The detonation shook the ground, incurring massive damage to the surrounding. Shockwaves shattered glasses and sent out bursts of pressurised wind as the streets echoed distantly of alarms.
A figure got thrown out of the smoking flame crater that had slowly settled, as it rolled around and then lay down flat. The figure tried to stand but it seemed to be really injured and only slowly, but shakily, tried to stand up from its position. Another figure walked from the detonated crater, with smoke and ash wafting off their coat-jacket; otherwise looking better than the former.
"As I said, I like your style, Volcanohead. Much better personality than the Frankenstein wannabe I told you about. Straight up dangerous and not perverted."
Jōgo tried to stand up but his bleeding burnt body was excessively injured to the point of extreme. He was able to slowly heal himself up from the injuries of his own technique but he wasn't able to heal the ones inflicted by Takumi's sword.
At that same moment, something fell out from Jōgo's torn and burnt clothing. A rolled parchment, which Takumi's eyes instantly noticed. Jōgo's eye widened as well as he gritted his teeth. 'Shit! I forgot… I had…. Sukuna's fingers wi…..th… me..'
Before Takumi could try and pick it up from the injured Jōgo a chill spread over the area they were in.
"Don't you dare touch them-!" an androgynous voice shouted after which a blizzard suddenly occurred freezing the whole of the ShinQ front along with Takumi, Jōgo and the flames that still lingered from the last explosion.
A figure dressed in dark blue plain monk robe dropped near the fallen parchment. Androgynous in appearance as well, the figure, Uraume, picked up the parchment. Uraume had only straightened up when the ice wall that had formed and frozen the street area, it cracked.
The ice exploded, sending a shockwave as Uraume caught their footing while the smoke and fog slowly cleared. Suddenly a jagged pillar of ice shot at Uraume (('Wha-?! Ice?!')) as they blocked it with an ice wall themselves, created in the nick of time.
"Now who are you supposed to be?" Takumi's voice came from the slowly receding fog.
Takumi came into view with an unconscious Jōgo beside him that he had clutched in his right hand. "I thought I'd give him the pleasure of seeing himself transforming happen along with the sensation but I guess it's too much to ask for in these circumstances. Well, you can be my audience Icicle."
Uraume clutched the parchment as he narrowed his eyes at Takumi. Takumi levelled his left hand at the chest of Jōgo as he said,
"Oh, and that roll you have clutched in your hand. I'm gonna have to look at that."
Bringing their left hand towards their lips (("Hikori Juhō (Ice Formation).")) Uraume blew a misty cloud trail.
"Shimonagi (Frost Calm)."
"Pyō-Jin-Shā (兵陣者, Warriors Form One)"
Takumi gathered black and white aura in his left hand which enveloped Jōgo as huge blocks of ice formed towards them in blazing speed. As Uraume watched Takumi disappear beyond the white blocks of ice suddenly another explosion occurred, sending shards of ice and debris flying around.
Uraume stood vigilant when suddenly a gun-shot rang through the mist and Uraume had to move his head down just as something fast embedded itself into the wall of a building behind him.
BHthHoOOM!
The building was blasted away in an instant as Uraume's eyes widened.
Hamashijutsushiki (破魔術式, Exorcism) was an inherited technique unique to the ways of the Shimizu Clan. It was something only a select few ever learned and it was coveted by many sorcerers even beyond the clan, but that was before the incident. For if the current world still knew about it, Takumi knew, it was only time before the Carrions flew in.
He knew the Jujutsu world would want it because Hamashijutsushiki was…
"Oh dear kami-sama! These are a beauty. Volcanohead was truly a Special Grade huh." Takumi's voice rang from the receding fog and mist as he came into view holding two new guns in his hands.
Resembling an Automag-V with minor details pertaining to the Beretta 87T as well, the handguns had an 8.5 inch barrel with steel plating fused in molten rock with a leather grip on the handle and steaming like molten volcanic matter. It had its name engraved into the outer sides of the barrel of both the guns.
"In'yō (隕陽, Meteor Sun). Wow, you look really damn good in my hands. Now, ((aiming the guns at Uraume)) how about I shoot you IN YO face and see how it runs."
…the ability to create Cursed Tools from Cursed Spirits.
And the guns rumbled in excitement.
-With Fake Getō-
Shibuya Station B5F Platform
"You should go to where Itadori Yūji-kun is located. The fight over on the street seems to be getting intense and- oh my! I didn't expect Uraume to enter the fray that quick. It feels like Jōgo is in trouble." Fake Suguru spoke as he looked up to the giant hole that led to the surface. He could sense the fighting happening in the top.
