A/N: 18k Words

A lot of action this chapter, next one will most likely be focused on the aftermath of the entire thing and Megumi's and Laurentina's arrival to Rhodes island.

Not particularly satisfied with the chapter, but I've been itching to complete it.

Impatience, yet diligence. Those were the two remaining factors that made up his mood at the moment, two swirling emotions that had always kept him on guard. Recently, he had to move hotels along with Laurentina so no bombs were planted under his feet because of a few certain people who would want to seek revenge on them. Those passing thoughts and anxieties honestly... hadn't bothered him that much. After floundering around so much when he had first arrived in this world, and being flabbergasted by everything that it had thrown at him—a few assassins after his tail wasn't... that surprising.

That wasn't even including all of the troubles he had gone through back in Jujutsu Society, and all the troubles it brought. For all intents and purposes, Fushiguro Megumi didn't think much could surprise him at this point in his life, unless he met a god or something, but that wasn't something he would expect. If this world was ruled by gods, then they would have prominent mentions, no? Or was it that he hasn't dug his nose into enough books to be aware of the possible higher beings who could exist? It was all too much of a bother—and he realized just how lacking he had been in attempting to gain more knowledge on the world of Terra.

The Leithanien books he had yet to return were already all read, he had a good enough history of Leithanien he would like to believe. Recently, all he had been reading were the poem books that Viviana would lend him, along with finishing the Last Knight of Kazimierz. Speaking of the book, the Last Knight of Kazimierz was... an interesting read. It might not have been his cup of tea with how it wasn't a non-fiction book, but rather a work of fiction—maybe based on a true story—but then the true story could have also been exaggerated. Not everything in his previous world was one-hundred percent accurate, and it would be naive of him to believe any differently here.

Especially with how much of a mess it was.

Overall, a good read. He wouldn't say it was the greatest book, or the book among books that he has had the pleasure of reading, but it was up there. That was all that needed to be said of the hardcover book held in his hands, the thick but soft material pressing against his finger to produce a constant pressure.

"Is that so?"

Megumi turned toward Viviana who hummed out a sound of acknowledgement toward how he had described the aforementioned book, and his opinions on it. The message was hard to understand, and as the Independent Knight had said, it was more based on the reader's reading comprehension and interpretation. Fairly said, honestly.

"As long as you enjoyed the book," Viviana gave another one of her smiles in the V.I.P. room the both of them sat in, "then that's enough for me. TheLast Knight of Kazimierzhas been a fable stuck with me for so long, it was one of the first books I've ever read since coming to this country." She started reminiscing, her eyes becoming despondent while speaking, perhaps stuck in some sort of trance if the other occupant had to hazard a guess.

"A nostalgic book?" Megumi questioned, "I can understand that... I guess I'm just more used to physical experiences—those are where most of my nostalgic memories can be found." He handed the book back to Viviana, but the Elafian woman came out of her trance to raise her hand in the motion of "stop."

"Oh, please, keep the book, I already have a dozen other copies," Viviana kept up her amicable expression.

"A dozen other copies?" Megumi, despite his tone-deaf voice, had the upper crevices of his eyelids turning upwards.

"I bought the earlier editions, they all have their own minute differences in them, that completely change the theme," Viviana held a candelabrum in her left hand, something that the black-haired man sitting beside her had already assumed to be for sentimental purposes. "Whether it be a small change in expression or wording, it's there."

"I see..." Megumi nodded slowly, "the Last Knight of Kazimierz... I remember you saying that critics saw it as meaningless and blunt. But really, I can't say much about their views on it—" because he, himself, was as meaningless and blunt on his journey as he ever could be "—it's as you say, it's all up to interpretation. If they view it that way, then so be it. For myself..." he let his voice draw out.

Viviana listened expectantly, her Elafian ears somewhat twitching when watching him hold a postulating expression.

"...Knighthood, I guess," Megumi crossed his arms and leaned back, "I guess he's what a true knight should be." The Last Knight, a title that could tell a million different stories. When the word "first" or "last" was included in a title, the black-haired man would always assume they would be a hallmark example of something "historical."

"A true knight..." Viviana whispered.

"Well, I wouldn't say his mind is in the right place," Megumi said suddenly, making the Elafian woman slightly twitch, "attacking Nomadic Cities? Attacking random towers? Attacking mountains? I honestly can't tell if a psychiatrist should read the book and psychoanalyze him or not. The story and ending seems to hint at the Last Knight going insane with what he does, parading it satirically as honorable actions in the name of chivalry—or it could be interpreted as what a knight truly is. I believe hiswantsanddesiresare akin to that of a true knight—yes—but the actions he does in the story can also portray him as somebody who has lost their minds."

"Hm... the best comparison I can make of your review..." Viviana pressed her index finger against her lower lip while looking contemplatively "...a villain who wishes and desires to do good... but their means are not the most noble?"

"Yes, but I don't believe the Last Knight is a villainous figure per se," Megumi nodded toward Viviana, "that's probably not how you interpreted my words. But to be more precise, he is somebody whose personality is in the right place, and his ideals are noble—but just his actions don't seem productive toward them. It's a glorious story, that's probably what the author was attempting to go for if the undertones of the story weren't intentional, but I guess from my view... I see it in more of a different light..."

"I'm glad."

"...?" Megumi stared at Viviana with a raised brow.

"I'm glad, because it's enlightening to hear your views," Viviana continued to smile, closing her eyes, "most critics have disposed of the view that the Last Knight could embody anything noble—instead seeing his actions as meaningless and those of blunt foolishness. However, you're the only one that I've seen find meaning out of it, rather than brushing it off as somebody would with a speck of dust. Do you have a passion for reading?"

"...I was just educated," Megumi shrugged, "it was a basic course back in highschool and college, analyzing literary text and all. I don't believe there's anything special about it..."

"What was it like?"

"What was it like...?" He didn't quite understand her question, wondering if she was asking how he felt about the experience.

"Learning to analyze literary texts, did they have a set plan or teaching for you?" Viviana tilted her head.

"Oh, I see..." he said, "you come up with your interpretation of a literary text that you read, such literary texts include poems, novels, and everything in between. Usually, the teacher would give the author's own interpretation after you had formed your own, and then came the process of seeing how well yours compares to them. My teacher..." Gojo Satoru... "would always say that when a literary text gets published, hundreds of other interpretations would be formed and twisted from the original work—not everybody can fully comprehend what the author wishes to write. That's a human trait."

"Did you know...?" Viviana glanced down with a slightly bitter smile.

"Yes...?"

"This is the first time I've seen you talk so passionately," the Elafian woman answered, before glancing upwards to meet those two crimson jewels of Fushiguro Megumi. "Your answers are straightforward, passionless, and sometimes; I have to wonder if there was anything that you looked forward to—to anything that you desire."

"..."

"You just seemed... so lost... every step of the way. I've heard and remembered how you said you travel this world rather aimlessly, am I correct?" Viviana watched the black-haired man slowly nod, "did you ever come to enjoy it?"

"I..." Megumi mumbled under his breath, glancing away to regain his thoughts. Did he... ever...? Enjoy it? Did he enjoy this sick and twisted world that seemed to laugh at him at every step? Did he ever enjoy being the toy of fate, being bitten between its fangs and wrung around like a dog's ragdoll? Did he enjoy becoming a clown, accepting even his worst enemy's existence in order to survive? Did he enjoy clinging on to the only memories he had of his home, desperately clawing at any reason to live on? Did he enjoy floundering around, praying in his mind that every waking night he would find himself back in his own world?

Did he enjoy...?

No.

No he didn't.

He never did.

"...Megumi," Viviana stared at the ungazing eyes of the black-haired man, watching it forcibly dart away from her own eyes, "I can't say much about your situation, or how you feel..." she moved forward but a single step, placing a hand on Megumi's shoulder, causing the recipient to turn and finally meet her gaze. "But I'm glad. Despite all the troubles you face, I'm glad somebody like you can at least smile about your passions."

...He felt heartbroken,

AAA

Megumi stared at the Hall of Champions. The many figures aligning the walls were people that he didn't recognize. Only then did he turn to the three time champion known as the Black Knight did he remember Viviana talking about the woman. Apparently, her physical strength was off the charts, but she wasn't capable of using any sort of Arts. That was what had somewhat piqued his interest when first hearing about it, reminding him of a certain somebody when it came to those kinds of features.

"Taking a look at the champions?"

He glanced to the side and saw Ioleta Russel walking up from down the hall toward his side, also gazing at the many images hung up in commemoration of Kazimierz's champions, "yes, I am." The black-haired man turned his full attention back toward them. One thing that was strange, however...

"Notice anything different?" Ioleta stopped by his side and crossed her arms, her eyes gazing upon them herself, "the three time champion, Degenbrecher, the Black Knight. And then..." she shifted her gaze toward the right, which didn't even hold a picture frame after the assigned Black Knight "...Margaret, the Radiant Knight."

"She was revealed to be Infected, wasn't she?" Megumi stared at the same area as the Pegasus did.

"Indeed, she was," Ioleta gravely nodded, "ousted from Kazimierz for such a fickle reason. Despite all she had done for Kazimierz, despite all the accomplishments the public had cheered her for—just a single phrase was enough to cast her off this city."

"What was she like?" Megumi couldn't help but ask.

"A light," Ioleta placed on a thinking gesture, "a light that shone ever so brightly in the darkness that was this country. Despite whatever shadows crept her way, her insurmountable might and compassion would dispel it, rendering even the darkest chasms alit. Truly, Kawalerielki never deserved a knight like her."

"A light, huh...?" Megumi kept attempting to imagine the figure of Margaret Nearl upon one of the picture frames, if her champion's picture had still been hung up on the walls. "I can't draw much of an opinion on her. I've only seen her matches, and I've never met her in person."

"Hm, that's fair," Ioleta exited her thinking posture and placed her hands on her hips, "if the winds of change ever rear their way back to Kazimierz, I hope it is for the best. You're participating in the Major, aren't you? I've seen the many news outlets come to an outburst with just a mere mention of your title; 'Cursed Samurai'."

"...It's embarrassing to hear," Megumi frowned.

"Hah~ did you know you're the first ever person to receive a title that doesn't include "knight" in it?" Ioleta let out a chuckle, "this is the first time I've seen the Major break such traditions."

"If that's supposed to be memorable... I'm afraid I don't quite share the same sentiment," Megumi said. "I don't see what's so great about the Kazimierz Major, if I'm being honest. What makes the competition knights any better than the campaign knights who spill blood for their country?"

"Then I believe we share the same view," Ioleta nodded, "the world of Kazimierz has long since forgotten the meaning of knights. Tell me, do you view yourself as a knight? Or as the title the public has bestowed you."

