Chapter 64: Half a Chapter

Aleph's surgery was the first throughout history. His case proved that the Soldier Project could really succeed. Mobius spared no efforts and pulled him over to run diagnostics.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

"Toughness beyond a diamond's… were the teeth a special section?"

"The nails are roughly the same."

"Your irises don't contract in light."

Mobius had the slight urge to place him in a dissection table. However, she could still manage to control herself.

"How was your strength?" She asked.

"I can still control it normally. Look."

Aleph pressed on the metal bench he was sitting on. His finger didn't leave a mold on the metal. 

"Try it here."

"Hm?"

He was caught off guard when Mobius presented her palm. He understood what she meant by now.

Just like the bench, he pressed his finger on her palm.

'It's soft.' He retorted himself inwardly, 'That's obvious, sherlock.'

Aleph's control shocked Mobius. He could already control his "sudden" surge of strength in a matter of minutes. What she didn't know was that he was already strong in the past, albeit with cursed energy enhancement.

Just as he continued playing on her palm, she took it back. It left Aleph awkwardly staring at her.

Klein, who was working on the background, was oblivious to it.

"Sir Aleph's readings matched the original honkai beast."

Her words made Mobius snap back to reality.

"Do you feel something else?" She asked him.

"Hm, there are some things beneath my skin. It's similar to intentionally making your fingernails grow."

"Can you show it?"

"Um."

Before Aleph revealed it, an invisible domain wrapped his three meter radius. Sphere Boundary worked wonders when it comes to concealment, more so when he wasn't fighting.

Crack.

Crack.

Psshk.

Slowly, black scales appeared on his arm. A noticeable bulge could be seen on his forehead. His pupils turned into something akin to a dragon's.

"That's it. I can't do it any further." He stated. "My strength should be increased in this state. As to how much, it needs more testing."

For the time being, the trio worked on all sorts of diagnostics. Only when an entire night passed was it completed. Klein was sent to rest first, leaving the two alone inside the diagnostics room.

Seeing her excited look, Aleph immediately read her thoughts.

"It seems like you can't wait that long."

"..."

Mobius pursed her lips. She realized that her current state was far different from her usual self.

"You better sleep first. I'll preside over your surgery tonight."

"...Alright. We'll continue the diagnostics over the next few days."

"Yes, yes. I won't leave here for a week."

Mobius paused upon hearing that.

"What about director Einstein?"

"I used up a week-long break I saved up."

"...Alright."

Mobius soon left the diagnostics room.

'Great Sage. Scan my current mental condition.'

{Result: Huge mental fluctuations have been detected. It is the result of the new genome added within the physical body. It is estimated to disappear once the body completely adapts to it.}

"Hm…"

After the surgery, Aleph put aside several things to focus on "reading" his body's condition. He immediately saw that the honkai energy inside his body was being converted into cursed energy the moment he mobilizes them.

That's right, cursed energy.

Prior to the surgery, his cursed energy existed metaphysically. It was similar to Qi that existed in the boundaries of soul and body. The honkai energy in his body served as a backup cursed energy source of sorts.

'I need to test it out… quickly.'

Aleph got off the bench and opened his bag inside the room. There were several clothes inside it along with a thin silver card.

It has been more than five days since he visited Kashimo. In a blink, he returned to the familiar ruined city landscape.

Kashimo was sitting on one of the rubbles when he sensed Aleph's return. This time, he sent out an incredulous look at him.

"What did you do, kid?"

"Some improvements."

"...You're reminding me of someone."

"Who?"

"Yuuji Itadori."

A familiar name popped out from his mouth. Kashimo told Aleph several stories about "Itadori". His physical strength, for example, far exceeded a grade one sorcerer's. By the time they were about to fight Ryoumen Sukuna, he was able to withstand copious amounts of physical training.

"I know you're itching for a fight. Come."

Hearing these words, Aleph didn't hesitate any further. He was wearing the black skinsuit he wore during the simulated battle inside MOTH's military base. It was torn apart by the scales that emerged out of his entire body. The bulging horn on his forehead became more noticeable.

