The chamber was quiet after Sukuna returned from his confrontation. Only the faint hum of cursed energy clung to the air, residue from his presence, heavy enough that even Kenjaku did not bother to dispel it.
Uraume stood near the edge of the room, her pale eyes narrowed, her lips pressed into a cold line. The silence stretched, until she could no longer hold her words back.
"My lord," she said sharply, her tone brimming with barely contained disdain. "How could you withstand such disrespect? That… that dirty curse sat upon a throne and mocked you as though you were nothing."
Sukuna scowled at her, crimson eyes flicking toward her like blades. The weight of his displeasure silenced her immediately, though her body still trembled with outrage.
"You think I cannot kill him?" Sukuna asked, voice deep and contemptuous.
Uraume bowed her head immediately. "Never. You could erase that imposter in a heartbeat."
"Of course I could," Sukuna replied, leaning back against the stone wall, arms folded. His aura pulsed faintly, a reminder of his truth. "That thing sitting on the throne was nothing but a clone. A toy. I could have destroyed it as easily as plucking a weed."
His voice darkened. "And I could destroy the next. And the one after. And the one after that. But eventually, Mahito would learn. He would adapt. He would twist his soul around mine until he understood every edge of my technique. By the third battle, maybe sooner, I would no longer be the predator. He would."
Uraume stiffened. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You are saying… you are saying you could lose? To that thing?"
"If I were a fool, yes." Sukuna corrected sharply. His glare silenced her again. "But I am not one to play into his hands. Every clash with a clone would be a lesson for him. A chance to grow. And he is growing faster than anything I have ever seen..."
He looked away from her then, crimson eyes narrowing in thought. "His cursed technique alone was troublesome enough. Now he spreads himself thin and multiplies. Each one a Special Grade, each one capable of different tricks. His original technique is still soul manipulation, but if even a fraction of his bodies pick up others… then defeating him is no longer straightforward."
Uraume was stunned. Her breath caught in her throat. She had expected Mahito to grow alongside his army, that much had been obvious from the start. But to grow to the point where her lord himself, Ryomen Sukuna, was no longer confident in outright victory? That was blasphemy.
Her lips parted, but no words came. For the first time in centuries, Uraume did not know how to answer.
Sukuna ignored her shock. His eyes shifted instead toward the far corner of the chamber, where Kenjaku sat cross-legged, hands folded in thought.
The stitched-faced sorcerer had been silent, watching, his expression unreadable.
Sukuna smirked. "I am glad you dragged me back into this age."
Kenjaku tilted his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Even in the Heian era," Sukuna continued, "there was no one to match me. Not truly. A thousand battles, a thousand victories, but none who could hold my interest. None who could even call themselves rivals. This time… things are different." His grin widened, feral. "Now I have someone to overcome. A true enemy. That is exactly what I needed."
Kenjaku let out a long sigh, shaking his head faintly. "I had little to do with this, Sukuna. If anything, Mahito has long since moved outside the reach of my influence. At best, I could provide ways to track his clones, but even that will be difficult. Facing them… well. Even my domain would be overwhelmed now."
Sukuna laughed. The sound was sharp and mocking, but not directed at Kenjaku.
"You think too small," Sukuna said. "Tracking, countering, numbers… none of that will matter."
Kenjaku frowned faintly, brow creasing. "Oh? And why is that?"
Sukuna's grin returned, sharp and merciless. "Because we made a deal. A binding vow."
The words dropped into the chamber like a stone.
Kenjaku's eyes widened, genuine surprise flashing across his face. "You… what?"
Sukuna's laugh rumbled again, low and delighted. "A duel. One month from now. His full strength barked against us in a free for all, of sorts. No fragments, no games. He will merge with all of his clones, and I will face him at his peak. That is the vow we sealed."
Kenjaku blinked, then raised an eyebrow. "And what assurance do you have that he will not keep one clone hidden? That he will not cheat the vow by preparing a way out?"
Sukuna shook his head, crimson eyes gleaming. "He cannot. That is the beauty of it. The vow binds us both. If he hides a clone, the vow will tear it apart before it can betray him. He has committed fully, as have I."
For one second, Kenjaku was flabbergasted, utterly caught off guard. But then the expression melted away into quiet laughter. He pressed one hand to his chin and chuckled softly.
"Of course," Kenjaku said, his voice rich with irony. "Of course the strongest of any generation would never be sane. Never well-adjusted. Only insane men carve their names into eternity."
He shook his head, but the smile remained. "Mahito's actions are insane. To tie his life so recklessly to yours, to gamble everything on growth and pride. But…" He paused, smirking faintly. "You understand him, don't you?"
Sukuna's smile was wide and merciless. "Naturally. Where is the fun in battle if you always leave yourself an escape? To keep a way out at all times is to admit weakness. To prepare to lose. That is the act of a coward. And cowards do not deserve the title of strongest."
His words rang with finality, with a conviction that silenced both Uraume and Kenjaku. For all his madness, for all his cruelty, there was no denying the truth of his pride.
Sukuna lived for battle. And only a battle with everything at stake was worth having.
The silence that followed was long, stretching through the chamber like a second shadow. Uraume's hands were still clenched at her sides, her face a portrait of disbelief. Kenjaku's smirk lingered, faint and thoughtful.
Only then did Sukuna speak again, his voice calm but sharp.
"You may have noticed I said us."
Kenjaku tilted his head, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
Sukuna's grin sharpened. "We are going to free Gojo. And give him time to prepare as well. When the day comes, I want no excuses, no regrets, no whispers of circumstance. The strongest of this age will meet in one place, and only one will be left standing."
Uraume's breath caught again, her pale eyes darting between Sukuna and Kenjaku. Kenjaku let out a long breath, rubbing his temple.
The madness of it all was undeniable. But so too was the inevitability.
The strongest had made a vow.
And the world would burn in its wake.