The Cursed Bounty Hunter - Finale

**Maki Pov**

Maki rolls her shoulders as she takes a deep breath and exhales. She feels a rush of unbridled power thrumming under her skin as if for the first time, she feels truly alive.

Maki: Is this the true potential of my heavenly restriction?!

Maki laughs with glee feeling like she can do anything.

Maki: I feel amazing!

She turns her attention to the clone who seems to have frozen in place, looking over her shoulder before suddenly making a run in the direction.

Maki: Oh no, you don't.

Maki intercepts the clone and cuts him off, dodging under a wild swing, grabbing the clone by the throat and slamming it into the ground so hard it creates a mini crater with spider-like webs in the ground.

She grins widely as she picks the clone up and tosses it towards a tree. The clone rights itself mid-air trying to counter-attack but Maki doesn't let up. Moving so fast, she appears in front of the clone's face and stomps it into the tree, breaking it in half.

She watches as the clone skids on the ground flips upright and immediately sends a barrage of black tendrils towards her. Maki runs straight at black tendrils and easily dodges, weaves and evades the barrage.

The clone tries to form a shield with the black tendrils but Maki punches right through the shield with no effort whatsoever.

Maki: Peek-A-Boo.

Maki dodges a punch, grabs the clone's wrist and shoulder bashes it. She elbows it in the face, hits it with a backhand, kicks it shin and pulls his wrist causing it to fall into a kneeling position.

She brings up her knee hitting it in the face and stomps it into the ground with an axe kick. She picks the clone up by its wrist, throws it over her shoulder and slams it so hard into the ground that it bounces back up.

She roundhouse kicks the clone so hard, sending it flying toward Takuto and the bounty hunter. She runs after the clone, picking up her polearm along the way.

**Takuto**

Takuto: Once I'm done with you. There will be nothing left but specks of blood.

Takuto glares hatefully at Kuroshu. Takuto's Awakened Heaven's Eyes are glowing bright crimson with wisps of cursed energy surrounding his eyes.

Kuroshu: W-what the he--

Takuto: Fuck off and die, you bastard.

Takuto growls, as he teleports in front of Kuroshu with a vicious haymaker at the ready. Kuroshu blocks the punch but is sent skidding back.

Kuroshu: How is he stronger?!

Kuroshu thinks in shock as he blocks a combo of punches, each punch feeling more powerful than the last. He jumps back trying to gain distance and recover from Takuto's vicious assault.

Takuto: Stop running you trash and just die already!

Takuto appears to Kuroshu's right, hitting him with a right hook, which is blocked. He teleports to his left with a heel kick, which is blocked. He teleports in front of him with an uppercut, which is barely blocked.

Takuto continues teleporting to Kuroshu's left, right and front in quick succession with kicks and punches, which Kuroshu manages to block. Feeling frustrated Takuto teleports so fast that he creates three afterimages of himself.

Kuroshu blocks another punch from his right by Takuto but is taken completely off guard by a punch to the back of his head, then a punch to his gut and then an axe kick which sends him straight to the ground.

Kuroshu quickly recovers and rolls out of the way of the following kick which misses leaving a crater in its wake. Kuroshu jumps back again managing to get some distance and makes a hand sign.

Kuroshu: Cursed Flames: Searing Migraine.

Takuto: Cursed Flames: Searing Migraine.

Takuto perfectly copies his hand sign and cursed energy manipulation and copies his technique. They both send a blast of fire, that collides and cancels each other out.

As the dust settles Takuto and Kuroshu stand a distance away from each other both glaring at each other. From their right side, the clone sails through the air landing right next to Kuroshu and lies unmoving to the shock of Kuroshu and Takuto.

Maki with her polearm in hand arrives right after coming to a stop next to Takuto with her uniform damaged but looking perfectly fine.

Takuto: And here I thought you kicked the bucket.

Takuto: S-she's alive?!

Maki: Have some faith, Taku.

Maki returns his grin both of them relieved that the other is alright. Maki notices the change in his Heaven's Eyes and his whole demeanour seems more unhinged and sinister.

Maki: He feels different... Almost as if he's an entirely different person.

Before Maki can voice her thoughts, Kuroshu sends a massive barrage of tendril spikes at them. Maki feels a tap on her back as Takuto teleports away. Maki twirls her polearm and runs right at the spikes, swiftly and effortlessly destroying them with her polearm.

Takuto phases right through Kuroshu's shield wall and kicks him in the face, sending him skidding back.

