Chapter 20: The Devil Part 2
[A battle that would etch itself into the city had begun. The Pupil raised by the only man to touch the one who is honored. Had found himself in a death match between the man closet to God's fallen angel.]
Looking at her hand on the ground my mother simply picked it up before reattaching it, I looked on us she started clenching and unclenching her hand.
'What is that.'
"Reversed cursed Technique."
Masaki held his sword up still readying for the battle.
"So, you know about that, seems like I was wrong."
A crooked smile graced here lips as she began holding in a laugh.
"To be able to even cut me is a feat, you even know about Rct. You must be the strongest."
Holding sugeitsu, I saw as Masaki poured cursed energy into the blade. Appearing beside him were multiple of him. All of them exerted a good amount of cursed energy, but the original Masaki extorted an amount that overpowered the rest.
'Was Masaki always this strong?'
"That must be the blade's effect."
Masaki didn't answer the question as he ran towards her, 4 of him followed behind. Getting in different directions the clones took a deep breath before tapping their swords on the ground.
[Cursed technique: Vibration - Form 2 - Dead Calm. X4]
I watched as she struggled a bit as she blocked the incoming attacks. All of them threw countless slashes at her before Masaki stood outside watching holding his sword.
[Cursed technique: Vibration - Form 1 - Slash]
Slashing through his clones and her, the slash looked like it was going to slice her in half.
'He's going to do it.'
Looking at my mother's face I noticed a small smile, jumping into one of the clones she let it's strikes rip her flesh but dodged the attack. Standing in the aftermath of the assault of slashes she was missing an arm before it began regrowing.
Masaki looked at her with a serious expression.
"Who are you?"
"Oh, how could you ask that. I'm Naoki's mother of course."
With a smile she gazed at Masaki, I felt a shiver up my spine while watching.
"Your technique, why haven't you used it."
Getting back into a battle stance with his sword his face showed a face of unwavering determination.
"My technique isn't very helpful for situations like this, but later it will."
Masaki summoned more clones, running at her they began to attack. Turning around he walked to us looking down at Nishimoto.
"Mas-"
"Do you think he can get up."
Holding him in my arms and sensing his cursed energy. I knew that he was only running on willpower.
"No."
Looking up at him, Masaki face expression didn't change.
"Don't use your technique. Save your cursed energy."
He began walking away, heading into battle before I screamed out.
"Do you think you can win."
Watching him walk away his back stood tall.
"No."
My face grew grim before he entered the battle again. Watching as he fought, I heard a low rumble through the building.
My mother noticed this dodging the attack of the clones.
"Your technique, do you plan on taking down this whole building." 'This cursed energy he's gathering. It's overpowering... What is he going to use it for' Four clones attacked while Masaki stood on the side whispering words and making signs with one hand. Dodging the clones, she ran at Masaki throwing a punch.
Barely blocking with his sword, Masaki was thrown back. Using his sword and pressing it into the floor. he stopped his momentum. Continuing to chant, Masaki sent out more clones trying to keep distance.
"You know just because there are more of you doesn't mean anything will change."
Killing the clones, she launched towards him. Barely dodging, launching himself back. He began summoning more clones.
"Seems like I'll have to change methods."
Feeling a sinister energy fall down on me, she suddenly looked at me. Turning over to her and running over, Masaki eyes narrowed.
The figure of my mother quickly approached lifting her hand towards me. My eyes closed as I held Nishimoto close. Covering him with my body.
[As she approached, the imposter suddenly turned around. Masaki who had begun making his way to his friends as fast as he could. Focusing on his speed he only noticed last second that her attack was now aimed at him.]
My eyes were held shut before I noticed there was no impact. Opening my eyes, I looked up seeing the back of my mother.
'What happened.'
Looking down at the ground I saw a red splatter hit the ground.
"You did good, but you focused too much on the dead weight."
"N-no."
I whimpered, despair filled my mind. Masaki let out a cough and more blood hit the ground. I heard the labored breath of Masaki before a few words escaped his mouth.
"What."
[Masaki was a realist. Growing up he learned this trait the hard way. After the few exchanges the two had. He understood the gap between them. He long know the conclusion of this battle, he couldn't win.] My mother said looking at him confused.
"A-at the graveside, a w-woman sobs silently, trembling, as life f-flows through her, again and a-again."
Finishing his chant Masaki voice had a new energy to it. A loud rumbled suddenly started shaking the building.
"You're staking your life on this. Do you think this will kill me."
A laugh like response came from my mother as her hand was still in Masaki. A low laugh escaped Masaki deathly breath.
"I don't have to be the one to defeat you. I'll see you in hell."
'No, it isn't shaking the area, its much wider.'
[Masaki felt his body slipping slowly. He didn't plan on dying like this. Not at all. He still had so much he wanted to do. But in these last moments he wasn't mad or sad at his demise. He couldn't be, not yet. He still had one more mission to complete. If he couldn't beat Oe's 'mother' he hoped this last attack would alert the person who could.] Masaki's arm wrapped around my 'mother' as the building began to give way.
As the shake intensified the building started crumbling. I held on to Nishimoto tightly while channeling cursed energy through myself. To protect myself and him. The building finally caved in, and the rumble fell on us.
Getting the heavy stuff off us, I held Nishimoto before stumbling with him out of the area.
Stumbling while breathing heavy, Nishimoto deathly griped onto me.
"You're just going to leave your mother behind?"
A mischievous voice came from behind me. Turning around with a face full of dread. My 'mother' was standing up from the rubble. Her clothes were dirty and ripped a bit, but she looked fine.
'No way.'
Turning around, I began trying to run with Nishimoto before tripping. Landing on the ground with a loud thud.
"Naoki, do you need help."
A smile creepily rose on my mother's face as she slowly made her way towards us. I held on to Nishimoto tightly. Putting myself between him and my mother, why? Because I felt his chest slowly and ghastly raise then fall.
'He's still alive.'
Holding him I had given up on living. Maybe after she kills me, she will forget about him thinking he's dead. Closing my eyes, tears started streaming down my check. This would be my final moments.
"Oe..." The person under her slowly moved. [Nishimoto wasn't a smart kid, after stripping away his talent in jujutsu. The only thing he had was his strength. Born out of his strange want to protect others.]
"Oe..."
The voice repeated, opening my eyes. looking at Nishimoto under me with surprise. He pushed me aside getting up slowly facing my 'mother'.
Trying to grab him, he swatted my hand.
'Where is this strength coming from. How is he still able to get up?'
[In the Jujutsu world a normal person does not exist. All jujutsu sorcerers had quality that spilt them from the normal citizen. Nishimoto was not an exception to this rule, his justice was he's abnormity. This strange sense of justice was now riled up.]
"Seems like you can still stand."
"Nishimoto, stop."
Reaching my hand and trying to stop him, he just ignored me.
Nishimoto slowly stumbled towards my 'mother' before getting in front of her. Rising his hand and filling it with cursed energy. It was easy to read.
'She's going to kill him. Please just let me reach him.'
Trying to get up, my eyes filled with tears. I began stumbling over to them. Tripping onto my face, getting up I looked at them.
"Please.... Don't kill him."
Continuing to stumble to get up. my eyes noticed that my 'mother' wasn't focused on Nishimoto. She looked beyond him at me, a smile rising.
Nishimoto fist slowly and ghostly approached my mother like a slug.
"NISHIMOTO."
His fist to weakly but slowly reached her face. Before a screech sounded through the air catching me off guard. A black lighting like energy emitted from Nishimoto's fist that connected with my 'mother'. My mother was sent flying as energy rose from Nishimoto like it was overflowing.
[This justice and his luck had mixed into this one attack. An all or nothing last attack, it had succeeded. Nishimoto had once again had been blessed, by the Bl-]
"-ack Flash."
Nishimoto said while looking at where my mother was. Nishimoto began looking around before seeing something.
[Cursed Technique: Copycat]
Sending a clone out while he got into a stance. The clone ran towards the rumble of the building looking for something.
As the clone searched from something a sinister energy came from where Nishimoto was.
"Good, good, good. So interesting, way beyond my expectations."
Standing near a hole in a building that Nishimoto had hit her into. My 'mother' slowly walked out her face deformed. As it slowly shaped back into its normal state, she had a smile on her face.
Without wasting no time Nishimoto ran at her making only two clones.
'Is he saving the rest?'
The three of them began fighting, pushing her back. His strength was off the charts. Suddenly another clone ran towards them. Holding a sword in his hand he threw it at them.
[After achieving another Black Flash. This Nishimoto was different from the one who had lost. He had now realized the true potential of his Cursed technique: Copycat.]
A Figure appeared out of nowhere catching the sword.
[Cursed Technique: Copycat External Copy]
"M-Masaki.."
The figure who had grabbed the sword was Masaki. With a stone face he swung the sword at my mother slicing her hand off. She jumped back surprised looking at Masaki and Nishimoto with a smile.
The other clones disappeared leaving only Masaki and Nishimoto.
"You couldn't let me rest even for a minute."
"Sorry."
Standing together they, both looked at her. Nodding at each other they began running at her from different sides.
"Excellent, show me your strength."
'What's going on. How is Masaki back?'
Seeing them fight her, I could only look at my own self. Feeling weak and useless I looked back up.
Both were pressuring my mother with their tag team attacks.
[Cursed technique: Vibration - Form 1 - Slash]
Slicing at my 'mom' again, this time she dodged.
'Why was that so slow.'
Flipping backwards my 'mother' looked at them still smiling.
"I can't use my sword's Technique and my strength is fading."
looking at his hand and sword, Masaki looked at Nishimoto annoyed.
"That's all I could muster. You're stronger than a normal clone by 3 but I don't think I can hold it for long."
both conversing while my 'mother' stood waiting for their advances.
'Clone?'
A switch in my head flipped and I understood what happened. Nishimoto had made a clone that took the form of Masaki. Using his memories of Masaki, he made a clone of him.
"You should've made Sensei that would've been smarter."
"Too much cursed energy and I've never seen Sensei fight seriously. So, the clone would've been weaker."
Letting out a sigh Masaki gripped his sword holding it weird before looking at Nishimoto. Nodding at each other both rushed back at her.
Both threw attacks at her as she dodged, and counter attacked with a smile on her face.
"She must have a limit to her healing."
Nishimoto commented on while fighting with Masaki. Both of them disengaged before looking at her while she stood there smiling.
"So, to win we have to hit her with an attack she can't heal or make her reach her limit."
Masaki explained to Nishimoto while messing with the edge of his blade.
"There is always 'that' option."
Masaki nodded before throwing away his weapon near me.
'What are they doing.'
"Throwing away your weapon have you given up. I'm kind of disappointed."
"Shut up."
Nishimoto responded to her.
"Let me give you some help. With my cursed energy reserves you couldn't possibly out last me unless you get another boost. But I'll make sure that doesn't happen."
I watched as she continued to talk. Looking over at Masaki and Nishimoto, I saw that they were intent on listening.
"This body actually has a lot of cursed energy compared to others."
'They're waiting on something.'
Looking down at Masaki's sword I saw red writing on it.
'Hide.'
Hide was scribbled with blood on the blade. Gritting my teeth I hastily got up.
Holding the sword, I began running away with it. Finding a spot to hide far from the battle. I hugged the blade tightly while hearing the battle from afar.
Putting my back to a wall, I slowly slide down it. Sitting down while holding the remnant of my friend. Looking at the blade, my eyes started watering.
The blade became blurry in my vision. Masaki's will was burnt into this blade. Sacrificing himself for me and Nishimoto then Nishimoto followed him. Why was I so important? why did both of them have to die while I stayed here hiding?
"Useless"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Zxl_Numa
Zxl_Numa Almost didn't upload this today. I wanted to edit this chapter a bit and refine it. I was able to get it to a point that I really like it. I hope you guys do too.
I hope it came out well.
Thanks for reading. I hope you have a good day.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
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