Hajime did not activate his technique. He took the sword from Maki and confronted the newly reformed Orochi. At their first clash, the Totsuka-no-Tsurugi in his hand emitted a brittle, grating crack.
A terrifying force hurled him backward. Blood mist blurred his figure, but in the next moment he reappeared, unscathed, steady on his feet.
A Power Far Beyond
The gap in strength was staggering—Hajime realized just how far beyond this being lay.
Using Time Wheel Spin, Hajime entered Time Null state and repositioned before Orochi. Despite its sluggishness in comparison, he sensed its gaze lock onto him. When Hajime struck with his sword, the blade plunged into Orochi yet wouldn't budge—an unthinkable display of physical strength.
He thought: This strength... it exceeds that of any human, even other cursed spirits.
To test this further, Hajime unleashed pure cursed energy toward Orochi. As always, it had negligible effect. Releasing his technique fully, a pale blue aura exploded outward—but when the smoke cleared, Orochi remained nearly intact. Its wounds sealed themselves even before the mist dispersed.
A body that could endure massive cursed energy attacks and heal rapidly. Combined with Maki's earlier observation—the skull had slain it before.
One thought echoed in everyone's mind: this creature was something else entirely.
Orochi swayed and blurred, then dispersed. The ground cracked under an immense surge of cursed energy. Orochi's speed and power had increased again—but only Hajime's Time Null allowed him to keep pace.
He evaded the flurry of strikes, entered Time Null once more, and launched four consecutive Black Flashes.
His hits collided, black brilliance rending the foe. Orochi was sent flying like cannon shot, spewing blood in all directions.
---
"It replicated Hajime(san)'s ability," Itadori and Maki noted in unison, breathless.
Yuta added, "It can copy whatever it gets, disregarding restrictions... even Forbidden Techniques?"
Hajime nodded. "Yes, theoretically if Satoru-sensei killed it, it would copy Limitless—even without Six Eyes."
Yuji realized the strategy. "That's why you called us. We don't have techniques—if we kill it, it won't get stronger."
Orochi rose again, restored. Hajime glanced at Itadori. "You're up. I'm going to push it—just swing when the time is right. Have you practiced with a sword?"
Yuji fumbled, accepting Onikiri. "Senpai, I mostly do hand-to-hand…"
"Don't worry. Aim well and strike true."
---
Hajime launched forward, weaving a net of swordlight that forced Orochi to reveal itself. Its speed, though formidable, was still manageable against time manipulation. Its attacks shattered the ground but didn't reach him.
Hajime raised his sword. "Time… stop!"
Rainwater frozen mid-fall formed a crystalline dome around Orochi. Yuji watched in awe as everything inside was suspended, cursed energy stopped in place. Hajime's voice echoed:
"Now."
Yuji channeled cursed energy into Onikiri. In that frozen moment, there was only the sword and the target—no hesitation.
Slash.
Black light tore through the dome. Orochi's form splintered in an overwhelming strike.
Hajime rushed in and threw Yuji aside just as Orochi's body began to disintegrate. He braced himself, eyes sharp.
Now they would see: would Orochi copy Yuji's form unchanged? Or would it gain Sukuna's power?
---
Blood and flesh scattered across the battlefield and reformed into Orochi. This time it looked exactly like Yuji—it even wore Orochi's mask, but those pupil-less, purplish eyes remained unsettlingly inhuman.
It charged Hajime without any fanfare or special ability—just raw aggression.
---
Elsewhere, Suguru Geto and Mahito stood in the shadows with three masked sorcerers. The special-grade cursed spirits summoned by Geto lay destroyed. Mahito eyed the trio curiously.
"They carry intriguing cursed objects," he mused. "They share my methods but their souls have changed."
Geto smiled. "Focus. Are you going in, or shall I?"
Mahito strolled forward, "I'll go. Let me study two of them."
Suddenly Mahito's controlled humans transformed into grotesque hunks of flesh—his staple Idle Transfiguration unleashed. The trio sprang into action.
A figure in a monkey mask materialized, grasping a lightning-wreathed sword. He swung it in a thunderous arc:
Lightning Strike: Myriad Prisons.
Lightning erupted everywhere, eradicating Mahito's creations in a deadly flash. When the electricity subsided, only scorched earth remained.
From underground, Mahito emerged, undamaged and smirking. He brushed off soot. "You've got power."
Monkey-mask tightened his grip on the sword—it crackled and revealed ancient runes: the legendary spirit blade Butsu Mitama, now glowing with raw cursed energy.
Mahito's form twisted and expanded in midair, transforming into a beastly killing machine—Massacre Spirit Body. Black tail and spines appeared, electricity-aligning with his own body.
They struck. Bolts clashed against raw cursed energy. But the spirit blade was stronger—Mahito barely held his ground, his elbow spikes cracking.
---
Suddenly, from the shadows, a crow-masked figure unleashed a brilliant, warm light—like midday sun. Mahito convulsed in pain.
Geto emerged. Earth tremored as his cursed spirits gathered, rumbling with power. Mahito summoned a black barrier and smiled wildly.
"Self-Embodiment of Perfection!"
He trapped the masked trio inside his domain. Black hands lunged, but the crow's light shielded them. The monkey-mask breathed heavily:
"We can't stay in here."
The fox-mask pressed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. A glow flowed from his palm into Butsu Mitama—transforming its dormant power, ready for whatever came next...
___
Be a good boy/girl, and send Powerstones 🙂