Jujutsu Kaisen: I Have A Gardevoir

Third match of the individual battles.

Akira vs. Todo Aoi.

Unexpectedly, Kyoto High's strongest and most hot-tempered student behaved in the most orderly manner.

He didn't fly or jump, instead walking through the entrance tunnel.

Aside from cracking his knuckles, clearly eager for the fight, he showed no other behavior, not even any trash talk.

It was only after standing still that he spoke, "Even if I'm your opponent, you're not planning to get up?"

"Nope." Akira's eyes were half-closed, looking completely unbothered. "I have no issue with you personally, but I do with certain things Kyoto High has done. So, sorry in advance."

"No need to apologize. This is the privilege of the strong. I do the same." Todo Aoi accepted the reality calmly. "Unlike those who lack perception, I can see clearly that, like Yuta Okkotsu, you are someone I might not be able to defeat even if I give it my all—I'll use my power to make you stand up and look me in the eye."

These words were fiery and inspiring, though on Kyoto's side, they were left fuming.

Akira's blatant taunting—declaring he was here to humiliate them—was bad enough, but now this?

If their strongest had said something sooner, they wouldn't have set themselves up to be humiliated.

Whose side was Todo Aoi even on? Kyoto's or Tokyo's?

But such thoughts stayed internal. If voiced, the hot-tempered 190 cm powerhouse would punch his own allies first.

Todo Aoi never cared for others' opinions.

"Todo Aoi, second year of Kyoto High, pleased to fight you."

He finished, not waiting for Akira's response, and charged straight toward Darkrai.

A true expert's skills are evident from the first move.

Just the speed and power of his movement were beyond the first two opponents. Even compared to non-Black Flash Nanami Kento, he was slightly better.

The title of Kyoto's strongest was well-earned.

Against such an opponent, Darkrai's strategy of combining Quick Attack and Feint Attack was clearly ineffective.

Quick Attack was fast, but Todo Aoi wasn't slow either.

At worst, he'd take a defensive stance, wait for Quick Attack to pass, and then counterattack. It wasn't a move that could be used repeatedly over time.

Feint Attack was even easier for him to counter.

Todo Aoi knew Simple Domain, which allowed him to react to attacks reflexively.

Unless Darkrai could be faster than his reflexes, deceit or sneak attacks wouldn't work.

At level thirty-something, Darkrai clearly wasn't at that level yet.

Two swift attacks left barely a scratch on Todo Aoi, while Darkrai received two heavy punches in return.

Akira sighed inwardly.

The same old problem: lack of experience.

Indeed, Darkrai had been fighting every day since its birth, gaining experience, especially in ground battles.

But most of its opponents were mindless cursed spirits, and even occasional fights with sorcerers weren't against someone as smart as Todo Aoi.

This musclehead, though appearing simple, was highly intelligent.

His sense of situational awareness and tactical choices were extremely sharp.

Even if Akira himself were to challenge him in a battle of wits, he couldn't guarantee victory, so Darkrai definitely wasn't enough.

Realizing physical attacks wouldn't work, Darkrai immediately switched tactics, opting for a more targeted approach.

It used the move Hypnosis.

Learned at level 20, it was considered Darkrai's third signature move (fitting its nightmare deity theme, with the first being Dark Void and the second presumably Nightmare).

Although not as high level as Gardevoir, under the Nightmare God's natural boost, even someone as strong as Todo Aoi began to feel his eyelids grow heavy, slipping into drowsiness.

Once asleep, the opponent would be completely at Darkrai's mercy—except for Gojo Satoru. Even asleep, his Infinity was constantly active, truly a passive shield.

However, just as Todo Aoi began to waver and was about to fall, this musclebound powerhouse suddenly slapped himself hard, using the pain to drive away the drowsiness.

The sheer force of his fighting will left Darkrai more shocked than ever before.

"My turn."

The muscular sorcerer wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, grinned a manly smile, and charged forward again.

But this time, he didn't use the bold, open attacks typical of his style. Instead, he adopted a more intricate approach.

Within the narrow space, he made full use of positioning—luring, guiding, pulling, and striking. He used Darkrai's power against it, dodging with his own strength.

After just a few moves, Akira could see the elements of Aikido, Judo, and modern grappling, along with the earlier display of Kickboxing and Karate.

Todo Aoi's strength wasn't just about talent. He had put in unimaginable effort.

That level of dedication couldn't be offset, even with the high starting point of a Mythical Pokemon.

Joint lock.

Over-the-shoulder throw.

In the moment Darkrai lost its balance, another heavy punch landed.

Compared to the previous hits, the damage wasn't much, but the impact was far more significant.

Whether you have legs or not, or can fly or not, balance is paramount—losing it makes you a sitting duck for any expert.

Todo Aoi was that kind of expert. The first punch was just a greeting; the combo was the real deal.

Since its birth, Darkrai had never felt so frustrated in battle.

It wasn't unfamiliar with losing—Gojo Satoru, Rika Orimoto—but those were differences in scale. With Todo Aoi, Darkrai had the power but couldn't use it effectively.

Darkrai looked to Akira for help.

Akira nodded approvingly.

The fact that Darkrai could recognize the gap and make the right judgment meant this battle had value.

He raised his hand in a wave.

"Panchaaaam!"

With a cheerful call, a similarly black-and-white figure leapt high, descending with the momentum of a mountain crashing down.

Its target: the advancing Todo Aoi.

Todo Aoi didn't force it.

He hadn't forgotten how Gardevoir forcibly controlled the field, and Akira had announced his intent for a group battle at the beginning.

He had always kept a portion of his strength and attention in reserve, just for this moment.

He stopped, turning his forward momentum into a retreat.

In the instant he dodged, the ground shook.

The specially treated ground, capable of withstanding jujutsu duels, shattered from the impact, cracks spreading five meters, passing right under Todo Aoi's feet and eliciting a gasp from him:

"What power!"

However, the creature in the center of the cracks didn't match the terrifying display.

It was a 60-centimeter-tall panda, a bamboo leaf in its mouth, its big eyes wide in an attempt to look fierce but ultimately still adorable.

Pancham!

Akira's second Pokemon.

Pulling itself out of the ground, the little guy shook its backside, imitating its older "brother" Panda, then charged forward with its tiny legs, its largest feature—its forehead—heading straight for Todo Aoi.

This was not just a hard-headed move but also its Tackle attack.

Todo Aoi still didn't take it head-on, continuing to dodge.

And the little troublemaker of the Akira family didn't understand the meaning of giving up. If you dodge, it will keep charging.

It seemed Todo Aoi had decided to humor it. If you charge, I'll keep dodging, and this went on more than ten times.

Meanwhile, Darkrai had regained its stance, staring blankly at the sudden comedic scene of the big, muscular man and the small, cute panda.

No matter how much it tried to reason, it couldn't understand why—even though they were similar in level, with its base stats being higher—Pancham was able to chase Todo Aoi around.

It just didn't make sense.