The next day, 12:03 am..
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Megumi and Yuji were already sent out, heading to the Heiwajima Hot Springs to retrieve the finger Gojo had sensed.
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Yuji: “I wonder what a finger would be doing at a hot spring..”
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Megumi: “Someone could unknowingly be in possession of it. That or some curse is going undetected. But I personally think it’s just another cursed womb..”
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As they walk on the trail throughout the dense forest, Hanami watches them from a long distance. Megumi and Yuji continue to walk down the trail. Eventually they get to the hot spring, where they see Kenjaku seated on the rocks around the edge, fiddling with the finger in his hand. Megumi pulls his sword out of his shadow, and Yuji his sword from the flames around his hand.
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Megumi: “You there, hand over that finger unless you want us to hurt you..”
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Kenjaku turns to face them with a smile.
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Kanjaku: “Are you two here under Satoru’s order?”
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Megumi is taken aback and Yuji’s expression is one of shock.
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Megumi: “How’d you know?” He points his sword at him. “Who are you?!”
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Kenjaku chuckles, he tosses the finger to Yuji, who catches it. Yuji is utterly confused, Megumi doesn’t know what to make of this.
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Kenjaku: “I am Kenjaku, but your leader might recognize me as ‘Suguru Geto.’” He takes out a small sheet of paper. “Here, have Gojo meet me at this coordinate..”
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Megumi takes the paper, he reads the cords and turns to Yuji. He shrugs and Megumi sighs, putting the paper in his pocket.
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Megumi: “Alright then.. Thanks for the finger..”
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Kenjaku: “Not a problem at all, and might I know your names?”
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Megumi: “Sure.. I’m Megumi Fushiguro.. This is my partner Yuji Itadori..”
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Yuji waves, Kenjaku waves back. Out of nowhere Choso speaks from behind Kenjaku.
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Choso: “Sorry to intrude, but one of my brothers has found one of Sukuna’s fingers being held by some curse living under a bridge..” He holds up the finger.
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Kenjaku: “Ah, perfect timing..”
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Choso hands Kenjaku the finger, which he tosses to Yuji.
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Kenjaku: “Surely Satoru would love to have those, with him being Sukuna’s new vessel and all..”
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Megumi (Thoughts): “What the hell.. How does he know that? Does he have spies or something..?”
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Megumi: “Thank you, if there's nothing else, then we’ll be seeing ourselves out then..”
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Megumi turns to leave, Yuji does the same. For some reason Choso seemed to observe Yuji very closely. He’d speak up before they could leave.
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Choso: “Hey, hold on.. You there..” He points at Yuji. “Would you mind fighting me for a bit?”
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Yuji is confused by this request.
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Megumi: “Yuji we have to go..”
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Yuji: “Now hold on, see, Gojo doesn’t know what's happening out here. I can fight for a bit.”
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Yuji hands the fingers to Megumi, and steps forward. Kenjaku steps back, and Choso approaches Yuji. He looks down at the sword Yuji’s holding, noticing how it’s composed of flames.
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Choso (Thoughts): “Flame manipulation..? I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before from anyone other than Jogo.. Could he be a cursed spirit?”
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Choso raises his hand, closing his fist very slowly, collecting blood from nearby animals hidden in the forest, collecting it into several spheres of blood floating around him. Yuji and Megumi are shocked by this display. Yuji took a slight step back, tightening his grip on his blade causing the flames to flare violently.
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Yuji (Thoughts): “Blood manipulation..? That means this guy can control blood.. But surely he can’t simply drain one's blood, he has to have some sort of limitations..”
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Choso’s expression screams bored, as he keeps his hand up and the blood spheres steady.
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Yuji (Thoughts): “Wait, I think I get it.. He’s using his cursed energy to fuel the effectiveness and power of his technique! How’d I not get this before! It all makes sense now!”
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Yuji smirks and tosses his sword on the ground, the flames ignite the grass, and a fire starts to grow. It surrounds him in a perfect circle. He raises his index finger collecting the flames into fireballs that float behind him. Megumi is surprised by his sudden flawless use of fire. Choso keeps his bored expression but is deeply impressed.
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Yuji adds more of his cursed energy into his technique, making the spheres larger and more violent. Choso’s expression breaks to a more serious look. He quickly clasps his hands together, all the blood spheres gather in between his hands.
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Choso: “Piercing Blood!”
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From between his hands, he fires a small yet deadly blood beam at Yuji, who has just barely enough time to jump out of the way. He mimics Choso mid air clasping his hands together, collecting the flame spheres.
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Yuji (Thoughts): “Quick think of a name!”
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Yuji: “Flame Bullet!!”
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Yuji fires the flames from in between his hands in the form of a sharp pointed beam. Choso readjusts his aim to force his beam to clash with Yuji’s. As Yuji begins to fall, he conjures some flames from his feets keeping him up. Choso strains against Yuji, as his beam begins to run out of blood.
