Takako Uro’s cursed technique allows her to grab the “sky” by its “surface.”
By distorting and shattering space, she inflicts damage upon her enemies.
At least, that’s how it works before she expands her domain.
Uro’s technique, Sky Manipulation, essentially softens or hardens space, and then applies force to that hardened or softened space.
A Domain Expansion is a skill that can only be unleashed after a sorcerer’s understanding of their technique reaches its absolute pinnacle—expanding a domain imbues the technique with a sure-hit effect.
Realizing that her technique couldn’t inflict significant damage on Kinoshita’s body, Takako Uro immediately changed her strategy.
Originally, the damage method of 『Cloth of the Blue Sky』 involved relentlessly attacking the opponent with Thin Ice Breaker as they plummeted in a straight line, preventing them from counterattacking during the fall, thereby quickly defeating or weakening them.
However, before expanding her domain, Takako Uro established a Binding Vow: at the cost of sacrificing the domain’s sure-hit effect this time, her ability to construct her technique within the domain was massively amplified.
“『Thin Ice Breaker』!”
As Kinoshita was observing his surroundings, half of the sky directly above his head suddenly shattered.
Along with the fragmented space, a tremendous force crashed down upon him.
That force, capable of shattering half the sky, acted upon Kinoshita in an instant, violently pressing his body downwards.
Accompanied by extreme acceleration, Kinoshita also felt the space beneath him condensing and forming over and over again.
And this time, the force Uro used to strike the space was the very kinetic energy carried by Kinoshita’s own body.
Kinoshita’s body smashed through hundreds of condensed spatial layers in rapid succession.
Takako Uro utilized the force directed at Kinoshita as the power to shatter space; weaponizing his body and that downward acceleration, she unleashed hundreds of Thin Ice Breakers within a mere three seconds.
Then, once again.
“『Thin Ice Breaker』!”
Once again, Takako Uro appeared behind Kinoshita.
As her hands swung out, the space behind him violently fractured.
“That’s why I said…”
Kinoshita waved his hand.
The black shadows formed from his emitted cursed energy condensed into a pliant, black wall, blocking the space between him and Takako Uro.
The force transmitted from Uro’s shattered space bombarded the wall.
As the entirety of the force sank in, the shadow wall merely jiggled like gelatin.
“What?”
At that exact moment, Takako Uro revealed an expression of absolute astonishment.
Innate techniques could have multiple methods of expression, differing vastly in application; this was entirely possible.
Just like lightning could be expressed as super-acceleration or as radiating bolts.
And someone whose technique possessed completely different manifestations—one technique enabling two entirely different combat styles—wasn’t something Takako Uro had never seen before.
Just as Uro hesitated, and the shadow wall between them gradually dissipated alongside the fading cursed energy…
“You’d better dodge.”
『Dog: Dismantle』
A third form of expression?!
Takako Uro immediately dodged the moment she heard his voice, but the howling invisible blade still severed her left leg in an instant.
Wincing in pain, she immediately pulled at space, concealing herself within the azure sky.
“Listen here, I still have actual business to attend to… I can only play with you for another seven minutes at most.”
Kinoshita flapped his wings, flying upwards at a speed that perfectly countered his downward plummet, effectively hovering.
Not even a single scratch?
Hidden within the space, Takako Uro continuously ran her Reverse Cursed Technique while staring intently at the hovering Kinoshita.
That guy…
the moment he realized this domain lacked a sure-hit effect, he had already deactivated Hollow Wicker Basket.
Her information advantage over him had been completely neutralized, whereas his information advantage over her far exceeded her imagination.
Lightning, shadows, and slashes similar to Sukuna’s…
Was it that thing from earlier?
“Among shikigami users, there’s a significant portion who can establish Binding Vows to use their shikigami’s moves without actually summoning them.”
He’s a shikigami user?
Lightning, flight, shadows, slashes…
And that massive bird that had only appeared for a few seconds earlier, yet its size had blotted out the sun.
Is it the Ten Shadows Technique?
Could a Ten Shadows user really do something like this?
Using Nue’s abilities without even summoning it…
That sniffing earlier…
was that Divine Dog?
Coupled with his monstrous cursed energy…
had the Zen’in clan really produced such a powerful sorcerer?
“『Thin Ice Breaker』!”
Once again, the attack capable of shattering more than half the sky landed right next to Kinoshita.
Yet, before the attack even connected, Takako Uro knew for sure.
Kinoshita’s gaze—from the very first moment she had appeared—had never once left her actual location.
“You can see me? Not by scent?”
Watching Kinoshita effortlessly parry her attack yet again, Takako Uro was completely certain that the man before her could literally “see” her.
Kinoshita looked at Takako’s newly regenerated leg.
“When you use Reverse Cursed Technique, your cursed energy briefly conflicts with the cursed energy composing the domain. As long as I catch that momentary contradiction, I can lock onto your position. Well—after that, simply by tracking that tiny bit of incompatibility between you and the domain, I can pinpoint exactly where you are.”
“As if it’s anywhere as easy as you make it sound!”
Kinoshita crossed his arms.
“Well, there’s bound to be a difference between people like you and people like me, right?”
Takako Uro took a deep breath.
“What is that supposed to mean? The disdain of a clan scion looking down on someone like me?”
An expression of profound irritation surfaced on her face, and the turbulent currents within the domain instantly calmed down.
“What do you mean?”
“What you’re using… isn’t it the Ten Shadows Technique? As the head of the Zen’in clan, how could you possibly understand someone like me?”
“Hah…”
“My strongest attacks can’t even scratch you. Kill me, slice me up—do whatever you want.”
Kinoshita looked at Takako Uro, who now wore an expression of someone willingly embracing death, and could only fail to suppress a highly amused look.
“While it’s true that, according to common sense, a Ten Shadows user is basically guaranteed to be the head of the Zen’in clan… I am someone who exists outside that common sense.”
“Huh?”
“I wasn’t born into the Zen’in clan, nor am I their clan head. And of course, I don’t want to kill you either.”
“Why?”
“Ha, are you asking why I’m not the clan head? Well… probably because it’s too much of a hassle. While I do have overwhelming strength and am a Ten Shadows user—making me the theoretical designated heir—by the time I acquired this level of power, I couldn’t care less about the Zen’in clan.”
“Even though the power was right there at your fingertips?”
Takako Uro looked utterly incredulous.
He had the strength to stand above the masses and the perfect pedigree, yet he just brushed it off with a casual “it’s too much of a hassle”?
“After all, I’m a rogue sorcerer. If I just barged into the Zen’in clan, I’d probably have to purge the current head, right? Then I’d have to pull in a bunch of newcomers for my own faction. Besides, even when I was making a massive name for myself, those idiots couldn’t even recognize the Ten Shadows Technique. For people that blind, I had absolutely zero desire to go back and lead them. Hell, right before I agreed to Kenjaku’s offer to join the Culling Game, they were still busy scheming on how to assassinate the Gojo clan’s Six Eyes.”
Takako Uro’s bizarre eyes swept over Kinoshita.
“…You’re right. We are indeed different.”
As the turbulent currents in the sky gradually subsided, Takako Uro’s barrier shattered along with them.
Kinoshita and Takako slowly descended from the sky.
Kinoshita landed firmly on a rooftop.
His eyes swept over Takako before him, and then he wordlessly looked up at the sky.
“So like I said, you really are an exhibitionist, aren’t you?”