Third Person POV
The rain drizzled around the detention center as Megumi stood by the gate, waiting with bated breath. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but the tension was getting to him.
When he felt the innate domain dissipate, he finally allowed himself a small sigh of relief. That had to mean Itadori was okay—he just needed to make it back safely.
"Sorry, but he's not coming back."
Megumi turned sharply, recognizing the unmistakable presence of Sukuna's cursed energy. Standing there in Itadori's body, Sukuna's sinister grin was as chilling as the rain itself.
"Don't be so frightened. I'm in a great mood right now. Let's chat for a bit." Sukuna's voice dripped with twisted amusement.
"What… what did you do?"
With a twisted grin, Sukuna tore open Itadori's shirt, exposing his bare chest. Before Megumi could react, Sukuna's hand plunged into his own body, tearing out Yuji's heart.
Megumi's eyes widened. "What… are you doing?"
"I'm taking this brat hostage." Sukuna held up the heart, blood dripping from his fingers. "See, I can live without this, but he can't. Switching out with me means he dies." He let the words sink in, savoring Megumi's horror.
"Oh, and one more thing…"
Reaching into his pocket, Sukuna pulled out the finger he'd taken from the cursed spirit earlier. With a smug look, he brought it to his mouth and swallowed it whole.
A wave of cursed energy pulsed out, prickling against Megumi's skin, sharper and darker than before. Megumi could feel it—Sukuna's power was growing.
In that moment, Megumi realized the worst had happened. Itadori Yuji wasn't coming back—not any time soon. His only choice now was to face Sukuna alone, with no backup.
His jaw clenched. He didn't hold out much hope for Yuji's return, but responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Responsibility for leaving Itadori Yuji behind.
But maybe, just maybe, there was a slim chance. If he could just keep Sukuna busy long enough, or even corner him to make him regenerate his own heart, then maybe….
He just had to make Sukuna believe he couldn't win without a heart.
'Can I do that… when I couldn't even move with that special-grade in front of me?'
You always overthink things, you need to trust your instincts more.
'Right. It's not about whether I can. I have to do it!'
He took a deep breath, and the doubt slipped away, replaced by a raw, steely determination. He would trust his instincts. And if his instincts told him to throw everything he had at Sukuna… then he would.
Megumi took a deep breath, then raised his hand.
"Nue"
The bird Shikigami appeared hovering ominously above, its wings stretching wide as sparks crackled in the air around it. Megumi didn't waste a second, launching himself at Sukuna with a flurry of punches and kicks, hoping to at least break through Sukuna's defenses.
But Sukuna dodged each strike effortlessly, his expression darkly amused. He sidestepped Megumi's punch, barely shifting his weight as he dodged a kick. His mocking grin grew wider.
"Heh… interesting. You can summon Shikigami, but you're still coming at me yourself?"
In one swift motion, Sukuna seized Megumi's wrist mid-punch, pulling him forward with almost no effort. With a smirk, he spun him around, as if he were just toying with him.
"Heh… put more curse behind it when you strike me," Sukuna taunted, his voice dripping with amusement. His grip was Impossibly strong.
With a quick, merciless motion, Sukuna flung Megumi straight into the line of trees behind him. Megumi barely had time to register the impact before Sukuna was on him again, closing the distance in a flash.
A brutal kick collided with his torso, sending him crashing through the trees and slamming him into the side of a building. The force shook the structure, cracks spider-webbing across the concrete as dust and debris filled the air.
But the fight wasn't over.
Amidst the rubble, Nue burst out of the wreckage, wings spread wide. Megumi, bruised but undeterred, held onto the Shikigami as it carried him high above Sukuna, hovering just out of reach.
'It's not even a matter of jujutsu. His power and agility are on a completely different scale!'
"Nice techniques there!" Sukuna's voice was laced with amusement before he lunged, striking Megumi and Nue mid-air, sending them crashing into another building.
Megumi lay among the debris, a tangle of pain and thought. 'All of my Shikigami… they're at their limit. If they're destroyed here, I won't even have a chance to survive, let alone fight back.'
