The moonlight barely filtered through the dense canopy above, casting a pale glow across the ruins of the clearing. The air was thick with the smell of damp earth and smoldering wood, a testament to the fiery explosion Jinx had unleashed just moments earlier. His two tomoe Sharingan flickered in the darkness, his crimson eyes scanning the area as the six Hidden Mist ninjas closed in around him.
The wind rustled the leaves as one of the ninjas, the one with a large, jagged scythe strapped to his back, stepped forward with a chilling smirk. His eyes glinted with malice in the dim light. He knew the game they were playing—the battle would end in blood, and he was certain it wouldn't be his.
"Not bad for a kid," the scythe-wielder taunted, his voice laced with amusement. "But it's going to take more than that to survive here."
Jinx didn't respond. His focus was too sharp, his mind too clear. The other ninjas spread out, surrounding him, their movements synchronized. There was something cold and calculating about them, like predators closing in on their prey. But Jinx wasn't prey. He'd been trained for moments like these, and his Sharingan let him see through their every move. He could feel the weight of their presence, but he wasn't afraid. He would make them regret this.
Before he could make a move, the mist surged from the ground, rolling like a tidal wave toward him. The technique was powerful—Hidden Mist Jutsu—designed to shroud the field in thick fog, rendering even the sharpest of eyes useless. But Jinx's Sharingan saw through the mist as if it were nothing more than smoke.
The scythe-wielder grinned, disappearing into the haze. Jinx reacted instantly, his hands moving fluidly as he began the hand seals for Fire Release: Fox Fire. A ring of ten fireballs materialized in front of him, and with a quick flick of his wrist, he launched them in a wide arc. The fireballs shot through the air, trailing lines of heat as they sped toward the surrounding ninjas.
One of them, a tall man with a heavy cloak, stepped forward. His eyes narrowed as he quickly formed his own hand seals. In a flash, he summoned Water Release: Water Wall, a massive barrier of water erupting from the ground to intercept the fireballs. The water splashed violently as it collided with the flames, hissing and steaming, but the fireballs continued to push forward with relentless force.
The man's hands trembled for a split second as he struggled to keep the wall intact. The sheer intensity of the flames was overwhelming, and Jinx's attack was forcing him to use more chakra than he intended. But he managed to hold his ground—barely. As the fireballs dissipated, the mist in the air thickened once more, and Jinx realized that it wasn't just one technique they were relying on.
"Stay on him!" The scythe-wielder's voice cut through the fog, his tone sharp with command. The other ninjas responded immediately, positioning themselves to strike from different angles.
Jinx's mind raced. He couldn't afford to be surrounded—not with their skill and numbers. His Sharingan tracked their movements as the fog thickened, making the area feel claustrophobic. He had to end this quickly before they wore him down.
Suddenly, a blur appeared in front of him—one of the ninjas, a woman with a short sword, appeared out of the mist, her blade aimed directly for his throat. Jinx reacted instinctively, ducking to the side and narrowly avoiding the strike. The woman's blade passed by his cheek, the tip slicing through the air with a whistle. She pivoted, aiming a second strike at his torso.
But Jinx had already launched into his next move. His body moved faster than she could react, and before she could complete her attack, he had already launched Wind Release: Air Bullets. A rapid barrage of compressed air shot from his hand, streaking through the mist with precision. The woman's eyes widened as she saw the bullets coming, but she was too slow to react. The air bullets slammed into her, sending her tumbling backward, gasping for breath. The force of the blows left her winded and disoriented, and she hit the ground hard, unable to recover immediately.
Jinx's eyes darted to the other ninjas. The one with the scythe wasn't far behind. He had closed the gap, and now he was charging forward with a bloodlust that made Jinx's skin crawl. The man twirled the scythe in his hands, the blade flashing as it cut through the air.
