Ryomen Sukuna

In the corridor.

Yuji Itadori was the first to break the silence, running toward Sasaki and her companion in concern.

"Are you two okay?"

Sasaki shook her head, looking at the blood-covered Araki Itsuki with lingering fear and gratitude. "There were so many monsters, but Araki saved us."

Araki Itsuki chuckled, then spoke helplessly to the tense, wary Megumi Fushiguro. "I'm a good guy, you know. Do you really need to be that nervous?"

The cursed spirits' wails and screams still echoed in Fushiguro's ears. He dared not let his guard down and asked Sasaki beside him:

"Where are Ryomen Sukuna's Fingers?"

Sasaki did not know the finger's name. She paused in confusion. "Ryomen Sukuna? Araki has that finger."

Hearing this made Fushiguro even more wary. "That cursed object is dangerous. I'm Fushiguro from Jujutsu High. Please hand it over!"

He expected Araki Itsuki to refuse or make excuses, but to his surprise, the dangerous boy simply took it out.

Araki Itsuki pulled a clear food container from his pocket. It was actually full of red chilies, lime, and other ingredients!

"What are you doing?!"

Fushiguro wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. How could anyone treat the King of Curses like this? Those were Ryomen Sukuna's Fingers!

Araki Itsuki casually tossed the thoroughly marinated finger to Yuji Itadori. The smell of pickled chicken feet filled the air.

"Come on, who could stomach that shriveled thing? Obviously, I had to pickle it to give it some flavor!"

"Itadori, you'd better thank me when you eat it."

Fushiguro sighed in relief when the finger landed in Itadori's hands. Though he did not understand what Araki Itsuki meant, the cursed object was as good as recovered. There was no way he would let Itadori eat it.

Itadori looked puzzled.

"What's Ryomen Sukuna?"

"You wouldn't understand even if I explained. That thing is dangerous. Hurry up and give it to me."

"Okay, okay."

But just as Megumi Fushiguro approached the three of them to retrieve Ryomen Sukuna's Fingers.

A giant hand smashed down through the roof without warning, grabbing at the four unsuspecting people.

Fushiguro's expression changed drastically. He immediately activated the Ten Shadows Technique and summoned two Divine Dogs.

"Run!"

Though quiet and composed on the outside, he wanted to help and protect those he considered good people. Without hesitation, he ordered the Divine Dogs to push Itadori and the other two away.

Leaving himself to take the cursed spirit's attack alone.

The roof slabs crashed down with a tremendous impact, sending dust billowing everywhere.

"Fushiguro!"

Safe thanks to the Divine Dogs, Itadori shouted Fushiguro's name, worried for his safety.

The dust cleared.

A four-eyed cursed spirit appeared, as big as a truck, with six thick legs and a bloated tail. It resembled a cricket.

Fushiguro was trapped tightly in its hand.

Fushiguro endured the piercing pain and tried to activate the Ten Shadows Technique.

"Nue!"

But the cursed spirit was faster, swinging Fushiguro into a nearby wall.

Bam!

Fushiguro's fragile body shot backward, smashed straight through the wall, and fell to the ground amid clouds of dust, badly injured.

Araki Itsuki was not surprised by the sight.

Kenjaku was a special grade curse user, a mysterious sorcerer who had lived for over a thousand years, and the true identity behind the title of "the most evil sorcerer in history." Yuji Itadori was the child he had carefully selected.

Eating Ryomen Sukuna's Fingers was a fate he could not escape.

Just like Ichigo Kurosaki, whom Aizen had carefully selected, possessed the powers of a Soul Reaper, a Quincy, a Hollow, and Fullbring within him.

Even without Rukia Kuchiki, Ichigo Kurosaki was destined to become a Soul Reaper.

So every attempt Fushiguro made to stop it would be thwarted by some accident until Yuji Itadori ate Ryomen Sukuna's Fingers.

On the battlefield.

With injured organs, dizzy and in pain, Fushiguro lay amid the wreckage.

The truck-sized cursed spirit had already chased him outside, making strange thumping cries.

Fushiguro forced himself to stand through the pain and tried to use jujutsu to summon the Divine Dogs again, but his cursed technique had already been interrupted.

At that critical moment, Itadori leaped down, his monstrously powerful body driving a fist into the cursed spirit's head.

Inhuman force crashed down, actually smashing the cursed spirit flat against the ground.

