Boom!
A sudden gust of wind exploded outward as the ground beneath him cracked. Zenin Toji shot forward like a bolt of lightning, rushing toward the short-haired girl standing on a tree branch.
The Soul Liberation Blade in his right hand cut through the air, whistling as it slashed straight at the girl's long, swan-like neck.
Hayashizaki didn't dodge. She simply tilted her head back slightly, a playful smile on her face.
Snap!
The unstoppable blade came to an abrupt halt just before reaching Hayashizaki's neck. A mouth suddenly appeared on her throat, biting down on the blade like a steel clamp.
With a sharp, ringing sound, the special-grade cursed tool worth five billion yen was crushed in an instant. A deep notch appeared on the blade, the sound echoing like the wail of a dying weapon.
"What a freak."
Zenin Toji, now behind Hayashizaki, grinned. But his hands didn't stop. He spun like a top, switching the Inverted Spear of Heaven to a reverse grip and thrusting it toward the back of the girl's neck.
She twisted her body, dodging the spear while slipping into the black-haired man's blind spot. Her palm shot toward his shoulder.
"Oh?" Hayashizaki raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking down at the blade piercing her arm.
Zenin Toji's right hand had swung around from his shoulder at an impossible angle, driving the tip of the Soul Liberation Blade straight through the girl's forearm.
"Don't underestimate me." Zenin Toji grinned before kicking her away. He yanked the blade free as he did, sending a spray of blood into the air.
Hayashizaki flew back like a cannonball, crashing through several thick trees before finally coming to a stop.
She lifted her arm, where a chunk of flesh had been torn away, exposing the pale bone beneath.
"Yeah, I did underestimate you." Hayashizaki nodded in acknowledgment. The playful look in her crimson eyes faded, replaced by a sharp, deadly glint.
Zenin Toji shuddered. It felt like he was being watched by a beast about to devour him. Every cell in his body screamed at him to run.
He clenched his muscles and tightened his grip on his blades, forcing himself to stay calm. Running would be the worst thing to do against an enemy of this level.
Turning his back on a predator was never an option.
Then, to Zenin Toji's shock, Hayashizaki's wounds began healing at an incredible speed.
Her once-torn arm was now smooth and unscarred, as if nothing had happened.
For a moment, Zenin Toji wondered if he had even landed a hit at all. Was it just his imagination?
"…Reverse Cursed Technique," the black-haired man muttered instinctively.
"What's wrong? Can't do it yourself?"
Hayashizaki smirked, her taunting expression lighting a fire in Zenin Toji's fighting spirit.
During this decline of the Jujutsu world, he had thought Gojo Satoru, the young master of the Gojo family, was the strongest sorcerer alive.
That was until this short-haired girl—no, the creature possessing her body—appeared before him.
Even though Zenin Toji had no cursed energy himself, he could still sense the overwhelming power radiating from her. It was something Gojo Satoru could never hope to match.
She could use Reverse Cursed Technique. She had likely mastered Domain Expansion as well.
There was no doubt—this person was the true strongest.
Facing Hayashizaki's provocation, Zenin Toji felt an urge to crush her completely.
She had denied him, denied the Zenin family, denied the entire Jujutsu world.
If he could kill the one standing at the very peak of it all, then the Zenin family and the Jujutsu world would become nothing more than a joke.
1. Cloning Technique. It's unclear how many clones she can create, but all cloning techniques share a weakness—the more clones, the weaker they are.
2. Invisible Slashes. They're powerful, but I can vaguely sense them and block them with the Inverted Spear of Heaven, which can nullify cursed techniques.
3. Reverse Cursed Technique. Extremely efficient. I have to land a fatal hit as quickly as possible.
4. Unknown Domain Expansion. However, domains can't automatically lock onto someone without cursed energy. As long as I'm fast enough, I can avoid it.
Zenin Toji silently organized his thoughts on Hayashizaki's abilities. Then, spinning his blade in his hand, he got ready for battle.
He wasn't completely confident.
After all, he was facing the strongest.
How could he possibly expect to kill her without taking a single hit?
Hayashizaki smiled and casually flicked a finger.
Zenin Toji's pupils shrank sharply.
He sensed a long, thin white line slicing through the air toward him at incredible speed.
