In the past, a Black Flash was a miracle one could hope for but not seek in a sorcery battle—a product of the perfect alignment of Cursed Energy and physical force.
The record for consecutive hits was a mere four times.
But now, between these two monster-like existences, Black Flash seemed to have become a standard means of attack.
Sukuna relied on his tempered combat instincts, the 'feeling' of absolute control over his own Cursed Energy, and the stacking of multiple talents.
He already possessed a special vision that could see the outline of the soul, allowing him to vaguely perceive the resonance point between the soul and Cursed Energy when an opponent attacked.
Now, in his 'Godspeed' state, he combined this vision with another talent—Kamiutsushi.
The superposition of dual vision allowed him, in high-speed confrontation, to not only see Satoru's movements clearly but also to capture a split second ahead of time that 'critical moment' when Satoru's Cursed Energy and kinetic energy were about to perfectly align and burst into a Black Flash.
Thus, Sukuna didn't need to wait for the random trigger of a Black Flash.
He actively adjusted his own attack rhythm, angle, and Cursed Energy output, forcibly timing his attacks to hit at that 'critical moment' to collide with Satoru's attacks.
Boom!
In one exchange of blows, black lightning exploded between their fists.
Screech!
In a friction between a hand-blade and a gravity field, a Black Flash shot out along the contact surface.
Bang!
In a collision between a side kick and a blocking arm, black electric snakes danced wildly.
Satoru was equally unwilling to be outdone. His reliance was those Six Eyes that had evolved to their current peak.
In an overclocked state, the insight of the Six Eyes had already reached the microscopic level. He could not only see the flow of Sukuna's Cursed Energy clearly but could also vaguely 'see' the way Cursed Energy and physical strength vibrated and combined at the atomic and molecular levels when Sukuna attacked.
As long as he landed one Black Flash, Satoru could perfectly replicate that experience. He also began trying to control the vibration frequency and distribution of his own Cursed Energy at the microscopic level, making it actively achieve that perfect resonance with his physical attack at the instant of the strike.
This wasn't a feeling, this was calculation.
Bang!
Satoru threw a straight punch infused with the repulsive force of Red, clashing with Sukuna's palm. Black lightning erupted from his knuckles, neutralizing the aftershocks of the Black Flash on Sukuna's palm.
Whoosh!
A whip kick using Blue's gravitational refraction crossed with Sukuna's sweeping leg. A Black Flash exploded at the point of impact between their legs, and air currents tumbled.
Clang!
There was even one instance where Satoru used an elbow wrapped in Infinity and concentrated Cursed Energy to hard-block the edge of one of Sukuna's Dismantle slashes. The intense friction actually triggered a small cluster of Black Flash, deflecting and annihilating part of the slash's power.
In just over ten seconds of high-speed offense and defense, the number of Black Flashes triggered by both sides had already far exceeded the recorded total in history.
This was no longer a battle, but two existences at the peak of sorcery and physical prowess conducting an ultimate dialogue beyond mortal understanding through a destructive art form.
A contest of speed! A collision of power! A rhapsody of Black Flashes!
Sukuna grew more excited as he fought. The offensive from his four arms was like a violent storm, his four eyes sparkling with the wild joy of discovering a treasure.
Satoru was completely immersed in this extreme state. The pain brought by the Six Eyes' overload had long been cast aside. His brain was as cold as a supercomputer, precisely controlling every movement, every attack, and every resonance of Black Flash.
However, under this seemingly evenly matched and frenzied exchange, the gap still began to manifest in subtle ways.
Satoru's Black Flash activation required extremely precise calculation and control, placing a huge burden on his mental strength and Cursed Energy manipulation, and its success rate was not 100%. His teleportation relied on the maintenance of sixteen Blues, constantly consuming Cursed Energy.
Sukuna's Black Flash, however, relied more on his talent-enhanced perception and combat instincts, essentially consuming no Cursed Energy.
His "God-speed" was supported by his innate talent and Cursed Energy, making it more sustainable.
More importantly, his physical strength and both quantity and quality of Cursed Energy firmly surpassed Satoru's.
Satoru's Black Flash could injure him, but mostly caused superficial wounds that healed in an instant.
