Chapter 7: 7
The tension between them was electric, thickening the air like a gathering storm as they stood there, sizing each other up. Aizen, calm and collected, wore his signature faint smirk, as if the situation amused him. Across from him, Sukuna's face twisted into a sadistic smile, excitement flickering in his eyes like a spark catching fire.
Suddenly, Sukuna slugged Aizen in the face. The blow cracked against Aizen's face with a force that could have shattered stone, twisting his head to the side. But Aizen simply turned his gaze back, as calm as ever.
"Is that all you've got?" he asked, voice tauntingly casual.
Sukuna's smirk widened. "I'm just getting started."
Then they clashed.
Sukuna moved like a storm, fists and feet blurring as he unleashed a relentless onslaught. Each punch and kick had enough force to take down lesser fighters in one blow. But Aizen was unfazed.
Aizen's fist shot forward with a terrifying speed. His knuckles connected squarely with Sukuna's chest, the impact reverberating through the ground beneath them. Sukuna staggered back, breath hissing through gritted teeth, but before he could fully recover, Aizen was already upon him, striking with a series of brutal punches that hammered into his body with a rhythm as steady as a heartbeat.
Sukuna tried to counter, aiming a vicious uppercut at Aizen's jaw, but Aizen sidestepped, using the momentum of Sukuna's swing to slip under his arm. With lightning speed, he drove his elbow into Sukuna's ribs, the blow making a sickening crunch. Sukuna's face twisted in rage, but Aizen gave him no time to retaliate. He followed up with a rapid barrage of strikes to Sukuna's chest and abdomen, each hit echoing like thunder.
Desperation flickered in Sukuna's eyes as he attempted to turn the tide, launching a roundhouse kick aimed at Aizen's temple. But Aizen anticipated it, ducking smoothly beneath Sukuna's leg. In the split second Sukuna was off balance, Aizen spun and slammed his palm into Sukuna's chest, sending him skidding back.
Sukuna stumbled, gasping, but his anger only fueled him further. He came at Aizen again, faster, more aggressive, his fists a blur. But Aizen remained unbothered, almost serene. He blocked Sukuna's punches with a casual flick of his wrist, deflecting each blow as if he were swatting away a fly.
"You'll need to do better," Aizen remarked, his voice dripping with mockery.
Sukuna's eyes blazed with fury, but the truth was clear; Aizen wasn't just countering Sukuna's every move; he was toying with him, dominating the fight with a level of ease that was both infuriating and terrifying.
Finally, with one last brutal punch, Aizen drove his fist into Sukuna's stomach, bending him double with a shuddering gasp. Sukuna staggered back, clutching his stomach as he struggled to catch his breath, his sadistic smile now replaced by a glimmer of anger, and perhaps, for the first time, unease.
Inside Aizen's barrier, the onlookers could only watch as the battle between Aizen and Sukuna raged on with breathtaking ferocity. The sheer power and finesse Aizen displayed left his audience in stunned silence, a mix of admiration, shock, and disbelief etched across their faces.
Asuma, arms folded as he tried to keep his composure, finally broke the silence. "How in the world is he able to fight like that? It's impossible," he muttered, his gaze fixed on Aizen's effortlessly fluid movements.
"The kid was locked up for six years. He should be rusty, weaker…not this."he thought
Kiba let out a low whistle, his eyes wide. "Amazing," he breathed, more to himself than anyone else.
Ino, meanwhile, was transfixed. Her usual playful expression melted into one of awe as she watched Aizen. His every move radiated a calm power and unshakable confidence. There was something almost divine about the way he fought, as if he were an untouchable figure dancing through battle. Her cheeks flushed as her eyes practically sparkled with admiration. "He's…incredible," she whispered, practically sighing.
Shikamaru, on the other hand, couldn't help but let out a sigh. "What a drag," he mumbled, though even he couldn't tear his eyes away from the display. Deep down, he understood that Aizen was something else entirely, a different breed of fighter.
