Kamihara Hajime and Yuta Okkotsu simultaneously activated the technique, known as 'Time Wheel'. In this near-frozen world, even the downpour that once bridged heaven and earth hung motionless in the air.
At that moment, only three presences remained unfrozen—Hajime, Yuta, and Rika, who was still fused with him.
This was Yuta Okkotsu's Inherited Technique. Gojo Satoru had once called it All Forms Are Non-Forms, but Yuta and Hajime preferred its true essence: Imitation.
As the name implied, Yuta's technique allowed him to replicate others' techniques. But the copy was only as good as its wielder. If he imitated Gojo Satoru's Limitless, for instance, it lacked the full power due to Yuta not possessing the Six Eyes.
The process was more mimicry than mastery—Yuta could temporarily reshape his own technique to match another's, but doing so came with a Binding Vow. He needed an object deeply tied to the original technique's user.
Inumaki Toge once gifted him a semi-cursed tool infused with his own technique. Rika's ring was another such anchor. But in Hajime's case, the link came from his own blood.
Hajime never bothered crafting cursed tools. His technique wasn't compatible with tool-binding anyway. So he simply shed blood—lots of it—and let Rika consume it. With that, the connection was complete.
Despite having the capability, Yuta rarely used Hajime's technique. There was a clear reason for this.
Under Hajime's instruction, Yuta once tried injecting Reverse Cursed Energy into the imitated technique to invoke its Reversal. The result? Failure. Every attempt ended with the technique's collapse.
He learned that while the forward effect of the technique could be imitated, Technique Reversal remained impossible. Which made Time Wheel dangerous. Without reversal to mitigate the cost, every use was like lighting his own life force on fire.
That wasn't just a theory. Gojo confirmed it with Six Eyes. Ieiri Shoko confirmed it with medicine.
---
Back on the battlefield—
Kamihara Hajime and Yuta moved unhindered through the still world. They ascended Orochi's monstrous body with ease.
Yuta was unfazed, but Rika, curious and unfamiliar with this space, floated beside him, flicking raindrops with childlike wonder.
Once Rika was summoned, they split up and began tearing through Orochi's body with overwhelming Cursed Energy. Hajime was much faster, but with Rika's support, Yuta wasn't far behind.
Orochi's once-terrifying regeneration had halted. They severed all five of its heads.
As the technique neared its limit, Yuta called out, "Hajime san, are you sure Cursed Energy alone works on it? Cursed tools might be more effective against its defense."
Hajime had already activated the technique across his three cursed swords and was now preparing to disengage. "In theory, yes. I'll reactivate to maximize the next strike. Let's finish this in one blow."
As he exited the Time Null state, Yuta followed suit. Blood and flesh rained down.
Rika shielded Yuta. Hajime dodged the larger chunks and began focusing his Cursed Energy.
After briefly reentering the Time Null state, Hajime condensed Time Arrows, then exited again, injecting energy into the technique. In mere moments, a dense sphere of swirling Cursed Energy had formed in his palms.
Yuta, supported by Rika, did the same.
Orochi's corpse, soaked in blood rain, began twitching—regenerating. Thankfully, they had already put distance between themselves and the remains.
Several condensed Time Arrows launched. Yuta's own Cursed Energy barrage was fully charged. Though smaller in scale than Orochi's previous breath attacks, its power was formidable.
The attacks hit as Orochi's form began knitting back together. Flesh unraveling. Its massive body writhed.
The Time Arrows and Yuta's attack collided with its torso. The rain split under the pressure of the cursed blasts, yet even that wasn't enough.
Time Rain.
A barrier unfolded as a fusion of techniques bled into the environment. The rain itself became clearer. Then Hajime activated Time Wheel again.
"Time Wheel Spin!"
But he didn't use it on himself—his target was Orochi.
Blood trickled from Hajime's nose and eyes but vanished just as quickly. His manually invoked Technique Reversal cleaned it away.
The Time Wheel's effect held Orochi in its grip for just a second.
At the same instant, Yuta and Hajime's attacks slammed into it.
The massive body was torn apart—over half of it disintegrated. The rain washed the debris away.
Hajime staggered, coughing. The recoil from overloading his technique was obvious, but the results spoke for themselves.
Orochi's legendary regeneration was done.
Scattered flesh littered the ground. No signs of life. Yuta exhaled deeply.
"Is it over?"
"Seems like it. What about those remains? Usually, they fade faster. Is it because of its size?"
Hajime sheathed his sword just as the remnants began evaporating.
Purple-black smoke rose.
Hajime scowled. He fired a burst of Cursed Energy—but it passed straight through the smoke.
"What the hell is this?"
Rika reached toward it. No effect.
The smoke gathered in the air, condensing into a massive orb.
Alarmed, both tried to strike again. This time their attacks bounced back. The sphere remained unscathed.
"Yuta!"
Hajime drew his cursed sword. Rika grabbed him and hurled him into the air.
Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, radiating blinding light, slashed into the orb.
The result: explosion.
Purple smoke surged outward. Cursed Energy flooded the air.
A wet sound hit the ground. Something landed behind Hajime. Then—
A scream.
Hajime turned.
Yuta lay motionless. Blood stained the puddles beneath him. Rika's broken form dissipated.
Time Wheel - Reverse!
Time Reversal surged over Yuta. Wounds, blood—erased.
Life returned to Yuta's face. Rika reformed.
"Move!" Hajime shouted.
He reactivated the technique—but inside Time Null, he saw no presence near Yuta.
He spun.
A figure emerged.
A naked man—flawless, muscular. Dark purple markings spiraled across his chest.
His face… looked eerily like Hajime's.
But that wasn't what unnerved Hajime.
Even inside the Time Null State, this being was still moving.
Yuta, realizing what was happening, once more imitated Hajime's technique and raced to his side.
"This shouldn't be possible..."
---
Shibuya.
Forty minutes after the barrier appeared, 2,432 people remained trapped.
A strange message began to circulate—
"Call out Gojo Satoru's name, and you'll be saved."
No one knew where the rumor started, but fear made them listen. And soon, the chant spread.
Then, Gojo arrived.
The crowd surged, voices overlapping in desperation.
Gojo extended Limitless slightly. The air itself halted their approach.
"Everyone, quiet."
The chaos calmed. Faces were still pale with fear.
"Excuse me, thank you," he said, parting the sea of people.
He floated upward onto invisible steps.
"I'm here to save you. You—"
He paused. In his Six Eyes, two figures emerged.
"Ah... familiar faces."
The crowd sensed danger and scattered, but the barrier held them close.
"Hanami, ready?"
"#%*& (Jogo, I'm fine. For the future...)."
Gojo stepped through the sky, curious.
"That big one from earlier, was that yours? Hostages now, huh?"
He smiled, flexing his fingers.
"Wanna say your last words?"
Jogo, who had other motives, humored the banter. While activating Domain Amplification, he said, "Don't you wonder what that curse was? Gojo Satoru, this world isn't yours alone."
Gojo slipped off his blindfold. His Six Eyes lit up.
"Honestly? I don't care. I've got two students down there. I trust them."
His body vanished.
Jogo was mid-motion. A hand seized his arm. A fist met his stomach.
Flames burst from his mouth, but Gojo brushed them aside.
Hanami joined the fray but only delayed him for seconds.
"Neutralizing Limitless with a Domain's sure-hit effect? Smart move."
He caught Hanami's thorn strike, snapped it, then shattered his arm.
"Hanami!"
Jogo called once. Hanami understood.
Jogo charged. Hanami, from a distance, stood among civilians and clasped his hands.
"&￥%#"
Domain Expansion: Blooming Gore
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