Chapter 61: The Decisive Battle In Shinjuku 1
Hiroshi Senju sat amidst the ruins of the department store, his Naginata planted firmly beside him. He fiddled absently with a pebble, waiting. Around him, the forest grew wild, the sun shining down even as thunder rumbled and lightning flashed through the clouds. It was as if the world itself had become Hiroshi's backdrop.
Footsteps drew his attention, and there stood his challenger, Ryomen Sukuna. Hiroshi watched as Sukuna approached. "You could not live with your own failure. And where did that bring you? Back to me," Hiroshi remarked.
"Failure?" Sukuna chuckled darkly. "A wise man knows when to attack and when to retreat. There is no such thing as failure when one lives to fight another day."
Hiroshi's eyes narrowed. "I thought that by defeating you in Shibuya, you would recognize the gap between us and stay peacefully within Yuji. But you've shown me that's impossible." Sukuna now stood a few meters away, a menacing presence.
"Now I know what I must do," Hiroshi continued. "I gave you a chance, but you did not cherish it." He threw the pebble away and stood up, grasping his Naginata.
"A chance?" Sukuna scoffed. "Your arrogance blinds you, Senju. You speak of paths, yet fail to see the one that leads to your demise. You are already on the chopping block. Now, let's cut those roots."
Sukuna squared up as Hiroshi twirled his Naginata, preparing for combat.
"Thinkfastorgetzenkaiboosted," Hiroshi said rapidly. The words caught Sukuna off guard, and an angled slash from the Naginata struck him squarely in the torso.
The battle erupted almost instantly as Senju Hiroshi took the initiative, his movements swift and decisive. Sukuna stumbled slightly, the pain from the slice on his torso catching him off guard. He healed instantly, then retaliated by slicing the wooden hand that had tripped him.
Thinking quickly, Sukuna dodged Hiroshi's relentless swings. The Inverted Spear of Heaven in Hiroshi's hands moved like an extension of his body. Sukuna countered by sending flying slashes at Hiroshi, but to his surprise, Hiroshi deftly intercepted each one with his polearm.
"What happened?" Sukuna thought as he watched Hiroshi's polearm nullify his attacks. The Inverted Spear of Heaven nullifies cursed techniques on contact, and Sukuna's flying slashes were no exception. Only Hiroshi, with his extraordinary abilities, could sense the changes in the air and anticipate the slashes. The trees surrounding him transmitted information, allowing him to pinpoint the location of each attack.
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In the theatre, Yuji watched the battle unfold on the screen, puzzled by the bizarre movements. "What's Hiroshi-sensei doing? Anyone know why he is swinging the polearm around and why Sukuna is also swinging his arms around?"
Nanami leaned forward, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "He seems to be using the Inverted Spear of Heaven to intercept Sukuna's slashes."
"What? He can do that?" Yuji exclaimed in amazement.
Haibara chuckled. "This is Hiroshi we are talking about. He's just like that."
The group continued to watch, their conversations filled with awe and speculation.
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Meanwhile, in Tokyo Colony, Yuta Okkotsu moved methodically through the area, eliminating curses and cursed users hiding around. He exorcised a cursed spirit and walked forward, turning a corner.
"Hey Kenny, what type of woman do you like?" a familiar voice asked. Yuta turned to see Yuki Tsukumo, her signature question bringing a smirk to his face.
"Yuki Tsukumo," he greeted her.
"Yes, Kenny, what type of woman do you like?" Gojo Satoru echoed playfully, emerging from another corner. "Is it a woman with a big ass or tits?" Suguru Geto chimed in, appearing from a third direction.
Yuta found himself surrounded, trapped in a triangular formation. Kenjaku realized he had been too relaxed, assuming all the special grades would be preoccupied with the Hiroshi versus Sukuna fight. But now, faced with Gojo Satoru, Suguru Geto, and Yuki Tsukumo, escape seemed impossible.
"My, oh my, all three special grades for me? Isn't it overkill? I'm just one," Kenjaku said, preparing for the imminent battle.
"No, we would've brought Hiroshi too if it weren't for Sukuna, but there's nowhere to run now, Kenny," Gojo said, his Six Eyes glowing with power.
