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3RD POV
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"A spar?"
"Ya-uh! I figured a little spar wouldn't hurt, knowing how you ain't going out there killing everything jujutsu related-Don't think I didn't notice you twitching in envy every time there's a fight in a movie. So yeah, a spar!"
Toji quirked an amused brow, smirk blooming on his scarred lips. "Huh-uh, and what's the true reason for this 'spar' besides ogling me?" he asked smugly. "You're not subtle about it." He stretched out his arms and twisted his torso, allowing Colith to indeed shamelessly perv on him.
They both stood facing each other, a small distance separating them. They were garbed in warm clothes that were still good enough for maneuvers. The vacant lot she had chosen was far from any curious eyes and Colith had previously checked if anyone was nearby, and found that there was no one within a two-kilometer radius. They could therefore go all out without worrying about causing too much damage.
Colith blew a raspberry, not fazed for being called out. "Hmpf, not my fault if you're eye-candy, plus it's your birthday dear, so let me please you dammit!"
Toji's smirk widened, eyes crinkling into something flirtatious. "Ooh? 'Please me,' you say?" He teased. "Why not-" He ducked under a rapid snowball thrown his way by a red-faced Colith. She was hissing like a cat who had just been doused with water.
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, you pervert..."
He scoffed, placing a hand on his chest in mock hurt. "Me a pervert? You wound me." He chuckles. "I wasn't the one drooling at the sight of you, now was I?"
"It's called appreciation!" he looked unconvinced. "Ah, fuck! Let's just fight!" She shouted, taking a Taijutsu stance she had seen in Naruto. "Bring it on!"
"You sure about that, you may get hurt..." He immediately spotted flaws in her stance and was itching to correct them. Still, he knew she'd be okay, she was resilient.
She just clicked her tongue in response and didn't move until he finally assumed that stance she remembers seeing in the manga- minus Peggy and his weapons.
He wouldn't be using any so she stayed stored in his mouth- how he did that she didn't know. She did ask him how he came up with it, and only received a shrug and a vague response. Something about wishing to be left alone at time, and since he was considered a non-sorcerer, and could, therefore, blend in with the populace, his body served as some kind of barrier that would prevent Peggy's detection.
Despite his words though, Toji began to feel excited at the promise of a fight. His heart picked up its pace, his pupils dilated in pleasure as he licked his lips in anticipation. It had been two months since he last fought, which was too long for his tastes, and the curse user was dumb enough to underestimate him for his lack of cursed energy, so the fight didn't last long. It was pitiful. He'd wanted something more challenging, a stronger opponent. He hadn't felt such exhilaration since his encounter with the white-haired brat, so for an opportunity to clash with a stronger opponent made him giddy. Colith, despite her smaller frame compared to his, had given him a hard time, mostly due to her evasive maneuvers.
She narrowed her eyes and focused on his figure. She was well-aware of how physically strong he was; underestimating him would not be wise. The manga had shown him fight twice, first against Gojo, where he was wild, and then again at Shibuya, which she could only describe as "cursed."
Colith opened her mouth, about to announce the start of the spar when her instincts screamed danger. A wild fist came barreling towards her face, which she barely dodged in time with a tilt of the head. Startled by the sudden assault, she made to jump back to put some distance between them, but Toji was faster. Faster than she had anticipated, and he caught her ankle mid-air!
'SHI-'
In one swift movement, her body was slammed onto the ground with enough force to create a crater and shake the entire vicinity, sending snow everywhere. Toji slowly straightened up as the weird puff of smoke following the attack cleared away and he was pleasantly surprised by the sight of a log positioned inside the crater instead of her. A crazed smile now written on his lips, sharp teeth held in a wild grin as his thirst for battle grew like an untamed beast waiting to be unleashed.
'Oh?'
"WHAT IN THE LIVING FUCK- WAS THAT PENT-UP FRUSTRATION YOU JUST RELEASED 'CAUSE DAMN?!"
Colith shrieked from a nearby tree branch, eyes blown wide in shock from what had just happened. What the fuck was that?! Toji, still standing in the crater, looked up at her with the grin still on his face. She gulped.
"Maybe."
Colith shivered, not from the cold but because of his wild grin, reminiscent of his manga counterpart. Even without weapons, Toji remained dangerous for anyone untrained. Fortunately, she wasn't just anyone; though it was the first time she faced a true combat genius, and she was, perhaps, starting to second-guess her decision...
"Tch, I HADN'T EVEN SAID START!"
Toji scoffs, "'Start'? There's no start in a fight, just action."
She let out a scandalized gasp "THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A SPAR, NOT A CARNAGE YOU BAFFOON!" she exclaimed, "And what about honor?"