This battle had been hopeless from the start.
Still, he released Nue, watching as it sank back into his shadow. In his heart, he knew the only thing he could rely on now was a miracle. Any small chance would have to be enough.
"You're really risking your life over stupid things. This brat isn't even worth that much."
In his life, he'd learned one unshakeable truth—the only thing granted equally to all is an unfair reality.
—If I have the time to curse someone, I'd rather spend it on the people who matter to me.
Tsumiki.
She deserved happiness more than anyone else, and yet she was still cursed, trapped in a fate that she never asked for. When I think of her, of all the good she represents, Megumi can't help but wish she was free.
Then there's his father, who left him with the name "Megumi," never caring about who he was or what it meant for him. He's out there somewhere, living as he pleases, untouched by the consequences that have fallen on them.
Justice isn't something that just falls into place, not even in a world filled with curses. Evil people can only be judged within the boundaries of the law, and even that's not always enough.
"I should trust my instinct right? Shiki-senpai." Megumi was muttering to no one else in particular.
Megumi cursed energy grows.
"Nice. That's it! So this is where you start burning through your life! Now I see. In that case... show me everything you've got, Fushiguro Megumi!"
And in that moment, he was ready to give it his all.
Even his own life.
"Sacred treasure, swin—"
Before he could finish, a fist connected with Sukuna's face. Sukuna's body flew backward, crashing through the air like a ragdoll before slamming into the ground with enough force to send debris flying in all directions.
Megumi froze, his eyes wide with shock. He hadn't even seen it coming.
Standing before him was Shiki. Her striking blue eyes locked onto Sukuna with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the downpour. The rain slid down her face, but her expression was unreadable,
"Why are you so eager to throw your life away every time you're cornered?"
Shiki didn't glance his way, her focus entirely on the King of Curses as Sukuna began to rise, dusting himself off with a sinister grin.
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Shiki POV
Why is his first instinct always to throw his life away every time he's cornered?
My gaze didn't waver as Sukuna rose from the rubble, that twisted grin spreading across his face. I could feel Megumi's cursed energy flickering, struggling, pushing itself to the edge. But for what? Did he actually think sacrificing himself was the only way?
It was reckless, naïve even… and yet so painfully, infuriatingly true to who he is.
"Megumi," I murmured, barely loud enough. "Dying in battle might seem noble, but it's no solution. Don't get so caught up in saving others that you forget to save yourself."
Sukuna chuckled low, stretching as if he found my words amusing, beneath him. His eyes narrowed as he looked me over.
"I see we meet again, little girl," he sneered. "Are you one of those with a Heavenly Restriction? It's rare to see someone without even a trace of cursed energy in their body. No wonder I don't sense your presence."
How unfortunate.
I stared at him. The boy Itadori Yuji was no longer here. Even from the first moment we met, Itadori radiated honesty, a kind of simplicity that made you trust him instinctively. Now, there was no trace of that left—only the King of Curses standing in his place
I glanced over my shoulder at Megumi. He was exhausted, his cursed energy all but drained. Seriously, should I stop and teach him about self-preservation first?
My focus snapped back to Sukuna. His power had increased—subtle but undeniable. Did he find one of his fingers? That would explain the surge.
Slowly, I unsheathed my sword, its blade gleaming faintly under the rain.
What a shame. Itadori would die here, wouldn't he? Like Gojo, I suppose I harbored a small expectation for him. I had hoped to see how it all might turn out for him in the end.
"Shiki-senpai," Megumi called out, his voice breaking through my thoughts.
I turned to face him. Despite his exhaustion, the resolve in his eyes burned brighter than ever. His words came fast as he explained the situation and his plan—a desperate gambit that hinged on more luck than logic.
Reckless. Borderline suicidal.
And yet, he believed it could work because I was here.
I frowned, debating. Why did I even bother listening? His body was on the verge of collapse, his cursed energy barely holding on, and this plan of his required me to trust that Itadori would somehow regain control.
