First, “sensing instead of seeing” still isn’t enough here. In JJK, reacting to these slashes isn’t just about having sharp instincts, it’s tied to cursed energy perception and interpretation. Characters who survive this kind of offense aren’t just “feeling danger,” they’re reading CE flow, output, and intent in real time. Denji (and hybrids/devils in general) have heightened senses, yeah, but nothing in CSM shows him consistently detecting and reacting to attacks with no physical or sensory tell at that speed and from multiple directions simultaneously. The Fakesaw comparison doesn’t quite bridge that gap either, because those interactions still operate within CSM’s physical/combat logic, not invisible, CE-based, multi-angle spatial cuts hitting essentially on application.
I think the issue here is that you are treating C.E perception as if it is the only possible way to perceive an invisible attack. Denji does not need to sense cursed energy specifically. He just needs some method of detecting or reacting to attacks he cannot normally see. CSM already has feats of characters dealing with invisible projectiles. Fakesaw Man parried invisible attacks and Denji himself has dodged similar invisible projectiles. If the attacks are completely invisible and they can still react to them, then that is already evidence that they are not limited to normal eyesight.
I also disagree with the notion that this only operates within "physical" or "combat" logic and somehow does not apply to invisible attacks. The feats being discussed are literally against invisible projectiles. My point being that "Denji lacks C.E perception" does not automatically mean he cannot react, because CSM characters have their own feats of sensing and responding to invisible attacks.
Second, the idea that Denji can just “power through” omnidirectional Dismantles runs into a scaling issue. Those panels you linked (and the ones you showed earlier) demonstrate that the attack isn’t a few lines you tank, it’s wide-area, layered, repeated cutting that shreds everything in the zone almost instantly. Denji’s regen is strong, but it’s blood-dependent and not instantaneous under continuous damage. If he’s being cut from multiple vectors at once, repeatedly, he doesn’t get the breathing room to stabilize, drink blood, or counterattack cleanly. CSM consistently shows that when Denji is overwhelmed faster than he can recover, he does get incapacitated or torn apart before bouncing back.
I don't see how your argument helps you here, Denji is being torn apart while actively regenerating and attacking at the same time. That is exactly the kind of situation I am referring to when I say he can power through repeated dismantles. Denji has repeatedly shown that severe cutting damage does not automatically stop him from moving or fighting. He can be shredded, keep regenerating and still attack through the damage. In that same fight, he later saws through his own brain while laughing and eating the opponent alive, so "he is getting cut apart" is not enough by itself to prove incapacitation.
For Yuji's dismantles to stop him immediately, you would need to prove they overwhelm his regeneration so badly that he cannot counterattack before landing a hit. Otherwise Denji can still force an exchange, especially since his fighting style is already based on taking lethal damage and turning it into an opening. An actual win con against Denji is usually making him run out of blood or destroying him beyond his ability to keep fighting. I do not think that is something that happens instantly just because he is being hit with repeated slashes.
Third, about Cleave needing contact—that part is true in isolation, but the conclusion from it isn’t. You’re treating it like: “no touch = no threat,” when in practice it’s: Dismantle handles ranged pressure and zone control and Cleave finishes once contact is established
Yuji not having an easy time landing a grab doesn’t negate the threat, because Denji has to close distance into an active kill zone to even attempt his chainsaw play. That’s the risky part, you’re assuming he can brute-force his way through that space without being disabled first.
I never claimed Cleave would not be dangerous. Please do not frame my argument that way. My point is that Cleave needing contact makes close range dangerous for both sides, not just Denji. If Yuji wants to use cleave effectively he also has to be within the exact range where Denji's chainsaws and E.E become threats.
Denji's entire fighting style is based on pushing through lethal damage to force an exchange. If he gets even one good opening, Yuji can be ripped apart or eaten.
And furthermore, Cleave requires touch in order to adapt to said durability, something Yuji is likely going to have an incredibly rough time doing to Denji. Heck, Denji would take the opportunity and kamikaze himself in order to reel him in and saw him up close and at that point taking blood from Yuji erases him from existence, slowly from the body or instantly with a clean bite to the head, again, very likely up close.
Fourth, the “kamikaze and erase with blood” argument leans on a mechanic mismatch. Denji’s erasure ability (via consuming devils) is not a generic “any opponent = erase” effect. It’s specifically tied to devils and concepts in CSM’s system. There’s no canon support that biting a non-devil, non-CSM-verse entity like Yuji would trigger that same existence erasure. So that win condition is basically non-transferable across systems.
I am pretty sure we already discussed this before, so I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you forgot.
Pochita's concept erasure is tied to Devils and the concepts they embody and his listed ability is not only Conceptual Manipulation, he also has Existence Erasure and Sealing through consumption. So at most, you could argue that erasing Yuji as a "concept" would not apply the same way it does to a Devil. But that does not mean Pochita's consumption win con becomes completely invalid against a non-Devil opponent especially when that Pochita is shown to erase humans. So your just regurgitating a common misconception.
Finally, the close-range exchange idea—“Denji just out-trades with chainsaws”—ignores that JJK fighters at that level are operating with reinforcement, reaction, and striking speed that scale to their technique use, not just raw physicality. Denji is dangerous up close, no doubt, but he’s not uniquely advantaged there against someone who can fight while layering invisible offense simultaneously.
Yuji...scales to what he scales to....because of C.E reinforcement...what are we doing?