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Yuji keeps it up, gradually pushing Choso’s beam back. Choso ditches the beam, and quickly jumps to the side to avoid the beam. Yuji stops firing, he envelops his fists in cursed energy flames.
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Yuji (Thoughts): “I can manipulate flames right? And these kinda look like flames! Let's give it a shot!”
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Yuji flares the cursed flames up as much as he possibly can, letting out a loud strained yell as they flare up more and more. Yuji begins to sweat, and a grin gets out. He reaches one of his hands into the other's flames.
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Yuji: “CMON, CMON!!!” His grin widens.
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Yuji slowly pulls and stretches the flames, his eyes widening in awe. With some visible strain he forms the cursed energy flames into a physical sword. He begins to laugh a bit crazily.
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Yuji: “IT WORKED!! FLAME MANIPULATION IS AMAZING!!”
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Megumi, Kenjaku, and Choso are all stunned.
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Megumi (Thoughts): “There's no way! A sword made of pure cursed energy!”
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Kenjaku (Thoughts): “This boy! It’s like picking up on things is as easy as breathing for him! He not only learned how to fuel his techniques properly, not only did he copy Choso’s Piercing Blood with Flame Bullet, but he made an actual weapon out of the cursed flames around his hands! Does this kid know no limit?!”
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Choso (Thoughts): “But how? How is that possible?!”
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Choso opens his arms, siphoning all the blood from as many animals as he can. All of this forms a large sphere of blood behind him that divides into many floating around him. He grabs one of the spheres immediately, morphing it into a blade. Yuji drops to the ground, and instantly rushes at Choso with full speed.
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Choso is caught off guard as Yuji slashes at him before he could even react. A large gash is left in his chest that burns with cursed flames emitting from it. Choso looks up to see another slash, which he blocks, but Yuji’s blade slashes right through, forcing Choso to dodge. He drops down and sweeps Yuji’s legs, causing him to fall back only to catch himself and backflip onto his feet.
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Yuji once back on his feet covers his hands in the cursed flame again using the sword as extra fuel, getting a bit too into the battle. He swings his arm horizontally, using the flame to send several sharp edged flame shards at Choso, that approach at high speed. Choso holds up his arms, and the shards pierce into his skin.
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Choso (Thoughts): “Damn, this guy is just pulling attacks out of his ass and the fight goes on!”
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Yuji (Thoughts): “I don’t even know what is happening, it’s like I’m on some sort of autopilot that just knows what to do. Might as well see how long this goes on.”
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Yuji puts his hands together again, aiming directly at Choso, Yuji’s Flame Bullet technique fueled by the cursed energy flames.
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Yuji: “Cursed Technique Amplification: Maximum Output Flame Bullet!!”
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Yuji fires a thick beam of pure cursed energy directly at Choso. He doesn’t stay in the way long, Choso immediately starts dashing around to avoid the beam. Yuji continues to adjust his aim to try landing a hit on Choso. Megumi’s jaw is practically lying on the ground.
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Megumi (Thoughts): “Technique Amplification?! But how?!” He watches in complete disbelief as Yuji continues to fire his beam at Choso. “This kid is unreal!! He’s already grown so much, his training with Maki isn’t doing this. It’s this battle, could it be that the heat of battle actually helps him grow?”
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Choso finally gets up to Yuji and throws a punch at him.
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Choso: “Flowing Red Scale: Stack!!”
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His entire arm begins to turn red as his fist gets up to Yuji’s face. The punch lands to barely any effect as it merely pushed Yuji back a bit. Choso doesn’t let up, he rushes up to Yuji and starts unloading a barrage of punches, yelling and sweating immensely as he refuses to let up.
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Yuji is hit repeatedly, but doesn’t take any visible damage, and once Choso goes for another punch, he catches it. Choso’s eyes widen, as Yuji stares at him, his grin returning.
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Yuji: “Flowing Red Scale, huh? Well, guess I’ll call this..” He holds up his fist, it and his entire arm, being covered in dark red flames. “Burning Red Flame.. Decimate..”
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And before anyone in the vicinity could form a thought, before time could move forward a single second, Yuji got down and to Choso’s gut, he delivered a Black Flash, but it was different, this attack was faster than a Black Flash, it was his own speed fueled by all the cursed energy he has in his body an attack stronger than the Black Flash. Choso hacked up blood, and was sent flying through the woods, and crashed through several trees before crashing into a mountain.
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And right as he looked up, Yuji was already there and prepared to deliver the final blow. Choso’s entire life flashed before his very eyes, and he only saw darkness and Yuji’s fist, the word death running through his mind. And right before he would accept his demise, Yuji would stop his attack, and offer a hand.
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Yuji: “Hey, why do you look so shaken? Cmon, good fight.” He offered a hand again.
Choso was trembling, and this confused him, he looked down at his shaking hands. And he sighed, he took Yuji’s hand.
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Choso: “Good fight..”
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