threads of infinity aftermath 31
The chaos of Shibuya had subsided into an eerie stillness, broken only by the faint crackle of lingering cursed energy in the air. Tsukasa limped onto a nearby rooftop, his breathing labored. His cloak and most of his shirt had been obliterated during the battle, leaving his upper body exposed to the cold night breeze. Blood from his earlier injuries streaked his skin, though he had mostly healed with reverse cursed technique.
The scarlet sky reflected in his Six Eyes as he stared at the carnage below. Mahoraga was gone—its cursed energy annihilated by the devastating Hollow Purple. Yet, the cost of such power lingered in the dull ache of his regrown arm and the residual fatigue from expelling so much cursed energy.
A faint ember of cursed energy danced in the distance, a reminder that Sukuna might have been watching all along. Tsukasa's lips curled into a wry smile.
"Let him hide in the shadows," he murmured, his voice dripping with contempt. "The King of Curses should know better than to stay a voyeur."
As he descended from the rooftop, his movements were purposeful but heavy. Shibuya was not a place he could linger. His goals lay beyond this ruined city. Retrieving the fragments of his composure, he trudged towards a nearby station, his silhouette cast against the flickering streetlights.
A gust of wind sent the tattered remains of his cloak fluttering around him. He spared a glance at the faint scars still visible on his regrown arm. They would fade soon enough, but the memory of Mahoraga cutting through his infinity would linger.
As the train arrived, Tsukasa stepped inside, the doors closing behind him with a soft hiss. The train pulled away, carrying him further from the battlefield and closer to the answers he sought. (who knows how tf this train even ssurvived?!)
This wasn't the end; it was merely the beginning. Tsukasa would return stronger, his domain perfected, and his resolve unshakable.
The train carried Tsukasa far from the wreckage of Shibuya, depositing him at the outskirts of a quiet, forested region. His cursed energy was almost depleted, but the stillness of the woods offered a chance to recover and refocus. The area was perfect—isolated, free of prying eyes, and blanketed in a heavy fog that dulled even the sharpest senses.
Tsukasa stood in the middle of a large clearing, his footsteps crunching softly against the frostbitten grass. He closed his eyes, allowing the residual exhaustion to fade as he activated his Six Eyes. The energy of the world around him flickered like a dim flame—static and unthreatening.
"Domain Expansion..." he murmured, his voice echoing faintly in the still air. "If it crumbled under Sukuna's, then it's not enough."
He raised his hands and began weaving the intricate patterns of cursed energy, his mind dissecting every detail of the process.
"Focus. Stabilize."
The cursed energy flowed outward, wrapping the clearing in a faint shimmer. A barrier began to take form, shimmering like a fragile mirage. The first attempt faltered, collapsing into a spark of harmless energy. Tsukasa gritted his teeth.
"Again."
He repeated the process, pouring his energy outward. This time, the boundary held for a moment longer, a faint manifestation of his will taking shape. The air inside grew heavier, pressing against him like an invisible force.
Suddenly, the structure destabilized, shattering with a deafening crack. Tsukasa staggered, his breathing uneven.
"It's not about brute strength," he muttered, remembering the balance Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine had displayed.
The night dragged on as he cycled through failures, each attempt refining the process further. By dawn, he had established a stable framework—a closed domain with a faint flicker of his inner world peeking through.
The clearing around him had transformed into an ethereal expanse, reflecting the fusion of his celestial and destructive energies. A swirling vortex of light and shadows spread out like a void of stars, the ground beneath his feet glowing faintly.
Tsukasa clenched his fists, a small smile creeping across his face.
"Not perfect... but it'll do for now."
The domain flickered and dissipated as he released it, leaving him standing in the clearing once more. Exhausted but triumphant, Tsukasa leaned against a tree, his thoughts drifting to the battles that lay ahead.
The next time he faced Sukuna, the King of Curses wouldn't have the upper hand.
The forest clearing was eerily quiet, save for the faint rustle of leaves under the cold night wind. Tsukasa stood in its center, shirt barely clinging to his shoulders, his cloak entirely gone. Scars adorned his body, souvenirs from the Shibuya incident. The light of the stars reflected faintly in his icy blue eyes as he raised his hands, energy beginning to swirl around him.
"Again," he muttered to himself.
A faint shimmer enveloped the clearing as cursed energy poured out of him, saturating the air. The pressure built steadily, like the calm before a storm. His Six Eyes gleamed as he carefully manipulated the barrier, weaving the threads of his cursed technique into the framework of his domain.
The barrier began to close, flickering with the faint outline of the Celestial Abyss. Stars and swirling voids materialized within, like fragments of space captured and bent to his will. Tsukasa pushed harder, sweat forming on his brow as he focused on stability. The edges of the domain trembled, ripples of energy spreading through the air.
