Jujutsu Kaisen: Wheel Of Time

Chapter 21: Individual Battle (Part 3)

Yuta Okkotsu walked into the arena with a determined expression. The center of the arena was already scarred, and Kamo Noritoshi also entered, standing not far from Yuta.

Kamihara Hajime tilted his head to look at Gojo Satoru. Although he didn't speak, the meaning in his eyes was clear: Is Yuta okay? Gojo Satoru gave a thumbs-up, indicating no problem. Although Kamihara Hajime didn't know how Gojo-sensei was so sure Rika wouldn't have any more accidents, since he was so confident, there was no need to worry.

After exchanging bows, both sides on the field took their stances and began the first round of probing exchanges. Kamo Noritoshi's physical combat was also good; he used his Technique to control blood, turning it into weapons for use, and could also change its form at will, switching between close-range and long-range attacks.

Moreover, the congealed weapons had considerable strength and sharpness. His previous move, "Kariharae," which solidified blood into a crimson circular bladed wheel, was very dangerous. Ordinary weapons would likely be severed upon collision with it.

However, the sword in Yuta Okkotsu's hand was also a cursed tool, and with him infusing it with Cursed Energy, there was no need to worry about that.

Yuta Okkotsu's talent was immense; this was the consensus among everyone after spending these days with him. He learned various things very quickly and was incredibly gifted in combat. His progress from an ordinary person to mastering Cursed Energy and learning combat techniques was unusually fast.

The others all had backgrounds. Maki was born into the Zen'in clan; although she wasn't recognized by the family due to her Heavenly Restriction, she was still born into a Jujutsu Sorcerer family, and her combat talent was also very high. Panda was raised by Yaga Masamichi, so there's no need to say more about how well he learned from a young age.

Inumaki Toge, as a descendant of Zouge users, had a family policy of severing ties with Jujutsu Sorcerers, but his Technique was at least hereditary and traceable. As for Kamihara Hajime and Megumi Fushiguro, they were raised by Gojo Satoru. Although the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer was usually unreliable, with Kamihara Hajime's intellect, having access to relevant knowledge and books to study was enough.

Yuta, however, had been enrolled for less than half a year, yet his progress was already very noticeable, and his Cursed Energy was also incredibly vast, to a degree that even Gojo Satoru was astonished. Perhaps only such talent allowed Yuta to unintentionally create an existence like Rika.

After a period of probing, the two began a more intense exchange.

Yuta, with his Cursed Energy-wrapped blade, repeatedly cut down two of Kamo Noritoshi's Kariharae. The latter also abandoned his plan of wearing down Yuta with long-range attacks. Yuta's swordsmanship was very proficient, and with the enhancement of Cursed Energy, his speed was extremely fast. Although not as completely unreactable as that monster, it still surpassed Kamo's own speed. It seemed he would have to use Crimson Restraint.

Kamo Noritoshi, using this move again, with his overall physical attributes greatly enhanced, was finally able to directly contend with Yuta Okkotsu using his weapon. After dodging one of Yuta's thrusts, a sudden change in Yuta's slashing trajectory cut across Kamo Noritoshi's chest.

Just as Kamo Noritoshi was about to be injured, several blood threads flew out from the torn chest of his shirt, instantly weaving a large net in the air and covering Yuta. Kamihara Hajime, watching the battle, stirred. This move seemed to be called "Crimson Restraint." It was actually quite good; once an enemy was trapped, the blood net controlled by the Technique could not be broken free with mere physical slashes.

Moreover, this thing was composed of individual rope-like shapes, and breaking one or two was useless; the manipulator could even replenish them. Effective methods were either to directly threaten the Spellcasters themselves to interrupt the manipulation, or to destroy it in one go with Cursed Energy-infused attacks, thereby dispelling the Technique.

Yuta was too close; "Crimson Restraint" had already sealed off his retreat, and dodging was too late. Therefore, without thinking, he swung his sword, and in an instant, sword light flickered and twisted, and the blood net covering his head was broken into several gaps by these successive slashes.

Then, Yuta, who had never seen this move, saw the broken parts of the blood net extend blood and quickly mend themselves. Yuta, having made a wrong decision, was trapped. Reacting quickly, he immediately surged with Cursed Energy to break free from the restraint.

However, what Kamo Noritoshi wanted was this momentary obstruction. Already prepared, he had once again activated his Technique. He clasped his hands together, aiming at Yuta in front of him. Controlled blood seeped into his hands through the gaps between his fingers, then was compressed to the extreme.

