The air hung heavy with relief as Megumi successfully transferred his cursed point to his sister, Tsumiki. He finally saw the color return to her cheeks, a stark contrast to the pale, lifeless visage she had previously displayed. A gentle smile graced her lips as she blinked her eyes open, the warmth rekindled in her gaze.
Yuji couldn't help but grin. Everything seemed to be falling into place. With Tsumiki safe and Kenzo likely subduing Gojo at this very moment, the tide seemed to be turning in their favor. All they had to do was lay low and wait for the dust to settle.
But fate, it seemed, had other plans.
Tsumiki, her voice laced with unexpected authority, spoke up, her words shattering the fragile sense of security. "Add a new rule," she declared. "Please allow free entry and exits between colonies."
Megumi and Yuji froze, their smiles fading as quickly as they appeared. This wasn't part of the plan. A flicker of unease sparked in their eyes, a silent question hanging in the air.
Their apprehension was readily confirmed. "Rule accepted," a voice resonated through the air, devoid of any warmth or humanity. "After all, a player is allowed to choose their battlefield."
Megumi's blood ran cold as he turned towards the source of the voice. His eyes widened in sheer horror as his gaze landed on Tsumiki's now vacant and emotionless expression. A sadistic smile stretched across her face, a stark contrast to the gentle warmth that had previously resided there.
"Who... who are you?" he stammered, his voice raspy with a mixture of fear and disbelief.
The figure tilted its head, the smile widening further. "Just playing with you, little brother," it chirped, its voice devoid of any semblance of Tsumiki's youthful innocence. "I am Yorozu," it declared, the name echoing ominously in the silence.
Megumi's world felt like it was crumbling around him. This wasn't Tsumiki. This was something else entirely. Something ancient, powerful, and utterly terrifying. He clenched his fists, the anger burning in his eyes barely contained.
"What did you do to my sister?" he roared, his voice laced with a desperate rage.
Yorozu chuckled, a chilling sound that reverberated through the room. "Took it over," it replied nonchalantly, its eyes gleaming with an unsettling amusement. "Weren't you always the smart one, Megumi? You'd figure it out eventually."
Megumi felt his body tremble with a mix of fury and despair. He had just saved his sister from one threat, only to find her replaced by another far more monstrous. The weight of this revelation hung heavy in the air, casting a long shadow over their already precarious situation.
As Yorozu sprouted wings and took flight, Megumi's rage burned brighter than the setting sun. He wouldn't let this entity take his sister, not without a fight. With a desperate cry, he launched himself into the air, determination etched on his young face.
Meanwhile, Yuji felt a chilling sensation, a phantom whisper against his ear. Before he could react, a disembodied mouth materialized beside him, its chilling words resonating in the air: "Enchain."
In an instant, Sukuna seized control of Yuji's body. A twisted grin spread across the vessel's face as he addressed Megumi. "I made a binding vow with the brat," he declared, his voice dripping with malice. "For one minute, I cannot harm anyone. But that doesn't mean I can't play a little gamble."
With a swift motion, Sukuna ripped off one of his cursed fingers, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He expected a surge of power, a transformation triggered by the forbidden fruit. Yet, nothing happened. A wave of manic laughter erupted from him.
"Seems the boy forgot to include himself in the binding vow," he cackled, a hint of respect grudgingly acknowledging Yuji's cunning.
But his amusement was short-lived. A torrent of water, summoned by Megumi's Maximum Elephant technique, slammed into him, sending him flying back. Sukuna, however, was far from fazed. He saw an opportunity and seized it with a predator's agility.
He blitzed towards Megumi, the cursed finger disappearing into the boy's throat in a flash. The markings characteristic of Sukuna's presence began to spread across Megumi's body. However, before the transformation could complete, a deep, guttural voice echoed from within Megumi.
"Seems like his soul can still resist me for a bit," the voice rumbled, a voice filled with a chilling familiarity that sent shivers down Yuji's spine.
The horrifying truth dawned on him with agonizing clarity. This wasn't Megumi anymore. This was Sukuna, inhabiting his friend's body, a terrifying amalgamation of power and malevolence.
With a gasp, Yuji grasped the gravity of the situation. His best friend, his comrade, was now a puppet in the hands of the King of Curses.
Yuji's fury erupted like a geyser. The sight of his friend, his comrade, twisted into a vessel for the King of Curses, ignited a primal rage within him. Gone were the strategic calculations, the careful dismantling tactics. All that remained was a raw, unadulterated desire to protect what was precious, to tear down the entity that had dared to defile his friend.
He lunged at Sukuna, a whirlwind of rage and despair fueling his movements. Gone were the intricate sequences, the precise maneuvers honed through countless battles. Every punch, every kick, was a primal scream of defiance, a desperate attempt to exorcise the evil that had taken root in Megumi's body.
Sukuna, ever the sadist, reveled in the raw emotion coursing through Yuji. He dodged and parried with an almost playful ease, enjoying the spectacle of the boy's blind fury. He toyed with him, like a cat batting at a cornered mouse, relishing the boy's struggle.
Sukuna unwilling to spend time on this waste of oxygen decided to just use dismantle to get rid of Yuki.
Blood splattered everywhere as countless dismantle hit Yuji but he didn't care at all.
But Yuji, fueled by his rage, refused to yield. He ignored the throbbing pain in his muscles, the growing exhaustion gnawing at his limbs. He pushed himself beyond his limits, each blow a desperate plea for his friend trapped within.
A primal roar ripped from Yuji's throat, raw and unfiltered. His eyes, blazing with a storm of fury, locked onto Sukuna. Gone was the strategic fighter, replaced by a berserker fueled by the violation of his friend.
Ignoring the searing pain in his own body, Yuji launched himself at Sukuna, a whirlwind of rage and desperation. He abandoned the intricate techniques, the calculated dismantles, favoring instead a barrage of brutal blows. Each punch and kick was a desperate plea, a primal scream aimed at the entity that dared possess his friend.
Sukuna, however, remained unfazed. He danced through Yuji's assault with an almost playful ease, his mocking laughter grating on the already frayed nerves of his opponent. He saw the raw emotion, the uncontrolled fury, and with a twisted amusement, decided to play with his food.
But just as Sukuna prepared to deliver a punishing counter, a flicker of something unexpected crossed his face. In a heartbeat, Yuji vanished from his sight, reappearing a split second later with a resounding black flash against Sukuna's chest.And then another one to his face.
This wasn't the clumsy, uncontrolled burst of cursed energy Sukuna had witnessed before. This was precise, deadly, a testament to the countless hours Yuji had poured into mastering the technique. Two more black flashes followed in quick succession, leaving dark scorch marks on Sukuna's face and torso.
A flicker of surprise, quickly masked by irritation, passed through Sukuna's eyes. "Even in his rage, the brat can still land black flashes," he muttered, his voice laced with a grudging respect he refused to acknowledge. "Tch, I've seen better control from a Non sorcerer."
(dam Yuji can never just get a compliment)
Despite the backhanded compliment, the seed of doubt had been planted. Sukuna, the King of Curses, the being who reveled in toying with his opponents, now found himself facing an adversary who, fueled by rage and fueled by love, refused to be broken.