TW: Blood and Injury, and I think this qualifies as torture
A/N at the end of the chapter
CHAPTER 9
{POV: Suzue Kujou}
«Come on, don't tell me you need a hand… Kaede.»
Suzue lay motionless on the ground amidst the debris, silent and barely breathing, with little doubt about what was happening; Yuji had been an incredibly efficient vessel up until now, almost unbelievably so. Yet, Sukuna had taken over and now controlled the boy's body.
She felt his voice, terrifyingly close to her ear, laden with mockery and… amusement. The King of Curses was having fun seeing her in such obvious distress, and he made no effort to hide it. In fact, Suzue could sense a malicious grin on his face.
Yuji – Sukuna – walked past her with calm, slow steps, heading toward the special-grade curse lying in pieces on the ground. It had all happened in an instant; one moment, the curse was threatening her, and the next, it had simply collapsed.
Yuji had only ingested three of Sukuna's fingers, yet his power already seemed unmatched.
Suzue kept her eyes fixed on the curse, or what was left of it, unable to move a muscle due to the primal terror that had taken over her body. Every sense screamed the same thing: Sukuna would kill her.
"This… is a bigger mess than I thought. If Yuji doesn't regain control of his body soon, we're all dead."
With a barely perceptible movement, Suzue lifted her gaze slightly and looked at the King of Curses. The body was undoubtedly Yuji's, but the posture and the visible tattoos on his face clearly belonged to Sukuna. She noticed another pair of small eyes, almost slits, under Yuji's eyes, also fixed on the remains of the curse. One of them quickly shifted its attention to Suzue, who instinctively lowered her gaze, feeling the imminent danger.
A tremor ran through her body, and though her mind constantly tried to devise a plan, a coherent thought that could help her in that situation, she felt her clarity slipping away.
The special-grade curse, however, was not defeated at all, and as quickly as it had been shredded, it regenerated, resuming its original grotesque form. As much as one could read a curse's behavior, it seemed almost confused and disoriented; evidently, it hadn't even realized what had happened, it was so fast.
Sukuna, now standing carelessly with his back to Suzue, stared at the curse unimpressed by its regeneration; he snorted, visibly annoyed.
«You know, it's really humiliating that these sorcerers of this era consider us both special-grade curses. You and me… on the same level?»
Sukuna, who continued to stand with his hands in his pockets and ignore Suzue, seemed more to be talking to himself than to the curse that evidently didn't even have the ability to understand him.
Then, he moved so quickly that the curse had no time to react again; with bare hands, he struck it, hurling it to the far end of the hall against a wall, disintegrating it and making it collapse over the curse.
«You're weak. Die.»
He was fighting… No, saying he was fighting would be an understatement. He was playing with that special-grade curse with disarming ease. Suzue could only watch incredulously and helplessly at what was, in essence, a one-sided slaughter between a monster and its prey.
Sukuna turned towards her, and in that moment, he didn't have the cynical and amused expression Suzue expected. He seemed more serious, almost as if he were studying her carefully.
She barely managed to look at him, keeping her head down, but when she blinked, she suddenly found the special-grade curse frighteningly close in front of her.
It had charged at her, bypassing Sukuna; evidently, it had realized it couldn't compete with him and had decided to deal with her instead.
Suzue instinctively threw herself backward, feeling it was too late to do anything; she closed her eyes, waiting to feel the curse's attack, but the blow never came. When she weakly reopened her eyes, dangerously close in front of her, the curse had been cut in half again, and through the dismembered body of the curse, she could see Sukuna approaching slowly, still studying her with those… red eyes.
For a moment, Suzue felt her heart skip a beat, unable to ignore this small detail.
Sukuna grabbed the curse's body, hurling it away again until it lodged into a wall: meanwhile, he continued to stare at Suzue with that bored, almost angry look.
Probably due to the lack of clarity and the adrenaline of the moment, a crazy thought crossed her mind: it seemed absurd, but one could say that Sukuna had just saved her life. Suzue dismissed that shocking thought and refocused on the King of Curses: he had turned towards the spot where he had thrown the curse, his face twisted in a malicious grin.
She pushed herself up to a sitting position, feeling the weight of her own exhaustion but forcing herself to stay alert. She couldn't afford to show weakness, not in front of Sukuna. The very thought of relying on him for her survival was both infuriating and terrifying.
