Disclaimer: Just in case nobody realized I don't own nor do I claim ownership of Highschool DxD, all characters and worlds belong to their real world respective owners. I'm just having some fun, that's all.
Highschool DxD: The Cursed King of Kuoh
S1 Ch 5: A Crispy Epiphany
Two days had passed, and during that time, Sukuna continued his training under Ura to better understand and control his Cursed Energy. After mastering the three stages of energy manipulation, Sukuna could now manifest his cursed energy outside his body. Soon after, Ura moved him onto application training, which mostly consisted of learning to use his cursed energy to avoid getting blasted by energy attacks—which incidentally was exactly what he was doing at that very moment.
Inside his house's courtyard, Sukuna stood in a round training circle, bare-chested with sweat dripping off his body. All around him were scorch marks that slowly healed due to the base's repair array.
"Perhaps now would be a good time for a break, Master?" Ura asked from the side.
"No," he shook his head. "I can do this. Now, again!" he demanded.
His breaths were labored as he straightened his back and assumed his traditional fighting stance. Ura then materialized a blue control panel and did as her master commanded.
"Level 10," she said slowly as she pushed the button.
Immediately, wisps of purple fire appeared far above the training circle and multiplied until they fully surrounded the ring. Sukuna then opened his second set of eyes and activated his Magic Eye skill. The purple wisps then each began firing rounds of energy balls at Sukuna, who raised both of his hands.
"Dismantle!" he shouted as he began to cut the energy with his innate technique.
He then activated Reinforcement, putting all of his energy into his speed and his attack. Sukuna moved like a blur, throwing out dozens of slashes that bisected the energy balls before they could reach him. It went on like this for a few minutes until finally, he missed one, and it struck the edge of his left shoulder. The momentary hit made him stumble for just a moment, but it was enough for other energy attacks to slip through.
Soon, Sukuna began getting pelted with shots from all over and was unable to keep up with the wisps' speed anymore. As the blasts continued to rain down on him from above, he was slowly driven to his knees until Ura finally cut the program. Immediately, the wisps ceased their attacks and slowly faded away, leaving a burned and smoldering Sukuna on all fours in the middle of the stone circle. At first, he didn't react, even as the immortality array healed his body. Then suddenly, he raised his arm back and drove his fist through the stone platform, making it shatter into pieces.
Dust obscured Ura's vision, but when it finally dissipated, Ura found her master standing tall with a frustrated scowl on his face. Ura, seeing her master's displeasure, slowly approached him from the side. Stopping just a few feet from his right, she slowly offered him a towel and some critique.
"Cursed energy can be used for more than just enhancing your physical capabilities, Master," she said as her master continued to look ahead. "You can also use it to enhance your sensory abilities as well, allowing you to anticipate your opponent's move before—"
But before she could finish, Sukuna cut her off.
"I already know that!" he shouted, surprising her, but he quickly reigned in his anger. "What I don't understand is how to do it." he finished with a much more even tone.
"Well, this use of energy manipulation is quite advanced. I'm sure you'll find your way in time; you just have to be patient."
Ura responded as Sukuna took the towel and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"I don't have that kind of time," he replied, mostly to himself.
"For now, Master, I must suggest you take a break," she said as she carefully took the used towel from his hands. "Perhaps a hot bath and a warm meal will clear your head?"
Sukuna listened to her carefully before nodding his head in agreement.
"Fine. I leave the details to you."
He then turned and began making his way back inside the house while Ura just watched his retreating back.
"Any requests for today's lunch, Master?"
"Barbecue. I'm feeling peckish today." he said before entering the house, leaving Ura alone in the courtyard.
Ura couldn't help but grow concerned with how hard her master had begun pushing himself in training lately. He'd quickly grown bored of just sparring with her, forcing her to develop new training protocols and exercises meant to push his strength to the next level. Yet lately, even that was starting to wane. He'd completely mastered all of the steps to energy manipulation in less than three days, but he'd begun to struggle with applying it to his techniques. If things continued at this rate, it was inevitable that he'd end up doing something stupid.