"I'm not a knight or a samurai, it's probably just a publicity stunt for the Major to make themselves more money by presenting an artificial situation," Megumi dryly replied, "if anything, a samurai is the farthest thing you could ever describe me as."

"Ah, I remember now..." Ioleta snapped her right hand with a smile, "goodness, you participated in the Major so my daughter would need not fight a battle of uneven odds. I've forgotten to give you my many thanks in that regard."

"Oh..." Megumi saw the already amicable woman become twice as so, "no... there's no need to stress yourself over thanking me. If it was any of my friends, I wouldn't want them to be put into an unfair situation."

"There's no need to be so humble," Ioleta waved off his words, "but I'm curious. Did you know why our dear Viviana was to have a one-versus-two match?"

Megumi let the question register in his mind, "because... her partner went missing during the time of the match."

"Your tone seems to be implying something else. I take it that you're already aware of the implications of a competition knight suddenly going missing? Especially on the day of their match, that is." Ioleta released a small sigh. "A dreaded notion, all the same as it has been ever since the stakeholders saw the Black Knight with unruly eyes."

"...I can't deny that." Megumi felt his eyes drop downwards, "I guess maybe, that's why I hold a grudge against them."

"I'm aware."

"How much?" Megumi raised an eyebrow.

"The Armorless Union attempting to stake claim to your life, with the aid of the K.G.C.C." Ioleta replied. "Are you sure you can handle them by yourself?" Her tone shifted, one more akin to worry than her usual cordial personality.

"I have somebody else to aid me, a monstrously powerful one," Megumi's memories raced back to the time when Laurentina had "lightly" landed a punch against his liver against one of their sparring matches. Blood came out of his mouth, and the gleeful smile of the woman while standing over his downed form was... quite terrifying.

"If you ever need assistance, then I believe I can be of help. For now, you'll be participating in the Fireblade Melee next, aren't you?"

"That's good to hear, and yes... it's most likely my last match for the Major. I'm not here to claim any trophy," Megumi clarified.

"Then I look forward to seeing Viviana's growth," Ioleta nodded, before shifting her body and taking a making her exit, but not after leaving some parting words, "be wary of the "Darksteels," you may find their means of battle to be unscrupulous, but that is how they operate. Take in every sight of the churning shadows, and be ready for your life to be at stake. I pray for your safety, Fushiguro Megumi."

The Jujutsu Sorcerer watched as the Pegasus' back became invisible after she had turned a hallway.

Megumi traversed the metallic lands of one of humanity's inner structures crafted for entertainment, hearing the pressure of his feet clash against the hard floor. It produced an ancient sound of dominance, befitting of a villain reflected in the eyes of the public. Everything just had to become a matter of pride, and Fushiguro Megumi knew that it would have been better to steer clear of such a notion. However, he needed to ruffle a few more feathers, and also pluck some feathers off the birds that flew high above the sky—uncaring of whatever they excreted their waste upon.

Therefore, one more match was needed. To fully provoke the imaginary organization that he stood on opposite sides, and to spit in the face of those stakeholders rigging whatever opportunities they found to benefit their needs. Such needs included gaining as much capital as possible, something that sickened the black-haired man to his core. How much more were they going to corrupt the country and pull the strings to their sway? Just to line their own pockets with thicker layers of green tapestry? Haven't they already had enough?

Megumi already knew the answer, theyneverhad enough. Just as he, himself, could never truly declare that he would be satisfied with the level that he stood at in terms of strength—those who held too much power in their hands standing atop the towers of lined pearl could never truly declare that they would be satisfy with the level of wealth that they had attained. There were aspects that he could recognize in their similarity, the difference was that they were uncaring of whoever they stained in their journey for vanity.

Letting out a frustrated sigh and then glancing at his wrist, Megumi took note of the condition of his veins. They looked normal, the same bluish transparency that would leak through his pale skin whenever he focused enough.

His blood pressure had been unnaturally high ever since the acceptance of Ryomen Sukuna's body and existence as his own. They were reasons that made him want to puke and retch across railings, wishing to regurgitate the contents of what he had consumed that day whenever his memories were brought back to that time. All that remained was an unnatural balance that would have killed a normal man a hundred times over with the course of time that the Jujutsu Sorcerer had experienced with it.

Really... letting Ryomen Sukuna's deceased corpse alter his own body seemed beneficial on paper, but it had only brought him many problems also. Notwithstanding, the mental problems were still the worst part.

However, under a Binding Vow, the over excessive blood pressure of two hearts pumping blood toward his four lungs had been reborn anew into something that he could shape with his hands. After passing a certain threshold, they would undergo eryptosis, turning the now dead cells into Cursed Energy that he could utilize. Therefore, the reinforced but horrendously expanded veins of his body were brought back to normal, instead of becoming big enough to the point where it would become a detriment to his body. Something that he had done ever since he had almost experienced an arrest of his own life.

It was painful every time his excess blood cells would die, but he had grown used to it. The rapid feeling of Cursed Energy reaching such high levels had never been more gratifying, and Fushiguro Megumi wouldgladlyaccept it. Reverse Cursed Technique could become a viable option, and restoring his lost Cursed Energy had been far easier—even after his Output and Reserves had been cut in half via two Binding Vows. Speaking of those Binding Vows... they should be ending after some time. The anticipation was not lost to him, as every day he kept an internal clock of whenever they would end.

Did it even compare to Okkotsu Yuta's boundless Cursed Energy? Absolutely not. But it was better than nothing.

Glancing back upwards, the familiar light leading toward the Kazimierz Major's main arena brought itself closer. It was the one guiding his path toward the tournament filled with bloodshed and lost meaning. Warriors, who knew naught why they fight, and warriors who knew exactly why. no matter who they were; they all stood in the same confined circus. There was only one person that Fushiguro Megumi could respect in his mind, and that wasn't even himself. He was the worst of them all, after all.

'...Just send the message across, and everything comes to fruition—just as you have envisioned it.'

"—Goooood~ late afternoon folks! This is your commentator Greatmouth Mob subbing in for the previous announcer and commentator after they had gotten a sick case of being under the weather! For this match's theme, we are going to be shifting from one-on-one and two-on-two matches to something way more chaotic! That's right, we'll be pitting our top knights against each other in! The! Fireblade Melee—!"

The audience let out a cheer at his words, but it lacked the usual fervor that it had before. Instead of the uncontrolled masses put on a leash by their own fever toward the grandiose event occurring right before their very eyes, only a few people could accurately say that they were fully invested in the match. The fact still remained however, that therewassome expectation for something captivating to happen.

"—Come on! Give me more energy, you're experiencing every single knight taking a bout against one another in the glorious fields of this arena, and just about anything goes if it's as chaotic as any of the other matches we've had before, so! Kazimierz, are you going to let your spirits die out just because of one strange event recently?! Come on! Give me your high hopes in full force—!"

Once more, as if intoxicated by some sort of liquor that seeped from the commentator's words, the audience let out a cheer that rumbled the skies themselves, filling the arena with a newfound spirit that burned far more brightly than before. Who would have known? That it needed the unmitigated exclamations of a single person to be the lighter of their flames?

"—Haha~! That's more like it folks! Okay! For this match, the participating knights that you all know and love—and some that you may not—are the Blazingaxe Knight! The Independent Knight Viviana Droste! The Brassrust Knight! The Savage Knight! The Left-hand Knight! The Plastic Knight! The Whitemaple Knight! The Withered Knight! The Corrupted Knight! And the one that we all love or hate—! It doesn't matter—! The one who has broken Kazimierz's traditional title system for his first ever match—! The Cursed Samurai—!"

As if on cue, the tunnels leading in toward the arena had opened, revealing all of the competitors who had been listed to participate in the Fireblade Melee. In total, ten contestants stepped in the arena, all with varying expressions placed upon a spectrum of emotions. One thing was for certain, and that all their gazes had been discreetly turned toward Fushiguro Megumi, the black-haired man who was now equipped withtwoweapons instead of his usual one.

"—Oh?! Would you look at this! It seems everybody has their sights on the Cursed Samurai the moment he stepped into the arena! And said Cursed Samurai who usually carries only one weapon with him in the form of a Katana rumored to be able to split Nomadic Cities had another sheathed by his side in a far greater size! What could this mean for our contestants there?! Has he finally taken the matches seriously—?!"

The man of the hour continued to stare at the scene with an emotionless outlook. He was confident, even if his expression didn't show it, that he could take on all of the knights in the arena if he were to put in the effort to do so. Itwouldbe difficult if he didn't use his Shikigami or draw his Cursed Tool, but that wasn't what he cared about. He didn't care if he won or lost this match, he was going to further ruin the stakeholder's days and further provoke the Armorless Union. Especially if they had heard what he had done yesterday.

The commentator's rambunctious words eventually died out in his ears as he continued to move to the center of the arena while they had counted down for the match to start, feeling the gaze of thousands of people—including the knights in the arena—also turn toward him. His gaze met with the Blazingaxe Knight's for a brief moment, the knight dressed in a sanguine armor seemingly... Well, he didn't know, because he couldn't tell what his expression was under the plates adorning his body.

For Viviana, the Elafian woman merely gave him a small smile while keeping her combat-ready position. Now that he thought about it... she was the only person who didn't wear a helmet as compared to all the other knights.

"—The countdown has already finished, yet nobody except for the Cursed Samurai has moved! Look at his casual steps as he makes it to the center of the arena, as if he's declaring himself as the first one to take the shots! What could this mean for the rest of the match, well, we'll just have to see! But! Before we go on any further, I would like to tell you that—"

Megumi felt a greatbow being pointed toward him. Turning his gaze toward the aggressor with a bored look, the Jujutsu Sorcerer identified them as the "Withered Knight," a Sarkaz knight which had been said to be known for his brutality and Arts. To their side was the "Corrupted Knight," who was holding a greathammer that looked like it could fell entire multi-story structures with one swing.

A booming sound was heard as the two arrows nocked on the greatbow were released, while the Corrupted Knight with his greathammer charged forward. They were the ones to strike first, and the Jujutsu Sorcerer would happily comply.

"—At blistering speeds, the Corrupted Knight and Withered Knight known for their brutal companionship have taken the first move while all others watch on with bated breaths! Even the knights in the arena—! But wait, the Cursed Samurai maneuvered through the arrows like they were nothing and charged toward the Corrupted Knight with even quicker steps—!"

BOOM!

A harsh sound interrupted the commentator as Megumi had blitzed toward the Corrupted Knight's front, removing Ame-no-Habakiri from its sash and jamming the jilt against his stomach, and causing the armor plates to rattle.

"Grah!" The Corrupted Knight reeled from the blow, but quickly recovered and raised their hammer to slam it down toward where Megumi was. It would find nothing even when it shattered the ground, leaving a sizable crater.

