Rational Universe

The instant he was touched, Tsukasa Hatayama wanted to die. He briefly abandoned his attack and leaped away, dodging the groping hand that reached for him again.

Kaori Itadori took a deep sniff of her palm, her soft, curvaceous body shuddering as she exclaimed, "There's no scent, but just thinking that it was your face, Tsukasa, makes me so excited!"

The sheer lewdness of the display left Tsukasa Hatayama speechless. But he had no attention to spare for it now, his mind occupied with deeper thoughts.

The ability Kenjaku had just used should have been Tiger Mom's own cursed technique-Anti-Gravity System.

She had applied cursed technique reversal to gravity, forcibly pushing aside the Black Flash on his hand. Presumably, the same principle had stopped those two slashes.

In a sense, gravity gave Tiger Mom an absolute defense similar to Limitless.

According to the one-eyed cat's description in the original work, however, Tiger Mom's gravity technique only worked within a radius of two to three meters and lasted just six seconds.

Is this really supposed to be powerful gravity? Why is it so different from Fujitora's in One Piece? Did the one-eyed cat draw a watered-down version?

As he pondered, irresistible gravity descended from overhead without warning, pinning Tsukasa Hatayama to the ground like the supreme might of heaven.

The earth around Tsukasa Hatayama trembled, rubble flying everywhere. The ground was left riddled with holes and utterly devastated.

Tsukasa Hatayama's red eyes flashed. Cursed Pressure surged out in the form of cursed energy, giving Kaori Itadori a taste of her own medicine and forcing her to the ground.

Both lay flat on the ground, staring at each other with different expressions: one unperturbed, the other shocked and curious.

Kaori Itadori's eyes gleamed as she struggled to speak from the ground. "This must be Cursed Pressure. The power it displays is even greater than my gravity technique."

"Tsukasa, you truly deserve to be called the Jujutsu Professor. Your talent for jujutsu and the way your mind works are gifts from heaven!"

Tsukasa Hatayama could not be bothered with Kaori Itadori's incessant chatter. Relying on his formidable physique, he struggled to stand against the crushing gravity.

Under Kaori Itadori's covetous gaze, Tsukasa Hatayama slowly spread his arms, accepting the crushing force of gravity as though welcoming a baptism.

The next moment, a warm current coursed throughout his body. The Hōgyoku fused with him helped Tsukasa Hatayama evolve once more.

His strained movements became effortless. His entire body was now immune to this watered-down gravity.

Kaori Itadori's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. She kept glaring at him and intensifying the gravity, but he merely shrugged and shook his head as though nothing had happened.

At the sight, Kaori Itadori suddenly considered an unwelcome possibility: could Tsukasa Hatayama's body possess adaptation, just like Mahoraga?

The thought sent Kaori Itadori's excitement to its peak. If that was truly the case, she had to obtain Tsukasa Hatayama's body!

Perfect. He's too perfect, so perfect he makes my mouth water. Tsukasa Hatayama is the perfect work of art I've been pursuing all along!

I have to obtain his body before he masters a domain. With his talent, he'll surely become another Sukuna in the future.

A few seconds after reaching that conclusion, Kaori Itadori suddenly realized a serious problem.

Even if she opened her domain, its open-barrier sure-hit effect would be powerless against Tsukasa Hatayama, because he knew reverse cursed technique.

Not only would she fail to obtain his body, she would let him adapt to her domain. Losing her means of keeping him in check would be the least of her worries-at worst, she would die here!

Run. I have to escape!

Using her recovered gravity technique, Kaori Itadori blocked out the Cursed Pressure and stood.

After rolling his shoulders a few times, Tsukasa Hatayama turned his gaze back to Kaori Itadori as she rose. Her eyes were full of covetous desire, mingled with solemnity and wariness.

Deep lines of exasperation creased Tsukasa Hatayama's forehead. Ever since meeting Kenjaku, he felt he had been left speechless more often today than in all his previous encounters combined.

What, does he take me for Tiger Dad, a moth flying into the flame? Still, since you've shown yourself willingly, I might as well eliminate a future threat.

Tsukasa Hatayama's red eyes sharpened. He intensified the cursed energy pouring out as Cursed Pressure, mentally counting the gravity technique's duration. As it approached five seconds, he jolted Kitetsu outward.

Kaori Itadori hastily twisted aside to dodge. Kitetsu shot like an arrow into the stone pillar behind her.

But with her gravity technique's protection gone, her body felt as though a mountain had pinned it down, and she toppled helplessly toward the ground.

Before she could fall, a heavy fist slammed into her abdomen. Kaori Itadori's eyes rolled back, and she vomited up what she had eaten that morning and at noon.

The storm awaiting her was far from over. Expressionless, Tsukasa Hatayama seized both her hands and brutally executed Bone-Breaking Tendon-Splitting Hand.

He broke the hands she needed to form her domain, then blasted her into the air with a kick.