I sighed, drawing my sword and then sliding it back into its sheath. "Fine," I muttered under my breath, more to myself than to him. "But if it doesn't comes to that, Megumi, I will kill him."
His eyes flickered, a moment of hesitation, but he nodded. He knew.
I needed to be careful. If I severed Sukuna's line, there'd be no bringing Itadori back.
One mistake, and it was over.
"Let's see if you can actually make this interesting." He spread his arms wide, a gesture that was both mockery and invitation.
I didn't hesitate. I lunged forward, closing the distance in an instant. My fist shot toward his face, the force enough to shatter bone.
Sukuna smirked, tilting his head just enough to avoid the blow. His counter came in a blur, a sharp elbow aimed at my ribs. I twisted my body mid-air, narrowly evading it, my feet skidding as I landed to regain balance.
Swing, block, or dodge.
It was simple enough when you stripped it down. Those three options defined a fight. You swung when you saw an opening. Blocked when you couldn't avoid it. Dodged when the other two would only get you killed.
Of course, high-level combat can be more complex, involving feints, traps, controlling the distance, and footwork. But at the most fundamental level, fighting does often boil down to the simplicity of these three options.
"Not bad," he said, pushing back.
Not bad? That almost sounded like praise—but it's hard to take a compliment seriously when it comes from someone with a gaping hole in his chest.
Without his full strength, I could kill the current Sukuna easily. But if I severed a limb, there'd be no recovery for Itadori—not even with the best healing techniques. But for now, I held back.
Without giving him the chance to recover, I launched forward, twisting into another strike aimed straight at his chest. He dodged, barely, his expression shifting, just slightly.
Oh?" he muttered, his grin widening. "This is interesting. You're better than I expected."
It was clear he was enjoying himself.
The next exchange came faster, And through it all, his laughter echoed, a sound both chilling and maddening.
He leaned back to avoid my swing, then drove his palm toward my chest. I twisted to the side, letting his hand pass harmlessly, and brought my sword down on his shoulder. It connected with a resounding thud, making him stagger.
As I closed in again, Sukuna's grin stretched wider, his sharp teeth gleaming in the rain. His eyes, glinting with sadistic amusement, never left me.
Without warning, he raised his fingers.
The air shifted, sharp and sudden, like a knife slicing through the atmosphere.
My body moved instinctively. I stepped to the side, graceful and fluid, letting the attack pass harmlessly by. The invisible force sliced clean through the ground behind me, carving a deep gash into the earth.
For a brief moment, I saw it—a faint, crimson line of death streaking toward me.
And so, I dodged.
Sukuna tilted his head, clearly intrigued. "You dodged?"
"Impressive."
The grin on his face said everything.
He shifted his weight, preparing to come at me again. Fighting him without intending to kill was proving to be a lot trickier than I had anticipated.
"Let's see how far those instincts of yours can take you, little girl."
He vanished.
In an instant, the distance between us disappeared. His claws swiped toward me with terrifying speed, but I met him head-on, my sheated blade flashing through the rain. blade met cursed energy in a deafening clash, the impact sending shockwaves through the drenched battlefield.
The crack in my sheate was visible.
The air shifted again, a warning that came as naturally as breathing. Another slash hurtled toward me, but I was already moving, stepping lightly out of its path. This attack was stronger, sharper, tearing through the rain like a scythe.
Still, it wasn't enough.
I closed the gap once more, my sword a blur as I aimed for his leg. Breaking a bone or two wouldn't be the end of the world. Shoko could fix something like that in no time... probably.
His fist met my blade blocking the strike. Before he could counter, I twisted, landing a swift kick to his chest. The force sent him skidding back across the slick ground.
For a moment, he hesitated, his smirk twisting into something more feral. And then he lunged at me again.
But—
"!"
He stopped.
Sukuna froze mid-step, his smirk fading into something unreadable. The black tattoos on his body began to dissolve, their dark patterns receding into nothingness. The oppressive, suffocating aura vanished.