"Fuck that shit."
He didn't wait for her to gather her thoughts together and lunged with a kick to knock her off her spot. She barely managed to block his foot with both forearms raised, but his brute force almost knocked the wind out of her lungs. If that was anyone else, their chest would have caved in.
She was sent flying into the snow, rolling a few meters before regaining her bearings fast enough to dodge the violent axe kick Toji went for. The shockwave made her lose balance, but she quickly recovered and went to strike his side, which he easily evaded, making her click her tongue in annoyance.
"Aw come on- STOP LAUGHING JACKASS!"
And laugh Toji did, he was enjoying this!
They went at it for the next few minutes, neither backing down, exchanging and dodging blows powerful enough to fatally wound even the most trained sorcerers. Colith was well-aware of Toji's cunning nature in combat, so she kept her guard up, or tried to at least. He successfully swept under her legs. A startled noise escaped her throat as she lost her footing.
"Got you~"
"UGEH-"
Toji's fist came crashing down on her face before her body could even hit the ground and just as it connected, a poof of smoke ensued. He blinked, finding his fist encased in a shattered log in her stead. His grin widened at the sight.
'That trick agai-'
A kick to the jaw sent him soaring with a grunt.
He quickly regained his senses, catching himself in a flip before landing solidly on the mostly destroyed ground. Colith used that small window of opportunity to rush with a raised fist. She went to deliver a jab, but Toji wasn't fooled. His eyes narrowed, catching her fist in a vice-like grip, surprising the woman who let out a yelp as he used it to throw her right into the clone that had been sneaking up behind him, successfully halting its approach as it poofed out of existence with a squawk at the impact. Colith landed in a crouch then stood up, stumbling slightly with a scowl. She knew how good his instincts were, but damn, the manga didn't give him enough credit for it!
"What? Wanna call it quits? Though I'm enjoying this, I'd rather you didn't." Toji's deep voice mocked as he cracked his neck. He wasn't even winded, barely sweating, though his clothes had tears here and there with blood leaking from small cuts, but nothing too inconvenient.
"How...did you know...about the clone?"
Colith, well...she was kinda panting like a dog. Surprising considering she could destroy everything with just a sneeze Beerus style. But hey, she's also been slacking off and her stamina didn't match Toji's. Sure normal humans can't do shit to her, but people like Toji with decades of training and experience behind them can give her a run for her money if she isn't careful enough. Plus they've only been using Taijutsu and a few tricks here and there when she wasn't fast enough to dodge. She loved her face, thank you very much!
Colith knew it was one of his strong points, having fought for survival all his life. Meanwhile, she had received her powers six years ago and hadn't trained as much! She could easily put an end to the fight by knocking him out, just like last time. But hey, it was his birthday, and she knew he'd love a good fight. And...that wasn't the only thing she had in store for him.
Toji licked the blood off his busted lip, a sight Colith couldn't help but find attractive, causing her eyes to linger on it. He looked so good with his slightly disheveled raven locks flying in all directions, his sleeveless white shirt barely hanging on by a thread as small bruises ran across his torso, having previously discarded his sweater to fight properly. His dark kung fu pants were in the same state, torn here and there. She blushed as the male caught her staring once more, but he made no comment and hummed a reply instead.
"I've fought an idiot before with a similar innate technique, so I knew what to expect. But you used it better. That moron couldn't even land a blow on me." He finished with an indifferent tone before sending her an inquisitive look. "So, are you going to fight for real or what?"
Colith's gaze left his abs, previous flush forgotten, and proceeded to gape in disbelief. "What do you- THAT'S ALL I'VE BEEN DOING SINCE THE BEGINNING!"
He sent her an unimpressed look. "Cut the crap, will you? I know you've been holding back. So come on, fight me for real. Show me what you can do. I want a good spar." The earlier excitement rose anew in him as he took a stance, ready for more.
She deadpanned. "And what the fuck have we been doing for the last hour? A tea party?"
"That was just the warm-up," he said easily.
"I'm sure I heard something crack when I kicked you in the chest earlier," she sputtered, crossing her arms and giving him a pointed look. He simply scoffed in reply.
"I've had worse," he grunted, locking eyes with her. "Now come on, it's been a while since anyone has survived more than a punch." The ground cracked under his feet as he lunged at her with that crazed grin she was beginning to find worrisome.
She sighed, readying herself in apprehension for the real deal. "What am I not doing for this idiot..." Power surged through her body, enhancing her muscles as she too darted towards him.
If it's a fight he wants, she will gladly provide it.
"We...should do that more often..."
He was rewarded with incoherent mumbling.
