Yuta Okkotsu stepped onto the battlefield with a resolute expression. The center of the arena was already scarred from previous fights. Noritoshi Kamo entered shortly after, taking his position opposite Yuta.
Shin Genichi glanced sideways at Satoru Gojo. Though he said nothing, his eyes clearly asked, Yuta will be okay, right? Gojo simply gave a thumbs-up in response, signaling all was well. While no one really knew how Gojo could be so confident Rika wouldn't cause another outburst, his conviction was enough to put their minds at ease.
After bowing, the two fighters assumed their stances and began the initial exchange—a probing bout to test each other's capabilities. Noritoshi's close combat skills were solid. Using his technique, he transformed his blood into weapons, allowing him to freely switch between close and long-range attacks.
These blood-forged weapons packed serious punch—both in durability and sharpness. His technique, Crimson Cleave, shaped blood into crimson circular blades, dangerously sharp enough to slice through standard weapons with ease.
But Yuta's sword was a cursed tool, and with his cursed energy imbued into it, he didn't have to worry about that.
Yuta's talent was clear to everyone who had spent time with him—he learned quickly and had a natural knack for combat. From an ordinary person to someone now mastering cursed energy and battle techniques, his growth had been nothing short of remarkable.
Each of the others had a strong foundation: Maki was from the Zenin clan—even if unrecognized due to her Heavenly Restriction, her combat skills were top-tier. Panda was raised by Principal Yaga and trained from a young age. Toge Inumaki, heir of the Inumaki clan, inherited the family's Cursed Speech technique. And Shin Genichi, raised alongside Megumi Fushiguro by Gojo himself, had access to the strongest resources—even if Gojo wasn't always "reliable," Genichi's intellect and access to knowledge filled any gaps.
Yuta, by contrast, had only been enrolled for less than half a year. And yet, his rapid growth and overwhelming cursed energy—even Gojo was astonished by it. Only someone with Yuta's kind of potential could have manifested a being like Rika by accident.
After that brief exchange, the two fighters launched into a fierce battle.
Yuta, his blade coated with cursed energy, slashed through Noritoshi's twin Crimson Cleave blades. Noritoshi quickly abandoned his long-range tactics; Yuta's swordsmanship was simply too refined, and his speed—amplified by cursed energy—was overwhelming. It wasn't monstrous like "that creature," but still far beyond what Noritoshi could match. It was time to unleash Red Scale Leap.
With his body fully enhanced, Noritoshi was finally able to go head-to-head with Yuta's blade. He dodged one of Yuta's lunges, but the sudden shift in Yuta's strike trajectory still left a deep gash across his chest.
Just as the injury was about to land, several blood threads shot from Noritoshi's torn shirt, weaving a net in midair to trap Yuta. Shin Genichi's eyes lit up in recognition—this move was called Crimson Binding. Not bad at all. Once caught, the cursed blood net couldn't be torn apart through normal physical means.
The net was made of numerous blood tendrils—cutting one or two wouldn't help, and Noritoshi could regenerate it. The only way out was to either directly attack the caster or shatter the net with a cursed energy-laced blow.
Yuta was too close to dodge—his escape route had already been sealed. Without hesitation, he swung his blade. In a flurry of precise slashes, he cut open several gaps in the net above him.
But it was the first time Yuta had seen this technique. He was stunned as the broken strands of blood extended and re-knitted themselves, repairing the net. A momentary miscalculation—he was trapped. Acting quickly, Yuta surged cursed energy to his body, trying to break free.
That was exactly what Noritoshi had hoped for. He had already prepared his next move. Clasping his hands together and aiming at Yuta, cursed blood flowed between his fingers and was compressed to the limit.
"This move didn't land on Shin Genichi last time—let me show you what it can do. We've got medics on standby, so no need to worry. It's time to end this."
Hyakuren: Piercing Blood.
The compressed ball of blood shot out in an instant. To the eye, it was merely a faint red streak—a visual afterimage. The true attack had already been unleashed before it could even be seen.
Yuta's reaction was incredibly fast. Bursting free of the net with raw cursed power, his instincts screamed at him—Danger! Even Rika, sealed away, seemed to stir in panic. But Yuta didn't call on her. He had forbidden it. Instead, he focused entirely on the attack before him.
He quieted his mind—no self, no sword, no winning or losing. Just breathing. Cursed energy and blade movements became second nature, like the rhythm of breath—no conscious control needed.
He locked onto the incoming attack. Suddenly, time seemed to slow. He saw the blood arrow gliding through the air—it wasn't fast anymore. He saw it. One thought surged through his mind: Cut it down.
But what does it mean to "cut"?
As the thought extended from intent to action—to blade, to swing—the sword moved faster than thought itself. A brilliant flash of cursed energy burst from Yuta's blade, colliding head-on with the blood arrow. The force split the air with a sharp hum. Yuta stood, breathing heavily, sword lowered after the strike. At his feet was a small puddle of blood.
