Rain falls softly across the shattered battlefield.
Broken buildings burn in silence while cursed energy still lingers thickly in the air from the battle against Izana. At the center of the ruined street, Satoru Gojo stands in front of Ren, one hand slightly extended.
Protecting him.
Across from them, Ryoga Endo watches calmly.
No stance.
No visible hostility.
Yet the pressure pouring from him alone makes the air feel impossible to breathe.
Behind him, Izana lowers his head slightly, still breathing heavily from his fight.
"…Ryoga…"
Ren's fists tighten instantly.
Every instinct in his body screams at him to attack.
To kill him.
But beside him, Gojo's arm blocks his path immediately.
"Don't."
Ren grits his teeth. "Move."
Gojo doesn't even look at him. His blue eyes remain fixed on Ryoga.
"If you rush him right now," Gojo says quietly, "you die."
Ryoga smiles faintly at that.
"You really do have a good eye, Satoru Gojo."
The rain around him suddenly shifts direction.
Not from wind.
From pressure.
Ren's breathing becomes uneven as bloodlust floods the battlefield again. Just standing near Ryoga feels wrong—like his body is warning him of death before it even happens.
Gojo notices immediately.
"…Ren."
"…What."
"Control yourself."
Ren's jaw tightens violently. "He killed them…"
His cursed energy begins leaking uncontrollably.
"…He killed everyone…"
Ryoga watches him silently for a moment before speaking.
"Hikaru Oshimiya had the same eyes."
Ren freezes.
Gojo's gaze sharpens slightly.
Ryoga continues calmly, "Not physically. Emotionally." His eyes remain fixed on Ren. "The inability to let hatred go before battle."
Rainwater drips from Ren's clenched fists.
"…Don't say his name."
Ryoga ignores him.
"Hikaru understood something you still don't."
Gojo steps slightly forward.
"And what's that?"
Ryoga's eyes shift toward him.
"That rage without control only creates openings."
The instant he finishes speaking—
Gojo vanishes.
A blue flash tears through the battlefield as Infinity compresses space between them instantly. Gojo's fist appears directly in front of Ryoga's face—
Impact.
The city behind Ryoga explodes apart.
Shockwaves erupt through the ruined streets as entire buildings collapse from the force.
But—
Ryoga hasn't moved.
Gojo's fist stopped centimeters from his face.
Infinity.
No—
Something else.
Gojo's eyes narrow.
"…Interesting."
Ryoga calmly grabs Gojo's wrist.
The ground beneath both of them detonates instantly.
Ren's eyes widen.
Gojo breaks away immediately, sliding backward across broken rubble before stabilizing himself.
For the first time since arriving—
Gojo smiles.
Not casually.
Seriously.
"…So you're that kind of monster."
Ryoga lowers his hand slowly. "You're disappointed?"
"No," Gojo replies.
Blue cursed energy flickers around him violently.
"I'm relieved."
The sky darkens further.
Ren watches silently as the pressure between the two begins distorting the rain itself.
Then—
Ryoga glances toward Izana.
"You've become emotional."
Izana's expression twists immediately. "…What?"
"You lost control because of the boy."
Veins rise across Izana's face. "That brat should've died—"
"He didn't."
The simple answer silences him instantly.
Ryoga's eyes shift back toward Ren
"Hikaru Oshimiya's final condition was impressive." A faint smile forms on his face. "Even in death, he protected his son."
Ren's eyes widen slightly.
Gojo says quietly, "…As expected from him."
Ryoga continues, "The moment Izana attempted a finishing blow, the condition activated." His gaze remains calm. "A self-triggered interruption tied to killing intent itself."
Izana clenches his fists violently. "…So that's why…"
"You were never failing to hit him," Ryoga says.
"You were being stopped."
Silence fills the battlefield.
Then—
Ryoga slowly steps forward.
The pressure instantly spikes.
The rubble around him begins splitting apart without contact.
Gojo's expression sharpens immediately.
Ren feels it too.
Danger
Real danger.
Ryoga looks directly at Gojo.
"…It's been a while since I've fought someone interesting."
Gojo grins.
The same grin he wears before overwhelming enemies.
But this time—
There's tension behind it.
"…Careful what you wish for."
Blue light erupts around him.
Ryoga's cursed energy rises in response.
Black and blue pressure collide violently across the battlefield as the sky itself trembles above them.
Gojo and Ryoga standing opposite each other beneath the storm while Ren and Izana watch from behind, both understanding the same terrifying truth—
The real battle…
Is only beginning.