"Didn't I decide to abandon everything and live only for myself?"
This world had never shown him kindness. From the moment he was born, no one had ever loved him.
Even when he occasionally caught a glimpse of light, a fleeting warmth, it was always snatched away, plunging him back into darkness.
He had long resolved to discard everything and live a depraved life.
Not for anyone else—only for himself.
So why was he hesitating now?
What was it that had shackled his long-fallen heart?
A curse?
It had to be a curse.
The curse of a son.
BOOM!
Sukuna struck Toji again, sending him flying.
Without pause, he followed up with a barrage of flying slashes, cutting through the air toward Toji.
But as he unleashed them, Sukuna frowned.
"My cursed energy output dropped?"
"No—it's being interfered with. This brat is holding me back!"
"Of course. Even without emotions, father and son are still father and son. This kid doesn't want to kill his own father, does he?"
Megumi Fushiguro's soul was temporarily suppressed.
But the better the vessel, the more resistant it was to possession. Even unconsciously, it instinctively resisted actions it opposed.
Yet—
The more you hold me back, the more I'll make you kill your father with your own hands!
Sukuna smirked coldly, ignoring his body's resistance as he ruthlessly pursued Toji. Buildings, railings, roads—one after another, obstacles were sliced apart midair.
So what if his body was dragging him down?
Even weakened, he was still infinitely close to his prime. There was no way he'd fail to hunt down a one-armed Toji!
"Listen well, Megumi Fushiguro!"
At that moment, Toji suddenly stopped running.
He took a deep breath, as if finally seeing his fate clearly, his shoulders slumping weakly, his face gradually darkening with thick gloom, his lips curling into a vicious and disdainful smirk.
"—The thing I regret most in this life is giving birth to you!"
What was this guy saying?
Did he think his son was a burden and was now lashing out in frustration?
Sukuna tilted his head, momentarily unable to comprehend why Toji would say such a thing.
But in that instant, the feeling of being held back by someone inside him suddenly vanished, as if those words had struck so hard that the one restraining him forgot to pull him back.
Seizing the opportunity, Sukuna swiftly charged forward.
At point-blank range, a flying slash brimming with cursed energy materialized out of thin air, its speed and power reaching their limits, fleeting like a flash of light as it swept past Toji's waist.
The battlefield fell into dead silence.
"Hah!"
Toji let out a scornful laugh, as if resentful, before his body abruptly split in half at the waist.
His form shattered into several pieces, collapsing to the ground as blood gushed out, pooling beneath him into a shallow crimson puddle, staining his body entirely red.
He lay there, not uttering a word, the light in his eyes slowly fading.
Calmly, he welcomed his second death.
Before long, his body melted away like a burning candle, shedding its waxy exterior to reveal a young man with a mohawk, now lying in pieces on the ground, lifeless.
Sukuna watched this scene with utter tranquility.
He lowered his head, clenched his fist, and summoned a surge of cursed energy.
His body had regained its initial sense of power, and the flow of cursed energy was now unimpeded.
That nagging sensation of being pulled back from the depths of his being had completely disappeared.
Megumi Fushiguro had obediently retreated, no longer hindering him.
Had he been shaken by his father's words just now?
Or was he despondent over having killed his own father?
"Whatever. It doesn't matter what these two think—it's none of my concern. Now, I can focus entirely on restoring my full power!"
Sukuna was in high spirits, his face openly displaying an excited grin.
"Lord Sukuna, it seems you've succeeded."
Uraume jogged over to his side.
Seeing the smile on his face, Uraume understood that Sukuna had successfully taken full control of the body and couldn't help but smile in delight.
"Yes, Megumi Fushiguro's will has completely sunk to the bottom!"
Sukuna took deep breaths of fresh air, as if embracing this era anew, even the sharp edges of his eyes softening momentarily.
"Next up is that guy!"
"Do you mean Roy?"
"Exactly! That guy is the grand feast I deliberately saved for last. In this era, he's the only one worthy of me personally cooking up a fine dish! After that, we'll retrieve the last two fingers. This opportunity is too good—I can't wait to restore my complete form!"
Sukuna laughed cheerfully.
He scanned his surroundings, searching for Roy's presence, but couldn't help feeling puzzled.
"Where's his cursed energy? I could sense it earlier, but now it's gone?"
"Could he already be dead?"
Uraume pondered for a moment before offering a guess.
"Kenjaku has gathered quite a few skilled individuals. If they join forces, even I would have no choice but to surrender my neck to the blade. No matter how strong that Roy is, there's no way he could survive their combined assault, right?"
Just think about it—seven special-grade combatants!