Sukuna's attacks, even without Black Flash, contained terrifying power sufficient to shock Satoru's internal organs, and the cumulative damage was gradually worsening.
The bloodstains at the corners of Satoru's lips increased, and his breathing began to carry heavy, rough sounds. But the flame in his eyes never extinguished, growing even more intense.
"Ha... haha..."
After an intense collision, the two temporarily separated, confronting each other across the swirling smoke and the flickering black electrical afterglow.
Satoru wiped the blood from his face, his blue eyes fixed intently on Sukuna, whose aura remained stable, only his excitement growing more pronounced.
"Indeed... still a bit lacking." Satoru panted, yet he smiled.
"To have lasted this long, you've already impressed me, Six Eyes brat." Sukuna said.
Satoru shook his right fist, which was slightly numb and torn from unleashing Black Flash. Blood mixed with blue Cursed Energy dripped from the wounds, but his gaze was brighter than burning stars.
Reverse Cursed Technique activated at overdrive, and all his wounds healed as before.
Successfully shaking Sukuna, even if only making him retreat half a step or causing tiny cracks in his arm, was enough to prove one thing.
This monster was not truly invincible. His attacks could be effective.
This realization, like a flash of lightning through darkness, instantly ignited an even wilder fighting spirit in Satoru's heart.
"Warm-up's pretty much over, old monster." Satoru tugged at his torn collar, his Six Eyes fixed on Sukuna, a nearly insane grin on his lips.
"Next, it's time for the main course."
He didn't give Sukuna time to respond or rather, he knew the other party didn't care about his declaration. Satoru clasped his hands together in front of his chest, fingertips touching, forming a complex seal.
The previously violently flowing blue Cursed Energy around him abruptly converged inward, collapsing as if swallowed by an invisible singularity. His aura became profound and empty, yet it contained a destructive torrent of information on the verge of erupting.
"Domain Expansion."
Unlike the outward expansion of Cursed Energy typically seen during Domain Expansion, the space around Satoru began to collapse inward, light twisted, sound vanished, as if even the concept of "existence" itself was being drawn in and concentrated.
A peculiar spherical space, approximately two hundred meters in diameter with no clear boundaries, quietly formed around him. Inside this space, it was no longer the scene of the real world, but a chaotic ocean of infinitely extending, endlessly flowing blue data streams, geometric shapes, and flickering star points.
"Unlimited Void: Open Type!"
Satoru's voice echoed within the domain, seeming to come from all directions.
This was his bold modification to his Domain after realizing the unique advantage of Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine after their last encounter.
He sacrificed the absolute advantage of forcibly dragging enemies into a closed Domain for complete control, in exchange for the Domain's ability to expand anytime, with a more flexible coverage, and allowing enemies to "escape."
This meant enemies had a chance to escape, but it also meant Satoru's Domain could no longer be shattered from the outside.
The moment the Domain Expansion activated, an infinite, overwhelming torrent of information, complex enough to burst the brain of any living being, poured down on Sukuna.
This was a direct assault on the soul and consciousness, ignoring physical defenses, aimed at plunging the opponent into eternal cognitive stagnation.
However, facing this Domain, which was capable of instantly incapacitating any Special Grade Cursed Spirit and most Special Grade Sorcerers, Sukuna's reaction was merely to raise an eyebrow.
In his four scarlet eyes, there was not the slightest sign of information overload. Instead, there was an expression of seeing a child wield a sharp blade, mixed with a hint of surprise and more boredom.
"Oh? An open barrier Domain?"
Sukuna even had time to comment, his voice perfectly clear amidst the endless information torrent, as if the soul-shattering information had no effect on him.
"You learn quickly, kid. Too bad..."
He slowly raised all four of his arms, no longer with the casualness of their previous fight, but with a ceremonial solemnity and indifference.
His four scarlet eyes suddenly widened, and deep within his pupils, countless tiny black runes seemed to flow, combine, and expand. An aura far older, purer, and more tyrannical than when Satoru expanded his Domain, descended.
"Domain Expansion—"
Centered on the spot where Sukuna stood, reality was forcibly overwritten and altered. The sky was no longer the chaotic blue of information, but transformed into a low-hanging canopy of flesh and blood, constantly dripping viscous dark red liquid.
"Malevolent Shrine."
***
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