Becoming Sukuna

The cursed dolls lunged at the downed Hanami, piling on top of it as the Grade 1 curses joined the fray, tearing at the defenseless dolls.

The scene seemed familiar, as if the dolls were about to be pierced by erupting branches at any moment.

However…

"Self-destruct," Yaga commanded, his voice echoing through the forest.

Blinding white light burst from the cursed dolls, engulfing Hanami and the curses, illuminating the dark forest.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rocked the earth. The Grade 1 curses were obliterated, and Hanami was severely injured, its body mangled, its right arm blown off.

Yaga landed, surveying the damage caused by the self-destruction of all but one of his cursed dolls - the killer rabbit that remained by his side.

A large crater marked the ground, the Grade 1 curses were gone, and the special grade curse was heavily wounded. Yaga, with his own strength intact and one remaining doll, had decisively turned the tables.

"Strategically, I suppose it was a success," Yaga said, feeling a pang of regret for the sacrificed dolls.

"Cough, cough..."

Hanami struggled to its feet, using its cursed energy to heal its wounds. "This is the first time I've been injured this badly since I was born."

"I didn't want to use this."

Hanami knelt and placed its hand on the ground. Yellow ripples spread outwards, and the surrounding plants withered rapidly. As the plants died, the red flower bud on Hanami's left shoulder bloomed, revealing a half-closed eye that glowed with a golden light.

"What's happening?"

Yaga knew he couldn't let this continue. He charged towards Hanami with his killer rabbit doll.

"Plants don't produce cursed energy, but my left hand can absorb their life force and convert it into cursed energy. But the energy doesn't go to me, it goes to this flower," Hanami explained, its eye opening fully. Golden lightning crackled around the flower.

"Domain Expansion: Floral Feast!"

A black barrier spread rapidly, engulfing Yaga and his doll.

"What?!"

Yaga found himself in a vast field of colorful flowers, the sky above a clear blue. The peaceful scenery made him feel relaxed.

No!

Yaga snapped out of it. "It's making me feel relaxed! Is this its Domain effect?!"

The golden light from the flower intensified, and Yaga knew he had to act quickly.

He couldn't use a full Domain Expansion, but he could use a weaker version.

"New Shadow Style: Simple Domain!"

He activated his Simple Domain, but it shattered almost instantly.

"What?! How?!"

Yaga's sunglasses slipped off, revealing his shocked expression.

When did this happen?

"The moment you entered my Domain and let your guard down," Hanami said with a smirk. "When did you get the idea that you had neutralized my sure-hit effect?"

Yaga finally realized that the flowers weren't normal flowers, but mouths filled with sharp teeth!

The Domain's sure-hit technique wasn't the flower's attack, but the seeds that absorbed cursed energy!

"I'll remember you, the first sorcerer to injure me this badly." Golden lightning filled Yaga's vision. "Farewell."

A beam of golden energy shot out from the flower's eye, piercing Yaga's chest....

"Masamichi, you said my mom came to see me. Is she your wife?"

In the forest, Yaga led a teddy bear-shaped cursed doll along a path.

"No, she's literally Takeo's mom," he replied gently.

They reached the edge of the forest, where Kusakabe stood beside a wheelchair, a frail, white-haired woman sitting in it.

Yaga and the doll, Takeo, approached them.

"Masamichi, is that my mom?" Takeo asked.

"Yes, you're so smart." Yaga smiled.

"Hee hee, I thought so when I saw her." Takeo puffed out his chest proudly.

My Takeo... Tears welled up in the woman's eyes.

She suddenly lunged from the wheelchair, hugging Takeo tightly. "Takeo! My Takeo…!"

Takeo, surprised, looked at Yaga for guidance, but receiving no response, he hugged the woman back.

The woman burst into tears.

Yaga turned to Kusakabe. "He's not really your nephew. Just a cursed doll with his memories."

Kusakabe sighed, chewing on a blade of grass. "Dwelling on the past won't help her move on. But she needs that connection to keep living."

"Thank you, Principal Yaga."

As his life slipped away, memories of his students and his beloved cursed dolls flashed through Yaga's mind, finally settling on Panda.

The scenery of the Domain faded, and moonlight filtered through the trees, illuminating Yaga's body.

A gaping hole marred his chest, blood steadily flowing out.

Hanami sighed, exhausted from the battle and maintaining its Domain. It didn't have enough cursed energy left for another fight.

I wonder if Geto is done. It suddenly looked up, its gaze drawn to where Yaga had fallen.

Beside Yaga's body stood a tall, white-haired man, panting slightly.

His eyes, glowing faintly in the darkness, stared at Yaga in disbelief. "Principal Yaga...?"

Gojo Satoru!

Hanami was horrified.

Why is he here?! He should be in Shinjuku!

The plan is compromised!

It had to escape. Even at full strength, it was no match for Gojo.

Thick roots erupted from the ground, encasing it.

But a flash of red light cut through the roots, shattering them and revealing Hanami.

It was a small, black sphere, no bigger than a marble. It continued forward, slamming into Hanami's side. Hanami coughed up blood and was sent flying.

Damn it… Not enough cursed energy to heal.

