Chapter 128 — Sukuna Defeated Again, A Chance to Challenge
Sukuna stared at Zen'in Shinsuke's emotionless face and couldn't help but sigh internally.
This shikigami—Mahoraga—could counter any sorcerer. It adapts to everything.
But…
Could it adapt to pure physical violence?
Unfortunately for Sukuna, his opponent was someone with no cursed energy and no techniques—
a man powered purely by absurd, brute force.
---
"Still… that doesn't mean I can't fight back."
Sukuna formed new hand signs.
Several remaining shikigami merged into overlapping shadows, their forms contorting.
Moments later, a grotesque fusion beast emerged.
"Chimera Beast — Ago'to!"
Deer-like horns, frog-like eyes, a hulking body covered in muscle, claws like blades, and a tongue that flicked like a whip.
Its form blended the traits of multiple shikigami—
a new creation born from Sukuna's mastery.
Mahoraga and Ago'to stood side-by-side like twin deities of destruction—
an overwhelming aura sweeping the battlefield.
But Sukuna's hand seals didn't stop.
Not yet.
He had one more combination.
"Chimera Beast — Tiger Nue!"
A winged tiger materialized, massive and ferocious—
white forehead, sharp-eyed gaze, wings unfurled like storm clouds.
Even a single glance was enough to make the weak collapse in terror.
At this moment, the domain dissolved.
But instead of weakening,
the three summoned shikigami only grew stronger, freed from the domain's constraints.
---
"This should be more than enough to give you trouble," Sukuna sneered proudly.
"I told you—this brat's technique has insane potential."
He was genuinely relieved.
He had barely managed to summon and fuse all the shikigami before the domain vanished.
A second slower, and the ritual would've failed.
He wiped a smear of blood from the corner of his mouth.
Three fully evolved shikigami.
Three living calamities.
---
Meanwhile, Zen'in Shinsuke stared at the trio of monsters—not with fear, but with interest.
Rather than worrying, he felt more and more convinced:
Letting Sukuna "demonstrate" the full potential of the Ten Shadows Technique for Megumi was absolutely worth it.
---
On the sidelines, the spectators were speechless.
"This is Megumi's technique??
Since when could he do ANY of this!?" Nobara shouted, face filled with disbelief.
Why did it feel like the technique had become a completely different thing in Sukuna's hands?
"Same technique, COMPLETELY different outcome. Megumi, what were you even doing before!?" she cried internally.
Kashimo's expression twisted.
"Forget Sukuna—
what the hell is up with that Zen'in guy!?
Has this era gone completely insane?"
How could a human with no cursed energy possibly be this strong?
"Uncle… you have to bring Megumi back."
Off to the side, Tsumiki was still murmuring silent prayers. A mouth suddenly split across her face, and a voice barked out:
"Sukuna can only be defeated by me! No one else is capable of beating him!"
"Shut up!"
Tsumiki smacked Yorozu back into silence. "If anything happens to my little brother, you're staying sealed inside me forever."
At that, Yorozu obediently said nothing more.
"Hey, brat. Tell me—who's the strongest in this era?"
Kashimo glared impatiently at Yuji. He'd revived purely to fight Sukuna, because Kenjaku had proclaimed him the strongest of all. But judging from what he was seeing now… Sukuna didn't look all that overwhelming.
He couldn't even finish off someone with zero cursed energy.
Yuji scratched his head at the question. "That's… complicated. Honestly, I'm not sure who's the strongest overall."
"But I can tell you who the strongest sorcerer of the modern age is—Gojo Satoru."
Yuji didn't know who was strongest in absolute terms, but the title of "strongest sorcerer" was uncontested. And he had asked Gojo-sensei once who would win between him and Sukuna at his peak.
Gojo's answer had been… I'd win.
"Gojo Satoru? Who the hell is that?"
Kashimo was even more confused. His reincarnated body was just an ordinary human; he'd never heard the name. He had assumed the strongest today had to be one of the two fighting right now.
But now a third name popped out of nowhere?
Maybe… maybe he should just challenge all of them?
But his technique could only be used once.
"So… where is this Gojo Satoru now?"
"Uh…" Yuji grimaced. "Gojo-sensei is sealed. Our current mission is to unseal him."
"Sealed? Then he doesn't sound so impressive…"
Kashimo scratched his chin and immediately crossed Gojo off his list. Better to pick between Sukuna and this Zen'in guy.
His attention returned to the battlefield.
Shinsuke eyed Sukuna and asked calmly, "You've used all your Shikigami, haven't you?"
"In that case… return my nephew's body."
The moment he finished speaking, Shinsuke vanished.
"ROOOOAR!"
A brutal scream shook the air. Shinsuke was already on the back of the giant tiger Shikigami, tearing its wings clean off. As the beast roared, the severed wings detonated into blinding lightning that slammed into Shinsuke, leaving scorched black imprints across his blood-red skin—before fading into shadow and dissipating entirely.
Ignoring the searing thunder, Shinsuke drove his fist into the tiger's skull, crushing it inward. In the next instant, the entire beast unraveled into black mist.
"That's one. The weakest."
He slipped aside just as Mahoraga's blade sliced down, then snapped out a whip-like kick that sent the Shikigami flying into the ruins.
Without sparing a glance at the approaching chimera, Shinsuke blurred and reappeared inside the shattered rubble. Before Mahoraga could even stand fully, a compressed Daytime Tiger detonated point-blank against its abdomen.
"GRAAAAH!"
The space around Mahoraga collapsed in on itself. A massive bloody hole punched clean through its torso—only for the wound to start healing instantly.
Shinsuke didn't hesitate. His fists turned into blurs, unleashing a relentless barrage of Daytime Tigers. The explosions overlapped in deafening waves, pulverizing Mahoraga into dust and carving a vacuum crater hundreds of meters wide into the ground.
Only once Mahoraga completely dissolved did Shinsuke stop.
That thing was unnerving. He couldn't tell whether it would adapt to his lifeforce-infused strikes, so the only correct move was to erase it as fast as possible.
With Mahoraga gone, the remaining chimera, Agito, was trivial.
It possessed the abilities of several Shikigami—strength, speed, reverse cursed technique, and more. Each ability alone posed no threat to Shinsuke; combined, they still didn't matter.
As Agito lunged toward him, Shinsuke flickered and ended it with two quick Daytime Tigers.
When all was finished, Shinsuke let his body return to normal, rolling his shoulders as he looked at Sukuna in the distance.
"You've lost again. Give my nephew's body back."
"I can wait. Recover your full power first—then come challenge me."
Sukuna's expression twisted. "That face of yours really pisses me off."
Yet beneath that anger… was a spark of anticipation.
At his peak, who was stronger—himself, or this man?
Even the strongest grew bored atop the summit. But now—someone was approaching.
"Sukuna-sama!"
Uraume finally arrived, rushing to his side. She whispered into his ear. Sukuna's expression shifted—first surprise, then a slow, wicked smile.
"Looks like… the plan has changed."