One-on-one?" he asked, almost amused. "You sure you wanna make it that easy for me?"

Sukuna grinned. "Cocky as always. Good. I was worried you got soft after being sealed like a clown."

Gojo's fingers twitched slightly, energy simmering under his skin, but his voice was steady.

"I accept."

The wind kicked up violently around them.

"No tricks. No others," Sukuna repeated. "You and me. No more. No less."

"Shinjuku will be your grave," Gojo replied, voice low.

The King of Curses gave a final amused look at the group behind Gojo—none of whom dared to speak.

And then, he vanished.

The cursed pressure dispersed instantly, like a storm rolling back into the horizon.

Silence followed. Everyone turned to Gojo.

Utahime stepped forward. "You sure about this?"

Gojo turned, pulling the blindfold slightly up to rest on his forehead, revealing sharp azure eyes glowing like starfire.

"I've been waiting for this," he said, cracking his neck. "Time to prove who's really the strongest."