Chapter 25

They haven't stopped.

Not for a single moment, not even to take a break to eat or do anything else. The moment Junpei gained Mahito, he brought him far from the others to where his brothers awaited him. From there, he unleashed the curse from the blood sphere as they gathered around him.

For the first time, Junpei saw the look of fear upon his face. "Wait… wait, let's talk this out huh? I mean… you're a curse too now aren't you?" Mahito stated.

"Cursed human, but who cares at this point… no… I've been dreaming of this day for a LONG time…"

Mahito then paused but snickered. "Really… you are going to be the one to challenge me?" slowly, he picked himself off the ground. "Look, kid, we had fun right? I helped you get revenge for those brats that picked on you, didn't I? I also awoke your curse ability!" he said and tried to sound like he did him a favor. Then Mahito noticed the brothers. "OOo Choso! Eso! Help me out huh? For old time sake?" he asked and bore a rather pathetic look.

Eso sneered at him. "Oh yes, for old time sake, you sent Kechizu and I to retrieve Sukuna's finger… Let me think for a moment… Oh that's right… IT GOT US KILLED!" Eso snapped.

Mahito shrugged his shoulders. "Perhaps… you should have planned it better? I mean, I did YOU a favor didn't I? If it weren't for me, you would still be in tubes!" He then turned to Choso. "Dear Choso… you know I had your best interest… right?"

The look on his face was worth a thousand words, even Mahito realized he would not be helping him. "You assisted the man… who toyed with our mother… who turned us against our own brother… I have no mercy to show towards you."

Mahito then prepared to strike, he completely forgot about Junpei, or assumed he wasn't a threat to say the least. Yet as he appeared to be planning his attack. Junpei struck him with piercing blood from behind. He tore a hole into the curse who appeared stunned by the assault, slowly, he turned back around, blood oozing from his lips as Junpei stared into his face fearlessly. "I got a little revenge since someone revived your essence… but I wasn't satisfied with how you died. How fortunate for me that I get to have a do over…"

For three days, the brothers took turns just beating him, punch after punch, kick after kick, it even got to a point where Mahito appeared he was going to evolve, but was quickly struck down once more, but not by a brother…

Junpei and his siblings were tried out from the three day barrage. Mahito was nearly gaining a second wind when he was struck down rather hard, he turned to confront the attacker, but froze.

"DIDN'T ANY OF YOU STAY DEAD!" he shouted in shock.

Nanami now stood over him, but smirked a little. "I assure you, I would have preferred to stay where I was, but… I was needed. Now… I do believe I need to let out some anger… but I am not the only one either… Right Kugisaki?"

She appeared behind him, the young woman who wore an eye patch after losing it to Mahito.

Junpei smirked as the two began to take turns beating him up as well! He kept trying to evolve himself, yet somehow, his evolution was suppressed. "How… why can't I get stronger? It worked before!?" he demanded as he finally got some space between himself and his attackers. "What the hell happened to me?!"

"Do you want the short answer or long one?"

Junpei and the brothers were now grinning from ear to ear as Suiryu appeared. He stared down Mahito with the infamous 'Sukuna glare'

He stumbled back in shock, shaking his head to it all. "No… stay back! Stay back!" he shouted in fear.

Suiryu strolled his way over, and yet Mahito didn't see who else was lingering. From behind, despite his state, Yuuji stood and waited for him to take notice. Mahito slowly backed himself up until he hit the fleshy wall. His hand reached behind himself as the look of confusion came over him. Slowly, he turned and stared at the rather enlarged Itadori. "YOU!" but then smirked. "Look at you now… Oh you are going to be fun to transfigure! You no longer possess Sukuna do you?" He licked his lips with greed as he eyed Yuuji.

"I wouldn't if I were you…" Suiryu said in a warning tone.

"Then try and stop me!"

Mahito's hand reached and grabbed Yuuji's arm…

#

Mahito was pulled in.