Jinx dodged to the side, his Sharingan tracking the weapon's trajectory with ease. But as he sidestepped, he noticed something—a shift in the mist, a disturbance in the air. The Water Clone technique. A second ninja, this one with long hair and a grim expression, had created a clone to deceive him. The real ninja had positioned himself behind Jinx, and without hesitation, he struck.
The scythe slammed down from behind with brutal force, aiming to cleave Jinx in half. Jinx barely had time to react, his instincts screaming at him to move. He spun just in time to bring his arm up in defense, the Iron Claw technique—the scythe's edge crashing into his forearm with a sickening thunk. The impact sent a jolt of pain up his arm, but he held firm, using his momentum to thrust the scythe away.
But the second ninja wasn't finished. As Jinx recovered, a sharp pain flared in his side as the woman with the short sword attacked again, slashing across his ribs. Blood seeped from the wound, but Jinx gritted his teeth. He couldn't afford to be caught off guard again.
"Damn it!" Jinx hissed, his hand reaching for the chakra inside him. He needed an edge—a way to tip the scales in his favor. He couldn't keep dodging and countering forever.
A dark idea flashed in his mind, and he took a deep breath, his Sharingan locking onto the Water Clone ahead of him. He focused on the chakra flow, pinpointing the exact moment the clone's chakra would dissipate. In an instant, he lashed out, his hand forming a series of precise hand seals. The clone tried to lunge at him with its water-based form, but Jinx was already one step ahead.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!" Jinx called out, his chakra flowing into the ground beneath him. The water from the air condensed and coalesced around him, forming a massive dragon made of water. The dragon's jaws opened wide, and with a roar, it shot forward, sweeping through the mist like a rampaging storm.
The Water Clone didn't even have time to react before it was engulfed by the raging torrent of water. The force of the attack shattered the clone into nothingness, sending a wave crashing into the trees, uprooting them in its wake. The water dragon barreled forward, smashing into the remaining ninjas with overwhelming force. The Wind Release: Air Bullets had barely slowed its progress, and now it was sending the ninjas scattering.
But as the mist cleared, Jinx saw the true scope of their trap. One of the ninjas had used Hidden Mist Jutsu again, thickening the fog to nearly impenetrable levels. Jinx could barely make out the shapes of his opponents, but the weight of the situation pressed on him. He couldn't stay in the same spot forever.
His Sharingan flared, scanning the mist for any hint of movement. His heart pounded in his chest, but his mind was calm—cold. He needed to get back on the offensive.
That was when he felt it. A shift in the air—a faint whisper of chakra. A flicker of movement. It was too late to avoid it. The scythe-wielder had reappeared, his blade flashing in the fog, and this time, Jinx was too close to dodge.
The scythe came down, aiming for Jinx's head. He couldn't get out of the way in time, but Jinx had already made up his mind. His chakra surged, and with a fluid motion, he activated Demonic Illusion: Mirage Crow.
The world around him warped. The mist thickened, and in an instant, the ninja was surrounded by a torrent of crows, their eyes glowing with an unnatural light. The scythe-wielder faltered, his eyes wide in terror as the illusion consumed him. The feeling of being trapped, the overwhelming screeches of crows, the suffocating dark—he was lost in the genjutsu.
The other ninjas rushed in to help, but Jinx had already moved. He formed a series of hand seals, preparing his next attack. Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere—a blast of intense wind that would obliterate whatever it touched.
The wind howled as Jinx unleashed the technique. The force of the blast sent the remaining ninjas flying backward, their feet sliding across the wet earth as they struggled to maintain their footing. Jinx didn't wait. He knew the fight was nearing its climax, and he wasn't about to let these ninjas get the best of him.
The wind settled, and the clearing fell into a tense silence. But Jinx could feel the presence of one remaining ninja—the one who had used the Water Clone. He had slipped away during the chaos, but now he was closing in, ready to strike.
Jinx's Sharingan locked onto the figure, his chakra flaring as he prepared his next move. He wasn't going to let this one get away.
