Nobody talks about the struggle of being alive

[yosef1]

Well, I lied again.
I think I'll keep my list of TLH stories tucked away, well tucked away, for when I run out of ideas for other stories. Because I never stop having ideas.
And this time the idea is Jujutsu Kaisen. No, it's not about any couple, the only couples that appear are the canonical ones.
This story is about Yuta and Yuji, where Yuji tries to give Yuta, who was once his assassin, the job of being his executioner. And I intend to use this to reinforce certain aspects of their writing.
But honestly? The main reason for this story is that I want them to fight. And since I can't ignore my instinct to philosophize in stories, it won't just be an action movie.
But I hope you have fun, because I intend to.
Enjoy.



A sliding wooden door opened.



Yuta Okkotsu stepped out and closed it.



He walked to the left, staring blankly at nothing in particular with a weary expression that didn't resemble his usual listless look.



"These meetings almost never require my presence. They're just formalities and traditionalism."



Due to Satoru Gojo's death, Yuta Okkotsu was the closest relative entitled to become the new leader of the Gojo clan.



But now he is the sole leader of one of the three great clan families.



The Zenin clan was massacred by Maki Zenin to the point that they no longer had enough military power or influence to be present in the political decisions of the jujutsu world.



And showing great support for the change as Gojo dreamed, Yoshinobu Gakuganji banished the Kamo clan from jujutsu politics for supporting Kenjaku's leadership for unjustifiable reasons.



And because of all these things, Yuta is held responsible for attending all the meetings and decision-making processes of the school and the Jujutsu world in Japan. Even if it's just to be present.



He tightened his expression slightly in discomfort, "But even so, keeping up with what they say and decide to know when to get involved is very laborious."



He glanced to the side, looking at his imagination of Satoru in a simple drawing with a bead of sweat on his forehead.



"Now I understand why Sensei Gojo preferred being a teacher rather than being someone in the high ranks."



Then he noticed something, "Hm?".



In the middle of the open field between one of the buildings where Yuta is, Yuji, Nobara, and Megumi are together, as always. But motionless and a little attentive.



He looked in the same direction as them.



A teenage girl, maybe 1.80 meters tall, with dark blue hair styled in several braids that reached her shoulders, looked at the group with a smile you only see on strong sorcerers.



She was also wearing the official Jujutsu school uniform, but it had pants like the men's and was more fitted, but not tight.



"You...", she put her hand on her hip, "Are you Yuji Itadori?".



Yuta became a little serious, "She's definitely not from here. Could she be from Kyoto Metropolitan Curse Technical College and be here because of the Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event? If so, then she's a newcomer," he thought.



"You know, I met Aoi Todo and heard a lot about you," she shrugged, "About how you're an amazing guy and about everything you've done."



"And now, looking at your insane scars," she smiled more animatedly, "I think you really are a cool guy."



Yuji was unchanged.



Then he took a few steps forward, Megumi and Noraba watching him.



Yuji had a serious expression, but it seemed more than serious, "What do you want?"



The girl's smile faded, "Well, I was wondering if you wouldn't like to show off? Exchange some punches?"



Her expression seemed to have become more irritated, "But now that you were rude, I don't think you're so cool anymore."



Yuta looked closely at her.



Her cursed energy was intense, behaving with agitation, but very refined, with the well-defined contour around her body.



"Even being a rookie, she's strong," he thought, "But..."



She crouched down, assuming a jumping position, "I expected more from someone with good taste like Todo."



Megumi and Nobara took steps back.



She fired.



As she advanced, lines of metal-like strips emerged from behind her and slowly moved forward along her body.



Arizu Yoshida's technique is "The Guardian of a Thousand Houses," which creates armor that greatly enhances her physical attributes.



She ran slower and slower as the armor progressed.



But for the armor to form and remain, she must remain still. So she reduces the speed of the structure's formation to move, even if increasingly slowly, until she has the most advantageous position or orchestrates some plan.



Yuji raised his fist to chest height.



And he also shot forward, faster than her.



But...



She was startled and tried to stop, the side of his fist lightly hitting her chest, making her wait anxiously.



If someone is touching her and doesn't slow down as well, the armor's creation won't advance.



Suddenly, cursed blue energy, followed by black sparks with a red outline, exploded from his hand, throwing her back forcefully.



And his armor can mimic attacks that have already hit it, but it can't mimic techniques.



But Yuji didn't know that. His pure instinct and experience made him make the best possible decision.



Yuta stared at Yuji.



Thanks to his unique biology and past experiences, Yuji Itadori is one of the most powerful sorcerers of the modern era.



But his greatest asset is his ability to intimately control cursed energy to the point of using the Black Flash, a technique considered "a lucky break," at will.



She flew backward almost unconscious, blood pouring from her mouth and her armor crumbling.



After 1 year since the confrontation in Shinjuku, Yuji further honed and refined his skills, earning the title of "Special Grade Sorcerer" alongside Maki Zenin and Kinji Hakari. Although Maki is only "special grade".



He lowered his fist slowly, black sparks dissipating from his hand.



However, even though Hakari and Maki are people of merit, Yuji and Yuta are, without a doubt, tied for first place and in debate over the title of "The Strongest" of the new era.



She fell back onto the ground, remaining still for a moment before slowly shifting with an uncomfortable groan.



Due to his experiences and history, the title of strongest for Yuta makes the sorcerers consider him the next Satoru Gojo.



As Yuji's arm relaxed, he created an afterimage that made it seem like he had two arms on one side of his body, the remaining sparks making it seem like he had body paint and his hair thrown back due to the shockwave.



As for Yuji, the sorcerers consider him the next Sukuna.



The girl finally stood up, sitting with her head down while keeping her hand on her chest where she was hit.



Yuji was serious about it. Almost apathetic.



Yuta had an uncomfortable expression.



He had a look of disinterest.



Worthless.



It was so empty.



That expression was so empty for someone like Yuji.



Then a hammer hit his head, making him flinch.



He turned and saw an angry Nobara and a frowning Megumi.



Nobara angrily brandished the hammer, "What were you thinking using a Black Flash on her?! You don't even know if she can heal herself!".



Yuji shrank slightly, "I never tried to use that much force."



His expression darkened slightly as he looked at his hand, "You're right, I should have gone slower."



Nobara and Megumi noticed this and their expressions softened.



Yuta noticed as well, his expression surprised.



That was strange.



Yuji seemed remorseful, almost as if he blamed himself.



But the look he gave her when she was on the ground...



Was that also guilt? No, it wasn't that...



He was too empty.



...But what if it was? Was he empty because he was speechless after what he had just done?



In shock?



Megumi rubbed her head, "Even if you're more careful next time, now you have the responsibility to take her to someone who can heal her."



Then Nobara spotted Yuta and waved cheerfully, "Yuta-Senpai!!"



Yuta noticed this and waved back with a smaller smile, walking out of the open hallway.



"Yuta-Senpai! Could you help our classmate that Yuji accidentally hurt?!", she placed a hand on his back.



He didn't resist when she forced him to bend over to the point of resembling an "L," "Please, Yuta-Senpai," he said neutrally.



He nodded dismissively, "Of course," and went over to the girl.



He bent down and placed his hand above hers, producing a green energy that healed her wound.



Noraba nodded again, "Well, then we're leaving!", and pulled Yuji and Megumi by the arms, but she quickly let go.



