[21]: Individual Battle III

Yuta Okkotsu walked into the arena with a determined expression. The center of the battlefield was already scarred and damaged. Noritoshi Kamo stepped forward, stopping a short distance from Yuta.

Shin Shuichi tilted his head and glanced at Satoru Gojo. Though he didn't speak, his gaze was clear: 'Is Yuta going to be alright?' Gojo responded with a thumbs up, signaling that everything would be fine. While Shin didn't know how Gojo was so confident that Rika wouldn't cause any more issues, Gojo's assurance meant there was no need to worry.

After the two competitors bowed to each other, they quickly assumed battle stances, beginning their initial exchange. Noritoshi Kamo was skilled in martial arts. Using his cursed technique, he manipulated his blood, transforming it into weapons that could switch between close and long-range combat at will.

The weapons formed by the blood were also impressively strong and sharp. His earlier move condensed his blood into a blood-red circular blade that was extremely dangerous. Most ordinary weapons that clashed with it would likely be severed.

However, the sword Yuta wielded was a cursed tool, and with his ability to infuse it with cursed energy, he had little to fear from Kamo's blood techniques.

Yuta's talent was undeniable, a fact agreed upon by everyone after spending time with him. He quickly learned various skills, and his aptitude for combat was extraordinary. His progression from an ordinary person to mastering cursed energy and combat techniques was astonishing.

The others, by contrast, had a foundation. Maki was born into the Zen'in family, and despite being rejected due to her Heavenly Restriction, she still had the talent and background of a sorcerer. Panda, raised by Masamichi Yaga, had trained from a young age. Toge Inumaki, as a descendant of the Inumaki family of Cursed Speech users, inherited his clan's techniques, even though the family aimed to sever ties with sorcery.

Shin Shuichi and Megumi Fushiguro were raised by Gojo himself. Though Gojo could be unreliable at times, Shin's intelligence meant that as long as he had access to books and knowledge, he could learn anything.

Yuta, however, had been enrolled in the school for less than half a year, and his progress was already exceptional. His cursed energy was immense, even causing Gojo to marvel. It was likely this same immense talent that allowed Yuta to unintentionally create Rika in the first place.

After their initial probing, the fight intensified.

Yuta's blade, imbued with cursed energy, easily sliced through Noritoshi Kamo's two blades. Realizing that he couldn't wear Yuta down with long-range attacks, Kamo abandoned the tactic. Yuta's swordsmanship was highly skilled, and with cursed energy enhancing his speed, it was difficult for Kamo to keep up, though Yuta wasn't quite at the monstrous level of some others.

Seeing no other option, Kamo decided to use his Flowing Red Scale again, enhancing all of his physical attributes. Now, with his heightened abilities, he was finally able to contend with Yuta in close combat. Dodging one of Yuta's thrusts, Kamo's unexpected slash managed to cut Yuta's chest.

Just as Kamo was about to sustain an injury, several blood threads shot from his torn clothing, weaving into a net in midair that swiftly moved to trap Yuta. Shin Shuichi, watching the fight, raised an eyebrow.

'This move is called "Crimson Binding", right? It's actually not bad. Once it traps an enemy, it can't be cut through by physical means alone'

The blood net was made of rope-like threads, and even if a few were severed, it wouldn't make much difference as the caster could easily mend the net. To break free, either the sorcerer himself had to be threatened or the net had to be destroyed by a powerful cursed energy attack.

Yuta was too close, and his escape route had been blocked by the net. With no time to dodge, he instinctively swung his sword, slashing at the net. In the blink of an eye, his blade created several openings in the net.

However, Yuta quickly realized his mistake when the severed threads of the blood net swiftly reconnected, and he was trapped. Reacting quickly, Yuta surged his cursed energy, preparing to break free.

This brief moment of entrapment was exactly what Noritoshi had been waiting for. With his hands clasped together, he focused his energy on Yuta, compressing his blood to its utmost limit between his fingers.

"This is the move I couldn't land on Shin Shuichi before. Now you'll get to experience it. And with a healer present, I don't need to worry about serious injuries. This is the decisive moment."

Piercing Blood.

The compressed ball of blood was launched at Yuta with incredible speed. To the naked eye, it was little more than a blurry streak. The actual attack had already outpaced the visible blood trail.

Yuta reacted swiftly. His cursed energy broke through the blood net, and a warning instinct flared within him. He could feel Rika anxiously wanting to help, but Yuta denied her, focusing all his attention on the incoming attack.

His mind entered a state of calm—no self, no sword. He forgot about victory, defeat, and everything else. His movements became as natural as breathing, needing no conscious control. Just as one doesn't think about breathing, Yuta didn't need to consciously direct his cursed energy or his sword.

All he had to do was focus on the attack. Suddenly, he had a strange sensation as if he could see Noritoshi Kamo's blood arrow slowly gliding through the air. He could sense its trajectory and thought: Cut it down!

But what does it mean to cut?

As his thoughts extended toward the idea of a slash, his sword, and the energy needed to strike, his sword acted faster than his mind. A flash of light erupted as his sword collided head-on with the Piercing Blood.

In the next moment, Yuta stood panting, his sword raised after the strike. A small puddle of blood lay at his feet.

The ground in front of Yuta had a deep slash mark, likely the result of the aftershock from his strike. Shin Shuichi, watching the scene, was impressed, "No way."

It all happened in a split second. Noritoshi Kamo's Piercing Blood was unleashed just as Yuta broke free of the Crimson Binding. At the same moment, Yuta sensed the attack, and with a decisive slash, his cursed energy-coated sword intercepted and destroyed the blood arrow.

