Chapter 10
True to his word, Suiryu put Junpei through trial after trial. Each and every time he felt he would pushed to the brink of death. The list ranged but not limited to…
Being shoved off the cliff at higher altitudes.
Forced to run from Suiryu as he constantly attacks him.
Forced to fend off wild animals to ensure his survival.
Fighting Suiryu in hand to hand combat, despite the fact Junpei had very little experience in the matter. Odd thing was... he was able to keep up.
It was the middle of such a battle when Junpei realized… he was able to block punches! Not just punches though, kicks and cheap shots were deflected and some merely grazed him, but not enough to knock him back and down.
After the session, Junpei was catching his breath. Suiryu peered him over oddly once more but nodded. "I see now…" he muttered.
"Huh?"
"The side effect, I am starting to see it now… not just in you but the others as well…"
"Side effect?" Junpei asked.
Suiryu took a seat on the ground. "The side effect of using the technique of transfiguration reincarnation. Depending on who is bringing who back… I see some of Yuuji's talents and abilities got copied and pasted into some of you. For example, Eso and cooking. He hasn't even seen a stove before and yet, he is able to make everyone dinner. How was that possible?" he asked.
Junpei wondered the same thing, He remembered that night too. Suiryu left supplies in the dorm and Eso paused as he looked everything over. He announced he would make the family a meal, even to Choso's surprise. "Do you know how?"
Eso shrugged. "I got this feeling…" he explained as he began to pick out specific items. He made a wicked stir fry that night.
"Yuuji knew how to cook too, he helped my mom make that meal when he came to my house."
"I think you got his fighting ability." Suiryu stated. "Since I got his memories up here, you didn't know how to really fight, but now. You are quite confident on your feet. We got to get that confidence in your fists!"
He wouldn't admit it out loud, but despite how hard it has been, Junpei felt accomplished with himself. Also, it won't be long until they are to go to war against the members of Sukuna's fifth hand. He has to be ready for that!
He would endure the lessons, no matter how hard, or difficult or even embarrassing. He couldn't tell you now how many times Suiryu had pushed him off the side of the cliff, and each time he did, it was always higher than the last time.
Yet, as the war was drawing near. Junpei knew he needed this, since after all, his brothers were showing off how powerful they became just the other night.
Suiryu made it like a 'talent show' of sorts to demonstrate to the family how everyone is stronger than the last time. Sho has strength and he ate a finger bearer recently that allowed him to fire strong projectiles of curse energy. "I'll be saving this talent for the war." He insisted.
Tanso was next, yet, as he stood up, the forest came alive with thousands of glowing red eyes. As he turned to face the brothers, countless familiars forged from his blood and the red maggots came to him. He didn't have to say a word, let alone signal these creatures to appear.
"That in itself is a remarkable talent, you have thousands of these creatures at your command do you?" Suiryu asked.
'1,329' was etched in Tanso's skin.
"Still remarkable, considering how much curse energy you have to put out to maintain them…" But Suiryu paused. He stared at Tanso who was now baring a devious grin. "You don't, do you?" he asked curiously. Suddenly, Suiryu began to examine the familiars. The ones forged of blood were close to Tanso, they took very little of his curse energy if anything, a fraction of it! Yet they are able to fully function and perform their orders without flaw. The ones made of the maggots… that got his attention. He picked up one of the demonic looking rabbits and stared at it oddly. "The maggot becomes the core…" he whispered.
"What do you mean?" asked Choso.
"Ah, let me explain. It's a similar process in making a curse corpse. I don't have all the information on that yet, but this is a very unique process. What Tanso has done is simple, the maggots he creates are from his own body and curse energy, when they are placed upon a corpse, we can consider that the 'puppet' or body of the core. Once established, the maggot becomes the epicenter of the body. It draws in curse energy and then, when the bond is complete, starts making its own curse energy. So it doesn't draw off of Tanso… Wait… WHAT THE FUCK!" Suiryu shouted in amazement.