Yuta looked at Yuji one more time.



Yuji was staring blankly, still with that shadowy expression.



This time, he seemed to feel something. It wasn't shock anymore.



It seemed like realization, as if he felt bad for noticing something.



Is he also thinking about what he could have done differently? And what is and isn't his fault?



For Yuta, this would be quite familiar...



Or maybe it's something else, it's up to Yuji to decide.



##



Maki, Yuta, Nobara, Megumi, Yuji, and Toge were walking along the road to the left of the school.



This year's Kyoto Sister-School Goodwill Event will be an elimination battle on the first day and a Jujutsu knowledge tournament on the second day.



In the elimination battle, a target is hidden and will only appear when a minimum number of competitors are incapacitated, regardless of how many are on each side.



Because of this, the best strategy would normally be to stay in a group, but the Tokyo team already expects the other team to think of this and try to separate them.



After a few steps, they began to diverge, each going in a different direction and entering the forest. Except for Yuji, who continued walking straight ahead along the road.



So they themselves are already separating.



And considering one of their attacks on Yuji Itadori the other day, they probably want to get information about his new abilities. And since it didn't work out very well, they might try again.



Yuta and Maki were moving away, but they are the closest to Yuji.



So to avoid an ambush, Yuta and Maki are responsible for going to Yuji to provide support, but at the same time they can go help the others if they eliminate the weaker ones. Especially Toge, due to his situation.



But they have new first-year wizards that they don't know, and they also haven't gotten much information about that girl's technique.



So I think the route of both their strategies will depend on who starts first.



Yuta looked cautiously from side to side.



Then a thick mass of air came at high speed towards him.



He easily tilted his head back and dodged, the mass of air passing through some trees like a cannon shot.



He looked in the direction of the shot.



A sound of something breaking burst from the air.



And then the girl shot out of the forest with her knees forward. And her armor was forming around her.



Yuta jumped away as she hit the ground, crushing it and raising a lot of dust.



Yuta quickly had his sword ready when he landed vertically on a tree.



He descended until he was standing on a branch.



The dust settled, and in its place was a two-meter-tall purple statue with an igloo-shaped base, an absurd number of neutral four-fingered hands pointing outwards to a tall cylindrical column with equally many motionless eyes.



"She can't move when she's like this? Can she only use that when she's like this?", he thought.



From one hand, a black, whip-like line expanded toward Yuta, releasing fragments of itself as if made of ashes.



Yuta skillfully raised his sword, causing the whip to be cut on impact.



He quickly connected the sword with the tip of the whip and delivered a blow that cut it in half to a certain extent.



The severed part crumbled into ashes as Yuta leaped from the tree and ran across the ground around it.



One of his hands fired a round mass of orange energy toward him.



"Either she can only use one type of attack per hand, or she's trying to prevent me from neutralizing all of her attacks. Could she use several at once?" he thought.



He made an upward slashing motion, cutting the ground far away and causing a huge cloud of dust that headed towards the attack.



The mass of energy cut through the cloud, but Yuta disappeared.



He emerged from beneath the dust cloud in an attack stance.



He quickly reached just below the arms and delivered a horizontal blow.



The armor easily shattered and cracked as it was cut.



But then the hand that unleashed the mass of energy did so again, but now upwards and with less speed.



Yuta almost completely stopped the strike halfway through to look up in surprise.



Then he looked back and withdrew the sword, adjusting it for a stabbing grip.



The statue shattered into several pieces like glass that began to plummet.



Yuta advanced, entering the rain of glass and stabbing the empty air.



When almost all the pieces were on the ground, Yuta noticed the girl further away, with pieces of glass on her hair and clothes.



The armor began to form around her again.



Yuta took one hand off the sword and ran towards her in a ninja stance.



His free hand glowed green with positive energy.



Just like with Curses, positive energy can be applied to cursed techniques that materialize things.



Yuta raised his hand to touch the statue.



But suddenly, a thick, black liquid mass poured from the sky and formed a dark blue layer over a vast area, as if it had darkened.



Yuta looked behind the girl so as not to lose sight of them both, "So that shot was a sign?!"



As soon as the layer completely covered everything, the girl smiled diabolically.



*Clap*



She clapped once.



Yuta was shocked.



He ran his green-glowing hand over the sword, covering it with the glow.



He sped up even more.



The statue completed itself again as soon as he reached the front of it.



He delivered a thrusting blow, piercing the statue.
Arizu's technique can copy an attack she has already received, creating a new arm for each new attack learned.



But there are its limits.



The imitation is linked to her technique, so she can only use it when she is with the statue and only with the arm that emerged from the imitation. At least she can circumvent certain requirements that need movements by making them before the armor is ready, which limits its use to once per creation.



Besides, the worst problem is the fact that the attack is an imitation, not a copy.



An attack that comes from some technique can only do what Arizu has already experienced on herself, such as touching her to dislocate her shoulder. She cannot imitate the entire construction of the technique, including its logic, advantages, and disadvantages, unless she is exposed to the technique's limitations.



And techniques that manipulate the environment in some way have a defined area.



So for that, she needs to use some enclosed space to specify an area of effect.



Before he could pierce the statue any further, everything changed.



In an instant, the statue and the girl were no longer in front of him.



He dropped his stance and looked around.



It was still the forest, and he was still inside the Curtain, which was now dissolving.



But it was different; even though it was the forest, the place with the trees, the density of the vegetation, small things, were different.



Wait... was he teleported? If so, then the clapping means she can use the Todo technique.



So she can copy too? It was good he didn't use any innate techniques before.



But if that's the case, there would be no reason for a curtain. Maybe it's not like him, maybe there are restrictions.



But if it was the Todo technique, then he was switched places with someone.



But there's no one else, so it wasn't a switch to change some other fight. Did they already plan this, and did one of them stay here to make it work?



He startled and anxiously put his hand to his cheeks.



And perhaps all the other techniques she used on him are limited imitations.



If she can imitate techniques, that would be perfect for dealing with Yuji's development.



He became even more frightened.



A cloud of black shadow appeared behind him, and from the shadow emerged Rika's semi-manifested body.



Yuta turned to her, "Take me up there!"



"Sure," she grabbed him with her enormous hand and the two flew high above the trees.



There, Yuta looked in all directions, searching for something.



An explosion came from the other side, drawing his attention. She was quite far away.



That's why she went after him first.



They want to keep away anyone who might interfere with an attack on Yuji.



Is she with Maki now? No, she would put herself at risk fighting so much before the main plan. Even more so considering how much stronger Yuji has proven to be than her.



He needs to go up there.



"Rika! Can you let me go!"



"Yes, Yuta," she released him and disappeared into the shadow that emerged.



Yuta fell to the ground, crushing him slightly.



He quickly prepared himself and shot off at top speed.



He ran in a ninja stance, dodging trees with agility and ease as he crossed the forest.



When he arrives, he can interfere immediately, otherwise he might miss the chance for a surprise attack if necessary.



But Yuji might not realize the risk of using his techniques on her before he intervenes or even arrives.



A black whip struck some trees further ahead, causing him to stop.



He walked cautiously and hid behind a tree, observing.



The whip stretched between the trees with strong, undulating movements.



Yuji easily moved his head to the side, dodging by inches.



When the whip stopped stretching, he grabbed it and pulled, tightening it.



Then he delivered a strong blow with his elbow, cutting off part of the whip.



