Meanwhile, watching the fighters, Satoru and Suguru discussed the strength of Hiroshi's hits.
"Suguru, have you ever been hit by Hiroshi's punches?" Satoru asked.
"Yeah,"Suguru replied. "It breaks bones and does internal damage. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing much, just wondering how much reversed cursed energy the King of Curses is using to constantly heal himself. Unlike me, where Hiroshi has to bypass Limitless first, making his attacks less varied and forcing him to use Domain Amplification and whatnot, his strikes still hurt. And 'hurt' is an understatement. He almost destroyed my heart once during our duel of the century. If not for the efficiency of the Six Eyes, I would've fallen there," Satoru said seriously.
"So he deals that much damage?" Kusakabe asked.
"'Much damage' is an understatement. Have you seen him punch? It takes only two hits to break a bank vault, given his strength, especially in Sage Mode,"Suguru said.
"I did once, in a gambling match. Thankfully, I had my immortality; otherwise, you wouldn't be seeing me now," Hakari shared.
---
Hiroshi slammed Sukuna into a wall, breaking it in the process with a flutter of combos. Sukuna had trouble catching everything before being grabbed by the face and smashed onto the ground.
Sukuna immediately stood up, but as he swung, he was caught by chains. "They've sealed my cursed energy?" he thought before being pulled and dragged through buildings. *Dong* "The wheel turned as Mahoraga emerged and cut the adamantine sealing chains. Hiroshi saw this and was momentarily startled.
"Sealing chains? He can still summon Mahoraga? Unexpected, but that's fine," Hiroshi thought as he watched Sukuna stand up from the rubble. Sukuna, knowing that Hiroshi wouldn't be using the forest to attack anymore, took his time—a big mistake. As soon as he looked down, he saw rapid fire of cursed energy coming towards him.
"Cero Metralleta," Hiroshi intoned as he stretched his fingers in a gun-like motion.
Sukuna ran as he immediately saw a barrage of cursed energy coming toward him, but Hiroshi had already anticipated his move. Sukuna heard, "Kaa...meeee...haaaa...meeee," and saw Hiroshi smirking as the black cursed energy began to compress into one big sphere. Falling through the air, Sukuna knew he was in trouble.
"HAAA!" Hiroshi launched his Kamehameha towards Sukuna. Sukuna tried to maneuver, but the speed and intensity of the attack were overwhelming. He braced himself, crossing his arms in front of him to absorb as much of the impact as possible. The Kamehameha struck him with the force of a collapsing star, engulfing him in a blinding explosion of energy. Sukuna's skin was burned, and he did his best to restore himself. Again and again, Hiroshi would use an obscure non-innate technique from his vast repertoire. The Senju name shone with its most powerful sorcerer.
The wheel of Mahoraga turned, and Sukuna summoned Mahoraga to survive Hiroshi's onslaught. Sukuna knew that to win, he must force Hiroshi to use the Spell of the Divine Tree, and force him he shall. Sukuna began to summon the Shikigami, but before he could, Hiroshi was upon him, delivering a deadly combo.
Hiroshi gave him a left, a right, an uppercut, a switch kick, a low kick that cracked Sukuna's femur, and a straight punch that not only cracked Sukuna's sternum but also sent the King of Curses into a pillared building.
Hiroshi stood on top of the building, watching Sukuna struggle to heal himself. Raising his hand, Hiroshi channeled his black cursed energy, infusing it with natural energy to create a shimmering, high-speed spinning disk. "Destructo Disc," he intoned, sending the attack toward Sukuna. Inspired by Krillin's technique, Hiroshi's version cut through the building before dissipating. "It seems like cursed energy has less staying power than Ki," Hiroshi thought, noting the immediate dissipation of his attack.
From the debris, Sukuna was gone. Almost immediately, Hiroshi was attacked by Mahoraga and the Totality-Merged Beast: Agito. A fierce hand-to-hand battle ensued. Hiroshi grabbed Agito's outstretched hand, smacking him through walls before throwing him at the attacking Mahoraga. "Cero," Hiroshi said, pointing as a beam of blinding black light hit Agito and Mahoraga. However, from the blinding light, a sword emerged, attacking Hiroshi. He caught it, seeing Mahoraga's face close to him. "I see, he's adapted to my cursed energy," Hiroshi realized. But as he spoke, wooden hands crushed Mahoraga.