I exhaled, lowering my stance but keeping my guard up as Megumi rushed over. His face was filled with relief but also a worry that lingered in his eyes.
"Shiki-senpai...Thank goodness you're here," Itadori said, managing a weak smile even as blood seeped from the wound in his chest. The rain did little to wash away the deep red that stained his uniform.
"I guess… I'm done for, huh?" he added, his tone attempting to be light but failing to mask the exhaustion in his voice. "Fushiguro, it's good to see you're okay. That means Kugisaki is safe too."
His gaze looking at us, eyes filled with regret and gratitude. "Shiki-senpai, Fushiguro… sorry for worrying you guys."
With each word, more blood spilled from his mouth. It was impressive that he could still speak at all. He opened his mouth again, as if searching for what to say next.
Finally, he managed, "...Live a long life, Fushiguro."
A faint smile tugged at his lips before his eyes closed, and his body slumped forward onto the ground. The rain continued to fall, masking the quiet thud as he hit the earth.
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Third Person POV
"How is it?"
From a distance, two people was watching the fight with keen interest. They were watvhing the fight beneath an ice umberella.
"Hmmm. Ryougi Shiki is definitely dangerous..." the man in monk outfit said.
Truthfully, if given enough time, Ryougi Shiki would become even more dangerous. It wasn't just her technique or her agility—both of which were exceptional—but those eyes.
They were unlike anything he had encountered in his long life. Different from Gojo Satoru's Six Eyes, which served as an almost divine lens for cursed energy manipulation, Ryougi Shiki's eyes were... something else entirely.
The Six Eyes dealt in absolutes within the realm of cursed energy—vision so perfect it bordered on omniscience. It was a trait so absurdly powerful that it single-handedly tipped the balance of the Jujutsu world. But her eyes... Kenjaku could sense that they were far more dangerous and more absurd then even the six eyes.
Unfortunately, there were no records of her abilities, no documented history that could shed light on the true nature of those mystical eyes. They were an enigma, one he found both intriguing and unsettling.
"What do you think about her eyes?" the man in the monk's outfit asked, his gaze shifting to the white-haired companion beside him.
"They're dangerous," came the response, the voice low and lethargic, almost as if disinterested.
The monk allowed himself a faint smirk. A straightforward answer, yet it hit right at the heart of the matter.
"Shouldn't we just kill her? Ryougi Shiki, I mean." The man suggested.
"It's not that easy," the monk replied without missing a beat. "With Gojo Satoru still around, we can't afford to make any reckless moves."
What made matters more complicated was Gojo's unusual fixation on her—an interest that seemed almost paternal. Though his watch over her was loose, it was still Gojo Satoru who watched over her.
"Until we acquire that item... it's best we lay low for a while." The monk smirk lingered as he gazed at the battle below.
"By the way," he began casually, "what has that Kazuhiko fellow been up to lately?"
"Kazuhiko? Oh, you mean that necromania?"
"You really should remember your comrades names," the monk replied
"Just as usual," the man said, ignoring the jab. "I recently helped him preserve his precious corpses to keep them from rotting. He's still gathering more as we speak."
"He's dedicated, I'll give him that."
The missing corpse incidents had caused quite a stir lately, subtlety clearly wasn't his strong suit or he really just doesn't care. Yet, there was no denying the fascination of his cursed technique—an ability as grotesque as it was intriguing.
Kazuhiko had appeared out of nowhere, a mystery wrapped in an unsettling obsession with the dead. Despite his eccentricity and differing motives, his actions didn't interfere with the larger plan. For now, he was content to let him continue, so long as he remained useful.
"We should get going, Kenjaku," the white-haired man said, his voice as calm and languid as ever.
Kenjaku cast a final glance toward the battlefield below, a faint smirk playing at his lips.
"Yes, I suppose it's time."
And with that, the two figures vanished into the storm, leaving nothing behind but the sound of rain from where they stood.
[END]
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That's it for the chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it!
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[Thanks for Reading!]