Todo deliberately stumbled, leaving a genuine opening.
Choso was brimming with murderous intent. How could he let this chance slip by? His Blood Blade abruptly lengthened, whistling through the air as it slashed straight at Todo's neck.
The instant before the Blood Blade touched his skin, Boogie Woogie activated, and he swapped places with Choso.
Without the slightest hesitation, Todo poured every last bit of his Cursed Energy into his left fist. Jet-black spatial distortions instantly gathered over his knuckles.
A second Black Flash lit up the dim building.
"Break!"
His fist slammed squarely into Choso's side beneath the ribs.
The crimson Blood Armor held for only half a second before shattering like brittle ice.
The power of Black Flash drove into flesh without resistance. Choso's pupils contracted sharply, and a muffled grunt escaped his throat.
His massive body flew backward like a kite with its string cut and crashed heavily into the metal shelving behind him.
The shelves collapsed with a crash, burying half his body beneath scattered objects. He braced himself against the floor and tried to get up, but blood kept spilling from the corner of his mouth.
The entire combination, from the positional swap and feint to the Black Flash follow-up, had been within his calculations.
Mahito slowly stood up with a hand against a pillar and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His smile had vanished completely.
The time Jogo had bought with his life could not be wasted here.
"I hadn't wanted to use this so soon."
Mahito murmured under his breath, and his Cursed Energy surged without warning.
Rather than retreating, he advanced toward the two of them, parting his lips to utter the words:
"Domain Expansion."
Fast.
Too fast.
0.2 seconds.
The domain, Self-Embodiment of Perfection, expanded for just