He dropped the severed part, and it crumbled to ashes as the whip moved backward.



Then it shot towards him again.



Yuji took small leaps backward, avoiding several attacks.



Then he ran forward very fast, with the whip following close behind.



A mass of air swept through the trees towards him.



He effortlessly dodged, letting the blow hit and pulverize almost the entire part of the whip, which curved behind him.



He ran until he reached the side of the whip's body.



He grabbed it, making the whip unable to move forward any longer.



He tightened it again and landed a punch on it.



A moment later, the impact surged, rapidly sending the whip through the body of the statue into the forest.



A mass of air caused a powerful explosion that destroyed many trees, revealing the statue.



Yuji just stood there, staring at the statue seriously.



A bead of sweat appeared on Yuta's forehead.



He should do something to thwart the opposing team's plan, but something is wrong...



Suddenly, from another of the statue's hands, three bright green spheres formed, spinning as if juggling.



One of them broke free from the formation and floated calmly towards Yuji.



He simply moved to the side, and the sphere passed right by.



But it turned and went towards him, positioning itself in the middle of his back.



Yuji reached out, and it passed through the sphere without any alteration.



Another of the spheres also broke free from the formation, leaving the last one still floating in the statue's hand.



But this one went towards him at high speed, making many unnecessary turns and movements.



When she reached him, he easily dodged by simply moving a part of his body, but the sphere surrounded him with senseless movements.



He took advantage of an opening and ran away.



The sphere continued its chaotic cage for a moment before going after him again.



And he kept running too.



Meanwhile, the other sphere only moved to follow his movements, like a security camera.



He grabbed a thick branch and used it to propel himself up onto another branch.



But before he could do that, the sphere stopped moving right in his direction.



Then it shot off, making a slight curve to match the movement of his jump.



He just stared intently at the sphere coming towards him.



The sphere perfectly positioned itself beside his body, pushing him away.



Both destroyed all the trees and vegetation they passed through for several meters.



Which ended with a larger, strong explosion of dust, concluding the destructive journey.



The camera shifted focus to the impact site; the area was open to the sky, and the ground was made of destroyed and pulverized wood.



Yuta emerged and remained hidden where the trees were still standing.



In the midst of the destruction, Yuji appeared, calmly walking by. He brushed his hair.



He stopped and looked around.



Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass came from the depths of the trees.



Yuji noticed the sphere on his back disappear.



Soon after, the girl emerged from the trees and stood in the open area, looking stressed at Yuji.



He just stared at her again. With an expression almost as somber as before.



Yuta had a serious expression.



Yeah, something's really wrong.



He's not attacking, he's not even fighting back.



Even with such a huge opportunity right now.



He looked at the girl and she was frowning.



Even she's trying to give him a chance to attack and he doesn't.



This will surely protect the team's plan.



But that's not why he's acting like this...



Arizu frowned and flexed her jaw angrily, "Why isn't he doing anything?! Does he think he's so strong?!", she thought.



The armor began to form again.



Then she'll eliminate him. He'll cease to be an obstacle anyway.



The statue was fully formed.



The three spheres reappeared and one of them went to him.



He did nothing when it was behind him again.



The other sphere attacked him wildly.



He just waited and dodged again.



But before the last sphere attacked him, another of the hands glowed pink.



A pink flame formed on the palm of the hand.



Then the flame shot out.



Yuji noticed.



He leaped back, dodging the attack cage.



But the flame changed direction like a comet and struck him before hitting the ground.



Yuji landed on the ground, but didn't seem badly hurt.



He looked at his hands, noticing that neither his clothes nor his body were burning.



But his cursed energy was being consumed.



He inhibited its production, the rest being burned away like water until it vanished.



Now he was defenseless.



He stared intently at the last sphere.



It shot out.



It got closer.



And closer...



And closer...



At the last second, he released his cursed energy again and blocked it with his arms.



The sphere hit him, but he quickly made it slide down his arm until it circled his body and exited behind him.



Then the sphere hit the other chaotic sphere that was returning with unerring accuracy, causing both to shoot off in different directions and destroy more trees.



The cursed energy he released for a moment to do this was completely consumed by the fire again.



"No matter how much he dodges, the flame will consume every drop of his energy until--".



A shadow appeared right behind her and two enormous white hands grabbed and crushed the statue.



The girl looked surprised as pieces of glass fell on her.



Then she looked down at the sword glowing green that pierced her chest.



Her eyes were drained of energy and her body went limp.



Yuta calmly withdrew the sword to heal the wound. Then she fell unconscious to the ground.



Rika disappeared as Yuta watched Arizu fall to the ground.



Yuji approached and stared at her as well, "Thank you, I was running out of options."



"It's alright. After all, you would never retaliate."



Yuji's expression tensed.



Yuta raised his head and looked at him, "Why?"



Yuji kept his head down.



"Remember what you said when we first met?"



Yuta became apprehensive.



"You only kept me alive because I was important to people who were important to you."



"And that the great power I had wasn't mine, so I wasn't to blame for it."



He paused for a moment.



"But now Sensei and Sukuna are dead, so is there anything that would still stop you?"



He finally raised his head.



"Would you kill me when necessary?"



Yuta looked away, thinking for a moment, "Do you want to die...or do you think you deserve to die?"



Yuji looked up.



"When everything related to what happened in Shinjuku was resolved, I..."



His expression tightened.



"I felt inadequate."



"As he had said, I was only in that place because I finally had something useful to offer."



"So when it was all over, I spent the last year striving to improve my techniques, my control of cursed energy, and my aptitude as a sorcerer."



His expression was hurt. "But while I was getting stronger, something was happening. Whether it was when I looked in the mirror, or when I looked at others."



He clenched his fists.



"It seems like everyone is changing, that normal change of what it means to live..."



"And I'm not."



He raised his hands and placed them around his head.



"And every time I realize this, I feel like I'm distancing myself."



His hands pressed against his head.



"And this distance makes me feel alone."



His expression now looked sad.



"Now, the strength I wanted has become a problem, I realized this with this girl before. I don't feel safe with this strength."



"I don't know what this loneliness might do to me."



Yuta frowned, "Do you think you'll end up like Sukuna?"



Yuji took his hands away from his head, becoming calmer.



"I don't know if he was like that because he was alone, but he doesn't care about anyone. And that made him a curse."



"I want to live, but I don't want to take lives because I'm alive to be the next Ryomen Sukuna."



He lowered his head and looked into his eyes.



"So if there's a chance I could end up like him, no matter the reason, I want to prevent it. So Yuta, if necessary..."



"Will you be my executioner?"



Yuta took a deep breath.



He picked up his sword, which was in its sheath, and placed it against his forehead.



He sighed heavily.



"Are you choosing me because I've done this before? Or because you think I'm the most qualified?"



Yuji put his hands on his hips and sighed in the same way as him, "I think both. You can definitely stop me."



"What you're asking is absurd. As long as you're still you, I can't give you an answer."



Yuji had a very disappointed expression.



Then he had an idea.



"Can you at least... fight me?"



Yuta was surprised.



Is he really that desperate to have a safe haven for the future?



He thought for a moment.



"How much energy do you think you spent?"



Yuji was a little surprised, perhaps satisfied? before answering, "Not enough to be harmful."



Yuta remained silent and Yuji waited.



Yuta lowered his sword and turned around, starting to take a few steps.