The curse, despite its brutal beating, was not giving up. It regenerated once more, though slower this time, and roared in anger and pain. Suzue watched as Sukuna approached the curse again, his movements fluid and almost lazy, as if he was barely exerting any effort.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he sent a wave of cursed energy that tore through the curse. Suzue felt a mixture of awe and horror at his sheer power. This was the King of Curses, a being so powerful that even the strongest curses were mere playthings to him.
«Since you don't know what respect is, I think it's time to give you a demonstration of real power.»
The air in the room changed in an instant as Sukuna formed a seal with his hands. Suzue felt a chill run down her spine as her mind raced to catch up with the events and understand what was about to happen.
Still half-lying on the ground, she began to concentrate her cursed energy, enveloping herself completely, her survival instinct quickly taking over.
"Shit, shit, shit…!"
She got on her knees, trying to complete the technique as quickly as possible, while Sukuna finished the seal with his hands and uttered those terrifying words. The atmosphere was filled with a growing sense of oppression as the King of Curses completed the technique; even the curse seemed to sense the inevitability, beginning to tremble incredibly.
«Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine.»
As Sukuna uttered those words with mockery, fully aware of the terror he was instilling in both the curse and her, Suzue managed, in a desperate race against time, to complete her countermeasure.
"Falling Blossom Emotion"
That anti-domain technique was one of the few truly useful things she had managed to learn within the Zenin clan, and now she could only hope it would be sufficient to survive the King of Curses' domain.
It felt as if gravity itself had increased; the ground beneath her trembled while the surrounding structures were distorted by the cursed energy emanating from Sukuna's domain, and the floor seemed to sink into a bottomless abyss. The dark and macabre shrine, symbol of the domain, had taken shape and loomed menacingly at the center of the room.
Suzue could feel her heart pounding furiously in her chest, every fiber of her being tense in the effort to maintain her defense, while Sukuna watched her with a mix of amusement and interest.
Behind him, with inhuman speed, he struck the curse repeatedly, cutting it into smaller and smaller pieces, his face painted with an expression of pure malice.
Suzue noted with some relief that he wasn't using his domain to attack her; at that moment, she was just a guest within that infernal space. Sukuna was focusing solely on the curse, but she couldn't let her guard down even for a moment, as it could mean certain death.
It all lasted only a few moments; for the special-grade curse, there was no way to defend or counterattack. It was pulverized under the relentless attacks guaranteed by the domain, leaving a finger behind.
A finger of the King of Curses.
"He had assimilated it? That explains the regenerative ability of that curse… although I don't think there's much left to regenerate now."
Sukuna, watching it disperse into nothingness, massaged his neck in boredom and couldn't hold back one last mocking comment.
«And to think I wanted to cut you into just three parts… You were even weaker than I thought.»
The domain dispersed, returning the surrounding environment to its original state; the innate domain of the special-grade curse had also dissolved, leaving no trace of it. This time, the curse's destruction was definitive and beyond any possibility of regeneration. The prison had returned to its normal appearance, except for the disastrous state it was in due to the various battles it had endured.
Sukuna nonchalantly picked up the finger from the ground and, with a satisfied smirk, swallowed it. With that, he had recovered a total of four fingers, and his supremacy already seemed undisputed.
Suzue, slowly, released the anti-domain technique, realizing she hadn't practically breathed for all those long seconds. She had just survived the King of Curses' domain, and not because she was particularly skilled but only because he had momentarily spared her.
Part of the adrenaline that had sustained her during Sukuna's domain activation left her, and she let herself go, feeling her vision blur; still kneeling, she stared at her hands on the ground, taking deep breaths to regain her stamina.
She felt him approaching slowly, in front of her, but she still needed a moment.
Just a moment…
«Noble Kaede?»
Suzue jolted, finding herself once again in Kaede's shoes, in a body she couldn't control but could perceive every emotion and sensation from. The attendants in front of her had extremely worried expressions and were filling some wooden crates with clothes and other personal effects. She sensed a certain urgency in their actions, and they were visibly frightened.
«Noble Kaede, we need to get you out of here immediately! He… He's coming, you can't stay, it's dangerous! »
The woman who had spoken approached her, almost pleading for her to move and follow them, but Suzue didn't perceive any change in Kaede. She didn't move, and her spirit wasn't at all disturbed by the tension in the air. She watched the scene, standing in the middle of the room, with absolute calm.
«Dangerous? » she began with a voice that sent chills down Suzue's spine. In previous visions, she had always had the impression that Kaede's voice was cold in a way that conveyed a certain sadness and loneliness, but this time… it was completely flat. It conveyed no emotion.
«I'm not worried. I'm not afraid of him, he won't hurt me.»
