"Well, what do we have here?" Roy landed on a rooftop, the lights of the city having already died out. However, his sights were adjusted along with Platinum who was standing beside him, "listen lady, you don't look exactly like anybody who would step outta the way when asked to, especially when you're parading that gigantic buzzsaw around." He waved his hand casually while speaking.
"Is that so?" Laurentina chuckled at the two, watching the one dressed in white hold a restrained expression, while the other one dressed in blue was more... relaxed, but still, concerned. "A bunch of people dressed with a weird fashion sense, holding bows meant for assassination, and dashing across the buildings to make way toward an abandoned section of this city... my, I wonder what could compel them to do such a thing...?" She acted dumb, placing her left index finger against her lower lip in a thoughtful look.
"Haha~ really, yeah, what could two eccentric people be doing in such a situation," Roy laughed, attempting to mask away all of the nervousness he felt, "so uh... could you do us a little favor and scoot off to the side, we're not exactly—"
"What if I want to slaughter you, hm?" Laurentina suddenly asked, turning her eyes toward them and smiling. "What if I... yes, me... want to make sure that none of you ever get to sink your dirty fangs into my Princess? Doesn't that sound like a pleasant idea? Because I certainly believe so." Her lips were curled up into a smile, but her eyes...
"...Really," Roy let out a sigh when hearing the woman's words, "this little lady has got us all tied up, huh?" He gripped his boy slightly tighter, "you already know how this is gonna go, Platinum, get into a vantage point—"
Before he could even complete his words, Laurentina shot forward.
***
Fushiguro Megumi's body was scratched at various places, along with dashed lacerations of blood peering through was able to be seen. The usage of Ame-no-Habakiri's water manipulation abilities allowed the blood to not flow incessantly out, and allowed his body to continuously move at its peak condition in spite of the injuries his body had the displeasure of sustaining. Right now, he stood with his eyes closed, waiting for his opponents, the Darksteels, to move into a greater vantage point.
Why so? It was because his thoughts were elsewhere.
He reiterated once more that he had come to accept it, the King of Curses' accursed influence upon his body. To truly reach an understanding of what a "Maximum Technique" was, there needed to be an implicit understanding of one's Cursed Technique, to the point where somebody could gain even a glimpse of their soul. Considered to be the Supreme Art before Domain Expansions, the venerated status of the technique had undergone great scrutiny as the course of history came to pass.
There was something else he needed, one last piece of the puzzle that came to the Shrine Cursed Technique, and in order to make it out of this battle gaining something that could accelerate his growth—or show proof of his own growth. That last puzzle piece... was a Maximum Technique.
If one were to achieve a Maximum Technique, the absolute pinnacle that creativity could inspire from a Cursed Technique, then wouldn't that mean they had also reached their absolute peak in interpretation of the said Cursed Technique? A limit, that was how most modern Jujutsu Sorcerers viewed it, the notion brought a profound discomfort in what it meant for somebody's potential.
However... that simply meant that their interpretation in of itself, along with their creativity, was just simply lacking. To hell with Maximum Techniques being the threshold of a Jujutsu Sorcerer, it was just a rumor that quelled nothing but their egos. The World Cutting Slash had already been proof that not all Maximum Techniques were the limit, as an attack that targeted existence itself. So, then there was no shame in delving deeper into his soul, and finding the interpretation needed for this blasphemous Cursed Technique!
His hands gathered together, his fingers moving in perfect unison, in order to form the Enma Mudra.
The King of Hell which reigned over the secular domain of Naraka itself had enjoyed an eternity of torturing souls, reaping the karma that came with the actions humans had done in their previous life. It was a burning heap, akin to that of a stove where he cooked the souls for his own twisted enjoyment, perhaps to even consume them to fulfill the gluttonous stomach of his own. It was most likely Enma wasn't such a being, but for Fushiguro Megumi's own interpretation—after witnessing the depravity of the King of Curses—he wouldn't put it above the Deva of Hell to enjoy such a feast in his hellfire pot.
Opening his mouth, he spoke the chants as if they were a holy player.
"SOUL OF THE DRAGON."
He could feel it upon the nerves of his skin, reaching all the way to the spiritual planes of his Innate Domain. He understood it, the embodiment of the art of cooking itself, plastered upon the imagery of a malignant shrine standing with a gaping mouth ready to consume everything that had been prepared. Cooking, by definition, was the science of changing a set of ingredients through various means to create something new and edible. It was the soul of the concept itself, where many dedicated their entire existence to master such a craft.
"SIX CHAINS."
