Blocking a punch, Itadori quickly grabbed Todo's wrist and brought him down in a takedown. But before he could follow up, a sharp kick struck his head, causing him to stagger.

Itadori recovered his stance just in time to pull back his torso, dodging another punch, and immediately countered with an elbow that hit Todo squarely on the jaw.

'He's incredibly sharp!' Todo thought, spitting out a little blood.

Raising his defense as Itadori charged toward him, Todo was surprised when, instead of a punch, a kick with both legs hit his arms, breaking his guard and allowing a clean hit to his face.

'And that power!'

Before Todo could recover, Itadori was already behind him, grabbing his waist and slamming him down with a suplex.

'His strength matches mine!'

Boom!

Still on the ground, Todo was kicked, flying backward until he collided with a tree.

'What's more, his control over cursed energy is incredibly precise! It's almost unbelievable he's just a novice.' Getting up, Todo dusted himself off. "But still..."

As Itadori charged in again, Todo narrowed his eyes and skillfully blocked a punch aimed at his ribs.

'Something's missing!'

Itadori's eyes widened as Todo slammed him into the ground using only his arm's strength, causing him to grit his teeth as his back hit the dirt hard.

"My friend, you haven't seen it yet, have you?"

Pushing Todo away with both feet, Itadori stood up, confused. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You haven't witnessed the Black Flash yet, have you?"

Itadori blinked at the mention of the technique, recalling its existence.

The Black Flash, a technique that had made Itadori dangerous to most opponents. How could he forget?

No, it was normal for him to forget—it had been a long time since he last used it, too busy training with Gojo.

As far as he remembered, the Black Flash occurred when cursed energy was applied within fractions of a second, causing a distortion of space. This exponentially increased the power of the attack, but it mostly relied on luck. No sorcerer could perform the technique at will.

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It required immense focus, but luck played the biggest role in its success.

It wasn't something you could just learn.

"And what does that have to do with you?" Itadori asked, curious to hear Todo's explanation.

"You already have excellent control over your cursed energy, my friend! I can't teach you what you already know, but I can guide you to witness the Black Flash for yourself!

Believe me, after that, your growth will skyrocket."

Itadori raised an eyebrow. Aoi Todo believed too much in the false memories that connected them.

This was something Itadori would need to investigate later. After all, it was a strange phenomenon with no clear explanation.

"And how do I do it?"

"..."

"It's not something that can be taught easily, my friend. It's more like...

Being chosen."

Itadori nodded, already familiar with this concept.

"But I'm sure you'll be chosen, my friend! Focus! Enter a state of total concentration and release all of your energy in one go. Do that, and you will succeed."

Todo raised his guard, cursed energy surging around him briefly before retreating back into his body.

"Come on! Try it on me!"

Itadori was surprised by the sudden request. Try it now? In the middle of their fight?

That could be dangerous...

"All right."

But then again, there would be no better time for it. It would definitely help him in the upcoming battle with Hanami.

Closing his eyes, Itadori raised his fist in front of his face.

He needed to concentrate like never before.

It was difficult, though. His mind was cluttered—he carried a heavy burden on his shoulders, and even memories of a past life he could never live again.

It was hard to focus with all of that weighing on him.

But...

Throughout his life, there had been moments when he could let go of everything and feel free, even if only for a short while.

When he was with his wife, simply enjoying the view.

When he was in space, gazing at the infinite stars.

When he spent time with his grandfather...

During moments like these, he felt hypnotized. As if nothing else mattered.

It was a state of deep focus and peace that he could achieve, if only for a moment.

Recalling these memories, he prepared himself.

Opening his eyes, he let go of all restraints that had previously held him back, allowing his body to move freely.

In a single lunge, he closed the distance between them, his fist rising as the awareness in his gaze disappeared for just a fraction of a second.

It was all the time he needed to unleash an attack with complete focus.

'You did it, my brother!'

Boom!

"Black Flash!"

Electricity crackled as black lightning erupted, the force of the punch sending Todo flying backward, crashing through trees without stopping.

Frozen, Itadori stared at his hands, feeling the overwhelming surge of cursed energy flowing through him.

'This is incredible... It's like controlling cursed energy is as easy as breathing! It's...

Magnificent!'

"Ugh..."

Hearing a groan from the trees, Itadori turned to see Todo emerging, his forearms reddened from the damage.

"You reduced the impact at the last second, didn't you, my friend?"

Itadori nodded. He could tell that if he had used his full strength, he would have broken several of Todo's bones.

"You really..." Todo, his eyes welling up with tears, ran toward Itadori. "You really are my best friend!"

"Uh? Wait! We were fighting, remember? Hey! No hugging!"