But the barrier cracked.
It shattered outward with a deafening roar, flinging chunks of earth and broken branches in all directions. Tsukasa stumbled back, breathing heavily, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. Blood trickled from his palm, a result of the immense strain.
"Still not enough," he whispered, staring at the ground as the lingering fragments of the domain dissolved into the night.
He clenched his fists. "If I can't master this, I'm no better than Sukuna—or any of the others who stood in my way. I need more control. More focus."
The sound of a snapping branch behind him made him whirl around, a pulse of cursed energy flaring instinctively. He stood still, eyes narrowing as he scanned the darkness. The forest remained silent.
"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
There was no answer. Only the rustling leaves swayed in the wind. Tsukasa frowned but turned back to his training. This time, he would try again, and he would succeed—no matter the cost.
Tsukasa steadied his breathing, his hand tightening into a fist. His frustration was mounting, but he suppressed it—he couldn't afford to lose control now. Slowly, he stepped back to the center of the clearing, closing his eyes and feeling the residual cursed energy still clinging to the air.
He raised his hand again, this time more deliberate in his movements. The threads of energy spun outward, faint motes of light tracing patterns through the darkness. The shattered remnants of his previous attempts lingered like a haunting reminder, but Tsukasa shut them out, focusing solely on constructing the framework anew.
"Anchor the edges... stabilize the core..." he murmured, repeating his internal mantra. The celestial void began to take shape once more, swirling with chaotic beauty. The stars blinked into existence inside the domain as he expanded it further. The sheer weight of the cursed energy pressed against him, but he refused to waver.
For a moment, it held.
The shimmering boundaries of Celestial Abyss pulsed, glowing faintly with life. Tsukasa opened his eyes, staring at the near-complete form of his domain. He could feel the immense pull of its gravity, the crushing force threatening to collapse everything into itself. But he was in control—finally.
Or so he thought.
The domain wavered suddenly, its edges distorting. The stars began to implode, their light flickering out as cracks spiderwebbed through the barrier. Tsukasa gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of focus into stabilizing it, but the backlash came too quickly.
The barrier shattered with an explosive force, sending Tsukasa hurtling backward. He crashed into a tree, the impact knocking the air from his lungs. For a moment, everything was silent except for the ringing in his ears. Slowly, he sat up, coughing as blood dripped from his lip.
"Still too unstable..." he muttered, wiping his mouth. He looked up at the sky, the stars above unyielding in their calm brilliance. "I need more time."
Pushing himself to his feet, Tsukasa turned to leave the clearing. He needed to recover, regroup, and try again—this time with a clearer plan. As he stepped into the shadows of the forest, he couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching him.
Tsukasa paused mid-step, his instincts flaring to life. The oppressive weight of cursed energy in the area wasn't natural, but he couldn't see anything with his bare eyes. Frowning, he closed his eyes and activated his Six Eyes.
The world lit up in intricate detail, a network of cursed energy flowing through the surroundings. He turned his head slowly, scanning every corner of the clearing. At first, it seemed quiet, but then he spotted it—a faint, deliberate ripple in the cursed energy to his right, as though someone was suppressing their presence just enough to avoid detection.
"Got you," Tsukasa murmured.
His gaze sharpened, focusing on the disturbance. The Six Eyes allowed him to break down the flow of energy, revealing a cloaked figure crouched low behind a tree at the edge of the clearing. Tsukasa straightened, his body tense but calm.
"Whoever you are, come out," he called, his voice steady. "I don't appreciate being watched."
There was no immediate response. The figure remained still, but Tsukasa could see their cursed energy fluctuate slightly, betraying their hesitation. He sighed, lifting his hand and gathering energy for a quick strike.
"Last chance," he said. "Or I make you."
The figure finally moved, stepping into the open. As the shadows peeled away, Tsukasa narrowed his eyes, waiting for their next move.
The atmosphere crackled with tension as the cloaked figure stepped into the open. The figure was tall, their face obscured beneath a deep hood, but the cursed energy emanating from them was palpable, shifting in unpredictable waves. Tsukasa's eyes remained locked on them, his posture relaxed but his energy coiled like a spring, ready to strike.
The stranger's voice cut through the silence, low and calm. "You're sharper than I thought, Six Eyes. No wonder they're so wary of you."
Tsukasa tilted his head slightly, his gaze icy. "And you are?"
The figure chuckled, the sound resonating with a faint edge of mockery. "Does it matter? I'm just here to see if you're as powerful as they say."
