The forest stood still.
Even the wind had stopped.
Hanami didn't move—but the pressure it released filled every inch of space, crushing, ancient, overwhelming.
Across from it—
Yuji stepped forward.
Todo rolled his shoulders.
And Takeru adjusted his dark blue sunglasses, his expression calm—but his mind sharp.
Three against one.
And yet…
This wasn't a fight they could afford to lose.
Hanami moved first.
The ground erupted.
Roots burst upward in a violent wave, spikes tearing through the battlefield with lethal precision.
"Split!" Todo barked.
Yuji dashed left. Takeru moved right. Todo stepped forward—
—and clapped.
CLAP.
The world shifted.
In an instant, Takeru found himself where Todo had been—directly in front of Hanami.
"…!"
No hesitation.
Takeru drove forward, cursed energy surging into his fist. The air warped around his strike as he aimed straight for Hanami's core—
—but a branch intercepted, slamming into him and sending him skidding back.
"Tch—!"
Before Hanami could follow up—
CLAP.
Yuji appeared above it.
"Got you!"
He slammed downward, fist crashing into Hanami's shoulder, cracking bark and sending splinters flying.
The impact echoed—but it wasn't enough.
Hanami didn't fall.
It adapted.
A pulse surged through its body—
Cursed Buds bloomed again.
"Not again!" Yuji shouted.
"Destroy them before they activate!" Takeru called, already moving.
He dashed forward, striking one—then another—precise, controlled, faster than before.
Todo watched.
And grinned.
"Good… you're learning."
Hanami's roots surged again—faster, sharper.
One pierced toward Yuji—
CLAP.
Switch.
Takeru appeared in its path, deflecting it with a burst of cursed energy.
Another strike came—
CLAP.
Yuji reappeared, countering with a clean hit.
The rhythm built.
Attack.
Clap.
Switch.
Strike.
The three moved like a single unit—
Unpredictable.
Relentless.
Takeru felt it.
That moment.
That shift.
The air around him slowed. His heartbeat echoed in his ears. His cursed energy sharpened, focusing into a single point.
Sukuna's mouth formed slowly on his cheek.
"Ah…"
A low, amused tone.
"You're close."
Takeru ignored him.
This wasn't Sukuna's power.
This was his.
"Yuji!" Takeru called.
Yuji looked at him—and understood instantly.
No words needed.
They moved.
Together.
Hanami raised its arms—roots spiraling, energy building for a massive counterattack.
Too late.
Yuji and Takeru jumped—
Side by side—
Then twisted mid-air—
Back to back.
Perfect alignment.
Two fists.
One moment.
Time slowed.
The air bent.
Cursed energy condensed—
Then—
Distorted.
A fraction of a second.
A perfect impact.
"BLACK FLASH!"
Two explosions collided into one.
Takeru's right fist.
Yuji's left.
Both striking Hanami at the exact same instant—
Back-to-back.
Perfectly synchronized.
The space around the impact shattered—
Reality itself warping under the force.
A shockwave ripped through the forest, tearing apart trees, blasting away roots, silencing everything in its path.
For a single moment—
Everything went black.
Then—
The world snapped back.
Hanami's body was sent flying, crashing through the forest, carving a path of destruction through everything in its way.
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Unreal.
Takeru landed first, breathing steady—but deeper than before.
Yuji landed beside him, staring at his own fist.
"…Did we just—"
"Yeah," Takeru said quietly.
Todo stood behind them.
And laughed.
"EXCELLENT!"
His voice boomed through the battlefield.
"To land a Black Flash is rare enough… but TWO? At the same time?!"
He stepped forward, grinning wildly.
"My brothers… you've surpassed expectations!"
Dust settled.
The forest groaned.
And in the distance—
Something moved.
Hanami.
Still standing.
Damaged.
But not defeated.
The mouth on Takeru's cheek curled into a grin.
"Good…"
Sukuna whispered.
"Now it begins."
Takeru clenched his fists.
Yuji stepped forward.
Todo cracked his neck.
The real fight—
Was just getting started.