Caught off guard, Noritoshi found Yuta at his throat, the back of Yuta's sword pressing against his neck. The match was over.

Despite his victory, Yuta didn't look particularly joyful. He smiled in response to his classmates' praise but seemed preoccupied. Shin Shuichi, sitting next to him, immediately understood. Kamo's attack had been immensely powerful, and despite Yuta's cursed energy protecting his sword, the intense clash had left the blade visibly damaged with cracks running along its surface.

Although the quality of this sword wasn't very high, it had been given to him by Satoru Gojo for the purpose of practicing curse control. Yuta Okkotsu couldn't help but feel a bit troubled at the thought of damaging it and not being able to explain himself.

Seeing that everyone's attention wasn't focused on them, Shin reached out and gestured for Yuta to hand him the sword. Yuta hesitated for a moment, not sure what Shin intended, but handed it over anyway. Shin placed his hand over the part of the blade where the cracks had formed, and when he removed his hand, the damage was gone. The sword looked as good as new.

Shin made a quiet gesture, and Yuta Okkotsu smiled and silently mouthed, "Thank you." Shin had used technique reversal to restore the sword to its original state. Compared to healing the human body, reversing damage to objects was much simpler, even with cursed weapons. Shin could even reverse just the state of the sword without resetting it to its previous form.

The outcome of the match was already decided, but the competition wasn't over yet. Only one fight remained: Shin versus Aoi Todo.

With Yuta, Panda, and the others cheering him on, Shin stepped into the arena empty-handed, as did Aoi Todo. While Principal Yaga was still speaking, Aoi Todo, standing opposite Kamiyuan, looked incredibly excited.

"Though I didn't get to fight Yuta, just facing you is enough to get my blood pumping. You were the one who finished off that special-grade curse spirit that day, right? It was a special grade! Even if I lose today, it will be a loss to savor!"

As Principal Yaga announced the start of the fight, Aoi Todo tore off his shirt, revealing a body of rock-like muscles, chiseled and solid. He smiled and said, "Forget the formalities. Let's have a real, exhilarating battle!"

Shin rolled up his sleeves. Although he wasn't someone who enjoyed or sought out fights as much as Aoi Todo did, he was still looking forward to this match. With cursed energy, sorcerers could do things that ordinary people could never achieve, wielding unimaginable power.

Once someone gains immense strength, they naturally want to test or explore it. Shin had used cursed techniques in various ways before, but when it came to pure physical combat, he had very little experience. His training with Maki and the others was primarily focused on techniques and fundamentals, without using cursed energy to enhance his body.

If Shin used his technique, the fight would end quickly, so there would be no opportunity for a balanced battle. The intoxicating feeling of wielding "superhuman" strength would have no outlet. But right now, this seemed like the perfect chance! Aoi Todo was incredibly strong, as seen from his battles with the Kyoto students. He had even survived Rika's initial attack after pushing Yuta and Panda to their limits, proving just how powerful he was.

"Let's do this!"

Both of them simultaneously shot toward each other like arrows released from a bow. Shin didn't activate his technique but instead relied purely on cursed energy to enhance his body. Their fists collided, and in a loud, dull thud, their punches were caught by the other's hand.

Both fighters laughed wildly, their veins bulging as the sound of their bones creaking echoed in the air. After a brief stalemate, Shin suddenly kneed Aoi Todo in the stomach.

Aoi Todo, however, laughed and took the hit head-on, then used Shin's momentary loss of balance to lift him up and spin him around before slamming him into the ground.

Shin rolled on the ground to disperse the impact, then pushed off with his hands to spring back onto his feet. As he looked up, Aoi Todo's side kick was already headed his way. Crossing his arms in front of him, Shin was sent flying several meters backward by the powerful blow.

"Aoi Todo's physical abilities are insane. Without using cursed energy to make up for the difference, it's impossible to match his raw strength in hand-to-hand combat." Shin mentally assessed the situation, coming to an initial conclusion.

On the other side, Aoi Todo stretched his arms and loosened his shoulders, smiling. "Shin, when it comes to pure physical combat, there's a limit to how much cursed energy can enhance the body. A human body isn't a cursed technique; it can't endlessly withstand cursed energy."

"So, the difference in skill comes down to other factors—technique, the body's base attributes, and most importantly, the understanding and application of cursed energy!"

Aoi Todo gave a pleased smile, like he had found a kindred spirit. "You've felt it too, haven't you? The closeness to the core of cursed energy. You've used Black Flash before, haven't you? Once you gain new insight into cursed energy, you'll see it in a completely different light…"

"Shin, in your eyes, what is cursed energy?"

Kamiyuan paused for a moment, then replied uncertainly, "If I had to say, it's like my hands and feet…"

Aoi Todo took a deep breath and sighed. "It's a pity. We could have been the best of friends…"

Looking at Aoi Todo, lost in thought, Shin wanted to say that he actually admired Aoi's sense of passion. After all, as long as someone looked good enough, their "type" didn't really matter to him. Of course, getting along was a different story.

But when Shin thought about the consequences of becoming Aoi Todo's "best friend," he decided to let the matter drop.

While Aoi was caught up in his thoughts, Shin launched a surprise attack, delivering a swift two-kick combo aimed at Aoi Todo. Even in this moment, Aoi instinctively defended his head, but he was still forced back a few steps.

With a look of regret, Aoi Todo didn't seem to care about the places where he'd just been hit. He spread his arms wide, flashing a reckless grin. "Let's get started!"

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A/N: Gimme some reviewzzz

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