There were six realms amongst the world of Buddhism that brought the souls bearing karma to pay their due. Whether they stood as being that transcended past the capabilities of what humans could do, or whether they were the dregs of putrid waste laid grovelling in the lowest layer, they were all stuck in the Cycle of Samsara, where they would endlessly reincarnate lest the higher state known of Nirvana had been achieved.
"COLLAPSING STAR."
Power coursed through the body of Fushiguro Megumi, like the hot rocks of magma or the burning rivers of lava that a volcanic mountain has stored deep within. Each vein that pushed the divine unit of life that was blood across every part of his body continued to pulsate. The almighty gale of the west passed across the peak of the skyscraper, as intense as any peak above the natural landscapes would produce. It was cooling, aiding against the boiling ichor that was bubbling in his body.
"MAXIMUM: NARAKA"
An apparition formed at where his back was, an invisible hand drawing an amethyst ring behind it. It was a Nichirin, also known as the "sun ring" or the "sun wheel," which stayed afloat. It was large enough in diameter that it spanned his upper back to the height above his head, providing a serene sight of a divine being standing amongst the planes of mortality. Indeed, it was the perfect representation of Samsara itself, where the souls of humanity lay forever in a cycle of lost liberation.
Spreading his arms outward, an outburst of purple flames shot across his body, the Nichirin behind him shining the brightest across the ghost city. The intense heat flash burned and melted the concrete and steel that he stood upon, the entire top section of the skyscraper turning into an unnatural color of rotting plum. He had become a beacon for all of his targets to fire upon, and yet Fushiguro Megumi relished in the feeling!
'There it is!' A new spark coursed through his body as his mouth uncontrollably twitched, the markings across his face distorting at each change of his face's expressions, 'I've achieved it, before even my Ten Shadows Cursed Technique! How ironic!' Megumi laughed to himself, letting the primordial echo of his voice reverberate across the skies, as if intending to rupture the heavens themselves.
It was then a roaring whistle from all sides of his body had become prominent to his ears. Yet he still stood there, uncaring of the rapturous spears ready to impale his body and make a message out of it, one that would forever tell any transgressors not to stand in the way of whoever had delivered such an iron-cladded proclamation. Unfortunately, the cold steel of the weapons would never reach the incandescent heat of the singular man they sought to slaughter, for the Imaginary Demon had finally been fully realized!
"DISMANTLE!"
A single word was spoken across the depths of where he stood, Fushiguro Megumi still keeping his arms spread out. With the motion, invisible slashes mixed in with black, white, and purple shot outwards in an omnidirectional path, utterly eviscerating everything around it. The spears which had attempted to bore its way into his body were casually knocked off course, as the slashes continued to violate all that was normal with the world. Possessing both the properties of "slashing" and "flames," they pulverized anything in their path, leaving pulverized dust to be imbued with the ametrine flames and combust as a result.
All across where the Jujutsu Sorcerer stood, the top sections of the skyscrapers continued to be utterly annihilated. It all happened so fast, that the assassins known as the Darksteels could hardly comprehend what they were seeing. The supersonic slashes continued to travel—even toward the horizon's end, leaving ruin in all of its glorious wake. In just a few seconds, an entourage had occurred, revealing to the world a storm of destruction ready to rear its course toward mankind's greatest creations.
From a large distance away, three Darksteels immediately took the sign as a need maneuver to a different position, as the purple light had completely revealed their location with its illumination. So, they promptly moved across the skyscrapers still standing with a diligent gait, taking risks in order to dodge the multiple slashes that were blending the sky itself. No matter if their opponent held unsurmountable power, they were still privy to the silent and unknowing attacks that would eventually find their way toward the neck of their prey—
"There you are!"
At that moment, a Darksteel who had moved through a scaffolded skyscraper found their supposed prey smiling smugly while charging toward them. The heat of the purple immolating wheel behind him produced an irradiant light which illuminated the entire structure. They needed to dodge, that was what their body was screaming at themself to do.
DISMANTLE
Fushiguro Megumi had crossed his arms over his body, before spreading it outwards in an all-consuming arcing spread. A magnificent slash that distorted wherever it touched passed through the entire structure, forcing the Darksteel to duck down. Multiple combustions occurred, causing the building to alight into a flashburn, the gaping maw of flames ready to sink their teeth wherever they came.
The Darksteel stood back up, keeping note of how fast the building was being burnt, and reared back a spear in the direction of Megumi, before propelling it forward. It produced a sound akin to shattering the sound barrier.
The Jujutsu Sorcerer watched it approaching him with a bored expression.
"Rabbit Escape."
