Threads of Infinity: Echoes of Chaos (21)
this is one finger sukuna! not more than one so pls no hate on why he lost
The faint hum of cursed energy rippled through the air—a sinister tremor that pulled Tsukasa's senses to full attention. Sitting cross-legged atop a desolate cliff overlooking a distant cityscape, he opened his icy blue eyes, sharp and calculating. The energy was faint yet unmistakable—a disturbance born of something ancient, powerful, and deeply malevolent.
He tilted his head slightly, the cold wind whipping around him as he focused. The cursed energy wasn't just strong; it was layered, textured with a grotesque resonance. Something—or someone—had awakened a force tied to an ancient, forbidden power. The sensation wasn't entirely unfamiliar; it was a signature he'd only read about in the darkest records of the sorcerer clans.
Sukuna.
A flicker of surprise crossed Tsukasa's otherwise impassive face, quickly replaced by curiosity. Sukuna, the King of Curses, a legend whose name was synonymous with fear and carnage, had lain dormant for centuries, scattered across cursed fingers hidden in secrecy. But now, his energy surged—raw, untamed, and impossibly close.
Tsukasa closed his eyes again, allowing his senses to trace the origin of the disturbance. His focus narrowed until he found the epicenter—a school, modest and unassuming, nestled within the sprawling city below. His lips curved into a slight, humorless smile.
"Someone was foolish enough to eat a finger," he muttered to himself, his voice cold and detached.
Tsukasa rose, dusting off his uniform, his figure silhouetted against the dying sun. A deep resolve settled over him. The return of Sukuna presented an opportunity—a new challenge. To test himself against the chaos this power could unleash, to rise above even the King of Curses if necessary.
His cursed energy began to churn and swirl around him as he stepped forward, ready to descend into the madness that awaited below. The balance of power in the sorcerer world was shifting, and Tsukasa intended to be at its center.
The air was heavy with the scent of cursed energy, an ominous miasma that clung to the streets and invaded Tsukasa's senses. The oppressive atmosphere grew denser with every step, a palpable sign that something—or someone—of great power was close.
Tsukasa moved with a quiet, deliberate grace, his long coat shifting with the faintest breeze. The echoes of Sukuna's malevolent energy still resonated in his mind. The reborn King of Curses was ahead, but weak—pathetically so. The strength he sensed from Sukuna's single-finger form was nothing more than a flicker of the overwhelming might Tsukasa had come to expect. Still, there was something intriguing about the situation.
Rounding a corner, Tsukasa's sharp eyes fell upon the scene.
A shattered street stretched before him, illuminated by flickering streetlights. At the center of the destruction, a grotesque, slithering curse snarled and lunged at its prey—Sukuna, inhabiting the body of a young human boy, stood calmly in its path. The cursed energy radiating from the boy was potent, layered with both ancient malice and raw inexperience.
Nearby, Megumi Fushiguro lay crumpled against the pavement, his breathing shallow and labored, blood trickling from a wound on his side. Despite his injuries, his gaze remained locked on Sukuna, a mixture of fear and defiance in his eyes.
Tsukasa's presence went unnoticed at first, his aura suppressed to a level almost imperceptible. He paused at the edge of the battlefield, observing the unfolding drama with disinterest. The cursed spirit attacked Sukuna again, its grotesque form contorting as it tried to overwhelm him.
Sukuna didn't move—he didn't need to. With a flick of his hand, a crimson slash of cursed energy tore through the air, cleaving the curse in half. The creature dissolved into nothingness, its death accompanied by a faint hiss.
"Is that all?" Sukuna's voice echoed, laced with contempt. His gaze turned to Megumi, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "What a disappointment."
Tsukasa took a step forward, his presence no longer hidden. The sound of his boots against the pavement echoed sharply, drawing both Sukuna's and Megumi's attention.
"Who's there?" Sukuna asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. His sharp eyes fixed on Tsukasa as the figure emerged from the shadows.
Tsukasa stopped several paces away, his expression cold and unreadable. His icy blue eyes met Sukuna's crimson ones with a calm that belied the tension in the air.
"You must be Sukuna," Tsukasa said, his tone flat, devoid of awe or fear. "The so-called King of Curses."
Sukuna chuckled darkly, his expression shifting into one of amusement. "And who might you be? Another sorcerer come to throw their life away?"
Tsukasa tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into the faintest smirk. "Throw my life away? Hardly." His gaze flicked to Megumi for a brief moment, noting the boy's injuries, before returning to Sukuna. "I came here out of curiosity. I sensed your energy and wondered if you'd live up to the legend."