While she was still airborne, he flashed behind Kaori Itadori like a phantom and hammered her back to the ground with a spinning blow. She struck like a falling meteor, carving out a deep crater.

When the dust in the crater cleared, Kaori Itadori walked out unscathed, her clothes only slightly dirty, as though the grievous injuries had never happened.

Kaori Itadori's eyes burned with anger. "What a cruel man! You'd even try to kill a weak woman like me. Don't you know how to treat a lady gently?"

Tsukasa Hatayama did not bother answering. He casually reached out and drew Kitetsu back from the stone pillar, then charged straight at Kaori Itadori without another word.

He brought a heavy slash down toward her forehead. Knowing Tsukasa Hatayama had already adapted to gravity, Kaori Itadori hurriedly crossed her fists to brace against the sword's hilt.

The immense force transmitted through it forced her onto one knee. At that moment, she could not help thinking of a certain man from a thousand years ago.

A monster who had challenged all of Jujutsu Society alone. Yet Tsukasa Hatayama's strength was no less than that man's-if anything, he surpassed him.

She now regretted showing herself openly. She should have used underhanded methods from the shadows. In just a few seconds, she was already consumed by regret!

Tsukasa Hatayama did not care whether she regretted it. He forcefully raised his right leg, driving his knee upward toward her vulnerable chin.

With the sharp crack of a breaking jawbone, Kaori Itadori's head snapped back. The impact left her dizzy, blood streaming from her mouth.

Tsukasa Hatayama followed through by grabbing Kaori Itadori's hair. His red eyes icy, he hammered her abdomen with one furious punch after another.

His fists rained down, making Kaori Itadori cough up blood. Waves of agony churned through her abdomen, leaving her in unbearable pain.

After countless punches, Tsukasa Hatayama swung his leg in a powerful kick. Kaori Itadori lost her balance and slammed into the stone pillar behind her.

She staggered to her feet. The pain radiating from her abdomen made her tremble as she activated reverse cursed technique.

The look she gave Tsukasa Hatayama was no longer covetous. It held genuine wariness and fear.

From beginning to end, Tsukasa Hatayama had never used a cursed technique, relying entirely on physical combat to overwhelm her. That undoubtedly showed his absolute confidence in his own martial prowess.

I have to get away quickly.

Once Tsukasa Hatayama uses his cursed technique and Maximum Technique, death is all that awaits me. If I want his body, I'll have to use underhanded means.

After briefly healing her injuries, Kaori Itadori shakily began forming a particular Long Hand Seal.

In the distance.

Tsukasa Hatayama planted Kitetsu in the ground, unafraid of whatever ability Kaori Itadori's seal would unleash. He said calmly, "You coveted my body and revealed yourself. That is the cause. And my killing you will be the effect."

"Come. Let me show you what darkness is."

"Maximum Technique: Rational Universe."

As his words fell, darkness instantly swallowed the entire space and froze it, plunging it into an endless, lifeless wasteland. An ancient, inscrutable Hexagram Formation appeared beneath Kaori Itadori's feet.

Cold sweat beaded on Kaori Itadori's forehead. She could see nothing but pitch-black stillness. The presence of death drove her into a frenzy of hand seals.

But at that moment, the Hexagram Formation beneath her feet blazed with dazzling light, and a massive black hole instantly enveloped her body.

Tsukasa Hatayama raised his left hand. Darkness continually compressed and condensed in his palm, and in an instant, flickering white lightning took shape amid the gloom.

The terrifying aura it emitted rivaled that of an atomic bomb.

"Be annihilated, sinner."

Without hesitation, Tsukasa Hatayama poured it into the black hole. The previously featureless black hole transformed into a universe as the white lightning flowed into it.

At that moment, the universe shook violently and hummed. White light laced with lightning exploded from within, and the space swallowed by darkness shattered like a mirror.

After Rational Universe, which damaged only the soul, erupted, Kaori Itadori's body was nowhere to be found.

"Looks like that Long Hand Seal was for spatial teleportation. Just how many bodies has Kenjaku possessed? His cursed techniques keep getting stronger."

Tsukasa Hatayama sighed with some regret.

Had he known, he would have used Living Sacrifice: Divine Grace Redemption earlier, rather than Rational Universe, which restricted movement and destroyed the soul.

The upgraded Living Sacrifice: Divine Grace Redemption was stronger than a domain.

It could immobilize everyone within the dark space, binding them to black chains and burning their bodies and souls with Violet Flame, leaving them unable to live or die.

Compared with the instantaneous Rational Universe, Living Sacrifice: Divine Grace Redemption had a slight delay, but it was still far faster than Cursed Spirit Manipulation's Uzumaki.

Still, Tsukasa Hatayama soon perked up again. This battle had not been without gains.

He had learned that Kenjaku had shifted his attention to his body, which meant he had abandoned Geto's Cursed Spirit Manipulation.

Tsukasa Hatayama smiled helplessly. "Looks like that chain of cause and effect has shifted onto me. Having someone eyeing me like this really doesn't feel good."