Both lay sprawled on the ground, or what's left of it, panting heavily. One was in pure exhaustion and slight annoyance, while the other was in ecstasy. You could guess which was which. Colith was wheezing in pain due to her aching ribcage, two or three broken ribs, her left arm in the same state, shoulders and back stinging from being thrown earlier against the iron fence, and a few cuts and bruises on their way to healing as steam rose from the gashes on her body. She kept her eyes closed during the process, stunned that she had fared much better than she anticipated against him and even managed to land solid hits throughout the fight-a feat against someone like Toji who could end lives in one blow.
The male exhaled, craning his throbbing neck to glance curiously at her steaming form with his remaining leafy eye. The other was closed shut by a swollen black eye. "What's that steam coming from you? You burning up?" His voice came huskily, breathing haggardly as he too received damage to his chest.
He, surprisingly, wasn't much better either. He had several broken bones and ribs, a bloody face as if he'd just come from a slaughterhouse, purple fist prints staining his pale skin as they ran across his bare torso, and maybe a broken leg. His limbs were on fire from all the exertion, but damn did it feel good.
Despite leaving him breathless and in a mess of broken bones, he enjoyed the surge of adrenaline he had not experienced in a long time after evading deadly blows.
It had been a long time since he struggled in a fight against a stronger opponent. He knew Colith could have ended things from the beginning, but preferred prolonging things for his sake. Even when her stamina decreased halfway, proving her lack of training, she still kept up, and it made him even more delighted. It hurt to move, but damn him if he wasn't going to do it again.
"That's... my body's regenerating itself," Colith answered softly, her breathing becoming easier as her ribs moved back into place. "Remember when I told you I got yanked into another dimension? That's where I got this ability."
Toji blinked slowly, gazing at her steaming form, noticing the shift in her breathing; it was no longer labored. "Huh... so no matter the damage, it'll heal?"
"Hm-hm"
"Damn...talk about convenient," he hissed as he tried to sit up, only giving up halfway, flopping back with a groan. "Fuck... you do pack a punch. It's been a while since I've been like this."
She snorted, "uh-huh, bet you'll do it again, though."
"Yeah." came his quick reply.
"Fucking masochist, I'm telling you," she huffed in fond exasperation and sat up, no longer feeling any pain and other than the blood and grime indicating a previous brawl, she was back to normal. Moving her bare feet idly-having lost both boots to the fight-she eyed the miserable Fushiguro lying on her left with an amused glint in her eyes before taking pity on him and resting a newly healed hand on his scarred torso, some of them several years old, others recent from his last job. Colith's heart tightened at the sight.
'To say that some of those were inflicted by his own family. Tch. I wish I could go berserk on them like- oop, spoiler!'
The sudden contact of her warm touch jolted him out of his thoughts. He cracked an eye open-he had previously shut them to focus on his breathing-to look at the woman's glowing eyes. "What are you doing...?"
"Patching you up, you look like a victim of Truck-kun."
"Truck-kun?" Toji parroted, making Colith chuckle.
"Yeah, the bane of every non-isekai fan's existence. Though I got the flower pot instead...," she mumbled absentmindedly as she thought back to how she ended up in Aot. At least she hadn't died from that wheeled cliche like many others before her, and if her little Muslim heart was convinced that she'd ascend to heaven or something, well, at least she found herself with godlike powers. Maybe Allah granted wishes after death if you were good, and it just so happened that she had, maybe longed a little bit too much to get isekai'd like in those fanfictions.
"...?" The look of utter confusion on Toji's face made her release an unattractive snort. Before he could ask what the hell she was babbling about, he felt his previously broken bones shift back into place. It was so unexpected that he released a surprised gasp. "What the...?"
"Shh, stay still, love," she whispered softly, not failing to notice the faint blush at the tips of his ears at the nickname. He was adorable, and it greatly entertained her.
Toji mumbled something, trying to ignore how her words left him feeling warm from the inside out as a glow similar to her eyes enveloped his body. His breath shuddered in response to the strain on his muscles gradually fading, scratches and gashes closing off with only blood remaining as the sole proof of a prior injury. He watched with barely concealed awe as all his wounds disappeared, halfway noticing that his other eye was now back to normal.
"Huh..."
"Better?"
She glanced down at him, about to remove her hand when he grasped her wrist, thumb running against the steady pulse point there. Her heart fluttered in adoration at the touch, gaze moving to his contemplative face. He straightened up, flexing his arms and legs, feeling no pain or strain.
"This ability...was that what you used on me last time?"
"Last ti— you still remember that?! It was like what, four months ago!" She did a double-take, shocked by his good memory.
