Power Stones!
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Itadori was worn out. His arms ached, and the internal damage from the giant serpent's attacks was starting to irritate him. But as soon as his eyes landed on Maki's beautiful figure, he felt a surge of energy.
He hadn't expected to run into her so soon, but fate seemed to have other plans. Unfortunately, their encounter didn't happen under the best circumstances.
But hey, he shouldn't waste this chance to improve their relationship! What better situation to deepen a bond than fighting a giant beast together?
He smiled at the thought, and wiping a drop of blood from his lips, he moved to stand beside Maki.
"It got tired and weakened. If you focus on the head wounds, there's a chance of puncturing the skull." He murmured loud enough for Maki to hear, his eyes never leaving the massive serpent exhaling icy air.
Maki nodded and raised the sword in her hand, a blade that, despite being a simple cursed tool from the Zenin arsenal, was more than enough to handle most of the opponents she had encountered so far.
"Right."
Maki hadn't expected to run into Yuji either, at least not in a situation like this. Initially, her plan was to eliminate as many hostile players as possible and gather information from the southern colonies, but after running out of things to do for a while, she decided she could lend a hand to her comrades if they were in trouble.
She passed through Tokyo Colony 1, but seeing that the situation was under control, she moved on to the next, where she found what seemed like an intense battle taking place in the middle of the city.
And that's how she ended up in this situation, side by side with the person she had been hesitant to talk to face-to-face.
The dynamic between the two was still... awkward. She wanted to resolve it once and for all, but given the situation they were in, it didn't seem like the best time.
With a quick glance at Yuji's face beside her, she pushed back the blush threatening to rise to her cheeks, her expression hardening as she tightened her grip on the sword's hilt.
For now, she would focus entirely on the enemy ahead, since if Itadori was injured, the strength of this beast shouldn't be taken lightly.
"..."
Leviathan, the mythological curse, bared its fangs with hostility, its glowing eyes emitting electricity as small bolts formed around it, a dangerous sound emanating from its throat as a sign of its rage.
Yuji and Maki, undeterred by the imposing appearance of the creature, simply adjusted their stances in preparation, cursed energy enveloping Itadori like a cloak while the Zenin woman stomped hard enough to cause a slight tremor.
And as the three faced each other, only the continuous sound of the blizzard cut through the air, the tension palpable with the anticipation of their next moves.
"...!"
But just as the serpent prepared to whip its tail for an attack, the massive curse's glowing eyes widened as its body abruptly froze, its gaze landing on Itadori, who was staring intensely at it with tears of blood.
"Now, Maki!"
A pair of eyes appeared in front of the massive serpent, a sign of the Ranta Zenin paralysis technique being used.
The serpent snarled at this, and pushing against the paralysis of its body, it became a challenge for Itadori, who felt immense pressure on his eyes.
But before the curse could break free, Maki appeared in front of its face, her blade piercing one of its glowing eyes.
Roar!
This caused the serpent to break free with a burst of strength, its mouth opening to let out a bestial roar as electricity spread in all directions, Maki narrowly avoiding it.
"Take advantage of its blind spot! I'll keep this thing's attention on me!" Itadori, who wiped the blood from his now-red eyes, said as he moved past Maki. "Watch out for the lightning!"
His body shot forward like a bullet and collided with the serpent's neck with enough force to push it back, his fist slamming into the curse's jaw before he retreated to avoid being pierced by its fangs.
Electricity crackled around the serpent's body, but Itadori anticipated it as he flew toward the serpent's head and struck it with a kick strong enough to slam it into the ground.
Maki, seeing this as an opportunity, immediately leaped and stabbed at the serpent's head, but her blade stopped at the creature's tough skin. "Damn it!"
Seeing this, Itadori ran to help her, but the serpent's open mouth lunging toward him forced him to retreat, his hands gripping the edges of the curse's mouth to prevent it from closing around his body.
"Maki, it'd be great if you could hurry!" he said with effort, his face filling with concern as he noticed the tips of the serpent's fangs nearing his shoulders.