As Hiroshi distanced himself, he saw Mahoraga regenerate. *Dong* The wheel turned. "So he adapted to my cursed energy but not the technique. Smart bastard, that King of Curses. Mahoraga's probably adapted." Mahoraga was immediately chained and consumed by a massive tree. Hiroshi touched the tree, intoning, "Uzumaki Sealing Technique," as seals began to crawl onto the tree, sealing Mahoraga. "Adapt to that," Hiroshi said.
He found Sukuna standing behind him. "Piercing Blood!" Sukuna used the water from Max Elephant. Hiroshi dodged to the right and lunged at Sukuna, beginning to pummel the King of Curses. Bringing Sukuna to the ground, Hiroshi engaged in a ground game, pinning Sukuna like in mixed martial arts. Punch after punch, Hiroshi gave Sukuna's face hell. "Ever heard of mixed martial arts, Sukuna? This one's one of them. Welcome to the modern era," he said, continuing to assault Sukuna, who continuously attempted to escape.
Despite his near-destroyed face, Sukuna managed to escape by inhumanely stretching his legs to reach Hiroshi's neck, lifting the God of Sorcerers and throwing him backward. Even in mid-air, Hiroshi attacked, "Cero!" The blast hit Sukuna square in the chest, sending him crashing into the lower floors of the building.
With Mahoraga sealed, Hiroshi could once again use his Spell of the Divine Tree. The building was immediately crushed by massive roots and branches. Hidden from view, Sukuna realized that although he couldn't recall Mahoraga, he could feel the shikigami adapting as they fought. "Kuku," he chuckled.
Sukuna summoned his shikigami, Agito, and Divine Dog: Totality. Just in time, Sukuna left the location as the place he was standing on was attacked by roots. Agito and Divine Dog attacked Hiroshi across the buildings in fierce combat. Hiroshi saw Sukuna staying back, so he grabbed the Divine Dog, using it to block and dodge hits, then smacked its face towards Agito and threw the dog at Sukuna. He kicked Agito down the building, using the Divine Dog to block Sukuna's view, and closed the distance.
As Sukuna pivoted his foot to dodge to the side, he was on a collision course. Sukuna was hit but managed to parry to the left, counter-punching Hiroshi. A fierce exchange ensued, each blow resonating with their immense power.
Hiroshi and Sukuna exchanged blows with Sukuna constantly on the backfoot. Nevertheless, this did not dampen Sukuna's attempts to win. Then it happened: Sukuna sensed that Mahoraga had adapted and began to lead Hiroshi towards the sealed shikigami. Seeing Sukuna approaching the sealed Mahoraga, Hiroshi thought, "Oh, is he attempting to unseal Mahoraga? I won't take it away from the King of Curses if he manages to unseal Mahoraga, but I won't let him."
Sukuna stood in front of the tree where Mahoraga was sealed and goaded Hiroshi to attack him by pretending to touch the tree. As Hiroshi lunged towards Sukuna, he saw the King of Curses sidestep with a smirk on his face. Suddenly, Hiroshi felt it: his seal was undone, and the sword of Mahoraga emerged from the tree, aiming for him. "Motherfucker, he could even adapt to being sealed," Hiroshi thought as he got slashed by the sword before delivering an uppercut that sent the shikigami to the roof.
Hiroshi looked at Mahoraga and assessed the situation. "Mahoraga has adapted to my cursed energy. All non-innate techniques will be useless. If I hit Sukuna, that's a different ball game, but Sukuna will not die fast enough... unless..." The image of Shinsu Susenju appeared in his mind, prompting Hiroshi to enter Sage Mode. Pigmentation appeared on his face, startling Sukuna.
"What is that?" Sukuna thought, noticing the changes in Hiroshi's appearance. Suddenly, Sukuna felt the air change and lost sight of Hiroshi almost immediately. A fist greeted Sukuna's face in a blur. Without the Six Eyes whom Gojo Satoru used to keep up with the God of Sorcerers, The King of Curses did not have such an advantage, Ryomen Sukuna couldn't keep up with Hiroshi's movements. He was sent flying as Hiroshi gave chase.
