Takuya struck out at Shiro, who used Tai Chi to divert the attack before slamming the back of his hand into Takuya's face, sending him flying back.
Takuya looked annoyed, shouting, "Why? Why is this happening?!!"
Shiro sighed and said, "You've become pathetic."
Takuya's eyes sharpened as he smirked and said, "I'll do that!"
Shiro's eyes widened to see Takuya expelling Cursed Energy behind him to accelerate as he thought, 'That would be only possible by using his Cursed Technique!'
Shiro dodged to the side as Takuya crashed through a building, and as he turned around, he struck Shiro, sending him flying forward as Shiro coughed up blood, thinking, 'He manipulated my Cursed Energy to remove my reinforcement?!!'
Shiro got up and thought, 'He's far more dangerous than I thought.'
He spat out blood from his mouth, thinking, 'He's starting to think like a White Room Student again. gaining logical awareness that quickly after becoming a Curse? He has talent after all.'
Shiro sighed and made a stance, chanting, "Maximum Technique: Technique Equalisation!"
Shiro chanted this as Takuya felt the change in his Cursed technique and felt it lock into its maximum technique.
Equilisation's Maximum Technique has the lowest Cursed Energy cost out of all Maximum Techniques recorded in Jujutsu History. When activated, both the user and the opponent become locked into a state of keeping the Maximum Technique on until the user releases Maximum. This devolves the battle into a battle of pure Jujutsu without Cursed Techniques, where the one with a superior body and Jujutsu will prevail.
Shiro sweated, thinking, 'But now his infinite Cursed Energy is back, which means Kiyotaka will have to fight him while he is at full strength. Not good.
Takuya smiled and said, "Looks like our physical abilities and Jujutsu are back to how they should be. Feeling pressured?"
"It seemed like it. You're better than expected."
Shiro said this, readying his blades as Takuya smirked and said, "Ah, acknowledgment. It's such a beautiful feeling. But the only way for me to get the acknowledgement I truly want is by killing Ayanokoji!"
Shiro's eyes widened as Takuya disappeared from sight, making him think, 'Is there that wide a gap in our physical abilities and Jujutsu?!!'
A hand touched his face, and he was used as a battering ram to destroy several buildings before being flung through another.
Shiro got up, healing himself with the Reverse Cursed Technique and thinking, 'I guess this is what I get for not training after leaving the White Room. Still... to think he's that strong.'
Shiro sighed, thinking, 'At the very least, my defensive reinforcement is still better than his damage output. It should help me survive until Kiyotaka gets here.'
He took a stance as Cursed Energy surrounded his entire body as he thought, 'Surround yourself with it. Protect yourself. Become a wall.'
Takya disappeared from sight again, slamming into Shiro, who reflexively blocked the attack, thinking, 'You're faster and stronger than me, but I can still predict your moves with enough focus and then block them.'
Takuya smiled and said, "I see now. You're from the Fourth Generation, aren't you? Just like Ayanokoji. That's the only explanation for being able to block my attacks. I see. I see. That makes sense. But... aren't you too weak? Oh? Did you not train after defecting?"
Takuya smirked menacingly as Shirro clicked his tongue, thinking, 'He's figured it out, huh?'
Takuya began attacking from all angles as Shiro took the hits, thinking, 'No matter how good my defence is, it'll break under his onslaught eventually. I can't counterattack. He's too fast, and if I drop my focus for even a second, then he'll land a critical blow.'
Suddenly, Takuya appeared and slammed his fist into Shiro's side, saying, "It breaks!!!"
Shiro yelled out in pain, thinking, 'Damn it! But still... I held on long enough.'
He was sent flying through a building and lay there in a pool of blood as Takuya yelled out in glee, "It's back! I can feel my Cursed Technique again!"
Kiyotaka jumped down from a building and checked Shiro over, saying, "Not good. He's dying. I'll have to finish this fight quickly. How long do I have before he dies? 10 minutes?"
Kiyotaka looked to Takuya, who shouted with anger, "Ayanokoji Kiyotaka!!!"
"Hey. Looks like you've really made a mess of things."
Kiyotaka said this while thinking, 'Sorry, Shiro. I'd heal you right away, but underestimating him and dying because I don't have enough Cursed Energy to end the fight would be a huge problem.'
Takuya smiled gleefully, saying, "I've reached it. The level of a White Room Student of the 4th generation. I'm one step closer to becoming the Masterpiece."
Kiyotaka stared, thinking, 'He really has reached that level. And now he's ready to challenge me.'
Takuya smiled and said, "I'll take your position from you now, Ayanokoji."
"I've never been too fond of it, but I can't exactly die here today."
Kiyotaka said this as he got into a stance, and his Cursed Energy flared up
Kiyotaka stared at Takuya, thinking, 'I'll have to go on the offensive.'
Kiyotaka then chanted, "Flowing Mass Fists!"
