Chapter 28. The Power of the Spirit (Part 6)

Assuming a combative stance, I lower myself into a squat and bring my sword behind my back. I inhale deeply, initiating an internal ritual of focus that awakens the power of "Enhancement" within me. This energy intensifies, converting oxygen into a fiery warmth that spreads throughout my body, causing a slight tingling in my muscles and infusing me with strength.

With precision, I channel my cursed energy through my arm, directing it into the sword's core to unleash its latent power. In an instant, the "Flame Sword" bursts into crimson flames, illuminating the surroundings with its brilliance. The ground beneath me vibrates as I launch forward in a powerful sprint, leaving a network of cracks originating from my initial surge. My sword slices through the air, narrowly missing Mahito's head as he, showcasing his agility, reduces his size to evade the strike. Suddenly, his hand, morphed into a drill, lunges at my stomach, aiming to pierce me. I deftly shift to the right, injecting a bit more cursed energy into my palm. This additional force drives Mahito's transformed hand deep into the asphalt, embedding it thirty centimeters deep. This momentary advantage allows me to swing my sword again, cleanly severing Mahito's arm, leaving him no chance to escape. Mahito utters a pained groan, his lips parting, but before the sound of his scream can fill the air, I land a powerful left hook to his solar plexus. The force of the blow sends him reeling, flipping through the air and kicking up clouds of dust and debris.

As Mahito's body, propelled by the impact, crashes towards the main school building, my gaze follows him unyieldingly. The moment he attempts to stabilize himself, I'm already rushing towards him like an arrow shot from a bow, poised for the next attack. Suddenly, my "Flame Sword" emits a burst of flame.

Aspect one: Compression!

The sword emits a brilliant flash of crimson light, followed by a burst of intense heat. This initial explosion morphs into a stream of pure white flame that spirals around the blade. A swift horizontal slash releases the concentrated flame directly at Mahito, threatening total annihilation. Reaching the Sixth Sequence, my attack culminates in a special, unforgiving "white" flame after over ten seconds of flame concentration. This ferocious blaze transforms the immediate vicinity into a blazing inferno, causing the air to tremble and warp violently, and the asphalt beneath us melts into pools of liquid stone.

In a bold move to shift the battle's momentum, Mahito extended his arms in a dramatic gesture, launching six small flesh pieces from each. These fragments, immediately enveloped in cursed energy, morphed into fully formed "reconstructed humans." Without a moment's hesitation, they surged towards me, driven by frenetic aggression. Yet, I pressed on with my assault, unswayed. Deep down, I had long reconciled with the grave choices I bore. The necessity to sacrifice lives—those innocent souls who, until recently, had been vibrant with life, love, and connection—no longer shook my resolve. This burden had become a part of me. Moreover, I was acutely aware that if these reconstructed beings reached me, the "white flame's" unparalleled power would be diluted, its unique destruction diminished.

True to its nature, the "white flame" effortlessly consumed the advancing mutated humans, dissolving them amidst their agonized hisses and twisted expressions of pain. Yet, this initial wave of destruction allowed Mahito a brief window to evade the engulfing flames.

Perhaps Mahito hoped such a scenario would unsettle me, seed doubt, or weaken my resolve. Instead, each sacrifice, each anguished cry, only deepened my resentment and hatred towards him, igniting my flames with a vengeance that roared even louder and burned even brighter. Amidst this inferno, it felt as if a furious howl resonated within me, amplifying my fury.

With each stride, my velocity surged, and my strikes grew more devastating. Engulfed in the heart of our confrontation, where every moment was critical, I confronted the terrifying scope of Mahito's abilities. His adaptability was unfathomable; one instant, my sword sliced through him effortlessly, and the next, he had sprouted bizarre growths on his forearms to thwart my blade's edge. It became clear that I had to end this battle swiftly, before Mahito could completely neutralize my fiery assault.

Re-engaging in the fray, my blade carved through the air, yet Mahito's evasion was uncannily precise. He countered with cunning and precision, morphing his limbs just before impact to confound my defense. It was as if he anticipated my every move before I executed it. Amidst the tumult, I searched for his vulnerability, parrying and attacking in a relentless dance of steel. Our combat resembled two intertwining tornadoes, each unyielding, in constant pursuit. A thrust met by a dodge, followed by a counterstrike. I blocked a kick and spun, lunging forward sharply, but Mahito was prepared, blocking with his forearms. In a swift maneuver, I dropped into a squat for a sweeping strike, aiming to catch him off guard, yet Mahito, ever vigilant, leaped back in time, evading my attack.

As the battle intensified, my experience wasn't solely about resisting Mahito's attacks. Each engagement, whether through strikes, blocks, or evasions, deepened my immersion in the combat's thrill. My cursed energy, fueled by a seething rage, circulated within me more fluidly and naturally than ever before, reminding me of a similarly intense feeling from the past. In a pivotal moment, I launched myself high above Mahito, descending with a vertical slash aimed to cleave him in two.

**Black Flash!**

My sword, engulfed in flames and charged with the Black Flash, cut through Mahito's flesh. Yet, at the last second, Mahito's form burst, evading my attack as my blade cleaved through air, striking the ground with formidable force. The impact unleashed a fierce wave of fire, annihilating everything in its path, leaving only ashes and ruin.

"You seem somewhat distant and quiet," I remarked, turning to see Mahito emerging from beneath a sewer cover. His response was a burst of deranged laughter, reverberating through the surroundings.

