Chapter 37. The Point of "Death" (Part 7)

Knowing what awaited me in Shibuya, I didn't just sit idle, waiting for the enemy to make the first move. Absolutely not. In the ten days I had for preparation, I made sure to use every moment to my advantage and did something even Satoru initially opposed.

At this very moment, the entire Shibuya station and the surrounding area for several kilometers had become the most explosive place on Earth. Using the "Fourth Aspect: Delay Explosions" I accomplished what I previously thought impossible — I created as many "fire bombs" with a two-week delayed detonation as my spiritual energy could handle.

Both Satoru and Kokichi called it madness, an unjustifiable risk and sacrifice, but I would describe it as the true embodiment of my first sequence, the "Hunter." Everything around me was part of a grand trap for the most dangerous and ferocious beast I had ever hunted. The whole area had turned into one gigantic explosive snare!

From the beginning, I knew Shibuya would be the arena for our battle. The never-sleeping district of Tokyo, with its bright neon lights and endless streams of people, had now become a place where every building, every street was laced with my "fire bombs" and other traps — over several thousand in total. Every traffic light, every sign, even the slightest crack in the pavement was charged with my "fire bombs," lying in wait.

Of course, I was against unnecessary civilian casualties, as I wanted to change this world, not destroy it. However, if it came down to it, I would do what needed to be done. For now, I didn't need to worry about that, as while I fought Sukuna, I exploited the main advantage of his domain, using it against him. Since his domain expansion wasn't confined by a barrier, I could freely communicate with Kokichi, allowing me to know that there was no one within several hundred meters of us on the surface.

At the right moment, I sent a pulse of spiritual energy into the ground, which spread through the area like an echo. Simultaneously, in less than a second, two hundred and twenty-eight "fire bombs" were activated. In the next instant, everything within an imagined circle with a fifty-meter radius encompassing the street was lifted into the air.

A powerful explosion tore through the ground and air. Flames erupted with blinding light, consuming everything around. The shockwave surged through the street with incredible force, tearing up the asphalt, crushing buildings, and shattering glass into pieces. Houses and cars were lifted into the air and scattered like toys under the immense power. The sound wave was so powerful that you could feel its vibration in every cell of your body, rendering you deaf and paralyzed.

The fire spread swiftly, its tongues licking the walls of buildings, turning them into charred ruins. The blast wave punched through walls and roofs, destroying everything in its path. The pressure was so intense that trees were uprooted, and metal structures bent and broke as if they were made of paper. Debris and ash filled the air, creating a dense veil through which hardly anything could be seen.

The explosion's energy was so immense that the very fabric of space seemed distorted. About one-tenth of the spiritual energy I had been frantically expending and replenishing over ten days was used in this destructive and slightly... terroristic act.

The fire consumed oxygen, creating vacuum zones where breathing was impossible. The temperature soared to such extremes that the reinforced concrete not only melted but at certain points even began to vaporize.

Sukuna, at the epicenter of the blast, felt the full force of the destruction. His sanctuary, his pride and strength, began to crumble. Walls of bone cracked and shattered, falling to the ground and turning to dust. The bas-reliefs symbolizing his power and might were obliterated by the fire and shockwave. The platform on which he stood trembled and fractured, losing its stability.

His domain, which once seemed impregnable and eternal, was collapsing under the onslaught of my trap. The majestic walls he had created were now buried under rubble and flame. Sukuna, surrounded by this chaos, felt his strength waning. His eyes, full of anger and fury, met mine, and I saw in them an understanding—he realized he had fallen into my trap.

"Bastard," the King of Curses sneered, locking his gaze on me. "So this was your plan all along? How intriguing, how treacherous, and... how low. But I like it!"

Looking at this lunatic, knowing that all I had achieved was making him waste his cursed energy to expand his domain... it was infuriating. This explosion was the result of an entire day of creating "fire bombs," restoring spiritual energy, creating more "fire bombs," and so on. But he was unfazed!

"A 'Conspirer' knows no such concepts as treachery and baseness," the next words I uttered were imbued with high-level [Conspiracy]. "However, to understand this, you will have to see the world through my eyes."

Before he could respond, I launched into an attack. A strike, another one, a kick to the stomach. Our battle turned into a storm. I had to hurry! I had to move even faster! I couldn't stay in a place where there were no more traps. Until Sukuna activated his domain again, I needed to move our fight to where my traps were set!

[Conspiracy] was supposed to help, distorting the direction we were moving and the feelings Sukuna had about it. However, I was certain that with his power, the effect of [Conspiracy] wouldn't last long, so I had to double my speed!

We exchanged blows with incredible speed. Sukuna, with his four malevolent eyes, tracked my every move. His fists and legs moved like lightning, but I kept up. I delivered blows with such force and speed that the air trembled around us.

I dodged his attacks, landing my strikes repeatedly. My fists and legs blazed with fire, each hit accompanied by flashes of light. I felt my energy surging, and every moment was filled with tension.