Inside the bathroom, Sukuna slowly lowered his body into the steamy warm water.
"Ah," he let out a relaxed sigh as he leaned back against the stone bath.
There was something special about his new home's bath water. After a quick thirty-minute soak, he always felt relaxed and refreshed. As he soaked in the tub, Sukuna stared down at his reflection as he thought over the latest hurdle in his training.
"I don't get it. What am I doing wrong?" he thought to himself as he continued to gaze at his reflection. "I can use Reinforcement, I know how to fuel my current techniques, I can even use Reverse Curse Techniques instinctively, so why can't I develop any new ones? What am I missing?"
As he leaned his head back and stared at the white tile ceiling, a dangerous thought entered his mind.
"Hmm, that might work." he thought as he held his chin in his hand.
o-O-o
Back inside the kitchen, Ura was finishing up her master's afternoon meal. Making his way inside, dressed in a traditional light-colored kimono with a black edge, along with black sandals. Immediately upon entering the room, the smoky smell of beef filled his nostrils. Looking over, curious, he found Ura with her gown sleeves rolled up as she made the finishing touches on the slab of meat. Surprise filled his face as he recognized the dish as a traditionally prepared barbecue brisket that he'd seen once in a Bon Appétit magazine.
If he remembered correctly, it took roughly eighteen hours to cook, leaving him confused as to how she made it in less than half an hour. Seeing her master's perplexed expression, Ura decided to answer his unvoiced question.
"Time dilation, Master." she answered, making him raise an eyebrow.
"I really should stop getting surprised at this point," he thought.
"Is there anything this house can't do?" he actually asked.
"Well, as a matter of fact, Master, this house can't—"
But before she could start, Sukuna cut her off.
"Ura, it was a rhetorical question," he responded with a slight chuckle. "Be sure to update yourself on human communication skills."
"Of course, Master," she responded while bowing her head.
"Alright, let's eat." he announced as he made his way toward the table with Ura trailing behind him, carrying the meal telekinetically.
"Master, I do not require food," she responded as he took a seat at the head of the table.
"True, but who knows, you might enjoy it." He shrugged while gesturing for her to take a seat at his right.
Ura hesitated until Sukuna spoke again.
"Consider it an order. Now sit down and have some food."
"As you wish, Master," she bowed her head and soon joined him at the table.
Once seated, Sukuna prepared a plate for himself, as Ura did the same, and as the otherworldly spirit bit into the juicy cut of meat, her expression lit up.
"Yummy," she exclaimed happily as her right hand held her cheek.
"See? I told you," he responded as he bit into his meal more voraciously. "From now on, you will join me for my meals. Consider it another command." he said before she could refuse.
The pair then resumed their meal. Sukuna enjoyed the low-and-slow cooked piece of beef. The meat was so tender it literally melted in his mouth, and the complex texture of the bark added an additional range of textures.
"Yeah, I've definitely become a foodie," he admitted to himself and then immediately shrugged it off.
Once the pair finally finished their meals, he pushed aside the empty plates and gave Ura his complete attention.
"Ura, there is something we need to discuss about my training," he said with a serious tone, his usual playfulness gone in the wind.
"Yes, Master, what is it?" she asked in a tone filled with concern. "Have I disappointed you in some way?"
"No," he shook his head. "If anyone has been a disappointment around here, it's me."
His servant looked confused until she realized what he meant.
"Master, if this is about your application training, I already told you that application of your cursed energy is quite advanced, you just need some more—"
"Ura, enough," he said coldly, making his servant grow silent. "We've tried it your way, and so far, everything has failed to help me take the next step. I need a catalyst, something to push me over the edge, something that forces me to evolve."
Ura grew silent, her worries fully realized.
"That's why I want you to face me with the intent to kill." he finally said as he looked into his servant's eyes.
"My apologies, Master, but I cannot," she shook her head as she refused his request, much to her master's surprise.
"I'm telling you, Ura, this is what I—"
But now it was Ura's turn to cut him off.
"Don't misunderstand me, Master Sukuna, it's not that I'm refusing to obey you. It's that I can't fulfill that command, not unless you break one of the three cardinal rules. Otherwise, I'm incapable of truly harming you."
Sukuna nodded his head in understanding.
"I see. Some kind of protocol?" he asked, to which Ura nodded. "Well then, we'll have to find an unwilling third party, won't we."
"Oh? Do you have someone in mind, Master?"
"Hmm," Sukuna seemed to contemplate her question. "Well, they need to be strong, they can't be overtly important to the story, and I can't draw too much attention to myself, at least not just yet."
"All true. Where will you find such a convenient opponent?"
Her master became silent as he considered all of his options until finally, it seemed like he reached an answer.
"Ura, do you have any information on any Stray Devils in the area?"
"Yes, several in fact, why?"
"Because I'm going to hunt one," he said with a crooked smile.
o-O-o
Later that night, the pair made their way towards a certain abandoned warehouse near the outskirts of Kuoh Town. He was dressed in the standard combat gear he'd been training in, while Ura wore her usual gown.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" he asked as he walked side by side with his servant.
"Yes, Master," she nodded. "According to my data, your target has been using this old building as some kind of nest while luring humans here to devour them."
"I see. Perhaps I should go say hello." he said with a smile before turning his head towards Ura. "Wait outside."
"As you wish, Master," she bowed her head to him and watched anxiously as he made his way inside. Immediately, she followed his instructions and kneeled down, placing her hand on the cold asphalt ground, before activating a barrier that covered the entire building.
Sukuna ignored the barrier as he continued to stroll into the broken-down building. Once he was deeper inside, his enhanced sense of smell picked up a rather revolting odor. It was a stench of blood and rot, a stench of death. After swallowing the vomit that had desperately tried to climb up his throat, an ominous voice called out.
"Hmm, what's this?" It asked, its chilling voice carrying over the otherwise empty building. "A tasty little boy comes to pay me a visit—and a handsome one at that."
"Oh yeah?" Sukuna spoke back as he began readying his cursed energy. "Then what are you waiting for? Come out and give me a kiss." His voice oozed sarcasm.
"Oh, a spicy one, I see," it chuckled. "Very well, maybe you and I will have some fun together, you hopeless child."
Slowly out of the darkness, an older woman slowly made her way out, her visage revealed by the light of the moon that shone through a gaping hole in the ceiling. She looked around Ura's supposed age with long, shoulder-length silver hair and was dressed in only a mini brown trench coat that barely reached her upper thighs. She slowly began making her way over to Sukuna, who remained completely still while he continued to ready his cursed energy. Then, to his surprise, the woman began to slowly unbutton her trench coat one button at a time.
"What do you say, boy?" She asked as her hands reached the last button. "Do you still just want a kiss from me?"
She said as she pulled open her trench coat, exposing her completely nude body to him. Her ample breasts bounced hypnotically after being freed from their confines. If he was a betting man, he'd have to say that she was probably one size smaller than Ura. Despite himself, he couldn't help but glance down, mesmerized by the hypnotic balls of flesh. Seeing where he was staring, a smile grew across the woman's face.
"Well, are you just gonna stand there?" She asked as she beckoned him with one finger while holding her left breast in the other, bouncing it up and down in her palm as if it were a paddle ball.
"Sorry, but I'm not into insects," he mocked as his magic eye revealed her true form to him.
"Fine! I guess we'll skip to the main course then!" she shouted as her face contorted into a sadistic grin.
Suddenly, mandibles sprang out from her mouth, which quickly grew larger and were filled with razor-sharp teeth. Eight gleaming green eyes appeared on her face, as her waist soon transformed into the lower half of a spider. Her arms, on the other hand, turned into blades resembling a praying mantis. The Stray Devil then leaned back on her spider legs and looked at the unfrightened teen like he was a slab of meat.
"Dismantle," he then flicked his right hand, sending an invisible slash that cut the devil from her breast all the way to her collar bone.
Pain and shock filled the monster's eyes, but she was far from discouraged as she pushed off the ground and launched herself into the air. Seeing she was trying to crush him under her body, he quickly backflipped to avoid her just in time. After landing, she immediately pursued him, slashing relentlessly at his body with her bladed forearms as he continued to backflip out of her reach.
Seeing she wasn't landing any hits, the spider-woman changed tactics, making a red magic circle appear in front of her mouth before she shot green flames at him.
"Whoa," he remarked as he jumped off the ground just to avoid the flames. "I don't want to get hit with that." he remarked as he looked down from the rafters above.
Suddenly, she appeared right behind him, and before he could turn around to face her, she managed to slash him with the backside of one of her blades, which sent him plummeting to the ground below. After crashing into the concrete, Sukuna remarked that the fall had broken at least two ribs and quickly activated Restoration to heal them.
"Well, you wanted a real opponent," he said to himself while popping back up to his feet.
"Dismantle," he remarked as he sent several slashes above, aiming for the beams she was standing on.
With the beams cut, the spider-devil quickly found herself plummeting to the ground below. After crashing into the hard concrete floor, several of the cut beams fell on top of her, pinning her in place. Once the dust dissipated, Sukuna found his opponent pinned under several tons of old metal with only her head and forearms poking out.
The stray quickly tried to free herself, thrashing relentlessly against the makeshift cage. Seeing she couldn't escape with brute strength alone, she decided to switch tactics. Soon a dozen small red magic circles appeared in front of her, making dozens of insect-like creatures appear. They were small, roughly the size of a chihuahua, with four dragonfly-like wings and a giant stinger.
"Uh oh," he muttered as the flies immediately flew at him.
Activating both Reinforcement and spreading his cursed energy to his senses like Ura taught him, Sukuna began slicing the flies with Dismantle, cutting the flies apart just as quickly as they appeared. Yet for every one he cut down, three more took its place.
"Urgh, stop struggling, you monkey!" The spider-devil yelled as she began melting the metal with her green flames.
Soon more flies appeared and began to encircle Sukuna, preventing him from retreating any further. The bugs then started to attack him simultaneously. He reacted just like he was trained, cutting them before they could touch him. As he continued to slice them one after the other, all of his senses started to scream danger.
Spinning around, Sukuna realized too late that he'd lost track of the spider-devil. Immediately, he raised both hands, trying to form a barrier in front of him. But it was too little, too late, as the spider-devil's right bladed forearm pierced right through his half-baked barrier like a hot knife through butter.
Sukuna screamed in pain as the stray pierced his right shoulder with her blade arm. Slowly, the stray lifted him up off of the ground. As he clenched his teeth and attempted to pull himself free, the stray laughed at him sadistically.
"Huh, what's wrong, tough guy?" She asked sarcastically as she lifted him higher, taking pleasure in his clear pain. "You were so confident a second ago. Surely you can kill one harmless insect."
At her words, Sukuna spit a wad of blood in her face, making her go from cocky to furious.
"You damn hairless chimp!"
She screamed as she turned and flung him across the room, making his back slam against the wall. With the air knocked out of him, he was slow to sit up, and even slower raising his right hand, preparing to launch another slash when suddenly his arm was severed at the elbow. Sukuna yelled as blood poured from his new stump.
From outside the warehouse, Ura gritted her teeth in frustration. She wanted nothing more than to go inside and save her master and slay the wretched filth that laid its hands on him. But before journeying to the warehouse, he'd given her a strict order not to interfere in the fight, no matter the outcome, and the master's orders were absolute. He wouldn't even let her inform him on the stray devil's abilities, saying it wouldn't be much of a test if he knew the answers beforehand. Either way, all she could do is hope her master survived it.
Back inside the warehouse, the Stray continued to play with her latest meal. Against the wall, Sukuna had both bladed arms stuck inside his shoulders, pinning him in place. Slowly, the spider-devil brought her face inches away from his.
"You know, monkey, I usually like my food to be nice and soft." She said as her long tongue ran over her lips. "But for you, I think I'm in the mood for some yakiniku."
She then opened her mouth wide before hurling another stream of green flames on his body, burning him from head to toe. He wanted to scream, but as he opened his mouth, the flames made their way down his throat, burning him from the inside out. His eyes fluttered as the pain began to shut down his nervous system.
"Am I really about to lose?" He asked himself as he continued to be burned to a crisp. "After getting my second chance, is this really how it ends?"
Soon darkness came and claimed its prize as his eyes slowly shut, ready to give in to death's embrace once again.
o-O-o
Slowly, Sukuna's eyes fluttered open and found himself lying in a pool of blood. Confusion filled his face as he got up and began looking around. The air was thick with a dark, oppressive aura, and as he gazed upon the strange landscape, he saw it was enclosed by a cage of interlocking bones, turning it into a ribcage-style ceiling.
"Where am I?" he asked himself. "Did I die again? Have I returned to the Abyss?"
"Not quite, punk," a condescending voice answered.
Turning his head towards the source of the voice, Sukuna became shocked by the sight that greeted him. It was him, but at the same time it wasn't—sitting upon a large, throne-like structure of skulls. He was dressed in a white kimono, just like the one from his conversation with the real Yuji.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked the man.
"Ha, you already know the answer to that, punk," he sneered, looking down at his broken body from his makeshift throne with contempt. "I'm the one who you've been masquerading as these last few days. What was the name you were going by in this new world of yours? Oh right, Doumon, that's it."
Outer Sukuna's eyes widened slightly, hearing the being's claims.
"That's not possible, you're dead," he declared.
"Well, you are right about that," he shrugged. "I'm not the real Sukuna, not the one you're thinking of anyway. I'm the thoughts and feelings that you inherited when the Celestial System gave you your powers."
"You! You're the one who's been speaking inside my head before!"
"Nailed in one," he laughed sarcastically. "Maybe you're not as stupid as you look."
"Nice backhanded compliment, asshole," he shot back, making the being smirk. "So what is this? Are we dead or something?"
"Or something," its smirk grew. "You're not going to last much longer out there, so why not give your body over to me?"
"Huh?" his expression became a mixture of shock and confusion.
"I mean, think about it. You're pretty much dead anyway, so why not let me take the wheel." It said as it got up from its skull throne and began making its way down towards him. "If you agree to hand over your body to me, I will kill this devil like crushing a cockroach. I will bring the three factions to their knees, make them beg for mercy before slaughtering them to the last man. All of the world will know our name, and all I ask in return is your body. Pretty fair deal, if you ask me."
It finally finished walking down the makeshift platform and stood on even ground with him.
"Well, I'm not asking you, and there's no way in hell I'm giving up my body to you." He snapped back, making the Inner Sukuna frown.
"Why are you trying to fight so hard?" It asked him as it began to walk around him at a leisure pace. "What do you have waiting for you out there, dumbass? Your parents are gone, your bratty sister too. In fact, the only thing you have right now is a crow woman you've known for what, four days?"
The being's cold words cut deep into him as he was reminded at the loss of literally everyone he ever met. Slowly, his body turned back into that of Zach McCole as he shrunk in size.
"So I'll ask again: what do you have that's worth fighting for?"
"I-I don't know," he stuttered, making the crooked smile on Alter Sukuna's face grow.
"Then why keep fighting? Why not just leave everything to me and have yourself a nice long nap."
Outer Sukuna didn't know if it was the being or the mindscape itself, but he felt as though gravity itself was bearing down, zapping away his energy and will, making him want to curl up in a ball and just go to sleep. Slowly, he began to go down to his knees, much to the being's delight.
"You tried to change, but it was all pointless," its voice rang out in his head as he continued to lower himself, its tone filled with scorn and spite. "You already knew that, though, didn't you? This place wasn't some kind of second chance, it was just more of the same."
Cracks oozing power began to form all across Outer Sukuna's body as the Inner stood over his kneeling form.
"Now let me out!" He yelled as he extended his hand towards him.
Slowly, he raised his hand as well, much to the Inner's glee, whose grin grew wider, reaching ear to ear. Then he remembered his time in the Abyss and the hunger that had tormented him. Of how he swore he'd become the strongest. That desire was etched into his bones and fueled him with rage.
"No," he then pulled his hand back.
"What do you mean, no? Are you seriously just gonna let yourself get burnt to ashes and not even do anything about it?! Can you get any more pathetic?!" The Inner Sukuna yelled, but his aura diminished, showing the change in dynamics.
"No, I'm not going to die here, and I'm not weak, but you are." Outer Sukuna's voice was firm but not entirely his own. Slowly, the cracks vanished from his body as his aura strengthened. "You are just an echo of a bitter, defeated loser, nothing more."
He then got back up to his feet, his aura growing stronger as he returned to his Yuji Sukuna form. He then reached out and grasped the shocked Inner Sukuna by the throat, squeezing with all his strength. Soon the same cracks formed across the Inner's body, and energy began to leak out like blood from a fresh cut and was quickly absorbed by him.
"This is my body, this is my power, so just shut your mouth and watch how it's done."
Soon Inner Sukuna merged with his body, and the entire mindscape began to shake and change as he was filled with new unmatched energy, and he finally got the answers he was looking for.
o-O-o
Back in the real world, the Stray continued to cook the stupid boy with her flames, before something miraculous happened. The idiot boy's energy began to grow in size and intensity, and the spider-devil was filled with a sense of impending doom. Suddenly, the boy reached out with his left hand, gripping her forearm blade tightly before shredding it to pieces.
"Argh!" She screamed as she jumped back to get some distance.
Soon the silhouette of the burnt boy stood up and with a single wave of his hand, extinguished the green flames. His body was riddled with third-degree burns and was missing most of his skin, but to the stray's shock, his skin and arm quickly regenerated right before her eyes. Soon the young man that was on death's door just seconds prior stood before her with a wide, distorted smile across his face as he stared up at the ceiling.
"I can see it!" He screamed with pure glee. "I've finally grasped the true nature of curse energy! I can do anything with this kind of power! Is this the answer you reached, Satoru Gojo?! Is this the peak?!"
The stray could only stare on with both shock and bewilderment. After all, the boy who just moments ago was as good as dead was talking to himself about things she didn't understand.
"Is he high or something?" She asked herself as she looked on. "Such twisted malevolent energy. It's overwhelmingly evil. Not even Master Asmodeus's Aura was this dark."
"W-who are you?" She finally asked, getting the deranged child's attention, who stared down at her with a hint of curiosity.
"Huh? Oh right, the bug from before," he commented to himself as if remembering something. Slowly, he began to walk towards her, his second pair of eyes and tattoos growing across his body as he did. "You have my gratitude, you worthless worm. Thanks to you, I received the answer I was after."
"Worm? Answer?" She looked confused. "What the hell are you?"
She asked, both confused and angry. The spider-devil wanted nothing more than to cut the hairless monkey from balls to brains and feed on his intestines, but something about the boy had changed. Every cell in her body, all the way down to her hair, was telling her to flee.
"What's the point of asking questions when you're about to die?"
He asked rhetorically as he raised his aura, making shivers run down the spider's spine, but her pride refused to let her back down.
"You think you can kill me? Then go on and try!"
She then raced forward, looking to cut the impetuous boy's head off with her remaining blade arm. Though when the blade was just an inch from his neck, he reached out and caught it between his thumb and index finger. The stray looked confused and found her arm trapped in the boy's vice-like grip. An even wider grin grew on his face as he activated his latest technique.
"Cleave" suddenly her blade arm was cut into eight salami slices.
Her stump spewed purple blood that splashed the boy—no, the monster's—face and hair. Her screams were immediately silenced by a well-placed right kick to her jaw, sending her flying across the warehouse, breaking through several of its metal inner walls. Dazed and confused, the spider attempted to use her arms' bloody stumps to keep her lower jaw from falling off as blood poured from her face.
Click Click Click
The soft sounds of footsteps echoed across the warehouse, drawing the Stray's attention, who looked on with horror as the four red, gleaming eyes slowly approached her.
"You're not done already, are you?" He asked again as he entered the room. "Come on, what happened to all the confidence from before? You were talking all that good shit just a second ago." His tone was filled with contempt and mockery—something that usually made the spider feel rage. Instead, all she could feel was pure terror.
"Stay away from me!" She screamed as she summoned as many insect familiars as she could.
After over a hundred had appeared, they all swarmed the young man from all sides as he stood completely still with a relaxed posture. But as the bugs completely surrounded him, they were all instantly cut into pieces. The sight of her minions being slain would leave her mouth hanging, if it wasn't already.
"What's wrong? Is that all you got?" He asked as he walked over the corpses of her summons, squashing them beneath his shoes. "Come on, you need to try harder. Surely a big bad devil can kill one hairless monkey."
Seeing that victory was now impossible and she couldn't teleport or escape thanks to the barrier that she just now noticed, the stray decided to switch tactics.
"Please, have mercy." She pleaded, tears streaming from all of her eyes. "You must be a powerful mage. You must have a way to heal me."
"Tsk," Sukuna clicked his tongue with clear disgust at the cowardly devil's words.
Seeing the scornful gaze he looked at her with, made the stray realize that the monster before her didn't have an ounce of pity in him.
"If you spare me, I swear to devote myself to your service! I can take on any form you desire." She said as she changed herself back into her beautiful female form. "I'll be your servant, your slave, your lover, whatever it is you desire. Just please don't kill me!"
At her words, he stopped moving.
"You'll be my servant?" He asked as if contemplating her request.
Seeing a chance to survive, the stray devil jumped on it.
"Yes! Yes! I swear! You can use my body however you want!" She said as she jiggled her massive breasts at him, remembering him enjoying them earlier. "I just want to live!"
At her words, he slowly walked towards her, his feet squashing the remains of her familiars. He kept walking until he stood over her, and then slowly reached out and cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"You'll be whatever I desire?" He asked again as she stared up at him.
"Of course, whatever you need." She responded.
"Good, then I want you to be dead," He said with a sadistic grin.
"What—" but before she could finish, he plunged his claw hand into her head, then activated his new skill, Cleave, to slice not only her flesh but her soul as well, specifically a certain red chess piece.
Soon her body was cut to ribbons, and all that was left of the powerful stray devil was a large purple stain on the floor. Once he was done flicking the blood off of his hand, he called out to his servant.
"Ura, I'm done. Drop the barrier." His voice carried across the mostly destroyed warehouse.
Immediately, she complied and then appeared at his side.
"Are you alright, Master?" she asked with clear worry in her voice.
"I'm better than alright," he said, his voice returning to pure glee as he stared at his hands and flexed his fingers. "I've finally understood, Ura!"
"That's great news, Master, but we should depart soon." She said, bringing him out of his epiphany.
"What? Why?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Your sudden increase in cursed energy was too much for me to contain completely in my weakened state," she explained. "I have no doubt those devil kings probably sensed it and are most likely on their way here."
"Is that so?" For a moment, he entertained the idea of waiting around and meeting the devil king and her peerage, but in the end, logic won out. "Fine, let's head home. I'm hungry anyway."
