Yuji opened his eyes to find himself in a place that was neither the real world nor his shared consciousness with Choso. The air was heavy, the ground beneath him slick and blood-like, and a foreboding chill crept over his skin. His gaze swept across the space until it landed on a throne of bones, atop which sat a familiar figure—a man with an aura so overwhelming it practically suffocated the room. Ryomen Sukuna.
"Hm, it seems you ate my finger," Sukuna said with a low growl, his sharp, crimson eyes narrowing. "Yet I still can't take control of your body. How bothersome." There was a bitter edge to his tone, frustration barely masked beneath his usual regal demeanor.
Yuji blinked at him, unimpressed. Then, a grin tugged at his lips. "Hah. So you're Sukuna, huh? I've heard stories, but to see you in person... Man, I didn't expect you to be this ugly. That's funny."
Sukuna's expression twisted with disdain, his lip curling in annoyance. "To think I'd be held back by a brat," he sneered. "That damn Kenjaku and his freakish experiments..." His voice trailed off, venom dripping from every word.
Yuji ignored him, sitting cross-legged on the bloodied floor, casually inspecting his fingernails. "Well, I guess I blacked out after that fight with the cursed spirit. Looks like we've got some time to kill," he said nonchalantly, picking at his nails. He muttered to himself, "Why are my nails dirty? Isn't this supposed to be some kind of soul realm or something?"
Sukuna watched him with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. There was something about this boy that unsettled him. "Why can't I read your memories?" Sukuna asked, his tone dark and probing.
Yuji glanced up briefly, looking more amused than anything. "Oh, I don't know. Guess my body's always been special like that," he said with a shrug. Then, his grin widened as he met Sukuna's eyes. "Name's Yuji Itadori. Glad to meet you, King of Curses~."
Sukuna growled, his frustration bubbling to the surface. He already didn't like this kid. "Tch. You're insufferable."
Yuji chuckled to himself. While fighting that special grade, he'd eaten Sukuna's finger. The cursed spirit might have been empowered by it, but Yuji knew he needed it more. This was his body, his fight—and he wasn't letting anyone else take control.
"So let's make a deal. A binding vow, if you will," Yuji suddenly said, breaking the tense silence.
Sukuna tilted his head, his sharp, mocking grin returning. "You think you can order me around, brat? You're far too full of yourself."
Yuji chuckled, a cocky smirk spreading across his face. "Please, like you're in any position to talk. You can't do a damn thing to me with only one finger's worth of power. You can feel my cursed energy, can't you? I've got the equivalent of 12 fingers, and I'm not even done growing yet, old man."
Sukuna's grin faltered slightly, his crimson eyes narrowing as he processed the truth of Yuji's words. He hated to admit it, but the brat wasn't wrong. While Sukuna's pride wouldn't let him acknowledge inferiority, he was smart enough to recognize the facts. For now, at least, he was at a disadvantage. 'Although,' Sukuna thought to himself, 'if I had even nine fingers, I could crush him. It'd still be close, though. The sorcery of this generation is something else entirely. Maybe taking Kenjaku's deal was worth it after all.'
"Tch," Sukuna finally muttered. "What kind of deal are you even proposing? Don't waste my time."
Yuji's grin widened, and there was a glint of mischief in his eyes. He knew what he was about to say could potentially derail the entire plan to fix the world, but in that moment, he didn't care. This was about ensuring control—for now, at least. "Here's the deal," Yuji began. "I'll let you see the outside world. You can listen in on conversations, even talk to others. But in exchange, you can't force control over my body—not like you can do that right now anyway. And as a bonus, I'll gather all your fingers for you. Sound good?"
Sukuna's grin returned, wider and sharper than ever. He saw the loopholes in the vow, and he knew Yuji was either too confident or too naïve to notice them himself. Still, the offer was tempting.
"Fine, brat. I'll play along," Sukuna said with a low growl. Then his tone shifted to something far darker. "Now, get out."
With a flick of his hand, Sukuna forced Yuji out of the shared domain. His laughter echoed in the space, dark and victorious, as he began to plot his next move.
"Yuji!" Choso called out, his voice a mix of relief and irritation as he rushed toward his brother, who had just appeared in the dreamlike space of their shared consciousness. He stopped a few feet away, his brow furrowed with concern. "What the hell happened? Why do you have such a malevolent aura around you now? And why, for the love of everything, how did you almost die again?" His questions came rapid-fire, his tone caught somewhere between anger and worry.
Yuji blinked at him, momentarily stunned by the barrage of words, then placed a reassuring hand on Choso's shoulder. "Relax, big bro," he said with a chuckle, trying to ease the tension. "You're not gonna believe what I'm about to tell you."
Choso narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Oh, this better be good."
Yuji launched into the explanation. "Okay, so here's the rundown. I ran into Geto—yes, that Geto, kenjaku wants to take over. The guy's a special grade sorcerer, and he wanted my help with his little plan to kill all non-sorcerers. Naturally, I told him to shove it. Then, as a parting gift, he sent a special grade and a grade 1 curse after me. I landed four Black Flashes in that fight, but then, you know, my arm got torn off. After that, I ended up stuck in a Domain Expansion. I managed to pull off Falling Blossom Emotion—don't ask how—and survived, but not without getting my ass handed to me first. That's when I finally learned Reverse Cursed Technique, healed myself, and then, just for fun, I pulled out a move with blood manipulation that even you haven't figured out yet. Oh, and to top it all off, I ate one of Sukuna's fingers, met the guy face-to-face, and made a binding vow with him. So yeah, just your typical Tuesday."
Choso stared at him, deadpan. "So, let me get this straight," he began, his tone flat but incredulous. "You met Geto, told him to screw off, fought two curses, pulled off four Black Flashes, lost an arm, survived a Domain Expansion, unlocked RCT, invented a new blood manipulation move, ate Sukuna's finger, taunted him, and then made a binding vow with the King of Curses?"
"Pretty much," Yuji said, grinning proudly.
Choso sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "What am I gonna do with you?"
Yuji laughed, the sound light and genuine. The tension between them melted into a comfortable silence, both brothers finding solace in each other's presence.
After a moment, Choso spoke again, his voice softer this time. "I'm glad you're okay, little brother. But, uh... you gotta teach me that new move."
Yuji's grin widened, and he clapped Choso on the back. "I knew you'd wanna see it!" he said, his laugh echoing through the shared space.