"The move I failed to use on Kamihara Hajime earlier, I'll let you witness it now. With a medic present, there's no need to worry about injuries, right? The decisive moment has arrived."

Art of Blood Manipulation: Piercing Blood

The mass of blood in Kamo Noritoshi's hand had been compressed to its extreme, and then, under his control, it was instantly launched in Yuta Okkotsu's direction. Only a blurry bloodline could be seen in the field of vision, and even that was just a visual afterimage; the real attack had already arrived a step ahead.

Yuta's movements were incredibly fast; with his bursting Cursed Energy, he easily broke through the restraint. Then, his intuition began to warn him frantically. He could even feel Rika anxiously wanting to come out and help him. However, Yuta did not do so; after issuing a command to forbid her appearance, he poured all his attention into the incoming attack.

His mind sank into it, selfless, swordless, forgetting victory and defeat, and all these things, letting them become his breath. Whether mobilizing Cursed Energy or swinging his sword, there was no need to control it. How could instinctive breathing require meticulous control?

He only needed to focus his gaze on the incoming attack. Then, Yuta suddenly had a magical feeling; he seemed to see Kamo Noritoshi's attack, that tiny blood arrow seemingly slowly meandering in the air. He saw its existence, and then a thought surged in his mind: Cut it down!

But what is "cut"?

As his thoughts slowly extended towards slashing, the sword in his hand, and even the subsequent exertion of force to swing the sword down, an even faster flash of sword light appeared. In that instant, it collided head-on with the electrically swift "Art of Blood Manipulation: Piercing Blood." Then, with a trembling sound, Yuta Okkotsu remained in the posture of having completed his sword swing, panting, and at his feet was a small puddle of blood.

There was even a deep slash mark on the ground in front of Yuta Okkotsu, which should have been caused by the aftermath of that slash. Kamihara Hajime exclaimed in a low voice, "Holy crap! Sword qi!"

All of this actually happened in a flash. Objectively, the scene was that when Kamo Noritoshi's Art of Blood Manipulation: Piercing Blood was launched, Yuta Okkotsu had just broken free from Crimson Restraint. The almost undetectable attack, the moment it was launched, Yuta Okkotsu, seemingly alerted, swung his sword and slashed.

This vertical slash, like a thunderbolt from the sky, precisely hit the blood arrow and, with the Cursed Energy-infused blade, directly broke through the move. Then, Kamo Noritoshi, in a moment of stunned surprise, was closed in on by Yuta Okkotsu, who held the back of his sword to Kamo's throat. At this point, the victory was decided.

Yuta Okkotsu, upon returning, didn't show much joy. After responding with a smile to everyone's praise, he seemed somewhat troubled. Kamihara Hajime, sitting next to him, knew exactly what was going on: Kamo Noritoshi's attack was actually very strong. Its extremely high speed and sufficient strength resulted in extremely high damage. Although Yuta Okkotsu also protected his blade with Cursed Energy, under such intense, high-impact collision, the sword still suffered considerable damage, with visible cracks on it.

Although this sword might not be of very high grade, Gojo Satoru had given it to him to practice controlling Curses. Yuta was probably thinking, "Wouldn't it be hard to explain if I broke it?" That's why his expression was a bit troubled.

Seeing that everyone's attention wasn't on this, Kamihara Hajime gestured for the sword. Yuta paused, not knowing what Kamihara Hajime wanted to do, but handed it to him anyway. Then, Kamihara Hajime placed his hand over the cracked part of the blade, and when he removed it, the damage on the blade was gone, replaced by a perfectly intact appearance.

"Hajime."

Kamihara Hajime made a quiet gesture. Yuta Okkotsu smiled and silently said thank you. Kamihara Hajime had just used Technique Reversal to restore the sword to its previous state. Compared to the human body, reversing objects was much simpler. Even for Cursed Energy-infused weapons, Kamihara Hajime could even reverse their state without making the sword return to the field.

The victory was confirmed, but the competition still had to continue. Finally, there was one last battle: Kamihara Hajime versus Aoi Todo.

Kamihara Hajime walked into the arena empty-handed amidst the cheers of Yuta, Panda, and the others, and Aoi Todo also came empty-handed. While Principal Yaga was still speaking, Aoi Todo, standing opposite, looked very excited.

