What... what exactly is happening?
Jogo's thoughts spiraled into complete confusion.
This human had forced the vessel to swallow a finger, awakened Sukuna, and then simply... stood there watching.
Was he not afraid of dying?
Or...
Sukuna had already noticed Jogo. His crimson eyes briefly swept over the cursed spirit with open disdain before settling entirely on Sol.
He could feel overwhelming power flowing through this body, far greater than during any previous awakening. Yet the way that power had been handed to him felt forced, as though someone had decided everything for him.
He hated it.
"Was it you?" Sukuna asked, fixing Sol with a dangerous smile. A murderous glint flickered in his crimson eyes, though his tone remained almost playful, like a predator amusing itself with trapped prey. "You dragged me out. So, what do you want? Do you want to be the first person I kill?"
Sol finally looked directly at Sukuna, now controlling Yuji Itadori's body.
His expression remained perfectly composed. There was no fear, no hostility, only quiet indifference.
"Your opponent is him."
He tilted his head toward the stunned Jogo.
"Don't waste time."
After speaking, Sol casually stepped back, leaned against the least-damaged section of a nearby wall, folded his arms, and settled into the posture of a spectator.
It was as if he were saying, "Go ahead. Entertain me."
Sukuna blinked.
Jogo froze.
Silence engulfed the area.
What... did he just say?
The amused smile disappeared from Sukuna's face, replaced by boiling fury.
He had returned with nearly all of his power, yet this human had summoned him as casually as if calling over a pet, only to assign him an insignificant opponent.
Jogo's thoughts were no less chaotic.
Wait...
I'm supposed to fight Sukuna?
It had gathered Sukuna's fingers with painstaking effort to revive the King of Curses, only for the first thing Sukuna might do after awakening to be beating it up because someone else told him to.
What kind of absurd situation was this?
"You insolent brat!"
Sukuna's rage exploded.
Terrifying cursed energy surged from his body like a tidal wave, crushing toward Sol with enough force to overwhelm even a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
Yet when that immense pressure reached Sol, it stopped.
It was as though an invisible, immovable wall stood before him.
Not even the edge of Sol's clothing stirred.
Without sparing the overwhelming aura a glance, Sol calmly repeated himself.
"Your opponent is him."
His eyes shifted toward Jogo once more.
Sukuna's expression changed.
His pressure had accomplished absolutely nothing.
For the first time since awakening, surprise slipped into his eyes.
Nearby, Jogo trembled uncontrollably under the lingering remnants of Sukuna's overwhelming aura. Seeing Sol point at him again while Sukuna's murderous gaze slowly shifted in the same direction filled the cursed spirit with utter despair.
Who wrote this script?
"Scum!"
Sukuna roared.
He didn't even bother using a cursed technique.
Relying solely on Yuji's enhanced body, he launched forward with explosive speed, his fist tearing through the air with enough force to produce a deafening shockwave.
Sol never moved from the wall.
His arms remained folded.
Just before the punch connected, he tilted his head.
The fist grazed past his hair before smashing into the wall behind him.
The entire structure exploded into rubble.
"Too slow," Sol said flatly.
Sukuna's eyes widened.
His second hand immediately shot forward, fingers curved into a claw reinforced with razor-sharp cursed energy, aimed directly at Sol's heart.
Sol's feet never moved.
With only a slight twist of his waist, he slipped past the attack by the narrowest margin.
Two killing blows.
Two effortless dodges.
Sukuna's fury reached its limit.
"Domain Expan..."
He attempted to activate his Domain Expansion.
The final word never came.
Sol moved.
He unfolded his arms.
Then he threw a single punch.
Simple.
Direct.
Nothing flashy.
Yet it arrived before Sukuna could react, striking straight into his abdomen.
The punch did not appear particularly fast.
It simply left no path for escape.
Sukuna's pupils shrank.
He instantly crossed both arms to block while gathering every ounce of cursed energy into the impact point.
Bang!
The collision echoed like thunder.
An overwhelming force tore through Sukuna's guard.
It ignored his defense completely, crashing into his internal organs like a falling meteor.
"Gah!"
Blood burst from his mouth.
His body shot backward like a projectile launched from a catapult.
He smashed through three ruined walls before finally crashing into a mountain of debris.
Dust engulfed the battlefield.
Jogo's lone eye nearly fell out of its socket.
Its magma-like blood felt frozen.
What...
What had it just witnessed?
The King of Curses.
Ryomen Sukuna.
A being whose mere presence shook its soul.
Sent flying by one ordinary-looking punch.
How could that possibly be real?
Within the rubble, Sukuna shoved aside the broken stone and slowly rose to his feet.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
The rage had vanished.
In its place was cold caution.
For the first time, genuine disbelief appeared in his crimson eyes.
That punch had completely surpassed everything he understood about close combat.
It wasn't overwhelming cursed energy.
It was something far more fundamental.
Pure, absolute physical dominance.
"What... are you?" Sukuna asked hoarsely, unable to hide his wariness.
Sol lowered his fist.
His expression remained as calm as ever.
"Your sparring partner is over there."
He pointed toward the completely speechless Jogo again.
Sukuna's eye twitched.
"You're asking to die!"
His fury erupted once more, ignited by Sol's utter disregard.