The attendant's eyes widened at hearing those words, astonished by what Kaede was saying.
«Noble Kaede, please don't talk nonsense! That man… Sukuna knows no limits, you don't think he'll stop just because you're his—»
«He won't hurt me. He doesn't want to and he can't.»
Kaede interrupted her firmly, silencing any further attempts at persuasion. The attendant backed away, visibly frightened by Kaede's presence, and bowed her head, trembling.
Kaede sat down with all her composure and elegance, then turned her gaze outside the large window framed by rice paper doors. Her movements were slow and measured, as if nothing in the world could disturb her.
«My… children? » Kaede asked with a hint of hesitation; this time, Suzue seemed to perceive a slight emotion in her voice.
The attendant, still with her head bowed and trembling, replied without looking up.
«They have already been moved to a safer place…»
Suzue, trapped inside Kaede, noticed with horror the external landscape: flames stood high and bright in stark contrast to the night sky, advancing relentlessly and devouring everything. The acrid smell of smoke seemed to penetrate through the walls, making the air heavy and difficult to breathe. The crackling of the fire was the only sound accompanying that apocalyptic scene, an eerie backdrop to Kaede's apparent calm.
«Then I have no reason to leave. I'll stay here where he wants me to be.»
Suzue felt a sharp pain in her stomach and found herself thrown onto her back after flying a few meters; landing, she hit her head and was abruptly brought back to reality, where her thoughts tried to catch up from the vision that had just overwhelmed her.
Sukuna had kindly given her a solid kick in the stomach to remind her that her battle was far from over. She rolled onto her side, coughing and gasping for air, her breath still knocked out from the kick she'd taken.
She tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth and struggled to focus, fighting to stay conscious. Behind her, Sukuna had reached her with extreme calm, not at all concerned about any reaction or attempt to escape.
«Got lost in your memories, Kaede? Thought you needed a reality check.»
She heard him sneer, and even without seeing him, she could easily imagine the expression on his face. That cruel smirk of amusement, the sadistic pleasure he took in her suffering. Sukuna leaned down slightly, his face now level with Suzue's. His red eyes stared at her with a mix of curiosity and malice.
Suzue tried to move, but the pain was too intense. Every movement was agony, and her body seemed to refuse to obey. With immense effort, she managed to lift her head, meeting Sukuna's gaze. Yuji's eyes were still there, hidden behind the mask of the King of Curses, and for a moment, Suzue thought she saw a flicker of recognition. But the moment was fleeting, quickly replaced by a mocking, sadistic smile.
«… Stop tormenting me with these visions. I'm not Kaede.»
Suzue almost whispered the words, hoping they might somehow extinguish the interest Sukuna seemed to have in her at the moment.
However, Sukuna didn't seem the least bit affected. Instead, he brutally grabbed her face, digging his nails into her cheeks, and hurled her even further away with ferocity. Suzue felt a searing pain across her face as she was lifted off the ground and thrown like a ragdoll.
This time, Suzue had the presence of mind to cushion her fall with an instinctive wall of fire. The flaming barrier erupted in front of her, slowing her impact with the floor and reducing the damage she would have taken. She rolled to the ground, her body aching but still able to move, trying to get back on her knees.
«Huh? You think I give a shit about tormenting you with some random visions?»
Sukuna, with his usual unsettling calm, was already walking toward her.
«What should I call you? Same face, same cursed energy… and just as pathetic. But you're right about one thing: you suck at controlling your cursed technique, not even close to your usual level. »
The flames around her began to fade, but she managed to summon a fragment of cursed energy, once again creating that thin protective armor around herself.
She stood up, a bit wobbly, and began to concentrate the cursed energy in her hands, attempting to form fire: she had to hold out until Yuji regained control, even though at that moment, facing that oppressive presence, it seemed like an impossible task.
She felt the trickle of blood running down her arm to her hands, and at that sight, Sukuna frowned slightly. The blood dripped slowly, hitting the ground with a sound that seemed amplified in the tense silence between them.
«Fix that shoulder, you're pathetic.»
She concentrated the cursed energy in her hands, creating a pulsating ball of fire, a small crackling and sparkling light.
Suzue hurled the fireball with all the strength she could muster. The flaming sphere shot toward Sukuna, illuminating the path with an intense light. But he, with an almost casual movement, deflected the attack with a gesture of his hand, reducing the flame to an insignificant flicker that exploded against a distant wall, making the entire building tremble.
