Jujutsu Kaisen: Limitless

Minamoto Sōjun's exorcism speed was too fast, so the assessment duel with Yuki Tsukumo was moved to the morning.

It was still on Training Ground No. 5.

This time, Yuki Tsukumo and Minamoto Sōjun stood opposite each other in the center of the field.

Minamoto glanced around and noticed a circle of people already gathered, including students and teachers from all grades of the school. A little farther away, on a high platform, stood Yaga Masamichi and several elders.

He nodded slightly toward Yaga Masamichi with a soft smile, causing the nearby elders to frown deeply. Minamoto Sōjun, however, ignored them, withdrawing his gaze.

Yuki Tsukumo rolled up her sleeves, cracking her knuckles one by one with loud pops.

"I heard that frequently cracking your knuckles makes them thicker," Minamoto Sōjun remarked.

Yuki froze for a moment, stopping her movements, and then raised her gaze to lock onto Minamoto Sōjun. "Thicker, huh?"

From beside her, she drew out a snake-shaped shikigami. "This is my technique's shikigami-turned-cursed-tool. It's an entity capable of using techniques besides me. I call her Fenglun, but you can also call her Garuda."

Yuki Tsukumo grasped Fenglun by its head, whipping it like a long bone whip.

Snap!

A crisp sound echoed through the air.

She immediately revealed her technique.

"My technique is called 'Wrath of the Stars.' It allows me or Fenglun to be imbued with imaginary mass. The greater the mass, the stronger my striking force. While using the technique, I don't feel the weight, even if my density increases, though my physical strength doesn't grow alongside it. However, within certain limits, I remain unaffected by my technique's weight. The maximum imaginary mass Wrath of the Stars can add... even I haven't reached it yet. Don't let yourself—"

She smirked. "Get killed."

The bone whip roared as it lashed out, the weight applied by Yuki's technique having no effect on herself but delivering its full force to others.

Minamoto Sōjun, no matter how strong, could not endure the impact of a meteor crashing down from the heavens.

But he wanted to try!

For Minamoto, his physical development had always focused on one thing: attack. Absolute ferocity. Defense through offense. Counterattack through aggression. Every physical capability he had was stacked toward maximizing his offensive potential.

He wanted to see if his body could withstand a meteor.

Minamoto Sōjun didn't dodge or block. He let the bone whip slam onto his right shoulder. The ground beneath him cratered, forming a large pit centered on him as he was driven into the ground. Rising slowly, his right arm dangled limp, his shoulder suffering a comminuted fracture.

He consumed cursed energy to regenerate, constructing fresh flesh and bones. The injury healed quickly.

Minamoto Sōjun stepped out of the pit and back onto the ground. The limits of his cursed energy had broken, and his celestial eyes no longer burdened him. With his perfect control of cursed energy, the energy expended for recovery was negligible.

He tore off his tattered shirt, revealing a torso adorned with intricate black markings. Stretching his arms casually, his muscles flexed and twisted, the lines forming an eerie pattern. His upper body was pristine, not a speck of dust on it.

"Is that all?"

Yuki Tsukumo retracted Fenglun, her lips twisting into a sneer. "You really don't take me seriously, do you?!"

She compressed Fenglun into a sphere and launched it like a projectile. Minamoto Sōjun sidestepped, avoiding most of the attack but failing to evade completely. Fenglun struck his lower right abdomen, pausing momentarily before tearing through and returning to Yuki Tsukumo in snake form.

Minamoto's side was half gone. His brow furrowed slightly but quickly relaxed. Unconcerned by the injury, he recovered instantly, chasing after Fenglun to close the distance with Yuki. Cloaked in dark energy, his fist descended. Yuki raised Fenglun to block, leaving a fist mark and scattering shards of bone.

Sliding back several steps, Yuki left a long trail in the ground. Midway, she stomped down to halt her retreat and threw Fenglun with all her strength.

Minamoto raised his arm to block, this time causing only a cloud of dust to rise.

As the dust settled, a tall figure gradually emerged, clad in pale armor.

The flesh armor had evolved again, becoming more streamlined. Blades extended from his forearms, while spikes jutted out from his elbows, knees, and shoulders, making his appearance even more savage.

A slight dent appeared on Minamoto's forearm but quickly smoothed out. He grabbed Fenglun in its spherical form. Yuki increased her efforts to recall it, causing it to vibrate violently, but Minamoto held it firmly. The tendons in his right hand bulged, entwining like snakes, as a faint crimson spread across his grip, albeit at a slow pace.

"Huh?"

Yuki Tsukumo dashed forward, landing a cursed-energy-infused punch on his forearm without direct contact. Using the momentum, she snatched Fenglun from his grasp. Minamoto, knowing he couldn't hold on, let go and switched tactics, driving a knee into her abdomen.

"Ugh!"

Yuki staggered back several steps, dropping to one knee and spitting blood. Wiping the corner of her mouth, she glared fiercely at Minamoto Sōjun.

The two faced off again.

What a hassle.

Like an indestructible cockroach.

The assessment could've ended here. Yuki Tsukumo had already proven her qualification—no, she had exceeded the Special Grade standard. But she was irritated. Extremely irritated.

Clasping her palms together, she gathered cursed energy, causing the atmosphere to grow heavy. It was clear she was preparing a powerful move. The onlookers retreated further, and even high-ranking officials called for her to stop.

Minamoto Sōjun wouldn't just stand there. Feeling the threat rise, he twisted his body and flashed before her, aiming a knife-hand strike at her wrist. Yuki continued her technique while stepping back to widen the distance. Fenglun coiled around Minamoto like a serpent, adding weight. He forcibly broke free, realizing Yuki was about to complete her move.

Desperate, he slashed at Fenglun with his arm blade, nearly severing it save for a thin strip holding it together.

Still, it hindered him.

Yuki Tsukumo had already formed half a black hole.

The high-ranking officials had vanished, and the onlookers scrambled away, sensing imminent danger.

"Hahaha! Let's see how you block this!" Yuki laughed maniacally.

There was no time left. Minamoto Sōjun gathered all his remaining cursed energy, his eye patterns glowing intensely. Factoring in every detail—the air flow, temperature, humidity, and the pull of the nascent black hole—he punched into the void, creating a dark vortex. Reaching into it, his right hand emerged from the space in front of Yuki.

The vortex quickly dissipated, and Minamoto withdrew his arm, now severed halfway.

Meanwhile, the disembodied hand in front of Yuki moved forward, eerily stroking her chin. A golden eye on the back of the hand rotated once, locking onto her. The next moment—

Crimson bloomed.

Yuki Tsukumo felt a corrosive force invade her, pain radiating as if scalded by steam, burning deep into her bones. She had to channel significant cursed energy to counteract it. Her body froze, the black hole in her hands flickering like a dying light before vanishing entirely.

Minamoto Sōjun had immobilized her. Yet, instead of pressing his advantage, he examined his severed arm. The spatial tear wasn't smooth but layered with folds.

Interesting.

Was space not flat but stacked?

Activating cursed energy, he conjured blue light, regrowing his arm through the combined effects of Limitless and Reverse Cursed Technique. With a thought, the severed portion dissipated into cursed energy. Minamoto was meticulous, ensuring no trace of his essence was left behind.

Yuki Tsukumo purged the crimson energy but was completely drained, sitting paralyzed on the ground...

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