Clash

The room crackled with tension as Takashi and Fujin stood in a standoff, the air vibrating as Fujin's body became more distorted. Fujin's calmness was long gone, instead replaced with utter madness.

Unperturbed, Takashi observed the changes, his cursed energy defending him from the sharp currents of wind.

'Was I wrong? Could this truly be a Special Grade curse?' Takashi pondered with narrowed eyes. 'My ability couldn't influence its feelings, so it must be one.'

The torrent of wind and fury that Fujin had transformed into howled through the room, causing the very walls to tremble. With an ear-splitting roar that rivaled a storm, the curse lunged at Takashi.

"Roar!"

As Fujin charged, his swirling form seemed to solidify momentarily, and in his hand, he conjured a weapon with the wind itself. A jagged blade, translucent and shimmering with a green light, materialized in his grip. With a swift motion, he swung the blade towards Takashi, the wind howling around it adding to the weapon's deadly force.

"You're quite foolish, aren't you?"

Takashi mocked the curse as it entered the range of his weapon. With a flick of his wrist, he swung Playful Cloud in a wide arc towards Fujin's face. The weapon made contact with his head... or that's what Takashi expected to happen.

Widening his eyes in surprise, Takashi watched as Playful Cloud passed right through Fujin's head as if he were an illusion. The curse's form wavered and then reformed a few feet away, his mad laughter echoing through the room.

"Gotcha!" Fujin's distorted voice echoed, his form rippling like a mirage. It was as if he had manipulated the very wind to create a decoy, a projection of himself that Takashi's attack had passed through.

"What?" Takashi exclaimed, his surprise evident in his voice. Feeling a burning sensation on his cheek, he quickly realized that somehow Fujin has managed to graze him during their exchange. A shallow cut marked his cheek, and blood flowed down from the wound.

'So it wasn't just an illusion,' Takashi thought, as he wiped the blood off from his cheeks with the back of his hand.

Fujin's laughter echoed through the room, his form shifting and distorting as he reveled in the chaos he created. The winds around him seemed to intensify, carrying a sense of sharpness that matched his madness.

Takashi's eyes narrowed as his gaze remained fixed on Fujin, and with an exhale, he raised his leg, and slammed it down on the ground. The moment Takashi's foot struck the ground, shockwaves rippled through the entire room as it began to collapse.

The walls shuddered, and debris began to rain down as the room collapsed under Takashi's kick.

Fujin's laughter turned into a snarl as he was caught off guard by the sudden destruction. The winds that had been under his control began to spiral chaotically, his form flickering and distorting as he struggled to maintain his stability.

Takashi took advantage of the chaos, his amber eyes focused. He leaped towards Fujin, his Playful Cloud crackling with energy as he swung it in a wide arc. This time, the hit was true. The staff connected with Fujin's body, sending him through several walls.

Fujin's distorted form collided with the walls, the impact causing cracks to spread like spiderwebs through the already weakened structure. Dust and debris filled the air as Fujin's mad laughter was abruptly silenced, replaced by pained groans.

Takashi landed on the ground, his eyes still fixed on the chaos he had unleashed. Takashi threw Playful Cloud aside, and activated his Cursed Fire Manipulation technique.

With a fluid motion, he extended his arms, fingers forming a perfect archer's grip. The flames condensed into an ethereal bow made of fire, and a glowing arrow materialized between his fingers. The room's collapsing turmoil seemed to fade into the background as Takashi focused solely on his target.

Along with this, he also activated Encompassing Abyss, and drawed on more cursed energy from the surrounding to strengthen the arrow.

Time seemed to slow as he pulled back the fiery string, the tension building in the air around him. He locked onto the distorted form of Fujin, who was utterly clueless about the impending doom that was approaching him.

With a deep inhale, he released the fiery arrow. It streaked through the air with blinding speed, leaving a trail of crimson flames and destruction in its wake.

The arrow streaked through the air, its fiery trail blazing like a comet. The very atmosphere seemed to tremble in its wake as it closed in on Fujin's form. The curse, still struggling to regain its stability amidst the wreckage, turned towards the approaching arrow with a mix of surprise and fear.

The moment of impact was cataclysmic. The arrow struck Fujin's already weakened form, and the combination of Takashi's Cursed Fire Manipulation and the amplified energy from Encompassing Abyss unleashed a devastating explosion of crimson flames. The fiery inferno expanded outward with unimaginable force, consuming everything in its path.

The walls of the room cracked and splintered, unable to withstand the sheer intensity of the explosion. The flames engulfed Fujin's form, and then, like a cascade of destruction, they tore through the very structure of the school. The floorboards groaned and gave way, the ceilings collapsed, and windows shattered into shards.

Within moments, the entire building was consumed by the inferno. Flames roared and devoured every inch, turning the school into a blazing beacon of destruction. Smoke billowed into the sky, darkening the air with its acrid scent.

Takashi watched with a smirk as he jumped out of a nearby window, and landed safely on the ground.

As the flames subsided and the dust settled, a scene of utter devastation greeted his eyes. The once-proud institution now lay in ruins, its structures reduced to charred remnants and smoldering rubble. The flames had left nothing but destruction in their wake.

'Beautiful...' Takashi thought, the smirk still on his face, 'Eh? Am I a pyromaniac?'

As the smoke cleared, Takashi's triumphant smirk faded into a look of shock and disbelief. Amidst the charred ruins, a figure emerged, seemingly untouched by the inferno that had consumed the school. Fujin stood there, his form no longer distorted and monstrous, but now resembling that of a human. His features were sharp and his gaze piercing, his presence exuding an air of otherworldly power.

Takashi's heart pounded in his chest as he realized that Fujin had not only survived the explosion but had transformed into something entirely different. The curse's madness had been replaced by a cold, calculating demeanor, his eyes locked onto Takashi.

"...what?"

With a flick of his hand, Fujin dispersed the lingering flames around him, revealing the unscathed figure beneath. His lips curled into a chilling smile, and he spoke in a voice that seemed to resonate with a blend of amusement and malevolence.

"Impressive display, wouldn't you agree?" Fujin's voice carried a tone of amusement as he surveyed the destruction around them.

Takashi eyed the now human-like curse, 'Just what is his Cursed Technique? I thought it was just Wind Manipulation... but now he's even changing forms. Could it be that he has multiple?'

Fujin's smirk deepened as he noticed the confusion on Takashi's face. "Curious about my Cursed Technique, yes?" Fujin questioned, with an amused voice.