74 Mahito {74}

Time skip.

Yuji and Megumi found themselves locked in a fierce battle against a peculiar-looking old man. His mustache and unruly hair added an eccentric touch to his appearance. The clash had reached a climax as they jointly slammed the elderly figure down a staggering 41 stories.

Concern etched on Yuji's face, he turned to Megumi, asking, "Fushiguro, you okay?" Megumi, meeting Yuji's gaze, replied with a nod, "I am fine."

As they scanned the surroundings, Yuji inquired, "So where is he?" Megumi pointed towards the motionless old man on the floor, "He's over there."

A sense of urgency filled the air. Yuji questioned further, "So is he dead?" Megumi, ever pragmatic, responded, "I didn't see him land; there is no blood around... get up, you old geezer."

In response to Megumi's words, the seemingly defeated old man stood up, defying their expectations. He cast a disapproving look at the two teenagers and remarked, "Cheeky kids, you truly have no respect for the elderly." With those words, he effortlessly broke free from the binds that had restrained him.

"We really can't afford the time to waste on you," Megumi asserted, his resolve apparent. From the depths of his shadow, his divine dog began to materialize.

"We won't," Yuji added, determination flickering in his eyes. In an instant, his hands were engulfed in a radiant aura of curse energy, signaling a readiness to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

With lightning speed, Yuji charged towards the old man, landing a powerful punch directly in his gut. A brief expression of pain flashed across the old man's face, a momentary crack in his composed demeanor. Confusion clouded his features — how was he feeling pain? His techniques were meant to...

Before the old man could complete his thought, Megumi's divine dog materialized before him, launching a swift and precise slash. Yet, to their surprise, the old man seemed unfazed. Apart from a mere scratch on his cheek, no significant damage was inflicted.

"A black flash it is, then," Yuji remarked nonchalantly, seemingly undeterred by the minimal impact of their attacks. The old man, now wearing a look of disbelief, eyed Yuji as if he were a force beyond comprehension.

The young man, Yuji, seemed to hint that he could execute a black flash at will. Before the old man could fully process this revelation, Yuji was upon him, delivering a punch that induced a nauseating sensation. The force behind the blow sent the old man flying several meters away.

Crashing to his knees, the old man struggled to catch his breath, bewildered by the intensity of the attack. What sorcery was this? How could this seemingly ordinary young man possess such overwhelming strength?

"Oh man, I didn't hit it this time," Yuji lamented, his disappointment evident in his voice. His hope of landing the black flash had eluded him.

"Remember what Kenzo-san told you, you can't use black flash and divergent fist at the same time," Megumi reminded Yuji, a stern gaze fixed on him. Yuji, in response, looked away, scratching the back of his head.

The old man found himself lost in confusion, unable to fully comprehend the concept of the divergent fist. Before he could delve too deeply into his thoughts, another forceful blow landed on his stomach. This one was more potent than the first, and the only reason he clung to consciousness was the activation of his defensive technique.

"Oh, so he finally felt it," Yuji remarked, observing the old man gasping for air.

"Let's finish him quickly," Megumi proposed, prompting a nod of agreement from Yuji. The duo prepared for the final assault.

As Yuji rushed toward the weakened old man, ready to deliver the decisive blow, Megumi's divine dog totality intervened. With a swift slash, the divine dog carved through the old man's chest, causing him to bleed profusely.

"Oh, come on, not fair," Yuji complained, a note of playful frustration in his voice. Megumi shrugged, offering a simple explanation, "He's tough. We need to ensure he stays down." The old man, now sprawled on the ground, bore the consequences of their combined efforts, marking the end of a challenging encounter.

After they have done their fair share of elderly people beating for the day, the curtain seems to have lifted as now they were freely able to move inside and find Gojo being freeing him from his prison.

Pov change to Nobara.

"That was a disappointment," Nobara uttered, her gaze fixed on the battered figure beneath her.

"He was a pest to deal with," she added with a sigh, nonchalantly using a paper to wipe off some of the blood from her nails. Nobara cast a final glance at the defeated Haruta on the floor before walking away, her expression a mix of annoyance and disdain.

This whole ordeal seemed pitiful to her, and her irritation wasn't solely directed at the bloodied man at her feet. No, her annoyance stemmed from the fact that Kenzo had compelled her to undergo all those exercises.

As Nobara distanced herself, Haruta, battered but not defeated, slowly rose from the floor. He watched her, seemingly catching her off guard, before hurling his weapon in her direction.

Nobara, however, effortlessly dodged the incoming weapon. Irritation etched across her face, she turned to Haruta and exclaimed, "Can't you see that I am in thoughts?" Her annoyance was palpable, not just from the attack but also from the disturbance in her contemplative moment.

