Author's Note (3/21/2023): I corrected the hand formation of the Bird sign. It was actually that of the Horse and I didn't realize that until just now. Apologies for the mistake!
Chapter 7: Sorcerers vs. Special Grades
It was finally on: the students of Tokyo Jujutsu High vs. the two special grade spirits had commenced their respective battles, with Yuji and Kanao's bodies at stake.
Megumi released Divine Dog: Totality for the sake of preserving his cursed energy, and he charged at Sukuna as he was ready to throw a punch at him. However, Sukuna evaded it with ease, to the shikigami summoner's frustration.
This is just like the last time I fought him, Megumi thought, as he continued to throw failed punches at the special grade. He's still above my level, but I'll give him all I've got.
With a wicked smile on his face, Sukuna countered by grabbing hold of Megumi by the back of his jacket and hurled him against the wall, sending him crashing.
"Fushiguro!" Nobara exclaimed, worried about her friend.
"Even after all this time, you still haven't proved to me that you can outrank me," Sukuna taunted Megumi. "You can do better than that, Megumi Fushiguro."
"Bastard…," Megumi snarled crossly, as he rose up from the ground and held his fists outward, ready to fight once more.
Nobara was ready to make her move, as she levitated two nails in midair using her cursed energy. With a valiant battle cry, she gave her hammer a mighty swing, sending the nails directly toward Sukuna.
"Straw Doll Technique: Resonance!"
The nails engulfed in Nobara's cursed energy soared toward Sukuna; however, he easily evaded them, and the nails struck the wall instead, to Nobara's dismay.
"Damn it!" she snapped crossly. "That wasn't my best aim!"
Even Kugisaki couldn't get him, Megumi thought, feeling just as frustrated as his classmate. But we're not letting up until we see Itadori alive and well again!
All of a sudden, he felt himself being vigorously dragged by the back of his gakuran jacket, and it turned out to be Sukuna who had snatched him.
"Fushiguro!" Nobara exclaimed, only to be dragged by the front of her cropped jacket in the same way.
"Come on! Is that the best you two can do?" he taunted them, a cruel smile forming on his face. "Fighting me with just your fists and your mere nails? I want to see more from you!"
With a strong force, he swung around, tossing Megumi and Nobara out of the room and into the corridor, where they crashed into a wall in front of the open doorway. They groaned in pain from the crash, and they each brushed the dust off of their uniforms once they were able to stand up.
"What incredible power he has…," Nobara stated.
"He does," Megumi replied, nodding to her. "As a special grade spirit, Sukuna's stronger than Itadori is, and I had trouble fighting him the first time. He easily overpowered me, even with my shikigami."
He recalled his battle with Sukuna outside the detention center, the scenes of Sukuna effortlessly overwhelming him with his immense physical prowess and Nue fighting alongside Megumi.
"Tsukiyama was also no match for him, after saving me using her bladed fans."
Brief scenes of Kanao's fan slicing Sukuna's left arm and Sukuna overpowering Kanao with no problem replayed, and it soon ended with Kanao being knocked unconscious and Sukuna hoisting her with his regenerated left arm.
"I may had failed to use my special move on him the last time I fought him, so this time, I might consider doing so… only as a last resort."
"What special move?" Nobara asked, intrigued by it.
"Never mind that," Megumi answered her, shaking his head. "Here he comes now!"
Sukuna approached the two students, smiling malevolently at them. He was ready to see the potential they would have, albeit he had more interest in Megumi than Nobara.
Megumi turned to Nobara, an idea having just formed in his head.
"Kugisaki, you go on and help Yamato," he instructed her. "I have a feeling that she would have some trouble fighting Hisako. As for me, I'll handle Sukuna, by myself."
"Are you sure about this?" Nobara questioned him. "You do have enough cursed energy to use for your shikigami summoning, right?"
"Don't worry about me. I do have cursed energy remaining. Just get going and help her."
"Right."
As Nobara headed out with her hammer on hand, Megumi held his fists outward, ready to take on Sukuna alone like last time.
"Looks like it's just you and me again, Ryomen Sukuna," he said to him.
"Brings back the memories of our first fight, doesn't it?" Sukuna asked. "Well, this time, I have to see if you will give it all you've got! Show me your true potential as a sorcerer, Megumi Fushiguro!"
This was it: the rematch between Megumi and Sukuna was about to begin, whereas Nobara raced up the stairway, a determined glare on her face. She was willing to save Kotori, even if it would mean she would have to take on Hisako.
Hang on just a little longer, Yamato, she thought of Kotori. You better stay alive by the time I show up!
Back on the rooftop, the battle between Kotori and Hisako had just commenced. Kotori channeled her cursed energy into three of her Spirit Bomb talismans, and then hurled them at Hisako whilst jumping in midair.
