Menace (Another Level Extra)
I've decided to post a few of the extras on Tumblr as well 😊
Summary
What kind of idiot picks a fight with the strong? He’d asked Suguru that just a few days ago. Now, he had his answer: A little weakling who thinks it’ll be funny. But she wasn’t weak, not really. She was stronger than she looked at first glance. And she sure as hell wasn’t an idiot. Gojo's POV of the follow-up to the 2006 Goodwill Event from Make a God Bleed
Another Level Masterlist
Menace
2006
What kind of idiot picks a fight with the strong?
He’d asked Suguru that just a few days ago.
Now, he had his answer: A little weakling who thinks it’ll be funny.
But she wasn’t weak, not really. She was stronger than she looked at first glance.
And she sure as hell wasn’t an idiot.
“Satoru-”
“I heard you.” Gojo waved his hand dismissively at Yaga. “I’m going.”
He rolled his eyes and headed toward the medbay.
So that he could apologize to the girl who acted so fuckin cocky in a fight against him.
The fucking brat who had kicked him in the back of the head.
“I just wanted to make a god bleed.”
He’d fucking make her bleed.
He couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt so irritated in his entire life.
“Is that all you’ve got?”
He had so much more.
Honestly, he couldn’t fucking believe her nerve. Asking that shit when she could barely stand.
Which wasn’t surprising since she’d just taken Lapse Blue head-on.
She’d used a Simple Domain. But it was different from New Shadow Style. She’d called it Last Stand. Whatever it was, it had partially worked.
And it was surprising that she’d activated it in time. It would have been faster to dodge. But she’d clearly wanted to make a point.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he shoved the door to the medbay open.
She was pulling her jacket on, looking perfectly healthy after Shoko’s treatment. But she didn’t look quite as smug as she had before their fight started. Maybe she’d learned her fucking lesson about picking fights with people stronger than she was.
He stepped closer, watching her carefully as she stared straight at his shades. He didn’t really know what to think about her other than that she was interesting and annoying. But he’d been told to apologize for hurting her in a goddamn fight. Even though she’d chosen not to dodge.
“I’ve been ordered to apologize for almost mortally wounding you,” he stated, rolling his eyes at Shoko when she snapped at him.
Kurisaki’s expression barely changed, only a single brow rising as he spoke. He had to hand it to her. She didn’t even seem phased by him. People would usually either be yelling at him or shrinking away by now.
“But since you don’t exactly seem mortally wounded to me,” he continued, unable to keep the grin from his face. “There’s no need to apologize.”
He wasn’t sorry. They had Shoko, who had clearly gotten her back to tip-top shape. So Kurisaki was fine. The fact that she was meeting his eyes so easily told him as much.
But he did want to know about that Simple Domain she’d used. Only a few knew how to use a Simple Domain, much less knowing enough to come up with a variant.
Before he could ask about it, though, she was speaking, and he felt his eyes narrow slightly.
“You’re weaker than I expected.”
She was definitely something else. Bold. Acting like a cocky brat.
The look in her eyes told him she knew exactly what she was doing, too.
If she wanted to play, they could play. He was more than willing to show her what else he had to give her.
Gojo couldn’t help but chuckle as he leaned down until he was eye level with her. Sliding his shades down so she could see his eyes, he smirked as he admitted:
“I think I might like you.”
“Hate to break it to you, but I don’t really care if you like me, Gojo.”
Kurisaki Rinko was interesting, to say the least. Annoying, too.
But he knew she was still trying to mess with him.
“Interesting technique.” He wanted to know about that Simple Domain. And where she’d learned the concept. “How does it work?”
“Maybe I’ll tell you next time we meet.”
She was smirking as she slipped past him and out of the medbay.
Clenching his jaw, he turned to give Shoko a bored look as she snickered at him. He motioned toward the lumps on his head again.
“Can’t you-?”
“Heal them yourself,” Shoko cut him off. “You’ve been trying to learn. What better time?”
Narrowing his eyes at his friend, he shrugged as they walked out of the medbay together.
“You almost killed her, you know,” Shoko stated, puffing her cigarette. “I’m exhausted.”
“Seemed fine to me,” he replied, shrugging again as they exited the building to see Suguru waiting for them.
“Did you apologize to her like sensei said?” he asked, and Gojo rolled his eyes. “Satoru-”
“He didn’t,” Shoko chimed, leaning against the wall. “He said he’d been told to. But he didn’t actually say the words. Like an ass.”
“Never seen you so worked up over a fight,” Suguru mused, taking a seat on the stairs. “Not like you to let someone get to you like that.”
Pushing his shades up his nose, Gojo narrowed his eyes when he saw Kurisaki accepting a hug from Utahime.
“She was annoying,” he griped, dropping down next to Suguru. “On top of that, she was fuckin smug about it, too.”
“I came across her yesterday,” Suguru said, his smirk growing. “She ran away from me.”
“Yeah? What’d you have with you?” Gojo asked, giving him a bored look.
She was irritating, but she clearly wasn’t stupid. That was what pissed had pissed him off the most. She wasn’t just messing with him. If she was stupid, she wouldn’t have lasted as long as she had.
He’d seen through her plan immediately. But could never anticipate which one she was going to switch with because she wouldn’t do it until he was on top of her. Brat waited until the last second to move away. He’d been shocked a few of his punches hadn’t landed because of how late she swapped with her little cursed energy copy.
Suguru grinned before admitting: “The Rainbow Dragon. She looked a bit scared.”
Scoffing, Gojo rolled his eyes as they watched the Kyoto Tech kids follow Gakuganji away. The geezer was saying something Kurisaki. It almost looked like he was scolding her from how she deflated.
“You had the dragon out for the Goodwill Event?” he complained, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re allowed to use a goddamn dragon, and I got in trouble for using Lapse Blue?”
“You almost killed her,” Shoko snapped, crossing her arms as she stubbed her cigarette out with her shoe. “And I’m exhausted because of it. So I’m going to lay down.”
“I had the dragon out for intimidation purposes,” Suguru noted as Shoko stalked away. “It worked.”
Gojo had used Lapse Blue for the same fucking reason, but the stubborn girl hadn’t moved. It wasn’t like he’d expected her to just let it hit her head on. He’d thought she would dodge. She was clearly quick enough.
There was no way she was only a Grade 3. He wouldn’t be surprised if she was lying about that. Grade 2 would honestly be understating her skill level. She had to be a Semi-Grade 1.
He’d ask Utahime if she’d been telling the truth. And if she wouldn’t tell him, he’d see if he could ask around. He was guessing she’d been scouted, just like Suguru. Had to be why Gakuganji was watching her like a hawk. He had probably found her.
“What did she say to your ‘not apology?’” Suguru asked.
“She told me it was fine,” Gojo stated, rolling his eyes again. “Because I’m weaker than she expected.”
Suguru laughed, slapping him on the back.
“Seems like maybe you met your match, Satoru.”
More like a fucking menace.