Yo. It has been a while. I have fast fingers so you'll see me upload multiple chapters a day usually, but I do take rest days, so don't worry about me. -Seth
_________________________________________________________________________________
[Auther: I kind of...forget if I went over this part or not so pretend it's a recap.]
As the intensity of the battle reaches its peak, Aoi's words resonate in the air, filled with confident energy. "Yuji," he says, his tone firm yet encouraging, "you're twice the chef you were before. Let's show this curse what real cooking looks like."
Yuji, standing by his best friend's side, feels a surge of determination. He clenches his fists, his muscles tensing as he prepares for the next clash. "Right," Yuji agrees, his voice resolute. "Let's get to cooking."1
Across from them, Hanami watches the duo with a mixture of caution and excitement. The cursed spirit, who had underestimated Yuji earlier, now recognizes the immense physicality the young sorcerer possesses.
Hanami's arm, still throbbing from the previous Black Flash, begins to heal itself. The cursed energy flows through his body, knitting together the damaged tissue as he prepares for the next round.
"I underestimated you both," Hanami admits, his tone serious yet tinged with excitement. He raises his left arm, revealing a grotesque transformation as thick, twisted roots emerge from it, pulsating with cursed energy. "But now, it's time for me to get serious." Hanami removes the cloth around his arm, revealing a black with white fingers and a large flower ornament.
Without hesitation, Hanami summons giant roots that burst from the ground, snaking through the battlefield with terrifying speed. The roots move with an almost sentient awareness, their tips sharp and deadly as they lash out at Yuji and Aoi. The range of the attack is staggering, filling the entire area with a network of deadly vines.
Yuji, his eyes wide with surprise, barely dodges the first root that whips past him. "The range is insane!" he exclaims, his heart pounding in his chest. The roots seem to be everywhere at once, cutting off any attempt to close the distance.
Aoi, however, remains calm, his mind working at lightning speed to devise a strategy. "He's sacrificing speed and power for range," Aoi observes, his voice steady. "That's our opening, Yuji!"
With a quick nod, Yuji follows Aoi's lead. The two sorcerers move in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized as they dart through the onslaught of roots. Each step is calculated, each dodge precise as they weave through the barrage, steadily closing the gap between themselves and Hanami.
As they near their target, Yuji and Aoi launch a coordinated strike, their fists aimed directly at Hanami. The impact is powerful, the force of their combined attack sending shockwaves through the cursed spirit's body.
But just as they prepare to follow up with another blow, something unexpected happens. The roots, which had been so aggressively attacking them, suddenly vanish, as if they were never there. The ground beneath Yuji and Aoi gives way, leaving them without footing.
"What—?!" Yuji gasps as he feels himself begin to fall.
Hanami, taking advantage of their momentary loss of balance, prepares to strike. The cursed spirit's eyes gleam with malevolence as he sends another wave of roots spiraling toward them, intent on skewering the two sorcerers mid-air.
But Yuji and Aoi, even amid their fall, refuse to be caught off guard. With a split-second decision, they kick off each other's feet, using the momentum to propel themselves in opposite directions. The roots narrowly miss them, stabbing into the ground where they had been just moments before.
Landing with a roll, Yuji and Aoi quickly regain their footing. The two sorcerers share a glance, a silent understanding passing between them.
Hanami, now recognizing the full extent of their abilities, can't help but feel a thrill of excitement.
As Yuji and Aoi relentlessly press their assault against Hanami, the cursed spirit can't help but recall a conversation with Mahito. The patch-faced curse had once reminded him that, despite being labeled "Special Grade," they are still curses at their core and should savor the thrill of battle.
Now, amidst the furious exchange of blows with Yuji, Hanami feels that exhilaration. Every strike, every dodge, and every impact sends a jolt of satisfaction through him. "Mahito...I'm enjoying the thrill of a fight!"
"You're strong," Hanami admits, blocking Yuji's kick and countering with a powerful swipe. "Strong enough to make me feel alive." However, Yuji was becoming a problem, so naturally Hanami had to get rid of him.
Hanami, now fully engaged in the battle, notices the toll Yuji's relentless assault has taken on him. The four consecutive Black Flashes Yuji had landed earlier had left a significant dent in Hanami's defenses.
Even with his ability to heal, Hanami feels his cursed energy draining faster than he can replenish it. The realization sets in—if this continues, defeat is a real possibility.
Desperate to turn the tide, Hanami shoots out four Cursed Buds—small, insidious seeds designed to burrow into their target and drain cursed energy. These buds are the same ones that had incapacitated Megumi earlier, and Hanami hopes they will have a similar effect on Yuji.
But Aoi Todo, ever vigilant, recognizes the danger. Without hesitation, he claps his hands, activating Boogie Woogie to switch places with Yuji, positioning himself to take the brunt of the attack. As the buds fly toward him, Aoi focuses his cursed energy on defense, bracing for impact.
Suddenly, a thought strikes Aoi, and his surroundings shift. He finds himself in a familiar, yet surreal setting—a classroom. Sitting beside him is none other than Takada-chan, his favorite idol, whom he's never actually met. In this imagined scenario, Takada-chan leans over, her expression thoughtful as she asks, "Todo-kun, what about Megumi's wounds from those Cursed Buds? How did they work?"
Aoi ponders this in a dreamlike state, his mind racing through the mechanics of the Cursed Buds. He recalls that these buds absorb cursed energy to grow stronger, and it dawns on him—blocking them with cursed energy is precisely what feeds them.
Back in the real world, Aoi's eyes snap open with clarity. Just as the Cursed Buds reach him, he deactivates all his cursed energy. The buds, deprived of the energy they need to burrow and grow, bounce harmlessly off his arms, falling to the ground with no effect.
Hanami's eyes widen in shock. He hadn't anticipated this. "You two...truly are Jujutsu Sorcerors!"
Todo Aoi, unfazed accepts the gratitude. 'I've got to thank Takada-chan for this on her next handshake event.'
Yuji, sensing the shift in momentum, doesn't hesitate. He slams his foot into Hanami, sending the cursed spirit flying back to the riverbed where their battle first began. The impact is tremendous, causing the ground to tremble as Hanami crashes into the earth.
Aoi lands beside Yuji, his usual confidence radiating off him as they prepare to finish the fight. "Tired?" he asks, his voice steady. "Nah," Yuji replies, relaxing his muscles before charging back in.
_________________________________________________________________________
[Auther: If Sukuna had taken over Todo Aoi, he would've realized, how to beat Gojo with that 530k IQ.
1. I'll explain why Yuji's physical stats are growing even more than usual.
2. I've written Hanami as male more than female due to it being easy to imagine in my head. But feel free to keep your headcanon.
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
I tagged this book, come and support me with a thumbs up!