Chapter 4

'Impossible, this… this is impossible!'

He thought the brat couldn't get to his level, not in a thousand years, not in a million years. And yet, ever since his eyes came upon him. His former vessel appeared to have a different aura to him than before.

He sensed no curse energy from this brat nor the dragon he once possessed, at the same time, when Sukuna last laid eyes upon his former vessel, he took on a lot more of his appearance. But there wasn't a curse mark to be found, no extra limbs to be seen.

How did he turn himself back?

It didn't matter. For the moment, he assumed the brat got a lucky shot in, losing his lower hands and the tip of his tongue hurt, but transfiguration was quick to…

But he realized he wasn't healing.

Why wasn't he healing!?

"What did they do…"

Then his teeth got knocked out!

The brat was a lot stronger than before, in fact, it's the strongest he has ever been! And yet no matter how long the fight went on, no matter what he used or jujutsu casted, it didn't affect him. It is as if curse energy… is nothing to him!

The injuries started to pile up, and yet, despite his best efforts, reverse jujutsu refused to work! "What did you cast on this earth that would limit my healing ability!" he demanded. "I know Ryōte Kiki could make something like that… but it's not in the ground…"

The brat's head tilted to the side oddly. "Oh? I did something?" he asked in a clueless tone. "I didn't cast anything that would limit your power, besides, that would take the fun out of it for Suiryu… Suiryu, you're turn!"

"What…"

With a suddenly clap of his hands, the brat had swapped with the knock off. Suiryu as he proudly called himself was anticipating a good fight. "Aw, you injured him more than you said you would!" he protested.

"It's not like you couldn't fix him up yourself."

"Ooo, good point!"

Sukuna didn't understand what they were talking about, but, he found his wounds healing. His teeth grew back, his hands too and the tip of his demon tongue. All his wounds were healed now! "About time that jujutsu kicked in…"

BASH!

He took a shot to the chest, instantly, he felt his ribs shatter from the impact!

Never… has he been manhandled like this before! No matter what he tried, what he could do, these brats… they bested him.

It's time for the domain.

"Domain expansion…"

But, as he summoned his domain, he found the brat mimicked him in timing. They casted one at the same time and yet… they were casting his! The malevolent shrine appeared, and yet, as it did… the domain shattered!

"WHAT!" he demanded.

He tried again.

"Domain expansion!" he shouted once more, and yet at the same time, the brats did the same.

It shattered again.

"Jinx" came out of the knock off as he smirked deviously. "Go ahead, try it" he said in a daring tone.

Once more, he called for it. "DOMAIN EXPANSION!"

Nothing happened.

Nothing formed, his shine didn't appear, his domain… denied?!

"What jujutsu is this!" he demanded.

The brat snickered. "You got jinxed, simple as that, you can't use your domain since we jinxed it… I'm glad it worked!"

"Same but it only lasts for the duration of the fight." Suiryu said offhandedly. "Still…"

Jinxed? They jinxed him? There is NO WAY a sorcerer can do this, not even he can. Sukuna knows he can overpower any domain he is called into, but how is it that these two can block him from casting it?

"Where did your power come from?" Sukuna demanded of them.

"Less talk, more head bashing…" Suiryu snapped back. "Put a little more curse behind your strikes, will ya?"

#

He laid there.

A bloody mess to say and yet, they weren't satisfied.

"You think he would have lasted a little longer?" Yuuji said offhandedly.

"You would think that, but still, being a thousand year old virgin. He probably lost a step or two, a little rusty and yet… here he lays…" Chimed Suiryu.

Sukuna was trembling with rage, his body was shattered, no curse energy or reverse jujutsu would heal him now, and what did heal over took longer than it should.

"You… you can't do this… to me!" he protested. Just as he coughed up blood.

"We just did," Suiryu said and snickered. "You still think you got a chance? Or you believe that this was all a fluke? Please… it's all real, and now… we need to figure out what to do with your sorry ass. How to kill you mainly, since… we want to make sure that your suffer."

Yet as Suiryu teased Sukuna. Something in Yuuji resonated in him, a voice in his head, whispering to him. 'Don't kill him'

He never thought such a notion would pass his mind, at the same time. This voice was very unfamiliar to him. "Suiryu… we can't be influenced by outside sources right? No one can raid our heads or anything?"

"Of course not! Why are you asking me this? Something happened?"

He shook his head, yet, as he peered down at Sukuna, the voice spoke once more, resonating in his mind but also his heart. 'Please, don't kill him…'

Someone or something… was asking this?

"You okay?" Suiryu questioned.

"Hmm… mind hearing me out on something?"

Yuuji was about to speak, when Sukuna slowly began to pick himself off the ground once more…