A deep gouge marked the ground before him—the aftermath of his slash. Watching, Shin Genichi gasped under his breath:
"Holy crap. That's sword aura!"
The whole exchange had happened in a blink. From an outside perspective, it looked like Noritoshi launched Piercing Blood just as Yuta broke free of the net. At that exact moment, Yuta instinctively swung his blade—and struck the near-invisible projectile with a vertical slash empowered by cursed energy.
The blow shattered the technique. While Noritoshi was stunned, Yuta closed the distance, placing the back of his blade against Noritoshi's throat. The match was decided.
Despite his victory, Yuta didn't show much joy. He smiled at the praise from his friends, but there was a hint of worry on his face. Shin Genichi immediately understood: Piercing Blood had immense speed and power. Even with cursed energy reinforcing his sword, the intense clash left visible cracks in the blade.
While not the highest-grade weapon, this sword had been given to him by Gojo to practice channeling curses. Breaking it would be a hard thing to explain—Yuta's concern was understandable.
Noticing no one else was paying attention, Shin Genichi reached out his hand. Yuta blinked in confusion but handed him the sword. Shin Genichi placed a hand over the cracked blade—and when he removed it, the cracks were gone. The sword was good as new.
"Genichi…"
Shin raised a finger to his lips with a quiet "shhh." Yuta gave him a grateful smile and mouthed a silent thank you. Shin had used Reversed Cursed Technique to restore the blade. Fixing objects was far easier than healing people—and even cursed weapons could be selectively repaired without affecting their state in battle.
The match was over, but the tournament continued. One last battle remained: Shin Genichi vs. Aoi Todo.
With cheers from Yuta, Panda, and the others, Shin Genichi walked into the arena empty-handed. Aoi Todo also entered without a weapon. While Principal Yaga was still speaking, Todo already looked thrilled.
"Too bad I didn't get to fight Yuta, but you're more than enough to excite me. You're the one who finished off that special-grade vengeful cursed spirit, right? That was special grade! Even if I lose now, it'll be a glorious defeat!"
As Yaga announced the match, Todo ripped off his shirt, revealing a chiseled, rock-solid physique. He grinned wildly.
"Forget the formalities. Let's make this a fight to remember!"
Shin Genichi rolled up his sleeves. While he didn't share Todo's obsession with fighting or passion, he was fired up nonetheless. A sorcerer using cursed energy to enhance their body could accomplish things far beyond human limits.
With power came the desire to use it—to push its boundaries. Shin had experimented with many techniques, but not much in the way of real, physical combat. Sparring with Maki and the others was for technique and foundation—no cursed energy used.
If he used a technique here, the fight would end too quickly. But this—this might be the one chance to test that "superhuman" strength.
Todo was strong—anyone could tell from the Kyoto students' reactions. The fact that he survived even Rika's initial attack after cornering Yuta and Panda was proof enough.
"Let's do this!"
Without a word, the two of them charged like arrows loosed from a bow. Shin didn't activate any technique, relying only on raw cursed energy reinforcement.
Their fists collided—then again, as each grabbed the other's wrist. They grinned like wild animals, veins bulging, joints creaking.
Then Shin suddenly kneed Todo in the gut.
Todo took the blow with a laugh, then used Shin's off-balance posture to lift him and slam him to the ground mid-spin.
Shin rolled with the impact, hands pushing off the ground to rebound back to his feet. But Todo was already there, unleashing a powerful side kick. Shin blocked it with crossed arms but was still blasted several meters back.
"Todo's physicality is ridiculous," Shin noted. "If I didn't have cursed energy to close the gap, I'd never match him in pure hand-to-hand."
Todo flexed his arms and smiled.
"Shin, cursed energy reinforcement has its limits. The human body isn't a technique—it can't take unlimited power."
"So the difference comes from elsewhere—technique, physical talent... but most of all, your understanding of cursed energy!"
He grinned, eyes gleaming. "You've felt it too, haven't you? That closeness to the core of cursed energy. You've used Black Flash, right? When you gain new insight into cursed energy—it changes everything."
"Tell me, Shin Genichi… what is cursed energy to you?"
Caught off guard, Shin blinked, then hesitantly replied, "If I had to say... I guess it's like an extension of my limbs?"
Todo sighed dramatically. "Ah... so close. We could've been best friends…"
Shin watched him, unsure what Todo was thinking. He actually appreciated Todo's "taste" in people—honestly, as long as someone was good-looking, Shin didn't mind either. Personality was another matter.
But when he imagined becoming Todo's "best friend" against his will… yeah, he wasn't ready for that.
As Todo fantasized, Shin attacked without warning—two rapid kicks flew his way. Todo instinctively blocked the vital spots but was knocked back a few steps.
Gazing at Shin with regret, Todo cracked his knuckles, grinning wildly.
"Then let's begin!"
(End of Chapter)
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