"This...!"
Yukino was completely dumbfounded. Everything she had just witnessed shattered her understanding of the world. She had always prided herself on being rational, grounded in logic, but now? Now she was staring at something completely outside the realm of normalcy.
Her mind told her to run to get as far away from this madness as possible. She wasn't a fighter, she wasn't equipped to handle anything like this. The battlefield before her was one where she had no place, where even the smallest misstep could cost her her life.
But despite everything, despite knowing she should flee, Yukino found herself unable to move. It wasn't fear that rooted her to the spot, but a strange sense of curiosity, of determination.
"Is this the reality of the world?" she whispered to herself. After seeing so much, she couldn't pretend anymore. She couldn't go back to her safe, ordinary life and act like none of this existed.
---
"Almost there," Ryuji muttered to himself, his eyes locked on the special-grade cursed spirit Rika.
Rika, at this point, wasn't the same Rika who would one day be able to fight alongside Yuta in harmony. Right now, she was nothing more than a raw, uncontrollable force, bound by her attachment to Yuta. Despite her immense power, she hadn't yet reached the full potential of a cursed spirit who could wield a domain expansion.
To Ryuji, she was simply a highly durable target one that had absorbed a significant amount of Cursed Energy. But every creature had its limits.
With one final punch, Ryuji blasted Rika away, her massive form crashing into the ground with a resounding bang.
She was clearly weakening. The once terrifying, all-powerful presence of the Queen of Cursed Spirits was now reduced to little more than a shadow of its former self.
"Soul Devouring."
Without a moment's hesitation, Ryuji activated his technique. The space behind him warped as several spectral chains shot out, coiling around Rika's monstrous form and pulling her toward the dimensional rift.
---
"Ah, so he consumes cursed spirits differently than Geto," Gojo remarked with interest, watching the scene from the rooftop. He had been observing the battle for a while now, choosing not to interfere. "Geto's technique involves literally rolling the cursed spirit into a ball and eating it... which, according to him, tastes absolutely horrible."
Gojo chuckled to himself. The idea of Geto watching Ryuji's method and being envious amused him to no end. After all, Ryuji's method of consumption was far more elegant, no bad taste to deal with.
---
"No! Yuta! Yuta!"
Rika, sensing her impending demise, struggled violently against the chains that bound her. Her deep connection to Yuta gave her the strength to resist more than any cursed spirit Ryuji had faced before. Despite all the punishment she had taken, her will to stay with Yuta was unbreakable.
"Rika, don't leave me!" Yuta cried out, his voice desperate. He didn't want to lose Rika. No matter how terrifying her power was, no matter how much destruction she had caused, she was still the girl he loved the one he had sworn to spend his life with.
The chains began to creak as Rika's cursed power surged once more, her roars filling the air. But Ryuji remained calm, watching the struggle with a faint smile.
"Impressive," he murmured. "There really is no curse more twisted than love."
He knew the truth about Rika's curse how it wasn't Rika herself who had cursed Yuta, but rather the other way around. Yuta's overwhelming grief and love had been the true source of the curse. When Rika had died in front of him, Yuta couldn't accept it, and his immense cursed energy manifested into a binding curse, trapping Rika's soul as a cursed spirit.
At the core of it, this entire twisted existence came from love.
"Rika! Rika!" Yuta screamed, his cursed power spiraling out of control. His emotions amplified his cursed energy, creating a feedback loop that only made Rika stronger. The two of them boy and cursed spirit were intertwined in a bond so strong that it defied all logic.
Rika's struggling intensified, and the chains that bound her began to falter. Slowly, she was being dragged out of the rift, her power fighting against Ryuji's.
The ground beneath them trembled as Rika roared, her full might unleashed.
"Hmm," Ryuji noted, tilting his head slightly as he watched the struggle. "I suppose I haven't consumed enough cursed spirits yet. If I had, I could've finished this quickly."
He hadn't had his Soul Devouring Technique for long. It hadn't even been up to two weeks since he'd acquired the ability, let alone enough time to strengthen himself by devouring cursed energy.
"But," Ryuji said with a dangerous gleam in his eye, "if you think you can break free just because of that, you're seriously underestimating me."
With a sharp burst of energy, the chains glowed brightly, becoming even stronger. He tightened his grip on Rika, the chains wrapping around her even more securely as he began to pull her back into the rift.
It looked like the fight was reaching a stalemate.
But then....
"Hey, hey, hey. They clearly love each other. Why not give them a chance?"
A playful, carefree voice echoed behind Ryuji.
Startled, Ryuji turned his head and was greeted by the sight of a tall figure with white hair, wearing a casual glasses.
Gojo Satoru.
---
Ryuji narrowed his eyes slightly. He shouldn't have been surprised. If Yuta was here, then it was only natural that Gojo Satoru, the strongest sorcerer of the modern age, would appear as well.
Gojo's casual stance and the mischievous smile on his face indicated that he had been watching for some time. No doubt he was intrigued by the events unfolding, but now he had decided to step in.
"I didn't expect to see you here," Ryuji said, his tone steady, though inwardly he was calculating the situation. Gojo was a wild card too strong to simply ignore.
"Come on, don't act like you didn't know I'd show up," Gojo replied with a grin, lowering his head slightly to look at Ryuji through his blindfold. "You've heard of me, haven't you?"
Ryuji chuckled. "Of course. Gojo Satoru, the strongest sorcerer of this era. You're pretty famous, even in the world of cursed spirits."
"Wow, you flatter me," Gojo said, his voice dripping with amusement. "But seriously, this is a special moment. Yuta and Rika have a bond like no other. Wouldn't it be more fun to see where it goes?"
Ryuji glanced at Yuta and Rika. He knew how dangerous Rika was, but he also understood what Gojo was implying. Yuta , with Rika by his side, had the potential to become one of the most powerful sorcerers in the world. Was it worth killing Rika now, or should he let the story play out?
"It's rare to see someone your age wielding such a special-grade level of power," Gojo continued, his voice light but calculated. "At this rate, you could easily be a special-grade sorcerer yourself."
Ryuji grinned. "I appreciate the compliment."
It wasn't an exaggeration. There were only a few special-grade sorcerers in the world, and the potential to join their ranks was something few could claim.
_________________________
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