His Shikigamis were stored in his shadows, allowing them to burst out and activate their abilities without needing to be summoned via apoptosis. Due to his words, a cascade of rabbits came up from where he stood, each alien looking creature with a multitude of eyes bearing a golden Dharmachakra above their heads.
BOOM
Many of the rabbits were torn apart while the Darksteel was pushed out of the unfinished building, the pressure produced from their constantly multiplying body sending them outwards. It was then when they lowered their arms from a defensive position did they witness the sight of multiple skyscrapers having been sliced in half, and being eaten by the purple flames. The one he had just fallen out of—was being flooded with such a population of rabbits, that they eclipsed it.
Using the momentum to land on the building that was behind them, the Darksteel burst with great speed, attempting to find any place where they could gain a vantage point. The move saved their life, as where they had clung onto had a burning purple Dismantle passing through, cutting the skyscraper in half and falling toward his direction. However, they kept their dash, their body leaning forward as the heated wind blew against their face.
"Tch..." The Darksteel felt a presence slamming against the falling skyscraper just in front of them, revealing them to be the man dressed in a black haori fluttering in the air, with the all too familiar Nichirin behind his back. It didn't help that a hundred other rabid rabbits nearly the size of a human body were making their way on the structure too.
Megumi kept his gaze fixated on his target, while also feeling danger continue to prickle at his nerves. Without sparing a glance at the other two Darksteels hidden off somewhere, he burst forward with a tremendous crossing, dodging the wave of black spears that had been directed toward him.
The Darksteel flicked their hand, one of their trademarked black spears appearing in their hand as they dashed backwards, spun around, left a shockwave powerful enough to obliterate a wave of white rabbits, before completing the motion and clashing against the black-haired man in front of him.
DISMANTLE
CLANG
The Darksteel let out a grunt as they in fact, did not clash against Fushiguro Megumi, the Jujutsu Sorcerer having stopped their advance to "present" their palm toward him as Ryomen Sukuna had done, and sent off a barrage of slashes. Everything that it touched on the surface of its target was burnt and sliced—while also infusing it with his own combustible Cursed Energy, leaving small controlled explosions to occur across his opponent's skin, flesh, and blood.
BOOM
The attack slaughtered his own Rabbit Escapes and tore the already falling skyscraper in half, leaving it as a heap of debris that had flames constantly pass through it. The Darksteel had been pushed back by his wave of Dismantles, shooting through the skyscraper.
Megumi launched forward in zigzags, once more dodging the supersonic spears that overpierced entire chunks of the already desecrated skyscraper. He made his way through the debris that the Darksteel had been launched through, commanding the remaining Rabbit Escapes to scout the area for the other two, while he chased after the one in most jeopardy.
Bursting through the other side of the skyscraper and being revealed in the sky, he saw the Darksteel stepping on a piece of large debris after recovering—leaping across the ones aligning the sky. Megumi huffed amusedly, before dashing his extended thumb, index finger, and middle finger across their path, sending a Dismantle which set them off the course they had decided for themself.
Stopping at a debris in the sky that they hadn't expected to pause at, the Darksteel fired off an Arts infused spear toward Fushiguro Megumi who had landed on a piece of debris of his own. They would immediately find their attack to be rendered useless as the Jujutsu Sorcerer reached for one of his sheathed weapons, the one that was named Juuchi Yosamu.
Supreme Art: Noble Eightfold Path
A golden barrier formed around him, before Megumi threw back the Odachi's sheath and let his weapon counteract the attack of impending doom.
CLANG!
A red streak which corrupted the world deflected the charged spear, before the projectile was consumed by his shadows. Letting Juuchi Yosamu return into the shadows and then re-materialize into his sheath, the black-haired man bent his knees, and blurred forward.
The Darksteel had attempted to leap off to another set of debris, but found their face grabbed.
CLEAVE
A splatter of boiling blood could be heard and felt across the scene, as the Darksteel's body began barreling toward other skyscrapers, finding their body splitting it in half after they had impacted straight through it, and then finding their force fully dispersing as they crashed into the one behind it. Recovering from the hit and reaching their hand up to check the degree of injury they had sustained, their senses continued to warn them desperately, as a...
...A colossal figure of grand proportions was right in front of his sights, its body being of such a size where it spanned skyscrapers, and made them look like an absolute joke. Their eyes widened while their senses froze, a primordial fear coursing through their body—
Nue: Totality - Chimera Bird
Golden lightning coursed through Chimera Bird's body by the influence of Megumi's Daiitoku, the black-haired man standing in a kneeled position on its back, not that the Darksteel could spot him from how much of the view the Totality actually covered.
The sparking electricity covered entire city blocks, before the Darksteel braced themselves for cover.