"Have you lost your mind?" Megumi asked while shifting his body.

The Corrupted Knight looked upwards as a tornado kick was delivered toward his face, two impacts knocking them back. The black-haired man had decided to stay in front of him so that his companion, the Withered Knight wouldn't be able to fire arrows toward him, but it was all for naught. The other one had already strafed around and found a clear deliverance from his greatbow.

Megumi landed on the ground after having dazed the Corrupted Knight, before hedrewAme-no-Habakiri.

SLASH!

The sound of water arcing with such high speed that it sounded like a slash echoed in the arena, slicing the two arrows coming his way in such a way that the crowd and commentator could barely detect. From their view, it was as if he had placed his hand on the blade's hilt, twitched, and then a slash was unleashed. The waters of Ame-no-Habakiri stored weapons in them, further increasing their potency for damage.

"—D-did everybody else see such a swift display of speed and accuracy?! Even I could hardly detect when he had drawn his weapon and resheathed it! Goodness, this is the first time we've ever seen the Cursed Samurai draw his weapon! Now look at him go, not drawing his weapon again but laying a complete and utter beatdown on the Corrupted Knight while every other knight watches on with bated breaths! Come on! This is the Fireblade Arena, a free-for-all match! ARE YOU ALL JUST GOING TO STAND THERE—?!"

However, the commentator's suggestions toward all other knights were immediately cut off when Megumi had grabbed the Corrupted Knight by the face, and hadthrownhim toward the Withered Knight, forcing the greatbow user to cancel their attack and attempt to move out of the way. Fortunately for Megumi, they were too slow, and had to experience the accelerated weight of their brother slamming into them.

Without giving them any breaks, Megumi shot forward like a gun propelling a bullet forward, delivering a drop-kick once he had made it toward where they were, releasing enough force to keep him stationary in the air as his foot slammed into both of their stomach's. A sonic boom echoed later on, before the two competition knights found themselves on the other side of the arena, leaving a large marking in the wall from where they had impacted.

"—Was that the rumored Mach 3 movement speed that has been circulating the news?! Wow! Seeing it in person is far different from seeing it behind the screen! Look at that perfect form drop-kick and capability of sending two goliaths off to the other side of the arena...! Are they out for the count from just one attack?!"

Megumi did not hold anything back, making sure those twostayeddown from that attack as he fell down to a kneeling position, and then stood back up. He didn't need to ascertain the two knight's condition, as he turned around to regard all the other knights that had watched him. His sick and tired disposition reflected in both his demeanor and words.

"Next."

"So... what's the game plan now," Platinum pinched the bridge of his nose while glancing at Roy, "you're my superior, so act like one."

"Well..." Roy had his arms crossed, and for once in his life, was holding a hard to read expression. "Monique had her right arm sliced off like a piece of bamboo, so she's out of commission until her prosthesis comes around..." there was no more humor or carefreeness present.

Platinum closed his eyes, waiting for an answer.

"The Darksteels, they're taking the reins from here."

"...So he's that much of a threat?" Platinum opened his eyes and groaned, "why the hell is he even in Kazimierz?"

Roy ignored his question, "the K.G.C.C. sent in the Corrupted Knight and Withered Knight to try and deal with him in the arena... but I've got no idea if that's gonna go well for them or not."

"He sliced off Monique's arm, what do you expect?"

"...Hm," Roy let out a breath, "you're really not putting much positivity in this whole thing, huh?"

"Breaking the sound barrier at Mach 3 as those armchair physics on the internet and news articles have been saying, and one that we have both seen with our own eyes... is there anything to be positive about this?" Platinum asked with a groan.

"Maybe..." Roy whistled "...maybe not. But hey, hey, at least we go the big ones up there backing us up—if the Darksteels are getting involved, then the guy better count his days. They don't screw around."

"The Darksteels, huh?" Platinum scrunched his brows, even though he knew just about nothing about them other than that they were his superior's superior, the figurative spearhead of the entire organization. "Think they can kill him?"

"If we distract that monster, then I bet we can," Roy, placed his hands on his hips with a confident expression, "with all the set-up they're making behind the scenes, all we have to do is follow their orders and then that guy will be dealt with. Quick. That much I'm certain about."

"If you're that confident... then I hope it isn't misplaced."

"Come on, the Darksteels," Roy huffed out while repeating their names, "if it's a night sky filled without any lights, expect them to deal with any target in Kazimierz. If they wanted to do so—all of us—you, Monique, and I; would be killed without even realizing it. You should at least be aware of that, right?" He smiled toward the other man.

"...One target, and all of us against him," Platinum placed a hand on his forehead and creased his brows, "sure... we'll get rid of him. And then everything goes back to normal."

"That's right~" Lazurite Roy moved to pat the other man on the back with a friendly look, "especially with the plan they've got cooking up. He won't even know what hit 'em."

AAA

Viviana stood where she was at, watching the scene unravel in front of her. Multiple knights charging a single target, of a person that she knew well. All of it proved meaningless however, as even with their combined efforts, all of them had been knocked off their feet at such speeds that she found her eyes gaze off to somewhere else when Fushiguro Megumi's body flickered. There was something hidden beneath those eyes of his, and she knew what its name was. Anger.

The harsh blows of his blunt weapon, even at times unleashing a sword strike to send a message through, or the multiple vortexes that open to either entrap someone's feet or fire dump weapons from outside... all created what was essentially a battlefield in front of her. No more was it the artificial arena with dirt and some dots of moisture aligning its land, but a bladed wasteland with rolling fields, where corpses were made and where lives were taken. Thankfully, though—there were no lives taken here.

Only broken armor and dripping blood.

Many of the red liquid seeping from the seams of the knight's armor fell upon the fissured cracks on the floor. More bodies continued to be piled around, the esteemed knights of Kazimierz falling one by one. With each sound of metal being torn apart, or of a sonic boom making itself known, somebody would be destined to fall under their preordained fate. Once more, she was granted passage to a sight of bodies scattered across the field, forming an altar beneath a certain black-haired man's feet.

The reverberations grew louder as the audience grew quieter. What was once a tournament meant for entertainment and made for the cheers of the crowd turned into a slaughterhouse that nobody could appreciate. There were countless fans of the knights that Viviana saw in front of them, and it was like watching a hero fall in their own story. How dramatic the scene was, certainly matching more of the melancholic poems she would write.

"For what purpose does he fight?"

Viviana glanced toward the voice beside her, "Blazingaxe Knight?"

"That man... he's unrestrained. A battlefield is more fitting for him, and yet what winds has brought him in a place such as this?" The Blazingaxe Knight held his weapon in hand, watching the scene unfold, "as if nothing is holding him down."

"A free-spirited man, no?" Viviana replied, turning back toward the match, "I doubt the Major could be as it normally is with him around. That... Withered Knight and Corrupted Knight are usually never participants, are they? What a strange occasion to bring them in." Her gaze trailed toward where they were. At times, it has been recorded where they had "accidently" killed their opponents.

"Hrm," the Blazingaxe Knight continued to watch the chaotic scene in front of him while listening to Viviana's words. "A fight for survival, it seems," the Minoan ignored the woman beside him, before taking a step forward. "It matters not if I fail, we are being watched all the same."

Viviana let out a hum of agreement, before sighing. She could feel the eyes of Megumi turn toward her, his expression seemingly asking her to attack him—politely—of course. 'Well... if that is what you so desire.'

She lifted her Candle Sword.

"Wow~ look at him go," Laurentina mused out loud while watching the flat-screen TV, "it's almost as if Princess wants all the spotlight to go on him." But she wasn't complaining, it was funny watching the usually rambunctious crowd go from their frenzied state to a heavy silence.

She watched his movements, the quick bursts of speed that seldom reminded her of her Captain. For somebody such as herself, Fushiguro Megumi was one of the fastest growing people she had ever met. Once he was a man floundering around dryland in a way that she would have never expected for a land-dweller, and then the next he became a killing machine ready to go against even the most fearsome of foes.

Look at him, moving at such speeds where he broke the sound barrier constantly, and possessing some sort of Divine General that even she hadn't known before. Every movement of his was cold and calculated, leaving no room for mistakes. Whenever his aggressive strikes came out, they left a reverberating shockwave that could be heard echoing all across the arena—but somewhat diminished by the cameras she was viewing the match through.

"Growth... How beautiful. That explosive impatience of yours has shown its results, hasn't it?" She had to wonder what had driven him in the first place. Over the months she had become familiar with him, the composure he held was undeniable, but at times, even his steeled eyes could become twitchy and despondent. Now that brought up the question to her what he had been chasing after, and what he even desired in the first place.

If anything, it was as if he were chasing phantoms.

"I'll find out when I reunite with Skadi again, hm... yes, that sounds like a plan." She would bring her plan into motion when that moment came, and press the black-haired man more on whatever was bothering him. "Right now...?" The Abyssal Hunter's gaze turned to the outside window, looking off into the outside view. "I'll just wait for your signal. My, aren't you one for provocations?"

He had already informed her of his method for striking back against the Armorless Union, and she had been jubilant to abide by them.

Now, what amazing action was the black-haired man going to do next? Was he going to sweep the competition and show himself as the strongest amongst the field of ants? Or was putting up more of a show something that he was aiming for? So many possibilities, and so many expectations came across her mind.

Goodness, she was finding this to be far more entertaining than she thought.

"I forfeit the match."

A silence covered the entire arena as Fushiguro Megumi spoke those words. His eyes stared at the other knights who were still standing, which was the Blazingaxe Knight in a battered condition, the Savage Knight who looked like they were barely holding on, and Viviana... who looked relatively fine, but the faint doubt lingering in her eyes and the posture of exhaustion was still present.

The audience and viewers who had turned into a mumbling crowd was once more completely silenced. Only small murmurs of disbelief could be heard, as friends and families alike glanced at each other from hearing such an absurd claim. The fighter inside of the arena, one who had as much recognition by the public toward his strength as he had infamy, had forfeited the match again. The one which he had been dominating.

"Don't expect me to come back here," Megumi turned away with a disappointed look on his face, having already completed his objective. "Goodbye," he waved his hand toward the people watching, relishing in the deafening silence that had been caused. Once more, he had ruined everybody's day of what should be an exciting match to watch and look forward to in the Kazimierz Major.

If he expressed disinterest in the entire event, then he was also confident it would spread to some of the audience members, and thus make them bear the same sentiment as he did.

The many eyes which had turned toward him were unnerving, but he could bear with it. Now, all he needed to do was wait, until he received another warning or threat that would bait him to another location.

BEEP!

'Oh... perfect timing.'

On the other side of the arena, Viviana watched on with confusion as the black-haired man stepped back into the tunnels. There wasn't even a word from the commentator, who she could hear was attempting to find the words to describe the situation, and to break out of his disbelief. The Elafian woman already knew that he possessed no interest in the Majors, but to walk off just like that...