With a final surge of chakra, Jinx vanished into the mist. The hunt was on.Jinx's grip tightened around the hilt of the Yamitsuki Tou, his supreme-grade sword. It was a weapon forged in the deepest pits of darkness, a blackened blade that pulsed with an eerie presence. His mind sharpened with a sudden surge of awareness as his chakra resonated with the sword. His eyes—the hundreds of eyes now embedded in the blade—opened in a synchronized motion. He could feel them, all watching, their vision extending beyond mere physical space.
His chakra flared, and with it came the realization: the sword was not just an extension of his will. The eyes weren't simply there for aesthetic. They projected his chakra, extending his perception into realms beyond his usual grasp. Information flooded his mind—patterns, shapes, and movements—each glance feeding him new data. His Sharingan only enhanced the flow, as his Overactive Imagination adjusted to the onslaught. The swirl of tactics and techniques being processed by his mind left him feeling calm, detached, yet hyperaware of every move in the environment.
It was all a methodical calculation now.
As the mist continued to swirl around him, Jinx took a slow breath, refocusing his senses. He was in control. He could feel the enemies approaching, their chakra signatures flickering like candles in the dark. The eyes on his sword pulsed with a cold, malicious light, each eye adding a layer of comprehension as he analyzed their movements.
Suddenly, he saw it: a shift in the wind, a change in the pattern. One of the Hidden Mist ninjas, a stocky man with a large spear, was charging from the left, his weapon poised to impale Jinx. The trajectory was clear—the spear's arc was wide, but fast. Jinx's Sharingan tracked the movement instantly, but now, it was the sword's eyes that gave him the edge. The eyes, like a thousand reflections, broke down the spear's angle of attack.
Jinx's body moved of its own accord. In one smooth motion, he unsheathed the Yamitsuki Tou, the sword's dark blade cutting through the air with such speed that it left a ripple in the mist. A single horizontal slash—First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace. The sword released a crescent-shaped wave of chakra and dark energy that carved the air in front of him.
The spear was cleaved in half before the man even realized what had happened. The Hidden Mist ninja froze for a moment, his eyes wide in disbelief. His body followed the path of his broken weapon, tumbling backward, only to be swept away by the crescent blade's lingering force.
But Jinx wasn't done.
As the man was thrown backward, Jinx's eyes shifted to the right, where another ninja had materialized. This one—a woman with a long, curved knife—slashed toward his neck. But again, Jinx was a step ahead, his sword already in motion. The Yamitsuki Tou arced upward in a diagonal slash, and with Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing, the sword released three crescent blades that sliced through the air with pinpoint accuracy.
The woman's eyes widened in fear, but she couldn't retreat in time. The first crescent blade hit her shoulder, spinning her around. The second blade cut through her midsection, the force of the blow sending her sprawling to the ground, her weapon falling from her hand. The final crescent passed over her head, missing her by mere inches, but the damage was done.
Jinx's Sharingan scanned the battlefield. The rest of the ninjas were regrouping, sensing that their tactics had been exposed. The scythe-wielder, a towering figure of muscle and menace, stepped forward. His eyes narrowed as he gripped his weapon tighter, clearly deciding that the direct approach wasn't going to work. He began to circle Jinx, his movements slow and deliberate.
Jinx didn't flinch. He had anticipated this. His mind processed the situation, as the information from the sword's eyes continued to feed into his brain at a steady pace.
Patterns. Tactics.
The Yamitsuki Tou pulsed with energy, as Jinx's Overactive Imagination kicked into high gear. He began to decode their movements even before they made them. Each step of the scythe-wielder's was tracked—every sway of the mist, every tremor in the air. The man wasn't simply charging in; he was setting up an ambush.
"Too slow," Jinx muttered under his breath, his voice cold.
The moment the scythe-wielder lunged, his massive scythe cutting through the air in a brutal arc, Jinx was already gone.
In the blink of an eye, Jinx moved behind the scythe-wielder, his Moon Breathing: Third Form, Loathsome Moon, Chains activation almost imperceptible. The blade of the Yamitsuki Tou swung in wide arcs, creating a storm of smaller crescent moon blades that slashed through the air. The first wave of the attack hit the scythe-wielder, forcing him back, but not before the man retaliated.
