You call this a projection?

”Abandoning defense?

Realizing that in a head-on fight, you can’t even graze me—let alone defeat me—you’re prepared to stake your life on the hope of trading wounds?”

It wasn’t just physical strength. Fushiguro Toji’s senses, including his five basic perceptions, were all-encompassing and powerful. The moment Okkotsu Yuta made a certain resolve and his body shifted to respond, Toji sensed the change.

Drawing upon his vast combat experience, he deduced Yuta’s thoughts:

”...No, wait. It’s likely more than just that.

According to what that guy said earlier, I’ve been dead for a long time. The reason I have consciousness now is that someone used a Seance technique to summon me.

In other words, these brats from the High School are very likely related to Gojo Satoru—maybe they’re even his students.”

Toji had heard Emiya Shirou compare him to Gojo Satoru. He had also noticed how Yuta and the others immediately accepted his ”resurrection” via Seance simply because he had been compared to that man.

Toji was no brute. On the contrary, he had survived the Zen’in family—a clan where only those with Cursed Energy and techniques were considered ”human” and all others were slaves. In a family where a [Heavenly Restriction] with zero Cursed Energy was the bottom of the barrel and a mark of ultimate shame, the fact that he lived long enough to escape proved that the man formerly known as Zen’in Toji was incredibly sharp.

Based on just a few sentences from Emiya Shirou, he had assessed the current situation. Based on the students’ attitude toward Gojo Satoru, he had confirmed that the current time wasn’t far from the point of his death.

”So this brat has learned that trick too?

For real... are kids these days really this ridiculous?”

Even so, Toji did not back down. Realizing what Yuta was about to do, he increased the force of his legs against the floor, accelerating his sprint toward the boy.

Zen’in Maki and the others knew that if Yuta got the chance to use his technique, he—a Special Grade in Cursed Energy and technique as well as martial arts—had a high probability of winning. Fushiguro Toji understood this logic just as well.

When Toji had lost to Gojo Satoru in the past, it was because he chose to go head-to-head with Gojo’s strongest attack rather than using his [Heavenly Restriction] to dodge, skirmish, or ambush as he had done during their first encounter.

Therefore, having dragged Yuta into this close-quarters struggle, Toji utilized the long-reach characteristics of the spear. By using specific techniques, he kept the attack speed so high at a relative distance that Yuta had no spare time—and not enough mental focus—to activate his technique.

This was why Toji didn’t change his stance even after seeing what Yuta intended. If he retreated, he wouldn’t just face Yuta’s desperation move; he would face Yuta’s full technique.

Besides, as for that specific ”move” Yuta was prepping...

”I’m not entirely clear on your relationship with Gojo Satoru yet, but thanks to him, I know exactly how to deal with that move.

To use that guy’s words—I should have cut off his head back then.”

...Toji simply didn’t care!

”Perfect. My warm-up is over.

This body is gradually returning to... no, I should say it’s being reshaped into the form I’m familiar with.”

Indeed, Toji hadn’t been serious until now. Emiya Shirou, watching through [Pseudo-Atum]’s soul-vision, could see Toji’s Reality Marble ([Heavenly Restriction]) gradually eroding the young vessel.

Toji was currently in a transitional state: half-[Heavenly Restriction], half-Seance influence.

In the original story of Jujutsu Kaisen, Toji was initially a mindless killing machine targeting the strongest sorcerers. After killing a disaster-level Special Grade curse, he locked onto Fushiguro Megumi as his next target, only to suddenly regain his memories and commit suicide upon recognizing Megumi as his son.

Stripping away the ”family bonds” script—which didn’t apply to the current Fushiguro Toji—the reason he would regain his reason was simply that the erosion was nearly complete. Now, without Granny Ogami to interfere as the practitioner, the time it took for Toji to reclaim his peak physical state and complete this erosion was even shorter!

Everything was proceeding according to his plan.

Okkotsu Yuta, who lacked mind-reading and didn’t know what thoughts had flashed through Toji’s mind, genuinely felt his gamble had worked when he successfully abandoned defense and used his body to ”trap” the spear in Toji’s hands.

The moment he made the move and the spear impaled his chest, his Reverse Cursed Technique—the ”certain-kill” trump card Yuta had prepared—was already surging into the wound, the positive energy ready to heal him instantly.

The weapon was stuck; the distance was closed; and Yuta, whose speed was no slouch, gripped his katana tightly to deliver a powerful downward cleave.

In this carefully laid trap, Toji should have been bisected while in the ”trance” of a perceived victory... or so it should have been.

”Wha... what...!?”

Yuta’s eyes widened. At the split second his blade swung down, Fushiguro Toji performed a lightning-fast ”bridge” maneuver, arching his body backward.

Not only did he dodge the cleave, but by using the reactionary force of his upper body snapping back, Toji’s right leg whipped upward with violent force. He kicked the spear still embedded in Yuta’s chest.

Because the spear had entered with the edge facing upward, the kick sent the blade slicing further up through Yuta’s torso, severing the right arm that held his sword!

Tumbling backward to create distance, Toji stood up in one smooth motion. Catching the spear he had just kicked into the air, he grinned savagely at Okkotsu Yuta.

”Too green.”

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