Susanoo

Madara gripped the hilt, tightening his fingers. The blade was lighter than he had imagined, its balance superb, with almost no unwanted wobble in his hand. It was clearly a carefully designed and crafted cursed tool.

He turned his wrist, casually trying a few basic movements.

His movements quickly went from slightly awkward to smooth and natural, as though the memory of wielding weapons had long been branded deep in his muscles, only briefly forgotten and now reawakened.

Watching Madara's stance, Yuta Okkotsu's gaze grew even more serious.

Those strange red eyes, and now the stance that came so naturally when he held a blade... none of it resembled a novice with no combat experience.

"I'm coming," Okkotsu said softly. Before his words had faded, his figure had already vanished from the spot.

Madara's Sharingan spun sharply, his pupils locking onto that blurred afterimage.

Left! Horizontal slash!

Visual information flowed clearly into his brain. The attack's trajectory and angle lay completely exposed to the Sharingan's perception.

His mind kept up perfectly.

But-his body's response lagged half a beat behind!

This body, which had not been tempered through countless trials, could not fully carry out the commands issued by that man's combat awareness.

Clang-!!!

The piercing clash of metal abruptly tore through the still morning air shrouded in thin mist, startling birds into flight.

Okkotsu's blade, wreathed in pitch-black cursed energy, slammed into the short blade Madara had raised horizontally to block!

The two ground fiercely together, showering sparks from their crossing edges like magma splashing in the night.

An immense force traveled along the blade, instantly numbing Madara's entire right arm. The web of his hand throbbed painfully, and he nearly lost his grip on the hilt.

Even the firm earth beneath his feet sank slightly under the impact.

But he did not choose to retreat and dissipate the force.

Retreating meant surrendering control of both distance and tempo to an opponent superior in both speed and strength.

The perception granted by the Sharingan, along with the experience within Madara Uchiha's combat instincts, led him to make an entirely different choice.

Following the force of the impact, Madara pivoted sharply to the right on his left foot, his body like willow fluff swept by the wind!

As he spun, the short blade in his hand traced an exquisite arc, channeling away most of the force on Okkotsu's blade like a watercourse diverting a torrent.

At the instant his spin was nearly spent, Madara flicked his sword wrist.

Carried by the centrifugal force of his turn, the short blade darted backward like a striking snake, stabbing swiftly toward the opening beneath Okkotsu's right ribs exposed by his swing!

A treacherous angle, ruthlessly timed!

Okkotsu's eyes widened slightly.

What a fast adjustment! What a precise counter! Nothing like a novice who had only just experienced a life-or-death battle!

He had no time to bring his blade back to defend and could only block the short blade's tip with his scabbard.

Bang! Bang! Clang! Thud!

In just three seconds, blades flashed and figures crossed as the two rapidly exchanged seven or eight rounds.

Blade struck scabbard, and blade struck blade, producing a succession of sharp and muffled sounds.

Their feet moved rapidly across the dew-covered grass, crossing back and forth and leaving chaotic trails.

Okkotsu still held a clear advantage in speed and strength, every attack carrying the oppressive weight unique to a Special Grade Sorcerer.

But Madara's responses were extraordinarily tenacious, even "eerily precise."

Every block appeared at precisely the point where it was most needed, and every dodge skimmed just past the edge of an attack.

Okkotsu could feel that his opponent could "see" the path of his attacks before responding.

Those red eyes...

"Interesting," Satoru Gojo murmured from the sidelines, the curve of his lips growing more pronounced.

"A very unusual cursed technique."

On the stone steps, Panda had forgotten to put the popcorn in his paw into his mouth. His mouth hung slightly open. "Whoa... this newcomer really has something. He can last this long against Yuta and even trade blows with him?"

Maki pushed up her glasses, her brows drawing tighter. She saw the finer details. "His transitions and choices are far too practiced. Definitely not a novice.

"But his basic physical conditioning and the way he applies force really are somewhat unpracticed and can't keep up... contradictory." That sense of contradiction only deepened her doubts.

Toge Inumaki nodded silently, offering a brief assessment. "Salmon."

In the field, Okkotsu abruptly stepped back, deliberately opening up two or three meters of distance.

His breathing remained steady and deep, showing that he had stamina to spare, but the surprise in his eyes had become difficult to conceal.

He stared intently at Madara's red pupils, spinning eerily in the morning light.

"Your eyes..." Okkotsu began, his tone probing. "Are they a cursed technique?"

Madara did not answer.

His breathing was slightly hurried, fine beads of sweat seeping from his temples, and his sword hand trembled faintly.

It was the natural response of muscles subjected to counters and blocks beyond their capacity.

But his attention did not waver at all, his Sharingan spinning rapidly.

Then he saw it.

The fingers of Okkotsu's right hand tightened slightly around his hilt.

The toes of his right foot, which supported his weight, turned inward at an extremely slight angle.

His left shoulder showed an almost imperceptible tendency to dip.

These were signs that he was channeling his entire body's strength into his right leg, preparing for an explosive charge!

The direction of attack: straight ahead, slightly to the right!