Countless shaking and falling debris terrorized the miniscule amount of humans left around as a fully healed Mahito stood behind fake Suguru. It was only after fake Suguru had launched Takumi through the floors upward, with his Cursed Spirit attacks, when he got the chance to heal up Mahito, who had been beaten up really bad; and also because Jōgo appeared.
Now, he could sense the absolutely menacing fight above from the various explosions and shaking the underground platform was going through and fake Suguru knew that Takumi would be held back even longer with the ice user appearing. 'Seems I've been given some reprieve, now, I need to rethink some of the inconsistencies I have come through in my plan.'
"Who is he?" Mahito asked from the side.
Knowing the answer to the question fake Suguru merely replied with, "Hmph. A forgotten sorcerer, Mahito. He surely surprised me." He didn't even glance at Mahito as he kept looking towards the surface.
"Forgotten? Where was he? Did you know about him?! What power does he use?! He could've KILLED me Getō!"
The desperation in Mahito's voice was a bit surprising to hear for fake Suguru. Still he didn't turn and merely said, "Now, now, don't say that Mahito. You are a Special Cursed Spirit, a Special Grade. The only reason you exist is to wreak havoc in the lives of Humans. Now with Gojō Satoru sealed away, you are free to act as you want after all."
"Yeah, but that sorcere-!"
Fake Getō kept his smile as he cut Mahito off calmly, "Don't worry. You have a different job to do Mahito. Dagon is on his way towards the surface as well. My only worry right now is that the fingers might fall onto the hands of the sorcerers, other than that ((fake Getō looked at Mahito)) you're wasting time here.
Shimizu Takumi is a piece I didn't account for due to the fact that I was totally in the dark about him, which is surprising all on its own. Let me worry about the nuisance, and as for you. Chōsō is already on his way. You want to have more fun right? There are plenty of humans out and about now."
"Humph! Whatever Getō, I'll go find Itadori Yūji to play with then. That other guy is your mess. I don't want to face that guy right now." With that said Mahito proceeded to transmute a few humans in the vicinity and then took off towards a direction in the connecting tunnels.
'You're still incomplete Mahito. I need your technique to be more refined. Curse Spirits like you seem to have the profound ability to grow, to evolve, more pure. I'm going to need your technique to grow even more Mahito and then, Gojō Satoru, you will see what I am going to unleash upon the country. Oh wait ((he looked towards the still occasionally vibrating cube in the ground)) you are sealed, you can't see it.'
"And oh yeah, I forgot to mention." Mahito spoke from around a corner as fake Suguru perked up. "That sorcerer's Cursed Energy is poison!"
Fake Suguru only raised an eyebrow as he watched Mahito disappear again while he pondered upon the statement. 'Poison huh?'
Eyes falling upon the ragged cloth pieces of Mahito that he had picked up whilst healing him, fake Suguru could sense it, the aura of a certain type of energy yet completely different, unique. 'So it's poison to you Mahito hmm? What is this power? Is this even Cursed Energy?'
Cursed Energy was a sedimentary content, fake Suguru had known this. A product of the inherent negativity that Humans have built on, for generations on end, given form to what it was now; a form of useable energy that could be utilised by the select few. 'So many Cursed Energy signatures over a life-time, none of them seem as interesting as yours now, Shimizu Takumi.
Surely you use Cursed Energy. There is a certain feel to it and yet, this feels so different. Processed. Refined.' "Refined." Fake Suguru whispered.
'Refined. No, not just that. Something more. All I want is to see, what could lie beyond Cursed Energy? ((he looked intensely at the cloth pieces)) Humans, Sorcerers, Cursed Spirits. Three different aspects of a Cursed Energy, all having such vast potential that evolution was inevitable and yet, others are afraid to peer into the depths of the Jujutsu world. Now, I find something so out of the ordinary, this one, Shimizu Takumi's Cursed Energy. It teems with new opportunities, new questions, new avenues, it teems with immaculate intent. Pure.
Ohhhh, Tengen, you hid this gem well. What is it really that you and Gojō Satoru don't want the world to know or better yet remember?' "It seems I would have to visit Osaka real soon after this stage." Fake Suguru mused out loud while rubbing the cloth piece in hand.