Yuji continued waiting, confused.



Yuta stopped about 5 meters away and turned with a serious expression.



"Then let's go."



Yuji replied with an equally serious expression.



Yuta drew his sword from its sheath and stood sideways, holding it close to his face with one hand and resting the other hand on the end of the hilt.



Yuji crossed his arms in a "+" and stood in position.



They stared at each other, eye to eye.



They fired.



Yuta thrust his sword at Yuji, and Yuji placed his hand over it, letting it hang down.



Yuta tried to grab Yuji's other hand as it came at his chest, but Yuji was too quick and struck him with a palm strike.



Yuta lost his breath and was pushed back a few meters.



He regained his balance by planting his sword in the ground for support.



His chest, where he was hit, was marked, and he breathed with some difficulty.



He stared at Yuji with concern.



Yuji adjusted his posture, keeping one arm extended and the other behind him.



Even though he's not at the same level as Satoru and Sukuna, in a state without extra enhancements, Yuji Itadori is the strongest now. He is only surpassed in some physical aspects, specifically by Maki.



Yuji charged forward fiercely.



Yuta took one last deep breath very quickly and jumped to the side, avoiding Yuji's advance.



Yuji braced his legs forward to brake and held his hand up at Yuta, as if aiming.



-Dismantle-



Yuta recognized this and struck the ground with his sword, creating a shockwave to counterattack.



The shockwave was quickly struck by invisible cuts that reached and slashed Yuta in several places.



The cuts bled profusely, but were shallow, and smoke soon rose from the wounds thanks to the reversed cursed energy.



Yuji watched attentively.



The Sukuna cuts can cut anyone. Even if the target is stronger, they will still have at least superficial cuts.



But when using the cuts on someone with dense physical reinforcement, only Cleave can work that way.



Before Yuta's wounds healed completely, Yuji charged forward again.



Yuta prepared himself.



Since he used Dismantle and it didn't have much effect, he'll probably try using Cleave.



A shadow appeared beside Yuji, surprising him.



A huge white hand lunged at him and grabbed him.



It lifted him off the ground and flew forward while yelling angrily, "LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO MY YUTA!!"



The hand slammed him against the ground, further destroying the landscape.



Quickly, Yuji fought against the pressure, getting up while pushing with both hands.



Yuta ran after Rika and was almost there. The smoke from his wounds finally disappeared along with them.



Even though he had more power, it wasn't enough to handle two at once.



Several cutting lines appeared on Rika's hand, shattering it into pieces and making Rika groan in pain.



Yuji brought his hands close together, and several tiny red droplets began to accumulate into a small sphere of the same color.



Rika tried to hit him with her good hand, but he put his hands together and ducked before he could.



Yuta appeared in his field of vision.



He aimed...



-Piercing Blood-



The shot came.



Yuta managed to get out of the way in time, but was surprised that the blow went straight ahead.



Yuji broke his stance and caught a blow from Rika with both hands.



Yuta kept his eyes on the shot that continued to move away.



Something is wrong--



Yuji made a binding vow where the Piercing Blood continues to persist...



The shot turned around towards Yuta.



And it can change trajectory indefinitely.



Yuta gripped his sword tightly and waited.



When the shot arrived, he tried to slide it along the sword to change course.



But when it touched the sword, the blood dissolved as if it were water instead of condensed hemoglobin.



Since speed is the defining characteristic of Piercing Blood, Yuji sacrificed the consistency of the blood for the binding vow.



Blood exploded everywhere, mostly sliding down the sword, but also onto the ground and Yuta. And the blast wasn't over yet.



When it finally ended, Yuta's clothes were stained and further drooped from the extra weight, and his face and hand were covered in red.



Yuta looked at his clothes with concern.



Naoya seemed to be poisoned while covered in blood in Shibuya, so he needed to heal.



His hand glowed green.



But he fell to one knee, his body swaying.



His vision was distorted and full of afterimages, and his body seemed to ache with a cold.



Is the effect really that fast?



He pressed his hand to his face.



He tried to look at Yuji, only seeing distortions of the fight between him and Rika.



Because Yuji is a close-combat fighter, this easily puts him at a disadvantage against multiple opponents.



A conical blood blade with spikes pointing in the opposite direction emerged from the top of Yuji's forearm and pierced Rika's hand, pinning her to the ground.



Yuji used the momentum from the blow to spin and land a kick on Rika's hand, sending her flying as the blade disintegrated.



Then Yuji practiced his skills and strategies extensively...



A glimpse of four muscular arms covered in black paint appeared.



To never again be outnumbered.



Rika recovered and went to Yuta's side.



Yuji advanced again.



Rika positioned herself in front of Yuta while he was still healing.



She stood directly in front and put her right hand back, preparing a punch.



Cursed energy covered her fist.



He delivered the blow, releasing black sparks as Rika's hand was crushed and pushed away.



-Black Flash-



But Yuta didn't seem to have been hit.



Yuta appeared from within Rika's shadow body, his sword poised to strike.



And he did.



Just before hitting, Yuji extended his left hand over his arm in the same way he does with Shrine.



Yuta stood alert.



He won't be fast enough--



-Cursed Technique Reversal: Cohesion-



Part of Yuta's arm and chest tried to merge, restricting his strike for an instant.



-Dismantle-



Soon after came the cuts, multiple blows all over his face and torso.



Yuta was just shocked as the blow sent him flying backward.



Wait! What was that?! A new ability?! How?!



Did he absorb another cursed object? But there isn't an innate technique that resembles that in recorded cursed objects.



The only thing close to that is Blue...



No, he succeeded?...



Ryomen Sukuna's innate technique creates invisible cuts that can cut anyone, and Yuji's modern interpretation is something similar to using scissors.



And the reverse technique is just the opposite of cursed energy, therefore it can be used as an energy source.



So just as Satoru Gojo created Red, Yuji applied reverse energy to the Shrine and created "Cohesion".



Cohesion uses the concept of glue, attraction of forces, which forces an attraction between two targets or specific points, restricting their movements for an instant.



Although it is not as detailed as the Shrine, it does not have certain limitations of the same.



The attraction can affect anything from objects to pure energy, and its application can be done in any way, not needing to touch where it will happen, near, far, or it can affect targets that are not in each other's trajectory, destroying postures and positions.



A feat acquired by very few, but which, along with double the power, demands double the energy. So Yuji tries to use small areas of attraction to reduce the cost.



Yuta began to heal, looking a little paranoid at Yuji.



Even though Yuta doesn't agree with what Yuji thinks, now he understands his concern about having gained so much strength.



Because this now indicates that he has improved a lot as a sorcerer, so he can have more than hidden cards and also have surprise cards.



He needs to take this more seriously.



Yuji's expression was somewhat confused because half of it was hidden by his hand.



This made Yuta soften.



Was he sad, destroyed?



Yuta felt that again. The feeling of familiarity.



No, it's guilt.



It's guilt, regret, and negativity.



He knows because he used to be like that.



Blaming himself for something he didn't even understand, but he was involved in it, and that was enough.



Being so pessimistic that he apologized for being the guilty party and didn't feel sorry enough.



Always ready to feel terrible.



But he's not like that anymore; he wants to be happy and feel good.



And maybe now he needs to give that to Yuji, for him to feel good.



Yuta, still healing, extended the hand with the engagement ring and placed his other hand right below it.



"Domain Expansion."



