Chapter 22: Sukuna Takes the Flesh, The King of Curses' Challenge
"So this... is the air outside."
Ryomen Sukuna stood in the rain with his arms spread wide, as if he were embracing the entire world.
A pleased grin slowly stretched across his face.
"Pathetically weak."
His scarlet eyes swept over the stormy sky, the ruined courtyard, the trembling sorcerers, and the lingering filth of cursed energy in the air.
"It reeks of frailty and decay."
He inhaled deeply again, then let out a low, amused laugh.
"But as the first breath of my return... it will do."
Megumi Fushiguro's entire body went rigid.
The pressure radiating from Sukuna was nothing like the Special Grade they had just faced. This was not merely powerful cursed energy. This was a presence that made the body instinctively understand what terror meant.
Just standing near him made it hard to breathe.
So this is Ryomen Sukuna?
The King of Curses?
A monster that existed on an entirely different plane from everything Megumi had known.
"Hey. Sea urchin head."
Sukuna turned slightly, his compound eyes settling lazily on Megumi.
His lips curled upward.
"I'm a little interested in you."
The words should have sounded almost flattering.
They did not.
"But not right now."
Bang!
There was no visible movement.
No wind up.
No strike.
And yet Megumi was smashed backward as though an invisible truck had just rammed into him. His body crashed into a broken wall and dropped limply to the ground, consciousness fading almost at once.
Nobara, who had already been reeling from the burst of cursed energy, froze in place, her whole body cold.
The field had been cleared.
Sukuna rolled his neck, clearly satisfied.
Then he turned his gaze toward the black spherical barrier still standing in the rain.
The Domain of the Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
"What a crude thing."
His tone was openly disdainful.
"It looks like a child molded it out of wet clay."
He slowly raised his right hand and brought two fingers together.
Then, with almost insulting casualness, he traced a line across the barrier.
"Open."
There was no explosion.
No dramatic shockwave.
No glorious display of power.
Only a soft sound.
Rip.
The barrier that had driven Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara into utter despair split apart like a sheet of paper torn by hand.
The black surface collapsed instantly, spilling apart into dark fluid and shredded cursed energy.
And the scene within was laid bare.
...
At the center of the ruined Domain, Yami was kneeling with one hand braced against Shiranui.
His consciousness was already wavering.
Just moments ago, the Special Grade had been preparing to unleash its final attack.
Then the Domain shattered.
And immediately afterward, the arrogant monster that had pushed him to the brink of death split apart before his eyes.
Not wounded.
Not blasted away.
Split.
Cleanly.
From the top of its head straight down through its body, as if some invisible blade had cleaved it into two perfect halves.
It had not even had time to scream before its body dissolved into a shower of purplish black cursed energy.
Yami forced his head up.
The rain blurred his vision, or perhaps that was just the blood loss and exhaustion.
Against the dim gray light, he saw a familiar face wearing an unfamiliar expression.
Pink hair.
Yuji Itadori's body.
But the black markings across his skin, the savage grin, the terrifying eyes filled with ancient malice...
This was not Yuji.
"Not bad."
Sukuna stepped across the ruins one slow step at a time, until he stood in front of Yami.
He looked down at the wounded swordsman, and genuine amusement flickered in his gaze.
"To think a mortal body could push a Domain wielding Special Grade that far."
His smile widened.
"This era isn't entirely trash after all."
Yami narrowed his eyes.
His grip on Shiranui tightened again, even though every muscle in his body screamed in protest.
"Ryomen... Sukuna."
His voice was hoarse and weak, but the chill in it remained as sharp as ever.
"Oh?"
Sukuna raised a brow.
"So you remember me."
A hint of recognition stirred in his expression.
"That wooden sword of yours back at the school left quite an impression."
Then his gaze lowered.
It settled on Shiranui.
The black blade had turned a deep, blood red crimson from the heat Yami had forced into it. The edge still carried the traces of wounds it had inflicted, the scorch marks that had denied even a Special Grade the right to regenerate.
The look in Sukuna's eyes changed.
Instantly.
It became disgust.
Pure, unhidden disgust, as if he were staring at something deeply offensive to his very existence.
"This sword..."
His voice dropped.
"And that sickening way of breathing..."
He crouched slowly, bringing his face level with Yami's.
Their eyes met at point blank range.
"Tell me, brat."
Sukuna's scarlet gaze bored into him.
"You're human."
His grin sharpened.
"So why do you reek of the same hypocrisy as those arrogant gods?"
"It's revolting."
Yami said nothing.
He only adjusted his breathing.
Total Concentration Breathing.
Even now, even in this state, every cell in his body was screaming a warning.
The being in front of him was infinitely more dangerous than the Special Grade from before.
That curse had been strong.
This one was calamity given human form.
"Not talking?"
Sukuna clicked his tongue and stood again.
Then, without warning, he drove his hand into his own chest.
Thud.
Blood burst out.
Yami's pupils contracted.
Sukuna ripped Yuji Itadori's heart out with his bare hand.
The organ was still beating when it came free.
He looked at it once, almost lazily, then tossed it to the ground and crushed it beneath his heel.
Splatter.
"Good."
He shook the blood from his fingers.
The smile on his face became feverish, almost ecstatic.
"That brat won't be coming back for a while."
"If he tries, he dies."
Then he lifted his chin toward Yami and crooked a finger.
An invitation.
A provocation.
A king summoning prey to entertain him.
"Now then."
"Come."
"Amuse me, swordsman."
His grin stretched wider.
"If you do a good enough job... I might consider sparing the other insects for a little longer."
Yami drew in a breath.
Longer than any he had taken so far.
He forced the fire in his lungs downward.
Forced the tremor in his limbs into stillness.
Forced the flood of pain to the very edge of consciousness.
Golden lightning and crimson flame rose from his ruined body once more, brighter than ever before.
This was no longer the light of overwhelming strength.
It was the light of a final blaze, the last radiance of a life burning itself away.
Shiranui trembled in his grasp.
No.
It sang.
The Special Grade cursed tool yearned to cut down the most evil curse standing before it.
"As you wish."
Yami slowly rose to his feet.
Blood ran from his wounds. Rain slid from his hair. His body swayed for the briefest moment, then stabilized.
He brought both hands to the hilt and lowered himself into the opening stance of Sun Breathing.
His red eyes became still.
Clear.
Like the surface of a quiet lake beneath the sun.
And within that stillness burned a ruthless, blazing intent.
"Here..."
His voice was quiet.
Yet it seemed to freeze the very rain falling around them.
"I will kill you."
The atmosphere locked solid.
For a single instant, the world seemed to stop breathing.
Then the ground beneath both of them exploded.
Two figures vanished at the same moment.
The strongest swordsman's will from another world.
Against the King of Curses in a two finger state.
A battle that transcended time, logic, and fate erupted in full.
...
[TL: Check out my newly Released fanfic]
[TITLE: Starting in One Piece with Vector Manipulation]