As soon as fake Suguru tried to interact with the energy in the cloth with his own Cursed Energy, suddenly the piece of cloth burned away leaving slow corrosive burning fingers in its wake. It surprised fake Suguru but he merely seemed to get excited instead of being scared.
"Huh?! My, this is even more interesting! As soon as it interacted with my Cursed Energy it reacted like I was a virus. Now what kind of Cursed Energy is so corrosive, mmm." Fake Suguru mused as he healed his hand via Reverse Cursed Technique. 'The healing seems to take time a little.'
Walking back towards the secured cube that had stopped shaking while rubbing the hand that was just burned, fake Suguru merely kept pondering over his plans even more as he sensed even more newer and unpredictable discrepancies to be had in his already made plan.
'Hmmm, as long as you are out of the picture, Gojō Satoru, I hardly think I will have any major problems down the line. My plan is still in motion until Mahito lives. It's a good thing he didn't die from his previous scuffle. That had actually scared me for a moment.
Your technique, Mui Tenpen (Idle Transfiguration), is a priceless technique Mahito. You will have to live in order for all this to be taken to the next level. Now, what to do about you, Shimizu Takumi? I sense Dagon has entered the fray and I don't believe he will be able to stop Shimizu Takumi even with Uraume. So-! ((fake Suguru slightly glanced towards the train tracks that led towards Meiji-jingumae Jn.)) Hmm, it seems there is a reunion waiting for me, or rather this body.'
"Hmmph, it seems I will have to add in a few new players of my own as well, Gojō Satoru. ((fake Suguru picked up the cube)) If you have played your hand, then I will not let you down."
-Back with Takumi-
Near Metro Plaza - Exit B1
Mitake St, Shibuya
Gun shots echoed as a battle of flame bullets and ice techniques raged on in the streets of Shibuya. Takumi scaled a building wall as a floor of ice formed behind him. He jumped and shot a bullet as another explosion rang. The explosion subsided to which he found Uraume taking position a few feet away from the intended place. Uraume merely pointed two fingers of their right hand upwards as a huge ice spike shot towards the falling Takumi, which Takumi easily manuevered around, as he slid down the sloppy edge while shooting his guns. Uraume dodged the bullets as they summoned another blizzard around the area to slow down the bullets of Takumi.
'I still don't understand.' Uraume wondered mentally. 'Did he just turn Jōgo into those guns?!'
Uraume couldn't make up their mind over if they could believe what they saw because they knew they saw Jōgo in that sorcerer's hands before he escaped with those guns. Jōgo was nowhere to be found but his Cursed Energy, Uraume could still feel traces of it from the weapons in the sorcerer's hands.
'Is it even possible?! And before that, he used an ice attack as well.'
On the other side, landing safely Takumi then let off two more gun shots as Uraume jumped behind a jagged ice wall. 'Hmm, seems he is too fast to be taken out by these. You're beautiful but impractical currently, I'd have better chances with my other tools.'
Takumi dodged an ice spike that had been aimed straight for his head as he back-flipped and then sealed his guns back to the ruby stone he held. Three more ice spikes converged on the place Takumi was as he dodged those as well but had to bring up an earthen wall to stop the last one. Takumi steadied himself as the stone disappeared while he planted his hands in the ground. "Soraku (壮落, Grand Fall)."
GrhRRHHhasShM!
The whole area around Takumi grew earthly spikes instantly of various shapes, length and sizes as the ground erupted with the force of the spikes being created. (('He can even manipulate the ground?!')) Uraume had to dodge the spikes whilst trying to steady themselves as they jumped towards the high points of the nearby buildings.
'It seems he is focused on me for the moment! I still cannot wrap my mind that he could possibly turn Cursed Spirits into weapons! Or the fact he can seemingly use multiple elemental attacks! Who is this sorcerer?!' Uraume was simply baffled at the recent events that went by after they intervened.
Meanwhile, Takumi kept his focus on Uraume. (('That parchment has quite a dangerous feel to its Cursed Energy. This guy is weird as well, like a container!')) Takumi wondered as he gave chase but before he could catch up, a blast of pressurized water hit him as he got pushed through a building nearby.
A giant block of ice formed instantly around the building where Takumi went flying through freezing the area as Uraume watched at the now visible Dagon crawling out to the streets. Dagon nodded slightly towards Uraume's direction but they didn't deign to respond but merely only focused back on the block of ice.
The block of ice changed shape as two ice dragons quickly formed up and attacked both Uraume and the crawling Dagon but Uraume dodged their dragon while Dagon got rammed by the one that attacked it. The ice around the building got reduced to splinters as Uraume kept their focus but they didn't realise Takumi appeared overhead with an attack poised at the ready. Uraume merely turned to look but they got punched hard and sent towards the streets below.
