Facets Of A Curse Technique.
Curse techniques could manifest in any form, could be related to anything, and are mainly defined by the era it has been manifested in, the person in whom it has been manifested and the connection of blood one might hold in their lineage.
The more complex a technique is, the more facets it tends to have.
Especially a domain-based technique such as Death Trade.
Most domain-based techniques do most of what they were intended to do inside their domain; however, this doesn't mean the user has no power to command their technique outside their domain.
Every domain-based technique has some facet or extension usable by the user even outside their said domain.
As for what it is in the case of a technique like Death Trade?
Of course, it's related to trading.
While the technique achieves its original intent inside its domain by forcefully imposing various trades of the user's liking as long as the value or conditions are met, outside of the domain, the conditions are different.
Without opening its domain nor having any sure-hit effect, one can't impose any trade on others; however, the technique still allows them to trade.
Not with imposition but rather with accordance.
Given the nature of the technique, the user can either propose or receive an offer of any goods or value to be traded, and upon agreement from both parties of their own accord, a trade may take place even outside of the domain.
"And that's how we can get out of here."
I explain everything to Maki, about my curse technique, how it works, and what I can offer her in trade after I was done coddling her like a newborn babe, crying my eyes out about how unfair the world has been to me.
I never explained what really happened. I felt like I won't be able to stop bawling my eyes out if I open that can of worms today.
To my surprise, the girl just stayed there while I cried holding onto her. Not stating a word while occasionally caressing my hair to comfort me.
It was a very strange feeling. But I felt light when I was finally done.
Light and hella embarrassed.
So I try to forget the last 15 minutes like they never happened and quickly come up with a way for us to get out of here.
"Ahem... So you want to make a trade with me?" Maki cleared her throat, finally snapping out of everything which happened.
The boy crying while holding onto her, then started to explain his technique all of a sudden.
And for some unknown reason, she couldn't come to interrupt him. It felt so genuine when the boy just clung onto her like that.
When was the last time someone did that?
She clearly remembers that it was always Mai doing that. When they were small, rushing up to her and just crying into her embrace.
And before she knew it, she was comforting the boy just like how she used to her sister. It unknowingly fulfilled that hollow space inside her.
But then came silence, which was awkward even for her, the innocent party. If that wasn't it, the boy started explaining his technique.
Maki knew it was about trade, seen in it against Dagon enough, it was a domain-based technique much like Hakari's.
But as he explained more, her eyes widened until they couldn't close anymore.
Even she didn't realize that by the time he was done talking, she was gaping. She had to clear her throat and hide her shock before asking.
"W-what kind of trade are you asking from me?" She asked.
He just looked at her again, she could find his eyes looked tired, face a bit more pale. He was losing blood.
"Curse energy..."
"What?" Maki blinked.
-x-
"This woman..."
Sukuna looked back, for a second ignoring the sword sticking out of his chest, piercing his heart, or Yuji's heart for that matter.
'I couldn't even sense her behind me.'
Sukuna's mind reeled upon seeing Maki's grinning face, looking directly at him with the kind of intensity which almost felt like an invitation to help her figure out what she was capable of now in this new body of hers.
'Give me all your curse energy and in return, I'll make you like him.' he said, and Maki didn't get it at first, but now she understood.
She was always at half of her potential. No! not even half. That little bit of curse energy she had always held her back.
Now...
She felt power which was hard to describe.
"Quite interesting. And here I thought you and this brat are friends." Sukuna, even though surprised at the sudden sneak attack on him, shook it off like it was nothing.
"Piercing his heart like this, don't you care about him?"
Maki just snorted. "If you wished to kill him, you would have done it long ago."
Sukuna just shrugged at that, there was indeed a point there. He can't refuse.
Sukuna once again read her. No cursed energy, no warning, no presence of her. There was nothing to read off from the girl to track her anymore.
In an instant, she was already inside his range again, moving so fast that Sukuna almost missed it, almost.
Her blade carving through the space where his neck had been a fraction of a second ago. Sukuna leaned back, just barely avoiding it, his grin widening.
Before he could counter, Yuki was already there.
Her fist came crashing in from the side, layered with impossible mass. Sukuna raised his arm to block—
Boom.
The impact cracked the ground beneath them, forcing him a step back. The difference this time was immediate. He wasn't allowed to recover, cause Maki was already on his trail.
No wasted motion or hesitation. Her blade came down again, this time aimed at his torso. Sukuna twisted, narrowly avoiding being split open, but the edge still grazed him, drawing blood.
And as they did, a maniacal smile appeared on his face. He was starting to enjoy this fight now.
"Not bad," Sukuna muttered, ducking under another swing as Yuki's kick followed, heavy enough to distort the air itself.
"My turn then."
