Meanwhile, on the other battlefield.
The battle between Ryu Ishigori and Blue Eyes Long Xi had demolished every wall around them, and the two were drawing closer and closer to the rooftop.
Without a burst of flames, Blue Eyes Long Xi could only rely on the rain and hand-to-hand combat to stall, but the rain barely affected his opponent.
His physical abilities and fighting skills were no match for this old monster who had lived for decades.
He had no way to respond except to defend himself! All he could do was hold him off!
But things refused to go his way. Ryu Ishigori, who had been craving dessert all along, naturally noticed something was off.
"You bastard!!"
"You don't have nearly enough flavor!!"
Ryu Ishigori swung a fist packed with immense cursed energy at Long Xi. After Long Xi easily dodged it, the punch slammed into the building beneath their feet!
The perfectly serviceable building, which could have lasted two or three episodes in Ultraman, could not withstand that unrestrained punch. The ceiling around them cracked apart.
Both of them plunged downward!
"Not sweet enough!"
"Not tasteful enough!"
"Even the presentation is so dated!!"
Rubble rained down toward them, but before it could land, the two were locked in close combat again.
The fight had become completely one-sided.
With every sentence Ryu Ishigori spoke, his voice and the power behind it grew stronger. Anyone could see his displeasure.
"Can't you just wait a damn minute?!!"
Long Xi roared back, swinging a fist wrapped in cursed energy straight at his opponent's cheek!
But obviously, asking someone who had lived his entire life solely for battle to wait before enjoying his main course...
Was like asking Dio not to put on the Stone Mask, or the Priest not to visit Forbidden Comics Paradise! (The author's gone. Send me a copy.)
To him, it was outright sacrilege!!!
The next instant, the Cursed Energy Cannon he had been charging fired!
"Fuck! Could you show a little sportsmanship?!"
Countless energy blasts shot toward Long Xi. In that cramped space, he could only keep moving to dodge them!
But these things could curve like Yan Shuangying's bullets using gun-fu. In the end, he failed to evade them, and a huge ball of light struck him in the chest!
He was sent flying, smashed through the rooftop water tank, then tumbled half a floor down from the roof and disappeared from sight.
With nothing left in his way, Ryu Ishigori charged toward Takako Uro and her opponent!
All three finally landed on the rooftop of a tall building!
A three-way standoff had fully taken shape!
When Long Xi saw their positions, alarm bells blared in his head.
No! Something's wrong!
Ryu Ishigori? Takako Uro? Me!
A three-way standoff?!
Next comes... Domain Expansion!!
By then, after using all his chatter to distract them, Long Xi had charged the attack in his palm to roughly forty percent.
That meant he could now deal around twelve times the damage, but he was still a long way from thirty!
At its current power, firing it would indeed disrupt them and prevent them from opening their domains in time.
But it still would not be powerful enough to put Takako Uro out of commission. They would end up in another chaotic three-way battle!
If Yuta Okkotsu could get here now, things would undoubtedly be much easier for him!
What the hell was that guy doing?!
It was just that bug! Even I could flatten it into a two-dimensional creature now, like a Hakimi on the highway!
How could he possibly be taking this long?!
If he stopped charging and fired now...
It would be almost impossible to find another opportunity this good to defeat Takako Uro outright!
But if he kept charging and the two successfully opened their domains, even with their domains canceling each other out, he would probably be melted in an instant if he went inside.
Long Xi could not use a domain.
He could not even use something as simple as Hollow Wicker Basket.
Even Hajime Kashimo could at least shout "Hollow Wicker Basket" and buy himself a little more time if he were here!
But Long Xi did not even have the option of shouting it!
That was the stark reality.
A genius?
Yes.
Without a doubt, Long Xi might be a top-tier genius second only to Higuruma!
But no matter how gifted he was, he could not suddenly figure out a domain on the spot! He had no understanding of barrier techniques!
His understanding of his own cursed technique was not enough to support one, either!
But he had no other choice left.
Ryu Ishigori raised his fist and slammed it into his own chest.
Bam!
His wound burst open, splashing blood across his chest.
His pounding heartbeat and the immense cursed energy pouring from his body told everyone what he intended to do!
He struck himself a second time.
His heartbeat grew louder again!
None of them had another choice left!
The third strike.
He forcibly awakened his cursed energy, its density so great that the rooftop began to sink. Takako Uro's cursed energy began gathering as well.
All three understood.
This was the final stage!
Whether this were a TV show or a novel, Long Xi should have fled-as far away as possible!
His body's sense of danger and the reason still clinging to his mind both warned him how absurd his choice was!
Running was the right choice for a weakling who wanted to survive.
But the battle, the exhilaration, the thrill of wanting to press forward even with death squeezing his throat!!
How could any of that make him want to retreat?!
He still needed their strength. He had to kill Roso! Kill Sukuna!
He wanted to give an answer to those who had died because of him!
He had to kill Roso!!!
"We've already come this far!!!"
"Even a stray dog wouldn't run away with its tail between its legs now!!!"
Without a doubt, his second account no longer had time to make it here. All he could do now was give everything he had!
He abandoned his attempt to build up to thirty times the power!
His teeth bit into the tip of his tongue, and the taste of blood exploded in his mouth!
The amplification against sorcerers finally settled at around fifteen times. This was the strongest strike he could reliably deliver right now!
Ultimate flames and the impact of "Void" gathered in his palm!
The entire rooftop could no longer withstand the three fighters' cursed energy. The floor began collapsing, and the building split open at its midsection!!!
"What's the point of all this testing and probing?!"
"You keep babbling on and on. It's so damn noisy!"
Ryu Ishigori's voice seemed to pierce the heavens!
Even the white figure racing toward them in the distance heard his furious roar!
The next instant, he grinned widely, and his cursed energy surged into the sky!!
"Now that it's come to this!"
"Words aren't going to settle anything anymore!"
Ryu Ishigori and Takako Uro formed hand signs at the same time!
Pitch-black domain shells began weaving together, closing into spheres like tightly meshed nets, while the red flash in Long Xi's hand erupted in full!
"Domain Expansion!!"
"Domain Expansion!!!!"
"Furious Flame Mound-Void!!!!!!"
Before you continue