Hanami lay on the ground, despair filling its heart.

It still couldn't understand why Gojo was here.

"You hurt someone, and you think you can just run away?"

Gojo's cold voice was devoid of emotion. Hanami sat up, blood flowing from the wound on its side.

Gojo approached slowly, his gaze icy. Hanami felt an immense pressure, as if it was drowning in the depths of the ocean.

Unable to withstand the pressure, it lashed out with its branches.

But they shattered before they could reach Gojo, as if an invisible barrier protected him.

A hand clamped down on Hanami's head. It finally snapped out of its shock, only to be consumed by terror.

Squelch!

"Die."

Gojo effortlessly ripped Hanami's head from its body, then tossed it into the air.

Red light flashed, and a powerful blast of cursed energy completely obliterated the head, leaving no trace behind....

"Hmm? The barrier in Shinjuku has been lifted?"

Deep within Tengen's barrier, in a labyrinthine complex of shrines and temples, Kenjaku looked up towards Tokyo.

He pulled out a phone and made a call. "Hello? The barrier in Shinjuku is gone, right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm getting out of here!" A frantic voice answered. "This is so annoying! Why are you chasing me? Shouldn't you be protecting innocent civilians?"

"Where's Gojo Satoru?" Kenjaku asked.

"Gojo Satoru? I didn't see him… But before the barrier was lifted, that volcano-head was fighting someone. It was terrifying."

"I see. Prepare to retreat. I'm almost done here."

Kenjaku hung up and made several more calls, but no one had seen Gojo.

"Hmm, interesting. Is that person who defeated Mahito really that strong? Strong enough for Gojo to leave everything to them...?"

Kenjaku stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Perhaps Gojo sensed something and is on his way back to Jujutsu High... Well, it doesn't matter. I already have what I need. I can't take any chances." He made a decision. "I'll leave Hanami here to buy me some time."

He turned to a strange, starfish-like curse and bid it farewell. "Until next time, Tengen. It was a pleasure chatting with you."

Tengen watched silently as he left.

...

Sukuna, having dealt with Jogo, landed on a rooftop, considering where to go next.

"Is there anyone else who needs my help?" He scanned the city, searching for his next target.

But before he could find one, a figure appeared behind him.

"Who's there?" Sukuna asked without turning around.

"Sukuna-sama."

The figure knelt, its head bowed, its white hair cascading down. "I have come to welcome your return."

Sukuna turned around, confused.

Did they get the wrong person?

Actually, Uraume had hesitated before revealing herself to Sukuna.

After all, this man's aura, cursed energy, even his appearance with four eyes and black markings, were identical to Sukuna-sama's.

But as far as she knew, Sukuna-sama was currently sealed within the vessel, Yuji Itadori.

Then where did this Sukuna-sama come from?

But cursed energy couldn't lie. Even Itadori Yuji's cursed energy was different from Sukuna-sama's, only carrying traces of his residue.

So, this black-haired young man must be Sukuna-sama!

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Bright flames occasionally lit up the night sky above Shinjuku.

"No need to look, that's definitely Sukuna-sama causing trouble," Hachiman said confidently.

"Yes, let's move on," Yukino agreed. "The curses in Kabukicho should be taken care of by now."

There's no need to worry about Sukuna-kun.

They were about to enter the underground passage leading to the Shinjuku shopping district.

It wasn't just a passage, but an underground shopping area, filled mostly with food stalls.

Their footsteps echoed through the stairwell. The silence made Yukino wary until they heard faint sobbing.

Yukino and Hachiman exchanged a glance and hurried down the stairs.

They turned a corner and froze.

It wasn't a scene of carnage.

On the contrary, compared to the hellish scenes they had witnessed earlier, this place was eerily calm.

But it was just the calm before the storm.

A line of people stood with expressions of terror and despair, like prisoners awaiting execution.

A bald man with a hollow eye mask paced before them like a prison guard. He wore a bloodstained apron and dirty work pants, a butcher knife in his hand.

Behind him, a curse with an octopus head peeked out from behind a pillar.

Judging by its aura, it was only around semi-Grade 1.

"You!"

The bald man, Jōzō Kumiya, suddenly pointed his knife at a young man at the front of the line.

The man trembled and stepped forward.

He gasped, his eyes wide with fear, then closed them, accepting his fate.

Kumiya poked and prodded the man with his knife, then shook his head in disappointment. "This one's no good."

He grabbed the man's hair and tossed him aside.

The man stumbled and fell before the octopus curse.

He looked up, only to see a large shadow engulfing him.

Then, darkness.

"Waaaaah!"

Screams filled the underground space.

"Shut up! The next one will be you!" Kumiya yelled.

The screams abruptly stopped.

Rip!

A sickening sound echoed through the space.

"Oww... That hurts..." The octopus curse, Dagon, spat out the man it had just swallowed.

The man's upper body was now nothing but bone, only his legs remaining intact.

"Huh?" Kumiya turned around.

He saw a beautiful girl with a cold expression approaching. The dead fish-eyed boy behind her was completely ignored.

"Yes! Inspiration has come!" Kumiya suddenly roared, waving his knife wildly. He accidentally slashed a nearby girl, leaving a deep gash on her chest.