"Although I couldn't fight Yuta, you are enough to excite me. You were the one who finished off that Special Grade Cursed Spirit that day, right? That was a Special Grade! Even if I lose now, it will be a intoxicating defeat!"

As Principal Yaga announced, Aoi Todo ripped off his shirt, revealing a body of chiseled, solid muscles like rock, then said with a laugh, "No techniques for now, let's have a hearty physical battle!"

Kamihara Hajime rolled up his sleeves. Although he hadn't reached Aoi's level of enjoying and pursuing battle or passion, he was still getting excited for the upcoming fight. Jujutsu Sorcerers could do so many things when strengthening their bodies with Cursed Energy; these were things ordinary people could never do, powers they could never possess.

And when a person possesses great power, they naturally want to use or explore it. Kamihara Hajime had used his Technique in various ways, but actual hand-to-hand combat had rarely been fully utilized. With Maki and the others, it was just pure physical training, aimed at honing skills and fundamentals, without using Cursed Energy for enhancement.

If Kamihara Hajime activated his Technique, he would quickly defeat his opponent, and there would be no evenly matched battle to speak of. The intoxicating feeling of "superhuman" strength would have nowhere to be unleashed. But... it seemed like this was an opportunity! Aoi Todo's strength was considerable, as could be seen from the Kyoto Jujutsu High students, and the fact that he survived Rika's first wave of attacks after putting Yuta and Panda in danger gave a glimpse of his power.

"Then let's go!"

Both of them, without prior agreement, suddenly charged towards each other like arrows released from a bow. Kamihara Hajime did not activate his Technique but fought by simply strengthening his body with Cursed Energy. Two fists crossed, slamming towards each other, and then, with a dull thud, the attack was caught by the other's hand.

Both of them laughed freely, their hands bulging with veins, occasionally making sounds of bone friction. Kamihara Hajime only held the stalemate for a moment, then suddenly lifted his knee and struck towards Aoi Todo's abdomen.

However, facing this powerful knee strike, Aoi Todo laughed heartily and took the blow. Then, at the moment Kamihara Hajime lost his balance, he exerted force and lifted him entirely, spinning him half a circle in the air before smashing him down.

Using the momentum, Kamihara Hajime rolled on the ground to dissipate the force, then pushed up with both hands, springing up from the ground. He looked up and saw Aoi Todo, grinning menacingly, his side-kick already upon him. Kamihara Hajime, with crossed arms blocking in front of him, was sent flying several meters backward by this powerful kick.

"Aoi's physical abilities are very high. If I hadn't used Cursed Energy to compensate for the difference, perhaps I really couldn't have matched his strength in pure hand-to-hand combat." Kamihara Hajime felt the power from earlier and made a preliminary judgment in his mind.

Opposite, Aoi Todo clenched his hands and slightly moved his arms, a smile on his face: "Hajime, in pure physical combat, the effect of Cursed Energy enhancing the body actually has an upper limit, because the human body is not a Technique and cannot endlessly withstand Cursed Energy."

"So, the distinction in this area is reflected in other aspects, which naturally include skill and basic physical fitness, and the most important thing is... the difference in the understanding and application of Cursed Energy!"

Aoi showed a joyful smile, as if meeting a kindred spirit: "You've felt it too, haven't you! The distance to the core of Cursed Energy. You've also used Black Flash, haven't you? When you gain a new understanding of Cursed Energy, it will appear completely different in your eyes..."

"Kamihara Hajime, what is Cursed Energy in your eyes?"

Kamihara Hajime, interrupted, paused for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "If I had to say, it's like limbs..."

Aoi Todo tilted his head back and took a deep breath: "What a pity, we were so close to becoming best friends..."

Looking at Aoi Todo, who was lost in thought, Kamihara Hajime actually wanted to say that he quite appreciated Aoi's preferences too, after all, purely in terms of preferences, as long as the appearance was acceptable, he had no problem. Of course, interacting with him was another matter.

But thinking about the consequences of passively becoming Aoi's best friend, Kamihara Hajime felt a bit overwhelmed, so he gave up on the idea.

While Aoi was lost in his reverie, Kamihara Hajime unchivalrously launched an attack, a two-kick combo aimed at Aoi Todo. But at such a moment, Aoi Todo instinctively defended his head, only being kicked back a certain distance.

Looking at Kamihara Hajime with regret, Aoi Todo paid no attention to the part that had just been hit. He stretched out his arms and smiled freely: "Let's begin!"

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