Yuji's eyes widened.



In an instant, they were surrounded by the rubble of destroyed structures, covered with katanas embedded in everything in an endless area, while a mizuhiki loop covered the dark sky.



-Authentic Mutual Love-



Yuji was on top of one of the structures while Yuta was on a lower part of another structure.



A shadow appeared over Yuji, making him pay attention again.



Rika's hand grabbed his head.



"Stronger than before, for sure," he thought.



And she pressed his face against the structure, causing its destruction.



She continued slamming his head against the ground until the structure disappeared and they were on the ground.



Yuji quickly steadied his hands on the ground and struggled to stand up, managing to do so slowly.



"I can't use my techniques, so the guaranteed hit must still be the Angel's technique," he thought.



Yuta appeared beside him, coming towards him with a sword.



Yuji took his hands off the ground and adjusted his posture.



-New Shadow Style: Simple Domain-



A large white circle appeared on the ground and covered the three of them.



Yuji released his stance, the circle beginning to slowly dissolve, and pointed one hand at Yuta and the other at Rika.



Blood gushed from his hands.



-Crimson Binding-



The blood took the form of a net, covering Yuta's body and Rika's fingers.



The blood forced Rika's fingers open, and Yuji quickly stepped out.



He went to her face and threw a punch.



But she put her hand in front in time, her hand pressed against his face. But nothing more.



She closed her hand, grabbing his arm, and threw him away. His circle completely dissolved because of this.



"Being in the air, I can't use Simple Domain!", he thought as he scanned the area.



Yuta appeared running alongside them.



He reached out and grabbed one of the swords.



"Here it comes!", Yuji thought.



With his free hand, Yuta punched the air, which sank as if it were fabric.



-Continuous Impact-



Yuji's side was hit, throwing him to the side.



Yuji fell rolling, but quickly steadied himself on all four limbs to regain his balance.



He stood up and assumed his previous stance as Rika approached.



-New Shadow Style: Simple Domain-



The circle appeared again.



Rika tried to clap her hands to crush it, but he dodged.



He placed his hand on her face.



-Cleave-



Her face was cut into three pieces, but it wasn't very deep.



Yuta appeared, grabbing another sword.



He delivered a stabbing blow, and Yuji tried to deflect the sword with his hands.



But the tip of the sword left a small, glowing square on his palm.



Yuji noticed this and blocked it with his arms.



"He's just accepting the inevitable blow," Yuta thought.



He delivered the blow, cutting the side of Yuji's face down to his wrist, temporarily blinding him.



All the blood that flowed from the wound flowed back in on its own, closing the cut. And Yuji could see again.



He noticed Rika approaching and tried to do something.



"Don't move."



Yuji froze, unable to move.



He moved his eyes to Yuta.



There were fangs and snake eyes drawn on Yuta's mouth and tongue. But they soon disappeared along with the sword.



Rika clasped her hands together and struck Yuji's head as if wielding a sledgehammer, smashing the ground in the process.



Yuji's expression stiffened as his body tensed from the pressure.



Rika withdrew her hands.



Yuta extended his.



-Technique Extinguishment-



Several crosses of yellow light with sharp points surged forth like a jet of water.



Many struck the ground covered by what remained of the white circle, destroying it.



Others struck Yuji, burning his clothes and skin.



Smoke rose from Yuji's wounds, and they healed slightly before the circle completely disappeared.



Rika grabbed him with one hand and slammed him onto his back, trapping him.



Yuta grabbed another sword and leaped onto Rika's hand.



Yuji seemed to writhe in Rika's grip, but he wouldn't break free.



Yuta positioned the sword directly above Yuji's head.



They stared intensely at each other.



Yuta lowered his sword.



"Domain Expansion."



A hole in Yuta's domain appeared right below Yuji and stretched far, obscuring part of the domain's environment.



-Song of the Unruly Passengers-



Yuji's scars glowed maroon and increased in size.



Yuta's sword struck the ground, making a loud metallic sound.



Yuji stood right beside him, his head tilted and a serious look on his face.



The scars on his face increased in size and stretched, resembling cuts made by maroon claws.



-Flowing Red Scale-



Domain techniques differ between each sorcerer, because, like innate techniques, their specifications are engraved in the individual.



Because of this, Yuji's barrier is smaller than normal. Including Yuta's barrier.



So even though he's stronger, Yuji's expanded dominion can't overpower Yuta's.



Instead, his dominion creates an escape route, negating the guaranteed hit.



-Cleave-



Several cuts shattered Rika's hand into pieces.



Yuji quickly stood up and struck Yuta in the stomach, causing him to spit blood.



Yuta flew backward and rolled on the ground while Rika was cut even further until all her physical parts were destroyed.



Yuta stood up and began to heal his bleeding and bruised chest.



He kept his eyes on Yuji.



But he stood there, motionless, while Yuta and Rika recovered.



Then Yuji's barrier shattered into several pieces of glass.



"He prefers to stick with simple dominion so as not to waste energy? Fine," Yuta thought.



But before the power faded, Yuji's body glowed with energy enveloping him. And it was different from physical reinforcement.



Yuta's eyes widened.



You're kidding...



Yuji learned and trained all of his techniques, including barrier techniques and anti-domain techniques like Dominion Amplification. The only technique he couldn't learn was Falling Blossom Emotion, as it's only taught by members of the three great families.



"With Dominion Amplification, he'll have the Dominion Enhancement and avoid my guaranteed hit, but he'll be unable to use anything related to the Shrine. I need to be careful with blood manipulation," Yuta reflected.



He frowned, "So he doesn't need Flowing Red Scale to expend energy anymore, why is it still active?"



Yuji crouched down, ready to advance.



Yuta was shocked.



He raised his hand and grabbed the air, pulling it like a fabric.



Yuji leaped, destroying the ground and the landscape.



He arrived like a missile, about to hit Yuta with his knee.



But the distorted air made his trajectory shift sideways, as if he were still going straight.



He pointed his hand at the ground and blood flowed from the marks on his face.



The blood reached the ground and hardened into a hilt that remained coiled around his hand, holding him.



Yuta picked up another sword.



Yuji fell back to the ground, dissolving the blood into liquid.



He closed his arm.



Snake eyes and fangs emerged from Yuta's mouth.



"Implode."



-Slicing Exorcism-



Yuji made an opening movement, the blood behaving like a sharp whip that shot very far, cutting through several swords and structures.



Yuta picked up another sword.



But then the blood compressed and dissolved without spreading in all directions.



-Shikigami-



Five shikigami with Rika's faces and black bat wings flew towards Yuji.



Yuji's blood flowed from his marks and reached the Shikigami.



-Crimson Binding-



The blood became a net that trapped four of the five.



The last one began to make a spinning trajectory before reaching Yuji.



But before it could make a quarter turn, Yuji crushed it with his hand.



Even though he couldn't stop the trajectory, he managed to create a pretty big barrier, so he still has some freedom.



Suddenly, sharp crosses of light came towards him.



He stood still for a moment before jumping away.



And then he was cut on the arm, from the elbow to the back.



Smoke soon came out of the wound.



Rika appeared from behind, about to punch him.



Yuji turned to her.



Yuta also appeared, but in front of him and closer.



Yuji turned back to face forward.



Yuta stabbed.



Yuji caught the swords with both hands as if clapping.



-Cleave-



Yuji's eyes widened.