Electricity crackled around the curse's body, its throat glowing with cursed energy, making Itadori realize he was facing a massive cannon about to fire. "Really hurry!"
He spread his slashes across the roof of the serpent's mouth, but no matter how hard he tried, the curse seemed determined to eliminate him, even if it cost its life.
"I'm trying!" Maki shouted angrily, and pulling her sword from the curse's shell, she lunged to pierce the serpent's eye.
Bam!
But just as the attack was about to land, Maki had to raise her sword to block a bolt of lightning that struck her blade with enough force to send her flying. "Shit!"
Itadori, still holding firm in the serpent's mouth, felt the danger ahead as cursed energy continued to build up in the curse's throat, a sigh escaping his lips as he reconsidered his life choices.
He felt like hitting Uro and Ryo again for making him use more energy than necessary.
'Damn it, I still have a fight with that damn curious lunatic after this,' he gritted his teeth as he forced the serpent's mouth open wider. 'Getting this injured is out of the question!'
Cursed energy exploded from his body, enough to completely envelop the massive curse for a brief moment.
A brief moment that was more than enough for what Itadori wanted to do.
!
As Maki was about to return, she was surprised when the curse's body changed before her eyes, turning into a massive animation frame.
"Better take advantage of this chance," Itadori said, kneeling from the overuse of cursed energy.
But he didn't even need to finish, as Maki was already advancing toward the frozen curse, raising her sword.
Crack!
With a fierce slash, the frame shattered as the serpent was sent flying, blood gushing from its throat from a deep cut.
Roar!
The beast roared, its fury evident across its face as blood stained the snow on the ground.
It was severely injured, but that didn't seem enough to stop the mythological beast, which emitted cursed energy as it slammed its tail on the ground in irritation.
Maki narrowed her eyes at this, and moving to Itadori, she stopped protectively in front of him, her killer aura exploding from her body and directed at the curse.
"..."
Leviathan wasn't intimidated, a fierce growl escaping its mouth as it seemed ready to charge once more.
Bam!
But just as the serpent seemed to prepare, it screamed in pain as massive teeth clamped onto its throat, its body being pushed to the ground while, with no chance to retaliate, it began to be fiercely devoured by the enormous wolf that dominated that forest.
"..." Maki and Itadori watched in silence as the serpent's struggle slowly ceased, leaving only the disturbing sound of chewing, Amaroq seeming to relish the tough flesh of the great curse.
"I guess that's normal... It's been a while since he last ate," Itadori smiled, his face filling with satisfaction as he felt his cursed energy reserves replenish with the curse's death. "Thanks for the—"
Standing up, he took a step to stand beside Maki, but his strength seemed to leave him as he stumbled forward, Maki quickly preventing him from falling and supporting him with a hug.
"You're really hurt," she noted as she saw the bruises all over the sorcerer's body, her lips tightening as she gently laid him down in the snow. "We're too far from Shoko's infirmary."
Itadori, lying on the ground, seemed strangely calm about his situation, his eyes slowly opening and closing as he seemed to think for a few seconds.
"The woman who was outside, did you see her?" he asked.
"..." Maki narrowed her eyes at the question, a bit suspicious. "Yes, I immobilized her."
"Wait—did you kill her?"
"...I immobilized her."
Itadori watched her for a few seconds, but sighing, he decided it was better to move on.
"She owes me one, so we can ask for her help."
"..."
Maki still seemed suspicious, tempted to ask how Itadori could know such a strange woman...
Cough!
But seeing him cough up some blood, she decided it was better to leave that for later. "Alright."
"Thank you..." he thanked her once more.
He was genuinely grateful for her presence. The curse was powerful, and although he felt he wasn't at risk of dying, he would have had to expend a lot of energy to win, which could be a problem considering what he planned to do later.
Maki helped ease the situation, allowing him to rest properly.
And being carried like a princess by her, he even felt a strange urge to clasp his hands and thank the heavens... But he refrained, as it would be pretty weird in the current context.
For now, he would just enjoy the closeness between them.
"...Heh."
"What?"
"Nothing."