Araki Itsuki stood by the broken wall, watching the battle below.

Even he could not help marveling at the sight. "No wonder he's the Tiger of West Junior High. What ridiculous strength!"

Fushiguro could not understand why Itadori still dared approach such a monstrous cursed spirit.

"Didn't I tell you to run?"

"I'd have nightmares if I ran away now!"

Remembering his grandfather's dying words, Itadori charged fearlessly at the cursed spirit, only to be beaten bloody.

Araki Itsuki came over to him and said helplessly, "Itadori, curses can only be exorcised with curses. Without cursed energy, you can't hurt that cursed spirit, no matter how well you fight."

Itadori rubbed his head. "Then what should I do?!"

Araki Itsuki gave a wicked chuckle. "The reason these cursed spirits are fighting over Ryomen Sukuna's fingers is simple. They contain an enormous amount of cursed energy. Eating them grants tremendous power."

"Saving Fushiguro and your classmates is simple too. Eat it, and you'll gain cursed energy and be able to take down that cursed spirit."

Fushiguro immediately tried to stop Itadori. "Idiot, don't listen to him!"

"That's a special grade cursed object! It's lethally poisonous. You'll die on the spot!"

Itadori froze, unsure whom to believe.

Araki Itsuki stepped beside Itadori and whispered, "Itadori, do you believe in fate?"

"Fate guided us to meet. Eating that finger and saving Megumi Fushiguro is also fate's guidance!"

Itadori did not believe in fate, but he wanted to save Fushiguro and the others.

And so.

Gulp!

Itadori tilted his head back and swallowed Ryomen Sukuna's fingers whole, their rich, sweet-and-sour scent lingering in the air.

He did not even worry about it getting stuck in his throat.

"Idiot!"

Araki Itsuki approached the anxious, guilt-stricken Fushiguro and reassured him. "Don't worry. Itadori will be fine."

"He has a constitution that only appears once in a thousand years, with absolute resistance to poison. He can contain Ryomen Sukuna's soul without suffering any side effects."

Fushiguro was baffled. Araki Itsuki was far too mysterious, like an enigma.

"Who exactly are you? How do you know all this?!"

"Me?"

The playful smile vanished from Araki Itsuki's face, and his deep, dark gaze met Megumi Fushiguro's eyes.

His voice was like a cold wind slipping through a keyhole in the dark.

"I am the Lord of the Death Star, the End of All Things, the Dark Side of the Universe, the Essence of Entropy, the Incarnation of Chaos!"

Megumi Fushiguro's mouth twitched. What kind of delusional anime nerd is this?

Araki Itsuki clicked his tongue in displeasure. "Fine, don't believe me."

Meanwhile.

Having eaten Ryomen Sukuna's Fingers, Itadori stood motionless with his head slightly lowered.

The cursed spirit, which had been waiting all this time, might have sensed danger. It suddenly lunged at Itadori.

Slash!

But Itadori merely flicked his hand. Countless blades appeared without warning, instantly sweeping through the truck-sized cursed spirit and slicing it into countless pieces.

Yuji Itadori's right hand had twisted grotesquely, sharp nails jutting from his fingers.

"Ha ha!"

"Hee hee!"

Pent-up, crazed laughter echoed through the empty school grounds.

"Ahhh, just as I thought!!!"

"You really do need a body to feel the light!"

Watching Itadori lose control and roughly tear off his jacket, Fushiguro felt cold sweat trickle down his forehead along with his blood.

"The worst... the worst-case scenario has happened."

"The special grade cursed object has incarnated!"

Ryomen Sukuna had taken control of Itadori's body. A second pair of eyes grew on his face as he laughed maniacally and walked toward the wall.

"Cursed spirit flesh is so boring!"

"Humans! Where are the women?!"

Suddenly, Ryomen Sukuna spotted rows of houses in the distance and humans walking below.

A satisfied smile spread across his face.

"This is a fine era!"

"Women and children, wriggling around like maggots. Wonderful!"

"I'll slaughter every last one of them!"

"Hahahaha!"

Hearing this, Araki Itsuki flashed to the edge of the building and stood in Ryomen Sukuna's way.

Ryomen Sukuna smiled contemptuously. "Instead of running away, you're coming right up to me!"

Without looking back, Araki Itsuki pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "Come on. There are thousands of homes behind me!"