'How did h-!' Uraume merely watched as they approached the spike laden ground when they got caught by Dagon and sent towards the better portion of the street.
Uraume steadied their self, mid-air, and landed a few feet away. They turned to look at the Cursed Spirit in front of them and they were clearly surprised by the change in the Cursed Spirit but he just showed irritation. "Tch, do not touch me again." Uraume gritted out as they watched the now, seemingly, evolved Dagon.
What was once a tiny Cursed Spirit with an Octopus head, two arms, with a Caterpillar-like body had changed into a more, huge, rugged, humanoid form, similar to the dead Cursed Spirit Hanami but still retaining that Octopus head with even wings on his lower back; additionally he was even floating.
"Uraume…..im…portant…" Dagon surprisingly spoke out.
"Hmph."
"Enemies….killed…..Jōgo...Hanami…I rage. I am angry!"
Uraume blinked. 'So he is evolving at a fast rate. Phst, in any case, he might be of good help here but if that sorcerer can do the same thing to him then it's still a gamble.'
"Our enemies shall be eradicated!" Dagon spoke out even more clearly now as he gathered a huge globe of rotating water and hurled it at Takumi's location.
Takumi had been watching the current events from the spot where Uraume had been first. He saw Uraume get saved by the Cursed Spirit he saw in front of him. Takumi watched the Cursed Spirit gather a rotating globe of water that increased in size and then hurl it towards him in blinding speed. 'Hmm, that would be too easy. How about-!'
A huge wave crashed onto the building floor. Dagon watched the building get swept down by the enormous amount of water which was again frozen up in record time but it didn't matter.
Before Dagon could even react, Takumi was in front of him, hands glowing with a white aura. Before Dagon could block Takumi had already thrown a punch that sent Dagon flying to the streets. Uraume tried to send an icicle spike but Takumi merely dodged it and punched it through while Dagon recovered and jumped on him.
Takumi blocked the kick from Dagon, simultaneously he touched the streetlight on the side of the road. Keeping his eyes on Uraume Takumi spun himself around the streetlight and created a small distance. The streetlight had turned into a long spear which Takumi launched towards Uraume who had to dodge it by an inch as the spear embedded itself right beside their head against the wall.
Dagon created a streaming running water gloves for his hands as he launched himself on Takumi.
"You're interesting."
Takumi blocked the punches sent by Dagon with white aura clad fists of his own. "You evoke so many emotions outwards. You're really something else for a Cursed Spirit."
Dagon only seemed to rage even further as the Cursed Spirit increased the intensity of his close quarters combat while screaming, "We Have Names!"
Takumi had to raise an eyebrow as Dagon raged on. "We All Have Names!"
"Jōgo!" ((Punch was blocked))
"Mahito!" ((A leg sweep was dodged))
''Hanami!" ((Another punch was blocked))
"And I Am Dagon!" A far stronger right hook enhanced with spiralling water, full of Cursed Energy, launched Takumi away from Dagon. While mid-air Uraume found an opening and launched a frosty mist cloud towards the flying Takumi.
Takumi sent his right hand out towards the incoming ice frost as the frosty layer turned into water while Takumi rolled off towards the sidewalks of the street. Uraume was shocked (('Did he just turn my ice into water?!')) as they saw Takumi look towards them with mirth before Dagon had jumped on him, a thin spiralling column of water surrounding his upper torso.
'I should probably proceed towards that Itadori brat. Dagon can handle him or die. I need to get the boy to eat these fingers.' Uraume decided as they made way to exit the battle before Takumi's focus turned on them.
Being pressured in close quarters had been a long while for Takumi but he was starting to enjoy the fighting, gradually. The Cursed Spirit in front of him was intriguing as well. Takumi didn't know what Suguru might have done during his time with his technique but Takumi was impressed with the work if it really was Suguru's. The Cursed Spirits he fought, like the one before this one, Takumi was really excited to experience the techniques of the Cursed Spirit. This one even took offense to being called out as such.
'Truly amazing. To think Cursed Spirits like this, so humane in characters, could exist still. Dagon, you guys have been surprising me.'
Going for an uppercut Dagon was blocked by Takumi as he was rushed from the front with an aura laden knee that broke through the circle of spiralling water and into Dagon's gut. Spit flew as Dagon was launched towards the ground creating a crater as he lay there for a bit.