Tsukasa's expression didn't shift, but the cursed energy around him subtly flared. "If you wanted a demonstration, you could've asked."
The stranger raised a hand, a dark orb of cursed energy forming in their palm. "Consider this the start of our little game."
Without another word, the orb shot toward Tsukasa, who remained motionless until the last possible moment. With a flick of his wrist, he released a condensed blast of cursed energy, colliding with the orb mid-air and dispersing it in a brilliant burst of light.
"I'll warn you once," Tsukasa said, his voice low and deadly. "If you've come to test me, you'd better be ready for the consequences."
The cloaked figure's laughter rang out again, this time more genuine. "Good. Show me, then. Show me why the Six Eyes are feared."
Tsukasa's stance shifted, his cursed energy surging as he prepared for the inevitable clash. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
The stranger wasted no time, leaping forward with a burst of cursed energy crackling like a storm. Tsukasa met their charge head-on, his movements sharp and fluid as he avoided their strikes with an ease that only the Six Eyes could afford. His cloak fluttered with each swift dodge, the remnants of his battle-worn outfit catching the dim light.
"You're sloppy," Tsukasa commented, deflecting a curse-infused blade aimed at his chest with a surge of controlled energy. His counterstrike—a focused burst of Blue—sent the figure skidding backward, carving a shallow trench in the dirt beneath their feet.
The stranger laughed, brushing dirt from their cloak. "You call this sloppy? I haven't even started."
They thrust a hand forward, summoning a cascade of jagged cursed energy that tore toward Tsukasa like a tidal wave. He raised a hand, creating a barrier with Infinity that shattered the attack on contact, sending harmless sparks scattering around him.
"You rely too much on raw force," Tsukasa said, his tone almost disappointed. "Power means nothing without precision."
The stranger's cursed energy suddenly shifted, intensifying into something darker, more focused. "Then let's see how you handle this." They began weaving intricate hand signs, their cursed energy forming a complex, spiraling pattern in the air.
Tsukasa narrowed his eyes, the Six Eyes analyzing every detail of the attack as it formed. His fingers twitched, gathering his own cursed energy in response. Before the stranger could release their technique, Tsukasa vanished in a blur of motion, reappearing behind them with his palm glowing a vivid azure.
"Blue."
The explosion of energy sent the stranger hurtling through the air, crashing into a tree with a thunderous crack. As the dust settled, Tsukasa stood tall, his icy gaze locked on their slumped figure.
"Still want to continue?" he asked, his voice carrying a dangerous edge.
The stranger coughed, struggling to their feet. Despite their injuries, they chuckled again. "Not bad, Six Eyes. But this is far from over."
Tsukasa's expression remained unchanged as he prepared for their next move, his cursed energy simmering like a storm ready to break.
The stranger's cursed energy flared again, sharper this time, as if they were digging into reserves they hadn't initially planned to use. Their figure wavered for a moment before solidifying, and their eyes glinted with renewed determination.
Tsukasa took a step forward, his own cursed energy humming in anticipation. "If that's your best, I suggest you save us both the trouble and walk away now."
Instead of replying, the stranger formed another series of hand signs, faster than before, and slammed their hands to the ground. The air rippled as a cursed technique took shape, the ground splitting apart and releasing tendrils of dark energy that writhed like living shadows.
The tendrils shot toward Tsukasa, their movements erratic and unpredictable. But the Six Eyes guided him with clarity. He sidestepped, twisted, and moved fluidly through the onslaught, letting Infinity neutralize the tendrils that came too close.
"You've got persistence, I'll give you that," Tsukasa said, his voice calm despite the chaos. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned Red, sending a powerful shockwave tearing through the cursed tendrils and slamming into the stranger, who barely managed to raise a shield of cursed energy in time.
The force shattered their defense, and they stumbled backward, blood trickling from their mouth. Still, they grinned. "You don't know who you're messing with."
Tsukasa tilted his head slightly, his gaze unwavering. "No, but I know you're not a challenge."
The stranger growled and lunged forward, their cursed energy coalescing into a blade. Tsukasa sighed, meeting their attack head-on. Their blade met his barrier with a sharp crack, and before they could recover, he brought his palm up, releasing another Blue at point-blank range.
The stranger was launched back again, this time slamming into the ground with a heavy thud. They didn't get up.
Tsukasa walked toward them, his posture relaxed but his guard still up. "You've wasted enough of my time. Next time you pick a fight, make sure you're ready to finish it."
Turning away, he scanned the area with his Six Eyes, ensuring there were no other threats lingering. The air felt calm again, but Tsukasa remained cautious. He knew better than to assume the fight was truly over.
As he walked away, he muttered to himself, "I need to get back to training. These interruptions are getting annoying."