Mahoraga was once again hidden in the Shadows.
Sukuna summoned Agito and the Divine Dogs to fight off Hiroshi. However, Hiroshi split into five. "What's scarier than fighting one Hiroshi? Fighting five Hiroshi in Sage Mode," Hiroshi smirked.
The clones engaged Sukuna's shikigami, overwhelming them with their combined might. Each Hiroshi clone displayed the same precision and strength, making it nearly impossible for Sukuna to distinguish between them. The air crackled with energy as the battle intensified.
Sukuna steadily retreated, his peripheral vision catching glimpses of Agito and the Divine Dogs being thrown through buildings. Despite his best efforts, all he saw were blurs, and everywhere he turned, hits rained down on him. He relied heavily on his Reversed Cursed Technique to weather the storm, but he knew he couldn't hold out forever.
The Hiroshi clones, relentless in their assault, surrounded Sukuna. Each punch, kick, and strike landed with devastating precision, pushing Sukuna further into a defensive stance. He gritted his teeth, his body screaming in pain as he healed himself over and over again. The strain of using the Reversed Cursed Technique continuously was taking its toll, and he could feel his energy reserves dwindling.
"Damn it," Sukuna thought, his mind racing for a strategy. "I need to turn the tide, but how?"
Hiroshi, sensing Sukuna's desperation, pressed his advantage. "You're running out of time, Sukuna," he taunted. "Your tricks won't save you."
Sukuna's eyes darted around, searching for any opening, any opportunity to shift the battle in his favor. He saw Hiroshi's main body directing the clones with perfect coordination. "If I can disrupt his control over the clones, I might stand a chance," Sukuna realized.
Gathering the last of his strength, Sukuna focused on the real Hiroshi. He feigned a retreat, drawing the clones away from their leader. With a burst of speed, Sukuna lunged at Hiroshi, aiming for a decisive blow. "I'll take you down first!" he roared.
Hiroshi, anticipating the move, braced himself. "Nice try," he said, blocking Sukuna's strike and countering with a powerful punch to Sukuna's midsection. The impact sent Sukuna reeling, but he managed to stay on his feet.
"You'll have to do better than that," Hiroshi remarked, his clones closing in again. The relentless assault resumed, each hit chipping away at Sukuna's defenses.
As Sukuna managed to grab a foot that kicked him, he threw it at another blur, causing the two clones to collide. That brief error was all it took.
The moment he turned, Hiroshi was already there.
Hiroshi punched straight at Sukuna's chest, his fist sparking black.
[Black Flash!]
The hit put Sukuna into unconsciousness.
---
Watching the battle from a distance, Gojo Satoru noticed that Sukuna could not keep up, only managing to anticipate a few moves.
"Sage Mode, Hiroshi has entered Sage Mode," Satoru said.
"The natural energy? He almost does it instantly, unlike us," Suguru added, earning a nod from Satoru.
"Senju-sensei has become faster."
"Sage Mode," thought Nanami, Kusakabe, and Mei Mei. It was the only reason why Hiroshi was suddenly overpowering the King of Curses, blitzing Sukuna with speed. Unlike Gojo Satoru, who had the Six Eyes to compensate, Ryomen Sukuna did not, and he was at the receiving end of a thrashing from the God of Sorcerers.
DONG
The wheel spun, and once again, Mahoraga attacked Hiroshi, preventing him from finishing off Sukuna.
"You're getting real annoying, big guy," Hiroshi said, as he blitzed Mahoraga. He crushed its limbs with ruthless efficiency and threw the Shikigami through buildings and into the sky.
Sukuna, recovering from the brink of unconsciousness, used the brief respite to heal his injuries. He watched as Mahoraga was hurled away, recognizing that his time was running out.
DONG
Mahoraga crashed back into the fray, preventing a finishing blow from Hiroshi on Sukuna.
"Mahoraga is adapting faster?" Hiroshi thought as he punched Mahoraga. This time, his strike did not damage the Shikigami. Switching tactics, Hiroshi straightened his arm and stabbed the Shikigami, puncturing its torso.
