'Something feels off…'
Watching Mahoraga still full of life, a seed of doubt slowly formed in Sukuna's mind.
As the King of Curses who once ruled an entire era, his strength wasn't the only reason for his dominance. His insight, judgment, and capacity to learn were equally monstrous, qualities so sharp they were rare even across a thousand years.
At first, Mahoraga wasn't using cursed energy at all. But after enduring several of his slashes, along with a number of attacks from Mukuro, it had begun to use it.
More importantly, the second time he attacked, Sukuna had clearly increased the force behind it. And yet, the wounds on Mahoraga had been shallower and healed faster.
Mukuro's Piercing Water, on the other hand, had pierced cleanly through its body. Its power was obviously below Dismantle, yet the healing from that strike had been noticeably slower than from Sukuna's slashes.
Even if the difference lasted only for a brief moment, it didn't escape his eyes.
Sukuna didn't believe it was coincidence, nor did he believe that Mahoraga was simply prioritizing more severe injuries. A shikigami capable of stirring this level of excitement in him could not be something that only stood there and took hits passively.
And that wheel behind its back… it seemed slightly different from earlier when they fought.
In just a single instant, numerous possibilities flashed through Sukuna's mind.
And within that same instant, Mahoraga had already rushed toward them.
Stretching out both arms, it seized one leg from each of them, intending to smash them into the ground together.
Psshhk!
With a twist of his body, Sukuna tore off the arm gripping his ankle. Flesh split apart and blood sprayed into the air.
At the same time, when Mahoraga tried to swing Mukuro, he kicked its head midair instead, sending it crashing down once again.
During that exchange, both of them clearly saw it.
The wheel on its back… had turned.
"Nue!"
Without relying on pure physical control to stay airborne, Mukuro spread his wings again and clashed head-on with Sukuna.
"Using techniques like this so recklessly. Megumi Fushiguro's cursed energy should be running out soon, right?"
As fists and kicks were exchanged in rapid succession, Sukuna spoke in a mocking tone.
Having stayed inside the brat's body for so long, he knew Megumi's limits very well.
Even if the boy was a genius who could develop an incomplete domain at such a young age, his body hadn't reached its peak. His cursed energy reserves and recovery speed were still limited.
Mukuro was different from him. He didn't have his own cursed energy to supply. At this rate, that body would eventually run dry and become unable to sustain techniques.
"That's not something you need to worry about."
As a slash brushed past his cheek, Mukuro's fist drove toward Sukuna's abdomen.
This strike carried Nue's lightning.
Zzzt!
The moment it connected, not only did lightning flash, the space itself twisted.
It was a Black Flash.
For someone with absolute control over his body, even if Mukuro had never used Black Flash before, understanding the principle was enough.
Controlling cursed energy in this body was just as simple as controlling his own flesh.
If a Heavenly Restriction user were to control the flow of cursed energy within a body, the precision would be no less than that of the awakened Six Eyes.
"Pfft!"
Sukuna's pupils shrank violently as a mouthful of blood burst from his lips.
Under normal circumstances, even if Megumi's body landed a Black Flash, it wouldn't deal much damage to him. But now, with Mukuro's Asura Path enhancing it, everything was different.
Just as the opponent's blood was about to splash onto him, Mukuro flapped his wings and shifted aside. In the same motion, he twisted his body and whipped a kick straight into Sukuna's face.
The latter plummeted downward at high speed.
At that exact moment, Mahoraga, which had just been knocked down earlier, leapt back up. From the back of its right hand, a long blade extended and thrust toward the falling Sukuna, aiming to pierce straight through him.
Clang!
Right before the blade could strike, a small mouth suddenly formed at the point of impact. Its teeth clamped down tightly on the blade, stopping it completely.
"This kind of thing isn't fun."
Blood still lingered at the corner of Sukuna's lips as he turned his head to look at Mahoraga. There was a hint of madness in his expression.
If cursed energy was negative energy, then that blade was filled with positive energy. Had he been a cursed spirit, a single strike would likely have erased him completely.
Crack!
The small mouth bit down and snapped the blade in half. Then Sukuna reached out and placed his hand on Mahoraga's face.
"Die."
Its head was instantly sliced into three parts.
But what surprised Sukuna was that the wheel behind it turned again. In less than a blink, before the head had even fully separated, it had already regenerated.
Mahoraga then swung its fist, smashing it hard into Sukuna's arms.
'Could its ability be…'
Sharp as he was, Sukuna had already figured most of it out the moment he was knocked back.
"Dismantle!"
While retreating, he released another slash.
Clang!
But this time, Mahoraga simply waved its hand and deflected the attack.
'So that's it… adaptation.'
This shikigami had been adapting to his Dismantle all along, and now, it had fully adapted.
"How scheming of you, Mukuro Fushiguro!"
Though there was a trace of annoyance in his voice, Sukuna laughed.
Mukuro had deliberately kept him out of the subjugation ritual, yet kept forcing him into direct clashes with Mahoraga.
On the surface, it looked like a three-way battle, but in reality, Sukuna had fought that shikigami far more than Mukuro had.
Not only did it drain his strength, it also ensured that once the ritual ended, Mahoraga would already be adapted to his technique.
"Say whatever you want."
Mukuro descended from the sky, casually wiping the faint trace of blood from his face.
With all his reckless use of techniques, combined with Megumi's previous battles, the body's cursed energy was being drained far faster than it could recover.
Just as Sukuna had said, this body was almost out of cursed energy.
Boom!
Not far away, Sukuna had clearly noticed this as well. After blasting Mahoraga away, he dashed straight toward Mukuro.
"This is an ability I don't like using much. You should feel honored. It's the most disgusting power I have."
The number in Mukuro's right eye shifted to "5."
"Fifth Path: Purgatory Human Realm."
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