He had never felt such a refreshing moment. Though his limbs were burning, his heart felt as if it were soaked in a winter hot spring. He felt peace amidst the fire and heat, and he almost had a premonition that he could use Black Flash at any time.
The Crimson Lotus Demon God roared with a double-toned voice: "Gojo Satoru, at this moment, I can finally shout these words fair and square—Modern Strongest, I! HAVE! COME! TO! KILL! YOU!"
"How arrogant, Lord of Curses!" Gojo Satoru opened his mouth, about to roar those words back.
"Then what are you waiting for? Mahito, BRING! IT! ON!" ...Wait, did his tongue slip? Gojo Satoru thought.
Unknowingly, the corners of his mouth had curled up, and his heart was also racing with excitement. His body had been dulled for too long, but at this moment, it was awakened. He could feel the Cursed Energy in his cursed energy core being continuously refined, its circulation running at an incredible speed. Cursed Energy reinforcement covered his body almost like instinct.
The immense sense of crisis didn't make Gojo Satoru feel timid; on the contrary, his heart seemed to be soaring, seeking a true battle amidst this great danger.
The Crimson Lotus Demon God and Gojo Satoru let out massive roars simultaneously as they crashed into each other!
The Crimson Lotus Demon God swung kirigiri without a second thought, sweeping it in a circle. As kirigiri sliced through the air, it momentarily appeared red-gold. mirokuji kirigiri's Cursed Energy and the Crimson Lotus Demon God's power relied on and fused with each other, allowing him to be in sync with her even without Mahito using the Tsukumogami Manipulation Technique.
He truly felt it—mirokuji kirigiri was also burning in sync. She was also moved by this duel against the world's strongest, and her killing intent was fierce! At this moment, the user and the weapon were synchronized, one in mind and Soul.
Without even needing the Tsukumogami Manipulation Technique, the Crimson Lotus Demon God immediately understood kirigiri's intent, and kirigiri could simultaneously understand the Crimson Lotus Demon God's heart. He wasn't using the Tsukumogami Manipulation Technique, yet at this moment, it felt as if the technique was active.
Gojo Satoru only felt a red-gold sun enveloping him. The massive sun was slowly descending; although its speed seemed slow, before it could land, the sunlight had already covered his entire body. That sunlight was the blade light of kirigiri.
Boom!
Massive explosive flames intertwined. The Crimson Lotus Demon God was momentarily stunned because kirigiri had been intercepted! Gojo Satoru's clenched fist slammed hard against kirigiri's blade, forcing it to deflect. By now, Gojo Satoru had been pushed into a corner, and the deflected slash struck the mountain wall behind him, creating a massive explosion.
Amidst the waves of fire, Gojo Satoru grinned and laughed: "I see it now, you Tsukumogami! Only the blade itself can cut through all things, right?!"
This was Zenin Ogi and Zenin Naobito's method for countering kirigiri!
But the difference was that Zenin Ogi used the lives of others to see through kirigiri's flaw, and Zenin Naobito gambled his own life to knock kirigiri away. Yet Gojo Satoru had seen through kirigiri's weakness after seeing it only once.
The Crimson Lotus Demon God couldn't help but laugh: "mirokuji kirigiri is the strongest blade in the world. She cuts through anything; she is a god-slaying sword! Gojo, do you dare to face her head-on?"
Gojo Satoru didn't feel embarrassed at all and laughed candidly: "I don't!"
They were clearly fighting to the death, yet they could joke and laugh during the battle. At this moment, their hearts had never felt closer, greeting each other with boiling killing intent as their Cursed Energy intertwined.
In the next instant, an even denser storm arrived—a rain of blades.
A series of fire streams flowed over kirigiri's blade. Gojo Satoru struck her with his palms, accurately hitting the side of the blade every time. The Crimson Lotus Demon God further pressured Gojo Satoru's maneuvering space, but in the next second, Gojo Satoru vanished from before his eyes. He reappeared behind the Crimson Lotus Demon God, his fist ready to strike.
But before the fist could land, the Crimson Lotus Demon God had already turned around. As he turned, the blade had already reached Gojo Satoru's fingertips. Under the red-gold blade light, a faint mark was lightly etched onto Gojo Satoru's wrist, and in an instant, the blade sliced through the entire Limitless.
Gojo Satoru spun in the direction of the blade's cut. His speed was extremely fast—even the Crimson Lotus Demon God's swing speed couldn't keep up! Zenin Naobito had once said he was the second fastest man in the world because Gojo Satoru stood above him. At this moment, the Crimson Lotus Demon God fully understood this fact.
Zenin Naobito still needed to constantly stack Projection Sorcery to achieve speed beyond common sense, but Gojo Satoru didn't even need that. He only needed to lightly tap the ground, and his Limitless allowed him to land anywhere freely. This was incomparable to any speed-type Cursed Technique.
Within a few short seconds, Gojo Satoru's image filled the entire Coffin of the Iron Mountain. The Crimson Lotus Demon God followed behind him, swinging kirigiri with the ferocious posture of a mad dragon. Every swing left behind a massive explosion of flame; the entire world was burning.