Toji snorted in amusement. "Of course I do, it's the first thing I noticed. What's it called anyway?" He looked intrigued; he hadn't thought of asking about it the first time, so now was as good a chance.
"[Instant Heal] . Resets everything back into place and leaves a warm feeling inside your body so you don't freak out. I remember using it a lot during the Trost invasion; some people had nasty injuries because damn, Titans ain't no joke!"
Toji made a noise, raising his brows, "So that's why I don't feel the cold, huh? Though the name is lame." He received a slap on the bicep.
"Oh don't start now! Be thankful I healed you for free, you ungrateful musclehead! I could have left you like that and gone on with my day." She pouted in mock outrage.
He smirked, looking down at her smaller form, her tank top filthy with blood and sweat, dark grey sweatpants matching his own. "But you didn't," he said, grinning until he was rewarded with a mouthful of snow. Colith cackled at his disgruntled expression while he rid his face of snow with a glare directed at her. She snickered before getting up to stretch her back.
"Yeah sure, whatever let's go you goof-OOH—!"
Toji grabbed her forearm and swiftly yanked her down just as a pole nearly impaled her head. He whipped his head around, eyes narrowed toward the attacker's direction, only to see nothing but tree bark and rustling leaves, though his instincts told him something was definitely there if the malevolent sensation he felt was anything to go by. Also, Colith's 'tch' of annoyance as she glared at the same spot proved him right.
"Seriously? You decide to show yourself now of all things? Fuckin cursed spirit bullshit..." The woman raised a hand, palm glowing gold much to his surprise. He was now able to briefly see the curse's outline until she closed her fist, causing it to implode on itself. Its remains scattered on the ground before disappearing into dust.
Toji whistled, quite impressed by the display, even if he couldn't see what the thing looked like. They were still sitting on the ground, the vacant lot having taken great damage from the spar, rubble and torn trees scattered in all directions he looked. "That's new. Aren't you supposed to have cursed energy to exorcise those things? How did you do that? What grade was it?"
Colith sniffed in displeasure. The curse was disturbing and a bit painful to look at. If she had to guess, it was born from the fear of fatal accidents on construction sites; it wore an old and tattered yellow hard hat and a ripped version of a worker's outfit. Its body was distorted after a fall from a great height, perforated by long rusty bars, with one protruding from its left eye socket, and dark liquid oozing from the wound and any other holes in its body, including its mouth. She shuddered. The thing was downright nasty.
She leaned against his chest, enabling him to feel her discomfort. He frowned, not knowing the reason behind it, but he loathed it. Toji enveloped her smaller frame in an embrace, the warmth of her body enough to keep him comfortable despite the sharp cold of winter. Unaware, she had been swaddling them both in her aura the entire time.
"I just thought of making it disappear, to be honest. Nothing fancy of curse~," she said with a goofy grin and released a cackle at the pun. "Most of my tricks are related to my imagination and this? This was nothing compared to what I'm capable of and no, I won't ever go full out on you, you'll die and I like you alive, thank you very much."
He shut his mouth as he was about to ask her just that. He pursed his lips in dissatisfaction, shoving her head with his own, making her snicker.
"As for its grade... dunno, two maybe? It wasn't that impressive to begin with though it was nasty as hell. Still, it would give any unskilled sorcerer a run for their money if they weren't careful." She rested her head on his collarbone then looked up so she could see his face, "Did you have fun? We can have more spars in the future if you want..." Her fingers gently caressed his forearm, partially wiping blood off of the healed cuts.
His lips curled upwards, eyes crinkling into one of his rare and sincere smiles. "Yeah, sounds good to me."
Colith returned the smile with a blush. "Good. Because, it's only... 9:26. And I still have things planned for you!"
He grunted, raising to his feet with the woman still in his arms. "You know you don't have to do this, right?"
She squawked in indignation, craning her neck to look up at him with a scowl. "Nonsense! It's your birthday! I want you to have as much fun as possible, ya hear? And don't go saying 'it's pointless' or I'll smack your beautiful face!" she said, mimicking his deep voice halfway through.
Amused, Toji laughed at her antics; he found them more and more endearing as time went by. She was so strange and unique that he found himself liking her the more he was exposed to her. He leaned towards her, surprising her with a kiss on the cheek and whispered, "Sure."
The kiss left her flustered, still new to this kind of display of affection from him. She was usually the one who gave affection, so she tended to flush when people returned it.
"N-now release me so I can reset the place..!"
Toji had none of that; he whirled her so she now faced him, arms still firmly holding her pressed against him, and the shit-eating grin he gave her made her eyebrow twitch in recognition of what he was up to.
"No."
"Toji I swear to Allah—"
*Smootch*
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