Ren grinned as he looked to Megumi, thinking, 'This might be even more fun than I thought!'
Megumi aimed his hands at Ren, shouting, "Technique Reversal: Imbuement: Max Elephant!"
However, the water wasn't able to touch Ren, who said, "Infinity remember?"
Megumi then made a hand sign and chanted, "Technique Reversal: Imbuement: Rabbit Escape!"
A perfect clone of Megumi separated from him, his body standing next to him.
Ren's eyes went wide as he smiled maniacally, shouting, "Now that's fun! The Ten Shadows User from back then couldn't do that!"
Megumi rushed towards Ren, who thought, 'He can't be this dumb from being on a high right? Rushing in alone without his clone?'
Ren stood his ground, but then he heard something.
"Technique Reversal: Imbuement: Nue!"
He prepared for the Clone to rush in as well, but then he suddenly felt a shock run up his leg and through his body as he convulsed in pain, making him think, 'Electricity?!!'
Megumi's clone had its foot crackling with electricity as it ran through the water trail left from the water arrow and then up Ren's leg.
Megumi smirked, manically thinking, 'It's a good thing that the clone can use Reversal as well. His senses are probably overloaded at this point. I'm going to end this myself. This is something Ayanokoji can't do because he's not in this colony. I'll kill him myself!'
Ren, not being able to see or hear anything, but having realised how he had been hit with electricity through the water, smirked, shouting, "You genius! Give me your best shot!"
Megumi lined up his punch, holding his hand, thinking, 'I said I'd catch up to you, Ayanokoji. I wasn't joking around. I was serious. I'll catch up to you here and now!'
Cursed Energy flowed into Megumi's hand before he slammed his fist into Ren's face as Black Sparks flew, and Megumi's eyes widened, causing him to think, 'Black Flash! I... get it now. Cursed Energy. I understand it better than ever!'
The clone rushed in as the two Megumis lined up, one behind Ren and the other in front of him. As Megumi focused Ren's attention on him, and his clone began pummelling Ren from behind, who grimaced in pain from the strikes of the clone.
Megumi's clone made a stance as he thought, 'Now that I understand it better, I can even do this!'
"Technique Reversal: Partial Imbuement: Rabbit Escape!"
A barrage of punches hit Ren in the back as if Megumi's Clone had multiple arms and fists. Ren coughed up blood before he laughed, shouting, "This is so much fun, Fushiguro! I think you and I might become friends!"
Megumi chanted, "Nue!"
Ren punched his arm and felt electricity shoot up his arm as he jumped back, thinking, 'Again?! And he shortened the chant too!'
Ren grabbed Megumi's arm before knocking him towards a wall, and then he teleported behind the clone using Blue and sent the clone flying in the same direction.
"Technique Amplification: Blue!"
Ren fired a blue at them as they dodged, but the rubble fell on the spot where Megumi had been standing, hitting both him and his clone. Ren walked over, rummaging through the rubble and pulling Megumi out of it by the arm.
Ren smiled, thinking, "That was fun."
The Shikigami clone popped out, only for Ren to kill it by splitting it in half. He turned to Megumi and asked, "Hey, can you summon Mahoraga now?"
That's when Megumi healed himself with the Reverse Cursed Technique. Ren looked surprised and responded to this with, "Hey, there's no point in healing when you're just going to summon Mahoraga."
"I'm not summoning him."
That was Megumi's response.
Ren sighed in annoyance when his eyes widened, and he backed off. Megumi stood on his own two feet and smirked, and thinking back.
[Ayanokoji looked at Megumi and asked, "You want to learn how to create a barrier?"
Megumi nodded, saying, "It's something I've always struggled with."
"Well, I've just learnt about Domains from Tengen, so I can explain it for you. But it'll be simpler if you answer my question. If you do, then you'll figure it out when the time comes."
Kiyotaka said this as Megumi nodded, saying, "That's fine."
"Who are you, Fushiguro Megumi?"
Megumi looked confused, asking, "What?"
"A Domain is based upon your soul. If you can't visualise who you are, then of course you won't be able to visualise the barrier being imposed on reality."
Kiyotaka said this as Megumi said, "What kind of question is that? I'm..."
"Who are you, Fushiguro Megumi? What exists in the deepest part of your being?"
Kiyotaka asked this as Megumi thought back, and Tsumiki came into his mind, and he said, "I'm someone who lives for one single person. Someone who lives to protect her."
"Then, when the time comes that you need a Proper Domain Expansion to protect her, it'll come to you."
Kiyotaka said this before walking off.]
Megumi made a hand sign as Tsumiki flashed in his mind, and he shouted, "Domain Expansion: Shadow Chimera Garden!"
The barrier formed as Ren looked around, thinking, 'A Domain Expansion? Well then, I'll just use...'
Megumi appeared before him, grinning as he grabbed his hand and saying, "You don't have a one-handed domain sign like Gojo-Sensei, do you?"
Ren looked irritated as he attacked Megumi, who just weaved and dodged his attacks.
