A crimson point of light tore through the wind.
Had it struck me, I would have been sent hurtling into a corner, smashed to pieces.
'Even seeing it again, it's chilling.'
Memories of my first encounter with Gojo Satoru months ago flashed through my mind.
It was a vivid, searing memory.
"Oho. It's a bit strong, isn't it? If I took that head-on, I'd be in for a world of hurt."
Shuten-douji chuckled as she reached out a hand.
The ring on her right ring finger pulsed with a cold, azure light.
SKREEEEEEE!
The crimson point and the blue light collided, erupting in a sound like grinding iron.
They repelled and eroded each other.
In the space between them, the clashing forces held a tense, oscillating equilibrium.
"Whoa."
My jaw dropped involuntarily.
This was far more vicious than the Cursed Technique Reversal: Red I had witnessed months prior.
Yet, Shuten-douji held firm against that ferocious repulsive force.
She was putting in effort, but showed no signs of being overwhelmed.
Fwoosh.
The radiant red point flickered and vanished, scattering like a snuffed candle flame.
"Impressive. My hand is actually tingling."
Shuten-douji turned back to me with a smirk.
She showed me her right palm; it was perfectly clean.
No lingering crimson energy.
Not even a trace of a burn.
"It looks okay on the outside… but you weren't pushing yourself too hard to block that, were you?"
"Now, why would I do that? My finesse might be lacking, but I could have parried it easily. I only blocked it to test the ring's function."
"Well, that's a relief. Does it hurt much?"
"It's a bit intense. If that had hit my solar plexus, I might've actually felt it."
Shuten-douji gave a light laugh and shook out her hand.
Within her smile, the budding desire for combat began to bloom.
"You there, blue-eyed lad. Care to trade blows for real?"
Shuten-douji turned back toward Gojo Satoru and asked.
A flash of bewilderment crossed Gojo's face, but he remained calmer than I expected.
"Lad? Calling me a 'lad' when you're that tiny... it's absurd. If I hadn't heard your name, I would've given you a good thumping by now."
"You've got quite the spirit, don't you? Here I come!"
Before he could even grant permission, Shuten-douji lunged low.
She closed the distance as if tearing through space itself.
In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of Gojo.
She swung her ring-clad right hand.
'If that hits, his head is going to shatter.'
I could see the veins and the faint, mottled glow on her skin.
I could almost hear the visceral creaking of her muscles from here.
"Well then, shall we see who thumps whom?"
Shuten-douji's fist blurred as it rent the air.
The target was Gojo's abdomen.
'Will it penetrate the Limitless?'
Just before her fist could connect with Gojo's stomach...
Intense sparks flew.
The screeching roar of a grinder or a chainsaw erupted from the point of impact.
"Whew...!"
Right before the strike landed, Gojo beat a hasty retreat.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
His hands trembled ever so slightly.
"Wow, that was electric. This is only the second time I've felt something like this. Truly fascinating."
"Oho. Having a bit of fun, are we?"
"Fun... maybe. I've certainly never fought a battle like this before."
A sharp, jagged smile pulled at Gojo's lips.
In contrast, Shuten-douji's smile was effortless.
It was a clear sign that she was still holding back a significant amount of power.
"You realize your Cursed Technique is being neutralized, right? Keep your wits about you, or I'll crack your skull. Be careful now."
"Anytime. My turn to attack now, okay?"
Gojo instantly repositioned into the air.
Suspending himself in the sky, he began to activate his technique.
—Phase. Twilight. Eyes of Wisdom.
Chants.
A form of incantation; reciting them amplifies the potency of a Cursed Technique.
While some techniques require them, others do not.
Gojo usually bypassed these chants entirely.
He typically used his techniques directly, and even then, they were overwhelmingly powerful.
"Cursed Technique Lapse: Maximum Cursed Energy Output. Blue!"
The azure light Gojo fired shot toward Shuten-douji.