Landing a few distance away Takumi watched with narrowed eyes at Dagon slowly stand up again. Dagon launched another torrent of pressurized water but Takumi merely clapped once and faced the oncoming torrent that was redirected and frozen straight but suddenly, Dagon broke through the thin ice.
Pulling back a bit Takumi turned on his heels full circle as Dagon was bringing down his fist. To Dagon's dismay the Cursed Spirit was slower than the reaction of Takumi as Takumi drove a concentrated punch straight towards the front torso of Dagon.
And it flashed pure white for a swift, short, second when the impact occurred.
When fist met flesh.
"Byakusen (白閃, White Flash)."
A variant phenomenon of the Kokusen (Black Flash) in that Byakusen required Reverse Cursed Energy to be pulled off. A Jutsushiki Hanten (Cursed Technique Reversal), unlike Kokusen that increased an attack's strike potency by 2.5, Byakusen increased the effective range of the strike in that it could even hurt the very essence of a living being, Cursed Spirit or not, its own Cursed signature. Byakusen compromised the opponent's ability to form and project stable Cursed Energy output at the point of impact thereby leaving almost un-healable wounds, even with regeneration techniques, that would use Reversed Curse Techniques.
Thing is, Reverse Cursed Energy was hard to create unlike doing a Reverse Cursed Technique where you merely added Cursed Energy on top of Cursed Energy to get a positive. Adding positive energy to a Cursed Technique was different and only Gōjo Satoru had successfully been able to do it for his Aka (Red) technique with his Mukagen (Limitless).
Until Takumi that is.
Dagon staggered as his torso seemingly crumbled; the Cursed Spirit tried to heal the damage which happened, but it seemed to just not heal. Dagon took a knee as Takumi looked at him.
"Your kind seem to be intelligent. Tell me, why do you follow that fake around?"
It seemed Dagon didn't want to answer as a symbol glowed in his slowly healing torso with a hole. Takumi's eyes narrowed as he clutched the ruby stone that appeared as soon as Dagon uttered two words.
"Ryōiki Tenkai."
-Around same time-
Top of Shibuya Mark City
Chomping on a warm wrapped Teriyaki, one, Saito Tsubaki looked towards the distant smoke wafting towards the sky while she sat on the rooftop of the building she was on. She smirked as she spoke out loud, "Seems like sensei got someone good to fight, unlike me."
Tsubaki had dispatched her enemies very quick, whom she had found out to have been guarding one of the many objects that were maintaining the barriers that Takumi had broken through.
'I guess the chumpy gorilla look-alike was interesting with all that Inverse thingie but seriously, they all looked like they were already on the pension list for old, retired, folks and that old lady was even just evil. I can't even imagine, an Old Lady still in this game of death and destruction, like chill granny. Now you're dead because of that and you can't even enjoy your retirement package anymore, if you even had one.'
Reminiscing the fight Tsubaki kept on munching on her Teriyaki while she felt immense Cursed Energy output on various parts around Shibuya. Tsubaki had to admit, after the old lady was killed by her, the battle didn't last long as Tsubaki used her innate technique to quickly cut through the remaining others. She didn't bother to know their names but she did see the destroyed objects that maintained the barriers.
'Seems like sensei's attack resonated around.'
She had then proceeded to check on the other places where some of the barrier maintaining objects could be located and she dispatched off several Cursed Spirits on her way as well. It seemed that a fair amount had been damaged and Tsubaki knew, Takumi had far more things to handle currently.
'Maybe I should check up on the other sorcerers as well. See what this Jujutsu Academy Sorcerers are all about. Hmm, wait, maybe I should try and prank sensei, see how he likes it. Hehehe.' Tsubaki wondered with mirth when all of a sudden a pulse of Cursed Energy was felt by her as she looked towards the distance, her eyes narrowed.
'A Domain, someone just used a Domain.'
At the same time, sounds of glass shattering and walls being torn down came into focus from the nearby streets just a few blocks around the Dōgenzaka district. Tsubaki detected multiple malignant Cursed Energy signatures and concentrating on her senses further, she realised that there was a fight going on close-by. Another explosion rocked the district from the Shibuya Scramble Crossing as Tsubaki merely raised an eyebrow.
"Jeez, so many places to check out before-!"
"You there, young lady! Who are you?" Tsubaki was interrupted by a gruff male voice from behind her as she was pondering out loud. Turning around her eyes saw two figures in the vicinity, one male and the other,
"IS THAT A PAANDAAA?!"
