36 A Monster Amongst Monsters

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.

-Story Start-

The midday sun shone brightly over the towering spires of the Magic University, casting long shadows across its stone buildings.

Despite the sun's presence, its warmth was no match for the biting cold typical of the Northern Central Continent.

The chilly wind swept through the courtyard, rustling the trees and carrying an air of foreboding that weighed heavily on the gathered students outside the imposing Research Building.

"Rudeus-san, you don't have to do this. This is insane!" Nanahoshi's voice wavered, her mask unable to hide her concern and frustration.

Rudeus wiped the sweat from his brow, glancing at her. "Do you think I have a choice?" His gaze shifted to Satoru, standing calm and collected.

Satoru's shades were down, his smirk casual and easygoing, but his Six Eyes revealed his true intent.

He was serious.

Deadly serious.

And it was a frightening look, one that he rarely donned in this world.

She looked vehemently at Satoru, who turned to her, his gaze determined as he shook his head.

Biting her lip, causing her to taste her own blood, Nanahoshi whispered with clenched fists, "Damn that idiot. I'm sorry... Whatever happens, I'll make up for it. Please continue helping me."

Rudeus only nodded silently, flashing a sad smile at her.

The stark contrast between the two infamous combatants and the heavy atmosphere drew a curious crowd.

Excited whispers and speculative bets filled the air:

"They're going to fight?"

"Bancho might become a Great Power!"

"I'm betting an Asuran Gold Coin on Gojo Satoru."

"Two Coins on the Bancho! He beat Demon Lord Badigadi!"

"Lord Badigadi isn't even a real Great Power!"

As Rudeus and Satoru moved to the courtyard, the gathering crowd swelled rapidly, students whispering and placing bets.

Within moments, dozens had gathered, their excitement and anxiety palpable.

Unclenching his gaze from Satoru's figure, Rudeus noticed the crowd growing larger.

'I just hope... it won't end like before.' He thought, memories of his past bullying surfacing.

The shame and humiliation of being tied naked, exposed for all to mock, haunted him.

The fear of public humiliation gnawed at his resolve.

Especially when it came from a man like Gojo Satoru.

Noticing Rudeus's frown and reaction to the crowd, Satoru finally relented, "Is the crowd bothering you?"

'...You're bothering me,' Rudeus thought venomously, his attention snapping to Satoru's tilted head.

'Hmm... It'd be a shame if he doesn't give it his all,' Satoru mused.

He finally nodded, "Give me a second, I'll conceal us."

"Huh?" Rudeus replied as Satoru lifted two fingers unbothered by the confused expressions of those around them.

"Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure." Satoru chanted, and with each line, murmurs grew louder and louder.

Until a strange black liquid above Satoru quickly moved and began to encase him and Rudeus.

But before it did...

"Shishou..." Zanoba whispered as he stood beside Rudeus and Nanahoshi, he gently controlled his strength to hold Julie in his arms.

"I have the utmost trust in you! If anyone can defeat a Great Power it is you!" He declared loudly, his figure and tone firm as well as determined.

"Thanks, Zanoba. You two should get back." He spoke to Nanahoshi and Zanoba.

The former was hesitant, whilst the latter encouraged, "Let us depart and let Shishou handle this, Miss Silent. It is his battle."

Appearing as if she ignored Zanoba's advice, Nanahoshi only sighed, yet she stepped back from the encroaching liquid.

"You there! Contact the Healer over here this instant!" Zanoba pointed at a random onlooker.

Soon, the black liquid enveloped the courtyard, perfectly enclosing only Rudeus and Satoru in its interior.

Blinking, Rudeus wondered, 'He can't use magic, but is this something akin to a barrier?'

Satoru lifted his finger, "In case you're wondering, this barrier means we can't see outside, and they can't see in. So, no distractions."

'Adjusting the Curtain's conditions is good practice,' Satoru mused, smirking dangerously.

"They'll only get to see the end result..."

"You, flat on the ground." Satoru's smirk grew sadistic.

Rudeus's eyes narrowed and he frowned, clenching his staff.

He glanced at Satoru, voicing his lingering question, "Aren't you going to draw your sword?" He directed his gaze at the unsheathed form of Phantom Edge.

Humming, he replied, "Hmm? Oh, that? Nah, I don't need it for you." Satoru waved his hand nonchalantly.

'Arrogant prick...' Rudeus gritted his teeth, trying to exercise composure.

In fact, it seemed Rudeus took the wrong meaning in Satoru's words.

Gojo Satoru is much stronger when not wielding a sword.

But then...

Silence.

Complete, and utterly suffocating silence.

Not outside murmurs, comments, or otherwise from the disappointed crowd whose been left in the dust to witness the end result.

Nothing.

The silence was only cut through by the sounds of their steady breathing.

And...

Rudeus's Eye of Foresight flashed, showing a future in which Satoru's punch knocked the breath out of him.

To avoid this, Rudeus swiftly waved his staff, launching a Stone Cannon at Satoru.

Satoru raised an eyebrow and chose to take it head-on.