Just then, a faint groan sounded from the side as Sasuke stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He blinked as he tried to orient himself, and his gaze quickly sharpened as he took in the sight before him. Aizen, was locked in a brutal clash with Sukuna. For a moment, Sasuke was at a loss, struck by the undeniable realization that Aizen was fighting on a level he could barely comprehend.
Back on the battlefield, Sukuna slowly pushed himself to his feet, his breathing heavy but his gaze sharper than ever. Aizen watched him with that infuriatingly calm expression, his smirk barely flickering. Sukuna's eyes narrowed as he considered his options, the gears in his mind turning. It was clear now that raw strength alone wasn't enough. He needed to change his approach.
"Fine, then," Sukuna growled, the corners of his mouth curling into a wicked grin. "Let's see how you handle this."
Without warning, he lunged forward, his hands aglow with curse energy. His hands sliced through the air with deadly intent, the cursed slashes invisible but filled with an almost tangible malice. He struck at Aizen, and as his fist connected, the cursed energy poured into the blow, seeking to carve through his opponent.
Aizen barely blinked as the blow landed against him. Sukuna's Cleave sliced across his shoulder, drawing a thin line of blood that quickly darkened his robes. But even with the cursed technique's immense cutting power, Aizen didn't flinch, only watching Sukuna with a slight flicker of intrigue.
"Interesting," Aizen murmured, his voice low, almost mocking. "You'll need more than that if you wish to even scratch me."
Undeterred, Sukuna smirked, launching another attack. His movements were relentless as he channeled Cleave with each strike, the cursed slashes igniting the air around them. Each blow should have been enough to slice through Aizen, but every time his attacks met Aizen's form, they only managed shallow cuts, never going as deep as Sukuna intended.
Aizen moved with preternatural grace, his body weaving in and out of Sukuna's attacks. Even as Cleave made contact, Aizen manipulated his reaitsu, dulling the technique's edge and exhausting Sukuna's cursed energy. Still, Sukuna kept pressing on, knowing that every slash took more and more of his own strength but refusing to yield.
"You're starting to look tired," Aizen observed with a chilling smile, sidestepping another cursed slash. "Perhaps that wasn't the best choice."
"Shut up," Sukuna spat, and with a roar of effort, he brought down both arms in a vicious cross-slice aimed at Aizen's chest.
Aizen caught the brunt of the attack, and the cursed energy flared wildly around them. For a moment, Aizen's robes tore in several places as Cleave dug in, the cursed energy managing to pierce through his powerful Reiatsu shield. Yet, even as his clothes were marred and his body bore small wounds, Aizen's face remained unchanged, his expression as composed as if he were observing a minor inconvenience.
Sukuna took a step back, breathing heavily, his own energy starting to wane. He had poured an extraordinary amount of curse energy into each Cleave strike, but Aizen's sheer endurance and overwhelming Reiatsu seemed to defy reason.
Aizen chuckled softly. "Is that really the best you can do with that technique?"
Enraged, Sukuna launched at him again, his fists alight with curse energy as he drove another barrage of Cleave infused punches at Aizen. Each hit was accompanied by a deadly curse slice, the energy cutting through the very ground beneath them as Sukuna tried to hack through Aizen's defenses. But Aizen twisted and moved with impossible grace, parrying each attack, his Reiatsu swelling in a way that seemed to smother Sukuna's cursed energy.
Aizen deflected Sukuna's fist, driving his knee up into Sukuna's abdomen. The force sent Sukuna stumbling back, a strangled growl escaping him. But Aizen didn't stop. With a flash of speed, he was on Sukuna again, his palm striking Sukuna's chest and sending him crashing into the ground with bone-jarring force.
Sukuna rose to his feet once more, defiant even as he panted, his arms heavy from exertion. But Aizen tilted his head, regarding Sukuna as though he were a struggling insect.
"Cleave, was it?" Aizen said softly, raising an eyebrow. "An amusing technique, but not enough to stop me."
Sukuna's face twisted in fury, his cursed energy flaring around him in a blaze of malice. But Aizen simply stepped forward, his smirk widening, his form practically glowing with an aura of calm, unbreakable power.