Ancient, towering trees, hundreds of years old, were cut clean in half. They toppled like dominoes, leaves swirling through the air as a cloud of dust rose.
Zenin Toji leaped high into the air, kicking off the tree trunks around him to stay in motion.
But as the trees he used as footholds were also sliced apart, he suddenly tensed his legs and launched himself toward Hayashizaki's position.
Like a bullet piercing through the dust, he left a streaking trail behind him, his Soul-Liberating Blade flashing coldly as he swung it at the short-haired girl.
She only grinned.
The branch under her feet cracked under the impact, but her seemingly delicate frame shot forward with just as much force, charging straight at Zenin Toji.
The unstoppable Soul-Liberating Blade came slashing down—only to collide with an invisible slash.
Zenin Toji's right hand was knocked aside by the impact.
Hayashizaki's left hand shot out, grabbing for his wrist.
But Toji twisted his body in response, swinging the Inverted Spear of Heaven upward in a sharp, unpredictable arc, aiming for her right armpit.
Slash!
Blood sprayed as the strange blade of the Inverted Spear of Heaven cut deep into Hayashizaki's outstretched palm.
Yet she didn't let go.
Her grip tightened, holding the blade firmly in her hand.
Meanwhile, her left hand clenched around Zenin Toji's wrist.
With a sudden twist and a forceful slap, she forced him to release the Soul-Liberating Blade.
The Inverted Spear of Heaven spun through the air, falling toward the ground.
Hayashizaki retracted her left hand, balled it into a fist, and punched.
Her small, delicate-looking fist struck Toji's broad, muscular chest, sending him flying like a kite with a broken string.
Toji felt as if he had been hit by a fully loaded semi-truck.
It felt like his entire body was coming apart.
He tumbled across the ground like a bouncing rubber ball before finally skidding to a stop.
A smirk tugged at his lips, but blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Hayashizaki landed smoothly from midair, glancing down at the Soul-Liberating Blade at her feet.
She stepped on the hilt, flicked it into the air, then casually caught it.
"Nice cursed tool. Thanks for the gift."
She spun the blade in her hand, mimicking the flourish Toji had performed earlier.
Then, tightening her grip, she pointed the blade's glowing edge straight at him.
Zenin Toji let out a helpless sigh.
Then, lifting his foot, he stomped hard on the ground.
Cracks spread rapidly toward the short-haired girl. Chunks of rock erupted like a volcanic blast—only to be instantly sliced into even smaller fragments.
Hayashizaki, still controlling Yukinoshita Haruno's body, dashed forward through the flying debris, swinging the Soul-Liberating Blade in a downward slash.
The sharp glow of the blade reflected in Zenin Toji's eyes.
His instincts kicked in—he sidestepped the attack and thrust the Inverted Spear of Heaven downward, wedging it into the ground.
Using the weapon's unique shape, he locked the Soul-Liberating Blade in place.
Then, letting go of the hilt, he swung a punch straight at Hayashizaki's face.
She didn't hesitate.
Releasing the Soul-Liberating Blade, she raised her arm to block his punch.
Neither of them used techniques—just raw, cursed energy-enhanced physical strength.
Their fists blurred through the air, leaving afterimages as the wind from their strikes sent leaves flying.
The sound of fists landing echoed nonstop through the battlefield.
"Hahaha! This is great!"
Hayashizaki laughed loudly—until a fist slammed into his face, cutting his laughter short. At the same time, he landed a punch on Zenin Toji's stomach, nearly making him lose his breath.
Their fists collided, sending a burst of wind that scattered the fallen leaves.
They stepped back, then charged at each other again, clashing repeatedly. It was like two streaks of lightning tangled together, or two beasts locked in a brutal fight.
Trees snapped, the ground cracked, and the entire area was left in chaos.
"Spectacular!"
"In terms of raw strength and martial arts, I, Hayashizaki, acknowledge you as the strongest!"
During their final exchange of blows, Hayashizaki got too excited and let his guard down. Zenin Toji, fully focused, seized the opening and sent him flying with a powerful kick.
The trees around them had already been destroyed. Hayashizaki crashed into a broken tree trunk, feeling a sharp pain in his throat before spitting out blood. But even then, he still had a smile on his face.