The explosion echoed within the enclosed barrier, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Rudeus's eyes narrowed, piercing through the haze, 'He's not down yet.'

He was aware of the ambiguous and mysterious barrier or whatever it was that had managed to keep Satoru out of harm's way.

The dust cleared, revealing a curious Satoru, "That was... Not bad. Chantless Magic just like Eris said you could do."

Satoru's Six Eyes sent shivers down Rudeus's spine as they dissected his very essence.

"More importantly though, did you know I was about to strike through skill... Or was it that Magic Eye of yours?" Satoru pointed at Rudeus.

A thin line crossed Rudeus's face, as he met Satoru's question with silence.

Blinking, Satoru reminded himself, 'I'm getting sidetracked.'

"Well, it doesn't matter. I'll figure you out soon enough." Satoru shrugged nonchalantly.

Only to be met with two more Stone Canons launched at him.

They blurred towards him, only for him to... Disappear and appear in front of Rudeus.

Rudeus without pause sent a wave of air from his palm at Satoru in an impressive reaction.

Attempting to create a gap between them.

The wind knocked Rudeus back, yet it failed to even hinder Satoru.

However...

Rudeus's backward trajectory crawled to a stop, and then, he began to get pulled towards Satoru at accelerating speed.

The shock was apparent on Rudeus's face, 'How is he-'

He cut the line of thought as he had to react, from his staff, he launched a quickly formed fireball and from his free hand, he launched a Wind Slice.

They melded together as they flew towards Satoru whose open palm seemingly pulled the airborne Rudeus towards him.

Satoru hadn't flinched as he was seemingly consumed by a sea of flames and a sharp wind.

He almost magically dispersed the flames and stood unaffected.

Rudeus clicked his tongue and was ready to meet Satoru head-on, who'd used his free arm to aim a punch at Rudeus's face.

Most of the Mages in the World are helpless when it comes to close combat.

Thus It is, for the most part, standard to underestimate a Mage's ability in close quarters.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Rudeus, an exceptional mage among exceptional mages, is one of those.

Dropping his staff, Rudeus weaved away from Satoru's punch and grabbed the wrist of the thrown punch, relying on his future sight to cope with the blinding speed of it.

In Water God Style Fashion, he attempted a counter-attack with a kick at Satoru's face and moved his other free hand to form another Stone Cannon.

...Unfortunately for Rudeus Greyrat.

Satoru was aware of Rudeus's prowess in close quarters.

Without pause, Satoru kneed Rudeus's chin, as he mumbled nonchalantly, "Eris is rather loose-mouthed when it comes to you."

A crack originating from Rudeus's jaw echoed as he flew in the air, with a guffaw, "GAHHH!"

The mention of Eris's name felt more painful at this moment than the cracking of his own chin.

Recomposing himself, Rudeus softened his landing amid the pain, as a wave of air cushioned his rough landing.

Loud steps echoed as Satoru slowly made his approach, a snarling figure of Rudeus glaring up at him.

He started, "It was getting really annoying sometimes too. Much to my dismay, I know a guy's whole life story." He scratched his ear.

With each of Satoru's complaints regarding Eris's seeming obsession with Rudeus.

A pang of pain and shame was felt deep in Rudeus's psyche.

With each complaint, Stone Cannons shot one after another towards Satoru, as a sense of hopelessness and rage filled Rudeus's entire being.

The steps were getting louder and louder.

Closer and closer.

And with each cloud of dust dispersing, Satoru appeared as nonchalant and unaffected as before.

It was a scene taken straight from a nightmare.

But he wasn't done yet, standing up, Rudeus blew wind once more at Satoru and ran to his staff.

Unaffected, Rudeus slammed his hand down at the ground mid-run, turning it muddy in an attempt to immobilize Satoru.

To naught.

Pausing out of either boredom or curiosity, Satoru gazed at the mud that enveloped his feet.

The mud that was supposed to immobilize him.

'Neat spell.' That was all that crossed his mind as he lifted his feet and continued his unaffected walk.

The muddy ground might as well have been solid because of how ineffective it proved to be against Satoru.

Lifting his staff, Rudeus had mustered up his magic for one last ditch effort.

The only one that could have worked in his mind.

Concentrating, he began to form the densest, largest, Stone Cannon he had ever formed.

The one that had annihilated Demon Lord Badigadi's entire upper body.

If anything in Rudeus's arsenal could break through Satoru's barrier... It would be that.

Denser.

Faster.

Faster.

It spun and spun.

And Satoru hadn't quickened his pace, approaching just as leisurely, not worried in the slightest.

'That arrogance will be this Ikemen prick's downfall!' Rudeus noted angrily as he launched it.

With a boom that broke through the sound barrier, the Stone Cannon hit Satoru in the blink of an eye.

A loud, ear rupturing explosion echoed and another cloud of dust covered the Curtain's interior.

From it...

'He's... Like... An immovable object.' Rudeus stared at the unfazed figure of Satoru wide-eyed and horrified, the grip on his staff loosening.