Then, he abruptly calmed down, a strange smile twisting his lips. "Your eyes are beautiful. They'll make nice decorations for my mirrors."

"You bastard!"

Yukino had already raised her hand to attack, but she was too late. The invisible slash missed Kumiya and struck the wall behind him.

"Hikigaya, save them!"

Yukino charged forward.

Hachiman quickly reacted. "Run this way! We're here to save you!"

The people, hearing his words, snapped out of their fear and ran towards him.

"Little girl, you seem to care about these monkeys," Kumiya sneered, then casually flicked his wrist, sending a blast of cursed energy towards the fleeing crowd.

The cursed energy struck the last person in the line, sending him flying into a pillar. He collapsed, unmoving.

Yukino's eyes burned with fury, her fist crackling with cursed energy.

"You scum! How dare you treat life so casually?!"

"Yes, yes! More despair! It'll make my art even more beautiful!"

Kumiya effortlessly dodged her attack and swung his knife. "Your body will make a fine guitar!"

Blood splattered.

Kumiya stumbled back, a gash appearing on his chest.

"An invisible attack... a slash?"

He recalled Yukino's first missed attack. "A long-range technique..."

Realizing that Yukino was stronger than he had anticipated, Kumiya turned and ran towards Hachiman and the civilians.

If I kill these monkeys in front of her, she'll lose her cool and make mistakes.

Hachiman's eyes widened as he saw the butcher knife approaching.

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Even though I don't fully understand how it works, my technique can trap people, curses, or even objects in a mirror dimension. I can keep them trapped by continuously using cursed energy, or I can just eliminate them.

It consumes a lot of cursed energy, though. Even against a target with much lower cursed energy than me, I can only use it about twenty times a day.

I can also target specific body parts, like an arm, which consumes less energy.

Hachiman watched the approaching butcher knife, but he wasn't afraid. On the contrary, he felt surprisingly calm, his mind racing.

I don't have much cursed energy left. If I target this guy, I'll probably use it all up.

Should I try to restrain his hand?

No, that'll also consume a lot of energy. The best option is to…

"Huh?"

Kumiya froze. His butcher knife suddenly stopped in mid-air, as if frozen in time.

Then, he saw a fist growing larger in his vision.

Thud!

The cursed-energy-infused fist slammed into his face, breaking his nose.

The mirror dimension that held the knife shattered, and the knife fell back into Kumiya's hand.

He swung the knife, leaving a deep gash on Hachiman's forearm.

"Damn... It's not convenient without Ryōichi-sama," Hachiman grumbled, dodging the next attack.

He bit back a cry of pain.

"Hikigaya!" Yukino caught up. She saw Hachiman's injury and the fleeing civilians.

She hesitated.

If it were just the curse user, I could go after him, but there's also that semi-Grade 1 curse...

"Go after him," Hachiman said, enduring the pain. "Don't worry about me. I'll run if I can't win."

If I asked her to stay, she would, wouldn't she?

But if I back down now, not only will those people die, but I'll never be able to forgive myself.

"Don't die."

Yukino nodded and chased after Kumiya.

Her speed was incredible, even without using cursed energy to enhance her physical abilities.

She quickly caught up to Kumiya.

Hearing her footsteps, Kumiya turned and smirked, then slashed at a girl in front of him, cutting her back deeply.

"Ahhh!!!"

The girl's scream filled Yukino with rage. She lashed out with her hand.

"Ugh!" Kumiya grunted.

Blood splattered as his legs were crippled. He fell to the ground.

But before he fell, he sent a blast of cursed energy towards the injured girl, further enraging Yukino.

"You bastard!"

Yukino's cursed energy flared, tinged with red.

She reached Kumiya and grabbed his face.

This was the moment he had been waiting for.

He grinned and swung his knife.

But Yukino caught the blade with her bare hand, and it shattered along with his arm.

"What?!" Kumiya was shocked.

Her cursed energy increased! So her technique is more effective at close range!

His misjudgment proved fatal.

Yukino lifted him off the ground by his face, her fingers digging into his flesh.

"Die."

Uttering the icy judgment, the black-haired girl was a completely different person from her usual self. Even Haruno Yukinoshita would likely think she was possessed.

The Cleave technique activated. Blood splattered as countless invisible slashes tore through the curse user's flesh, carving away at every inch of his body.

What she lacked in power, she made up for in sheer number of attacks.

For the victim, it was a drawn-out execution.

"AAAAAHHH!!!"

"Ugh... Gah..."

At first, Kumiya could still scream, his voice hoarse and ragged. But as his throat was severed, even his screams were silenced, replaced by gurgling gasps and the sound of blood gushing from his mutilated neck.

Yukino's face was devoid of pity, her smooth cheeks stained with blood, transforming her into a merciless executioner.

The torture continued for what seemed like an eternity, until Kumiya's body was no longer recognizable, merely a mangled, humanoid shape.

Blood, flesh, and shattered bones pooled beneath the corpse.

Yukino released her grip and let the body fall. Without a change in her expression, she turned to leave.

But after a few steps, she suddenly doubled over.

"Ugh..."