章 28: Left...Right...Goodnight!

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Yuji stares at Mahito, his eyes widening with a mix of confusion and recognition. There's something unsettlingly familiar about the cursed spirit's appearance—his patchwork face, heterochromatic pupils, and long, pale blue hair. Yuji struggles to place where he's seen this before when suddenly a fragment of a childhood memory surfaces. A voice echoes in his mind: "If you meet a patch-face guy with heterochromatic pupils and long pale blue hair, beat the living shit out of him."¹

Yuji's brow furrows as he tries to recall why this specific advice is ingrained in his memory. It's so vivid and peculiar that he can't shake the sense of urgency it instills in him.

Deciding to act on instinct, Yuji dashes toward Mahito, preparing to throw a punch. He holds back slightly, ready to stop if Mahito proves to be human. But Mahito's response is swift and unexpected. His legs transform into springs, propelling him off the floor and allowing him to dodge Yuji's attack with effortless grace.

"So, you're Sukuna's Vessel, huh?" Mahito taunts, his voice laced with amusement.

As Junpei watches this exchange, a realization dawns upon him. Mahito is the true enemy, the one who planted the cursed finger in his house. The gravity of this discovery hits him hard, shaking him to his core. "Mahito...d-did you-"

Mahito smiles, "Oh, kill your mom? Yeah, it was kinda boring too, no struggle at all, just a simple pop and she was gone..." hearing Mahito ramble on his experience killing Junpei's Mom and orchestrating the entire event, Yuji suddenly clicked.

Yuji's mind races with a surge of anger so intense it feels like an overpowering force—pure, untainted hate. His eyes blaze with determination as he clenches his fists. "I'll kill you," Yuji says, his voice steady and resolute.

Mahito's smirk widens as he corrects Yuji's choice of words with a mocking tone. "Ah, ah, Sorcerers say 'exorcise,'" he says, emphasizing the term with a twisted grin. "But I suppose you're free to say whatever you like before I crush you."

The tension in the gym escalates, and the clash between Yuji's resolve and Mahito's malevolence set to reach a boiling point. With the realization of Mahito's true nature and his own raw, unfiltered hatred fueling him, Yuji is ready to confront the cursed spirit with everything he's got.

Yuji lunges forward, throwing a powerful right hook toward Mahito. Mahito anticipates the punch, catching Yuji's fist with a smirk on his face. But instead of flinching, Yuji lets the blow land, absorbing the impact without hesitation. With a burst of strength, Yuji retaliates by drop-kicking Mahito, sending him crashing through a nearby wall.

Mahito stumbles back into view, his smile faltering slightly. He touches his face and notices a trickle of blood seeping from his nose. His eyes narrow in thought. "Nice trick," he says, his voice laced with a mix of surprise and admiration. "But unless you can hit my soul, like that four-eyed sorcerer, I'll just heal any damage…"

As Mahito speaks, he begins to piece together the implications of Yuji's attack. The blood from his nose and the sensation of pain make him realize that Yuji might be capable of affecting his soul directly. It's a theory he hadn't fully considered before but now seems plausible—especially given Yuji's connection to Sukuna's soul.

Mahito's expression shifts from playful to serious. He tests his theory, focusing on the sensations of his cursed energy and the peculiarities of Yuji's attacks. "So, you can see and hit my soul somehow," Mahito muses aloud. "Is it because of that cursed spirit inside you?"

Yuji, undeterred by Mahito's taunts, prepares for his next move. His eyes blaze with completely foreign hate, "I'll make sure this time...you die, Mahito..." Yuji's cursed energy takes another spike.

Yuji's fury boils over into a cold, relentless rage. He moves with a frightening speed, his attacks coming in a blur. Each punch and kick narrowly misses Mahito, who expertly evades with agile movements. Mahito, now sporting a set of ethereal wings, takes to the air to avoid Yuji's relentless assault.

As Mahito dodges and weaves, he recalls a crucial piece of advice from Geto. "He has no regard for his own life, so keep that in mind." The memory sharpens Mahito's focus. He realizes that to force Yuji into a position where he can't fight back, he must either incapacitate him completely or kill enough students to break his spirit.

Mahito weighs his options. Beating Yuji into submission might be the more immediate solution, but the threat of killing innocents could force Yuji into a dire decision. Determined to gain the upper hand, Mahito decides he needs to knock Yuji out and then use the threat of further violence to ensure his compliance.

Yuji, not relenting, makes an unorthodox move. In a sudden burst of desperation, he lunges at Mahito and bites down hard on his shoulder. Using the distraction, Yuji performs a forceful shoulder throw, attempting to slam Mahito into the ground. But Mahito, ever adaptable, twists his body mid-air and narrowly avoids the stomp Yuji aims to land.

Seizing the opportunity, Mahito wraps himself around Yuji, his body morphing grotesquely. Spikes protrude from his form, aiming for Yuji's vital organs. Yuji manages to shift his position just in time, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. However, the spikes find their mark, piercing Yuji's liver.

Yuji gasps in pain but grits his teeth, his resolve unshaken. Despite the injury, he remains focused, determined to put an end to Mahito's terror. Or just Mahito.

