Utahime had reached her limit.
Again.
She didn't shout this time.
Didn't warn him.
Didn't argue.
She just grabbed the nearest thing—
a knife someone had absolutely no business leaving around—
and threw it.
Fast.
Clean.
Dead center.
"Takeru—" Yuji started—
Too late.
Takeru didn't move out of the way.
Didn't block.
Didn't even flinch.
He just dipped his hand into his pocket.
"…Pocket sand."
He flicked his fingers forward.
A small burst of grains scattered into the air.
And the knife—
stopped.
Mid-flight.
Dead still.
Silence.
Megumi blinked.
"…What."
Higuruma frowned.
"…That is not a defensive technique."
Nanami stared.
"…That is not anything."
But Takeru wasn't done.
He stepped forward calmly.
Reached out.
And with his finger—
He traced a shape in the air.
A loose—
uneven—
almost careless—
squiggly circle.
The air warped along the line.
Not violently.
But precisely.
Uro's eyes narrowed immediately.
"…That's—"
Sukuna's voice echoed faintly from within Takeru's mind.
Amused.
"…So you're finally using it properly."
The space inside the circle bent.
Folded.
Reoriented.
The knife—
still frozen—
now sat within that warped boundary.
Takeru pulled his fist back.
"…Alright."
Then—
he punched.
The moment his fist connected—
BLACK FLASH.
But not normal.
Golden sparks erupted within the distortion.
The warped space snapped forward—
carrying the impact—
redirecting it—
multiplying it—
Utahime didn't even see it.
THUD.
She dropped.
Clean.
Unharmed.
Completely unconscious.
The knife fell harmlessly beside her.
Silence.
Total silence.
Then—
"THAT'S MY BROTHER!"
"WHAT EVEN WAS THAT!?"
Both Gojos were losing their minds again.
No understanding.
Just pure pride.
Hakari pointed.
"…I don't know what I just saw but I like it."
Kirara nodded slowly.
"…That was… something else."
Yuji looked between Takeru and Utahime.
"…She's okay, right!?"
Shoko walked over, checked her pulse.
"…She's fine."
A pause.
"…Knocked out perfectly."
Nanami exhaled.
"…Controlled."
Higuruma adjusted his tie.
"…Disturbingly so."
Ryu grinned.
"…Refined flavor."
Kashimo smirked.
"…Now that's technique."
But two reactions stood out.
Uro.
Arms crossed.
Eyes sharp.
"…Sky manipulation… layered with something else."
A pause.
"…You didn't just copy it."
Inside—
Sukuna laughed.
Low.
Satisfied.
"…That's how you use it."
Takeru shook his hand once.
Like it was nothing.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…Just trying stuff."
Gojo slung an arm over his shoulder.
"…'Trying stuff,' he says."
The other Gojo nodded.
"…Naturally gifted genius."
Megumi sighed.
"…I'm surrounded by idiots."
Panda patted his back.
"…Powerful idiots."
Takeru glanced down at Utahime.
"…She'll wake up mad."
Gojo grinned.
"…Worth it."
And somewhere between technique and nonsense—
Takeru had just shown something new.
Something precise.
Something dangerous.
Wrapped in a joke.