Chapter 70: Mission Complete.
"Hahahaha! This is killing me! That kid Tatsuro actually set the forest on fire after all. Principal Gakuganji is probably going to ascend to heaven from pure anger!" Gojo Satoru, in the broadcasting room, was laughing so hard he couldn't close his mouth, as if it had nothing to do with him.
Utahime Iori glanced at the broadly smiling Gojo Satoru, veins bulging on her forehead. Although she really wanted to slaughter him, she couldn't; she was no match for him at all.
She grabbed the microphone and shouted, "Match suspended! Extinguishing the forest fire takes priority! Extinguishing the forest fire takes priority!"
The scorching waves of fire were rushing towards Aoi Todo. Surrounding trees were already sizzling upon contact, showing how high the temperature was. This best friend of his was truly incredible. Though only a first-year, he could already unleash such a powerful cursed technique.
However...
"Hee! Mere monstrous flames cannot scare me away!"
Aoi Todo picked up the wreckage Mechamaru had left on the ground. It still contained cursed energy; he could use his 'Boogie Woogie' to swap places with it. Although he could swap directly with Tatsuro, wouldn't that be too boring?
Facing the announcement from the loudspeaker to stop the match, both of them turned a deaf ear, continuing their decisive battle which had already reached its climax!
Sensing something rapidly approaching through the flames, Tatsuro frowned. With the temperature of his fire wave, let alone a person, even iron would be melted into molten liquid in moments.
"Swoosh—"
A cursed corpse broke through the flames and appeared beside his face. His crimson pupils locked onto this scorched red cursed corpse. As if having thought of something, he immediately stopped his ninjutsu and aimed a kick to send the "shed skin" wreckage of Mechamaru flying.
Clap!
A clapping sound echoed. The original wreckage was now replaced by Aoi Todo. Fists and feet met, clashing together. After only a moment, they both pushed off each other and retreated.
"A beautiful prediction, best friend. Next, I'm getting serious!" Aoi Todo praised with a laugh, but the power of his punches did not diminish.
The sound of fists breaking the air whistled past Tatsuro's ears. He wasn't afraid of him either; after all, his Jeet Kune Do training wasn't for nothing. Apart from being overpowered in terms of strength, he wasn't weaker than Todo in other aspects.
After several exchanges, the two of them moved from the trees into the sea of fire. The surrounding trees burned, smoke billowed, and birds scattered from the trees, their miserable cries creating a rather apocalyptic scene.
Crack—
A scorched branch broke off from above and fell straight towards their heads.
Tatsuro's crimson pupils flicked a glance upwards. His right palm received Aoi Todo's solid punch, disrupting his center of gravity, and using that force against him, he directly threw Todo away.
He then caught the falling branch. Although it radiated scorching heat, for Tatsuro, whose hands were already covered in cursed energy, it was nothing. His arm muscles bulged like a horned dragon as he fiercely threw it towards Todo.
[2:55]
"Hee!"
Aoi Todo, having just steadied himself, looked at the flying branch. He could feel the current fervor and passion, fighting with all his might, understanding each other through battle.
Indeed, this is what a best friend is!
"Well then, Boogie Woogie, let's begin!"
Aoi Todo looked at the flaming tree, which resembled an arrow, and clapped his hands lightly. The two of them swapped places.
Tatsuro watched the flaming tree now hurtling towards him, ducked to avoid it, and his mind raced for a countermeasure.
Based on the previous swap between myself and that cursed corpse, and then Todo with the corpse's wreckage, and also myself with Todo.
It can be determined that this cursed technique is not limited to living beings or objects. As long as it possesses cursed energy, it can be swapped. And the trigger condition for the technique should be a clap.
Looks like it's a very simple and straightforward cursed technique. As long as I stay close to him, this technique is useless. Interesting.
The flaming tree flew past. When Tatsuro looked up ahead again, Aoi Todo, who should have been standing there, had now turned into a sword – and it seemed to be the cursed tool he had previously thrown to block the arrow.
What terrifying combat thinking! He actually calculated this far ahead?
Tatsuro was greatly alarmed. Then he sensed the sound of something breaking the air behind him and exclaimed inwardly, I'm done for!
Aoi Todo was currently charging up his right fist, aiming a punch at Tatsuro, who was prone on the ground.
Thump!!
The immense force caused the ground to sink, forming a half-meter deep crater. But what filled the air was not just dust, but also thick smoke. The impact also felt different, as if he had hit wood.
Aoi Todo frowned, waved his hand at the smoke, and a powerful gust of wind instantly dispersed it. In the crater, Tatsuro, who should have been hit, had turned into a piece of wood.
More strange cursed techniques. Fierce flames, an eye with mental attacks and extremely strong tracking ability, and now even substitution. What an inscrutable man.
Tatsuro was now standing on a tree, his crimson pupils fixed on Aoi Todo in the crater. Although he had reacted quickly to that last attack and used the Substitution Technique, his waist still took a hit; it was a bit painful.
Another trump card revealed. My trump cards are dwindling, I'm starting to feel a bit insecure. Looks like I need to draw some cards soon to prolong my life (in battle).
The system mission time remaining...
Tatsuro glanced at the panel and found that only a few tens of seconds had passed. He couldn't help but sigh at the ordeal. He didn't have much cursed energy left either; he needed to draw some from Shura's body.
At this moment, Shura, napping at home, felt its body being hollowed out. It woke up instantly, looked around warily, and only after realizing its master hadn't returned did it conclude it was a false alarm and went back to sleep.
After all, with Master out these few days, no training. It's great!
Tatsuro, having received the cursed energy, no longer held back. He leaped down from the tree, picked up the cursed tool stuck in the ground, and with a few deft swings that created streaks of light, said, "Let's begin the third round, best friend."
"Hmph, you came out?" Aoi Todo patted the dust off his clothes and slowly climbed out of the deep crater.
Just as the two were about to continue, Utahime Iori's voice once again boomed from the loudspeaker: "Stop fighting, Aoi Todo, Tatsuro! The match is currently suspended! Extinguish the nearby fires immediately!"
Gojo Satoru's laughter was also mixed in: "Hahaha, isn't it better to let the students continue fighting? It's just a few thousand trees. It's not like your esteemed school can't afford to plant more."
Utahime Iori said angrily, "Shut up, Gojo Satoru! You make it sound so damn easy! If everyone thought like you, you'd be the main culprit for global warming! And... why didn't you teach your students not to set fires in the forest!"
"Hehe, I forgot," Gojo Satoru said cheekily, seemingly not thinking it was a big deal.
"..."
Forgot...
Utahime Iori recalled what Gojo Satoru had said when the fire started, really wishing she could go back in time and record it with her phone. Then, looking at the fire situation displayed on the electronic screen, she warned sternly, "You two are prohibited from fighting at this moment! Focus all your efforts on extinguishing the nearby fires! As for the punishment for setting fire to the forest, that will be discussed after this is over..."
Tatsuro and Aoi Todo stood there blankly, their expressions showing no sign that they recognized they had done anything wrong, especially the arsonist himself, Tatsuro.
Looking at the system mission countdown, he even showed a smile.
[0:05]
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[0:02]
[0:01]
[0:00]
[Mission Complete. Mission Reward initiating distribution: 12 points. 100 cursed energy permanent increase.]
...