"Ofuda Technique: Spirit Bomb!"
Hisako evaded them with a swift agility, as the cursed energy shrouding the ofuda imploded, creating powerful blasts. She then landed gracefully onto the ground in front of her frustrated opponent, smirking deviously at her.
"Do you think you can take me down with these flimsy paper talismans of yours?" she taunted, her arms folded across her chest. "How pathetic. You can do better than that."
"How dare you insult my ofuda!" Kotori snapped, glaring crossly at Hisako. "They are a part of my family's generation as jujutsu sorcerers, and my mother taught me that technique! It's who I am as a sorcerer, and I'm gonna make you regret making such cruel slurs about my cursed technique!"
Hisako was unmoved by Kotori's rage, and she didn't seem to care about it, not even one tiny bit. In fact, all that she did care about was her love towards Sukuna, and she was determined to stand up for it.
She immediately charged at Kotori and swung her left leg with a vigorous force, slamming her in the abdomen. The powerful kick sent Kotori flying, and she crashed into the fence, with Hisako watching her with smug pride.
Kotori groaned in pain as she shook her head, and once she was able to rise up on her feet, she lunged at her and formed her right hand into a fist, which she aimed at Hisako.
Soon it became a storm of barraging fists, with each fighter exchanging and blocking punches. Kotori was determined to take her down, and she refused to back down since her best friend Kanao was hanging in the balance. She soon ducked underneath Hisako's punch and kicked her away using her right leg, sending her across the roof top. However, Hisako managed to land on the ground with poise, balancing herself with her feet and the palm of her right hand.
"Impressive," she complimented, as she rose to her feet. "You can do more than just throw those ofuda at me. However… if you wish to see Kanao alive and well, then I want to see you go all out!"
Hisako charged at Kotori with swift agility and she gave her a powerful uppercut to the chin, followed by a barrage of punches in her abdomen and face. Kotori was her personal punching bag, and she was at her mercy as she cried out in pain every time Hisako landed a blow on her. With her now brutally wounded, Hisako grabbed hold of Kotori's right arm and swung her around three times, and with a cry of fury, she tossed her across the roof, sending her crashing into the fence once again.
Kotori groaned in pain from the recoil, and she could barely open her eyes to see Hisako approaching her. Due to the pain she sustained from Hisako's assaults, she was numb, unable to stand up and fight back.
Hisako's more powerful than Kanao is…, she thought of her. There's no way I can beat a special grade spirit like her. But still, I can't give up on Kanao. She needs me! And there's no way in hell I will lose her to that bastard Sukuna!
With a blazing glare in her eyes, Kotori boasted at Hisako:
"Listen to me! Sukuna is heartless, shady and obsessed with power! How could you love someone like him?!"
"I chose to love Sukuna because he found me," Hisako answered her. "Thousands of years ago, I was the sole survivor of an invasion of cursed spirits that claimed my family, along with the residents of my village. Sukuna discovered me and he offered me to come with him, promising me of a fresh start at life. I complied, and I deserted my burning village with him, with no regrets. I adjusted to living with Sukuna and his subordinate, Uraume, and I even had an attendant who would fulfill my every need: Chizuru. Under Sukuna's tutelage, I trained to become a stronger sorcerer, and over time, I fell deeply in love with him. I was the wife and mother he wanted me to be, and we raised our two children to become sorcerers themselves. Our life as a family was perfect until one day, Sukuna was sealed away by sorcerers right in front of me. It left me with a broken heart, and because I was unable to cope with his death, I took my own life, sealing my soul within the very same beads your friend Kanao is now wearing."
"And what happened to your children?" Kotori asked her.
"Our children, Suzaku and Himeno, were discovered by sorcerers, and they were pursued and killed by them shortly after I died," Hisako responded, sounding dark. "If you're wondering who they are, they are known as the Prince and Princess of Curses, and Sukuna and I each gave them these titles when they were born."
The wind was howling in the moonlit night, with Kotori still gazing at Hisako as the special grade spirit added:
"They are now cursed spirits who are searching for us, and I believe that we will see them again, wherever they are. Sukuna and I will rebuild our family from the ground up, starting with Suzaku and Himeno."
"And will that end there once you do find them?"
"No," Hisako answered her.
Her eyes soon bulged out malevolently, her smile stretching widely across her face as she added:
"Once I take complete control of Kanao, I will use her body to bear more children with Sukuna."
Kotori's eyes bulged in alarm, her golden irises shrinking to the sizes of marbles as she firmly grasped her ofuda with her shaking hand.