BOOM!
In all directions, the cackle of golden lightning absolutely incinerated the building, leaving it in nothing but a state akin to a fragile playset meant for children to trample over. Indeed, it had been trampled over, as Chimera Bird continued to move through it like butter, flapping its six wings and producing a strong enough gust that shattered the windows of all other structures around it. Its lightning continued to melt the buildings it came into contact with, as it continuously flowed through the countless buildings littered across the area.
On the side of the two other Darksteels, they had already slaughtered tens of thousands of Rabbit Escapes in their plight to get rid of the man-eating beasts. However, they were immediately granted the sight of an abomination that seemed to scream against the naturality of life itself, flying through city blocks and collapsing skyscrapers as if they were nothing. A sense of uneasiness crept into their bodies, one that had turned upwards into a primal scream of helplessness.
It reached its peak when its course was turned toward them, arcing golden lightning continuing to form around its body like some sort of seismic shield of aureate. But that didn't matter, and the Darksteels leapt backwards, reeling back their spears before throwing it forward. The two weapons made it past the lightning and stabbed into its eyes, making the Chimera Bird wretched out in pain as it changed its course and shot upward toward the sky.
One of the Darksteels who had thrown their weapon then felt something grab onto their backs, which was one of the Rabbit Escapes that hadn't been yet slaughtered. It was then they found themselves assaulted by another entourage of them, completely consuming their body as the population of the Rabbit Escapes reached to a height that rivalled a large building. It hadn't done much, as they all immediately burst into puddles of blood from an overexertion of their Arts imbued into their spear.
While the Chimera Bird continued to fly toward the sky, Megumi danced across its back with a jubilant expression, firing off dismantles and occasionally summoning Daiitoku to assault the Darksteel desperately attempting to avoid his attacks. At times, there would be a spear that would be stabbed into Chimera Bird's back or thrown toward him at high speeds, but all of them were either dodged—or didn't do anything to impede his Totality.
"Come on! Weren't you the ones who dragged me here?!" Megumi called out, feeling his composure lose itself in excitement, before he decided to charge the Darksteel. The Nichirin continued to burn behind him as he called for the Inverted Spear of Heaven, clashing against their spear the moment they made contact.
When they passed the clouds, Chimera Bird turned downward into a dive, just as the two warriors clashed their blades incessantly against each other, flashes of purple burning slashes and shockwaves erupting from where they stood. The Nue: Totality eventually stopped its diving motion to circle around at such high speeds around the vicinity of the city blocks that had been destroyed in order to draw a Domain Trajectory.
While that occurred, Megumi continued to weave across the spears that would find itself shooting downwards at him after the Darksteel had leapt into the air and thrown them, letting the objects sink into Chimera Bird's hide before extending the chain of the Inverted Spear of Heaven and propelling it forward.
The Darksteel had avoided it and landed to the ground by reeling their head back, before charging Megumi for close quarters combat. It was a sore mistake, as they were immediately blown back when the Jujutsu Sorcerer had rebounded his chain, letting it lash against their body. The spears which had embedded itself into Nue: Totality's skin had already been consumed by his Endless Well of Shadows.
Continuing to assault the Darksteel with his chain dance, the wind started to blow against his face from the extraneously fast movement of the Totality circling around the city block at blistering speeds. After letting a vertical upwards blow that nearly sent the Darksteel off balance after they had guarded with their spear, Megumi released his left hand and snapped his fingers, forming a plethora of vortex portals.
Weapons poured out of them, aided by the incessant gale produced by Nue: Totality's movement as they slid across the scene, pelting the Darksteel while Megumi rushed him down with the extended Inverted Spear of Heaven.
The Darksteel saw the approaching black-haired man while deflecting the many weapons coming his way, before feeling another force press against their spear.
DISMANTLE
The material of the spear turned superheated when the Dismantle made contact, sending them backwards. But Fushiguro Megumi was just a step ahead and had already charged past where they had slid, twisting the chains of Samyojana as the Inverted Spear of Heaven impacted their shoulder, allowing for one of Darksteel Spears consumed by his Endless Well of Shadows to fire off and nick them on the leg.
"Ghk!" The Darksteel experienced their body recoiling from the attacks, before all weapons were dispelled, and their face was grabbed by Fushiguro Megumi. The mask on their face cracked as a barrage of Cleaves continued to incessantly assault it as Megumi dragged him across the air, leaping off of Chimera Bird.