Suguru Geto had meticulously planned this ambush, bringing Yuki to ensure Kenjaku's elimination and to prevent him from attempting another black hole escape.
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Hiroshi swung the Inverted Spear of Heaven with precision as Sukuna attempted to close the distance. Hiroshi tried to trip Sukuna using the blunt end of his polearm, but Sukuna deftly stepped on it, aiming a high knee at Hiroshi's face. Hiroshi, ready for the attack, countered with a powerful palm strike that sent Sukuna crashing through buildings.
The buildings were immediately swallowed by trees. "Shinboku no Jumon: Deep Forest Emergence," Hiroshi muttered. Although Shinjuku had already become a forest, Hiroshi intensified its growth, making everything bigger and more imposing.
Sukuna sliced through the encroaching trees and emerged from the debris, only to see Hiroshi smirking at him from a distance. "Cero," Hiroshi intoned, launching a devastating energy blast that struck Sukuna head-on. The impact sent Sukuna crashing back into the ruins. He hurriedly stood up, healing himself instantly. He knew he couldn't stay in one place for long; the forest would bombard him with attacks.
Sukuna glanced back to see the building he had crashed into being crushed by massive roots and branches. "Three seconds," Sukuna counted—the time it took for the forest's attacks to converge. Despite Hiroshi's mastery of the forest, there was an inevitable time lag between attacks due to the sheer physics involved.
Sukuna put his hands together and sliced apart the forest around him. He noticed that Hiroshi had vanished from his sight and senses. "The Senju is hiding, probably planning to delay me indefinitely with his wooden constructs, but that won't work now," Sukuna thought. With his full power, Sukuna could now slice through the trees almost instantly. Even though the forest was regrowing at the same pace as in Shibuya, Sukuna was clearing it faster this time.
As Sukuna actively searched for Hiroshi, the latter lay in wait. The moment Sukuna moved forward, clearing out the forest, Hiroshi struck. "Shinboku no Jumon: Resonance Blast." From behind a building, Sukuna felt a massive buildup of cursed energy. The building vaporized, and Sukuna lost a leg, but he backflipped onto a rooftop, restoring his leg instantly. "I never took you for someone who uses tricks, Senju," Sukuna taunted.
Hiroshi tapped his foot, and a wooden human rose beneath him, accompanied by seven wooden dragons. "That wasn't a trick," Hiroshi said, as Sukuna's vision darkened.
"Genjutsu: Infinite Darkness Jutsu," Hiroshi invoked, casting Sukuna into an illusionary darkness. Sukuna quickly regained control of his cursed energy, but in the split second of lost focus, the wooden dragons attacked, closing in on him. "This is a trick," Hiroshi declared, his voice echoing ominously.
Sukuna weaved through the lunges of the wooden dragons, using one to propel himself towards Hiroshi. Hiroshi, seeing this, commanded the wooden dragons to interweave and attack Sukuna, forcing him to put his hands together and obliterate the dragons with an infinite number of slashes. This left Sukuna airborne, vulnerable, and he was subsequently slapped by a massive wooden hand from the wooden human Hiroshi was sitting on, sending him crashing through numerous buildings.
"Shinboku no Jumon: Laughing Buddha Jutsu," Hiroshi intoned, waving his hand from atop the wooden human. Massive wooden hands emerged from the forest, converging on Sukuna. He sliced, diced, and dodged the occasional wooden dragon, but as he approached Hiroshi, more obstructions began to tug at his clothes and limbs, leaving him with bruises and cuts. The forest was a deadly field, constantly attacking him.
"Shinboku no Jumon: Deep Forest Bloom," Hiroshi called, and the trees around the forest began to grow massive flowers that released pollen. Sukuna saw this and knew he had to prevent the release of more pollen, or risk suffocation and hallucinations. With swift speed, he cut away at the flowering trees, noting that they would regrow in ten seconds.
Clearly, the battle was playing out similarly to the Shibuya incident, but this time Hiroshi was proactively attacking instead of waiting. Sukuna, on the other hand, was still struggling to approach him. He observed the surroundings and noticed the buildings. He cut away at the flowering trees and ran.
