"You bastard… can you actually perceive the shape of the soul?!"
Mahito covered his mouth and nose as cursed energy surged through his body, repairing the damage from that last strike.
Just a single blow.
If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would have thought he had been hit by a train wrapped in a shell of souls.
The impact was so strong it left him dizzy.
"My apologies. To keep up with monsters, I have no choice but to give everything I have," Nanami replied calmly, his gaze shifting to Mahito's feet.
'Hooves… when he uses his technique on himself, there's almost no sign before activation. Only a brief gathering of cursed energy.'
The once humanlike bare feet had already turned into hooves.
Even his calves now looked like powerful horse legs. That was clearly how he had accelerated so suddenly.
"Huh? You even observe souls? Most people wouldn't bother with that. It's usually useless."
Despite taking a hit, Mahito's face twisted into a crazed smile.
Yes, this was how it should be. If his opponent went down that easily, where would the fun be?
"Isn't it useful right now?"
Ever since Haibara had nearly died during their second year at Jujutsu High, Nanami had resolved to change.
He wanted to catch up to Mukuro.
A sorcerer's limits were mostly fixed by their innate technique and total cursed energy. Breaking past that ceiling was extremely difficult.
So how could it be done?
He experimented.
In the end, with Mukuro's help, they found the answer.
The upper and lower limits set by technique and cursed energy were hard to change. But one could still improve physical strength and control over cursed energy.
Stronger combat skill. A more stable soul.
As those improved, control over cursed energy also rose.
That path was not easy.
But once he walked it, stacking those factors together was far more than a simple one plus one plus one.
That was why Nanami reacted instantly when Mahito suddenly sped up.
Because back at Jujutsu High, Mukuro had been faster. Far faster. And far more brutal.
"Alright. Let's start round two."
Mahito stood up. His face, which had nearly been smashed apart by that blow, had already fully recovered. He looked as if nothing had happened.
His hooves stepped forward again. As he closed the distance, all ten fingers twisted into hooked blades and rushed toward Nanami.
Mahito did not know if reshaping his soul this freely would cause side effects. He had never done it this often before.
But this was no longer about whether he could do it.
A powerful enemy stood before him, and he had no choice.
Nanami's attacks could reach the soul itself, and he was clearly protecting his own soul with cursed energy. To defeat him, Mahito had to seize the initiative.
Clang!
Nanami twisted his tonfas and blocked the blades with the shaft. The clash rang out like metal striking metal.
The blades changed shape again. Their tips turned into rapidly spinning drills that stretched downward, aiming to pierce straight through him.
Crack, crack, crack…
Nanami rotated both tonfas and forcibly twisted Mahito's hand. The drill-like fingers snapped off one by one.
He then flung an arm aside and smashed a tonfa into Mahito's abdomen, sending him flying once more and embedding him into the wall.
'His technique is troublesome, but his cursed energy isn't exceptional. His attacks seem limited to close combat by reshaping his body. Still, he's ridiculously tough.'
After that exchange, Nanami had a rough grasp of his opponent's strength.
Next, all he needed to do was damage his soul so badly that he could not stand up again.
"Not enough… still not enough!"
Blood spilled from Mahito's mouth and nose, yet the smile on his face was full of joy.
More fighting.
More and more fighting. He would learn so much more this way.
If he pushed his imagination further and reshaped his soul in every way possible, he would find a path to victory.
"I'm going to turn you into a test subject and let you feel what it's like to want to live but not be able to die!"
Mahito tore himself out of the wall and hurled his right arm toward Nanami. In midair, it transformed into a thorn-covered whip.
At the same time, his left arm swelled into a massive hammer.
If close combat would not work, then he would keep his distance, while staying ready for sudden contact at any moment.
'So he's trying to avoid close combat now.'
Nanami did not block the whip head on. He kept dodging instead.
When the whip struck the ground, clouds of dust erupted. When it snapped back, it left a gouge tens of centimeters deep.
"If possible, I'd prefer you surrender and wait for my companions to take over. Beating you without killing you is honestly very difficult."
Those arrogant words of Mahito reminded Nanami of the transfigured humans he had personally put down earlier. Anger surged again, and his grip on the tonfas tightened.
"Nope. I'm not done playing yet. If you want to beat me, come do it yourself. If you can. Hahahaha!"
Seeing Nanami dodge around like a rat only fueled Mahito's excitement. Both arms turned into thorned whips, with the thorns extending from each finger.
It looked like dozens of twisted brambles whipping wildly, attempting to seal off every possible escape route.
"A cursed spirit is still a cursed spirit. There's no reasoning with you. Then pray you don't die."
Nanami narrowed his eyes as he stopped dodging.
On his watch, the minute and second hands met at zero.
Overtime had begun.
"Huh? His cursed energy just increased… was he restricting himself this whole time?!"
Mahito froze. The previous madness vanished, replaced by a tidal wave of fear.
He must run.
But in the next instant, Nanami was already moving.
In just a few seconds, he tore through the thorny barrier and appeared right in front of him.
"Wait—"
Sharp spikes began growing from Mahito's chest, but before they could pierce Nanami, the tonfas came crashing down, shattering every spike and smashing into his body.
Then came a storm of relentless blows.
'No good… I can't counter. I can't even defend. What a fresh sensation. Is this… death?!'
Mahito's eyes nearly rolled back, but at the very last moment, he snapped awake.
Right now, it should work.
If it didn't, he would die.
His mouth opened wide. Inside, several small hands formed signs at once, trying to complete the seal.
"Domain Expansion: Self-Embodiment of Perfection!"
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