Maki suddenly appears at Kuroshu's left with a horizontal swing of her polearm cutting off his black tendril left hand.

Kuroshu curses at the pain and sends a tendril spike at Maki, who easily blocks it but her polearm is destroyed at the handle. Kuroshu sends another tendril spike at Maki.

Suddenly Maki disappears with Takuto appearing in her place with the tendril spike harmlessly phasing through him. Maki quickly recovers from the sudden teleportation and kicks Kuroshu in the side.

Takuto grabs Kuroshu's wrist, breaks his arm with a sickening crunch sound and rips his arm off. Kuroshu howls in pain. Takuto smiles with sadistic glee.

Maki hits Kuroshu with two quick jabs to the side of the head and then hits him with a roundhouse kick so hard the stitches on his collarbone and jaw tear. Kuroshu makes a gurgling sound of pain.

Kuroshu manages to hit Maki with a tendril which she blocks but is sent skidding away. Kuroshu turns his attention to Takuto but all he feels is an intense blinding pain.

Takuto lands a Black Flash on Kuroshu, blowing a hole right through his chest and sending him flying back from the shockwave.

Takuto concentrates and gathers his cursed energy to perform a powerful and destructive technique that Gojo had shown him a year ago on his birthday. A vibrant purple aura crackling with energy envelops his entire body. He makes a hand sign that extends the index and pinky fingers outward while leaving the rest folded.

Takuto: Hollow Technique: Purple

He switches to a pinching motion using the pointer and thumb while also extending the middle finger. The space distorts in a vortex-like manner as a ball of purple forms and launches toward Kuroshu while destroying everything in its path.

Takuto: Fuck...That took a lot out of me.

Takuto groans and grunts in pain as blood leaks from his Awakened Heaven's Eyes. He grimaces as he coughs up a bit of blood.

Takuto: That was overkill...

Takuto: He hurt Maki...

Takuto mutters as he wipes the blood from his mouth and eyes as he looks at the destruction caused by the technique. He looks up as the veil falls apart, just as Maki walks up to him with her broken polearm in hand.

Maki: You look like shit.

Takuto: I feel like shit.

Takuto chuckles as he pulls Maki in for a tight hug who hugs his back just as tightly. Maki pulls back slightly and catches him off guard with a deep hungry kiss but immediately pulls back with a grimace.

Maki: Your mouth tastes like blood.

Takuto: You kissed me.

He shrugs and chuckles when she rolls her eyes at him. She looks around them at the destruction and opens her mouth to say something but passes out before she can get a word out, as her minuscule cursed energy is replenished.

Takuto: And out she goes.

Takuto smiles amused as he picks her up in a princess carry. He takes one last look around and checks for any cursed energy. Satisfied he teleports away.

**Time Skip**

After dropping off Maki at Shoko to be looked over and made sure she's okay. Takuto teleports to his dorm room to clean up. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he flops down on his bed exhausted and closes his eyes.

**Mindscape**

Takuto opens his eyes and finds himself standing in his childhood room back at the Takanashi compound. He looks around and then heads out the door.

Takuto: Hey?! You still here you blank-faced fuck.

Takuto: Fuck off asshole.

Takuto grins as he hears the voice coming from downstairs in the living room. He enters the empty living room and comes face to face with his other self. The only difference between them is that Takuto has the Awakened Heaven's Eyes while his other self only has the Heaven's Eyes.

Takuto reaches behind himself as a chair materialises and takes a seat. He looks at his other self with a condescending sneer.

Takuto: You should be on your knees thanking me for saving your ass, you hear me? When will you get it through that dumb fuck head of yours that I'm better than you? You need me.

Takuto: I don't need you. You need me. You forget that this place and I were made to keep that fractured head of yours in one piece.

Takuto stares at him indifferently as he gestures around himself.

Takuto: Shut the fuck up! I want my life back! I want my revenge!

Takuto stands up and kicks the chair aside, making it disappear as he shouts in Takuto's face. Takuto stares at him blankly unfazed by his erratic behaviour.

Takuto: You'll get your life back when you're not a danger to those around you. You'll get it back when I know I can trust you around Maki.

Takuto: You motherfucker! How dare you insinuate that I would do something to hurt her?!

Takuto:...I don't trust you. Now do us both a favour and go back in your hole.

Just as Takuto finishes speaking. A bunch of chains materialise and wrap around Takuto, dragging him down deeper into the Mindscape where he belongs. Takuto glares at him all the while.

Takuto:...I'm sorry...