A muffled roar burst from deep within Itadori Yuji's throat.
"Ugh... Aaaagh!"
The sound never fully escaped. An invisible Telekinesis field confined it, preventing him from releasing the agony consuming his body.
The cursed energy within him surged and transformed at an unimaginable pace. Every fiber of his body seemed to be forcibly broken down and reconstructed.
Jogo stood frozen where he was.
His single eye nearly bulged from its socket as he watched the keys he had painstakingly gathered to restore the true King of Curses being forced into Sukuna's vessel.
He couldn't understand it.
Why would such a powerful human do this?
Wasn't he afraid that once Sukuna fully awakened, the King of Curses would kill him first?
Just as Yuji's consciousness was about to be swallowed by endless darkness, a cold hand rested against his forehead.
An indescribable, pure, overwhelming will poured into his mind through that touch.
It wasn't there to soothe him.
It was there to suppress.
To force everything into order.
Sukuna's consciousness, which had been rampaging through Yuji's soul in an attempt to seize complete control, released a silent roar of shock, fury, and disbelief as it collided with that absolute external will.
The resistance lasted only a moment.
Like ice beneath the blazing sun, Sukuna's consciousness was forcibly suppressed, sinking into temporary silence.
Yuji's violent convulsions gradually subsided.
Fresh black markings spread across his body like brands, radiating an ominous yet overwhelming aura.
The darkness faded from his eyes, revealing his own pupils once more.
They were filled with confusion, lingering pain, and the exhaustion of surviving an unimaginable ordeal.
Sol withdrew his hand.
At the same moment, he released the Telekinesis restraining both Yuji and Jogo.
Thud.
Yuji dropped to his knees, supporting himself with both hands as he gasped for air.
Cold sweat drenched his entire body.
He could feel an incomprehensibly vast power flowing through him.
At the same time, another terrifying consciousness rested deep inside him like a dormant volcano, capable of erupting at any moment.
Nearby, Jogo regained the ability to move.
Surprisingly, he didn't attack.
Instead, he looked uncertainly at the kneeling Yuji before shifting his gaze toward Sol, who stood there as though nothing unusual had happened.
Jogo could feel it.
The unmistakable aura of the complete King of Curses.
Sukuna's presence poured from Yuji's body with terrifying purity.
Although some unknown force continued to restrain it, there was no mistaking its source.
"Where is Sukuna?" Jogo asked, his lone eye filled with reverence, fanaticism, and utter confusion.
He still couldn't understand Sol's intentions.
Yet the result appeared to be exactly what he and the cursed spirits had sought all along.
Sol ignored Jogo completely.
Looking down at Yuji, who was still struggling to steady his breathing, he spoke in an even voice.
"Feel it. Adapt to it. This is your power, and it is also your burden. Learn to control it instead of allowing it to control you."
Yuji gritted his teeth.
He tried to understand Sol's words.
He tried to understand everything Sol had done.
The overwhelming pain slowly faded.
The violent surge of power gradually settled.
In its place came an unfamiliar yet steadily growing sense of control.
Yuji clenched his fist.
Cursed Energy far greater than anything he had possessed before coursed through his body.
Although it still carried Sukuna's chilling presence, it no longer felt completely beyond his reach.
"I..."
His voice was hoarse.
"I think... I can actually feel it... the power..."
He raised his head, his expression filled with complicated emotions as he looked at Sol.
The anger, confusion, and sense of betrayal that had consumed him moments ago were gone.
Only shock and gratitude remained.
"Sol... thank you."
He lowered his head apologetically.
"So that's what you were trying to do. I'm sorry. I thought you were..." He hesitated before continuing. "Was there a reason you sealed Gojo-sensei too...?"
The words never left his mouth.
After confirming that Yuji had adapted to the newfound power, Sol raised a finger and lightly tapped his forehead once again.
An even colder and more irresistible will than before instantly flooded Yuji's mind.
His consciousness felt as though an invisible hand had shoved it backward.
Within an instant, he sank into warm darkness.
Every sensation rapidly disappeared.
It was like being forced beneath the surface of deep water, completely stripped of control over his own body.
The transfer happened instantly.
"Itadori Yuji," or rather, Sukuna, slowly rose to his feet.
His movements were strangely stiff.
He rolled his neck, producing a series of soft cracking sounds.
The bright, determined expression that usually belonged to Yuji vanished completely.
In its place was an indifferent, arrogant stare, one that regarded everything around him as insignificant.
Within his pupils, another pair of crimson eyes flickered like ghostly phantoms.
He lifted one arm and examined the black cursed markings covering it.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
It was a smile Yuji could never wear.
Cruel.
Amused.
Predatory.
"Oh?"
A deep, magnetic voice echoed from Yuji's throat.
"So you forced me awake like this..."
His smile widened.
"And even fed me so many snacks."
Sukuna had fully awakened.
Having absorbed ten additional fingers, he now possessed far greater power than before as he stood in complete control of the vessel.
His gaze slowly swept across the area before settling on the emotionless Sol.
Then it shifted toward Jogo, who remained utterly speechless.
The cursed spirit had even forgotten to release flames.
Jogo's single eye was nearly popping from its socket.
His thoughts had completely shut down.
He stared at the unmistakable aura of the King of Curses emanating from Yuji's body.
Then he looked at Sol, the terrifyingly composed human who had orchestrated everything from beginning to end.