...He really did as he wanted.

She could hear it, the mumbling of the crowd that was becoming louder and more transparent. It was a small but noticeable change, where they held both frustration and disinterest in what had just happened. Perhaps this was Fushiguro Megumi's plan, to have the crowd disappointed and displeased, but she wasn't concretely sure.

Perhaps just in contrast to the Radiant Knight had fought to remind Kazimierz of what true knighthood was...

...Fushiguro Megumi had given up to remind Kazimierz of how low they've fallen.

Viviana couldn't help but mirthfully smile.

Laurentina watched the screen with a slightly confused expression, but merely let the situation go by her. She had chalked up his forfeit to be purposeful, in order to leave the crowd as... well, the same way that she felt. Whether they wanted to see him dominate the rest of the knights or watch him finally be thrown off the high horse he had found himself in, they wouldn't be granted the pleasure of any of them. Besides, it was a forfeit, and there was nothing fun about somebody who was forfeiting despite looking like they hadn't been struggling at all.

It wasn't that she was disappointed that he didn't do anything much after, nope. Not at all. That wasn't the case.

"What a way to proceed with things," the Abyssal Hunter talked to herself, before turning toward her phone placed atop the bed's cabinet. There was a ring, notifying her of a message most likely sent by the black-haired man, "well, it seems he's received all that he's needed, hm?"

How exciting it was to finally stretch her muscles for a little bit.

AAA

Hours later...

There was something known as "In-progress" Nomadic City plates, which signified ones that haven't quite finished with their construction yet. With the limited time the Jujutsu Sorcerer had spent in the world of Terra, being granted an audience with what one would look like was never something he had experienced. With the message he had received from an unknown messenger, it was already clear to him why they had led him to such an area, on the basis of a "discussion." It was most likely they already knew that he wanted them to bring him to such a place, and it was even more likely they obliged to it because it provided them more advantages compared to disadvantages.

Blinding lights of the night sky had never been so clear for Fushiguro Megumi. From where he stood, the towering skyscrapers still under construction—with only a few here and there having already finished full production—it gave him a rather superliminal feel when standing at the epicenter of it. There was no storm, there was no fog, and there were no clouds as the night had crept in. The multiple lights meant to light up the scenes for construction were asleep, but that didn't hamper his sights from seeing their familiar yellow all across the unfinished buildings.

The unfinished structures were lined up as far as the eye could see. He didn't know the story behind these structures, or why they were only being built now, but he did know that it provided the perfect solitary place for an assassin to get the jump on him. That wasn't even including how empty it was during this time of the night, where only homeless people with nothing to lose would be brave enough to waltz inside and declare the place their new home. Most likely, they would be driven out, but that wasn't what mattered to him.

Across the edge of the horizon were the neon lights of Kawalerielki's combined cities. They were so dense that they formed a thin line across the landscape, not even being bent out of view because of the straight platform that the city stood upon. When standing at the designated location, the Jujutsu Sorcerer could already see why they wished for him to stand here. The lights, they would obscure any sneak attacks that would come his way, letting any artillery fire or extraneously skilled bowmen fire at him without any consequence.

But did such a lack of consequence from his opponents bother him at all? Not at all, if anything, it was merely a mosquito bite, eliciting a small reaction and a flick of his palm; but nothing else. The wind continued to howl while the black-haired man stood in place, his arms crossing and his eyes seemingly starting to space out toward the boundlessness of space. A lack of emotion such as wrath or sorrow was the dogma he worshipped, the one which had led him across many hurdles and obstacles.

Yet, at the same time, the insanity buried deep inside of his chest, falling straight to his stomach and producing an uncomfortable feeling, was the spearhead toward his progress. It was the key, the principal and quintessential mindset that he needed to double-down on, and to fall ever deeper into its spiral. The madness that came with it held no restraint, and with no restraint in one's mindset, what restraint would there ever be in growth? The shattered chains of reality... Megumi had to fully admit to himself, it was the greatest gift that he had come to realize and see the true value of.

...Nobody would ever catch him making such a claim out loud.

The howling of the wind ceased, the impenetrable echo of the imaginary wolves finally disappearing. Despite the twisting of air around him forming a delocalized and small tornado around himself—or what felt like one—there was no sound that his ears could perceive. The distance of the city was beyond his vast vision, meaning that no sound could make the mile between it and him. A prophecy seemed to be foretold, one written by the hands of an ordinary man to decree his death, one ladened in dark and steel.

The stars, they twisted. Once covered by the municipal display of society's economic prosperity turned into endless greed, splayed across even for the skies of the empyreal azure to see, had finally borne their wrath for only him to see. A kaleidoscopic color was illuminated up above the cosmic plane, turning the Jujutsu Sorcerer's attention to it. They continued to shimmer, producing a heat that even he could feel even from the vast distance separating each other. His hearts thumped in tandem with each other, the anticipation rising a volcanic heat above his chest—and up toward his throat.

It was all so nostalgic, bringing him back to a time where different shadows lurked, all in a way that placed his life into jeopardy.

His lips quivered with a twitch, but not one from fear or despair. No, not even his fingers were spared from such a feeling, and the rest of his body followed. The heat rising above his chest and forcing its way out of his body, finally made itself known. Opening his mouth to release it, steam exited while he spoke.

"Come out already."

Somebody had heard his words echoing in proverbial silence that all humans have known to experience. The movements the skin at the hems of his body was detecting had already told him that somebody had been lurking around the perimeter ever since he had entered the area. Said perimeter was very, very far away; but that didn't matter, because his words worked.

SWISH!

Something twisted in the wind, distorting the effigy known as normalcy, as the totem shaped into an object of ballistic death had found itself vaporizing the wind in its path. Megumi's heedance came to it, watching the barely perceptible object off such a large distance make its way toward him. In the screens of neon lights ever flashing off the background behind the object—a spear he assumed—making his way toward him at blistering speeds, the weapon of tracing death had been completely obscured.

With a gunslinger's hand, his right hand flashed his Handcannon flickered into his hand like a lightswitch being turned on. The near sci-fi object hummed an isolated tune of humanity's lust for destruction, and desires for the future of how warfare would be envisioned. His eyes were in turn altered, forming four instead of two, all the while black markings appeared on his face. Dead in the center, it was as if a crosshair of a sniper's scope had appeared directly on the weapon he saw. So, he did as he would—pulling the trigger.

BANG!

The moment the black spear embellished with gold linings found its way just at the gaping mouth of humanity's innovative pride of slaughter, a vermillion spiral shot outwards, coalescing into a beam that lit up the relative skies of where he stood. It was a point-blank shot, the Binding Vow placed upon the Special Grade Cursed Tool making Piercing Ox's ability reversed in how it worked, increasing its strength to unprecedented degrees. All in all, the spear had practically been parried, and sent off course with the shot.

A hum of sizzling heat filled Fushiguro Megumi's ear as his right hand was pulled back from the recoil of the weapon, watching as a steaming weapon in the air rendered completely off course, spinning in a way where it was left to whims of the world's laws. Immediately, he commanded the veils of the world's invisible existence, where created by the absence of light. Trails of fibers dressed in plasters of a spectral existence propelled forward to consume the object that had been knocked off course. Within a moment's breath, it was fully digested.

Dispelling the red-lined Handcannon from his right hand, the Jujutsu Sorcerer turned toward where the object had been sent his way. There was a soul that stood off in the distance, cloaked by the many environmental factors that were acting in credence to their motives, providing benefits that propped them atop an advantageous height.

"...Hm?" Megumi let out a slightly astonished sound as all lights from the city immediately shut off. A strange feeling overcame him, as if the entire Nomadic City had lost all of its life, along with the vitality that came with it, "a blackout...? Well, that's perfect anyways." He wasn't complaining though, even if the city plate that he stood on looked to be going off course. 'Now what could warrant this? It couldn't have just been me, right?' Blacking out the entire city just to eliminate one target... didn't seem practical at all, so he hadn't believed that all of this was done in an effort to kill him.

His gaze continued to follow the rolling shadows across the distance between him and his opponents, realizing that now was the brief breath of respite granted in order to execute the realization of this new profound feeling of inspiration. Closing his eyes, Megumi started to reminisce through the hazy fog of his memories, letting the lone chasm of a world clear itself once more—

CRACK—BOOM!

—Snapping his eyes open again, he drew Juuchi Yosamu and infused Shrine into it. With both the application of Dismantle and Cleave, the bladed weapon split the spear in half just as it made contact with the blade. The world turned black and crimson for the briefest of moments, letting all in the vicinity to view the malignant sight with both appreciation and disgust. After it had passed, Megumi jumped and leapt off the skyscraper.

CRACK—BOOM!

Something had grazed his cheek, the intense air from it having threatened to pierce his skull and burst it as a watermelon would. A small trail of ichor followed his descent before the wound coagulated. Staring around, the black-haired man let the sights of the towering bastions of humanity drink into his eyes as time slowed for him. That was then he decided to swing the Muramasa Blade in his hands on the blunt side to smash open the skyscraper's window just beside him...

CRASH!

...Then grab onto the ledge. He tossed himself upwards by lifting his arm deftly and then backflipping into the area.

'Let's take it from here.'

Megumi skulked through the skyscrapers interior, moving through the many empty rooms as danger lurked all across the darkened city of Kawalerki. Now he wondered what sort of chaos was brewing off in the functional cities that had lost power, but that was only a passing thought that was dispelled. Right now, he could detect a large concentration of movement across where he stood.

Moving into a hallway with casual steps, the Jujutsu Sorcerer walked slowly across it, watching as a spear blast through the rooms and created a sizable hole through where it had pierced—destroying everything else in its path toward an attempted killing. It was just off the mark, making Megumi focus his attention elsewhere, on the... seemingly special squadron sent to pressure him by whoever was throwing those spears toward his location.

When he felt a presence off the corner of the hallway turn waiting for him, Megumi held Ame-no-Habakiri's hilt by a reverse-grip with his left hand, before making the turn. As per his assumption, he was greeted by the sight of a black uniformed man of the Armorless Union raising a short blade in the air, ready to bisect him in half.

When the blade struck down, it hit the empty ground. The Armorless Union member then found that the upper half of their body had split in half, falling to the ground along with the other structures around himself. The person of their previous ire, Fushiguro megumi, had already moved past him before any reaction could be made.

Flourishing Ame-no-Habakiri as its miasma leaked across the scenery, Megumi resheathed the weapon by his left hip, before letting it go. While doing so, he tilted his head to the size, feeling the wind by the area tear apart from the object that had passed through. Without taking a glance at the damage caused by the spear at the area behind him, he continued marching forward.