"You deserve this!" Megumi yelled out while crashing their body into a skyscraper, shattering the glass window and nearly sending the entire building off of its hinges. He then threw the Darksteel, leaving them to ragdoll across the innards of the structures while the Jujutsu Sorcerer still ran to give chase. With a mighty kick against the Darksteel's chest, they were further launched through multiple walls—making way for the other skyscraper behind the one that was just destroyed.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The process repeated itself while Megumi kept silent, laughter almost escaping his expression attempting to keep itself as stoic as possible. Everything from unfinished desks and signs continued to be turned into nothing but useless mounds of metal or unknown materials, as each and every skyscraper he passed through had a gigantic gaping hole through them.
"You people...!" Megumi removed Ame-no-Habakiri from its sash and slammed the hilt against the stomach of the Darksteel, furthering his momentum "...are the scum of the world!" A newfound sense of energy came to him as he continued to beatdown the Darksteel, sending a barrage of blunt strikes against the body that kept being slammed through multiple structures, most likely having already lost consciousness.
But that was just an assumption, and he wouldn't just let an assumption fly!
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
With repeated motions and practice, his body continued to twist while his legs pumped themselves, his left arm holding Ame-no-Habakiri dashing all across the scenery in front of him, making sure to leave all parts of the Darksteel's body impacted by his weapon.
"...!" Megumi stopped his motion when his neck prickled, before backflipping to avoid a Darksteel Spear that had blasted through the building, creating a smokescreen that he couldn't see. The scene around him soon lit up with a golden light, an explosion occurring and sending the entire building falling down.
From the other side from an outer view, the Jujutsu Sorcerer shot outwards, holding his arm over his face as he clicked his tongue. Placing Ame-no-Habakiri back into his sash, he clapped his hands together.
Shadow Extension: Max Elephant
A jet of water passed through the structures in front of him, the beam of liquid death passing through them like butter, and shaving of the entirety of their top. After that, he planted his foot against the building closest to what was behind him, keeping his eyes out for any attacks. As if on cue, multiple spears were seen from the horizon, blanketing the sky as they rained down toward him.
Megumi grinned.
"Wendigo."
"Oni."
Two abominations shot out of his shadow, Wendigo holding Homusubisu, the upgraded version of Playful Cloud, and Oni holding Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. They soon flickered out of sight, going after where his opponents most likely went, while Fushiguro Megumi ran up the skyscraper, feeling the impacts dealt to it as the Darksteel Spears continued to demolish it with ungodly ease.
Reaching the edge of the top and leaping upwards, Megumi flung himself upside down and spun, sending off a barrage of Dismantles by crossing his arms and then uncrossing them, making the entire scene shift between flickers of monochromatic colors and purple as the Dismantles were sent out.
The rest of the Darksteel Spears still finding their way toward him were intercepted by his attack, before Megumi landed at the top of the skyscraper that was slowly collapsing from the previous barrage. He knelt down and narrowed his eyes, watching as Chimera Bird continued to encircle the circumference of the cityblock from a distance far away. From its traced trajectory... It was almost time.
Calling Daiitoku, the dual-bladed Vajra in his hands, the black-haired man made a slamming motion with it in the empty air in front of him, causing localized storm clouds to gather. Multiple thunder strikes lit up the sky as golden thunder made their mark across the lands, shattering entire skyscrapers and leaving them tumbling down as he continued with his entourage, making sure to leave no place unturned.
The clamors reached a crescendo as a large dust cloud started to form at the bottom of the empty streets when the skyscrapers fully collapsed, making the black-haired man thin his lips into a frown—knowing the consequences of the next action he had been planning to execute.
***
A Darksteel clashed against Oni, Kusanagi-no-Tusurgi producing red lightning which sent them backwards. The Darksteel regained their balance by backflipping, weaving across the multiple other golden thunderbolts that found themselves crashing haphazardly across the scene. They held a second spear in their hand, throwing it toward the abomination in front of them as the three-headed Oni raised its Cursed Tool in order to block it.
CLANG!
The force sent it back, while the Darksteel continued to retreat and run away to regain its vantage in the shadows. However, they found the Totality suddenly leaping and slamming itself against the building they had been running upwards, holding the spear that they had just blocked in its left hand, before tossing it toward the Darksteel.
The Darksteel dodged to the side as the spear shattered the ground below it, and had expected Oni to charge them once more. That was until the Totality had slammed Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi against the skyscraper, sending it tumbling down before they charged the Darksteel. When the Totality finally reached them, a constant clash of blades that shook the city blocks continued to reverberate.
For the other two Darksteels, they moved in unison against Wendigo, who was manipulating the three sections of Homusubisu, lashing it all across the scene as the Totality attempted to hit any one of them. When it raised the Cursed Tool upwards and slammed it down vertically, the weapon impacted a shielded spear, before another one had embedded itself into its side.
