Inside the competition grounds, the battle reached its peak.
"Fall!"
With a strained shout, Toge Inumaki unleashed Cursed Speech. The command struck Hanami like a collapsing mountain, slamming the special grade spirit into the earth and carving out a massive crater.
A moment later, Inumaki coughed violently, blood spilling from his lips. His throat burned as if scorched from within. The immense gap in power meant that forcing the command had triggered severe backlash.
Yet that single opening was enough.
The instant Hanami rose from the crater, coordinated attacks rained down.
Panda shifted into Gorilla Mode, cursed energy surging through his arms as he delivered a crushing blow.
Megumi Fushiguro formed a hand sign. "Ten Shadows Technique, Max Elephant."
A colossal shikigami materialized, unleashing a torrent of water like a bursting dam.
Noritoshi Kamo clasped his hands. "Blood Manipulation, Piercing Blood."
A razor sharp stream shot forward with lethal precision.
Nobara Kugisaki hurled nails in rapid succession, each strike as forceful as a bullet.
The combined assault detonated upon impact, smoke and debris billowing skyward like an explosion.
And yet, when the smoke cleared, a massive sphere of intertwined roots and vines stood intact.
The wooden shell slowly unraveled. Hanami emerged without a scratch.
As the most durable among the Disaster Curses, attacks of this scale were barely worth acknowledging.
In the next instant, Hanami vanished.
A shockwave tore through the clearing. Panda, Kamo, Megumi, and Inumaki were all sent flying almost simultaneously. None of them even saw the strike that defeated them.
"Damn it!"
A naginata sliced toward Hanami's back.
Maki Zenin pressed her assault relentlessly. Hanami raised a hand to block, but Maki pivoted fluidly, her blade cutting in swift arcs, each movement sharp and efficient.
Finally, something interesting.
Hanami's voice echoed directly into her mind.
The clash intensified, their physical exchange tearing up the surrounding earth. Hanami observed her closely.
Almost no cursed energy, yet such overwhelming physical strength. Fascinating.
Maki's expression tightened. So this was what their teachers dealt with regularly. Monsters.
Mid exchange, a numbness crept through her limbs.
She leaped back, only to notice grotesque flowers blooming from her legs.
"Curse buds," Hanami's voice resonated coldly. "They normally absorb cursed energy, but in your case, I refined them. A little adjustment."
Maki felt dizziness settle in. "Poison."
"Correct."
Without hesitation, she sliced away the growths, cutting off flesh along with them.
"It's too late. The toxin has already spread."
Her grip on the naginata weakened. She steadied herself, refusing to fall.
As Hanami stepped forward to finish her, two figures burst into the clearing.
Yuji Itadori's eyes blazed at the sight of his fallen friends.
"You're dead!"
He lunged, fist wrapped in cursed energy.
Divergent Fist struck cleanly, sending Hanami skidding back before it righted itself.
"The vessel of Sukuna," Hanami murmured.
"Watch out!" Maki forced out. "It can plant curse buds, poison you. Stay sharp!"
Yuji nodded.
Beside him, Aoi Todo rested a hand on his shoulder.
"My brother, this is where we shine."
Yuji grinned despite the tension. "Let's do it."
They charged in sync.
Under Todo's guidance, Yuji found the rhythm he needed. The air warped as his fist connected with perfect timing.
Black Flash.
Once triggered, the sensation was addictive. Another followed. Then another.
Todo clapped, activating Boogie Woogie, swapping positions unpredictably. The difference in their builds distorted Hanami's perception, creating openings that should not exist.
"Now, brother!"
"Right behind you!"
Their coordination was flawless, alternating Black Flashes from both sides. Another branch sprouting from Hanami's face shattered under the impact.
Hanami staggered, bewildered by the raw force of their momentum.
Elsewhere,
The difference in power was immediate and absolute.
"Cursed Technique Reversal, Red."
A blast of repulsive force tore through Kenjaku, obliterating half his body. Even as he was flung backward, he activated reverse cursed technique to repair himself mid air.
"Cursed Technique Lapse, Blue."
An overwhelming attraction yanked him back in.
Shion's fist was already waiting.
The punch landed squarely in Kenjaku's abdomen, folding him over as blood spilled from his mouth.
Pathetic.
Kenjaku had once believed he could contend with Satoru. Against Shion, he felt like an infant grasping at a hurricane.
"I know your plan," Shion said calmly as he advanced. "Hanami causes chaos while someone slips away to secure Sukuna's finger. I intended to eliminate Hanami and Mahito today, but you chose to interfere."
His gaze sharpened.
"Then you'll die in their place."
Kenjaku's expression twisted. "Do not underestimate me."
He brought his hands together.
"Blood Manipulation, Wing King."
Several pairs of crimson wings burst from his back, formed from condensed blood. With their support, his speed and power spiked dramatically, enough to momentarily keep pace.
Shion raised a brow. "A variation inspired by the Death Paintings. Creative."
"I created them," Kenjaku replied coldly. "Is it strange that I can replicate their techniques?"
Shion laughed softly.
"You really think this changes anything?"
In an instant, he vanished.
A sonic boom cracked through the air.
By combining the opposing forces of Blue and Red simultaneously, Shion propelled himself at near instantaneous speed. Attraction and repulsion overlapped, compressing distance to nothing.
Kenjaku's pupils shrank.
Before he could react, Shion seized the blood wings and tore them off in one brutal motion.
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