"And?" Sukuna spread his arms, his confidence radiating like a dark flame. "What do you think?"
Tsukasa's smirk widened, his aura beginning to rise—sharp, overwhelming, and suffocating. The air around him distorted subtly, the sheer density of his cursed energy creating an invisible pressure that bore down on everything around him.
"I think you're not worth my time," Tsukasa said coldly. "Not like this."
Sukuna's smirk faltered for a brief moment, his sharp instincts catching the truth in Tsukasa's words. The aura emanating from this newcomer was unlike anything he'd encountered in his limited time in this world—overwhelming, calculated, and utterly lethal.
Tsukasa stepped closer, his presence growing more oppressive with each step. "But since you're here, Sukuna, let's see how far you've fallen." His tone was calm, almost indifferent, but the glint in his eyes spoke of a predator closing in on its prey.
Sukuna's grin returned, sharper than before. "You dare mock me, boy?"
"No," Tsukasa said, his voice colder than ice. "I dare to remind you of your place."
Tsukasa stood before Sukuna, the atmosphere between them thick with tension. His Limitless technique wrapped around him, an invisible wall that distorted space itself. His Six Eyes glowed faintly, tracking every movement, every breath, every ripple of cursed energy. His presence felt like an immovable force, and Sukuna could feel it in his bones—the weight of his power was crushing.
Sukuna, despite his confidence, was keenly aware of the danger. This was no ordinary sorcerer. His instincts screamed at him, telling him that Tsukasa was a predator, and he was the prey.
Tsukasa took a slow step forward, his boots barely making a sound against the cracked pavement. His gaze never wavered from Sukuna's crimson eyes, but in that gaze was an unmistakable promise—Tsukasa was in control.
"You've been living in the past, Sukuna," Tsukasa's voice was smooth, yet it carried an underlying edge. "A King, they say. But I'm not impressed by titles."
Sukuna's grin twitched, but he kept it on his face, his pride flaring up. "You talk big for a brat. You think you can teach me something?"
Tsukasa's smirk was cold. "You're not even worthy of my time."
In an instant, Tsukasa was no longer where he had been. To Sukuna, it seemed like Tsukasa simply appeared in front of him. The space between them was distorted, the very air bending around Tsukasa as his Limitless technique warped the distance.
Sukuna's reflexes kicked in, but even with his speed, Tsukasa was faster. Before Sukuna could react, Tsukasa's hand shot out, fingertips brushing against his chest. Sukuna's eyes widened as he felt an overwhelming pressure build around him, an impossible weight pushing down on him from all directions. It wasn't just Tsukasa's cursed energy—it was the very fabric of space itself.
Tsukasa's Six Eyes saw it all. He could feel the subtle shifts in Sukuna's cursed energy, the faintest fluctuations that betrayed his next move. It was like reading an open book—every intention, every attack, every thought laid bare.
"You're too predictable," Tsukasa muttered, his voice almost pitying as he gently extended his cursed energy.
In the blink of an eye, the pressure intensified. Sukuna's body was caught in the gravitational pull of Tsukasa's Limitless, his movements slowed to a crawl. It felt like time itself was stretching, elongating the seconds until they seemed endless. Tsukuna's fingers lightly pressed against Sukuna's chest, and with a simple flick, the localized implosion hit.
The ground around them cracked as Sukuna's body shook violently, the energy tearing through him. He staggered back, his smirk faltering for the first time. His form—so accustomed to dominance—seemed to waver under Tsukasa's pressure, a crack forming in his unshakable confidence.
Tsukasa took a step back, his eyes narrowing, observing the effect of his attack. "You've got a lot of power, Sukuna," he said, his voice chillingly calm. "But you're nothing more than a shattered shell of what you once were."
Sukuna's grin returned, but there was a flicker of unease in his eyes now. "You think this is over?" he growled, his voice thick with malice.
Tsukasa's gaze didn't waver. "It's just beginning. But you're not my challenge anymore."
With that, he turned away, his presence no longer a threat but an enigma. He didn't need to finish Sukuna—he had already made his point. Tsukasa had already seen the future, and Sukuna no longer fit into it.
Sukuna's rage surged like a tidal wave, his body trembling with the intensity of his emotions. He was a King, a curse that had been feared for centuries, and here was this brat—this child—daring to mock him. His crimson eyes burned with fury as he took a step forward, his cursed energy flaring wildly around him.
"You dare insult me?" Sukuna roared, his voice a thunderous bellow that echoed through the empty streets. His hand shot out, the air around it distorting with the sheer force of his power. "I'll crush you where you stand!"