Unfortunately, Yukinoshita Haruno's body wasn't as tough as Zenin Toji's. Even with reinforcement from cursed energy, it was hard to keep up in such an intense close-range fight for long.
If he had been using his own body, or even Yukinoshita Yukino's body that had been enhanced by the system, Hayashizaki wouldn't have even needed cursed energy to enjoy this kind of primal battle.
Zenin Toji watched as the short-haired girl stood up again, completely unscathed, and let out a deep breath. "You sure talk a lot."
Fighting someone who could heal with Reverse Cursed Technique in close combat was honestly a foolish move. Even if he gained the upper hand, it wouldn't matter—his opponent could simply heal and be as good as new.
Meanwhile, the damage he took and the energy he spent were real.
But at least now, both the Inverted Spear of Heaven and the Split Soul Katana were back in his hands.
Zenin Toji bent down, pulled the weapons out of the ground, rested one on his shoulder, and pointed the other at Hayashizaki—just like Hayashizaki had done to him earlier. "If you wanna fight, hurry up."
Hayashizaki sighed. "Honestly, I'd love to keep going. A battle this exhilarating is rare. But… it's time to end the game."
For an opponent like Zenin Toji, who had no cursed energy, most domains would be a nightmare.
He could ignore a domain's barrier and move freely in and out. He could also evade the automatic hit effect.
But unfortunately for him, none of those weaknesses applied to Hayashizaki's domain.
The short-haired girl suddenly relaxed her body, bringing her pale hands together in a ritual gesture.
"Domain Expansion: Fushuma's Kitchen."
Behind her, a shrine made of white bones rose into the air. The sky darkened, taking on the eerie glow of a blood-red moon. Everything around them was bathed in crimson light.
"Heh, finally."
The moment he saw her form the hand seal, Zenin Toji moved.
He abandoned the golden rule of battle—never turn your back to an enemy—and dashed away like a predator leaping into action.
Expanding a domain consumed a massive amount of cursed energy.
Since the barrier wouldn't stop him, as long as he ran fast enough to escape its range, he could force his opponent to waste energy without even fighting.
But before he could escape, the blood-red energy caught up to him, even if just for a fraction of a second.
Zenin Toji's pupils shrank.
Behind him, the forest was dyed in blood.
Ahead of him, the untouched green landscape remained.
It was as if he stood between two completely different worlds, separated by a single step.
Just one step. For Zenin Toji, crossing that distance would take only 0.001 seconds.
*Squelch!*
Blood splattered.
Zenin Toji was flung out of the domain, rolling across the ground like a discarded trash bag. His body left deep red trails in the grass as he tumbled.
Lying on the ground, covered in gruesome wounds, he struggled to turn his head.
And then, he saw her.
The short-haired girl stood before the towering shrine of white bones.
His eyes widened in shock.
"...No barrier?"
How was that possible?
And how had the technique hit him?
Wasn't he supposed to be immune to domain's automatic hit effect because he had no cursed energy?
Just as the thought surfaced in his mind, Zenin Toji already had the answer.
Everything within the domain's range—trees, rocks, even the ground—was reduced to dust. A massive chunk of the earth had been hollowed out, leaving only the Buddhist shrine and the short-haired girl standing on solid ground, like an island in the middle of a vast ocean.
Even things without cursed energy… get destroyed without exception?
Hayashizaki stepped into the domain, slowly walked up to the black-haired man, and crouched down in front of him. "What's your name?"
"Heh… so that's how you're playing it?" The man forced a smile. "Fushiguro Toji. I used to be a Zenin, but I married into another family."
"Fushiguro?" Hayashizaki raised an eyebrow in surprise and examined him closely. Then, as if realizing something, he asked, "Do you have a son named Fushiguro Megumi?"
After all, this guy's hair looked exactly like Megumi's spiky bangs. Add in the same surname—it was hard not to make the connection.
Hearing the name "Fushiguro Megumi," Toji froze for a moment, as if his brain had stalled. Then, after a pause, he muttered, "Ah… yeah, I think so."
Now that he thought about it, he was the one who had chosen the name Megumi.
Hayashizaki grinned and suddenly reached out a hand toward him.
A soft, radiant white light began to shine.
…
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