Wendigo growled, uncaring of the damage it sustained, as Round Deer's Reverse Cursed Technique would only serve to heal it. Therefore, it used its towering height to its advantage and kicked the Darksteel who had shielded it against its vertical strike, before turning around and dodging its head to the side as another spear nearly penetrated it.
A rain of lightning came to assist it as the Darksteel stood atop a building store at the street they were at was immediately struck by it, forcing them to move away from it. It left Wendigo the opportunity to launch forward, leaving a crater at where it stood and catching up to its opponent. Once they stared at each other eye to eye, the burning ambers of the Totality's orbs burned evermore intensely, before they flickered across the scene, leaving marks of craters where they had decided to run.
For the third Darksteel that had been kicked away from Wendigo, they were making distance from a certain black-haired man that had sent them across multiple skyscrapers before. Their condition was absolutely ruined, while they dodged the chains that attempted to capture their limbs, and the multiple weapons that Fushiguro Megumi had in his hands.
The now-arrived Jujutsu Sorcerer continued to chase after the Darksteel while dual-wielding Ame-no-Habakiri and Juuchi Yosamu, letting the latter of the weapon's madness overtake a portion of his mind in order to act with more strength. While he continued to deflect the spears thrown at him, buildings off in sides of the streets would also find themselves cleaved in half, as his weapons continued to pirouette across his body.
Multiple vortex portals also opened up to pour out weapons haphazardly in order to close off any routes that the Darksteel could have taken while also hampering their movement space.
Finally fully reaching the Darksteel who had called upon a second spear, they began an incessant clash of blades in the favor of Megumi. Moving right and left, and flash stepping across the area in order to catch up with each other's movements, the Jujutsu Sorcerer had finally gained a full upper-hand against the Darksteel.
With a single movement after...
SLASH!
...A horizontal water slash of Ame-no-Habakiri sent one their Darksteel Spear flying off of their hands, as multiple weapons laid inside the water in order to increase its potency. That was before Megumi pulled Juuchi Yosamu back for a thrust, recalling Ame-no-Habakiri to its sheath in order to two hand the remaining weapon.
The Darksteel attempted to dodge to the side, but found the Muramasa Blade's thrust slashing at their side, leaving a red trail which caused their wounds to ache. Calling a spear in their hands once more, they maneuvered it with great skill in order to deflect the other slashes infused with Cleave that Megumi unleashed. Every single stray that was sent off from Juuchi Yosamu, continued to collapse entire structures.
That was before the Jujutsu Sorcerer had decided to step back, and make his left hand free for a slashing motion.
DISMANTLE
The Dismantle passed through the scenery, making the Darksteel deflect it off of instinct, but Megumi had strafed them by the right, tracing his extended fingers once more.
DISMANTLE
The super-heated slash had barely been blocked, but that allowed enough time for Megumi to turn it into a finger gun, and tap the air in front of him two times.
Twice, twice did the Darksteel shift their spear in order to deflect the two slashes that should have come their way, but found that it had met nothing. A sense of dread came over them as Fushiguro Megumi was now in front of them after they had fallen for the feint, his knees bent and his Odachi back in its sheath—ready for a draw.
Supreme Art: Morning Sun Sword Drawing
A horizontal slash which sent the Darksteel skidding back was sent from Juuchi Yosamu after the black-haired man had thrown back the sheath, before he two-handed the hilt and turned it upwards for a vertical slash.
Supreme Art: Hell Severance Sword Drawing
Executing a vertical slash he did, as the passing wave of red had barely been avoided by the Darksteel who had decided to completely book it out of the area. Their feet strained against the pressure of their body as they landed on a building, before leaping once more and attempting to make way for the skyscrapers that still remained.
Strangely enough, they hadn't felt the black-haired man chase after them for whatever reason, but had found out why. In front of them was the horrid expression of a beast, making the world around them freeze.
Wendigo, which had strayed away from the opponent it was fighting intercepted the Darksteel, swinging the three-section staff in its hand across its body, the flowing movements of the lashing Cursed Tool sending the Darksteel back while they were in the air, and crashing against a building still far away from Fushiguro Megumi.
But the distance didn't matter, the fact that they were standing still did.
Supreme Art: Horizon Pierce Sword Drawing
Before any registration of what occurred or recovery from the situation, their body had been split in half. Megumi stood with a thrusting motion, both of his hands on Juuchi Yosamu as he turned around to glance at the opponent behind him. Flashing them a sneering huff, the Jujutsu Sorcerer watched as the Darksteel's body split in half vertically, a shockwave passing through the entire under-construction city.
