Metal Bat shook his numb arm and grinned.
"This guy's defense and Energy Dissipation technique are seriously annoying!"
His eyes grew even sharper.
"But as long as my fighting spirit keeps rising, there's no defense I can't smash through!"
He took a deep breath, tightened his grip on his bat with both hands, and his aura steadily intensified.
It wasn't a special technique, but the manifestation of pure fighting spirit and unbreakable determination, condensing until it felt almost tangible.
"Again!"
With a roar, Metal Bat charged forward once more.
Simulated Sol remained expressionless, settling into a defensive stance.
This time, Metal Bat didn't attack recklessly. He circled constantly with agile footwork, his bat leaving streaks of afterimages as he blended feints with genuine attacks, probing for an opening.
With every step, his momentum continued to build, compressing like a spring being wound tighter and tighter.
Bang nodded in approval.
"Good. He understands how to build momentum."
Tanktop Master also nodded.
"Turning sheer determination into combat power is Metal Bat's greatest strength."
Superalloy Darkshine stared at the condensed aura with admiration.
"What dazzling fighting spirit!"
Finally, as his aura reached another peak, Metal Bat caught the slightest shift in Simulated Sol's center of gravity.
His eyes flashed.
"Home Run!!!"
His entire body rotated as he swung his bat with everything he had.
Every ounce of strength, fighting spirit, and momentum poured into a single devastating strike.
The bat screamed through the air with overwhelming force, carrying an unyielding resolve as it crashed toward Simulated Sol.
Simulated Sol crossed both arms in front of himself.
His Energy Dissipation technique operated at its absolute limit.
Boom!
A deafening explosion shook the training ground.
Shockwaves rippled in every direction.
This time, the flawless defensive technique was overwhelmed by an even more direct and relentless force.
Simulated Sol staggered violently as his crossed arms were blasted apart, leaving his body completely exposed.
Metal Bat seized the opportunity without hesitation.
Using the rebound from the first swing, he spun again and unleashed an even faster, more powerful follow-up attack.
"It's over!"
Bang!
The bat struck Simulated Sol squarely in the chest.
The simulated body froze for a brief instant before shattering like an illusion, dissolving into countless specks of light that faded throughout the training ground.
"We did it!" Itadori shouted excitedly.
"Nice job, Metal Bat-senpai!" Nobara cheered, pumping her fist into the air.
Even Megumi's usually composed face showed a trace of admiration.
Metal Bat leaned against his bat, breathing slightly harder than before, his face filled with satisfaction.
"Haha! That was awesome! His combat data is seriously tough!"
Tanktop Master stepped over.
"Your use of fighting spirit has improved."
Bang added thoughtfully,
"Overpowering technique with sheer force is certainly one approach, but don't become overconfident. If your fighting spirit weren't so exceptional, ordinary strength alone wouldn't have broken his defense."
"There are only a few ways to deal with Sol. Either overwhelm him with superior physical ability, or make it impossible for him to avoid your attacks. Even with many of his abilities reduced by ten percent, those are still your best options."
Metal Bat's conclusion reignited the determination in Itadori, Megumi, and Nobara.
"Did you hear that, Megumi, Nobara?" Itadori clenched his fists as cursed energy flowed over his body. "Either overpower him or leave him nowhere to dodge! If the three of us work together, we've definitely got a chance!"
"Exactly!" Nobara slammed her hammer onto the ground with a sharp clang. "We didn't coordinate well enough before. This time it'll be different."
Megumi took a slow breath as his hands formed a seal.
His eyes sharpened.
"We attack from three directions at once and eliminate every path he can use to evade or redirect our attacks. We'll only have one opening."
Bang nodded.
"Remember, don't give him time to anticipate your movements."
"Your attacks must be perfectly synchronized, as though you're a single fighter. His Energy Dissipation is formidable, but he can't neutralize multiple attacks arriving simultaneously from completely different directions with different properties. Timing and decisiveness are everything."
"Yes, Bang-senpai!"
The three answered together, their fighting spirit surging.
The training ground shifted once again into a simulated city street.
Simulated Sol, operating at ten percent of his original strength, stood silently in the center of the street, his crimson eyes calmly observing the three opponents before him.
The atmosphere became tense.
Itadori, Megumi, and Nobara spread out into a triangular formation around Simulated Sol.
Their breathing fell into perfect rhythm.
Cursed energy surged around them, and their expressions became razor sharp.
Without moving, Simulated Sol's crimson gaze calmly swept across all three of them, an invisible pressure radiating from his still figure.
"Now!"
Megumi shouted as his hand signs changed.
"Nue!"
The giant winged shikigami let out a piercing cry before diving from above, crackling with brilliant electricity as its talons descended to seal off the sky.
At almost the same moment, Megumi commanded again.
"Hold him!"
A massive black serpent burst from the surrounding shadows on both sides of Simulated Sol.
Rather than attacking directly, it wrapped around him with incredible speed, attempting to bind his arms and restrict his devastating Energy Dissipation and disarming techniques.
"Resonance!"
Nobara's shout rang out from behind.
Having already gathered her cursed energy, she launched three cursed nails in a triangular formation.
They tore through the air toward Simulated Sol's back, heart, and knee joints from difficult angles, limiting both his retreat and his ability to reposition.
From the front, Itadori roared as he lunged forward.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
Cursed energy completely enveloped his fists.
Instead of relying on an elaborate technique, he concentrated every ounce of his strength into a single, straightforward punch that shot toward Simulated Sol's face like a cannon shell.
Above.
Left.
Right.
Behind.
Front.
Five attacks.
Five directions.
Five completely different methods of attack.
All converged on Simulated Sol at almost the exact same instant.