The message was clear: Aizen was in complete control. And despite everything Sukuna had thrown at him, he hadn't even begun to unleash his true strength.
Sukuna steadied himself, his narrowed gaze fixed on Aizen as he took a few paces back. Deciding on a new approach, he unleashed Blazing Cleave he attack infused with both flames and slashes. With a cruel smile, he flicked his wrist, launching a barrage of flaming slashes through the air, each one crackling with violent energy as it surged toward Aizen.
Without a hint of concern, Aizen merely adjusted his stance, exuding an oppressive wave of Reiatsu that rolled outward like a suffocating fog. His spiritual pressure flared, forming a nearly impenetrable shield that caused Sukuna's flaming slashes to fizzle out upon impact, leaving only trails of smoke. Sukuna's smirk faltered momentarily as his attacks failed, though he quickly masked his frustration.
"So you think your precious aura will protect you from everything?" Sukuna sneered, determination flashing in his eyes. "Fine. Let's see how you fare against a beast."
In an instant, he summoned Nue, a massive, terrifying shikigami. With wings spread wide, Nue let out a thunderous cry as it took to the sky, looming overhead like an omen. Sparks danced around its form before it unleashed a torrent of electricity, each bolt as thick as a tree trunk and crackling with a menacing hum as it rained down upon Aizen.
The strikes hit Aizen's form relentlessly, filling the air with deafening booms and blinding flashes of light. However, as the electrical onslaught subsided, Aizen stood unharmed, the potent lightning absorbed by his relentless Reiatsu. Not a hair was out of place, and his calm, unbothered expression remained.
A low growl escaped Sukuna's throat, his patience wearing thin as he channeled a different technique. He extended his arms, his hands beginning to glow with a faint, undulating light as water gathered between his palms. Sukuna focused, compressing the water into a hyper-concentrated, high-pressure beam. His gaze sharpened as he aimed carefully, allowing a wicked grin to spread across his face before he unleashed it in a fierce torrent.
The beam hurtled toward Aizen, the pressure behind it tearing through the air with a high-pitched whine. Yet, before it could even come close, Aizen's Reiatsu once again surged, deflecting the water's path as it curved around him harmlessly, splitting into mist upon contact with his spiritual pressure.
Sukuna clenched his jaw, visibly furious now. He had been holding back some of his abilities, choosing to toy with Aizen, but each failed attempt only served to fuel his anger.
Aizen, sensing Sukuna's growing frustration, let out a faint sigh, almost as if bored. Raising his hand in a slow, deliberate motion, he began to channel his own power, his Reiatsu building to a palpable crescendo. His voice rang out with an eerie calm as he intoned, "Hado #90: Kurohitsugi."
Instantly, the atmosphere darkened as an enormous, black box materialized around Sukuna. It loomed ominously, its surface glinting with sharp, otherworldly edges, as if constructed from the very fabric of darkness. Sukuna's eyes widened as he felt an intense gravitational force press down on him, crushing him from every angle, making his bones creak under the pressure.
And then came the spears.
Hundreds of piercing spikes erupted from every side within the box, stabbing through Sukuna with relentless precision. He roared in pain, his voice echoing within the confines of the Kurohitsugi. The darkness seemed to absorb the sound, leaving only the deadly, silent strikes of each spear plunging into him.
When the spell finally faded, the black box vanished, and Sukuna lay sprawled on the ground, his body riddled with holes, blood pooling around him. His breath was shallow, his form battered. Above him, Aizen watched with a detached gaze, hardly sparing a glance at Nue, who still hovered above, futilely continuing its assault.
But before Aizen could turn his attention away, Sukuna's body began to twitch, his muscles knitting themselves back together as he activated his Reverse Curse Technique. The gaping wounds sealed shut, his flesh regrowing as the blood was reabsorbed into his body, leaving him whole once more. A cold, amused laugh escaped his lips as he slowly rose, brushing the dust from his shoulders.
"No more Mister Nice Guy," Sukuna snarled, his gaze cold and lethal. A dark aura of cursed energy flared around him, growing denser with each passing moment. "It's time to get serious."
Tbc