The zephyr produced continued to shatter the rest of the remaining building's glass and shoot toward the skies, splitting the clouds as it had done once more. However, he couldn't see it from the darkness that had blanketed Kawalerielki, as the black-out was still ongoing. There were also still clamors of clashing blades after Wendigo had leapt to intercept the Darksteel that had run to assist their partner in fighting Oni.
Megumi just stood there with a look of satisfaction across his face, while turning toward Chimera Bird, "it's just about ready." The Jujutsu Sorcerer sheathed Juuchi Yosamu by removing the larger sheath and placing the Muramasa Blade inside swiftly, and putting it back in his sash. "This should kill the other two..." he mumbled under his breath while running toward the outskirts of the city.
While his legs strained, the sun ring behind him fizzled out as his Cursed Energy had taken a large blow. He had expended nearly all of it, and the only reason why he still had any left was from the excess blood his body produced thanks to his second heart given by Ryomen Sukuna being turned into Cursed Energy by a Binding Vow. It was just enough for the last spectacle he was willing to grant toward the Armorless Union, and the K.G.C.C. as a whole.
Megumi let his foot land at the outskirts of the city while wiping the dried blood off of his face. His four eyes turned toward where the site of combat was, envisioning Wendigo and Oni fending off the two remaining Darksteels. Chimera Bird continued to encircle the place, its six flapping wings emitting an immense wind that he could see even from his distance, and the purple lightning turned golden by Daiitoku being drawn from its trail.
"It's most likely that a large portion of Kawalerielki saw Nue: Totality, especially if anybody stood on a high altitude area," Megumi mumbled to himself by summoning Daiitoku in his left hand, "due to the darkness overtaking the city, they will also most likely see this too... But as long as nobody knows it's specifically me, then I'm satisfied."
Once the Domain Trajectory had been fully formed, Megumi grinned and raised Daiitoku upwards. "A Curse to you all," he sneered once more before slamming it downwards, pouring all his remaining Cursed Energy into it while dispelling his still fighting Wendigo and his damaged Oni.
BZZT! CRACK!
A thin beam off in the distance that required all of focus touched the Domain Trajectory formed by Chimera Bird, before it turned into a far larger pillar. Like a strike sent by heaven itself, the smite ordained by divine wrath made itself completely known. In a flash of blinding white lights laced with aureate, what felt like the heat of the sun crashed down at the epicenter of the incomplete section.
BOOM!
The aureate beam of pure destruction made of coalescing lightning combining into a magnificent pillar of radiance struck down. It was a drill sent forth from the highest plane of existence, as a punishment upon this mortal land for their continuous transgression against life itself. Displayed in front of his eyes were the fruits of his labor, presented in the most gratifying sight he had ever seen. From the first time he had ever used it against Tiger Funeral, the size had dramatically increased, and along with it—its potency for mass destruction.
Feeling the wind brush against his body, Fushiguro Megumi spread his arms and pulled his head back. Despite the incandescent lights which blinded the entire scene and would have eyes bursting from their sockets, he kept them as wide as saucers, and let his pupils shrink at the display of raw power in front of him. A rumble was heard, the quaking of the Nomadic City plates themselves screeching in pain.
A nostalgic sight, one that had nearly brought him such a serene feeling as first taming Tiger Funeral. The last step needed to tame Mahoraga was now his first step to godly power, to ascend to such heights where he would be the one to stand with Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna, to reach his hands toward heaven and tear it asunder himself. So, he shall bathe in this splendid light with his arms splayed out like a totem and drink upon the fruits.
"Sorry, Viviana, but..." he felt far too great, the euphoric feeling of finally crushing enemies with the palm of his hands, completely and utterly thoroughly. "It's best if you never see me again," his face was serene, letting his soul rest in its bed for once in his life, before a scene of a macabre declaration to the entire city. "It's just that I..." Megumi could feel his eyes start to half-lid at the ravaging power still rippling forth, the blinding fibers lights having become the absolute forefront of his imagination, "don't think I deserve to ever be near you."
The colors—they reminded him of her.
He didn't wish to taint it.
...The euphoria he felt from before suddenly vanished. Megumi blinked a few times, the crooked smile upon his lips fading from his face as his eyes returned to its normal two pairs. His lips thinned, and then turned downwards into a frown the more he bore witness to his own actions. The hand holding his Vajra dropped it, letting the purest of gold constructed into the object clack against the ground, and sink uselessly into his shadow.
Silence followed, as his dazed eyes scanned the vast expanse of what was in front of him. The facial muscles had completely relaxed, letting his expression completely fall. He had become sober once more.