Tsubaki's eyes turned to hearts as she lunged at the Panda-like humanoid being with blinding speed as before the other two could even move, Tsubaki already had the humanoid in her grasp. Panda's eye's widened as well as the guy's when she had completely disappeared from her spot and also their senses for a moment (("Fast!")). She proceeded to groom the head and nuzzle into the fur not even giving any other reactions to the other male.
"So soft~" Tsubaki coo'd but the male cleared his throat a bit more and Tsubaki raised an eyebrow at him. "What?!"
The male who wore a long sleeve jacket and black pants with a sword in hand merely coughed, steadied himself a bit, and then he asked Tsubaki,
"Well, young lady, if you don't mind me asking, who are you and, what are you doing here in this building?"
He waited for a reply but Tsubaki merely kept nuzzling the panda while it tried to but failed to stop the satisfied grumbles that left its mouth. (("There see, you like that?!)) ((Hmmmrmrmrmrmrrr, I didn't even know I had that spot~))
"You Can Talk?!"
Seemingly ignored the male in jacket coughed again, harder and louder as Tsubaki turned towards him with an uninterested look while still rubbing a small spot on to Panda.
"Young lady, this is a dangerous place to be right now. You should start evacuating like everyone."
"Chill out Oji-chan." An imaginary arrow named Burn pierce through the hearts of the male as he exploded.
"I Am Not Old And I Am Not Oji-chan!" "Jeez, compensating much?" (The male grit his teeth)
"Okay, okay." Tsubaki let go of the Panda as she stood straight besides it and then said, "You can take me as help in here. Name's Saito Tsubaki, sorcerer apprentice extraordinaire."
"Hmm-?!" "Oh, I am Panda! And this is Kusakabe-sensei." Panda cut in, introducing itself and the other man.
"Wow! You can really talk! What are you?! You feel so life-like!" Tsubaki just switched to fan-girling over the cute humanoid panda that spoke up again while Panda proceeded to blush (("Oh my god, you blush too!")). It was fascinating for her. She knew about the Jujutsu world but she never imagined something like this could even exist. It was such a cool thing.
'Is Japan really this quirky? And all sensei had to offer me were gyaru pictures and horrible Harajuku photo bombs, what the hell?!'
She was absolutely enthralled for it. She was young still and had a soft spot for anything cute and quirky. Panda truly fit the bill, and who didn't love Pandas!
"Ok, alright whatever. Now look here lady." Kusakabe proceeded to speak up now that he was listening to the chatter of Tsubaki. "This place is currently building up to be a battleground of sorts, so I'm going to have to escort you out the city."(('Plus that would help me with not searching for Gōjo, I don't wanna die so quick here.')) "You will be sa-!"
"Zip it stranger. I don't know you, you don't tell me what to do." Tsubaki cut him off but Panda intervened before Kusakabe exploded again. "Umm, he is right you know."
"Hm?" "It is actually going to get dangerous around these parts because there's been some evil stuff happening around here. So you should probably listen to Kusakabe and leave."
Tsubaki sighed after a while as she pondered and then asked, "You guys are sorcerers right? From Jujutsu High?"
As soon as Tsubaki mentioned Jujutsu High Kusakabe and Panda gave her their full attention.
"How do you know about the school?" Kusakabe asked apprehensively.
"Look, I'm not ignorant to what's happening okay. I came here with my sensei because there seems to be some problem with Gojō Satoru here."
"You know about Gojō Satoru?" Kusakabe asked. "Who doesn't?" was the reply.
"He was sealed." Panda spoke up from the side.
"Figures, he was right." Tsubaki murmured before she said out loud, "Well, I guess I am just waiting for his fights to end to meet him."
Kusakabe had some doubts so he asked, "Wait, hold it. We don't know who you are and you clearly know about us. Who is this sensei of yours?"
"Shimizu Takumi."
The name somehow echoed at the back of Kusakabe's head as he just seemed to drift off unconsciously into a trance of sorts, as if he were replaying some memories. Panda noticed it and after a while of unresponsiveness Panda called out touching his shoulder, "Kusakabe..?"
Hearing his name while being shaken slightly, Kusakabe slowly came back to the present. "Shimizu…..Takumi….." he whispered.
Kusakabe looked at Tsubaki intensely as various fleeting memories that he couldn't make sense of ran wild in his mind. Kusakabe knew, he knew that name, but he couldn't figure out why. Why he wasn't able to recall it all precisely. "Takumi….. young lady-!" "Tsubaki."
