From Demon Slayer to the Multiverse: The Ultimate Exploiter

"Hahaha… hahaha!"

Suguru Geto clutched his forehead with one hand and his stomach with the other, laughing heartily.

After his initial shock, he found the entire situation absurd—who would have thought that such grand declarations could come from a low-level "monkey" with meager cursed energy?

Standing in place, Tong Gu remained composed, fully aware that convincing Geto with mere words wouldn't be simple.

Unlike Satoru Gojo, who had the luxury of standing at the pinnacle of the jujutsu world, Geto had always worked from the ground up, gathering strength through both sorcerers and curse users alike—anything he deemed useful. His deep-seated disdain for ordinary people made him more tolerant of "kindred spirits."

Tong Gu calmly drew his blade from its sheath as Geto ceased laughing and extended his right hand from the sleeve of his robe, pointing directly at him.

Roar!

With twisted cries, grotesque curse spirits spiraled toward Tong Gu.

"Don't blink, Geto-san."

Tong Gu slipped off his brown trench coat, revealing a black combat suit underneath. His left foot rose gently, then struck the ground.

Boom!

The ground exploded upon impact, a plume of yellow dust rising as his black figure vanished.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind swept past, pushing Geto's bangs back. His pupils contracted as he glimpsed Tong Gu suddenly appear by his side.

"I'm pretty fast, aren't I?"

Tong Gu's words trailed as his sword hummed through the air. Geto crouched just in time, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike as a strand of his hair was severed.

So fast!

Geto's heart raced as he dodged another blow, barely regaining his balance. Tong Gu shifted his stance smoothly, shadowing Geto's every move while reversing his blade for a swift horizontal slash.

Though adept at hand-to-hand combat compared to most sorcerers, Geto still fell short in raw physical prowess against someone like Tong Gu, whose relentless attacks triggered a fleeting memory—being crushed by Toji Fushiguro, a man without cursed energy, during his student days alongside Gojo.

Fueled by that painful recollection, Geto's cursed energy surged wildly. As Tong Gu's blade grazed his robe, Geto executed a rolling dodge, creating much-needed distance.

It was only now that Tamamo-no-Mae, his manifested curse spirit, reacted. Her black hair turned stark white, extending wildly in defense.

Tong Gu deflected the strands with a flurry of precise slashes. Meanwhile, Geto grasped a segmented staff from his robe—the Special Grade Cursed Tool: Yūun.

Tong Gu exhaled deeply, his muscles tensing as his opponent's expression hardened. Despite his opponent's advantage in cursed energy and curse spirit manipulation, Tong Gu knew brute strength would keep him in the fight.

Roar!

The earth trembled as Tong Gu unleashed his next technique: Earth Breathing, Fourth Form—Dragon Vein Roar.

Tamamo-no-Mae's flowing hair scattered abruptly. Momentarily breathless, Geto struggled to adapt to the ferocity of the technique but parried Tong Gu's relentless strikes using Yūun.

Crash!

The force echoed as Geto braced against the overwhelming impact, managing only to push Tong Gu back by a few paces.

With a deafening thud, Tamamo-no-Mae transformed into a massive, ten-meter-long fox spirit whose golden tail swept ferociously toward Tong Gu. Undeterred, he met the beast head-on, his sword poised for another strike.

Frustrated, Geto slammed Yūun downward, attempting to bind Tong Gu's weapon. Tong Gu, predicting the move, swiftly released his grip, transitioning into a martial technique drawn from ancient Dongxia combat—Iron Mountain Lean—and rammed into Geto with full force.

A guttural gasp escaped Geto as he stumbled, momentarily disoriented by the sheer impact. Despite his formidable body reinforced by cursed energy, Tong Gu's technique had broken his stance entirely.

Unlike the explosive techniques typical of other worlds in the Game of Fate, Dongxia's martial arts emphasized flow, adaptability, and conservation of energy.

Tong Gu exploited Geto's unsteady footing, pulling him forward before spinning smoothly to his opponent's back. Tamamo-no-Mae's feral swipe narrowly missed them both, slamming into the ground instead.

Though physically strong, Geto realized he had underestimated the threat Tong Gu posed. Without regaining control of the battle's flow, Geto knew his advantage was waning.

Why hasn't he acknowledged my strength yet? Tong Gu pondered, expecting Geto to recognize his value and offer alliance terms by now. Instead, Geto remained hostile and combative.

Then it dawned on him—the tragedy defining Geto's existence. His benevolence in protecting humans was met only by betrayal and murder; his unparalleled strength was overshadowed by Gojo's overwhelming might. He longed to eliminate curses yet sought the annihilation of all humans responsible for creating them—a conflict that twisted his resolve and ultimately led to his downfall.

Tong Gu pivoted and shoved Geto backward with calculated force, sending him hurtling into Tamamo-no-Mae's protective embrace.

Confused by this unexpected gesture, Geto watched his lingering curses rush toward Tong Gu. But Tong Gu, now holding an unseen card in his hand, declared:

"You're not the only one who can manipulate curses, Geto-san."

"I'll show you my technique!"

With that, he slapped a white card labeled Curse Spirit: Twisted Child against his chest. Strange energy flooded his body as his form twisted and softened, transforming with disturbing flexibility.

A tangible surge of cursed energy coursed through him—chaotic yet undeniable.

"You've become a curse spirit?" Geto murmured, surprised by this unforeseen development.

Tong Gu, undeterred by his warped body, moved fluidly between the approaching curses, retaining his physical prowess while gaining the erratic nature of the curse spirit form.

As his enemies vanished from sight, Tong Gu steadied himself. His plan had just taken its first successful step.

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