The scythe came down again, this time aiming for Jinx's head. It was faster than before, but Jinx's sword was already there to intercept, moving with a fluidity that could only be described as a dance. The Yamitsuki Tou blocked the attack with ease, the force of the blow sending a shockwave through Jinx's body. But he didn't flinch. His muscles adapted in real-time, his body adjusting to the strain and continuing its fluid motion.
Jinx's Sharingan saw it before it happened: the scythe-wielder was about to spin and release a powerful overhead strike. A perfect opening.
With Fourth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy, Jinx swung the sword in a long, sweeping arc, creating a vortex of crescent blades that enveloped the scythe-wielder. The blades hit with brutal precision, each strike pushing the man back, his scythe unable to block the onslaught.
The wind howled as Jinx's slash carved through the air, and the Hidden Mist ninja found himself struggling to regain his footing. His eyes widened in panic as the crescent blades circled him, cutting deep into his flesh. Blood sprayed into the air as he tried to parry with his scythe, but Jinx was relentless. Each slash from the Yamitsuki Tou was calculated, his Sharingan tracking every movement, every opening, until finally, the scythe-wielder collapsed to the ground, his weapon clattering from his hand.
Jinx stood, his breath steady, his mind still processing the battle's flow. He was in control.
But then, a strange presence caught his attention. From behind him, a new figure emerged from the mist—a ninja who had remained hidden until now. His chakra was more refined, more disciplined than the others, and he moved with an aura of certainty. This one, Jinx knew, would not fall as easily.
The ninja was tall, wearing a long cloak, and his hand was already forming a series of seals. Jinx's eyes locked onto the figure's movements, processing the hand signs as they were made.
Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere.
Jinx's mind raced as the attack was launched. The air trembled as the wind pressure built, but Jinx wasn't caught off guard. His blade moved in a precise, angled slash—Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy—sending a vortex of crescent blades spiraling forward. The Vacuum Sphere collided with the moon blades, but Jinx's attack overpowered the wind technique, dispersing the blast in all directions.
The remaining Hidden Mist ninja's eyes widened in realization.
"You're not just a kid," he muttered, stepping back. "You're a monster."
Jinx didn't answer. His sword, Yamitsuki Tou, pulsed in his hand, its eyes glowing as the information continued to flood his brain, his Sharingan processing it all with terrifying speed. The fight was far from over, but Jinx was already two steps ahead. He could feel the ninja's next move before it was made—an attack, yes, but a feint.
The battle was his. He was the predator now.
The final Hidden Mist ninja, the one who had been calculating his next move, finally seemed to snap. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Jinx, his expression hardening with resolve. The others had fallen quickly, overwhelmed by Jinx's strength and strategy, but this man—a low-ranking Jonin at best—would not be taken so easily.
Jinx felt it. His Sharingan whirred, analyzing the ninja's every subtle movement. The man's stance shifted—he wasn't playing anymore. No more testing the waters. It was time for his full strength.
But just as Jinx prepared for the next move, a voice filled his mind.
"Jinx," the soft, feminine voice of Saiken rang out, tinged with urgency, "That man is more dangerous than you think. He's a low Jonin at best, but he's still above you in terms of skill. You should use my chakra... otherwise, you'll die."
Jinx hesitated. He had been relying on his own strength, trusting in his tactics, his Sharingan, and the power of his sword. But deep inside, he knew Saiken was right. The man had just shifted, his chakra now more refined, more lethal. Jinx's senses flared as the Hidden Mist ninja began weaving hand signs, preparing for something devastating.
Jinx gritted his teeth. This wasn't the time to hold back. Trusting Saiken, he closed his eyes, focusing inward. His chakra flared, surging through his body. Crimson red chakra began to bubble outward from him, pulsating with raw power. It took a moment for it to form around him, like an invisible pressure building in the air. Then, in an instant, a swirling cloak of crimson chakra enveloped him, forming a single tail that swished behind him, like a living manifestation of power.