-Cursed Technique Lapse: Withdrawal-



Cuts appeared in the ground around Yuji, creating several small square blocks.



Yuta was shocked.



The smoke and Yuta's sword began to disappear.



Yuji used the remaining part of the sword to slide it across his hand and force Yuta to come closer.



The sword vanished.



Yuta tried to reach out.



But Yuji landed a punch on his chin, sending him flying into the air.



Blood gushed from Yuta's chin, and his neck looked almost fatally twisted.



Yuta fell hard to the ground.



Then Yuji turned to Rika.



Blood surged from Yuji's marks and condensed into a stone, hurling itself at Rika.



-Blood Meteorite-



Rika gave up on the punch and caught the stone with both hands, being pushed back by the impact.



Yuta's chin overflowed with smoke as he writhed his neck in tension and pain.



What was that? Was it that technique again? No, that was part of the sanctuary, it looked different...



So does that mean he still has more things to use?



He looked at Yuji.



Yuji jumped at Rika.



To improve as much as possible, Yuji even managed to read Yuki Tsukumo's book of discoveries and experiments on cursed energy and the soul.



And after reading it, Yuji tried to awaken his own innate technique.



Due to Sukuna's presence in his body, Yuji acquired aptitude for cursed energy and understanding of the soul. But at the same time, Sukuna's presence inhibited the potential of techniques like the Shrine and the Reverse Technique, which could only be learned due to Sukuna's departure.



So Yuji did what he could to find something else that might have been suppressed, and there it was...



His natural innate technique.



The "Curve of the Law" allows Yuji to influence the energy in others' attacks. And, by applying cursed energy to this technique, he creates a lapse technique, the "Cursed Technique Lapse: Withdrawal".



With this extension technique, Yuji can absorb and immediately redirect an attack against him, making him resistant to blows up to twice as strong as normal. However, the redirection obeys the rules of the technique; for example, it can only deflect a direct blow to another object that is in contact.



The "Cursed Technique Lapse: Withdrawal" cannot redirect the impact of techniques whose intrinsic purpose is not to attack or that are indirect attacks, such as the Angel Technique.



Whatever that is, he really got good at sorcery.



And all those blows hurt so much.



The bloodstone disintegrated and went into Yuji's hand, turning into a dagger.



-Blood Edge-



He stabbed the top of Rika's head and the dagger disintegrated inside the wound.



Rika's head exploded, with Yuji's blood exploding along with it.



Rika began to disappear as the exploding blood returned to Yuji through his marks.



He got the upper hand for most of the fight so far and continues to do so.



Which is ironic, because all of this started with him not wanting to get to this point.



And yet Yuji almost finished him off.



Yuta thought Yuji wanted a safe haven, something like "We're here if you need us." But it's more than that.



Yuji wants a guarantee, he wants to have a button to solve everything that might happen.



He wants someone to keep him safe, no matter what the future holds. Making him feel safe from the consequences of his choices.



Yuta thought about the whole rhythm of the fight, Yuji not using completely lethal attacks against him, using techniques he could save for better moments, or when he uses something, he does something unnecessary...



He thinks Yuta is that way out. Or at least he's trying to force it.



That's why he's throwing everything he has against Yuta. Because he thinks Yuta can handle it and then tries to prepare him.



Yuji looked with a serious gaze at Rika, who was completely disappearing.



Is he so sure he'll end up like Sukuna?



Yuji turned to Yuta.



Now facing him, his serious gaze didn't seem so serious, it was something deeper and more worried.



Or is he just too afraid of not being able to cope with this feeling of loneliness?



Yuta is confused.



He wanted to sympathize with Yuji to understand him, but he can't.



It's not like in Shibuya; here, Yuji is responsible for the power he has, and his feelings are valid. Just as he once was, but no longer is.



The only thing he can do now is acknowledge the feelings Yuji feels. But he can't understand them, not anymore.



Maybe that was a good thing, an indication that that time full of guilt and resentment had passed.



But at the moment, he wanted to help Yuji more. Maybe he needed a new approach.



He thought about everything he had learned from the others when he arrived at the Jujutsu school.



About recognizing guilt that was truly his instead of blaming himself for everything, about thinking more positively, about striving for what he wants.



Yuta stood up calmly.



Maybe that's what Yuji needs, to have the chance to see the whole reality of the situation.



They stared at each other.



To see the bad side and be reminded of the good side.



The darkness of the domain began to crack from the center of the sky to the ground.



The energy over Yuji's body disappeared.



The domain turned into a rain of black shards of glass upon them.



Yuta's chin wound finally healed, "Shall we go to round 3?", he rubbed his chin.



Yuji assumed a fighting stance.



Yuta raised his ring.



"Come on, Rika."



Rika's shadow appeared again, but now it had transformed into a complete, solid body.



With Rika's complete manifestation, Yuta gains access to cursed tools and his energy is replenished.



He turned to Rika with a friendly smile, "Hey, Rika, I need that body amulet."



Rika "smiled" and opened her chest, revealing many weapons and tools, "Of course!".



She removed what looked like a rope with several copper plates from her chest.



She held it with both hands and began to cover Yuta, who smiled gratefully.



Now Yuta had a copper plate on his elbows and knees that tied to his wrists and ankles, with an iron ring on his chest that joined the ropes.



Yuta showed his ring and placed a hand just below it.



Although an innate technique or barrier technique would be depleted due to the use of the domain, Rika's replenishment restored Yuta's ability.



"Domain Expansion".



Energy covered Yuji's body.



A dark layer covered the area and closed in, recreating the scene as before.



-Authentic Mutual Love-



Yuta picked up one of the swords.



"Even if he avoids the guaranteed hit, his reverse technique will probably start to weaken due to the amount of energy," he thought.



He advanced.



Rika opened her mouth and fired a sphere of energy.



Yuji spat blood out and formed a wall that looked like a frozen ocean wave.



The blast shattered the wall into several pieces.



Yuta appeared beside him, about to strike.



Yuji extended his hand.



The moment it hit his hand, the sword shattered the air as if it were glass.



-Thin Ice Breaker-



Yuji's fingers were bleeding, broken, or destroyed.



"Apparently, that technique can't prevent indirect attacks," Yuta thought.



A combination of smoke and moving blood appeared in his hand.



Yuta grabbed another sword and tried to hit Yuji.



Yuji deflected the sword to the side and tried to knee Yuta.



Yuta put his foot in front, receiving the blow and sliding backward.



He pointed the sword at Yuji.



-Dismantle-



A large X-shaped cut covered the side of Yuji's torso.



Both Dismantle and Cleave are fatal to Yuji.



Smoke and blood also appeared in that wound.



Yuji saw Rika approaching from above.



Blood gushed from the marks in a sphere, which shot jets of blood into the air.



-Slicing Exorcism-



Rika reached out and blocked the attack, remaining unharmed.



If a sorcerer sustains wounds or injuries, even minor ones, their energy production decreases.



Yuta returned with a punch to the X-shaped cut he made.



Yuji's face contorted in pain and he was thrown backward.



He fell to the ground, but soon got up, seeing Yuta and Rika approaching.



He had a tense expression.



Then his marks shifted, becoming longer and thinner, and a new line appeared diagonally on his face, connecting the two lines as if it were an "H" on his face.



-Flowing Red Scale: Stack-



His wounds healed faster.



Yuta noticed and became worried, "Shit."



