Below is a precise, polished, and grammatically corrected rewrite of your scene in a dramatic, chilling web-novel style, preserving your intent, action flow, and tone while fixing grammar, clarity, pacing, and consistency. I did not change the story—only refined it.
I sprinted toward him, closing the distance in an instant, my arm snapping forward as I threw a straight jab.
He vanished.
Before my mind could catch up, a brutal kick smashed into my face. He had leapt into the air and struck me mid-motion. As I staggered, he followed up immediately—an axe kick crashing straight down toward my head. Sensing the shift in air pressure above me, I barely raised my arms in time.
The impact was crushing.
A sharp numbness spread through both arms as pain rippled up my bones. Still, I endured it.
I stumbled back a few steps, forcing distance between us, drawing in a deep breath. He stood there calmly, as if nothing had happened—like the exchange meant nothing at all.
I was being completely outclassed.
I had barely taken a single step when he was already airborne again, descending with a stomp aimed straight at me. I reacted instantly—jumping back and narrowly dodging the attack. As he landed, I countered with a kick.
He caught my leg with his left hand.
A punch slammed into the side of my jaw, snapping my head sideways. He was about to follow up, but before he could, I reinforced my free leg with cursed energy and drove a kick straight into his left arm.
The impact knocked him back.
For the first time, his expression changed.
His eyes widened.
Only then did I realize—I couldn't read his expression properly.
He didn't have real eyes.
He was a cyborg.
Should someone like this even be allowed to participate?
We disappeared simultaneously.
In the blink of an eye, we collided again at the center of the arena.
He feinted a right hook—then a hidden strike smashed into my left side. At the same moment, my fist crashed into his chest. We landed our blows simultaneously.
There was no pause.
Punches and kicks rained down as we exchanged strike after strike, neither of us giving ground. I slid sideways and launched a dropkick into his chest, knocking him off balance.
Before he could recover, I surged forward and drove a cursed-energy-infused punch straight at his face.
My other hand grabbed him, locking him in place as the blow connected. Using the momentum, I hoisted him over my shoulder and let gravity do the rest.
A perfect over-the-shoulder judo throw.
The arena floor cracked beneath the impact.
Tao lay sprawled on the ground as I stood over him, ready to finish it.
Then—
His hand fell off.
I froze for half a second in shock.
That was all it took.
From the stump of his severed arm, a blade erupted, swinging wide toward my chest. I tried to evade—but I wasn't fast enough.
The strike tore through my right arm.
Blood sprayed as the blade cut deep, scraping against bone. Pain exploded through my body—worse than any injury I had suffered before. I staggered back, clutching my mangled arm, my mind struggling to process what had just happened.
Then I heard the referee's voice.
"Mercenary Tao has used a weapon! Tournament rules strictly prohibit weapons in the ring! Tao is disqualified! The winner by default is Yuji Itadori!"
The sudden shift left the arena eerily quiet.
Then—
A burst of maddening laughter echoed through the stage.
Tao stood upright, a chilling, twisted laugh spilling from his throat—sharp enough to raise goosebumps. He turned his gaze toward the referee.
"I don't care about your match."
Then his attention shifted to me.
"As long as I can kill him for making me look like a joke—almost losing to a no-name brat."
With that, his other hand dropped off.
The remaining stump twisted and reshaped itself, morphing into something grotesque—a cannon-like mouth.
"Now prepare to die—SUPER DODON RAY!"
A sphere of blazing ki gathered at the cannon's mouth before firing instantly—far too fast to dodge.
I raised my one functional arm and braced myself as a beam of blinding yellow light slammed into me.
BOOM!
Dust and smoke erupted, swallowing the entire arena.
As the smoke slowly cleared, silence fell over the crowd.
Even Tao stood frozen.
I was still standing.
My arm was burned, my clothes reduced to shreds—but I remained upright.
Then my body began to heat up.
Steam rose from my skin as, right before everyone's eyes, my wounds began to heal.
"Impossible!" Tao shouted. "How is this possible? You survived that? The ray was flawless!"
I didn't answer.
Honestly, I was just furious that my favorite hoodie had been destroyed.
I drew my arm back, cursed energy wrapping around my fist so tightly it felt like my bones were vibrating.
Focus.
other Tao's distorted silhouette in front of me—everything dulled.
Timing. Distance. Intent.
I stepped forward.
This was it.
The moment my fist touched his chest, I felt it.
Not the power of the strike but something.
Alignment.
The cursed energy followed my strike perfectly—no delay, no resistance.
So this is what it feels like…
That was the instant when flesh, intent, and cursed energy become one.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
[Black Flash]
Black lightning erupted, tearing through the air as my cursed energy surged past its limit.
One hundred and twenty percent.
The recoil tore through my arm, but I didn't let go.
This wasn't rage.
This wasn't fear.
This was understanding ... understanding of my whole being.
Tao's body folded around my fist before reality caught up, and the next instant he was gone—launched through stone and steel as the shockwave shattered the arena wall.
I exhaled slowly.
I didn't just hit him.
I had reached him.
In that heartbeat, my senses had sharpened, and something inside me clicked into place.
So this is the zone…
The shockwave ripped through the building.
As the structure began to collapse, the crowd erupted into panic, scrambling to evacuate. I didn't care.
I stood there, breath steady.
I was in the zone.
My understanding of cursed energy had deepened, and one thing was clear—
I had won my first real fight.
Next were the semifinals.
And I desperately needed a new pair of clothes.