Haruta, realizing the futility of his desperate attack, found himself at the mercy of Nobara's irritated gaze. With a mix of blood and defeat, he looked up at her, pleading for mercy.

Nobara, however, was more concerned with her disrupted thoughts than the man who had just attempted to harm her. Her anger, a simmering flame fueled by the annoyance of Kenzo's imposed exercises, overshadowed any sympathy for Haruta.

"You idiot," she spat, directing her frustration more at the memory of Kenzo's training regimen than at the pleading man before her. "Kenzo better have a good reason for putting me through all that trouble," she muttered under her breath, her annoyance palpable.

Ignoring Haruta's pleas, Nobara continued to walk away, her mind clouded with thoughts of revenge against Kenzo for the inconvenience he had caused her.

Nobara, her frustration mounting, muttered to herself as she walked away from the defeated Haruta. "How can he treat a lady so harshly? Did he really have to make me do all those difficult things?" Her irritation echoed in her voice, a mix of exasperation and genuine bewilderment at the demanding training Kenzo had subjected her to.

As she continued on her way, the lingering resentment fueled her words. "I bet he wouldn't have put Yuji through this kind of nonsense. It's like he forgets I'm a lady and not one of those muscle-heads." The memory of the grueling exercises replayed in her mind, intensifying her annoyance.

Nobara, driven by a sense of righteous anger, couldn't help but plot a suitable revenge against Kenzo for what she perceived as an unjust treatment. Haruta, forgotten in the wake of her indignation, could only watch as she stormed away, leaving behind the aftermath of both physical and emotional frustration.

As Nobara walked away one of the few lucky mark on Haruta cheek dissapeared as he breathed a sigh of relief...he had survived.

As Nobara stormed away, still seething with frustration, she abruptly collided with Nanami, who had been observing the battle from a distance. Nanami, noting Nobara's visibly irritated state, couldn't help but inquire about her well-being.

"Nobara, are you alright?" he asked, concern etched on his face. "Can you still fight if needed?"

Nobara, though still miffed from the recent encounter, took a moment to collect herself. She shot Nanami a glance, a mix of irritation and determination in her eyes. "Of course, I'm fine," she retorted, her voice carrying a resilient undertone. "Just dealing with some unnecessary headaches."

Pov change

As Yuji sprinted at full speed toward Gojo Satoru, an unspoken urgency driving him, his focused path was suddenly intercepted. Two floors away from his destination, a malevolent presence disrupted his trajectory, and a familiar voice echoed in the air.

"Yuji-kun, you here?" Mahito's voice sliced through the tension. In a twisted display of power, Mahito transfigured several humans right in front of Yuji. The once-familiar faces morphed into grotesque creatures, a cruel transformation executed for Mahito's sadistic amusement.

Yuji's blood boiled at the sight. Anger surged within him, fueled by the memories of past encounters with this malevolent being. The urgency to reach Gojo momentarily eclipsed by the immediate threat, Yuji found himself face to face with a nemesis that seemed to revel in chaos and torment. The stage was set for another dangerous confrontation.

As the grotesque creatures created by Mahito writhed before him, Yuji felt the anger surging within. However, he knew that losing control wouldn't serve him in this dire situation. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes momentarily, focusing on centering himself.

In that brief moment of calm, Yuji steadied his emotions, pushing the rage aside. He envisioned the training sessions with his friend, Kenzo Tatsuo, reminding himself of the discipline required to face adversaries like Mahito. The rhythmic inhales and exhales became a meditation, a conscious effort to regain control over his emotions.

With his emotions in check, Yuji opened his eyes, revealing a resolute gaze. Adopting a combat stance, he flexed his muscles, each movement deliberate and calculated. The anger, now harnessed into a controlled force, fueled his determination.

In a burst of speed, Yuji lunged forward, rushing toward Mahito with a newfound focus. The echoes of Kenzo teachings played in his mind, guiding his movements as he prepared to confront the twisted sorcerer. The clash between Yuji and Mahito unfolded with an intensity that mirrored the emotional struggle within Yuji's determined gaze.

Yuji, propelled by determination, surged forward at full speed, closing the distance between him and Mahito. The cursed spirit, wearing a sinister smile, welcomed Yuji's approach, a sense of twisted delight in his eyes.

The clash was swift and intense. As their attacks collided, Mahito's hand seamlessly transformed into a razor-sharp sword. A slashing motion followed, aimed at Yuji, who deftly dodged the strike. However, Mahito's repertoire was far from exhausted.

With an eerie grace, Mahito conjured a transfigured human from his mouth, expanding it toward Yuji. The monstrous creation hurtled toward him with alarming force. Just as Yuji prepared to counter with a powerful punch, a haunting voice echoed in his ears, the innocent plea of a child saying, "I just want a hug."