The Flowing Red Scale enhances not only physical strength but also energy, including the reverse technique.



He grabbed a sword and aimed at Yuji.



-Dismantle-



An "invisible" cut came towards Yuji.



He extended his arm towards Rika.



The cut seemed to be absorbed by Yuji's body, leaving him without a scratch.



-Cursed Technique Lapse: Withdrawal-



The cut exited Yuji's hand soon after, heading towards Rika.



Rika easily flew over the attack.



The sword disappeared and Yuta grabbed another.



Yuji began to accumulate blood in a sphere and advanced.



Snake eyes and fangs emerged from his mouth as Rika charged a blast.



"Crumble--".



Yuji squeezed Yuta's cheeks and placed his other hand on his stomach, preventing him from speaking.



With his hand on his stomach, he pushed Yuta against Rika, who stopped the attack and caught him with one hand.



The sword disappeared, and Yuta tried to grab another.



But he noticed a tiny red sphere right in front of his stomach, where Yuji had touched him.



Due to exposure to Choso's "Supernova," Yuji gained inspiration to create his own variation of "Convergence."



-Saturn of Blood-



Several thin, but sharp rings expanded from the sphere randomly like electromagnetic pulses.



Yuta and Rika were left with deep cuts all over their bodies.



Yuji assumed a fighting stance.



-New Shadow Style: Simple Domain-



The energy around Yuji disappeared, and a clean circle appeared on the ground.



"Simple Domain? He must be running out of energy," Yuta thought as he and Rika healed themselves.



Then Yuji joined his hands, interlocking his fingers and leaving his index fingers raised.



"Domain Expansion." Yuta was in shock.



A dark dome appeared above and covered the three of them, sitting right above the simple domain.



-Song of the Unruly Passengers-



The environment changed, now a concrete street, in front of a building that looked like a shopping mall and with the statue of the "Dance of the Oni Sword".



Yuta and Rika stood still, just staring at everything.



What is this? This feeling?



It seems that all the agitation and seriousness of the fight had vanished.



But he still feels the urge to fight, a deeper urge than before.



As if this were no longer a violent fight, but a competition.



Then he noticed Yuji.



He stared at him motionless.



And this time, Yuta could sympathize with him. He could understand him just by looking at him.



Ah, so that's it. It's an effect of his domain.



He influences the feelings of others based on what he feels, even being able to incapacitate someone.



And that's what he truly feels.



He doesn't want to kill Yuta, but he feels he needs to fight for real. As if he has something to lose.



Now Yuta understands.



Then he began to think, "This combination is incredible, he can maintain an expansion without worrying about domain disputes, while at the same time he regains the use of the Shrine. But...".



"The energy expenditure must be enormous, so his reverse technique must be even worse."



He looked at his hand, a distortion in the air appeared on it, "While I still have the attribute boost from the domain and can use my techniques, even without the sword. Even with the time limit and without the guaranteed hit, he has the long-term advantage."



He extended his hand to Yuji.



Then he will continue attacking.



A sphere of energy began to form over two of Yuta's fingers.



Yuji extended his hand and the other retracted into a punch.



Yuta felt something coming...



He fired, the attack being like a laser.



Yuji waited until he got closer and delivered a punch.



Black sparks flowed from his fist as he easily dissipated the laser.



-Black Flash-



But the sparks died down and the laser began to move forward, so Yuji slid out of the way.



The laser stopped and Rika came towards him.



Yuji prepared another punch.



-Cursed Technique Reversal-Maximum Output: Cohesion-



An attractive force surged between Rika's chest and Yuji's fist, pulling her against her will.



Yuji delivered a precise blow to her chest, crushing it and throwing her backward.



Yuta appeared with his own sword and struck the side of Yuji's hand.



-Thin Ice Breaker-



The air shattered like ice in the blow, severing Yuji's fingers.



A little smoke slowly escaped from the wound, but soon disappeared.



Blood oozed from the wound and formed a semi-solid hand, the blood constantly moving through the prosthesis.



Yuta grabbed another sword and quickly advanced again.



Yuji lowered his sword and used it as leverage to strike Yuta.



Yuta managed to dodge.



"He's slower now," Yuta thought.



Yuta used the momentum of dodging backward to bring the sword closer to Yuji's arm.



Then he thrust it, piercing Yuji's arm diagonally and exiting on the other side.



Yuji grimaced in pain.



-Cleave-



Several deep cuts covered Yuji's arm.



"And it seems his technique isn't an automatic reaction," Yuta thought.



Smoke escaped from the cuts, even more slowly.



The sword disappeared and Yuji stepped back.



Yuji extended his bloody hand.



-Dismantle-



The cuts hit Yuta's entire body, but he remained unharmed.



The "Liar's Armor," although named for its resemblance to clothing, is actually a body amulet that protects the user from any attack that is not stronger than him.



So no matter how the attack is made, if it doesn't have more power than the user, it will simply be ignored.



"Even his cuts are weakened," Yuta thought again.



A sharp sound emerged.



Yuji looked to the side and saw a laser coming towards him.



He put his bloody hand in front, hardening it and receiving the attack.



His hand was partially broken and Yuji's arm was pushed back, with him going along with it.



His cuts on his arm healed like scars and his hand reshaped itself.



But he could only follow with his eyes as two Shikigami circled around him before he reacted.



It came running towards him and prepared to strike.



Yuji became serious.



His fist and Yuta's back seemed to be drawn to each other.



This forced Yuta to turn slightly, undoing his stance.



Yuji punched halfway between Yuta's back and ribs.



-Cursed Technique Reversal-Maximum Output: Cohesion-



Yuta's entire body vibrated with a strange sensation.



Suddenly, the blow hurt more.



He was thrown forward and rolled a little on the ground.



Before stopping, Yuji reached out again.



-Cursed Technique Reversal-Maximum Output: Cohesion-



Rika and Yuta's bodies created an attraction with the ground.



They fell to the ground forcefully, crushing it.



Yuta writhed in pain.



Had he regained his strength? That's not possible.



But that punch just now...



An attraction surged in his chest.



Yuta was lifted and pulled towards Yuji again.



Yuji prepared another punch.



Yuta grabbed one of the swords along the way and prepared his strike.



They collided.



-Thin Ice Breaker-



-Black Flash-



The air shattered like ice, and black sparks covered him.



Yuji was pushed back slightly, but he was unharmed.



Yuta landed on the ground, "He used the spatial distortion of the Black Flash to avoid the Thin Ice Breaker."



His cheek suffered a pull.



Not again.



-Cursed Technique Reversal-Maximum Output: Cohesion-



He went to Yuji, who punched him in the face this time.



His whole body vibrated again. And the blow hurt more than it should have again.



Yuta was thrown once more.



Rika appeared and took flight with Yuji in her hand.



This caused Yuji's back to be covered in deep cuts.



Yuta let himself fall to the ground.



Again, he felt it again.



There's something different about this attack, because Yuta is being weakened.



Could it be another technique? Or an extension of his other techniques?



In the end, he actually had a surprise technique.



But why only now?



Blood oozed from the cuts on Yuji's back and formed a sphere in front of Rika's face.



-Slicing Exorcism-



Several jets of sharp blood shot out of the sphere and pierced Rika's head.



Yuta's eyes widened.



That's why, Rika's manifestation.



If he had used this before, the replenishment, just like with his cursed technique, would have solved any problem.



