Pfft!
Right in front of Yuta, drops of blood splashed into the air.
Sukuna calmly tore off Yuji's little finger with his bare hands like he could not feel pain at all.
"You can create cursed objects while still alive?!"
The terrifying aura coming from that finger immediately made Yuta realize what Sukuna was trying to do. He felt like the world had gone insane. He never imagined Sukuna's method of escaping Yuji's body would be this.
'So it really worked!'
A satisfied smile spread across Sukuna's face as if everything had gone exactly according to plan.
Back in Shibuya, he temporarily took control of Yuji's body after agreeing to his request and formed a binding vow. But a stupid brat was still a stupid brat. Yuji never noticed the exact wording Sukuna used during the vow.
For one minute after activating Enchain, he would not harm "others." And naturally, "others" did not include Yuji himself.
Of course, it was also possible that the self-righteous brat simply did not care whether he died or not, so he never questioned the wording carefully.
Either way, none of it changed what Sukuna intended to do next.
He grabbed Yuta's jaw and cheeks with one hand. With only a little force, Yuta's mouth was forced open. The latter struggled desperately, but it was useless.
Then, the finger containing sixteen fragments of Sukuna's soul was shoved directly into Yuta's mouth and swallowed.
A terrifying power instantly surged into the exhausted boy's body. Yuta's eyes widened violently, and his consciousness began growing blurry as Sukuna's will continuously crashed against his very existence.
Frozen in ice, Yuta lowered his head.
As the ownership of the body began shifting, cracks slowly spread throughout Malevolent Shrine around them.
* * *
"Yuta!"
Outside the barrier, Rika had been desperately trying to break in. The instant the domain shattered, she rushed toward them excitedly.
"Okkotsu-senpai..."
Yuji's consciousness returned.
While trapped inside his own body, he had seen everything clearly the entire time. So as soon as he regained control, he tremblingly reached out toward Yuta, hoping Sukuna's transfer had failed.
"I told you before, brat. Something very interesting was going to happen soon."
But the outcome had already been decided.
"Yuta" suddenly grabbed the arm Yuji extended toward him, then slowly raised his head.
Sukuna's signature markings spread across Yuta's face while the cursed energy radiating from his body clearly declared who now stood before them.
Honestly, this had been a risky gamble. If it failed, Sukuna might never get another opportunity like this again. Even he himself never expected things to proceed so smoothly.
Only after meeting Yuta in person did Sukuna realize that, as a descendant of Michizane Sugawara, Yuta's body possessed the same ability as Megumi to contain him.
Although Sukuna avoided taking Megumi because of Mukuro, Yuta's cursed technique still belonged to the kind of talent seen perhaps once in a thousand years. It suited Sukuna perfectly.
And on top of that, Yuta happened to exhaust nearly all his cursed energy battling Kashimo. That was what allowed Sukuna to complete the possession so quickly.
Everything had unfolded perfectly.
"This has to be fake... Get out of Okkotsu-senpai's body!"
Yuji looked completely broken, his trembling lips shaking nonstop.
He could accept Sukuna doing anything to his own body, but he could never accept his own mistakes causing pain to others.
Yet the next moment, countless slashes suddenly formed within Sukuna's palm as blood exploded from the arm he was still gripping.
"Something's wrong!"
Todo was the first to notice. Thanks to Rika's assistance and the little cursed energy he recovered, he had finally broken free from the ice.
While Rika carried him and Kashimo toward Yuta, Todo's expression turned serious and cursed energy gathered into his fists.
"Mm... Yuta... not Yuta... Yuta..."
At the same time, Rika also stopped moving just before reaching "Yuta."
After setting Todo and Kashimo down, the giant eye on her face blinked in confusion while she muttered quietly to herself.
Rika was not a sorcerer. She was simply a little girl whose soul had been preserved through cursed energy and transformed into a cursed spirit. Because of that, she could not logically judge situations like others could.
But her soul was telling her something: the person before her was not her Yuta.
Unlike her confusion, Todo did not care about any of that.
The instant his feet touched the ground, he charged straight toward Sukuna.
"Wait! Help me first!" Kashimo shouted anxiously from behind while still trapped in ice.
But Todo completely ignored him.
"Sukuna! Let go of my brother!"
Todo's fist wrapped in cursed energy smashed toward Sukuna's head.
Bang!
The attack missed. Simultaneously, Sukuna finally released Yuji's arm.
That arm was now covered in countless slashes. The flesh barely remained attached together like shredded lotus roots hanging by threads, and even the exposed bone beneath was carved full of cuts.
"I caused this to happen to Okkotsu-senpai..."
Yet Yuji seemed unable to feel any pain. His eyes overflowed with regret and despair.
'I should've died sooner.'
That thought quietly appeared in his mind.
As an ordinary person, he had already lived an exciting life. He met so many good friends who shared his path. What more could he possibly ask for?
He should've listened to his grandfather from the very beginning...
Thud!
While he remained lost in despair, Todo lightly punched him on the head.
"Disasters always come one after another. How long are you planning to sink like this? I don't remember having a brother who runs away whenever trouble appears."
Facing Sukuna in a battle stance, Todo spoke firmly beside him.
"If you think you made a mistake, then fix it yourself. I'll stand with you."
The existence called friendship pulled Yuji back from the edge of endless darkness.
"You're right!"
Yuji finally regained some spirit and stood shoulder to shoulder with Todo once more.
But suddenly, overwhelming exhaustion hit him as blood immediately streamed from both nostrils.
It was another cursed technique burnout.
Sukuna had no physical body of his own. So when Malevolent Shrine was activated earlier, the one forced to bear the backlash afterward was Yuji.
But not long ago, he had already expanded his own domain once. Even though the two domains were completely different, both were still controlled by the brain.
As a result, suffering the consequences of technique burnout twice left him dizzy and disoriented.
"Welcome back, Sukuna-sama."
Uraume, who had been patiently waiting the entire time, finally returned to Sukuna's side and bowed respectfully.
"Now isn't the time for reunions. Let's leave first and talk later."
Even after successfully changing vessels, Sukuna showed no happiness at all. Instead, he stared down at his own hand.
Earlier, when he used Cleave on Yuji, he intended to completely sever the arm.
But inside the body, Yuta's soul had not been erased. It continued interfering with him constantly.
As much as he hated admitting it, Yuji's body truly possessed the highest compatibility with him. The fact that a single finger could successfully transfer his soul proved that clearly. No wonder Kenjaku waited a thousand years for this vessel.
Right now, Sukuna could not unleash his true power.
Without sparing another glance toward the exhausted group before him, Sukuna prepared to leave with Uraume.
* * *
Meanwhile, somewhere far away inside a pitch-black room...
"Hm? This pounding feeling... It's that man! Sukuna has finally returned!"
A voice filled with obsession suddenly echoed through the darkness.
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