The ground cracked beneath his feet as Sukuna moved in a blur, closing the distance between them with unnatural speed. His hand, cloaked in a torrent of cursed energy, aimed directly at Tsukasa's chest. It was a simple attack, but imbued with the raw might of centuries of cursed power—Sukuna's trademark.
Tsukasa didn't move. His expression was as calm as ever, almost bored. His eyes never left Sukuna, watching him with the unflinching clarity only Six Eyes could provide.
Just as Sukuna's outstretched hand was inches from Tsukasa's chest, everything stopped.
The space between them shifted.
Sukuna's fingers froze, suspended by an invisible force, his body halted mid-attack. It was as though the air itself had thickened to a degree where every movement was rendered null and void. He could feel it—an oppressive weight pressing down on him from all sides, forcing him to remain motionless.
The concept of distance itself warped around Sukuna as Tsukasa's Limitless technique came to life. Infinity, the gap that separated every point in space, stretched between Tsukasa and Sukuna like an impenetrable wall. Time itself seemed to halt as the curse was trapped by the absolute force of Limitless. Sukuna's hand was caught mere inches from Tsukasa's chest, unable to move forward another millimeter.
A tremor of disbelief ran through Sukuna's body, his eyes wide with frustration. "What... is this?" he snarled, his voice thick with both confusion and anger. He tried to push forward, but the space itself resisted him, an invisible barrier that mocked his every attempt.
Tsukasa's gaze never faltered. "Infinity," he said softly, as if explaining something trivial. "A boundless divide that exists between every point in space. You can never reach me. Not unless I allow it."
Sukuna's fury boiled over. His entire form crackled with cursed energy, and his muscles bulged as he fought against the force that held him in place. "You think you can keep me trapped like this?!" he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. "I will tear through this barrier! I am the King of Curses!"
Tsukasa's smirk was calm, unbothered. "You're still a King in your own eyes," he mused, "but in reality, you're nothing more than a broken king trying to reclaim a throne you've long since lost."
The air around them shifted once more, the weight of Tsukasa's presence still heavy but infinitely controlled. He didn't need to act, not yet. Sukuna was already beaten. His desperation, his rage—these were the signs of a cursed spirit whose time had passed.
Sukuna's growl echoed in the stillness, but no matter how much power he poured into his movements, he couldn't break through the infinite divide. Every effort was futile. Tsukasa had already won, and Sukuna was left with nothing but the sting of helplessness.
With one final glance, Tsukasa turned, his gaze sweeping over the defeated Sukuna. "You can stay there for as long as you want. But your fight ends now."
He didn't need to say more. Tsukasa's footsteps echoed through the broken street as he walked away, leaving Sukuna to seethe in the unyielding grasp of Infinity.
As Tsukasa began to turn away, his icy blue eyes lingering on Sukuna for just a moment longer. He didn't need to say anything more; the silent message was clear. His presence, calm and deliberate, overshadowed the tension in the air. Sukuna, still frozen by the sheer force of Tsukasa's Infinity, glared at the back of his retreating form, his muscles straining in vain against the invisible barrier.
But just as Tsukasa took a step forward, he raised his hand in a slow, fluid motion.
With a single wave of his hand, the oppressive pressure in the air lifted. Sukuna's body snapped forward, released from the grip of Infinity. The cursed energy surrounding him surged violently, and he stumbled, barely able to regain his balance.
He immediately roared in frustration, his voice a guttural snarl of disbelief and rage. "You... let me go?"
Tsukasa's steps continued, unfazed by the chaos behind him. He didn't even glance back as Sukuna staggered to his feet, fury painting his features. "I'm not done with you yet, Sukuna," Tsukasa's voice reached him, distant and disinterested, as if the fight had never truly mattered. "You're free to go, for now. But remember—you're beneath me now."
The words stung more than any blow Sukuna could have thrown. He gritted his teeth, eyes blazing with rage, but Tsukasa had already made his point. Sukuna was left in the aftermath of the battle he hadn't won, his pride battered, his spirit simmering with a desire for vengeance. Yet, despite all the power he had once wielded, Tsukasa had shown him a glimpse of what it meant to be truly untouchable.
Sukuna's breath was heavy as he stood, staring at Tsukasa's retreating figure, knowing that no matter what he did next, the battle was already lost.
"You'll regret this," Sukuna spat through clenched teeth, but Tsukasa's response was nothing more than a brief, dismissive wave of his hand, as if to say, I'm already beyond that.
With one last, almost casual glance over his shoulder, Tsukasa continued walking, leaving the King of Curses seething in the streets—free, but completely outclassed.