"From what she's told me, it doesn't look like you've improved by much. She said you could easily wipe the floor with her, but I'd argue otherwise from what I'm seeing." Satoru commented as he was a mere few feet away from Rudeus.

At Satoru's comment, Rudeus's expression broke.

"Didn't improve by much...?" He whispered, voice trembling.

Satoru's approach paused, "Hmm? Come again? I didn't quite catch that."

It seemed, that this was the straw that broke the camel's back for Rudeus.

"WHY DO YOU THINK I DIDN'T IMPROVE? I WANTED TO DIE BECAUSE OF HER! I ALMOST KILLED MYSELF!" Rudeus roared, his voice cracking under the weight of his suppressed pain.

"MISCOMMUNICATION?! HOW CAN I JUST FORGIVE HER?! THAT-" His voice choked off as Satoru's punch landed, silencing him with brutal efficiency.

Satoru gripped Rudeus by the collar, lifting him slightly.

"You don't need a pair of eyes like mine to see just how self-centered and pathetic you are," he said, his voice cutting through the haze of Rudeus's pain.

Rudeus's vision blurred with tears as he tried to process the words, "S-Self-centered? How? I am the victi-" Another punch cut him off, this one less forceful but loaded with disdain, emphasizing Satoru's disgust.

Satoru cut him off, his tone degrading, and merciless as he questioned, "You're still not getting it, are you?"

Rudeus spat blood, his expression red, disfigured, and broken.

Tears crossed his snarling expression, sourcing from his internal and external turmoil.

He replied with a biting tone, "T-That you're a sadistic bull-"

Satoru sighed and shook his head, 'Still not getting it... Well, Eris will owe me one after this.'

He replied, as he came dangerously close to Rudeus's face, their eyes inches away from each other.

Satoru stated with finality, "Nope. What you're not getting is..."

"I don't care about another man's problems."

At that, Rudeus's eyes widened once more, as bewilderment took hold of him.

'Then... What's the point?!' 

"W-WHAT ARE YOU-" Rudeus tried to probe.

But in his current emotional state, Satoru decided otherwise.

"Sleep on it~!" Satoru cut Rudeus off cheerfully, landing a final, bone-crushing punch.

The impact sent Rudeus flying, crashing unconscious at the edge of the barrier.

And with his crash, the veil began to lower.

Revealing a much larger, more prominent, and curious crowd.

Their curious gazes, perhaps worried and mostly inquisitive expressions swiftly morphed into shock at the sight before them.

A formerly pretty courtyard beside the Research Building - Turned wasteland.

Burnt cobblestone, cracked ground.

Sprinkles of blood.

It was a mess.

But, that was expected from a duel between Gojo Satoru and Rudeus Greyrat.

What truly cemented their shock was the dueling party themselves.

Rudeus lay flat on the ground, unconscious and expression bloodied and broken.

Whilst Satoru...

He looked as good as new.

Not a hint of dust on his uniform.

Not a hint of blood, injury, or otherwise.

The more acute fellows understood how he could've done it.

Yet, even they didn't expect it to go this one-sided.

When Gojo Satoru fought for his title in the Great Powers.

It was reported that he had been injured.

Perhaps, Rudeus Greyrat was not on that playing field.

Nevertheless...

The easygoing, almost bored expression on Satoru's figure sent shivers down everyone's spine.

The contrasting, almost creepy ethereal glow of his Six Eyes only heightened the effect.

He'd demolished the School's Strongest - A man who'd managed to defeat the Demon Lord Badigadi.

And it wasn't even close.

If Rudeus Greyrat was seen as a Monster in the eyes of the Academy's Students.

Then Gojo Satoru... As of this moment, the proof is before their very eyes.

He was recognized as...

A Monster Amongst Monsters.

To Be Continued!

-Author Note Start-

I'd originally planned this chapter to be much longer, but I promise that another will arrive by the weekend.

But, I think the conclusion of the massacre COUGH "Fight" was a good place to end it.

And I was feeling very goofy, which is necessary when writing this fic to an extent.

Now, hopefully, by taking the prior chapters and this one combined.

You can probably guess what Gojo's trying to get Rudeus to understand.

Or more importantly, do.

As much as this may or may not be catharsis regarding beating up Rudeus (LOL).

There's a point to this, and it'll come next chapter.

I'm trying my best to take care of the characters in this story, especially the Japanese Trio (Gojo, Nanahoshi and Rudeus).

By the way... Hitogami will be making his return relatively soon.

So look forward to that! (Maybe XD)

Now, just a question completely unrelated to the future plot or anything.

Where would you rank Perugius in terms of power?

Personally, I'd put him slightly below Fighting God Badigadi.

He's more or less at the upper playing field of Sword God and Water God.

Just my opinion tho as far as I can remember.

He was one of the Heroes, so they should have been more or less equal.

But meh.

Some of you readers are more knowledgeable about this than me.

So I'm counting on you!

Also... Poor Nanahoshi.

All of this shit in one day that's definitely rough buddy.

But I'll treat her right by my power as the Author!

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