Just like the last time when he first laid hands on Itadori. Yet this innate domain wasn't the same. But the fact that he had one puzzled him. "What… what is this?" he muttered as he wondered about. The place was dark like a void, and yet something caught his attention. There was an egg shaped object that appeared before him, the boy was inside of it, tucked in a fetal position and unmoving at the moment. "Is this… is this your soul now, boy?" he whispered in slight amazement, but was more amused than anything.

There was no one and nothing to stop him from transfiguring the brat! His tongue lashed over his lips once more, catching some drool that managed to escape. "Oh… I have dreamed of this moment…" His hand reached out and was about to touch the egg that contained him, when he felt this unearthly pressure come over him! The world shook and quaked as he fell back. Mahito hit the ground hard but peered about fearfully. "Is… something else here? You still possess something in you?!" he demanded.

The Itadori soul remained unmoving. It merely turned over and maintained its position, eyes closed and oblivious to his presence. Perhaps Mahito just got a little rusty after being absorbed by that damn sorcerer!

Picking himself off the ground once more, he approached the egg again. This time determined to transfigure the brat to something incredibly hideous! Yet as his hand touched the egg, he instantly felt it!

His arm exploded!

The pressure returned once more but this time, there was a growling sound that followed.

"You dare… try to harm MY CHILD!"

Peering up, he looked into the eyes of a monster.

"What the hell…"

"Burn… for your sin!"

#

He grabbed on to Itadori's arm for a moment, Junpei was worried as the arm appeared to have altered slightly, but then, that little change vanished completely. Mahito then froze as he felt something happening to the arm he used to try and transfigure Yuuji with.

Junpei stepped back as Mahito tried once more to transfigure Yuuji, yet as he did, Mahito's arm blew off his body! The other arm, appeared to be smoldering. He released him quickly, and yet the damage was already done. Suiryu took a seat and waved everyone over. "Come and watch, it's going to be a great fire show!" he insisted.

"What?!" Mahito demanded as his arms continued to smolder. "What is happening to me? What did Sukuna's vessel do to me?!"

Yuuji was even grinning now as he took a seat. Noranso even summoned some extra flesh he stored away for Yuuji to sit comfortable, despite the fact it was flesh he didn't appear to mind at the moment.

Suiryu on the other hand, stood up before the brothers. "Now, this is something really interesting. Since Yuuji's soul is sort of in flux right now, there are certain measures that had been put into place to ensure he is protected…" he paused and turned to Mahito and smirked rather evilly. "I did try to warn you… But alas, it appears you really wanted to die this time around… Oh wait, Junpei weren't you going to finish him off?"

He smirked, as Yuuji appeared worried, his head lowered to him but he waved it off. "It's a slow burn isn't it?" he asked Suiryu. His head nodded to him. "I have no issue, if it will make him suffer, then by all means!"

The smoldering continued to spread until there was smoke coming out of the areas were Mahito had stitches. "What… what did he do to me? I didn't even touch his soul!" he protested.

Suiryu smirked. "His soul is in there, you did touch it, but… like Sukuna… it's best if you hadn't. After all… a dragon isn't very forgiving…"

He froze. "Dra… dragon?" he whispered and stared at Yuuji. "If that's in him… then… what's in…" Suddenly, fire began to burst out of the stitching! Mahito was encased in it and it slowly ate away at him. Suiryu took a seat next to Nobara and Yuuji as they watched him flail about, trying to extinguish the flames!

"He's only making it worst isn't he?" whispered Choso.

"Actually, he has no control over this. The flames are actually feeding off his curse energy, that the tinder here. And it spreads over his body and slowly consumes it until there is no energy left. When that is gone… then… well… the fire only has one thing left to use as fuel…" he said with an evil grin. "How unfortunate for him… he has a LOT of curse energy…" Suiryu paused for a moment. "I'll be right back…"

He was gone for only a few seconds, if that. When he returned he carried a bag of marshmallows and long sticks. "Okay, we're going to be here a while. You guys have been wailing on him for three days, let's take advantage of his current state… as soon as he stops rolling around…"