It was the same center of attraction he had used when fighting Toji.
Shuten-douji watched it approach and simply reached out her left hand.
She didn't seem to have any intention of dodging, likely because she wanted to test the Mystic Code.
Finally, the blue sphere collided with Shuten's left hand.
A thunderous roar erupted.
It sounded like a bomb detonating—or like the pop of a balloon magnified a hundredfold.
'Is she okay? Surely she is, right?'
Shuten-douji lacks Magic Resistance.
She had to endure such an attack using her sheer physical durability.
Of course, she's an Oni, so she's incredibly tough, but...
I couldn't help but worry.
"Master. Don't you worry. I'm quite alright, and that ring chipped away most of the damage from that technique."
As the dust settled and the noise died down, I saw Shuten-douji smiling, brushing a strand of hair back.
Gojo slowly descended from the air.
His expression was a mixture of annoyance and genuine enjoyment.
"Hmm... basic moves aren't going to cut it, are they? Should I just fire off a Purple?"
"Ah, the violet one? I've heard talk of it. Apparently, it's quite dangerous? Give it a go. Just make sure the Master doesn't get caught in the crossfire."
"Can I really?"
Gojo's eyes sparkled.
He was in an excited state, his competitive spirit surging.
"Do it."
"Don't regret it later. I'll hold back a little for you."
Gojo clasped his hands as if he had been waiting for the word.
—Cursed Technique Lapse: Blue. Cursed Technique Reversal: Red.
Blue and Red.
The powers of attraction and repulsion manifested on either side of Gojo.
The two opposing colors collided at the center, blending together.
Creating a new color.
Violet.
An alluring yet ruinous hue crackled with sparks.
—Imaginary Hollow: Purple.
Then, the catastrophic orb of purple light surged toward Shuten-douji.
Potency, speed—it was no exaggeration to call it the pinnacle of power.
It was the same move that had mangled Hanami from a great distance, and the same that had reached Sukuna four kilometers away in an instant.
But more than its destructive power or range, the real threat of the Hollow was its speed.
The moment it entered your vision, it was impossible to dodge.
It felt like it moved at supersonic speed, perhaps faster.
It was a technique that offered no answers.
Fortunately, there was a brief charge-up time and a palpable surge of pressure that allowed for preparation.
The question was whether preparation was enough to stop it.
And whether she would be unharmed.
"That's a bit stronger than I thought. Taking that head-on with just my body might actually break me."
Shuten-douji extended her left hand toward the oncoming torrent of violet light.
She remained perfectly composed.
"Master. Just in case, I'll defend as well."
Ibuki-douji, who had been waiting in spirit form, manifested into reality.
She stood before me.
To my surprise, she even drew her Noble Phantasm, the Divine Sword Kusanagi.
Fortunately, she didn't release its True Name.
"Thanks. Shuten will be okay, right?"
Standing behind Ibuki-douji, I watched Shuten-douji.
I was worried about how she would block the violet light hurtling toward her, and if she'd survive the impact.
"I'll make it okay even if it's not. She was wise not to use the ring-clad hand for this one. That much power... it might actually snap her bones."
Ibuki-douji remained calm.
With Ibuki's level of Magic Resistance, even the Hollow technique could be ignored.
She could probably erase it entirely.
Or even if it affected her, it would feel like nothing more than an ordinary person's punch.
BOOOOM!
Finally, Shuten's left hand collided with the edge of the Hollow.
The explosion was deafening.
The shockwaves and gales that whipped out in every direction were incomparable to anything before.
Thankfully, Shuten-douji's left hand glowed as she circulated Magical Energy.
It felt as though she were maintaining a defensive magecraft.
'She doesn't have to block it exactly with the hand wearing the ring.'
I confirmed that the ring worked as long as the impact was within a certain radius, even if caught with a different body part.
The range seemed to be about one meter.
Short, but sufficient.
"Urgh!"
I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut and winced.