'...Ah, Again? Did I do it again...? Really, I did it again.'
His hand moved to his face, and it was shaking. Behind it was the attack he had just unleashed, and its light was dying out. The darkness would soon settle and the smoke from the aftermath would most likely consume the entire empty area of where the unfinished city would be.
'When will it end?'
His eyes closed shut as air seethed through his teeth and entered his lungs, both of hands moving upwards to cover his face. He felt like keeling over and throwing up, he felt like he needed to ascertain once more what he truly wanted. Lashing out was all he had done, and it was...
'I'm a Curse.'
Megumi's hands gripped over his face once more as he fell to the ground, his right knee bending upwards while his left lay uselessly on the ground. A flood of emotions broke through the dam that was his mind, and made him grunt further in frustration. There was some sort of instinctual need that his body demanded, which was for him to grab at his hair and rip it out, or lay once more against the hard concrete in a fetal position.
'Find a way home. Find a way home. Find a way home. Find a way home... but what if there is no way to return...?'
He repeated it over and over in his head, letting the darkness of his view comfort him. If he were granted sight to nothing, then there was nothing to worry over.
'When will this cycle end?!'
His mouth wanted to scream, but he dug the feeling deeper down and let it fall into his chest. The only thing he could do was gnash his teeth against one another, and let the molars grind each other to dust as he continued to grapple with his feelings.
'Please, please just let this end...'
The Jujutsu Sorcerer couldn't let out a scream, and neither did he want to. All he did was stare off into the horizon of destruction, the calamity caused by his own hands. There was not a single regret for what he had done to the Armorless Union, or the destruction he had caused the city. No, it was far more selfish, he only cared that the action further showed how depraved he had become, to commit such actions without a care in the world.
It was the same reason why he didn't care for the fear caused in Ursus, the fear caused in Primavera, and the fear caused in Lungmen. That was the conclusion he had drawn from the blank page that he had been missing. A man like him could not be considered a human. The very thing he swore against, and the very thing that he despised with all of his heart, he had—
"Megumi."
The voice of Laurentina cut him out of his thoughts, making him spring upwards with a jolt. He glanced backwards with his tired and widened eyes, the dried blood across his body becoming much more tangible to his senses than he could have expected. Before he even knew it, the white-haired woman was in front of him and kneeling down, gazing deep into the decrepit marbles which were his eyes. He opened his mouth for a question shakily, but was cut off.
"I already finished my side of the work, so don't ask anymore about it." Laurentina continued to keep her gaze fixated on him, while an uncharacteristic worry was present in her eyes and face, "I've been stalling this matter for enough. Enough jokes and paltry play, answer me truly, what happened?"
"Laurentina..." Megumi's voice no longer held the emotionless tone it had, instead, it sounded utterly tired. He didn't say anything after, his eyes gazing off to somewhere else that was behind her, perhaps even a million miles away.
"Megumi," Laurentina called his name once more, breaking through the unbearable silence. "You always have something to say, either to deflect or to avoid any situational conversation you find yourself in with me. Answer me, what happened? I need to know—"
"Laurentina..."
Megumi's voice cut her off, making the Aegir pause for a moment. She looked at him once more, in a lens that was far clearer, watching the despondent way his head hung over and lingered in the position. There was not an inch of lifeblood which seemed to flow in his veins, and the pale disposition of his skin that looked like it had been left to rot for a long time passed.
"You can go home soon, isn't that amazing...?"
Laurentina watched his head turn upwards, a small smile opening at the crevices of his mouth. He was smiling, for one of the first times she had ever seen, and it was no one of the undiluted maniacy that she had seen back in Primavera, or the ones that could hardly be called one in the first place, but a... genuine... one? She found herself freezing at his gaze which seemed to pierce her soul.
"You must have a family to go back to...? Perhaps a friend you adore? A lover? I'm so glad, you must be really happy. Really, I'm glad..." Megumi continued to talk, his tongue not focused on a single subject that was comprehensible.
"...Megumi." Laurentina repeated for the umpteenth time, not once letting her gaze break from his own. If she did, she felt as if she would completely lose sight of him, never to be seen again, "what happened...?"
What were his words about...?
...What meaning did he spill...?
...A congratulations...?
...A celebration...?
...A good wish...?
...There was nothing...
...Across the undying gaze of the two moons of Terra, the two objects' ever present apathy continued to radiate across the lands and illuminate all in its light. It wore its reflected wreath like a desolate king, one which stood above all worldly concerns and suffering...
...Between those, and his own—she could see nothing truly present.
For once, she felt as if she understood nothing.
For once...
...She felt terrified.