Before Hiroshi could destroy Mahoraga, a horde of bunnies surrounded him, ultimately enabling Mahoraga to disengage. "Tsk," Hiroshi clicked his tongue as he saw Sukuna throw a fire extinguisher at him. Hiroshi caught it, but Sukuna sent a Dismantle at the extinguisher, causing it to explode in a cloud of white mist.
In Sage Mode, Hiroshi could feel the subtle changes in the air. He ducked just in time to avoid the Sword of Extermination, then kicked Mahoraga away. Despite the Shikigami not being hurt, he could still send it flying.
Hiroshi kicked Sukuna through buildings, separating his clones from him. "Take him to the Gulag," Hiroshi commanded his clones. Sensing Hiroshi was preparing to finish him off, Sukuna struggled desperately, managing to cut the clones to pieces. "I must not let him summon the Buddha Statue," Sukuna thought, and he gave a mental command to Mahoraga, "Mahoraga, you are no longer Megumi's shadow; you are mine. Show me what you've got!"
As Hiroshi was about to put his hands together, he saw Mahoraga in slow motion, its wheel turning *DONG*. Mahoraga sent a slash towards him, and the prophetic vision the world gave Hiroshi coincided with Mahoraga in front of him, his senses screaming danger. "This is the vision," Hiroshi realized and weaved through the world-cutting slash Mahoraga sent at him with a backflip. He could feel the massive invisible slash pass below him. Seeing that he broke that fate, or supposed fate, Hiroshi had a massive smirk on his face.
"Excellent," Sukuna thought, but his face betrayed his thoughts as he saw Hiroshi gesture the same way Hashirama gestured to him a thousand years ago. "NO!" Sukuna exclaimed.
"Shinboku no Jumon: Sage Art - Maximum Technique Myojinmon!" Deity Gates fell on Sukuna, the same feeling, the same technique. Sukuna was fuming. "THIS CAN'T HOLD ME, SENJU HIROSHI! I WILL RETURN! I WILL!" Ryomen Sukuna, for the first time, lost his cool and experienced the height of tension.
But his shouts fell on deaf ears as he saw and felt the Astronomical burst of cursed energy coming from Hiroshi. "Shinboku no Jumon: Sage Art - Maximum Technique Shin Sūsenju!"
A massive wooden human first emerged, towering above everything around it. The enormous figure, with countless arms, a kilometer-tall Buddha statue, loomed over Sukuna, its presence imposing and overwhelming.
Sukuna, trapped beneath the Deity Gates, could only watch in frustration as the Shinsu Senju continued to materialize. Each arm of the colossal wooden figure was poised to strike, imbued with the power of natural energy and cursed energy combined.
---------------------------------
"Well, well... now that's interesting." He pushes up his glasses, revealing piercing blue eyes. "Looks like someone's been holding out on us." Satoru said as he looked at Suguru.
A slow smirk spreads across his face. Suguru's face "Fascinating. Such raw power... and yet, so beautifully controlled, Hiroshi truly you are the Strongest"
He adjusts his tie, face impassive save for a slight furrow of his brow "That's a Kilometer tall" he thought. "This is... extraordinary. I've never seen a technique of this magnitude before. The power of that Buddha statue is immense—Hiroshi truly is in a league of his own." His professional curiosity was piqued, yet he could not hide his admiration.
Kusakabe said his mouth agape, "I knew Hiroshi was powerful, but this is something else entirely. The scale of that Buddha statue... I've never seen anything like it." His awe was evident, a rare reaction for someone usually so restrained.
"That just meant that Hiroshi-san has been holding back?" Yuki thought seeing the Massive Buddha Statue.
"WOAH! I won't survive that even with Jackpot" Hakari exclaimed.
------------------------------------
"Ryomen Sukuna, you did well. You truly did. You gave me the most thrilling fight I have ever fought in my lifetime and will forever be etched in history," Hiroshi said, his voice echoing with pride. "Stand proud, Sukuna, You...are strong." Hiroshi smirked.
Sukuna gritted his teeth and shouted, "MAHORAGAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
The world went silent...
As the world held its breath until Hiroshi's voice was heard by all.
"Chojo Kebutsu, Artifacts of the Buddha," his voice tinged with finality.
A/N: I am Inevitable - Thanos