Yuta Okkotsu thought he understood why Ze Zenin had been smiling. He probably wanted to see Yuta's expression when he encountered Aoi Todo's cursed technique.
With that thought, a black hole appeared behind Yuta Okkotsu. Under Aoi Todo's astonished gaze, dozens of centipede cursed spirits emerged from it and swarmed toward him.
"Cursed Spirit Manipulation?"
Aoi Todo was stunned. "Isn't that that special grade's technique? How does this kid..."
Suddenly, Aoi Todo caught on. "Don't tell me this guy..."
There was no time to think. Aoi Todo clapped again, switching places with Yuta Okkotsu. Yet the centipedes didn't surround Okkotsu as he had expected. Instead, they turned and continued swarming toward Todo.
"Automatic targeting?" Aoi Todo felt a sinking dread. Realizing that repeatedly switching places wouldn't let him escape, he gathered cursed energy in his hands and smashed the cursed spirits approaching him one by one.
But Yuta Okkotsu wasn't about to let this perfect opportunity slip by. He formed a wolf-shaped hand sign, and two wolves, one black and one white, burst out and immediately charged toward Aoi Todo.
"Are these cursed spirits too?" Aoi Todo dodged the two wolves' snapping jaws while keeping his eyes on Yuta Okkotsu.
"Just as I thought..." Ze Zenin watched the two wolves Yuta Okkotsu had summoned without any surprise.
Apart from their size, their appearance was identical. They were none other than the black and white divine dogs of the Ten Shadows Technique!
"But with the bloodline restriction, it looks like he can't initiate the taming rituals for the other shikigami."
Ze Zenin grew increasingly curious. He wanted to know whether Mahoraga could adapt to the countless cursed techniques Okkotsu could copy unconditionally.
Would he adapt to each individual technique, or to the Copy technique itself?
"What a shame... Yuta doesn't have Zenin blood." Ze Zenin shook his head, but another bold idea soon arose in his mind. "Maybe cloning would work. Swap Yuta's blood with a clone's."
"Forget it. That's still too dangerous." Ze Zenin shook his head. If he actually did that, he felt he would become a villainous scientist.
He turned his attention back to the fight. Aoi Todo kept clapping, and with Boogie Woogie constantly switching his position, the two divine dogs couldn't touch him.
Yuta Okkotsu gathered cursed energy in the Samurai Sword in his hand once more and shouted at Aoi Todo, "Don't move!"
"Damn it, this immobilizing ability..." Aoi Todo's body went rigid, unable to move an inch. He could only watch as the two divine dogs and Yuta Okkotsu closed in around him.
Aoi Todo refused to stop struggling. His muscles surged, and the cursed energy inside him rose again as he forcibly broke free of Cursed Speech's control.
"This guy?!" Yuta Okkotsu's pupils contracted. He was stunned that Todo had managed to break free of Cursed Speech.
After all, using Cursed Speech consumed an enormous amount of cursed energy. That naturally posed little restriction for Yuta Okkotsu, whose reserves even exceeded Satoru Gojo's. But given the disparity in their strength, Cursed Speech used by a special grade sorcerer should have been an absolute command to a grade 1 sorcerer.
With a clap, Aoi Todo and Yuta Okkotsu switched places. The black and white divine dogs stopped just before biting their master.
Without giving Yuta Okkotsu time to catch his breath, Aoi Todo clapped again. He switched places with the white divine dog, and his two cursed-energy-charged fists smashed toward Yuta Okkotsu.
Black lightning erupted from Aoi Todo's right hand. He felt so exhilarated that he unleashed the "extremely difficult" Black Flash!
Black Flash struck the Samurai Sword Yuta Okkotsu held across his chest, driving the blade into him. Even he couldn't avoid being sent flying by that powerful blow.
"A normal attack raised to the power of 2.5..."
Ze Zenin narrowed his eyes, unable to help feeling envious.
He, Satoru Gojo, and Suguru Geto had yet to land even a single Black Flash...
Yuta Okkotsu's expression turned grave. Although Black Flash had landed squarely on his chest, he had reinforced his body with cursed energy a second before impact.
"He protected his body with cursed energy in that tiny window?" Aoi Todo was a little startled. Once again, he found himself reassessing the boy before him, who was several times scrawnier than he was.
"That's just the basics..." Yuta Okkotsu smiled, though inwardly he recalled the painful memories of being tormented by Satoru Gojo's teleportation during their sparring sessions in years past.