"Whoa, easy, what's with the language!" Scolded Eso.
"Tanso is using a method similar to Satoru Gojo!" Suiryu said but he sounded rather excited to the notion. Has he not seen something like this before?
The brothers paused. Junpei was stunned to. "Wait, what do you mean?"
Suiryu rolled his eyes and explained. "Satoru Gojo has an unlimited supply of curse energy due to the technique he uses. It constantly absorbs energy all the time and he uses a reverse technique on his brain to keep it refreshed. I don't even know if that bastard sleeps at this point. It's that refined." Suiryu explained. But then looked to Tanso. "Now, with big bro over here. It's similar, however, his energy is coming from his familiars. Most of the time he wouldn't get a damn thing out of it nor is the benefit worth it to him. That's only having a few familiars. Now… since he has a thousand plus familiars… all are gathering curse energy as we speak… well the maggot ones are… and the extra is funneled back to the original source of their energy… which is him."
They sat there, not quite processing it. But Junpei understood. "They are constantly taking in energy, yet when they have more than enough, it goes to Tanso. Since he can still take more in, correct?" Junpei asked.
"Bingo"
"But why is it working on such a great scale?" asked Noranso.
"Look at the size of his familiars." Junpei said aloud. "A rabbit doesn't need a lot of energy to function, and it also depends on how much they take in. No disrespect to your familiars but I don't think a rabbit takes in a lot of curse energy to begin with, right?"
Tanso held up hand and did a 'very little' indication with his fingers.
"If that's the case a few familiars won't offer him any benefit. But the more he has, the more that can be gathered and collected and sent back to the source of their power. Right?"
Suiryu smirked. "For a guy who just got his feet wet in this line of work, you catch on very quickly."
"I try to pay attention to the details and observe what isn't being said."
"Keep it up, that's handy."
Sanso went next, he displayed his ability to make any and all weapons possible using his blood and curse energy. Suiryu was curious to him and then said. "I have a favor, can you make nails?" he asked aloud.
"Nails? Easily!" he stated.
"I need you to make me some before we go to battle, no doubt that's happening soon…"
'I wonder why he is asking for nails?' Junpei thought.
They continued on.
Noranso went next, he displayed his ability to manipulate flesh, he can even store extra flesh on his own body without distorting his. Suiryu determined he must have a pocket like jujutsu within himself to do such a thing. "Think of it as an item box you read in mangas." He explained.
"Those things are so handy… I would love one of those…" sighed Shouoso.
'I thought those things only existed in mangas…' Junpei thought, but apparently, they can exist in the real world too.
Yet Noranso explained he had an ultimate technique but he needed a finger bearer to show it off.
Suiryu happily obliged and got him one.
The thing was… before; the finger bearers would attack without hesitation. The one Suiryu brought back, appeared to be scared shitless of them! "Ah, that's a good indication there. You have all gotten stronger, this thing is nervous as hell!" he said proudly.
Anyway, once he released it. The finger bearer tried to make a run for it. Yet Noranso cut it off and then…
SLAP
One firm open hand strike on it was all he did before walking away.
Suiryu was confused. "That's it?" he demanded in an unimpressed tone.
Noranso smirked. "Ultimate technique, full body decay…"
Junpei saw it.
Where Noranso slapped the curse, the hand print began to discolor it. The skin on the finger bearer went from white to green, then to blue. That hue began to spread throughout the body. It started to puke purple blood before it's body began swelling up…
KABOOM!
Suiryu fortunately made a barrier to block the gore but stood impressed to what he saw. Chunks began to rain from the sky as the stench of decay wafted in the air shortly after. "Ah, you can rapidly decay a body, so much so that the gases from the decomposing process form too quickly and explode the target. Ooo and they are still alive during the decaying process… nice work."
Kotsuso went next, he is able to make muscle rip off the bone with ease, however doesn't quite have a technique for a proper display. But all in all one look from him and your whole body unravels into a fleshy mess.