By the time the scales covered more than a quarter of his body, the transformation stopped. He felt he couldn't go any further, as if there was "nothing left" to do.

Aleph knew that this state was similar to the Active Honkai Reaction that turns someone into the source of their ICHOR (Intra-Chromosomal Honkai Gene Repeats). His case was unheard of. Aleph attributed it to the 'Adaptation' phenomenon of the locked cursed technique. It did something to his body moments before he was about to die.

Crack.

Crack.

Pop.

Just by stretching his arms, the sound of bones popping emerged. 

'Hm… As strong as my cursed energy enhancement at its maximum. If it's superimposed now…'

Sparks of black-purple energy came out of nowhere. Kashimo felt an ever-growing sense of danger from Aleph, more so when he completed his transformation.

'It's that guy…'

Someone's name popped up in Kashimo's mind. Although Aleph was far inferior—mainly due to the difference in cursed energy reserves—its output reminded Kashimo of him.

It was completely strange to get reminded of two different people on one person.

Bam-!

Zoom-!

Their figures turned into a blur. Kashimo's body was no longer in its normal form. Half of it became coated in buzzing electric arcs. It was the pseudo-transformation state he learned to prolong his usage of his self-destructive cursed technique. 

Kashimo was visibly faster than Aleph, yet the latter seemed to be able to keep track of his movements.

'Three… Two… One… There..!'

Bam-!

Buzz-!

The Durandal in Aleph's hand clashed with the Nyoi Staff. A current of electricity surged from it. It traveled through Durandal's metallic blade before reaching Aleph.

Bam-!

Despite his ratio technique cutting one of the staff's ends, Aleph was thrown back by Kashimo's blow. The electric current swimming on his entire body caused burn marks to appear on his skin.

The black suit was tattered in one confrontation.

'It went through.'

Aleph was slightly surprised to discover that his Territory which protected him from phenomena alteration fail for the first time.

'The cursed energy.. no. It's the attack itself.'

Originally, with this territory active, only physical attacks and indirect effects could harm him, such as the heat emitted by a fire.

In this case, Kashimo's lightning was the 'heat' emitted by the fire. It was strangely in the scope of 'physical attacks'.

'It stings…'

{Result: Second degree burns are present all over your arms. Immediate medication is required to recover.}

Seeing this, Aleph was dumbfounded. One strike was enough to injure him that bad.

Crunch-!

The senzu bean inside his mouth was chewed. The moment he did so, the threatening injuries all over his body began healing at a drastic speed.

However, that time window was enough for Kashimo to launch a second strike.

Sou-!

Aleph avoided one of his electrified attacks, only to be met with a thrusting attack.

Bam-!

Buzz-!

This time, he was thrown midair. The second senzu bean popped in his mouth, instantly healing Aleph of all his injuries. Although the pain was intense, Aleph remained focused on Kashimo's figure.

By the time the latter catapulted to his location, Aleph threw away his Durandal at him. It created a window for Aleph to attack.

Clang-!

Kashimo was about to strike when a silver streak blitzed through his left hand. The sensation of flesh being torn appeared on his left hand. Blood dripped amongst the electric arcs.

Nevertheless, he didn't appear to be affected much, except for a brief surprise. He carried out his planned punches.

Bam-!

Buzz-!

Aleph was struck with a three-move combo, landing in the ground with burn injuries all over his body.

'So that's it. Manipulation of electrical phenomena... That's your true cursed technique.'

It was the first time Kashimo used his pseudo-state. Aleph saw how strong it was now.

Despite his injured state, Aleph let out a smile. A plan was slowly put together in his mind.

'Binding vows, right...'

*****

A/N: Welp, Heian Era Binding Vows (TL: Asspulls) that is. Just kidding. Binding Vows are one of the fun things JJK has. It broke the stereotype of shonen manga characters explaining their abilities without any clear benefit whatsoever. It's just that flexible, though Gege was the one who put its flexibility to its limits. With all the somewhat reasonable (yes, reasonable, even I am convinced by them) "asspulls" he did through Binding Vows, that's not an understatement. Nevertheless, it doesn't diminish my wants to meet Gege (Yes, for a small talk ^.^).