With a flick of his wrist, a slash tore through the space, a fast and discreet dismantle directly at Yuki.
She tanked it as usual, and at this point, since the wounds weren't very deep, she wasn't even bothered to heal herself.
And Sukuna wasn't interested in that either, he looked at Maki, who also had to tank a dismantle from him, and to even his surprise, the woman with no curse energy or reinforcement, she survived his dismantle.
"Interesting, just by how durable your own flesh is, you can survive my dismantle." Sukuna grinned, like the fact Maki could do that brought him entertainment.
As for Maki, her condition was exactly like Yuki, almost similar kind of long running slash across her body, not too deep but still stings.
Her natural heavenly restriction body was so durable that she tanked it just like a special grade sorcerer using body reinforcement.
Maki didn't even register the wound, she struck once again. Already moving towards Sukuna.
A clean, direct thrust aimed at his heart once again. Sukuna shifted at the last possible moment, the blade piercing through his side instead. He grabbed her wrist instantly—
But Yuki was already moving.
Her hand clamped onto Garuda, swinging it like a weighted whip. Sukuna was forced to let go, twisting away as the strike came crashing down where he stood.
The ground exploded.
Both women were going at Sukuna together from all sides, even the king of curses had a hard time handling this sudden jump.
And from away, watched the other sorcerers. Students from Kyoto and Tokyo.
"Woh, is that Maki-senpai." Nobara looked star-struck, eyes wide, when she finally surfaced to the ground.
Just like everyone else, she was surprised at Maki's sudden transformation. In fact, it was a very funny story.
While most were focused on Sukuna and Yuki's fight, she was the only one who bothered to dig them out.
Halfway in the rubble though, suddenly the rubble shifted on its own in front of her and then everything blasted apart, revealing Maki, completely fine, looking like she just recently hit the gym, holding that same boy who refused to give his name in a princess carry.
Nobara had no idea how to react to that. One second Maki was holding the boy like a princess and next she put him down and vanished.
Well, it was moving at very fast speed, but in Nobara's eyes it sure seemed like the woman vanished.
"Come on, you might wanna see this." The boy told her, grinning, and ran towards the stairs.
"Oi, wait for me." Nobara only came to her senses later on and ran behind him.
By the time they came back to the surface, which wasn't easy at all by how much the upper floors have collapsed, they saw the fight in its full glory.
Two absolute badasses of women throwing down with the king of curses.
And of course, just like everyone else, Nobara was surprised by the changes in Maki. For once she was keeping up with both Sukuna and Yuki, and secondly, she was hitting Sukuna much more than even Yuki did.
Partly cause her particular condition left no curse energy signature behind for Sukuna to read and predict her next move. So only his eyes and years of fighting experience were helping him predict Maki's movements.
Reading Yuki's move on the other hand was much easier.
Honestly, it was a bloodbath. Both women are relentlessly pursuing the king of curses. And they weren't holding back either, they fully intended to kill Yuji if it comes to it.
Maki swung her blade again, but Sukuna dodged just in time and went to touch her, planning on using cleave.
"Don't let him." Yuki on the side shouted, fully knowing what Sukuna was aiming for. She had no idea what happened to the girl to suddenly make her like that man from all those years ago, but if Sukuna were to touch her, even her body can't protect her.
Maki's reaction time currently was top notch, while dodging in time wasn't an option she decided to sacrifice her sword to back off. Bringing her blade in front of the hand while she herself moved out of the way.
The moment Sukuna's hands touched the sword's flat sides, a grid-like pattern was formed all over its blade until the entire cursed tool was disassembled into piles of smaller squares.
Just as Sukuna was ready to pursue her again, Garuda from behind grabbed his leg and Yuki flung him back with all her might.
Sukuna, midway, sent dismantle to loosen up the shikigami and damage it, while once again faced with Maki who met him midway.
The battlefield was pure madness.
The back and forth continued until suddenly Sukuna for a second faltered and was sent flying back by Yuki's kick.
He landed on a wall with a crash. Already healing but now a visible scowl was plastered on his face.
"Tch... he's already waking up. Useless brat." he spat and then turned back to Yuki and Maki once again.
"Seems like fun time's over." He said with a cool tone while his eyes for once flickered to the Shibuya station. Which seemed around 70 meters away or so.
"Fine then, take this as farewell for now." He grinned and brought both of his hands together in a familiar gesture once again.
Both Yuki and Maki immediately became alert. While they had no idea what Sukuna's domain was, they knew it would be nothing good for them.
On the side, everyone panicked. After all, a domain is the strongest move in a sorcerer's arsenal.
"Domain Expansion - Malevolent Shrine."
xXx
A/N : Man, that was an long twisty chapter to write. Now tell me, is the technique crazy or what ?
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