A click echoed through the tense battlefield, a sound so subtle that only Kenzo, the Shadow Monarch, seemed to register it. His eyes widened as he saw the telltale sign within Sukuna's shadow – the Mahoraga wheel spinning ominously once again. It was clear: Mahoraga, the divine general, was adapting to Gojo's Infinity at an alarming rate.
Knowing they couldn't afford to waste another second, Kenzo sprung into action. He bolted towards Sukuna, a blur of dark energy. Just before his fist connected with the King of Curses' gut, a surge of power coursed through Kenzo's hands. He wasn't channeling cursed energy this time, but something far more potent – Mana.
Mana, the life force that permeated the universe, flowed through Kenzo with practiced ease. In a split second, he manipulated its very essence, shifting its effect from raw power to a more precise application. With a final surge, he infused his punch with a technique known as "Thin Ice Breaker."
The air itself seemed to crackle with a sharp energy as Kenzo's fist landed on Sukuna. A barely visible fissure materialized in the air, a testament to the devastating power of Uro sky manipulation. It struck Sukuna directly in the gut, sending a jolt of pain through the King of Curses.
However, Kenzo's sharp eyes noted a flicker of Sukuna activating Domain Amplification just before the blow landed. The cursed technique, while deactivated for his own cursed techniques, offered a limited defense against external attacks. The impact was undoubtedly lessened, a testament to Sukuna's quick thinking.
/
Kenzo watched in disbelief as Sukuna's domain flickered and collapsed, followed by Gojo's own domain dissolving. The sheer exertion of their clash had pushed them both to their limits. Gojo was likely suffering from curse energy burnout. Sukuna, though visibly winded, was no better. His cursed energy reserves would be depleted, making it harder to manipulate.
Seizing this golden opportunity, Kenzo vanished from sight, a phantom in the shadows. He reappeared behind Sukuna in a blink, a ruthless glint in his eyes. A powerful punch, fueled by the last dregs of his own energy, slammed into the King of Curses' gut. Before Sukuna could react, Kenzo reappeared once more, this time delivering a punishing knee strike followed by a bone-crushing kick. The impact sent Sukuna flying, crashing into the ground and creating a spiderweb of cracks on the already-damaged building.
"Think that'll knock some sense into you?" Kenzo called out, panting slightly.
Gojo, leaning against a broken pillar, chuckled weakly. "Looks like you got that out of your system," he remarked, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
Kenzo shot him a withering look. "Aren't you suffering from burnout too?"
Gojo shrugged, his usual cocky smirk replaced by a grimace. "Oh, that? Pain in the ass, no doubt. But I can handle it."
Kenzo frowned. "Not the time to take risks," he retorted, his voice laced with concern.
Their playful banter was cut short as a figure emerged from the debris. Sukuna, battered but unbroken, stood tall, his crimson eyes blazing with a renewed fury. To their surprise, a faint blue glow emanated from his wounds, slowly repairing the damage.
//
A satisfied smirk played on Sukuna's lips as he surveyed the battlefield. The combined assault of Gojo and the Shadow Monarch had pushed him to his limits, forcing him to expend a tremendous amount of cursed energy. Yet, despite the throbbing pain and the exhaustion gnawing at his core, Sukuna couldn't help but feel a flicker of amusement.
"The brat's holding back," he mused, his crimson eyes fixed on Kenzo, who hovered several feet above the ground. Each blow, Sukuna noticed, had been delivered with a touch of restraint, a subtle pullback at the last moment. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. Kenzo, for all his bluster and aggression, wasn't aiming for a complete and utter defeat.
Sukuna scoffed. Of course not. This vessel, this battered body he currently occupied, belonged to Megumi. The Shadow Monarch, it seemed, wasn't willing to risk permanent damage to his precious host.
A wave of dark satisfaction washed over Sukuna. This realization, this vulnerability they had inadvertently exposed, was a weakness he could exploit. He would use their hesitation, their misplaced concern for the vessel, to his advantage.
/
A chilling whisper echoed through the air – "Open." Sukuna, fueled by a twisted sense of amusement at their hesitation, unleashed a hidden weapon. From out of thin air, a flaming arrow materialized, imbued with potent fire cursed energy. Without a moment's hesitation, he hurled it towards Kenzo.
Kenzo, despite his battle awareness, seemed momentarily taken aback. He hadn't anticipated Sukuna possessing a fire-based cursed technique. The arrow, a blazing comet, streaked towards him with incredible speed.
Just as the arrow reached a hair's breadth from Kenzo's face, the Shadow Monarch reacted with lightning speed. With a blur of movement, he vanished from his spot, teleporting away from the trajectory of the fiery projectile. Gojo, ever vigilant, had already activated his Infinity technique, creating an invisible barrier around himself just in case Kenzo's maneuver wasn't fast enough.
The arrow slammed into a nearby building with a deafening explosion. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, dust and debris flying outwards. The resulting inferno engulfed the building, reducing everything within a 100-meter radius to smoldering rubble.
As Kenzo landed away from Sukuna he felt it....Kenzo eyes look up at the sky as he could feel it coming down.
"Yow Gojo,think you can handle this on your own" Kenzo said looking at his sensei.
"Don't worry I will be fine"Gojo said with a smile as the shadowy blindfold that was on his face vanish revealing his six eyes in all their glory.
"Don't lose" Kenzo said walking away from the battlefield.
"Nah,i'd win"Gojo said confidently.
Kenzo walked away from the battlefield into an empty area and stood there for a few seconds before from the sky a red gate opened and out from the sky.
He was here.