Tower of Heaven, Top Floor
"Was Fukuro taken out so quickly?" Jellal muttered, though he remained eerily calm. "Well, he served his purpose. Kael has been forced into another new form, which means his magic reserves are being chipped away. As long as the attrition continues, the scales of victory will eventually tilt in my favor."
Jellal secretly relished the idea of a head-on duel with Kael to see who was truly superior, but he wasn't a fool; he knew the threat Kael posed was far too great to handle carelessly.
Every identity the man assumed had achieved something legendary. Slaying a dragon in the Sorbear Kingdom—though that was still unverified, as no one truly knew how powerful a dragon was—was one thing. But the battle against Jose, one of the Ten Wizard Saints, had happened right before the eyes of the world. Jellal had been there. He had seen the power of the "monster" with his own eyes.
He respected Kael's power, but he didn't believe he would lose. Raw destructive power was useless if it couldn't actually land a hit.
On the Floor Below
Kael moved through the corridor, effortlessly neutralizing every guard in his path. Suddenly, the air was filled with the rapid, aggressive thrumming of a guitar.
From around the corner, a man appeared, his head spinning like a windmill as he played a frantic riff while walking toward Kael.
Millianna winced, covering her ears. "It's so loud! My head hurts!"
"HI!! YAAA—!!"
"The Dark Guild... Death's Head Caucus! One of the Trinity Raven, Vidaldus Taka, has arrived!"
Through his Six Eyes, Kael could see the flow of the man's magic. Compared to the previous opponents, this one was significantly stronger—his mana levels even eclipsed the owl-man's.
"Another mini-boss, then," Kael noted boredly.
"ROCK YOU!!"
Vidaldus launched his assault. His long, wild hair lashed out like dozens of whip-cracks, striking toward Kael from every angle.
Kael stood perfectly still. The Limitless technique triggered automatically. Every strand of hair that reached within inches of him decelerated instantly, losing all momentum until they hung motionless in the air, unable to bridge the gap.
"Eh?! Physical attacks don't work on you? Pui-pui-pui!! As expected of a legendary monster!" Vidaldus grinned, his eyes wide.
"But luckily, I have more than just one trick. Become a prisoner of my nightmare! Rock of Succubus!! HI!! YAAA—!!"
Vidaldus began shredding on his guitar, sending concentrated waves of sonic magic surging toward Kael. He intended to turn Kael into his mindless slave. If he could control a man capable of defeating a Wizard Saint, he would become the undisputed king of the underworld.
He played for a long while, but eventually, he faltered. By all rights, Kael should have been under his spell by now. Yet, the man stood there, completely unbothered.
"Are you finished?" Kael asked.
Vidaldus stared in disbelief. "You... how? You listened to my music! How can you still be standing?!"
"It's simple," Kael said, pointing to his ears. "I didn't hear a thing."
"Impossible! Even if you cover your ears, the vibrations transmit directly to the brain! And you haven't even covered your ears!"
"I filtered it out," Kael explained calmly. "Your sound couldn't reach me. It slowed down and stopped before it ever touched my body."
"What are you even talking about?! I don't understand a word of that!" Vidaldus was spiraling. He understood the individual words, but the logic behind them felt alien.
"It's... never mind. There's no point in 'Revealing One's Hand' to someone at your level. Let's just wrap this up."
In the world of Jujutsu, explaining one's technique—Revealing One's Hand—would normally boost its power. But for a guy like this, Kael didn't feel the need to bother with the buff.
Kael raised his right index finger. A tiny, concentrated sphere of red energy gathered at the tip.
"Contraction... and expansion. What do you think happens when you touch this void?"
"Cursed Technique Reversal: Red."
This was one of Satoru Gojo's signature moves—pouring positive energy into the Limitless to manifest a massive repulsive force.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Vidaldus felt an invisible, irresistible wall of force slam into his chest. The impact was so great he couldn't even breathe, let alone play his guitar.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He was blasted through wall after wall, carving a path through the tower's stone structure until he, much like Fukuro before him, drew a perfect arc through the sky and plummeted into the ocean.
Top Floor
"Vidaldus is gone too," Jellal sighed. "It was expected, but he was dealt with far too quickly. Clearly, standard magic is useless against Kael. Ikaruga... you're the only one left. Don't disappoint me."
Jellal knew Vidaldus's mind-control magic was potent, but trying to ensnare a man like Kael was an exercise in futility. If Kael were that easy to break, Jellal wouldn't have spent eight years preparing for this.
Back in the Tower
Kael threw a final punch, clearing the last of the guards on his assigned floors. Suddenly, a soft, rhythmic sound echoed from the corridor ahead.
Rustle... rustle...
A woman wearing a white kimono embroidered with skull patterns stepped into view. She had long, flowing pink hair and a striking, elegant figure. At her side was a long, slender katana.
"This humble woman goes by the name Ikaruga," she said with a polite bow. "I ask for your guidance."
Kael smirked. "Jellal is really giving me the VIP treatment, sending all three of his elite warriors specifically to my floor. I don't think that's a coincidence. He's targeting me, isn't he?"
Ikaruga covered her mouth and let out a light, melodic chuckle. "It is a necessary precaution. Mr. Kael is far too powerful. If we didn't use a few 'petty tricks' to slow you down, we wouldn't stand a chance."
Kael's smile sharpened. "And you think you stand a chance now? Let's get started then."
"Wait a moment, please."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Now what?"
"This woman has heard rumors," Ikaruga said, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "They say Mr. Kael has a transformation honored as the 'Sword God.' As a fellow practitioner of the blade, I would be honored to test my skills against yours."
"A sword duel?"
Kael frowned slightly. To be honest, he rarely used the Yoriichi Tsugikuni Take Over anymore. The reason was simple: the base stats were too low.
Compared to his other Gold-tier cards, Yoriichi was physically the weakest. In a raw exchange of power, he might even be outclassed by some Purple-tier characters.
However, Yoriichi possessed a unique advantage: he was the only card that allowed Kael to channel his own magic power directly through the blade without converting it into another energy source first. He could shroud the sword in pure magic to unleash devastating slashes. It was this ability that had allowed him to pierce the Magic Dragon's defense a year ago.
Still, the low physical stats were a major drawback. He usually only used the form for training.
"Since that's what you want," Kael said, his form beginning to shift, "I'll indulge you."
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There are 50 advanced chapters on Patreon, which I'm currently rewriting and polishing for a better reading experience. Thank you for your support and patience.
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