The impact was immense, and the light was blinding.
My ears were ringing so loudly I felt isolated from the rest of the world.
Tatter-tatter.
The long-lasting roar of the explosion finally subsided, and the blinding light faded.
Only then did I slowly open my eyes.
With the piercing stimuli gone from my eyes and ears, I could finally breathe.
"Master. You alright?"
Shuten-douji, who had been some distance away, closed the gap instantly.
It was so fast it looked like a blink in space.
"I should be worrying about you first. Let me see."
I quickly gathered my wits and checked her condition.
Her body was covered in dust and debris.
Her hand was a deep, raw crimson.
She seemed fine overall, but it looked incredibly painful.
That was clearly a severe burn.
While Ibuki-douji watched with a slightly uncomfortable expression, I took Shuten's hand in mine.
"Your hand... is it stinging badly?"
"It smarts a bit, but I'll live. If I hadn't neutralized it, this hand would have been turned into mincemeat."
In other words, she sustained a burn even with neutralization.
Even a hardy Oni among Heroic Spirits suffered this.
For a regular person, it meant they'd be critically injured even if the technique was partially countered.
'I definitely need to be careful.'
While Servants might be able to afford a little carelessness once Cursed Energy is neutralized, I cannot.
I have to judge every situation carefully.
"Thank god. Let's get that treated immediately."
"Oh, Master. Don't be so worried. Or... perhaps you could lick it for me? I think it'd heal much faster that way."
"Really?"
In my haste, I stuck out my tongue and licked Shuten's left hand.
If it would help her, I had to do it.
"Ah...! Mmm... ♥ Oh, Master. You really licked it. It tickles so much my lower stomach is starting to flutter... if you tempt me like this... it'll be hard for me to restrain myself."
After about a minute of licking her dusty, burning palm, Shuten whispered a sweet, breathy moan.
Only then did I snap back to my senses and pull away.
I had lost my mind in my urgency.
"Uh, no. I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry."
"What is there to be sorry about? More importantly, the look in that girl's eyes behind you is quite something. It seems she'll be heartbroken if she doesn't get the same comfort I did...?"
Shuten-douji smirked and provoked Ibuki-douji.
When I looked back, I saw Ibuki-douji's face on the verge of tears.
Jealousy, envy.
She had the expression of a child demanding the same treat.
"...I'll do it when we get home. Same for Yaskaya."
"Really? That's a promise?"
"So, turn that frown upside down, okay?"
"If that's what Master wants."
Ibuki-douji's pout vanished, replaced by a grin.
Now I can finally breathe.
"Wow. I didn't think anyone could block that head-on."
Gojo, who had been hovering, landed completely.
He looked utterly flabbergasted.
"It seems so," I replied on Shuten's behalf.
Gojo twisted the corner of his mouth into a smirk.
"More than that, you've got some serious nerve. Who thinks of licking an Oni's hand? I'd be worried they'd pop my head off just out of annoyance."
"Because I trust her."
"I could never do it. I don't know if your heart is just that strong or if you're just weird. Regardless, your mentality is a perfect fit for a sorcerer."
Gojo praised me unreservedly.
It felt a bit like he was being charming just to stay on my good side, but I could feel a core of sincerity.
"Thank you for your cooperation today."
"No need for thanks. It'd be bad for my health if I disappointed you guys, wouldn't it? That's what's truly dangerous."
"You don't want to fight more? You seemed to enjoy the combat."
"A fight I'm guaranteed to lose is the exception. I'm not a masochist addicted to losing."
Gojo dismissively waved his hand.
It was strange seeing him act so impudent yet make such calm, calculated judgments.
'He really has changed a lot.'
It was surprising, but I had to respect his stance.
"I appreciate it. I'll bring you a gift later."
"How polite. I'll be looking forward to it."
Gojo laughed and waved at the air.
The Curtain that had been obscuring the sky vanished, revealing the clear blue above.