"Tch, okay Tsubaki, what can you tell me about this Takumi-sensei of yours?"
"Kusakabe…..who is Shimizu Takumi?" Panda asked having no idea.
Before Kusakabe could respond something changed in the atmosphere. Someone, somewhere, had unleashed something. Something powerful, something malicious. Kusakabe turned towards a certain part of the city. Panda had also felt the slight change in Shibuya's atmosphere as a rough pulse of evil destructive aura swept through the region.
"This feels so bad. This energy, what did they unleash?" Tsubaki spoke up with her eyes narrowed as well and before anyone could realize, two buildings in the far distance were reduced to rubble as an unearthly sounding laughter echoed through the city.
"Change of plans, Panda. We need to move, NOW!"
-Back with Takumi-
"Tau'un Heisen (Horizon of the Captivating Skandha)."
A Domain Expansion in which one could see the sea for an endless distance with the reflecting white sands, calm waves, and the various palm trees and shrubs around, Dagon's Tau'un Heisen was the literal version of 'Lethal Beauty'. Exotic sight filled the expanse of the technique by Dagon as Takumi looked around the place in awe. "Wow! This is such a beautiful Domain!"
Suddenly several fishes with hardened scales and jagged teeth piled over Takumi but Takumi ploughed through all of them bare handed whilst being covered in a white layer of aura around his whole body (('It's a good thing I studied how Rakka no Jō (Falling Blossom Emotion) works hmm. Thank you Satoru-yuung')). After the barrage, a seemingly unharmed Takumi saw Dagon, still with the slowly recovering hole in his torso, floating over the sea.
"Seems like you are ready to go now, Dagon." Takumi said grinning wide as his hand that clutched the ruby stone glowed.
Dagon didn't reply quickly. He however observed the sorcerer in front and the damage Dagon still had over on his torso made it difficult to feel un-apprehensive of the sorcerer. 'I used my Domain. It would be over now. I will not let him escape my techniques this time. Whatever he had used on me, it still hurts right now.'
"You are in my Domain." Dagon started. "You shall witness your death and you will leave my brethren alone!" Dagon then clasped his hands in a downward motion. "Jutsushiki Kai (Technique release)…." Seemingly innumerable hard scaled fish with jagged teeth appeared all around him in different shapes and sizes. Modified Piranhas, Sharks, Eels, even Crustaceans conjured all around him as they hissed and rumbled.
"...Shiruru Yūgun (Death Swarm)." It was the sure-hit attack of the Domain of Dagon. A relentless stream of fish-like Shikigamis that piled over on top of the opponent in a sure-hit way, that left no way for the sorcerer to defend unless they faced it head on. Due to Dagon's immense Cursed Energy, the technique could even be kept activated for a really long time.
Before he could blink, Takumi was seemingly overwhelmed again by the fishes that seemed to pile up on his person. Dagon didn't rest as he flew in towards the swarm. Reaching the vicinity of Takumi, Dagon saw the sorcerer using some kind of technique to overcome his Domain's sure-hit attack so he proceeded to try and overwhelm him with options.
'I should not give this sorcerer any chance for a counter.' Thinking that, Dagon went in for the attack. Takumi sensed the oncoming attack but since he had his hands full he couldn't counter the fist headed towards his head. A punch landed and Takumi was sent flying over to the bushes. Dagon didn't rest.
"As ever-changing and full of life the sea is…" Another group piled upon Takumi as Dagon proceeded to blast the sorcerer with a ridiculous amount of pressurized water as well, coming from the sea.
"…Shiruru Yūgun is an endless, ever-changing stream of Shikigami." As the water bubble flooded off and Takumi could be seen in mid-air, Dagon disappeared and quickly drove a punch towards the gut of Takumi, sending him towards the beach front.
"You will not….." Dagon sent another stream of fishes towards Takumi as the ground was filled with his shikigami.
"…kill any of my-!"
"I swear if I hear you talk all this crap one more time." Dagon paused hearing Takumi's voice.
SHhnNnkT!
Before Dagon's eyes, the swarm of fishes that were all over Takumi, at one point, started convulsing and before he knew it, Takumi had carved through each and every aquatic shikigami that had attacked him. A torn up coat with his hair messed up were the only thing out of ordinary but Dagon noticed a sword as well.
Clutched in his right hand, the sword resembled a Chinese Schimitar blade that seemed to be double-edged. It didn't have much of a design except for an intricate pattern in the hilt of the sword. Takumi merely looked at Dagon with mirth as he steadied his grip on the blade. Dagon could sense it, the flowing energy in the blade's edges. It thrummed and its vibrations reached his senses.
'That… what is..what is that Blade!' Dagon had an edge of fear as he let off another stream of attack of his Domain to which Takumi proceeded to run. No not away, but towards him; with a grin on his face.
Dagon watched as Takumi seemingly carved through and then proceeded to progressively cut through, with sharp slices, on the endless swarm of aquatic shikigami that seemed to advance towards the sorcerer.
'What is this?! He is just slicing through everything!'
At one point surrounded by big sharks from a distance, Takumi pulled on the threaded pommel which gave way to a thin piece of cloth coming out from the end. Takumi held it and sliced through each and every shark from a distance and then suddenly, Dagon was pierced through his right chest. "Gah!"
Takumi swung Dagon down from the sky and then ran in blinding speed towards the Cursed Spirit. Dagon staggered as he tried to steady himself as he blocked the oncoming slash but it cut through his right hand while he jumped back.
Unable to heal properly Dagon sent out another wave of eel type shikigamis as they surrounded and piled on Takumi but he just slashed through them cleanly as well. 'He is just slashing through my shikigami like butter. That blade, it's getting sharper every minute!' Dagon's eyes narrowed.
Takumi appeared to Dagon's side but Dagon jumped towards the sea and staggeringly floated above the water for a bit. He wanted to steady himself but Takumi sent another extending pierce attack with the blade as Dagon got pierced through in his chest.
'This can't be happening! Inside my Domain, I am losing?!' Dagon couldn't believe the situation. 'Healing myself continuously has exhausted me a little, how?! His Cursed Energy, it is not normal.'
Dagon tried to gather himself but then had to block another slash with his shikigami, he ducked under and wanted to strike from below with a leg sweep but Dagon suddenly stopped mid-way because a feeling swept him completely.
'Sukuna?!'
Before he could even recover from what he just felt wash over him in an instant, Dagon was slashed through his shoulders to the gut. Another slash continued that took off his head and the Cursed Spirit named Dagon knew no more. Takumi stood for a few seconds while the Domain seemingly washed down instantly; but no water remained in the vicinity.
Looking at the beheaded Dagon in front Takumi merely said, "You felt that too, huh."
He gripped his blade which seemed to vibrate at its edges with a glowing white while Dagon just turned into ashes and then blew off in the wind. Takumi merely sealed the blade back into the ruby stone and then looked at his hands that held the blade. It had slight bruising in his palms.
'Still a moody tool.' Takumi shook his head thinking about it and then turned to look towards a certain section again but when he tried focusing on the mark he had on the fake Suguru, it showed him to be somewhere around the west section of the city.
'Hmm, now what is he doing that way from where I found him.' "It seems I have missed out on something." Takumi merely shrugged his shoulders. He took off his coat that had shred in some places and his hair was all messed up. Takumi looked at the coat, for moment, considering, he would keep it, but in the next moment Takumi merely tossed the coat off as he stretched his body a bit.
'Well, that's the coat gone.' He turned to look towards the distant street and then proceeded to speed through towards the section of the city where he could feel fake Suguru's mark. On the way he couldn't help but reminisce the last moments of his fight with Dagon when he had also felt that aura pass over him even inside the Domain, an evil aura.
'That Cursed Spirit, he felt it too, the sickening aura. Could it be?'
Running over to the top of a nearby building Takumi started to free-run the rooftops of the buildings towards his destination. He could feel several new signatures as well from around the city converge in on the destination as well. Running atop a few more buildings, Takumi started to see the carnage that lay through the streets and the city. Two buildings were already seemingly slashed through and as he came upon to stop at another destroyed building, he could feel it more intensely.
'Wait, this aura. This heavenly aura is similar! Seriously did somebody do it?!'
Takumi knew about the aura that washed over him. This heavenly Cursed Energy could have only belonged to one being in the Jujutsu world.
"The Heavenly General."
Looking over at a distance, Takumi's eyes went wide in wonder as amongst the carnage on the streets below glow a divine light, and a short explosion later it came into view. In the streets of Shibuya there appeared, with an eight-handled wheel hovering over its figure as the smoke and dust receded; a blade attached to its right hand, the figure towered over the occupants on the street, it stood tall. The most powerful shikigami of the Zen'in clan.
"Mahoraga."