He rushed towards Takuya, who grinned, shooting out highly concentrated beams of Cursed Energy that began tracking Kiyotaka, who chanted, "Manifest", creating small mass walls to catch the attack as he slammed his fist into Takuya, who spat out blood and was sent flying back.
Takuya lay there as Kiyotaka walked over, thinking, 'He's durable but... his defensive Cursed Energy Reinforcement is actually not as good as expected.'
Takuya got up and attacked as Kiyotaka threw up his arms in defence, only for Takuya to slam his fist into Kiyotaka's arms, disintegrating them as Kiyotaka's eyes widened, and he was sent flying through two buildings.
Kiyotaka gritted his teeth as he healed himself, regenerating his arms and thinking, 'He completely bypassed my Reinforcement by manipulating my Cursed Energy.'
Takuya smirked and said, "That looks like it hurts Ayanokoji. That guy over there was able to suppress my Cursed Technique before so that I wouldn't be able to do that, but he's going to die soon, so what can you do? You're all on your own against someone who can shred through your defences like they don't exist."
Kiyotaka then used his reversal to solidify his whole, making it denser, thinking, 'Not on the same level as Koenji, but it should mitigate the damage.'
He rushed towards Takuya, and they went into an exchange of attacks as Kiyotaka knocked Takuya's arms to the side, landing several blows as Takuya gritted his teeth and Kiyotaka thought, 'No matter how much you've grown or how much Jujutsu you've mastered, you will not reach this level.'
Kiyotaka slammed his fist into Takuya, who spat out blue blood, thinking, 'Why? I have infinite Cursed Energy, and I waste practically no Cursed Energy. He can't even defend himself against my attacks, so why... why am I losing?'
No amount of Cursed Energy could bridge the mental gap between these two in terms of thinking speed, efficiency and martial arts.
Kiyotaka flicked his hand, chanting, "Slicing Mass", as a cut appeared on Takuya's chest as he healed it, thinking, 'Damn it, why?"
Kiyotaka slammed his leg into Takuya, sending him crashing into a building as Kiyotaka then clasped his hands together, chanting, "Piercing Mass!"
The liquid pierced straight through Takuya as he lay there thinking, 'Why? Why can't I win?'
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "It's over."
Then two hands gripped the maw as Takuya said, "No. It's not over. The one who shall be a Masterpiece..."
Takuya proceeded to rip the outer layer of his cursed body away as his humanoid form emerged from it like a cocoon, and he shouted up to the sky, "... is me!!!"
Takuya looked to Kiyotaka, making a hand sign and chanting, "Domain Expansion!"
Kiyotaka's eyes widened, not being able to react to this was unable to clash Domains and Takuya in that moment, as a barrier formed and a white expanse filled the area, and Takuya finished the chant, saying, "White Room!"
Kiyotaka sighed and thought, 'You're so obsessed with it that it's embedded itself into your soul. Into your innate domain.'
Kiyotaka made hand signs and attempted to clash domains, thinking, 'I didn't have much time, but because I was able to use Sukuna's Domain as a template and thanks to learning from Tengen, my Domain's refinement is probably a good bit better than the Volcano Curse's Domain.'
He tried to gather up the Cursed Energy only to realise that the Cursed Energy he had called up in an attempt to call upon his Domain had been stripped off his body as he thought, 'This Domain's sure hit effect absorbs all Cursed Energy radiating off of his opponent for his use? It's targeting, sending likely works off of something other than the visual identification of Cursed Energy. Maybe he's spread his Cursed Energy into the area, which is interacting with My Cursed Energy and giving him a way to manipulate it? I see. This domain... is truly incredible.'
Takuya smiled and asked, "So? Now what will you do, Ayanokoji?"
'I'll have to come up with something, but for now I'll focus on staying alive until the barrier breaks.'
Takuya appeared in front of him, striking him dead centre as Kiyotaka was pushed back, thinking, 'I figured something out even if it's not ideal.'
Takuya looked surprised, saying, "You reinforced the inside of your body? Ah right. My Domain can't target the Cursed Energy inside you after all. But look at you. That hurt, didn't it?"
Kiyotaka gritted his teeth, thinking, 'This is not good. Even if it blocked the internal damage, the power he put into the strike was immense. Eventually, his strikes will get through my skin and leave a hole. Once that happens, the Cursed Energy inside me will become a target for his domain as well. If only I could... wait. Is that possible?'
Kiyotaka formulated this idea and thought, 'If this doesn't work, then I'll likely be doomed.'
Kiyotaka took a stance, feeling for his innate domain and pulling it from his soul and into his body as a white energy engulfed the inside of his body and started leaking out from his skin as Takuya's eyes widened and shouted, "How are you doing that?! Why can't I control that Cursed Energy?"
"I'm clashing Domains with you right now. Your sure hit has been cancelled."
Kiyotaka said this as Takuya thought, 'That's impossible unless... he stabilised it internally and then drew it to the surface to compete with my Domain?!'