The transformation was instantaneous. The raw chakra of the tailed beast flooded his system, enhancing his physical abilities and increasing his combat prowess. The power surged within him, and for the first time, he felt something primal awaken in his core. His senses sharpened further, and the mist surrounding him seemed to thicken, but he was no longer blinded by it. He could feel the Hidden Mist Jonin's every movement, every shift in chakra.
The Jonin's eyes widened for a moment as he registered the transformation. A tailed beast? He hadn't expected this.
"I see," the Jonin muttered to himself, his voice steely with determination. "So you've decided to show your hand."
With a snap of his fingers, he began to move. His body blurred as he vanished into the mist, reappearing in a blur to Jinx's left. A kunai materialized in his hand, dripping with poison, and he threw it with precision, aiming for Jinx's throat.
But Jinx was already moving. His tail whipped behind him, and the power surged through his body, propelling him into motion. He sidestepped the kunai, his body moving with a speed that was far beyond what it had been moments ago. The chakra coat around him flared as he made a quick slash with Yamitsuki Tou, sending out a crescent-shaped wave of dark energy, the force of which displaced the mist momentarily.
The Jonin leapt back, barely avoiding the strike, but he wasn't done. He swiftly formed another set of hand signs, and suddenly the mist thickened again, surrounding them both in an impenetrable fog. A strange, dense chakra cloud began to form, blurring the area even further. The Jonin had gone into a defensive position, knowing Jinx's newfound strength could crush him if given the chance.
Jinx's eyes flickered. Sharingan—no, it wasn't enough anymore. His connection to Saiken's chakra flooded his mind with awareness, and he could sense the Jonin's chakra moving within the mist, pinpointing his location.
The Jonin, seemingly sensing this, grinned. "Impressive. But you still lack the precision to track me. You can feel my chakra, but it's not enough."
Jinx's body tensed. The Jonin had hidden himself well, and while Jinx could sense the man's presence, it wasn't enough to launch a decisive attack. He had to act quickly. The Jonin was a master of using the environment to his advantage. But Jinx wasn't the same as before. Saiken's chakra was still flowing through him, enhancing his senses and physical capabilities.
His mind clicked into overdrive as he relied on Overactive Imagination. The battle's patterns, the Jonin's movements, and the pulse of chakra all flowed through him in rapid succession.
Jinx's sword began to hum with a dark, foreboding energy. His next move had to be calculated. He was no longer simply reacting. He was in control. With a calm breath, he released his Echos of Madness—a dangerous curse technique. His subconscious fears and inner turmoil surged through his chakra, weaving an intricate web of illusions that would ensnare his opponent's senses.
As he released the technique, the world around him seemed to distort. The mist became thicker, darker, as monstrous faces and grotesque apparitions began to manifest from the very fabric of reality itself. The Jonin's body jerked in surprise as the horrifying images flashed in his mind—screeching figures clawing at his skin, faces of his lost comrades haunting him, dripping blood.
The air became thick with terror. The sounds of cackling laughter and wailing voices flooded the Jonin's senses. He stumbled, trying to focus, but his eyes were wide in disbelief. His own worst nightmares—his deepest fears—began to claw their way into his psyche.
Jinx, still in his transformed state, pushed the curse to its limit. He could see it—his opponent's confusion, his hesitation, his discomfort. The technique was working. The Jonin staggered back, his mind spiraling into chaos as the curse took full effect. He swung his kunai wildly, slashing at invisible enemies that weren't there, his body moving purely on instinct now.
The sight of the Jonin flailing, battling phantoms that were nothing more than psychological projections, filled Jinx with a strange sense of satisfaction. He knew that if he pushed the curse further, the Jonin would break, but it wasn't over yet. He wasn't out of danger. And this technique came with a cost—a heavy toll on his sanity.
But Jinx had no time to care. He couldn't afford to hesitate. His eyes, now glowing with crimson energy, tracked the Jonin's every move. He knew he had a window of opportunity—an opening to strike, to finish this fight.
With a surge of chakra, Jinx launched forward, his Yamitsuki Tou sweeping in an upward arc, releasing a Moon Breathing: Fifth Form, Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy attack. The crescent-shaped slashes sliced through the air, each one curving toward the Jonin in a rapid succession. The Jonin could barely react—he was still trapped in the illusions, struggling to shake off the overwhelming fear and paranoia that was clouding his judgment.
The attack struck him. One crescent cut across his chest, another caught his shoulder, but the Jonin managed to stagger back, his body dripping with sweat and blood. He gasped, trying to regain his composure as the fear-induced hallucinations began to fade.
Jinx landed several feet away, his breath heavy but steady. The cloak of crimson chakra flickered around him as the tail swayed slowly, its presence still enhancing his power. He could feel the strain of the Echos of Madness, but he wasn't done. Not yet.
The Jonin, now standing shakily, wiped the blood from his lips, eyes narrowed in pain. "You're stronger than I thought. But it's still not enough to defeat me."
Jinx's lips curled into a confident smirk. The Jonin was wounded, but he was still standing. And that made this fight far from over.
Jinx stepped forward, the curse still lingering in the air, the fear still hanging in his opponent's senses. The Hidden Mist ninja's chakra, once composed and calculating, was now splintered. He was no longer the precise fighter he had been—he was unraveling, just as Jinx had hoped.
"Then let's finish this," Jinx muttered under his breath.
But even as he moved, he knew one thing: this fight wasn't over yet. He still had more to prove.
The tension in the air was palpable as Jinx's mind spun, calculating his next move. The Hidden Mist Jonin, though battered and disoriented, was still standing. The fight had gone on long enough, and Jinx, knowing he had reached his limit, decided to pull out all the stops. This wasn't just about defeating the Jonin anymore—it was about pushing his cursed techniques beyond their limits, testing the very boundaries of his mind.
Jinx's hand slammed against the ground, his chakra flaring with intensity. The very earth seemed to pulse with his power, as if it were reacting to the sheer magnitude of his cursed energy. With his eyes glowing in a crimson hue, the Echos of Madness roared to life once more.
The world around them twisted. Jinx's mind poured its anguish and nightmares into the technique, shaping it with precision and malice. In an instant, the ground beneath the Jonin seemed to fracture, cracks spiraling outward, revealing the illusion of summoning seals that burned into the very fabric of reality. Smoke billowed up from the seals, rising in tendrils, clouding their surroundings.
As the smoke began to clear, the Jonin's eyes widened in horror. The smoke was dispersing, revealing something far more terrifying than anything he had anticipated.
Three massive, terrifying tails—each one pulsing with malignant energy—emerged from the smoke. Their sheer size dwarfed the Jonin, and the oppressive aura of the tailed beast shook him to his core. The terrifying sight of these creatures—phantoms of raw, untamed chakra—sent a chill down his spine. His body froze, eyes widening in disbelief as the sheer magnitude of the vision sent waves of fear crashing through him.
Jinx's mind sharpened. He had used more than half of his cursed energy, feeding it directly into the illusion. The power of the Echos of Madness surged, becoming so potent that the Jonin's own senses were tricked into believing that these tails were real. Even the smallest flicker of his six eyes (a fusion of Gojo's Limitless and the Sharingan's perception) gave Jinx the advantage to maintain control over the illusion, keeping it vivid, overwhelming, and horrifying.
The three tails swarmed over the Jonin in a calculated attack. Jinx's fingers tightened into a fist as he willed the illusion to press forward, manipulating the tailed beast's phantom-like tendrils toward the Jonin. With terrifying speed, the massive tails seemed to wrap around the Jonin's body. The force was undeniable, the weight of the illusion pressing in on him with a crushing reality.
The Jonin's eyes bulged with panic. His breath quickened as his mind processed what was happening. He was being crushed by the weight of something far too immense for him to escape—something that didn't even exist in the physical world. The fear was all-consuming.
Jinx could feel the mental strain of his own technique as it pushed the boundaries of his curse. He was feeding into the illusion, making it real, amplifying the Jonin's fear and despair until it consumed him entirely. It was more than just terror—it was a breaking point. Reality itself began to crumble inside the Jonin's mind as his body collapsed under the pressure. His heartbeat faltered, his breath growing shallow, and Jinx could see it: the Jonin's body was giving out.
The Jonin's heart stopped.
The illusion had struck him with such intensity that his mind and body had locked up in a panic so extreme that the Jonin had died, not from the physical force of the attack, but from the sheer terror of his own mind.
Jinx stood still, watching. There was no movement from the Jonin, no sign of life. It was done.
Or so Jinx thought.
Something stirred within the fallen body. A strange, dark essence began to rise from the Jonin, something intangible but unmistakable. It was coming out of him, as if something had been ripped free. Jinx's curiosity piqued. He had never seen anything like this before.
Before he could think further, the dark essence shot toward him, almost as though it had a mind of its own. With a quick swipe, Jinx's hand reached out to intercept it. The moment his hand touched the essence, it surged into him, twisting around his fingers and then disappearing into his body in an instant.
A screen materialized before Jinx's eyes, its text glaring at him like a harsh reminder of the power he had just acquired.
Congratulations, you have unlocked an extension technique for Echos of Madness called—
Extension Technique: Soul Convergence
Soul Convergence is an advanced extension of the cursed technique Echoes of the Abyss, enabling the user to enhance their illusions by merging the souls trapped within their domain. Each absorbed soul amplifies the intensity and detail of the illusions, with a foundation soul providing a unique personality that can be tailored to elicit specific emotions. The user can create quasi-physical manifestations of their illusions, making them temporarily tangible, with the duration and strength depending on the number and power of the souls involved. However, if the user opts for merely semi-tangible or illusory forms, they can last indefinitely, limited only by the user's will. The technique also allows the user to steal abilities from defeated foes, requiring a significant cost of 50,000 souls and a two-week cooldown between acquisitions. Despite its immense power, creating multiple tangible illusions leads to accelerated sanity degradation, especially if the user exceeds their mental fortitude. Thus, while Soul Convergence offers unparalleled versatility and strength, it demands perfect mental discipline to avoid the risks of psychological breakdown and identity loss.
Jinx's heart beat faster as the weight of the revelation settled on him. This new technique—Soul Convergence—was a dangerous, yet tantalizing extension of his already formidable cursed technique. He could absorb souls and amplify his illusions even further, creating tangible manifestations of his deepest nightmares. But there was a catch—he could feel it in his bones. To wield such power, to create physical illusions, would come at a cost.
The screen flickered again, its words no longer as reassuring.
Warning: Excessive use of Soul Convergence will lead to accelerated sanity degradation. The psychological toll can cause irreparable damage to the user's mind and soul.
Jinx exhaled, his breath shaky. He had pushed himself to the edge in this fight, but this—this was something else entirely. He could feel the pull of the technique, the lure of power, but he knew he had to be careful. The mental toll of using Soul Convergence could break him if he wasn't disciplined.
The Jonin, now lifeless, remained on the ground, his body seemingly drained. But Jinx didn't take pleasure in his death—he only saw the next step in his evolution as a cursed user. His eyes remained cold as he absorbed the information from the technique, knowing the path ahead would be fraught with peril.
But for now, he had won.
Jinx looked down at the lifeless body of the Jonin and sighed. His chest heaved as the adrenaline began to fade. His body, powered by Saiken's chakra and his own cursed energy, was still in a state of heightened awareness. He had learned something tonight—something important. And now, with the addition of Soul Convergence, the battle for survival was far from over.
The mist began to dissipate, but Jinx knew that his journey had only just begun.