Shouoso has a calcifying technique. He can summon the skeleton to leech out of the body and then encase it! In other words, he can turn you inside out in a sense. But the outer part of the body turns to bone.
"Ooo exoskeleton method…"
"Not only that…" He then took random bones he has kept from his training, he can place one on his arm and manipulate it, giving him an exoskeleton of his own. "I can make armor with bone as well, I could cover my whole body at will. But it also depends on the quality of the material. Special grade bones are able to last longer than a sorcerer's if I am guess correctly…"
"Nice, just don't be showing that method off too much." Suiryu warned.
Choso and Eso were already proficient at their technique, but now it came down to Junpei.
The brothers all stared at him with excited looks, wanting to see what he can do now compared to before. They know he can fight off a transfiguration. But, how can he fight with the technique he has been given.
He gulped nervously as he stood up.
"Come on, we don't have all day!" Suiryu scolded.
"SHUT IT!" the brothers snapped back. "LITTLE BROTHER IS NERVOUS GIVE HIM TIME!" shouted Choso.
"YEAH!" the others called.
Suiryu froze but smirked. "Tch, you got some wicked bodyguards here…"
It brought a smile to his face, Junpei never really had anyone stand up for him before since Yuuji. It was rather refreshing.
"Okay, Junpei is still learning but he has been practicing…" Suiryu explained. "So, what do you have for us?"
He took a deep breath, as of late he has trained himself on blood manipulation. His body can hold quite a bit from the last time he tested this out, but also, he found another way of using the blood.
He has seen Choso's approach, but wondered…
His eyes closed, the little mouths on his hands opened up and unleashed the crimson. From there, he began to envision what he wanted it to do. One moment, it floated around him like orbs, and then he grabbed one orb and forced the blood to fuse into it, making a whip. One snapped and it took down a tree!
Next, he was able to break it apart again instantly, he could use them as deflections, absorb attacks as well, he can take the blood of others and add it to his own.
Yet he began to notice something odd.
The brothers started at him, bewildered to his actions.
Instantly, he stopped himself, and recalled the blood back into his body. "Is… is something wrong?" he asked.
Choso was the first to stand up and approach him. He continued to look at him bewildered to say the least, but then spoke gently. "How… did you move the blood like that?" he asked.
"Huh?"
"The flow of it, was beyond my capabilities. You are able to move it so fluidly… I can't do that."
Suiryu nodded. "Choso's control of the blood manipulation is the best I have ever seen or probably ever will see… until today. Junpei, you were able to use that blood in ways I haven't seen before. In fact, you haven't even shown us anything yet, have you?"
He smirked and nodded. "I've been toying with it a little… I also took inspiration from comics and cartoons I use to watch… I mean the method I am using now, is like water bending in the avatar cartoon I used to watch…"
"Water bending?" Choso asked.
"It's an example, we'll have you all watch the cartoon later to better understand his explanation." Suiryu insisted. "Huh… it's not a bad way to learn either, not to mention it gives you a general idea as to what you want the blood to do and how to use it as a weapon. Very smart Junpei,"
"I didn't think it would work that way…"
"Mainly it doesn't," Suiryu said bluntly. "But sometimes, it does. After all, technique and curse ability are based off of what you get when you are born. Since you didn't have a technique, your ability was forcefully opened. But now, a whole different sent of circumstances has happened…"
"Tell me about it…" he muttered.
But Junpei jumped when Choso grabbed his shoulders. "Will you show me how to do this?!" he asked eagerly. "I wish to learn this method little brother, the flow of it was perfect and I am confident it will only improve as time passes."
The request took him aback, but he agreed full heartedly. "I'll agree, but you need to teach me too."
Choso froze, tears wielded in his eyes as he suddenly snapped Junpei into his arms. "Of course! Oniichan will teach you well! I promise!"
Junpei was on the brink of being smothered…