He made his way to a densely packed cubicle room meant for office work, but it didn't have any of the commodities that provided for it.

There were still a large group of assassins moving around inside of the building, and getting rid of them was his first priority. Just as those thoughts came to him, a flurry of arrows and crossbow bolts shattered the empty cubicles with an overpierce, forcing Megumi to stamp his foot and dash to the side.

Feeling the many projectiles chasing him down while he moved across the room was both an unpleasant and pleasant feeling, so he quickly drew Ame-no-Habakiri again and deflected about a dozen of them swiftly, before shooting forward. With the cubicles destroyed, he was granted sight of all the assassins who had been hiding, letting him open Noble Eightfold Path and consume them all in its barrier.

Within a flash of Ame-no-Habakiri re-sheathing and then unsheathing, all of them were bisected from the large range of movement. The usual scene of blood spurting across the area where he stood came to fruition as he had imagined it, all the while his O-Katana made its way back to its sheath by using his right hand. From the corner of his eyes and through the human bodies turned into red fountains, he saw more Armorless Union assassins move across the shadows.

Clicking his tongue, Megumi unsheathed his weapon again, but not toward them. He was more focused on the spear that was tearing through the building again, putting the efforts into deflecting it before he focused on the others. With another establishment of Noble Eightfold Path, his right hand drew the blade again, intercepting the projectile which had almost drilled a hole in his body.

Giving a single glance toward the gigantic long distance hole revealing the outside of the skyscraper as the spear flew through the sky, Megumi opened a vortex portal just behind him, catching the Armorless Union assassin who had attempted to sneak up on him. Wendigo was inside, showing off its gaping mouth as flames poured out of it, completely consuming them in the hunger flames. Everybody behind the assassin was forced to retreat or were burnt to a crisp from the beam of fire.

A gigantic molten hole not caused by a spear made from a strange black metal, but from a bestial monster. It would eventually be hidden back in Megumi's shadow once the vortex portal closed, before he remembered where his new targets went.

More projectiles attempted to pierce him through while a group of blade-wielding assassins attempted to find an opening, but had the misfortune of Ame-no-Habakiri swiftly leaving its sheath, the trail of water hiding blades underneath them as per his added vortex capabilities. He didn't resheathe the weapon this time, opting to go for a cascade of slashes while travelling across the room, making sure to take down as many as he could in the opportunity he was given.

The attacks that had one surrounded him were split, along with the structure of the skyscraper starting to lose its integrity as more slashes continued to pile up. That wasn't including the corpses which were being made by the second, as the assassins standing in close proximity to his attacks were reduced to split corpses every time Ame-no-Habakiri was swung in the air.

When Megumi landed in front of a dazed assassin who had watched the entire scene pass at blurring speeds, the black-haired man de-summoned the blade of Ame-no-Habakiri back into his shadow, and then resummoned it back into its sheath. While the process happened, his Handcannon materialized in his right hand, firing off a shot which left their upper body deleting from the swift death it delivered.

A booming sound and a red beam followed along with it, but Megumi hadn't cared much about the results. He dispelled his weapon and dashed his hand across the area behind him, forcing a group of advancing assassins back with a barrage of Dismantles. He watched their guard raise upwards, drawing bladed weapons as a storm of slashes pelted each of their bodies.

Using their lapse in movement from the force of his blows, Megumi blitzed past all of them when placing a hand on Juuchi Yosamu this time. Before they could even register it, a flash of crimson came across the darkened room, leaving them all cut into a million pieces. Dismantle had been infused into the strike.

Megumi's feet landed on the ground as the weapon was held by his side after he had finished its slashing motion, his black haori trailing along his movements. Glancing to the side and feeling the Armorless Union assassins start to retreat to a different position, the Jujutsu Sorcerer sidestepped yet another spear that had attempted to kill him.

'How much more?'

Megumi let his body flow with the momentum it still had and slashed at the projectiles still barreling his way. The entire room had been destroyed from the slashes he had thrown out with his weapons and along with Dismantle, and he was sure the skyscraper was going to collapse if he kept going.

'...Just get it over with, what am I doing?'

The black-haired man felt as if he was wasting time, while he dodged and deflected the many Arts infused bolts and arrows coming his way. Stepping out of the room and into the hallway as a shockwave passed through the door in the form of nearly a hundred ranged attacks, he had decided on another option.

Completely collapsing the structure and getting rid of all the Armorless Union lackeys that had been sent to distract him... or rather, seemingly distract him while whoever was throwing those spears did just as they were doing.

Swinging Juuchi Yosamu once more, the red sword slash travelled across the entire building, cutting everything in its path and flying off to somewhere that Megumi couldn't care to focus on. Right after, he raised his free left hand upwards, focusing on the location above the skyscraper itself.

'Destroy the entire structure...'

He let the thought run through his mind, envisioning a gigantic vortex portal forming above the skyscraper like an abyssal chasm. The idea had come true, as an intense wave of power felt from above started to fall onto the skyscraper, all in the form of a hundred steeled blades.

Turning around and raising his Muramasa Blade in a way that let a crossbow bolt slide across its side and "sharpen" it, Megumi stomped against the ground and bolted backwards, letting his back slam through the window of the hallway and out of the skyscraper. Eventually, he was granted the euphoric sight of the entire structure being torn from top to bottom by a flurry of blades.

Watching the inanimate tower of inanimate objects being skinned alive was a sight to behold, before Megumi decided to make his way back up the new skyscraper that he had found himself. His eye continued to scan across the area for anybody that—Speak of the Devil—he burst with greater speed while sending off a barrage of Dismantles toward where he had just seen. On some inconspicuous skyscraper different from his, there was somebody that had just moved out of the way of his attack.

The slashes made from Cursed Energy obliterated its entire top section, leaving squarely cut pieces falling from its topic section, and producing a sound akin to that of an explosion. Once the process of pressuring his enemy completed, he finally reached the top of the new skyscraper, launching up in the sky before gravity acted upon his body and flattened his feet atop it.

'Two skyscrapers destroyed, this city won't be the same by the time we're done.'

Megumi let a cold passage flow across his body. He gauged the damage done by looking downwards the streets that had an explosion of dust forming down below. The gray dust which had been formed from an entire skyscraper collapsing and being ripped to shreds along with the top section of another one being cut into pieces and falling was practically tempting him to fire off an Incinerator at.

'I've already dealt with the small ones, now all I have to do is—'

He didn't get to complete the thought as Juuchi Yosamu's influence invaded his mind, making him wince. It was done on purpose in order to block the spear that he had barely detected, the recoil sending him along with the projectile backwards.

"Tch!"

He needed to chase them down and smoke them out from their hiding spot... easier said than done.

He wondered how Laurentina was doing.

AAA

"Well, what do we have here?" Roy landed on a rooftop, the lights of the city having already died out. However, his sights were adjusted along with Platinum who was standing beside him, "listen lady, you don't look exactly like anybody who would step outta the way when asked to, especially when you're parading that gigantic buzzsaw around." He waved his hand casually while speaking.

"Is that so?" Laurentina chuckled at the two, watching the one dressed in white hold a restrained expression, while the other one dressed in blue was more... relaxed, but still, concerned. "A bunch of people dressed with a weird fashion sense, holding bows meant for assassination, and dashing across the buildings to make way toward an abandoned section of this city... my, I wonder what could compel them to do such a thing...?" She acted dumb, placing her left index finger against her lower lip in a thoughtful look.

"Haha~ really, yeah, what could two eccentric people be doing in such a situation," Roy laughed, attempting to mask away all of the nervousness he felt, "so uh... could you do us a little favor and scoot off to the side, we're not exactly—"

"What if I want to slaughter you, hm?" Laurentina suddenly asked, turning her eyes toward them and smiling. "What if I...yes, me...want to make sure that none of you ever get to sink your dirty fangs into my Princess? Doesn't that sound like a pleasant idea? Because I certainly believe so." Her lips were curled up into a smile, but her eyes...

"...Really," Roy let out a sigh when hearing the woman's words, "this little lady has got us all tied up, huh?" He gripped his boy slightly tighter, "you already know how this is gonna go, Platinum, get into a vantage point—"

Before he could even complete his words, Laurentina shot forward.

AAA

Fushiguro Megumi's body was scratched at various places, along with dashed lacerations of blood peering through was able to be seen. The usage of Ame-no-Habakiri's water manipulation abilities allowed the blood to not flow incessantly out, and allowed his body to continuously move at its peak condition in spite of the injuries his body had the displeasure of sustaining. Right now, he stood with his eyes closed, waiting for his opponents, theDarksteels, to moveinto a greater vantage point.

Why so? It was because his thoughts were elsewhere.

He reiterated once more that he had come to accept it, the King of Curses' accursed influence upon his body. To truly reach an understanding of what a "Maximum Technique" was, there needed to be an implicit understanding of one's Cursed Technique, to the point where somebody could gain even a glimpse of their soul. Considered to be the Supreme Art before Domain Expansions, the venerated status of the technique had undergone great scrutiny as the course of history came to pass.

There was something else he needed, one last piece of the puzzle that came to the Shrine Cursed Technique, and in order to make it out of this battle gaining something that could accelerate his growth—or show proof of his own growth. That last puzzle piece... was a Maximum Technique.

If one were to achieve a Maximum Technique, the absolute pinnacle that creativity could inspire from a Cursed Technique, then wouldn't that mean they had also reached their absolute peak in interpretation of the said Cursed Technique? A limit, that was how most modern Jujutsu Sorcerers viewed it, the notion brought a profound discomfort in what it meant for somebody's potential.

However... that simply meant that their interpretation in of itself, along with their creativity, was just simply lacking. To hell with Maximum Techniques being the threshold of a Jujutsu Sorcerer, it was just a rumor that quelled nothing but their egos. The World Cutting Slash had already been proof that not all Maximum Techniques were the limit, as an attack that targeted existence itself. So, then there was no shame in delving deeper into his soul, and finding the interpretation needed for this blasphemous Cursed Technique!

His hands gathered together, his fingers moving in perfect unison, in order to form the Enma Mudra.

The King of Hell which reigned over the secular domain of Naraka itself had enjoyed an eternity of torturing souls, reaping the karma that came with the actions humans had done in their previous life. It was a burning heap, akin to that of a stove where he cooked the souls for his own twisted enjoyment, perhaps to even consume them to fulfill the gluttonous stomach of his own. It was most likely Enma wasn't such a being, but for Fushiguro Megumi's own interpretation—after witnessing the depravity of the King of Curses—he wouldn't put it above the Deva of Hell to enjoy such a feast in his hellfire pot.

Opening his mouth, he spoke the chants as if they were a holy player.

"SOUL OF THE DRAGON."