Yuji, his resolve unshaken despite the pain, shrugs off the injury to his liver. With a fierce determination, he dives at Mahito, catching him off guard. In a fluid motion, Yuji flips over Mahito and grabs a stray lamppost, swinging it with all his might. The lamppost connects with Mahito, sending him crashing into a nearby statue.

Mahito, barely fazed, grins maliciously. He activates his cursed technique, manipulating the small spikes he has embedded around Yuji. The spikes begin to expand, their tips aiming to skewer Yuji. As they grow larger, Mahito's plan seems almost foolproof.

But just as the spikes are about to pierce Yuji, they're abruptly cut in half. Nanami appears, his blade flashing with precise strikes. He uses his Ratio Technique to sever the spikes before they can do any more damage.

Yuji, his body battered and exhausted, does not look towards Nanami. He remains focused on Mahito, his gaze locked in determination. Nanami surveys the chaotic scene briefly and then addresses Yuji with calm authority. "I'll create an opening. You exorcise him."

Despite his injuries, Yuji blinks in acknowledgment. Without hesitation, he charges towards Mahito once more, his willpower driving him forward. His movements are fueled by a blend of pain, anger, and unwavering resolve.

Yuji and Mahito are locked in a fierce close-quarters struggle, their limbs entangled in a deadly dance. With a powerful grip, Yuji holds Mahito in place, refusing to let go despite the searing pain coursing through his body. Nanami seizes the opportunity, swiftly moving in from behind and delivering a precise slash to Mahito's ankle with his blade.

The strike causes Mahito to stagger, and in that fleeting moment of vulnerability, Yuji and Nanami unleash a relentless barrage of blows. Their fists and strikes rain down on Mahito, each one infused with cursed energy, pushing him closer and closer to the brink of death.

As Mahito feels the overwhelming pressure of his impending demise, his mind begins to race. He reflects on the nature of his existence, questioning the true essence of his soul. The question echoes in his thoughts: "What is Mahito?" With each moment, the answer becomes clearer to him, like a revelation birthed from the crucible of battle.

In the face of death, Mahito finally comprehends the truth. He realizes that a curse, in its purest form, is death itself. Mahito embodies the essence of a true curse—an entity born from the darkest aspects of humanity, from the very concept of death and fear. This understanding ignites something deep within him, a profound awakening that transcends his physical form.

With this newfound clarity, Mahito taps into the deepest recesses of his cursed energy and masters the ultimate technique of a curse—Domain Expansion. In an instant, the environment around them warps and distorts as Mahito unleashes his Domain Expansion: Self-Embodiment of Perfection.

A twisted, surreal landscape envelops them, a reflection of Mahito's twisted soul. Within this domain, Mahito holds absolute control over everything, especially over the souls of those trapped inside. Nanami, unable to escape, finds himself at the mercy of Mahito's newly mastered power.

As the domain closes in around him, Nanami's face remains stoic, but the weight of the situation is undeniable. Yuji, still reeling from the relentless fight, watches in horror as Nanami is swallowed by the domain's nightmarish embrace. The air thickens with tension, the stakes of the battle escalating to an unimaginable level.

...

As Mahito's Domain Expansion, Self-Embodiment of Perfection, begins to form, Yuji Itadori's thoughts race back to a pivotal moment in his life—his grandfather's death. The memory of his grandfather's final words, urging him to help others and live with a sense of purpose, fills Yuji with a resolute determination. The thought of watching Nanami die, of failing to protect someone who had fought alongside him, was unbearable. He wouldn't allow it. Not again.

With every fiber of his being, Yuji charges forward, his mind focused solely on one thing: stopping Mahito before the domain fully materializes. 2.23 seconds before Mahito's Domain is complete, Yuji channels all his cursed energy into his fist. It's not just about the physical power—Yuji has trained extensively, honing his abilities in preparation for moments like this. But the most crucial training, the one he didn't even realize he was preparing for, was the mastery of a technique that could change the tide of any battle: Black Flash.

Yuji recalls the lessons from his training, the countless hours spent understanding cursed energy, and the importance of timing. Black Flash wasn't just about hitting the target; it was about creating a spatial distortion just before the impact. Distortion so precise that it amplifies the cursed energy to its peak, allowing the user to achieve 120% of their potential. The moment was fleeting—0.0000001 seconds—but it was all Yuji needed.

As Yuji closes in on Mahito, time seems to slow down. He feels the cursed energy in his fist surge, the air around him crackling with intensity. The space just before Mahito's face warps and twists, a flash of black and red lightning bursts forth as Yuji unleashes his attack. Black Flash—a technique that bridges the gap between raw power and mastery, ignited by the sheer will to protect.

In that split second, just before Mahito can complete his domain, Yuji's fist connects with Mahito's face. The impact is devastating—a blinding flash of black and red light explodes, distorting the air and sending shockwaves through the area. Mahito's expression shifts from confidence to shock as the force of the blow tears through him, his body jolting from the raw power behind the Black Flash.

The energy of the attack doesn't just strike Mahito—it resonates, amplifying within Yuji as well. The cursed energy inside Yuji becomes "excited," surging through him with newfound vigor, increasing his chances of executing more Black Flashes. The overwhelming power coursing through him emboldens Yuji, pushing him beyond his limits.

That was Itadori Yuji.¹