Here it comes! A full-power charging slash!

The instant that judgment formed in his mind, Madara struggled to get his body moving.

He abruptly threw himself into an almost ungainly roll along the ground, in the opposite direction to Okkotsu's attack trajectory!

Whoosh-!

Almost the very instant Madara left his original position, Okkotsu shot forward like a cannonball fired from its barrel!

The explosive force of his push-off tore up the turf where he had just stood!

His blade sliced through the air with a shrill howl, striking the spot where Madara had been standing!

A deep furrow split the earth, sending grass and dirt flying everywhere!

But Madara was no longer there.

Mid-roll, he slammed his left palm against the ground, launching his body upward like a spring compressed to its limit, with agility and speed that defied reason!

While he was still airborne, the short blade in his hand shot like an arrow from a bow, stabbing precisely and viciously toward the nape Okkotsu had exposed with his all-out charging slash!

The sequence of evasion and counterattack flowed seamlessly, perilous to the extreme and equally exquisite!

Yet Okkotsu did not even turn his head.

It was as though he had eyes in the back of his head, or perhaps a beast's instinct for danger.

The instant his slash missed, the blade in his hand had already changed direction, its hilt knocking backward to guard his back.

Clang!

The short blade's tip struck the sword guard with a crisp ring.

But this time, the instant the blades met, Madara did something none of them had expected-

He released his grip.

After colliding with the sword, the short blade spun into the air above their heads.

Okkotsu froze.

This turn of events was completely beyond his expectations.

He abandoned his blade? Or did it slip out of his hand?

Or was it some kind of tactic?

That extremely brief pause caused an almost imperceptible delay in his movements.

And in that lightning-quick moment of hesitation, Madara had already slipped up beside him like a phantom!

The distance between them instantly shrank until they could hear each other breathe.

Madara pressed the fingers of his right hand together and thrust like lightning at the vital area around Okkotsu's waist and abdomen!

A knife-hand strike? He abandoned his blade to fight at close quarters?

Thoughts raced through Okkotsu's mind, but his response was not the slightest bit slow.

His left hand immediately abandoned the scabbard, fingers curling into claws as he snatched downward with a black glow of cursed energy, attempting to seize Madara's wrist and stop that vicious knife-hand strike.

But Madara's thrusting hand abruptly changed direction midway!

As though he had anticipated Okkotsu's grab, his wrist bent inward at an unbelievable angle.

The thrust became a hammering blow, his fingers closing into a fist that slammed squarely into the center of Okkotsu's chest before he could fully bring his guard back!

Thud!!

A muffled impact rang out like a pounding drum.

Okkotsu grunted, stumbling and sliding backward more than two meters before barely steadying himself.

A suffocating, dull pain spread through his chest, his blood churning.

Had he not instinctively concentrated cursed energy in his chest to defend at the last moment, that punch might well have injured his internal organs.

At the same time, Madara had already reached out casually and caught the spinning short blade just as it fell, holding it securely once more.

The entire sequence flowed as though rehearsed countless times, without a single unnecessary movement.

"Just now, that was..." Okkotsu rubbed his still-aching chest, the look in his eyes as he regarded Madara completely changed.

Madara panted slightly, adjusting his breathing. At those words, he merely looked back calmly, scarlet tomoe spinning in his eyes.

"I saw it," he corrected, his voice slightly breathless from the intense exertion but still steady.

Okkotsu fell silent for two seconds, then drew a deep breath and slowly released it.

When he raised his blade again, its tip pointed steadily at Madara. The last trace of hesitation and concern in his eyes dissipated completely like morning mist.

In their place was a focused will to fight.

"I understand," he said, his tone calm and firm. "Then, in response, I'll have to get more serious too."

As his words fell-

As though an invisible dam had opened, a heart-stopping torrent of cursed energy erupted from Yuta Okkotsu's body like raging black waves!

Flamelike radiance of cursed energy rose around him, and the surrounding air instantly grew heavy and stagnant.

Tiny stones on the ground began moving without any wind, trembling faintly. Farther away in the woods, roosting birds were startled by that terrifying presence and took flight in rustling flocks, fleeing into the distance.

On the stone steps, Maki Zenin abruptly stood, her expression shifting slightly. "Okkotsu! Keep it under control! This is the Training Ground!"

She feared that this power would go out of control and cause irreparable harm to Madara, who was still being tested.

Panda also put down his popcorn, worry appearing on his round face. "Hey, hey, Yuta, isn't this going too far? It's only a test!"

Toge Inumaki had already swiftly pressed a hand to the collar covering his mouth, his eyes fixed on the field, ready to intervene with Cursed Speech at any moment.

But Satoru Gojo raised a hand, palm toward them, gesturing for them to stay calm.

Through his blindfold, his gaze remained firmly fixed on the two in the field. His voice was soft, but carried unquestionable authority.

"Watch."

That single word forced Maki and the other two to suppress their urge to intervene.

They knew Satoru Gojo. Though he usually seemed frivolous, at moments like these, his judgment often involved deeper considerations.

At the center of the Training Ground.