«Oh. Wanna entertain me a bit? Let's see how long you can last!» he said mockingly, with a smile that promised nothing good.
In an instant, Sukuna launched forward with inhuman speed, disappearing from Suzue's sight only to reappear behind her a moment later. Before she could react, she felt a searing pain in her back. Sukuna had struck her with a devastating kick, sending her flying several meters forward.
Suzue landed hard, her body shaking from the impact. Every breath was a struggle, but she tried to get up, knowing she couldn't afford to stay down.
The thin armor she had created cushioned the blows but was certainly not enough against a monster like him. He was overpowering her with brute strength alone, not even using cursed techniques. Suzue began to doubt her chances of coming out alive.
"He's playing with me. And he's enjoying it… He doesn't even give me time to counterattack, I can only stay on the defensive. At this rate…"
She felt another blow, this time to her side, making her roll across the floor. Sukuna moved with lethal precision, hitting her with a series of relentless attacks.
Suzue managed to create a barrier of fire around herself, hoping to gain a few seconds of respite. The flames flared up around her, a fragile protection against Sukuna's fury. But he, with a simple gesture, dissipated the flames as if they were nothing.
«Why don't you heal yourself? » he asked, looking at her with disdain and a questioning expression. Then, a flash of realization seemed to cross his eyes.
«… You can't? You don't know how? For real?» He burst into a mocking laugh, his movements becoming more pronounced as if he had suddenly found something extremely amusing in the whole situation.
Suzue could only watch him mock her, overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness that absurdly led her to justify herself.
«I… I only inherited the destructive aspect of this technique…»
That last comment from Suzue made the King of Curses snap. With anger, he grabbed Suzue by the neck and lifted her off the ground, squeezing with crushing force. Suzue struggled to breathe, her eyes desperately searching for a way out.
It was then that Suzue saw it. A slight tremor was running through Sukuna's arm and hand, the same one with which he was slowly choking her.
«What are you talking about…» hissed Sukuna, bringing his face closer to hers. «… are you also stupid?»
Suzue felt her vision blur, the world around her becoming more distant, and with effort, she concentrated the residual energy in her hands, evoking an explosion of fire directly against Sukuna.
The flames exploded with unexpected force, engulfing them both in a fiery vortex. Sukuna was forced to release his grip, dropping Suzue, who fell to her knees, barely holding herself up and gasping for air. Her concentration was faltering more and more, and the fact that she had come out slightly burned herself was proof of that.
Suzue maintained a defensive stance, watching Sukuna rise amidst the dissipating smoke of the explosion. He had a thoughtful expression and continued to observe her as if she had just said the most nonsensical thing in the world.
The way he spoke to her, or rather insulted her, almost made her believe he was right and that she truly knew nothing about her cursed technique or how to use it.
She replayed Sukuna's actions and words in her mind, something gnawing at the back of her thoughts. His attacks had been relentless but never fatal. He could have easily killed her multiple times, but he hadn't.
«You know, I think you're lacking a bit of spirit. Maybe I should help you find some motivation?»
He spoke in a low tone, and a playful smile spread across his face. Suzue held her breath, unable to foresee anything good from those words.
«Have you, by any chance, lost two little students?»
He stared at her for a few seconds in silence, during which Suzue tried to read his intentions; then, he simply vanished in front of her, leaving her alone in that building that was now on the verge of collapse.
Suzue remained motionless, trying to connect the dots, and when she realized Sukuna's intentions, she felt a wave of despair wash over her, followed by a new flame of determination.
A/N
Another poorly written battle scene, I AM SORRY but the plot requires it! (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)
Facts
-Suzue lived with the Zenin clan for over 10 years. Even though she didn't attend Jujutsu schools, she still underwent some individual training within the clan. So, it makes sense that she would have picked up *Falling Blossom Emotion* (which is canonically a technique passed down within the three great families). However, it's not thanks to that technique that she survives Sukuna's domain—she's not that strong—it's just that he really isn't targeting her.
-Sukuna is... Sukuna. Guys, he's still the King of Curses in the end—a sadistic, lunatic maniac. He plays psychological games with Suzue and knows exactly where to hit to destabilize her.
-What makes things difficult for Suzue isn't just that she's up against the King of Curses. At this point in the story, she's incredibly strong but still has room to get worse. But he's inside Yuji's body, and obviously, Suzue doesn't want to hurt Yuji, so she's basically just taking the hits. Also, the binding vow that was immobilizing her is still partially in effect.
So... poor girl.
And with this little bit of information, I'll leave you! ❤️