She can't do that, she thought in protest. Kanao will never be forced to have this sick man's kid! It's not what she wants to do in the future! She wants to avenge her mother's death; it's the reason why she enrolled at Tokyo Jujutsu High!
"You're sickening, with that intention to use my best friend's body as some breeding machine," she snarled angrily at Hisako. "There's no way in hell I'll lose her to that twisted madman you call your husband!"
"Sukuna? A madman?" Hisako questioned, leering at her. "I'll make you regret making such derogatory insults about my man. And I will become his queen, using her body!"
Kotori continued to glare angrily at Hisako, and she could hear her wicked laughter ring throughout the rooftop as she clutched onto her left arm.
This is not the Kanao I know anymore, she thought, an image of a smiling Kanao appearing in her head. She would never turn her back on me, and at this point all I can see from her is… him. The twisted madman of a special grade spirit: Ryomen Sukuna!
Appearing beside Hisako was an image of Sukuna, smiling menacingly. It was a terrifying image that would now be seared into Kotori's head, and his malevolent laughter soon followed, echoing into her mind like a voice would inside a deep cavern.
"Kanao…," she finally spoke up, sounding deeply concerned for her. "I believe you're still inside, trapped helplessly by that wench of a special grade spirit. Please…I beg you… just switch back, so we can be together again."
All of a sudden, Kotori felt a hand wrapping around her throat, clenching it tightly and making it difficult for her to breathe. All she could do was look up to see Hisako, who was glaring irately at her as she tightened her grip.
"I told you not to call me by that wretched name," she warned Kotori, sounding dark. "Kanao is no longer here. I now consider you as my sworn enemy, because you stand in the way between me and my beloved King of Curses."
C-Can't breathe…! Kotori thought, as she was gagging from the forceful grip of Hisako's fingers.
She grabbed hold of Hisako's wrist in an attempt to remove her hand from her neck, but alas, it was no use. Hisako's grip was too strong for her, and the tighter it became, the harder it was for her to breathe.
This is it…, she thought, as she could see Kanao and the others disappearing into a bright light in her head. I'm at the end of my rope. I'll never see Kanao, Gojo-sensei, and the other students I've met at Tokyo High ever again!
Hisako leaned in toward Kotori, and her evil gaze was hard for her to escape from as the special grade spirit said to her:
"I will end this battle here and now, using my special technique, which spells instant death for you, Kotori Yamato."
"And… And that is…?" Kotori asked, throughout her coughing.
Hisako's violet eyes narrowed slightly, as she answered in a darkly sinister tone of voice that brought chills up the ofuda user's spine:
"My Domain Expansion: Crimson Moonlit Hanami."
She has a Domain Expansion?! Kotori thought, her eyes widening in great horror.
Once she finally released Kotori's neck from her grasp, Kotori collapsed onto the ground and her eyes fixated on Hisako performing a hand sign, which would be required to perform a Domain Expansion. The hand sign she just formed was the sign of the Bird, with the tips of her four fingers touching each other and the middle fingers crossing over one another. A dark red aura surrounded Hisako as she closed her eyes for one moment to maintain her focus.
The moment she finally opened them, Hisako incanted:
"Domain Expansion…"
Suddenly, two nails covered in cursed energy projected in mid-air, and Hisako swiftly evaded them as they struck the fence, to Kotori's surprise.
Wait a second! Those nails! Kotori thought, having immediately recognized them. That has to be…!
"What's this?!" Hisako snapped, her eyes bulging at the nails. "Who dares to interrupt my Domain Expansion!?"
It turned out to be Nobara, who had arrived just in the nick of time, holding her hammer in her right hand as she held out two of her left fingers. She had a determined glare on her face, as she was ready to make her move.
"Straw Doll Technique: Hairpin!"
At the snap of her fingers, the cursed energy shrouding the nails imploded, creating dangerously powerful explosions that forced Kotori and Hisako to run away for their safety. As a result, the explosions had left holes in the steel fence, which had broken off due to the strong force they had.
"Kugisaki!" Kotori cried, breathing a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you've come."
"So you're the intruder who ruined my attempt at my Domain Expansion," Hisako snarled at Nobara. "You are despicable."
"Actually, you're the one who's despicable," Nobara corrected, a smirk plastering across her lips. "And I'm gonna make sure you'll regret threatening Yamato's life. Bring it on, ya special grade bitch!"
"I accept your challenge, though I'll make you regret calling me that derogatory name, foolish girl," Hisako replied, "And when I'm through with you, Kotori will die at my hands."
Kugisaki…, Kotori thought, worried of her classmate.
And with that, a new battle between females would commence, with Kanao hanging in the balance!
Any thoughts on this battle so far? The next chapter will be just as epic as this one, so keep an eye out for it!