Madara Uchiha felt unprecedented pressure. Unlike his memories, this sensation of experiencing it in person...

So this is... a true Special Grade? A completely different level from before...

The tomoe in his Sharingan spun faster.

But however clearly he could see, the responses his body could make were extremely limited.

This time, Okkotsu was at least thirty percent faster than during his previous full-power burst!

His body slid eerily; one instant, he was still five meters away.

The next, that blade wreathed in pitch-black cursed energy as concentrated as ink was already falling straight toward Madara's head like a guillotine!

It was only an ordinary slash.

Terrifying cursed energy and absolute speed were concentrated into a single stroke, brute force overcoming finesse, sheer strength defeating every trick!

Madara's Sharingan spun furiously, clearly capturing every line of the descending blade's trajectory.

Pushed to its absolute limit, his body also responded, muscles tightening as he prepared to dodge diagonally backward-

But he was still too slow.

The blade's speed also exceeded this body's current limits for evasion.

Riiip-!

The blade did not land fully, but its fierce cutting pressure and overflowing cursed energy grazed hard against the outside of Madara's left shoulder like the sharpest glancing strike.

His dark Jujutsu High uniform tore as easily as fragile paper, the fabric curling back to reveal the fair skin beneath.

A pale red streak of blood instantly appeared, tiny beads of blood seeping out as a burning pain followed.

I avoided the direct slash... but the cursed energy grazed me!

Madara's heart tightened. Before he had time to register the pain, he saw through his Sharingan that Okkotsu's movements had not paused at all.

With an exquisite turn of Okkotsu's wrist, the blade that had just descended changed direction, tracing a graceful, deadly arc as it swept upward from diagonally below!

This strike cut off Madara's room to dodge to either side, covering an enormous area at an astonishing speed.

I can't dodge... every conventional escape route has been anticipated and sealed off!

He completed his assessment in an instant. There was nowhere to retreat, nowhere to evade.

Then-

Madara's gaze abruptly sharpened.

Rather than retreat, he stepped forward to meet the deadly blade sweeping upward!

At the same time, his right hand tightened around the short blade Maki had lent him. He held it horizontally before himself, aligning its edge with the path of Okkotsu's rising slash!

He intended to use this cursed tool to meet Okkotsu's surging upward slash head-on!

"Wait!" Maki cried out involuntarily from the stone steps. She could see the power behind that strike.

If Madara did that, the short blade might be severed outright, and he would be cleaved apart along with it!

Panda instinctively covered his eyes with his paws, not daring to watch the carnage that would follow.

Satoru Gojo still did not move.

He merely watched, though several fingers of his right hand, tucked into his pocket, had already curled slightly.

In the instant before the blades collided, time seemed to stretch.

Clang-crack!!

A piercing sound of snapping metal rang out!

Maki's Cursed Tool shortsword ultimately failed to fully withstand Yuta Okkotsu's all-out slash, reinforced by Special Grade cursed energy.

A clear crack appeared where the blade met the sword's edge, and then, under the tremendous impact, it snapped in two!

The front half spun away and embedded itself deep in the dirt a short distance away.

Yet Madara had never intended to take the strike unscathed when he raised his blade across his body to block.

The result of that minute adjustment in angle was this-the direction in which the broken blade flew shifted Okkotsu's katana slightly off its original course.

The remaining hilt and rear half of the broken blade clenched in Madara's hand also used that deflecting force to keep his body from being cleaved apart along its path.

But Okkotsu's blade had only been briefly impeded, and it continued slashing toward Madara's body with terrifying force still behind it!

At that critical instant, when even Satoru Gojo's fingertips twitched slightly as he prepared to intervene-

Madara's Sharingan began spinning and changing shape at an astonishing speed... finally transforming into an even more sinister kaleidoscopic pattern!

At the same time, Madara released the broken sword in his right hand and gave a low shout.

"Susanoo-!!"

Boom!!!

An enormous blue skeletal structure instantly materialized out of thin air before Madara!

It was merely a set of ribs, interlaced protectively in front of Madara, enclosing his body within.

Yuta Okkotsu's slash struck squarely against the deep-blue ribs that had suddenly appeared!

Clang----!!!!!

A deafening crash unlike any before shook the entire Training Ground!

The shock wave from the collision spread outward in a ring, tearing the turf up by its roots and sending dust flying!

Okkotsu's katana was violently knocked back, leaving his sword arm aching and numb.

His eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at the scene before him, beyond anything he could have imagined.

The blue skeletal barrier stood before Madara Uchiha like the most loyal of guards.

After taking Okkotsu's full-force blow, the bones were instantly covered in cracks, as though they were about to shatter.

But with no follow-up attack, the bones slowly repaired their damaged sections.

Madara stood behind the bones, panting slightly, as the spinning kaleidoscopic patterns in his eyes slowly settled.

He glanced at the shortsword lying broken in two on the ground, then raised his eyes to the stunned Okkotsu and the others at the edge of the field, their expressions varied.

Finally, his gaze met Satoru Gojo's, who seemed to have expected this all along.

He sighed.

No other choice...