As water shot out from his domain from every angle, piercing through Ren's body, who thought, 'No Summoned Shikigami. The Sure Hit Effect extends to Reversal Techniques, so he can fire attacks straight from the shadows, huh?'
Ren blocked a punch from Megumi, being pushed back as he thought, 'Not just that, but this kid is in a frenzied state. He's a rabid beast.'
Ren felt electricity travel up his leg as he shouted in pain, thinking, 'Straight from the ground?! Damn it!'
That's when several clones of Megumi popped out of the shadows and began slamming their fists and legs into Ren, who thought, 'This kid might actually overwhelm me.'
He teleported away from the group and chanted, "Technique Reversal: Red!"
The attack hit the clones, vaporising them and hitting Megumi, who got flung back into the wall as the domain fell, and Ren smirked, saying, "Your domain is really good. Way better than that 10 Shadows User from back in my time, but you didn't have the experience to hold something of that calibre open for a long time, right?"
He smiled and said, "This is the end."
He made the two-handed hand sign and began chanting, "Domain Expansion: ..."
His head was suddenly electrocuted from behind as he bled from his nose. He had been targeted in the part of the brain that stores Cursed Techniques. Because of this, Ren knew he wouldn't be able to use his Domain Expansion.
A Megumi clone was standing behind him with Nue imbued in his hand as Ren smiled, saying, "I get it now. I assumed your burnout wouldn't allow you to keep your clones summoned. That was my mistake. You tricked me pretty good, Fushiguro. Haha."
Ren lunged at Megumi, who avoided the attack, and all of a sudden... Megumi took a stance, thinking, 'I'll kill you with the one you killed.'
"Technique Reversal: Imbuement: Divine Dogs: Totality!"
With this, Megumi's fingers sharpened into claws, and he pierced through Ren's stomach, ensuring that he wouldn't be able to use Cursed Energy, let alone Reverse Cursed Technique.
Ren fell to the floor, bleeding out as he said, "Wow. That was the most fun I've had since Kenjaku. Haha. Thanks for the fun fight. Can you tell me your full name?"
Megumi took a deep breath and said, "Megumi. Fushiguro Megumi."
Ren laughed slightly, saying, "Your pops gave you a girl's name? Now I get why you hate him. Dickhead."
Megumi looked surprised, asking, "Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?"
Ren then said, "Being as strong as me is lonely, you know. Only people who beat me can be my friends. Congrats. From here on, I consider you a friend. Is that alright with you?"
Megumi looked confused but said, "That's fine by me."
A part of Megumi couldn't deny Ren that final request.
Ren then smiled and said, "I think I get why my descendant chose you as a student. You're someone who might be able to keep up with them."
Megumi sighed and said, "You're not even close to Gojo-Sensei's level. Even if I beat your that doesn't put me on his level. Don't start spouting nonsense, idiot."
Blood flowed from Ren's mouth, and he smiled, saying, "Then he'll need you much more than I thought."
Ren said this as the light disappeared from his eyes and he passed on.
Megumi fell onto his backside, breathing out a heavy sigh of relief, saying, "It's over. It's finally over."
Megumi felt the heaviness of his exhaustion, thinking, 'Damn it. I... can't move', as his eyes closed and he passed out, lying there unconscious.
That's when a blond woman with a halo and wings floated down towards him, with a gentle expression.
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In Sendai Colony, there were four monstrous forces locked in a four-way deadlock. Druv Lakdawalla who due to his style of combat, was unable to get verbal confirmation for battle and so earned 97 points when the amount he could have earned was much higher. This is his second incarnation. He's an old man who single-handedly conquered the Japanese Archipelago during the Civil War of Wa. He possesses two autonomous shikigami, and the orbit of those shikigami determines his domain.
Ryu Ishigori with 122 Points. He is the canon with the greatest Cursed Energy Output among the Players.
Takako Uro with 98 points. She was originally the captain of the Sun, Moon, and Stars Squad, a squad of assassins serving directly under the Fujiwara Clan. She possesses a technique that allows her to manipulate the sky.
Kurorushi, with 54 Points. It was a cockroach Cursed Spirit that Kenjaku freed from the control of Cursed Spirit Manipulation. It ranked as a Special-Grade. It did not seek a dialogue with its opponents and did not perceive killing players as battle but as feeding. Due to this, the points it accrued were less than what was possible. It was lying dormant until certain conditions were met.
There was no alliance between them, but their complex compatibility and opposing strengths led them into a three-no, a four-way deadlock. However, two of those pillars fell, and the remaining two were pacified by another player who entered the Colony.
Okkotsu Yuta owned 40 points prior to battling with those four pillars. He was not able to reach a dialogue with Druv due to not understanding his language and thus was not able to take his points, earning 5 points from this kill. The situation was similar for his fight with Kururushi, earning 5 points from the kill. However, after defeating Ryu Ishigori and Uro Takako, he was able to reach an agreement where they transferred their points to him.
Yuta stood in Sendai as Ryu said, "You could have killed us and taken our points, you know."