But now with Rika fully manifested, the reduction effect won't be undone.



And when time runs out, Yuji will have much more power to finish everything.



Considering the effect of this technique so far, if they continue at this pace, Yuta is the one who will be most weakened.



Apparently, Yuji is the one who always had the advantage in the long run.



By exploring the full potential of his "Curve of the Law" technique, Yuji created a Maximum Technique, "Maximum: Negation."



Using the ability to influence the energy of others to the maximum, Yuji is able, through contact, to affect the opponent's energy production.



In other words, he reduces his opponent's strength with each blow.



Although lacking versatility, Yuji Itadori is now, in technical terms, the most complete sorcerer.



She let go of Yuji and he fell towards the ground.



Yuta stood up and grabbed a sword, waiting for Yuji to descend.



Yuji landed on the ground, stood up, and faced Yuta.



He created a sphere of condensed blood and clasped his hands together.



-Piercing Blood-



A jet of blood shot towards Yuta.



Yuta managed to dodge, a little blood remaining on the tip of his sword.



Then Yuta grabbed the air and pulled it like a curtain over him, disappearing.



Yuji dispelled the Piercing Blood and stood alert.



He cautiously looked in all directions.



Then a sword tip emerged from nowhere as if tearing fabric and struck Yuji's ribs, creating a small, glowing square in the area.



Yuta emerged from behind the curtain, with two swords in his hands, but one of them was gone, and advanced towards Yuji.



Yuji unleashed several blows with punches and kicks, but Yuta dodged them all and grabbed another sword in the process.



"Don't move!"



Snake eyes and fangs appeared on Yuta's face, paralyzing Yuji.



Rika appeared from the sky just above, about to punch Yuji in the head.



Then her body disintegrated, transforming back into a shadow with arms and a face.



Yuta was in shock.



Time ran out.



Rika struck Yuji, but it didn't do anything serious to him. And that freed him from the Cursed Speech.



Attraction arose between the ground and Rika's body.



-Cursed Technique Reversal-Maximum Output: Cohesion-



Rika hit the ground with enough force to dissolve her body and disappear.



Yuta tried to do something, but was hit by a punch to the arm that released black sparks into the air.



-Black Flash-



Yuta's body vibrated again.



He was thrown through the air until he fell to the ground.



He tried to get up.



Yuji's hand covered his face.



-Cleave-



...



But nothing happened.



Yuji's hand left Yuta's face, leaving him speechless.



He felt something.



Yuji's barrier began to crumble.



As Yuji's barrier opened, Yuta's barrier also began to crumble.



And it was because of what he was feeling now.



It was unlike anything he had felt before.



It was disinterest.



He lost the will to fight.



Yuji lost the will to fight.



Yuta stood up as both their barriers almost completely disappeared.



Yuta no longer felt influenced, but kept his eyes on Yuji.



Yuji's expression seemed empty as the marks on his face faded and returned to being scars.



"At that moment, I would have won and you would be dead."



He was saddened, "I guess that means it doesn't make a difference whether you accept it or not."



"It wouldn't make a difference even if I had won", Yuta's tone was frank.



Yuji seemed to look at him as if you had hurt his feelings.



"At first, this was absurd, and now after everything, it still is. I can't be your guarantee of safety."



"Even if I were stronger, one day I'll grow old, the next I'll weaken, and the last, I'll die. I won't be here forever until you need me."



Yuji had an empathetic expression.



"I can't give you what you want."



Yuji seemed to be holding back tears.



He lowered his head, "What do I do?"



Yuta tried to give an encouraging smile, "Do nothing."



Yuji was a little indignant, "How can I just live my life as if I couldn't become a danger to others?"



"Because you'll never be like Sukuna."



Yuji's eyes widened.



"Sukuna wasn't lonely and cruel because he was too strong, he was strong and used that strength to be lonely."



Yuta rested the sword, which had returned with the broken hilt, on his shoulder.



"He was who he always was, and his strength only made that more obvious."



Yuji was disheartened.



"Even if I wasn't a monster from the start, what's stopping me from becoming one?"



Yuta sighed.



He still lacked enough self-confidence.



Only he could keep himself safe.



"Sensei wasn't always strong."



Yuji raised his head.



"He got stronger over time. And even so, he never became dishonest because he got stronger."



"He literally died so we could win."



Yuta gripped the sheath at his waist and slid the sword inside.



"And I think you'll be the same way. Because you have something Sukuna doesn't have."



He finished sheathing the sword and looked back at Yuji.



"You have a heart."



"A human heart, capable of loving and caring."



"While Sukuna didn't even seem to like anything beyond what came from him."



"That's why I believe that even if you're in the same situation, you would still be better than him."



"Honestly? You're closer to being like Sensei than like Sukuna."



Yuji sniffed and wiggled his face, seeming to adjust his sadness.



"You believe in me that much?"



"I want you to believe in your heart."



Yuta smiled gently.



"When I die, the finger you gave me will come back to you. I won't try to stop it or find a way to keep it, so you can trust what I say."



Yuji's expression tightened, but she was relieved.



"Hey!"



They both turned their heads like owls to the side.



Maki, Nobara, and Megumi appeared walking towards them. Maki kept her sword resting on her trapezius muscles, "What happened here?".



Yuta and Yuji looked around with silly expressions, noticing all the chaos in that area.



Yuta turned around with a fake smile, "We had a tough fight."



Nobara looked somewhere with her hands on her hips, "She was that good? I didn't think it would be difficult for you guys."



Yuta and Yuji looked in the same direction with silly expressions again.



The girl from the Kyoto team was unconscious on the ground, just inches from the chaos caused by the two.



Yuji and Yuta got nervous.



"We forgot to move her to a safe place," they thought in unison.



Megumi snorted, "Regardless, the Kyoto team won."



They looked shocked, "What?", they said in unison.



"The Kyoto team ambushed Toge and then eliminated some of them voluntarily. This made the target appear, and they took it."



Maki became grumpy, "One of them could change the trajectory of things or something. Apparently, they just wanted to limit us until they could win."



Nobara clenched her fists near her face, "Ugh! I wanted to win this year!"



Yuji looked at Nobara and Megumi.



Nobara fidgeted angrily while Megumi, equally angry, tried to explain to her to calm down.



Her gaze fell.



He still feels that way.



Even if he has a heart and doesn't become a monster...



What will stop him from getting lost in this loneliness?



I hope you enjoyed the action, because I loved it. And I didn't expect it to be so long.
Some points to highlight:
I know Yuji probably wouldn't have that many techniques, but it was necessary for the narrative and because I don't think he would beat Yuta without some extra abilities using only power.
The technique that reduces energy production was made to be the support technique for Yuji's ability to hit souls in reincarnated sorcerers, because his innate technique only affects the body, so it's useless against reincarnated beings. It's meant to be a parallel to Sukuna's Cleave and Dismantle as a reinforcement of the narrative that Yuji, even equal to Sukuna, is still better than him.
There are many references to Modulo here, such as Yuji's finger that began to regenerate when Yuta died.
I used some headcanons to fill in the gaps in my understanding of some things that Gege never explained very well.
There is one more chapter to finish the story that will be set at the end of Modulo and will be much shorter than this one, but I don't know when I'll do it. Because I want to complete the narrative that Gege gave to Yuji, but I wanted to end this chapter with some sadness, so until then.