At a certain point, Sukuna, once again proving his might and title as the "Strongest," halted my assault. Two long slashes, one after the other with barely any interval, struck me. The first cut through my armor, and the second tore across my chest, leaving a long, deep wound that exposed bone. Just over a minute had passed, and his technique had already recovered to such a level... But I had no time to think! The Reverse Cursed Technique was already at work. Gathering strength in my legs, I lunged at Sukuna once more.

However, that brief pause was enough for Sukuna to widen the distance between us slightly.

"There's no spirit in our fight… And that's because you're still holding back, Sorcerer. Well, that just means I need to force you to show what you're hiding. Sukehiro Yami! Give me everything you've got and show me the true power of a Sorcerer from this era!" Sukuna roared fiercely, crossing his fingers once again. "Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine!"

Once more, that eerie, all-too-familiar sanctuary rose before my eyes. Giant ribs emerged from the ground again, and in their shadows lay heaps of skulls and bones piled chaotically. This time, however, Sukuna stood at the shrine's base, his eyes gleaming with malice and satisfaction.

I felt the pressure around us intensify, the air thickening with the power of his domain. I knew the battle was about to become even more ferocious. With each passing moment, I could feel Sukuna's energy filling the entire space.

"You're wrong about one thing," I said, clenching my fists and preparing for the next round. "First and foremost, I am a hunter… And I don't follow the lead of the beast."

And once again, chaos erupted around us. A powerful explosion, even stronger than the previous one, shook the area.

This time, the blast was so immense that it felt as if the very ground vanished beneath our feet. The air instantly heated to the limit, and a blinding light flooded everything around. Flames erupted at the epicenter, shooting skyward like a gigantic volcano spewing lava. The shockwave swept through the street, obliterating everything in its path with incredible speed and force.

Buildings nearby shattered into pieces, their debris soaring into the air like explosive shrapnel.

The sound wave hit with such force that all windows within several kilometers instantly shattered, scattering into tiny fragments. The wind from the explosion was so intense that it felt like it was tearing the skin off your face. The temperature at the epicenter rose to incredible heights, melting everything in its path. Asphalt melted and flowed downward, forming streams of hot bitumen.

Firestorms swirled around, lifting dust and ash into the air, creating massive clouds of smoke. The air was so thick with heat and debris that breathing became almost impossible. It seemed as if the entire world was descending into a fiery hell, and nothing could survive this destructive chaos.

The force of the explosion was so immense that the very foundations of buildings began to crack and collapse. The sound of destruction was deafening, and the ground trembled beneath our feet. Everything around us was engulfed in this raging torrent of fire and devastation.

His shrine, just recently restored, began to crumble again under the fury of my plan. The giant ribs that had just risen from the ground started to crack and fall apart like a house of cards. His domain, which seemed impregnable, began to disintegrate once more, consumed by the wave of destructive fire.

This time, however, I had ensured that Sukuna was at the very epicenter of the explosion, resulting in his body being burned almost seventy percent, and judging by his ethereal form, his insides were utterly scrambled.

Before the "King of Curses" could say anything, I sprang into action. We clashed again in a fierce and destructive fight.

Sukuna and I moved with such speed that our figures were barely discernible. Every blow we exchanged was accompanied by bursts of fire and sparks. My fists, enveloped in flames, darted towards Sukuna, while his counterattacks sliced through the air with a whistle. Despite his injuries, Sukuna fought with insane ferocity and strength, his movements quick and precise.

At one point, I dodged his strike and, seizing the moment, delivered a powerful kick to his stomach, sending him flying. However, he instantly recovered and returned to the attack. We exchanged blows, each capable of demolishing a building. With every clash, the ground beneath us shook, and the air filled with the smell of burning and ozone.

From our first encounter, I had realized that this bastard was incredibly tough and resilient. And now, with eleven fingers, it had become an even greater problem. The speed at which he healed from his injuries was simply unbelievable. But I continued to draw him into close combat, and there was a reason for that... namely, one of my aspects. Fully aware that the endurance of the "Sukuna" was insane, I had come to a single conclusion—I needed to take him out with one decisive attack.

Fortunately, while his cursed technique hadn't recovered yet, I could freely beat the crap out of him, preparing to end it all with one blow.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sensation of an enormous, ominous cursed energy. Yuta... Following this, Kokichi's voice sounded in my ear:

"Yuta Okkotsu has warned me that he's already in Shibuya."

"That wasn't necessary," I grimaced, feeling the owner of a cursed energy rivaling Sukuna's approaching the battlefield. "Tell him not to interfere until I break Sukuna's domain one more time."

"Now is not the time for pride!" Kokichi snapped.

"Remember — there are two kinds of battles: the ones to preserve life and the ones to preserve pride. Right now, I'm fighting in both, so show me a bit of respect and stop acting like some kind of nanny." I replied calmly, focusing my gaze on the "King of Curses."

"Looks like your friends want to spoil our fun," Sukuna remarked, a displeased glint in his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm more than enough," I smirked defiantly at him, readying myself for the next round of battle.