The temperature rose once again!
By now, the high temperature had completely distorted the atmosphere. Gojo Satoru glanced at the corner of his clothes during the exchange; despite his sorcery protection, the hem of his clothes had actually begun to spontaneously combust.
What was the temperature inside the barrier now? 3000? 5000 degrees?
A temperature of 600 degrees can melt steel. Rising to 1000 degrees makes steel flow like water, and at 3000 degrees, steel vaporizes.
There is no substance in this world that can withstand the outer flames of the sun, which reach a temperature of 6000 degrees. Now, the temperature inside the barrier was beginning to approach that level!
As time passed, this temperature would only get higher and higher! This was originally a phenomenon caused by Cursed Energy, but now that the temperature had reached such a level, the thermal radiation of its physical properties would not disappear even if the Cursed Energy was withdrawn.
What would happen if it continued to rise?
In this world, there is an ultimate high temperature of natural combustion—at the very center of the star outside the atmosphere, the deepest part of that star called the sun, which burns at over 150 million degrees for long periods.
Without even needing to think carefully, Gojo Satoru thought of the phenomenon at the deepest part of the sun: nuclear fusion.
Normally, Gojo Satoru would be confident enough to swim in the middle of the sun without even needing an oxygen tank! Because he could use the Limitless uninterrupted while also constantly maintaining the Reverse Cursed Technique; oxygen was not a necessity for his survival.
But now they were in a Domain battle; both sides' techniques were in a guaranteed-hit state, and he was being subjected to a one-sided, non-stop storm of the Fire Technique while also having to dodge kirigiri's blade, only able to deflect the blade light by striking the side of the blade with his fists.
With just one small mistake, the temperature of nuclear fusion would instantly incinerate him along with his corpse. This was the ultimate numerical value!
If this drags on, I will die.
Gojo Satoru understood this fear. He grinned and laughed out loud:
"I see. To think you even considered a battle of attrition. Truly impressive; you've really dragged me into a desperate situation! Mahito, you truly surprise me."
"Facing you, Gojo, I wouldn't dare hold anything back!" The Crimson Lotus Demon God stepped forward with his blade.
"Since when did you stop calling me '-san'?" Gojo Satoru parried kirigiri's blade with a precise fist.
"Because it's no longer necessary!" The Crimson Lotus Demon God laughed.
Yes, because it was no longer necessary!
Gojo Satoru incredibly accepted this explanation, because he could also strongly perceive the heart of the Lord of Curses through the intersection of their Cursed Energy. Now he could fully understand why Kinji Hakari and Yuki Tsukumo changed their attitudes toward Mahito immediately after fighting him once, even though they were firmly opposed to him before.
Gojo Satoru truly felt it—Mahito's clean and pure heart, a supreme benevolence that transcended the instincts of curses.
So that's how it is.
In an instant, Gojo Satoru understood: this was a noble Soul.
[Listen up, Lord Tengen is me, and I am Lord Tengen!]
The words of Riko Amanai from years ago echoed in Gojo Satoru's mind. Her Soul had been just as pure and clean when he first met her: her emotions burned fiercely, yet without a hint of wavering, and there was only resolve in those eyes.
Just like the current Crimson Lotus Demon God!
Gojo Satoru took a deep breath and suddenly chanted while dodging:
"Nine Ropes."
The Crimson Lotus Demon God's pupils contracted as he immediately understood what Gojo Satoru was doing at this moment.
The pinnacle of sorcery is the pinnacle of subtraction—incantations, hand signs, mindset, environment, and so on. If one can omit these steps up to the point of forming the technique, it determines the Jujutsu Sorcerer's skill.
But now, Gojo Satoru began to chant the incantations without any omissions, even as he continued to battle the Crimson Lotus Demon God.
A Simple Domain expanded silently, centered on the Crimson Lotus Demon God.
"Polarize."
Gojo Satoru remained unfazed.
The Crimson Lotus Demon God suddenly retreated. He held kirigiri horizontally before his eyes and gently brushed his hand over the blade. A crimson scabbard slowly manifested on the blade, imprinted with lifelike flame patterns.
"Crow and Shōmyō."
Gojo Satoru sensed what the Crimson Lotus Demon God intended to do. The corners of his mouth split wider into a smile like a malevolent demon. No longer hiding his intent, his hands formed a seal. Despite the demonic grin on his face, his body remained as solemn and dignified as a Buddha.
The Crimson Lotus Demon God placed the sheathed kirigiri at his waist and slowly lowered his posture, looking down at the hilt.
The Simple Domain suddenly expanded, overlapping the entire Domain Expansion. Gojo Satoru could clearly feel the bone-chilling cold within the Simple Domain.
"Between the Surface and Interior."
Gojo Satoru's hand seal changed, placing his hand before his eyes in a Lotus Mudra.
Suddenly, the light in the Crimson Lotus Demon God's eyes went out, and his whole body became still.
Before Gojo Satoru's Lotus Mudra, a small void suddenly appeared, and then—
"Hollow Technique—"
He spoke calmly in a meditative state like a Buddha:
"—Purple."
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