"Dismantle," Sukuna commanded, sending slashes towards the buildings around Hiroshi. The massive complexes began to fall towards the God of Sorcerers, but Hiroshi simply gestured upwards, and massive wooden hands caught the falling buildings.
Sukuna saw Hiroshi smirk as the massive buildings that were supposed to fall upon him were hurled towards Sukuna instead. "Damn," Sukuna thought, as he slashed apart the buildings hurtling towards him.
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Yuji's eyes widened, his fists clenched. "Sensei is... incredible"
Hakari whistled, a grin spreading across his face. "Now that's a gamble I'd love to be part of. The God of Sorcerer's going all out!"
Panda tilted his head, analyzing the fight. "The sheer scale of this battle... it's beyond anything we've seen before not even the Shibuya incident can top this"
Mai and Maki exchanged glances, both impressed but showing it differently. Mai whispered, "I never imagined Sensei had this much power." Maki nodded silently, her eyes never leaving the fight.
"The amount of cursed energy being expended is off the charts. I can barely process it."Kokichi Muta said as he calculated the monstrous amount of cursed energy expended.
Todo slapped his cheeks, eyes gleaming with excitement. "This... this is the epitome of Jujutsu! Sensei's technique is flawless!"
Noritoshi Kamo watched intently, his face a mask of concentration. "So this is what it means to be at the pinnacle of Jujutsu sorcery..."
Nanami adjusted his glasses, his usual stoic expression tinged with amazement. "To think Hiroshi-san was holding back this much power all along..."
Haibara Yu's jaw dropped. "Those wood constructs... they're bigger than in Shibuya. Is this really Jujutsu?"
Kusakabe shook his head in disbelief. "And here I thought I'd seen it all. This is beyond anything in the history books."
Mei Mei's eyes narrowed, assessing the battle with a tactician's mind. "The fact that Sukuna can keep up... it's terrifying. But Hiroshi-san seems to have the upper hand for now."
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Sukuna slashed through the complex buildings hurled at him, his eyes flickering with determination as he sought to close the distance between himself and Hiroshi. His thoughts raced, analyzing the situation with the intensity of a cornered beast. Yet, as he approached, his advance was abruptly halted.
Five figures of Senju Hiroshi awaited him. Sukuna's sharp gaze immediately identified the true Hiroshi on top of the Wooden Human amidst the clones. Realizing the situation, he knew that these were mere illusions. With a swift mental command, Sukuna activated the Ten Shadows technique.
"Totality: Merged Beast: Were-Tiger, Divine Dog, Qilin!" Sukuna chanted, summoning the monstrous forms of the beasts. The beasts, fierce and colossal, emerged from the shadows, contrasting sharply with the traditional forms of Megumi's Shikigami. Each beast exuded a raw, primordial power that seemed to challenge the very fabric of the forest.
A brutal melee ensued. The Were-Tiger roared and lunged at one of Hiroshi's clones, its claws raking through the clone's defenses. The Divine Dog charged at another, teeth bared and eyes blazing with ferocity. The Qilin, majestic and menacing, brought down its pressurized water upon another of Hiroshi's clones, causing the ground to erupt in a cascade of sliced earth.
Despite the strength of the Shikigami, Hiroshi's five clones were relentless. Each clone chose an opponent from Sukuna's summoned beasts, engaging them in fierce combat. Meanwhile, the remaining six clones attacked Sukuna himself, a relentless tide of assaults.
One clone, positioned strategically, began to weave intricate illusions. "Jumpjutsu Kaisen," Hiroshi chuckled, as the clone used Genjutsu to disorient Sukuna. The illusions momentarily disrupted Sukuna's cursed energy flow, forcing him to split his focus between fighting the clones and breaking free from the illusions.
As Sukuna battled fiercely against the onslaught, his movements became increasingly desperate. He slashed through Hiroshi's clones, but each time he did, another clone appeared in his path. The relentless pressure from the multiple clones, combined with the disorienting effects of the Genjutsu, made it difficult for Sukuna to maintain control.
"Dismantle!" Sukuna roared, unleashing a wave of cursed energy that sliced through the forest, felling trees and destroying any obstacles in his path. His attacks were fierce but imprecise, driven by the need to eliminate his enemies quickly.