At the same time, he held a strand of hair in his hand, one he had just plucked from Aoi Todo.
Yuta Okkotsu took off his ring, and a white shikigami resembling Mahoraga appeared beside him.
"Eat this, Ink Moon." Yuta Okkotsu fed the hair to the shikigami.
"That shikigami is at least special grade!" Aoi Todo stared gravely at the white shikigami Yuta Okkotsu had summoned, then smiled at him. "Does eating my hair mean something?"
Okkotsu's Copy technique probably required material to analyze too...
What Aoi Todo hadn't expected, however, was for the shikigami to vanish moments later.
"Not good!" Aoi Todo shouted, preparing to clap again, only to find that the shikigami had already charged right up to him.
But then he noticed Yuta Okkotsu's movements. They were exactly the same as his own!
"He copied it that quickly?"
"Sorry, Todo."
Clap!
A crisp clap rang out, and Yuta Okkotsu switched places with Ink Moon.
"How?!"
Aoi Todo's eyes widened in surprise. For the first time, he experienced what it felt like to have his opponent switch positions.
There was no time left for Aoi Todo to think. Yuta Okkotsu seized that fleeting opportunity, increased his cursed energy output, and swept the back of his Samurai Sword across Todo's waist.
Aoi Todo hurriedly protected his head, only for Yuta Okkotsu's cursed-energy-reinforced fists to come raining down next!
Bang-bang-bang!
Yuta Okkotsu's fists repeatedly struck Aoi Todo's arms, leaving clearly visible marks on them.
Drawing on his enormous reserves of cursed energy, Yuta Okkotsu brought down one final punch and sent Aoi Todo flying.
"That really hurt..." Aoi Todo rubbed his chest as he stood up. "You're a complete monster!"
"A monster?" Yuta Okkotsu smiled. It was the first time anyone had called him that. In the past, most of the people he had heard described as monsters were Gojo-sensei and Senior Zenin.
"Okkotsu, let's go again!" Aoi Todo shouted at Yuta Okkotsu. "I'm going to show you everything I'm capable of!"
"..."
Yuta Okkotsu didn't answer Aoi Todo. Instead, he looked back at Rika. Seeing that she still didn't seem satisfied, he stepped forward again.
The two immediately clashed once more. Claps rang throughout the hall as Yuta Okkotsu and Aoi Todo constantly switched positions, until the people around them could no longer even make out their figures.
"What exactly is his cursed technique?" Momo Nishimiya looked at Mai. "Mai, you're from the Zenin Clan. You should know, right?"
"..."
Mai gave a dry laugh after a moment of silence, then forced herself to answer. "I think it's probably Copy?"
"Huh?" Kasumi Miwa exclaimed in surprise. "That student's technique has such high priority! He's already copied Todo's Boogie Woogie that quickly!"
"I imagine it has something to do with that shikigami," Mechamaru said emotionlessly after a long silence. "Yuta Okkotsu fed Todo's hair, a part of his body, to that shikigami, allowing him to copy his technique."
"It's only been a few seconds since the shikigami ate the hair..."
"So strong... Not just Todo, but that jujutsu sorcerer from Tokyo too!" Noritoshi Kamo watched the battle intently, an unfamiliar feeling stirring inside him.
I heard that when Uncle was young, Satoru Gojo and Ze Zenin were the people he dreamed of catching up to...
Uncle... I want to make these two my goals too!
Noritoshi Kamo looked up at Kamo Sheng and silently swore that oath.
Meanwhile, the battle had reached its conclusion. Yuta Okkotsu held his Samurai Sword against Aoi Todo's neck and said calmly, "Todo, you lost."
"Yeah!" Aoi Todo raised both hands with an easy smile, bearing no resentment. "I lost. You're strong. Right now, I can't even think of a way to beat you..."
"But I'm not giving up. One day, I'll definitely beat you!"
"I'll be waiting." Yuta Okkotsu put away his Samurai Sword and walked over to Rika, smiling as he asked, "Well? Feel better now?"
"Not bad..." Rika was in a good mood. Humming a little tune, she linked her arm through Yuta Okkotsu's. "You looked so handsome standing up for me, Yuta!"
Yuta Okkotsu's handsome face flushed, and he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.
Idiot...
Seeing Yuta Okkotsu's embarrassed expression, Rika covered her mouth and giggled.
Before you continue