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had never seen the disaster Curses using Domain Amplification, yet right now, he had created a version that surpassed theirs in every way, shape and form. Domain Amplification's limitation was due to the Disaster Curse's obsession with getting past Satoru Gojo's limitless power, so it focused in their hands, perceived as a mere tool. However, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka did not treat it as a tool. He treated it as a part of himself that he was drawing out, and due to this, it manifested as Cursed Energy all around his entire body, increasing his physical abilities and Cursed Energy to the same level they would be in his domain. It would allow Kiyotaka to bypass the defensive applications of Cursed techniques such as Infinity, and Takuya would no longer be able to manipulate Kiyotaka's Cursed Energy well enough to dismiss Defensive Cursed Energy Reinforcement to an effective degree, but in exchange, Kiyotaka would not be able to use his Cursed technique. A Full-Body Domain Amplification!
Takuya looked shocked, thinking, 'How did he come up with that... on the spot?'
Kiyotaka smiled and thought, 'It works. Well, this is certainly an amazing feeling. I feel right in my element.'
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Sukuna's eyes widened, thinking, 'That's ingenious. That will be useful against Satoru Gojo. Heh heh.
Sukuna began to attempt using the same technique but noticed the difficulty and thought, 'The level of calculation required is massive. I'll have to take my time figuring this out until it becomes muscle memory. It might take me a month or two.'
Sukuna began laughing, thinking, 'How interesting that you acquired a technique like this so easily after only theorising about it once.'
Sukuna settled down and thought, 'But for now, let's see how effective the technique is.'
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Kiyotaka blocked a strike as he slammed his fist into Takuya's jaw, as Takuya glared, thinking, 'This is absurd. Why? Why is the level he's at so much higher than mine?!!'
Takuya sent out waves of concentrated energy that cut into Kiyotaka, who simply healed from the injuries, thinking, 'Alright. I can fight back now. I'll end him.'
Kiyotaka rushed forward, slamming his fist into Takuya, sending him flying back as Takuya increased the speed of his attacks, not letting up as Kiyotaka continually began blocking the attacks, thinking, 'He's getting faster and faster.'
Takuya smirked, thinking, 'I'll overwhelm you using Acceleration Room!'
That's when Kiyotaka took a stance, saying, "You process your opponent's data and apply it to a Domain that you can switch in terms of variablitiy whie within your Domain Expansion. That is what you are using right", before chanting, "White Domain: Acceleration Room" as a punch from Takuya was pushed to the side, and a fist slammed into his chest as the hand blocked another strike, and the other hand slammed into his jaw, making Takuya think, 'How are you doing this?! This is bullshit!'
Kiyotaka had already seen what Takuya was doing and replicated it. He was also using the Acceleration Room. He had also correctly named the technique and extrapolated based on the functions of the Acceleration Room to learn how to use the other variants of the White Domain.
Suddenly, it was now Takuya who was being overwhelmed as strike after strike connected with his jaw, and Takuya thought, 'How could this be happening?'
Kiyotaka struck Takuya in the chest as Black Sparks flew from the impact and sent Takuya flying into the barrier of his domain, and... the Domain fell.
Takuya was on his hands and knees as he asked, "Was there ever a way for me to win?"
"Yes."
Kiyotaka said this as Takuya stood up and rushed at Kiyotaka, who disappeared from sight and chanted, "Slicing Mass", cutting Takuya in half straight down the middle.
Kiyotaka had formed Slicing Mass on his hand and used it to cleave through Takuya's body, bisecting him. Due to the effects of the Acceleration Room and because Kiyotaka had hit a Black Flash, Takuya was completely unable to react to the attack and was thus cleaved in two.
Takuya's body, despite being bisected, stood there as Kiyotaka looked him in the eyes as Takuya asked, "Was I... strong?"
"I was forced to undergo growth during our fight. Yes. You were strong."
Kiyotaka said this as Takuya smield and said, "That's all I ever wanted to hear" as his body faded into small yellow lights fading away into the air.
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Nanase stood before Atsuomi as she dodged beams of Cursed Energy, thinking, 'How many children has he stolen Cursed Energy from?'
Suddenly, the Shikigami tapped Nanase as Atsuomi smiled and said, "Tax", but then his eyes widened as he thought, 'What? Why isn't it working? Because there are two souls inhabiting the same body? I can't tax her without taxing the other.'
He felt his fingers crack as he stopped the tax, thinking, 'Who in the world did she force into her body?'
Nanase rushed forward as a White Room Student's Cursed Energy Signiture lagged slightly behind her, and Atsuomi thought, 'She's been using their Cursed Energy. This little!'
Atsuomi created a barrier out of Cursed Energy as if freezing the air itself as he chanted, "Toll Gate"
Nanase shattered it from sheer force, saying, "This strengthens when faced against constant attacks of Cursed Energy, right? But it'll break if I put enough Cursed Energy into it for one single blow."
She said this as her fist sank into his chest, and Atsuomi's life flickered out.
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Chapter?
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