Hiroshi's clones took advantage of Sukuna's distraction. One clone evaded the Dismantle attack and approached Sukuna from behind, aiming a well-timed strike at his exposed flank. The King of Curses twisted around, his eyes flashing with the intent to kill, but the clone was already moving, vanishing into the forest as the real Hiroshi watched from his perch.
Not only were Hiroshi's clones overwhelming the Shikigami, but Sukuna himself was also having a hard time.
Hiroshi's wood clones, though physically indistinguishable from their creator, possessed his full array of abilities and combat skills. They were not mere illusions; they were perfect replicas, trained to use the forest to their advantage and skilled in hand-to-hand combat.
One of Hiroshi's clones faced off against the Were-Tiger, its movements precise and deadly. As the Were-Tiger roared and swiped with its massive claws, the clone deftly dodged the attack, weaving beneath the beast's swing. With a series of fluid motions, the clone executed a powerful three-piece combination on the Were-Tiger: an uppercut to lift the beast's head, a backhand swipe to destabilize it, and a final, lethal strike to the liver that caused the Were-Tiger to stumble back, its growls of pain echoing through the forest.
The Divine Dog leapt through the dense forest, snapping its jaws at another clone. Hiroshi's clone evaded the attack with fluid grace, weaving through the trees to stay out of the beast's formidable reach. With each dodge, the clone executed quick, calculated attacks aimed at the Divine Dog's vulnerable spots. The Divine Dog sustained numerous cuts and bruises from the clone's elbow strikes and suffered a broken tooth and limbs.
The Qilin, majestic and fierce, brought down torrents of water upon one of the clones. The clone conjured a barrier of trees, deflecting the water and retaliating with a barrage of wooden spears that pierced the beast's defenses and ultimately pinned it to one of the trees, where it flailed in rage.
As the Shikigami clashed with Hiroshi's clones, Sukuna's focus was split between the ongoing battles and the oppressive forest surrounding him. He could feel the strain of keeping up with Hiroshi's relentless onslaught. The forest itself seemed to conspire against him, with its massive roots and branches working in concert to hinder his movements and wear him down.
Sukuna slashed through a thick vine that had wrapped itself around his leg, feeling the strain of the constant attacks. His eyes, sharp and calculating, darted around the battlefield as he sought an opportunity to strike back.
Sukuna put his hands together unleashing a wave of slices that tore through the forest, cutting down trees and obliterating the wooden constructs around him. The sheer force of the attack caused the ground to tremble, sending debris flying in every direction.
The six clones pressed the attack. One of the clones gave Sukuna a fierce two-piece combo: a right and left punch. Simultaneously, Sukuna grabbed hold of the clone he was fighting, and the clone grabbed him back, while another clone kicked him from behind. His vision began to darken as he was affected by Genjutsu once again. "This is getting annoying!" Sukuna roared in anger, frustrated by the fact that, despite his full power, he had yet to touch the real Senju Hiroshi and was preoccupied with his clones, wooden constructs, and more.
Then, from a distance, Sukuna sensed a massive buildup of cursed energy. He saw the real Hiroshi charging up an attack. Sukuna attempted to flee, but the clone grabbed hold of him. "There's no running, Sukuna. Here comes the Sun!" one of the clones said as Hiroshi unleashed a blinding white beam of energy.
A Few Seconds Earlier
Hiroshi saw that Sukuna was too preoccupied to notice him and stood up, beginning to chant. "Blackness of Void and the Whiteness of Life, Life and Death, Cursed Energy and Natural Energy, Hearken to the Destruction of My Enemies, Cero Blanca!"
Cero Blanca was a technique Hiroshi had developed by combining cursed energy with natural energy into a single, devastating attack. The technique began as a sphere of swirling black cursed energy and slowly transformed into a radiant white as natural energy was infused.
As the incantation was spoken, the sphere became a blinding white light, emphasizing its immense power and destructive capability.
Sukuna ignored the clones holding him back and extended both his arms and body, bracing himself for the impact to come.
The white beam of energy, Cero Blanca, illuminated the entire expanse of the forested battlefield, transforming the dark, oppressive atmosphere into a radiant field of brilliance. The intense glare from the attack pierced through the dense canopy of trees, casting long shadows that danced across the ruined landscape.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone