Tokyo was still burning.
Smoke rolled between the buildings as emergency sirens echoed through the streets.
Takeru and Yuji stood at the edge of the destruction.
Only the two of them had come.
No Gojo.
No Nobara.
No Maki.
No backup.
Just Takeru and Yuji.
Yuji cracked his knuckles.
"So…"
He stared toward the ruined street.
"We can take him, right?"
Takeru adjusted his sunglasses.
"Probably."
Yuji frowned.
"That didn't sound confident."
"I said probably."
"That makes it worse!"
Takeru smiled.
"Don't worry. He's just another Sukuna."
A deep voice suddenly came from above.
"Another?"
Takeru looked up.
The white-haired man stood on the roof of a partially destroyed building.
His long hair flowed in the wind.
Sukuna's markings covered his face and body.
His eyes looked down at them.
Then he smiled.
"Interesting."
Yuji immediately dropped into a fighting stance.
Takeru casually stretched his shoulders.
"Okay."
He pointed upward.
"Come down here."
The man laughed.
Then disappeared.
BOOM!
Yuji barely raised his arms before a slash tore through the street in front of him.
Takeru grabbed Yuji by the back of his shirt and yanked him backward.
SHING!
The pavement behind them was sliced apart.
Yuji stared.
"…Okay."
Takeru nodded.
"Yeah."
Another slash came.
Takeru twisted sideways.
It passed inches from his face.
He looked at the enormous cut behind him.
"…Definitely Sukuna."
The white-haired man landed.
Takeru immediately rushed him.
His fist collided with the man's cheek.
BOOM!
The building behind him shook.
But the man barely moved.
Instead, he grabbed Takeru's wrist.
"Cleave."
Takeru's eyes widened.
He immediately teleported backward.
A series of invisible slashes shredded the ground where he'd been standing.
Takeru landed beside Yuji.
"…Okay."
Yuji looked at him.
"What?"
Takeru stared at the mysterious Sukuna.
"I may have underestimated him."
The man raised his hand.
Flames erupted around his fingers.
Yuji's eyes widened.
"That's Sukuna's fire!"
Takeru nodded.
"Yep."
The mysterious Sukuna smiled.
"You recognize it."
Takeru pointed at him.
"Yeah, yeah. Very impressive."
Then Takeru's expression changed.
"Wait."
He looked at the man's cursed energy.
Something else was there.
Not Sukuna.
Three different signatures.
Takeru tilted his head.
"…You have three techniques."
The man smiled.
"Correct."
Yuji's face dropped.
"Three?!"
Takeru looked directly toward the sky.
"…Narrator?"
Nothing happened.
Takeru waited.
"…Narrator."
Still nothing.
He crossed his arms.
"Come on. Explain the techniques."
Yuji looked around.
"Who are you talking to?"
"The narrator."
"…There's a narrator?"
"Yes."
A voice suddenly echoed through the air.
"There is."
Yuji froze.
"…WHAT?!"
Takeru pointed upward.
"See?"
The narrator continued.
"The mysterious Sukuna possesses three unique cursed techniques inherited from the body he inhabits."
Takeru nodded.
"Alright, exposition time."
Yuji stared at him.
"This is insane."
Takeru whispered.
"Just listen."
TECHNIQUE ONE: THREADFALL
"The first technique is called Threadfall."
The white-haired Sukuna lifted his hand.
Thin, nearly invisible threads appeared between his fingers.
They stretched through the air.
"Threadfall allows the user to create cursed-energy threads that can attach themselves to objects, people, or even cursed energy itself."
The threads suddenly wrapped around a nearby streetlight.
The man pulled.
CRACK!
The entire streetlight ripped from the ground and flew toward him.
He caught it effortlessly.
"The threads can manipulate anything they are attached to, allowing the user to pull, restrain, redirect, or violently alter the movement of targets."
Takeru stared.
"…That's actually pretty useful."
Yuji nodded.
"Very."
Takeru looked at the narrator.
"Okay, next."
TECHNIQUE TWO: MIRROR STEP
"The second technique is Mirror Step."
The mysterious Sukuna stepped forward.
For a split second, his body reflected in the windows of a nearby building.
Then he vanished.
Yuji looked around.
"Where'd he go?!"
SHING!
The man appeared behind them.
Takeru grabbed Yuji and jumped.
A slash passed beneath them.
"Mirror Step allows the user to move between reflective surfaces within range."
The man stepped into a shattered window.
His body disappeared into the reflection.
Then emerged from a puddle several meters away.
"Any sufficiently reflective surface can become an entry or exit point."
Takeru landed.
"…That's annoying."
Yuji nodded.
"Extremely."
Takeru looked toward the narrator.
"Last one."
TECHNIQUE THREE: GRAVITY WELL
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.
Yuji's knees buckled.
"What…"
Takeru's feet slammed into the pavement.
The white-haired Sukuna raised his hand.
"The third technique is Gravity Well."
The air around him distorted.
Dust and broken concrete began floating upward.
"Gravity Well allows the user to manipulate gravitational force within a designated area."
The man closed his fist.
Everything suddenly slammed downward.
BOOM!
The street cratered.
Yuji was forced onto one knee.
Takeru grunted.
"…Okay."
"The user can increase, decrease, redirect, or concentrate gravity."
The white-haired Sukuna raised one finger.
The gravity suddenly reversed.
Chunks of concrete launched into the sky.
Yuji stared.
"He has THREE techniques…"
Takeru stood slowly.
"And Sukuna's."
Yuji looked at him.
"That's four!"
Takeru nodded.
"Four."
He stared at their opponent.
Then smiled.
"…This is gonna be fun."
The mysterious Sukuna's smile widened.
"You seem excited."
Takeru cracked his neck.
"I've fought Sukuna three times already."
He stepped forward.
"So what's one more?"
Yuji looked at him.
"Takeru."
"Yeah?"
"Technically this is Sukuna number four."
Takeru paused.
"…You're right."
He pointed at the white-haired man.
"Sukuna Number Four!"
The man's eyebrow twitched.
Takeru grinned.
"Let's fight."
The narrator went silent.
Then quietly added:
"…This is going to be a problem."
Takeru looked upward.
"I heard that."