The unexpected voice injected a momentary hesitation into Yuji's resolve. In that split second of vulnerability, Mahito seized the opportunity. The attack, now reinforced with Mahito's malicious intent, pushed Yuji away. The transfigured human, sent hurtling towards him, exploded in a burst of malevolent energy right before Yuji's eyes.

The explosion created a chaotic shockwave, sending Yuji tumbling backward. The resonance of the child's voice lingered in the air, leaving an eerie imprint on the battlefield. Mahito, reveling in the psychological warfare, watched with a sadistic satisfaction as the consequences of his calculated maneuver played out before him.

The battlefield lay shrouded in the aftermath of the explosion, the smoke slowly dissipating to reveal Yuji, rising determinedly from the ground. Across from him, Mahito, undeterred by the chaos he had orchestrated, wore a malevolent grin, ready for the next act in their twisted confrontation.

As Yuji advanced, Mahito's hand transformed once more, morphing into a grotesque appendage that moved in erratic patterns. The surroundings distorted into a surreal dreamscape, a manifestation of Mahito's cursed technique. Faces contorted into grotesque forms, and whispers of despair echoed through the distorted air.

In the midst of the chaos, Mahito's sadism played out in the way he manipulated the nightmarish imagery. Grotesque faces leered menacingly at Yuji, attempting to exploit his emotions and sow confusion. Yet, undeterred, Yuji pressed forward, his focus unbroken amid the chaotic landscape.

The eerie voice of the child returned, its desperate plea hanging in the air. "Why won't you hug me?" The emotional weight of the words reverberated through the distorted realm.

Mahito's malevolent amusement echoed in the twisted dreamscape as he toyed with Yuji's perception of reality.

"Why so serious, Yuji-kun? It's just a little game. Can you discern what's real in this sea of illusions?"

As Yuji pressed forward, determined, Mahito continued his taunting, his voice dripping with sadistic delight.

"You know, the human mind is such a fragile thing. It's fascinating how easily it can be manipulated, distorted."Mahito added with a smile.

"The human mind might be fragile, but it's also resilient. It's what makes us who we are, and I won't let you exploit that. "Yuji said with a serious expression on her face.

Mahito's grotesque hand morphed and twisted, creating nightmarish illusions around them. His words became a psychological onslaught, aiming to unravel Yuji's resolve.

"Look around, Yuji. Can you tell your nightmares from reality? It's a carnival of despair, and you're the star."

The eerie voice of the child returned, its desperation amplifying the unsettling atmosphere. Mahito reveled in the emotional turmoil he was creating.

"Why won't you give the poor kid a hug, Yuji? Don't you feel their pain? Embrace the chaos, embrace the suffering."

As Yuji closed the distance, Mahito's grin widened, the sadistic pleasure evident in his voice.

"Come closer, Yuji. I have so much more to show you. Let the illusions consume you."

The fight unfolded amidst Mahito's psychological games, his every word designed to erode Yuji's mental defenses and amplify the chaos of their confrontation.

Yuji's relentless charge towards Mahito was a testament to his determination. As he closed the distance, his fist drawn back, he unleashed a barrage of punches with newfound strength. Each blow landed with a force that reverberated through the surreal dreamscape.

Mahito, caught off guard by the sudden surge in Yuji's power, felt the impact of the punches. His expression shifted from sadistic amusement to a realization that something had changed. There was an intensity in Yuji's strikes, a raw strength that went beyond their previous encounters.

Amidst the flurry of blows, Mahito grappled with an unspoken realization. The punches weren't just physically stronger; there was an underlying force, an aura that eluded his understanding.

As Yuji punched Mahito away,Mahito was sent flying back a few feet but he stood up before wiping away the blood on his nose saying "Someone got mad"

Before he could say anything else,Mahito suddenly went gasoed for air,he felt as if a part of his soul had been completly destroyed.

As he looked at up at Yuji who was looking down at him,he realize something was wrong...what was this hit,Yuji didnt hit him so what was it,the answer was simple,it was divergent fist,with his knowledge and Kenzo guidance Yuji was able to ugrade his divergent fist,for one he could make the time it would take to land longuer.

For second, due to Kenzo telling him that the more risk he takes with a technique the stronger it gets...Yuji had unintentionally created a binding vow on his technique to make it stronger.

In exchange for alot of power,this version of the divergent fist took a while to build,he had to keep attacking his oppenent and not stop attcking them for more than 5 seconds or else all the energy he would have built up would have been wasted and he wouldnt get it back.

So there was a risk to doing it but it was worth it.

A/N I think due to my deleting five chapters because I noticed that I skipped over a chapter or two may have messed up some stuff for the readers even if I reposted them like a minute after deleting their max, it seems like it's glitched for y'all.

Is it fixed now or