He said before turning and making his way towards the warehouse exit with Ura in tow. As he walked, he went over all the notifications that had appeared in his head during the battle.
Alert: Skill Level up
[Cursed Energy Manipulation] - Level 3
[Cursed Energy Output] - Level 3
[Reverse Cursed Technique 1: Restoration] - Level 3
[Innate Technique Shrine Technique 1: Dismantle] - Level 3
Alert: New Skills unlocked
~Innate Technique Shrine Technique 2 Level 1 Cleave: A slashing attack that adjusts itself depending on the target's toughness and magical energy to cut them down.
~Ten Shadows Technique 1 Level 1 Shadow Travel: Grants the user the ability to move and hide within shadows.
~Ten Shadows Technique 2 Level 1 Shadow Storage: Grants the user the ability to store objects, weapons, and even people within their shadows.
~Ten Shadow Technique 3 Level 1 Shadow Tentacles: Grants the user the ability to summon and control powerful tentacles from their or other shadows.
~Ten Shadow Shikigami 1 Divine Dogs: A powerful pair of Shikigami that can tear the user's enemies apart using their fangs and claws. [Status] untamed.
"Cool, looks like my Sukuna kept Megumi's inherited technique," he thought happily as Ura teleported the two of them away.
As soon as they vanished, a red magic circle appeared in the middle of the warehouse, and out of it came four young high school students dressed in their school uniforms.
"Was this the right place?" The blonde young man asked, looking around.
"Yes, look," A white-haired girl pointed out the devastated building. There were slash marks, scorch marks, lots of dead insect familiars, and then a giant purple puddle smeared across the floor. "There was a battle here," she continued.
"Ara Ara, indeed," the dark-haired girl agreed. "The question is who was fighting and why."
"Could it have been the fallen again?" The young man asked, making the dark-haired girl's face grow into a scowl.
"No," The white-haired girl answered. "I don't smell any light magic here. And while the one aura clearly belongs to a Stray Devil, the other is incredibly foul—fouler than anything I've smelled before."
"Do you have any idea who it might be?" The red-headed leader finally asked, but the white-haired girl shook her head.
"The energy signature reminds me of Senjutsu, but it's overwhelmingly evil, similar to Gasper's Sacred Gear."
"A Human, then?" The boy asked. "Maybe it was an exorcist?"
"Maybe," the red-haired girl thought, holding her chin in her hand. "Whoever it was, they did us a big favor, so for now, we'll just have to keep an eye out for anything suspicious."
"Yes, Buchou," they all said at once.
After erasing any evidence of the supernatural, the group of four teleported back to their base of operations, leaving the half-destroyed warehouse behind.
o-O-o
Far away from the town of Kuoh, Upper Management was in the middle of a rather precarious meeting within the abyss.
"It would seem our latest Player has somehow found a way to resist the program."
One commented on the screen, having replayed the fight between the player and the stray devil over and over again. The other eleven seemed to adjust in their chairs.
"Who knew he had such willpower? According to his records, he was a complete slacker back on his earth." Another stated.
"Perhaps it was the mediator's torture that did it?" One asked.
"Enough. It doesn't matter," The clear leader said, cutting through the others' words. "He resisted for now, but it's only a matter of time before he gives in. Remember, as he develops, so does the program, and it's only a matter of when it takes effect, not if."
The others seemed to agree with its thoughts.
"We're done here, all of you have your assignments, and I expect results."
"Yes, R@3T%qu^T," they said together before signing off as one.
The upper management leader looked over the screen with a hint of curiosity.
"Everything is proceeding so nicely. I wonder what shape your soul will take, boy." It said to itself as it stared at the frozen image of Sukuna killing the stray.
A/N: If you like this story and what to read ahead chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 are already available for Patrons.
Just go to to Google and type in RoguePrince69 and click the link then enjoy.