"Sure, but at the same time, I can take your points in exchange for sparing you."
Yuta said this with a smile as Ryu sighed and said, "You really are soft, Okkotsu."
Name: Okkotsu Yuta
Rules Added: 0
Points: 280
Current Colony: Sendai
Kogane then appeared and announced, "Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong! A player has added a new rule to the Culling Game. Rule 12: Players can communicate with each other across and within colonies."
Yuta smiled and said, "My friends are as dependable as ever."
He looked up to the sky, thinking of Kiyotaka, Megumi and Maki and thinking, 'I'll have to work harder too.'
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Megumi woke up in a bed as he looked to see a blond woman with a halo and wings looking at him, who said, "Good Morning. Did you sleep well? My fated one?"
"How long was I asleep?"
The woman smiled and said, "Not for long. Maybe two hours. You managed to heal your wounds quite well. You just needed rest."
"Can I ask for your name?"
Megumi asked this as she answered, saying, "Hana. Hana Kurusu."
Megumi nodded and asked, "How exactly did you find me?"
Hana answered, saying, "Well, I was just flying around when I found you passed out on the street. I couldn't just leave you there."
Megumi nodded and then called out, "Kogane. Can I see the points of my allies?"
Kogane popped out, saying, "Processing... processing... processing..."
Megumi tapped the screen, checking through it and thinking, 'Hakari-Senpai has... 100 points... Ayanokoji already added a rule to allow for communication, so he managed to get 100 points as well. Okkotsu Senpai has... 280 points?!'
Megumi was shocked, thinking, 'Right now we have... 380 points...'
Megumi smiled, thinking, 'More than enough to save Tsumiki. Thank you, everyone. Now, after we add the rules, we need to find out how many points are needed to withdraw from the Culling Game.'
Megumi then turned to Hana and said, "Kurusu, there's something I need to ask you. My group and I are looking for a player called [The Angel]. But we heard that [The Angel] is in Tokyo Colony 2."
She looked to him as he asked, "Kurusu, are you [The Ange]? If so, then what is the real reason you saved me? And why are you in Tokyo Colony 1?"
A mouth appeared on her cheek, saying, "I am [The Angel]. It's not polite to interrogate a young girl like that. Firstly, I saved you because... Hana and you used to...-"
Her voice was interrupted as Hana slapped her own cheek to silence her, saying, "Ahhh?"
"Do I need a reason to help someone who's passed out on the road?"
Hana said this as Megumi deadpanned, asking, "What if I was a dangerous player? Don't you have any sense of vigilance?"
Hana laughed, saying, "Naaaaah."
Megumi sighed, bowing his head slightly and saying, "... sorry. Thank you for saving me."
Hana again laughed, saying, "Naaaaah."
Angel, then said, "Since you were looking for me, it seems you know My Cursed Technique. The nullification of Cursed Techniques. Seals and Barrier Techniques are no exception, so we can enter and exit colonies at will. Because Tokyo Colony 2 is near the sea, there are more Cursed Spirits than Players. So we came here instead."
Megumi looked confused, asking, "Why? It's easy to predict the movements of Cursed Spirits. You just have to avoid them at night."
Angel answered, saying, "My goal is to purge all incarnated players. Most suppress and destroy their vessel's consciousness when incarnating... either intentionlly of subconsiously. It's something that should not be happening. It goes against the laws of god."
"God?"
Megumi asked this as Angel answered, saying, "A name given to my creed for Simplicity's sake. You can ignore it if you like. That's why I've chosen to coexist with Hana. Just prior to arriving at your location, I did so with a group of players using a girl as bait for points. Since the girl was not an incarnated player, I let her go."
Angel said this as Hana thought of Reggie's group, and Megumi asked, "Could your technique return an Incarnated Player back to what they were like before the incarnation?"
"I can't say for sure that it can't. But 99% of the time, they will die. Incarnation is the fusion of a Cursed Object and a living flesh. Naturally, separating either one from the other is difficult. Do you want to return someone to their original state? If so, I'm sorry. I don't think I can help with that."
Megumi sighed and said, "No, what we need The Angel to break is... the seal on the Special-Grade Cursed Object, Prison Realm."
"I see. If it's the seal of a Cursed object, then it's fine."
The Angel said this as Megumi let out a breath, thinking, 'It's all going well! We can bring back Gojo-Sensei this way. It's almost scary how smoothly things have gone.'
The Angel then spoke, saying, "But first, you need to help us. Then I'll break the seal on the Prison Realm."
"Don't tell me... You want us to kill all the Incarnated Players?"
Megumi asked this as The Angel replied, saying, "I'm not nearly so demanding. Just one. There's one among the incarnated Players that I must slaughter no matter the cost. [The Disgraced One]. If we can kill this player, then I guarantee you my assistance."
"I'll want a binding vow for that. That way, we can completely trust each other."
Megumi said this as The Angel said, "That's fine."
They both felt the vow bind to their souls.
Megumi gripped his hands, thinking, 'We've almost done it, Tsumiki. Just wait a little longer.'
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Chapter?
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