He could feel it upon the nerves of his skin, reaching all the way to the spiritual planes of his Innate Domain. He understood it, the embodiment of the art of cooking itself, plastered upon the imagery of a malignant shrine standing with a gaping mouth ready to consume everything that had been prepared. Cooking, by definition, was the science of changing a set of ingredients through various means to create something new and edible. It was the soul of the concept itself, where many dedicated their entire existence to master such a craft.

" SIX CHAINS."

There were six realms amongst the world of Buddhism that brought the souls bearing karma to pay their due. Whether they stood as being that transcended past the capabilities of what humans could do, or whether they were the dregs of putrid waste laid grovelling in the lowest layer, they were all stuck in the Cycle of Samsara, where they would endlessly reincarnate lest the higher state known of Nirvana had been achieved.

"COLLAPSING STAR."

Power coursed through the body of Fushiguro Megumi, like the hot rocks of magma or the burning rivers of lava that a volcanic mountain has stored deep within. Each vein that pushed the divine unit of life that was blood across every part of his body continued to pulsate. The almighty gale of the west passed across the peak of the skyscraper, as intense as any peak above the natural landscapes would produce. It was cooling, aiding against the boiling ichor that was bubbling in his body.

"MAXIMUM: NARAKA "

An apparition formed at where his back was, an invisible hand drawing an amethyst ring behind it. It was a Nichirin, also known as the "sun ring" or the "sun wheel," which stayed afloat. It was large enough in diameter that it spanned his upper back to the height above his head, providing a serene sight of a divine being standing amongst the planes of mortality. Indeed, it was the perfect representation of Samsara itself, where the souls of humanity lay forever in a cycle of lost liberation.

Spreading his arms outward, an outburst of purple flames shot across his body, the Nichirin behind him shining the brightest across the ghost city. The intense heat flash burned and melted the concrete and steel that he stood upon, the entire top section of the skyscraper turning into an unnatural color of rotting plum. He had become a beacon for all of his targets to fire upon, and yet Fushiguro Megumi relished in the feeling!

'There it is!' A new spark coursed through his body as his mouth uncontrollably twitched, the markings across his face distorting at each change of his face's expressions, 'I've achieved it, before even my Ten Shadows Cursed Technique! How ironic!' Megumi laughed to himself, letting the primordial echo of his voice reverberate across the skies, as if intending to rupture the heavens themselves.

It was then a roaring whistle from all sides of his body had become prominent to his ears. Yet he still stood there, uncaring of the rapturous spears ready to impale his body and make a message out of it, one that would forever tell any transgressors not to stand in the way of whoever had delivered such an iron-cladded proclamation. Unfortunately, the cold steel of the weapons would never reach the incandescent heat of the singular man they sought to slaughter, for the Imaginary Demon had finally been fully realized!

"DISMANTLE!"

A single word was spoken across the depths of where he stood, Fushiguro Megumi still keeping his arms spread out. With the motion, invisible slashes mixed in with black, white, and purple shot outwards in an omnidirectional path, utterly eviscerating everything around it. The spears which had attempted to bore its way into his body were casually knocked off course, as the slashes continued to violate all that was normal with the world. Possessing both the properties of "slashing" and "flames," they pulverized anything in their path, leaving pulverized dust to be imbued with the ametrine flames and combust as a result.

All across where the Jujutsu Sorcerer stood, the top sections of the skyscrapers continued to be utterly annihilated. It all happened so fast, that the assassins known as the Darksteels could hardly comprehend what they were seeing. The supersonic slashes continued to travel—even toward the horizon's end, leaving ruin in all of its glorious wake. In just a few seconds, an entourage had occurred, revealing to the world a storm of destruction ready to rear its course toward mankind's greatest creations.

From a large distance away, three Darksteels immediately took the sign as a need maneuver to a different position, as the purple light had completely revealed their location with its illumination. So, they promptly moved across the skyscrapers still standing with a diligent gait, taking risks in order to dodge the multiple slashes that were blending the sky itself. No matter if their opponent held unsurmountable power, they were still privy to the silent and unknowing attacks that would eventually find their way toward the neck of their prey—

"There you are!"

At that moment, a Darksteel who had moved through a scaffolded skyscraper found their supposed prey smiling smugly while charging toward them. The heat of the purple immolating wheel behind him produced an irradiant light which illuminated the entire structure. They needed to dodge, that was what their body was screaming at themselves to do.

DISMANTLE

Fushiguro Megumi had crossed his arms over his body, before spreading it outwards in an all-consuming arcing spread. A magnificent slash that distorted wherever it touched passed through the entire structure, forcing the Darksteel to duck down. Multiple combustions occurred, causing the building to alight into a flashburn, the gaping maw of flames ready to sink their teeth wherever they came.

The Darksteel stood back up, keeping note of how fast the building was being burnt, and reared back a spear in the direction of Megumi, before propelling it forward. It produced a sound akin to shattering the sound barrier.

The Jujutsu Sorcerer watched it approaching him with a bored expression.

"Rabbit Escape."

His Shikigamis were stored in his shadows, allowing them to burst out and activate their abilities without needing to be summoned via apoptosis. Due to his words, a cascade of rabbits came up from where he stood, each alien looking creature with a multitude of eyes bearing a golden Dharmachakra above their heads.

BOOM

Many of the rabbits were torn apart while the Darksteel was pushed out of the unfinished building, the pressure produced from their constantly multiplying body sending them outwards. It was then when they lowered their arms from a defensive position did they witness the sight of multiple skyscrapers having been sliced in half, and being eaten by the purple flames. The one he had just fallen out of—was being flooded with such a population of rabbits, that they eclipsed it.

Using the momentum to land on the building that was behind them, the Darksteel burst with great speed, attempting to find any place where they could gain a vantage point. The move saved their life, as where they had clung onto had a burning purple Dismantle passing through, cutting the skyscraper in half and falling toward his direction. However, they kept their dash, their body leaning forward as the heated wind blew against their face.

"Tch..." The Darksteel felt a presence slamming against the falling skyscraper just in front of them, revealing them to be the man dressed in a black haori fluttering in the air, with the all too familiar Nichirin behind his back. It didn't help that a hundred other rabid rabbits nearly the size of a human body were making their way on the structure too.

Megumi kept his gaze fixated on his target, while also feeling danger continue to prickle at his nerves. Without sparing a glance at the other two Darksteels hidden off somewhere, he burst forward with a tremendous crossing, dodging the wave of black spears that had been directed toward him.

The Darksteel flicked their hand, one of their trademarked black spears appearing in their hand as they dashed backwards, spun around, left a shockwave powerful enough to obliterate a wave of white rabbits, before completing the motion and clashing against the black-haired man in front of him.

DISMANTLE

CLANG

The Darksteel let out a grunt as they in fact, did not clash against Fushiguro Megumi, the Jujutsu Sorcerer having stopped their advance to "present" their palm toward him as Ryomen Sukuna had done, and sent off a barrage of slashes. Everything that it touched on the surface of its target was burnt and sliced—while also infusing it with his own combustible Cursed Energy, leaving small controlled explosions to occur across his opponent's skin, flesh, and blood.

BOOM

The attack slaughtered his own Rabbit Escapes and tore the already falling skyscraper in half, leaving it as a heap of debris that had flames constantly pass through it. The Darksteel had been pushed back by his wave of Dismantles, shooting through the skyscraper.

Megumi launched forward in zigzags, once more dodging the supersonic spears that overpierced entire chunks of the already desecrated skyscraper. He made his way through the debris that the Darksteel had been launched through, commanding the remaining Rabbit Escapes to scout the area for the other two, while he chased after the one in most jeopardy.

Bursting through the other side of the skyscraper and being revealed in the sky, he saw the Darksteel stepping on a piece of large debris after recovering—leaping across the ones aligning the sky. Megumi huffed amusedly, before dashing his extended thumb, index finger, and middle finger across their path, sending a Dismantle which set them off the course they had decided for themself.

Stopping at a debris in the sky that they hadn't expected to pause at, the Darksteel fired off an Arts infused spear toward Fushiguro Megumi who had landed on a piece of debris of his own. They would immediately find their attack to be rendered useless as the Jujutsu Sorcerer reached for one of his sheathed weapons, the one that was named Juuchi Yosamu.

Supreme Art: Noble Eightfold Path

A golden barrier formed around him, before Megumi threw back the Odachi's sheath and let his weapon counteract the attack of impending doom.

CLANG!

A red streak which corrupted the world deflected the charged spear, before the projectile was consumed by his shadows. Letting Juuchi Yosamu return into the shadows and then re-materialize into his sheath, the black-haired man bent his knees, and blurred forward.

The Darksteel had attempted to leap off to another set of debris, but found their face grabbed.

CLEAVE

A splatter of boiling blood could be heard and felt across the scene, as the Darksteel's body began barreling toward other skyscrapers, finding their body splitting it in half after they had impacted straight through it, and then finding their force fully dispersing as they crashed into the one behind it. Recovering from the hit and reaching their hand up to check the degree of injury they had sustained, their senses continued to warn them desperately, as a...

...A colossal figure of grand proportions was right in front of his sights, its body being of such a size where it spanned skyscrapers, and made them look like an absolute joke. Their eyes widened while their senses froze, a primordial fear coursing through their body—

Nue: Totality - Chimera Bird

Golden lightning coursed through Chimera Bird's body by the influence of Megumi's Daiitoku, the black-haired man standing in a kneeled position on its back, not that the Darksteel could spot him from how much of the view the Totality actually covered.

The sparking electricity covered entire city blocks, before the Darksteel braced themselves for cover.

BOOM!

In all directions, the cackle of golden lightning absolutely incinerated the building, leaving it in nothing but a state akin to a fragile playset meant for children to trample over. Indeed, it had been trampled over, as Chimera Bird continued to move through it like butter, flapping its six wings and producing a strong enough gust that shattered the windows of all other structures around it. Its lightning continued to melt the buildings it came into contact with, as it continuously flowed through the countless buildings littered across the area.

On the side of the two other Darksteels, they had already slaughtered tens of thousands of Rabbit Escapes in their plight to get rid of the man-eating beasts. However, they were immediately granted the sight of an abomination that seemed to scream against the naturality of life itself, flying through city blocks and collapsing skyscrapers as if they were nothing. A sense of uneasiness crept into their bodies, one that had turned upwards into a primal scream of helplessness.

It reached its peak when its course was turned toward them, arcing golden lightning continuing to form around its body like some sort of seismic shield of aureate. But that didn't matter, and the Darksteels leapt backwards, reeling back their spears before throwing it forward. The two weapons made it past the lightning and stabbed into its eyes, making the Chimera Bird wretched out in pain as it changed its course and shot upward toward the sky.