Even during the golden age of jujutsu in the Heian period, such a gathering would form a force comparable to the mighty Fujiwara clan.
In Ryomen Sukuna's lifetime, apart from Sukuna himself, he had never encountered anyone capable of single-handedly defeating so many sorcerers in one go. No one else could possibly achieve such a feat.
"Impossible. That guy will definitely win."
But Sukuna dismissed Uraume's speculation without hesitation, his expression resolute.
"If he can't win, then he doesn't deserve my high regard!"
"I see. Then Roy will surely emerge victorious."
Uraume nodded in understanding, accepting Sukuna's words as a matter of course.
"Now that his cursed energy has vanished... Could it be because he's exhausted? I heard from Kenjaku that his total cursed energy isn't particularly vast. Even if those seven fought him one after another, they could drain him dry, couldn't they?"
"That is indeed a possibility."
Sukuna lowered his head and muttered.
It was entirely plausible.
When he had been inside Yuji Itadori's body, he had crossed paths with Roy and knew his cursed energy reserves weren't exceptional. However, his physical prowess, unfathomable techniques, and the potential ability to nullify others' techniques allowed him to dominate this era.
If he had been forced to retreat after successive battles due to depleted cursed energy, it wouldn't be surprising.
In that case, their decisive battle would have to be postponed.
That would be somewhat disappointing.
No.
Perhaps this was for the best.
He had just obtained Megumi Fushiguro's body—now was the perfect time to tame Mahoraga!
If he were to fight Roy now, he wouldn't have the chance to subdue Mahoraga. Delaying their final confrontation would give him more time to master Mahoraga's power!
"In that case, let's take our leave as well!"
Having made up his mind, Sukuna swiftly decided.
Abandoning his search for Roy, he turned to depart.
Compared to Roy, he was now far more eager to see what surprises Mahoraga had in store!
Uraume followed Sukuna's decision without question, stepping forward to catch up.
"Hmm?"
But just as the two were about to leave, Sukuna suddenly paused.
Then, he chuckled.
"I hadn't even gone looking for them, yet they came to me first. It seems this era still has foolish sorcerers eager to throw away their lives!"
Uraume frowned, immediately grasping Sukuna's meaning.
He opened his mouth to speak, but—
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air, closing in on them in an instant.
"Hmph!"
Sukuna snorted, not bothering to dodge. With a single backhanded slap, he struck the incoming object with precision, sending it spinning away.
A white-clad figure streaked through the sky, catching the object midair before landing gracefully.
Upon closer inspection, the projectile turned out to be a tachi.
Standing before them was a young man in a white coat, his eyes sunken and gloomy, as though he hadn't slept well in days.
"You're... Yuji Itadori?"
Sukuna tapped his forehead, accessing another fragment of Fushiguro Megumi's memories, and suddenly understood.
"So it's you, the once-in-a-century prodigy they speak of? The one rumored to possess the ability to mimic others' cursed techniques? How amusing. Your talent is indeed remarkable, but you're still too young. Come back after you've grown a bit more. I'd be delighted to tear you apart!"
"Shut up, monster."
Yuta's cold words dripped with venom, his usually serious eyes now blazing with fury.
"You don't deserve that body. Give Fushiguro's body back!"
In an instant, Yuta drew his sword, and cursed energy surged from within him like a roaring river.
The tip of his blade pointed straight at Sukuna!
"Brat, you have no right to lay a finger on Lord Sukuna!"
Uraume, as if provoked to the core, stepped forward with a darkened expression, swirling frost gathering in their hands, ready to strike Yuta down.
But at that moment—
A shadowy figure leapt soundlessly from the darkness like a specter, a naginata spinning like a wheel of wind and fire. With a single slash, mighty as a mountain splitter, they cleaved toward Uraume with overwhelming force.
The attack was too powerful to ignore. Uraume had no choice but to summon a barrier of ice to shield themselves.
Maki smirked coldly, not bothering to retract her strike as she brought the blade crashing down onto the ice.
"Don't be in such a hurry. Is your precious Lord Sukuna a baby that needs you hovering over him like a nanny?"
The ice shattered like glass under the force of her slash, the momentum unbroken as the blade struck Uraume head-on, sending them flying.
With Maki holding off Uraume, Yuta had no distractions left. He knew Sukuna was no ordinary opponent—this demanded his full strength.
"Come, Rika-chan!"
He raised his ring-adorned hand and pressed a gentle kiss to it.
A calm yet razor-sharp killing intent bore down on Sukuna in crushing waves.
There was no time to mourn the death of Fushiguro's father. Right now, the only thing that mattered was crushing Sukuna and saving Fushiguro!