"What a rush! What inspiration! Your hatred, your eagerness to defeat me—it's exhilarating! Yes! This is precisely what I desired!" Mahito exclaimed, his expression contorting into a twisted grin. "I retract my previous sentiments, Sorcerer. The absence of 'Sukuna's vessel' is inconsequential, for your malice has more than compensated..."

"You're too loud," I interjected, unimpressed by his rant, feigning disinterest with a gesture towards my ear.

"You've been of great assistance, Sorcerer," Mahito conceded, adopting a calmer tone. "As recompense, I'll grant you the end your malice has conjured!"

At that moment, Mahito initiated hand seals for the first time in our confrontation.

"God knows, I endeavored to vanquish you before you could perfect this technique... But if that's the case, why shouldn't I shatter your arrogance, just as you've shattered the lives of countless others?"

**Domain Expansion 'Self-Embodiment of Perfection'!!!**

Suddenly, we were surrounded by myriad hands intertwining, forming a barrier that inexorably tightened around us, isolating me from the external world.

"I find myself profoundly grateful to you, Sorcerer," Mahito stated, a serene smile on his face.

"Do you understand the original purpose of 'Domain Expansion'?" I inquired, addressing the curse directly, while disregarding the unsettling sensation coursing through me.

"No," Mahito replied, curiosity piqued. "Do tell, if it's not a secret."

"Sorcerers have been battling curses since the dawn of time, facing adversaries with peculiar abilities or extraordinary strength. For such formidable foes, a special technique was devised," I explained, absentmindedly scratching the back of my head as I scanned our surroundings. "This technique, known as 'Domain Expansion,' represents the zenith of a Sorcerer's power. Its activation not only signifies the intent to completely annihilate the target but also underscores the immense skill required to master it. It's the pinnacle of sorcery, embodying the ultimate mastery a Sorcerer can achieve."

Mahito's response was a saccharine smile. "Fascinating... Given your knowledge, you're fully aware of what's coming, aren't you?"

I shrugged. "To initiate your technique, physical contact with the victim is essential. By establishing your domain, you saturate the area with your cursed energy, effectively..."

"Capturing you within my grasp," Mahito interjected, a smirk spreading across his face as the hands forming our enclosure began to move, one positioning itself beneath my feet. "Any last words?"

Ignoring his taunt, I posed a question. "Are you aware of what Yuji, Junpei, and the Sorcerer you encountered in the sewers were up to?"

Mahito yawned theatrically. "Should I care?"

"They've moved all the students and teachers to safety, beyond this battlefield," I continued, disregarding his mockery. "And do you know my role at the outset of my journey as a Sorcerer?"

Mahito's response was curt. "Irrelevant."

A shiver coursed through me, instigating a wave of nausea. "I began as a hunter," I revealed, weaving thin strands of spiritual energy towards the traps I had laid out, all while maintaining our dialogue. "And a prudent hunter never pursues their quarry unprepared."

The sensation intensified, leading to a migraine.

At times, I question my sanity. I could invoke my 'Domain Expansion' to prevent Mahito from tampering with my soul, but I opted for a trial by fire—to test my soul's resilience against him. A reckless, perhaps foolish decision…

"Allow me to impart a final lesson," I persisted, fighting off the effects of Mahito's cursed technique. "Barrier techniques are governed by myriad rules and configurations, but one principle stands paramount: the more resistance from within, the weaker the barrier externally. Given that your domain serves as such a barrier to contain me, it implies..."

I had the power to end Mahito with 'Domain Expansion,' but driven by anger, I chose to confront his arrogance directly, employing a simple yet effective strategy I perfected after mastering the ninth sequence and advancing to the seventh.

"That I can blow us up and you can't do anything about it."

Before Junpei's arrival at the school, I had meticulously prepared, strategically placing traps throughout the inner courtyard. Leveraging my [Trap Mastery] skill, I identified the ideal locations for their concealed placement within the environment. These traps were made feasible through the fourth Aspect — "Delay Explosions." This aspect enabled me to manipulate the structure of fireballs using additional spiritual energy, transforming them into fire bombs. These bombs were designed to detonate not upon immediate contact but at a precisely determined moment. Furthermore, the fifth Aspect — "Area of Effect," allowed me to direct the explosions' main destructive force in a specific direction, purposefully luring Mahito to this location during our confrontation. Here, at the heart of his territory's barrier, lay the culmination of my trap preparations.

Upon activating the traps, it was as though Mahito and I were suddenly encircled by four battleships unleashing a barrage upon us.

Almost immediately, the barrier enveloping us trembled violently. A moment later, Mahito's created space began to disintegrate, akin to a sandcastle succumbing to the relentless tide — a tide of fire that swiftly engulfed both Mahito and myself.

Utilizing the fifth Aspect — "Area of Effect" once more, I channeled the flame's energy upwards, aiming to shield the school building from the onslaught. From the epicenter of the inner courtyard, a towering pillar of crimson flame erupted skyward. Upon reaching the dark veil overhead, the fire dispersed, fragmenting into myriad glimmering streams.

"Bastard," I muttered, gritting my teeth.

Maintaining my focus through "Spiritual Vision," I fixed a penetrating stare on the shadowy figure perched atop the school roof. Cradled in its arms was Mahito, now assuming the guise of an infant.