One of the Darksteels who had thrown their weapon then felt something grab onto their backs, which was one of the Rabbit Escapes that hadn't been yet slaughtered. It was then they found themselves assaulted by another entourage of them, completely consuming their body as the population of the Rabbit Escapes reached to a height that rivalled a large building. It hadn't done much, as they all immediately burst into puddles of blood from an overexertion of their Arts imbued into their spear.

While the Chimera Bird continued to fly toward the sky, Megumi danced across its back with a jubilant expression, firing off dismantles and occasionally summoning Daiitoku to assault the Darksteel desperately attempting to avoid his attacks. At times, there would be a spear that would be stabbed into Chimera Bird's back or thrown toward him at high speeds, but all of them were either dodged—or didn't do anything to impede his Totality.

"Come on! Weren't you the ones who dragged me here?!" Megumi called out, feeling his composure lose itself in excitement, before he decided to charge the Darksteel. The Nichirin continued to burn behind him as he called for the Inverted Spear of Heaven, clashing against their spear the moment they made contact.

When they passed the clouds, Chimera Bird turned downward into a dive, just as the two warriors clashed their blades incessantly against each other, flashes of purple burning slashes and shockwaves erupting from where they stood. The Nue: Totality eventually stopped its diving motion to circle around at such high speeds around the vicinity of the city blocks that had been destroyed in order to draw a Domain Trajectory.

While that occurred, Megumi continued to weave across the spears that would find itself shooting downwards at him after the Darksteel had leapt into the air and thrown them, letting the objects sink into Chimera Bird's hide before extending the chain of the Inverted Spear of Heaven and propelling it forward.

The Darksteel had avoided it and landed to the ground by reeling their head back, before charging Megumi for close quarters combat. It was a sore mistake, as they were immediately blown back when the Jujutsu Sorcerer had rebounded his chain, letting it lash against their body. The spears which had embedded itself into Nue: Totality's skin had already been consumed by his Endless Well of Shadows.

Continuing to assault the Darksteel with his chain dance, the wind started to blow against his face from the extraneously fast movement of the Totality circling around the city block at blistering speeds. After letting a vertical upwards blow that nearly sent the Darksteel off balance after they had guarded with their spear, Megumi released his left hand and snapped his fingers, forming a plethora of vortex portals.

Weapons poured out of them, aided by the incessant gale produced by Nue: Totality's movement as they slid across the scene, pelting the Darksteel while Megumi rushed him down with the extended Inverted Spear of Heaven.

The Darksteel saw the approaching black-haired man while deflecting the many weapons coming his way, before feeling another force press against their spear.

DISMANTLE

The material of the spear turned superheated when the Dismantle made contact, sending them backwards. But Fushiguro Megumi was just a step ahead and had already charged past where they had slid, twisting the chains of Samyojana as the Inverted Spear of Heaven impacted their shoulder, allowing for one of Darksteel Spears consumed by his Endless Well of Shadows to fire off and nick them on the leg.

"Ghk!" The Darksteel experienced their body recoiling from the attacks, before all weapons were dispelled, and their face was grabbed by Fushiguro Megumi. The mask on their face cracked as a barrage of Cleaves continued to incessantly assault it as Megumi dragged him across the air, leaping off of Chimera Bird.

"You deserve this!" Megumi yelled out while crashing their body into a skyscraper, shattering the glass window and nearly sending the entire building off of its hinges. He then threw the Darksteel, leaving them to ragdoll across the innards of the structures while the Jujutsu Sorcerer still ran to give chase. With a mighty kick against the Darksteel's chest, they were further launched through multiple walls—making way for the other skyscraper behind the one that was just destroyed.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

The process repeated itself while Megumi kept silent, laughter almost escaping his expression attempting to keep itself as stoic as possible. Everything from unfinished desks and signs continued to be turned into nothing but useless mounds of metal or unknown materials, as each and every skyscraper he passed through had a gigantic gaping hole through them.

"You people...!"Megumi removed Ame-no-Habakiri from its sash and slammed the hilt against the stomach of the Darksteel, furthering his momentum"...are the scum of the world!"A newfound sense of energy came to him as he continued to beatdown the Darksteel, sending a barrage of blunt strikes against the body that kept being slammed through multiple structures, most likely having already lost consciousness.

But that was just an assumption, and he wouldn't just let an assumption fly!

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

With repeated motions and practice, his body continued to twist while his legs pumped themselves, his left arm holding Ame-no-Habakiri dashing all across the scenery in front of him, making sure to leave all parts of the Darksteel's body impacted by his weapon.

"...!" Megumi stopped his motion when his neck prickled, before backflipping to avoid a Darksteel Spear that had blasted through the building, creating a smokescreen that he couldn't see. The scene around him soon lit up with a golden light, an explosion occurring and sending the entire building falling down.

From the other side from an outer view, the Jujutsu Sorcerer shot outwards, holding his arm over his face as he clicked his tongue. Placing Ame-no-Habakiri back into his sash, he clapped his hands together.

Shadow Extension: Max Elephant

A jet of water passed through the structures in front of him, the beam of liquid death passing through them like butter, and shaving of the entirety of their top. After that, he planted his foot against the building closest to what was behind him, keeping his eyes out for any attacks. As if on cue, multiple spears were seen from the horizon, blanketing the sky as they rained down toward him.

Megumi grinned.

"Wendigo."

"Oni."

Two abominations shot out of his shadow, Wendigo holding Homusubisu, the upgraded version of Playful Cloud, and Oni holding Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. They soon flickered out of sight, going after where his opponents most likely went, while Fushiguro Megumi ran up the skyscraper, feeling the impacts dealt to it as the Darksteel Spears continued to demolish it with ungodly ease.

Reaching the edge of the top and leaping upwards, Megumi flung himself upside down and spun, sending off a barrage of Dismantles by crossing his arms and then uncrossing them, making the entire scene shift between flickers of monochromatic colors and purple as the Dismantles were sent out.

The rest of the Darksteel Spears still finding their way toward him were intercepted by his attack, before Megumi landed at the top of the skyscraper that was slowly collapsing from the previous barrage. He knelt down and narrowed his eyes, watching as Chimera Bird continued to encircle the circumference of the cityblock from a distance far away. From its traced trajectory... It was almost time.

Calling Daiitoku, the dual-bladed Vajra in his hands, the black-haired man made a slamming motion with it in the empty air in front of him, causing localized storm clouds to gather. Multiple thunder strikes lit up the sky as golden thunder made their mark across the lands, shattering entire skyscrapers and leaving them tumbling down as he continued with his entourage, making sure to leave no place unturned.

The clamors reached a crescendo as a large dust cloud started to form at the bottom of the empty streets when the skyscrapers fully collapsed, making the black-haired man thin his lips into a frown—knowing the consequences of the next action he had been planning to execute.

AAA

A Darksteel clashed against Oni, Kusanagi-no-Tusurgi producing red lightning which sent them backwards. The Darksteel regained their balance by backflipping, weaving across the multiple other golden thunderbolts that found themselves crashing haphazardly across the scene. They held a second spear in their hand, throwing it toward the abomination in front of them as the three-headed Oni raised its Cursed Tool in order to block it.

CLANG!

The force sent it back, while the Darksteel continued to retreat and run away to regain its vantage in the shadows. However, they found the Totality suddenly leaping and slamming itself against the building they had been running upwards, holding the spear that they had just blocked in its left hand, before tossing it toward the Darksteel.

The Darksteel dodged to the side as the spear shattered the ground below it, and had expected Oni to charge them once more. That was until the Totality had slammed Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi against the skyscraper, sending it tumbling down before they charged the Darksteel. When the Totality finally reached them, a constant clash of blades that shook the city blocks continued to reverberate.

For the other two Darksteels, they moved in unison against Wendigo, who was manipulating the three sections of Homusubisu, lashing it all across the scene as the Totality attempted to hit any one of them. When it raised the Cursed Tool upwards and slammed it down vertically, the weapon impacted a shielded spear, before another one had embedded itself into its side.

Wendigo growled, uncaring of the damage it sustained, as Round Deer's Reverse Cursed Technique would only serve to heal it. Therefore, it used its towering height to its advantage and kicked the Darksteel who had shielded it against its vertical strike, before turning around and dodging its head to the side as another spear nearly penetrated it.

A rain of lightning came to assist it as the Darksteel stood atop a building store at the street they were at was immediately struck by it, forcing them to move away from it. It left Wendigo the opportunity to launch forward, leaving a crater at where it stood and catching up to its opponent. Once they stared at each other eye to eye, the burning ambers of the Totality's orbs burned evermore intensely, before they flickered across the scene, leaving marks of craters where they had decided to run.

For the third Darksteel that had been kicked away from Wendigo, they were making distance from a certain black-haired man that had sent them across multiple skyscrapers before. Their condition was absolutely ruined, while they dodged the chains that attempted to capture their limbs, and the multiple weapons that Fushiguro Megumi had in his hands.

The now-arrived Jujutsu Sorcerer continued to chase after the Darksteel while dual-wielding Ame-no-Habakiri and Juuchi Yosamu, letting the latter of the weapon's madness overtake a portion of his mind in order to act with more strength. While he continued to deflect the spears thrown at him, buildings off in sides of the streets would also find themselves cleaved in half, as his weapons continued to pirouette across his body.

Multiple vortex portals also opened up to pour out weapons haphazardly in order to close off any routes that the Darksteel could have taken while also hampering their movement space.

Finally fully reaching the Darksteel who had called upon a second spear, they began an incessant clash of blades in the favor of Megumi. Moving right and left, and flash stepping across the area in order to catch up with each other's movements, the Jujutsu Sorcerer had finally gained a full upper-hand against the Darksteel.

With a single movement after...

SLASH!

...A horizontal water slash of Ame-no-Habakiri sent one their Darksteel Spear flying off of their hands, as multiple weapons laid inside the water in order to increase its potency. That was before Megumi pulled Juuchi Yosamu back for a thrust, recalling Ame-no-Habakiri to its sheath in order to two hand the remaining weapon.

The Darksteel attempted to dodge to the side, but found the Muramasa Blade's thrust slashing at their side, leaving a red trail which caused their wounds to ache. Calling a spear in their hands once more, they maneuvered it with great skill in order to deflect the other slashes infused with Cleave that Megumi unleashed. Every single stray that was sent off from Juuchi Yosamu, continued to collapse entire structures.

That was before the Jujutsu Sorcerer had decided to step back, and make his left hand free for a slashing motion.

DISMANTLE

The Dismantle passed through the scenery, making the Darksteel deflect it off of instinct, but Megumi had strafed them by the right, tracing his extended fingers once more.

DISMANTLE

The super-heated slash had barely been blocked, but that allowed enough time for Megumi to turn it into a finger gun, and tap the air in front of him two times.

Twice, twice did the Darksteel shift their spear in order to deflect the two slashes that should have come their way, but found that it had met nothing. A sense of dread came over them as Fushiguro Megumi was nowin front of themafter they had fallen for the feint, his knees bent and his Odachi back in its sheath—ready for a draw.

Supreme Art: Morning Sun Sword Drawing

A horizontal slash which sent the Darksteel skidding back was sent from Juuchi Yosamu after the black-haired man had thrown back the sheath, before he two-handed the hilt and turned it upwards for a vertical slash.

Supreme Art: Hell Severance Sword Drawing

Executing a vertical slash he did, as the passing wave of red had barely been avoided by the Darksteel who had decided to completely book it out of the area. Their feet strained against the pressure of their body as they landed on a building, before leaping once more and attempting to make way for the skyscrapers that still remained.

Strangely enough, they hadn't felt the black-haired man chase after them for whatever reason, but had found out why. In front of them was the horrid expression of a beast, making the world around them freeze.

Wendigo, which had strayed away from the opponent it was fighting intercepted the Darksteel, swinging the three-section staff in its hand across its body, the flowing movements of the lashing Cursed Tool sending the Darksteel back while they were in the air, and crashing against a building still far away from Fushiguro Megumi.

But the distance didn't matter, the fact that they were standing still did.

Supreme Art: Horizon Pierce Sword Drawing

Before any registration of what occurred or recovery from the situation, their body had been split in half. Megumi stood with a thrusting motion, both of his hands on Juuchi Yosamu as he turned around to glance at the opponent behind him. Flashing them a sneering huff, the Jujutsu Sorcerer watched as the Darksteel's body split in half vertically, a shockwave passing through the entire under-construction city.

The zephyr produced continued to shatter the rest of the remaining building's glass and shoot toward the skies, splitting the clouds as it had done once more. However, he couldn't see it from the darkness that had blanketed Kawalerielki, as the black-out was still ongoing. There were also still clamors of clashing blades after Wendigo had leapt to intercept the Darksteel that had run to assist their partner in fighting Oni.

Megumi just stood there with a look of satisfaction across his face, while turning toward Chimera Bird, "it's just about ready." The Jujutsu Sorcerer sheathed Juuchi Yosamu by removing the larger sheath and placing the Muramasa Blade inside swiftly, and putting it back in his sash. "Thisshouldkill the other two..." he mumbled under his breath while running toward the outskirts of the city.

While his legs strained, the sun ring behind him fizzled out as his Cursed Energy had taken a large blow. He had expended nearly all of it, and the only reason why he still had any left was from the excess blood his body produced thanks to his second heart given by Ryomen Sukuna being turned into Cursed Energy by a Binding Vow. It was just enough for the last spectacle he was willing to grant toward the Armorless Union, and the K.G.C.C. as a whole.

Megumi let his foot land at the outskirts of the city while wiping the dried blood off of his face. His four eyes turned toward where the site of combat was, envisioning Wendigo and Oni fending off the two remaining Darksteels. Chimera Bird continued to encircle the place, its six flapping wings emitting an immense wind that he could see even from his distance, and the purple lightning turned golden by Daiitoku being drawn from its trail.

"It's most likely that a large portion of Kawalerielki saw Nue: Totality, especially if anybody stood on a high altitude area," Megumi mumbled to himself by summoning Daiitoku in his left hand, "due to the darkness overtaking the city, they will also most likely see this too... But as long as nobody knows it's specifically me, then I'm satisfied."

Once the Domain Trajectory had been fully formed, Megumi grinned and raised Daiitoku upwards. "A Curse to you all," he sneered once more before slamming it downwards, pouring all his remaining Cursed Energy into it while dispelling his still fighting Wendigo and his damaged Oni.

BZZT! CRACK!

A thin beam off in the distance that required all of focus touched the Domain Trajectory formed by Chimera Bird, before it turned into a far larger pillar. Like a strike sent by heaven itself, the smite ordained by divine wrath made itself completely known. In a flash of blinding white lights laced with aureate, what felt like the heat of the sun crashed down at the epicenter of the incomplete section.

BOOM!

The aureate beam of pure destruction made of coalescing lightning combining into a magnificent pillar of radiance struck down. It was a drill sent forth from the highest plane of existence, as a punishment upon this mortal land for their continuous transgression against life itself. Displayed in front of his eyes were the fruits of his labor, presented in the most gratifying sight he had ever seen. From the first time he had ever used it against Tiger Funeral, the size had dramatically increased, and along with it—its potency for mass destruction.

Feeling the wind brush against his body, Fushiguro Megumi spread his arms and pulled his head back. Despite the incandescent lights which blinded the entire scene and would have eyes bursting from their sockets, he kept them as wide as saucers, and let his pupils shrink at the display of raw power in front of him. A rumble was heard, the quaking of the Nomadic City plates themselves screeching in pain.

A nostalgic sight, one that had nearly brought him such a serene feeling as first taming Tiger Funeral. The last step needed to tame Mahoraga was now his first step to godly power, to ascend to such heights where he would be the one to stand with Gojo Satoru and Ryomen Sukuna, to reach his hands toward heaven and tear it asunder himself. So, he shall bathe in this splendid light with his arms splayed out like a totem and drink upon the fruits.

"Sorry, Viviana, but..." he felt far too great, the euphoric feeling of finally crushing enemies with the palm of his hands, completely and utterly thoroughly. "It's best if you never see me again," his face was serene, letting his soul rest in its bed for once in his life, before a scene of a macabre declaration to the entire city. "It's just that I..." Megumi could feel his eyes start to half-lid at the ravaging power still rippling forth, the blinding fibers lights having become the absolute forefront of his imagination, "don't think I deserve to ever be near you."

The colors—they reminded him of her.

He didn't wish to taint it.

...The euphoria he felt from before suddenly vanished. Megumi blinked a few times, the crooked smile upon his lips fading from his face as his eyes returned to its normal two pairs. His lips thinned, and then turned downwards into a frown the more he bore witness to his own actions. The hand holding his Vajra dropped it, letting the purest of gold constructed into the object clack against the ground, and sink uselessly into his shadow.

Silence followed, as his dazed eyes scanned the vast expanse of what was in front of him. The facial muscles had completely relaxed, letting his expression completely fall. He had become sober once more.

'...Ah, Again? Did I do it again...? Really, I did it again.'

His hand moved to his face, and it was shaking. Behind it was the attack he had just unleashed, and its light was dying out. The darkness would soon settle and the smoke from the aftermath would most likely consume the entire empty area of where the unfinished city would be.

'When will it end?'

His eyes closed shut as air seethed through his teeth and entered his lungs, both of hands moving upwards to cover his face. He felt like keeling over and throwing up, he felt like he needed to ascertain once more what he truly wanted. Lashing out was all he had done, and it was...

'I'm a Curse.'

Megumi's hands gripped over his face once more as he fell to the ground, his right knee bending upwards while his left lay uselessly on the ground. A flood of emotions broke through the dam that was his mind, and made him grunt further in frustration. There was some sort of instinctual need that his body demanded, which was for him to grab at his hair and rip it out, or lay once more against the hard concrete in a fetal position.

'Find a way home. Find a way home. Find a way home. Find a way home... but what if there is no way to return...?'

He repeated it over and over in his head, letting the darkness of his view comfort him. If he were granted sight to nothing, then there was nothing to worry over.

'When will this cycle end?!'

His mouth wanted to scream, but he dug the feeling deeper down and let it fall into his chest. The only thing he could do was gnash his teeth against one another, and let the molars grind each other to dust as he continued to grapple with his feelings.

'Please, please just let this end...'

The Jujutsu Sorcerer couldn't let out a scream, and neither did he want to. All he did was stare off into the horizon of destruction, the calamity caused by his own hands. There was not a single regret for what he had done to the Armorless Union, or the destruction he had caused the city. No, it was far more selfish, he only cared that the action further showed how depraved he had become, to commit such actions without a care in the world.

It was the same reason why he didn't care for the fear caused in Ursus, the fear caused in Primavera, and the fear caused in Lungmen. That was the conclusion he had drawn from the blank page that he had been missing. A man like him could not be considered a human. The very thing he swore against, and the very thing that he despised with all of his heart, he had—

"Megumi."

The voice of Laurentina cut him out of his thoughts, making him spring upwards with a jolt. He glanced backwards with his tired and widened eyes, the dried blood across his body becoming much more tangible to his senses than he could have expected. Before he even knew it, the white-haired woman was in front of him and kneeling down, gazing deep into the decrepit marbles which were his eyes. He opened his mouth for a question shakily, but was cut off.

"I already finished my side of the work, so don't ask anymore about it." Laurentina continued to keep her gaze fixated on him, while an uncharacteristic worry was present in her eyes and face, "I've been stalling this matter for enough. Enough jokes and paltry play, answer me truly, what happened?"

"Laurentina..." Megumi's voice no longer held the emotionless tone it had, instead, it sounded utterly tired. He didn't say anything after, his eyes gazing off to somewhere else that was behind her, perhaps even a million miles away.

"Megumi," Laurentina called his name once more, breaking through the unbearable silence. "You always have something to say, either to deflect or to avoid any situational conversation you find yourself in with me. Answer me, what happened? I need to know—"

"Laurentina..."

Megumi's voice cut her off, making the Aegir pause for a moment. She looked at him once more, in a lens that was far clearer, watching the despondent way his head hung over and lingered in the position. There was not an inch of lifeblood which seemed to flow in his veins, and the pale disposition of his skin that looked like it had been left to rot for a long time passed.

"You can go home soon, isn't that amazing...?"

Laurentina watched his head turn upwards, a small smile opening at the crevices of his mouth. He was smiling, for one of the first times she had ever seen, and it was no one of the undiluted maniacy that she had seen back in Primavera, or the ones that could hardly be called one in the first place, but a... genuine... one? She found herself freezing at his gaze which seemed to pierce her soul.

"You must have a family to go back to...? Perhaps a friend you adore? A lover? I'm so glad, you must be really happy. Really, I'm glad..." Megumi continued to talk, his tongue not focused on a single subject that was comprehensible.

"...Megumi." Laurentina repeated for the umpteenth time, not once letting her gaze break from his own. If she did, she felt as if she would completely lose sight of him, never to be seen again, "what happened...?"

What were his words about...?

...What meaning did he spill...?

...A congratulations...?

...A celebration...?

...A good wish...?

...There was nothing...

...Across the undying gaze of the two moons of Terra, the two objects' ever present apathy continued to radiate across the lands and illuminate all in its light. It wore its reflected wreath like a desolate king, one which stood above all worldly concerns and suffering...

...Between those, and his own—she could see nothing truly present.

For once, she felt as if she understood nothing.

For once...

...She felt lost.