You're the First One I'll Kill

"Was he revived? That guy..."

Megumi Fushiguro muttered as he looked at Yuji Itadori, whose body was covered in black curse markings.

"The King of Curses... Ryomen Sukuna!"

Sukuna ignored Megumi Fushiguro and burst into wild laughter. "Cursed spirit flesh tastes so bland!"

"Where are the humans? Where are the women? Heh heh heh..."

Standing at the edge of the rooftop, Sukuna spread his arms, radiating malice. "What a wonderful era this is!"

"Women and children crawling everywhere like maggots! Splendid! I can slaughter to my heart's content!"

"Is that so?"

A cold voice reached Sukuna's ears. At the same time, an immense wave of cursed energy flooded the entire rooftop.

"A human?!"

Sukuna quickly spotted the newcomer and laughed. "A jujutsu sorcerer? Come on, then!"

"Teacher..."

Megumi Fushiguro stared blankly at the newcomer. It was Ze Zenin.

"Megumi, step back." Ze Zenin kept his eyes on Sukuna as he spoke to Megumi Fushiguro. "Gojo's here too."

"That guy's here too?"

An unreliable white-haired man flashed through Megumi Fushiguro's mind. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he took several steps back.

Suddenly, Sukuna grabbed his own face. His body slipped out of his control, and two different voices came from the same mouth.

"What do you think you're doing with my body? Give it back!"

"Why can you still move?"

"Isn't that obvious? It's my body. Give it back already."

Ze Zenin couldn't help smiling at the sight. He said:

"Itadori, give him control for one minute. Let me see what he's capable of."

"Oh, okay!"

Yuji Itadori didn't know how the man before him knew his name, but he didn't dwell on it. He handed control of his body over to Sukuna.

The black curse markings reappeared on Itadori's body, and that ominous presence rose once more.

Sukuna grinned viciously at Ze Zenin. "One minute, brat? Aren't you cocky?"

Being switched in and out like this infuriated Sukuna, but right now, he wanted a fight even more!

With that, Sukuna thrust out his fist and charged straight at Ze Zenin's face.

At the same time, he extended his left hand, sending several invisible slashes at Ze Zenin.

"They've started fighting?" Satoru Gojo landed beside Megumi Fushiguro. "That really is Sukuna's presence. Ze called it!"

"Gojo-sensei?" Megumi Fushiguro looked at the bag in Satoru Gojo's hand. "What's that..."

"Kikufuku from Kikusuian, a Sendai specialty. I especially recommend the edamame whipped cream flavor."

Satoru Gojo took one from the bag and bit into it, then tossed another to Megumi Fushiguro. He smiled casually. "Go on, eat. How can we watch those two fight without a snack?"

Megumi Fushiguro: "..."

Lives are at stake, and you still had the time to buy dessert?

That's just like you...

Below them, Sukuna's heart sank as the dust cleared to reveal an empty rooftop.

This guy's fast!

Before he could finish that thought, Ze Zenin appeared behind him and drove the Chidori in his hand toward Sukuna's heart.

Sukuna reacted immediately, gathering cursed energy in his left hand to shield his chest.

He raised his right hand and fired a Dismantle, astonishment flooding his mind. Just as I thought...

What Sukuna hadn't expected was that the lightning cursed energy in Ze Zenin's hand was completely different from anything he had seen before.

The Chidori sliced like a blade, severing the left hand guarding his chest.

"You bastard..."

Sukuna hurriedly stepped back. His reverse cursed technique began restoring his hands while his thoughts raced.

Is his cursed technique lightning? If that's the case...

Having traded blows, Ze Zenin looked at the barely visible cut on his hand and clicked his tongue.

Within his shadow, Mahoraga's wheel had already begun analyzing the slashes...

Ze Zenin formed hand seals, and the shadow beneath him spread steadily behind his back.

Then an ox-shaped shikigami suddenly emerged and charged toward Ze Zenin.

"What's he doing?"

Sukuna narrowed his eyes at this seemingly suicidal move.

Looking at the completely unguarded Sukuna, Ze Zenin said flatly:

"You've let your guard down... King of Curses."

As Ze Zenin's words fell, he and Sukuna abruptly switched places. Piercing Ox slammed into Sukuna with tremendous force, sending him flying!

"Why am I here?" Sukuna stared in a daze at Piercing Ox as the shikigami rammed him, bewildered.

"What exactly is his cursed technique?"

The momentum drove Sukuna hard into a wall. He staggered back to his feet, pale bones faintly visible through his abdomen.

"Sukuna..."

Ze Zenin said expressionlessly, "Go ahead and struggle."

Ze Zenin then unleashed Chidori Senbon. Sukuna's pupils contracted as he dodged the tiny needles again and again.

Sukuna knew perfectly well that if even one struck him, excruciating pain awaited.

As he dodged, he hurled several invisible slashes.

Then a wicked grin spread across his face, as though he had discovered something fascinating.

"Jujutsu sorcerer, make me fall for you!"

Ze Zenin evaded every slash with a simple tilt of his head.

Against such crude attacks, Ze Zenin didn't even consider absorbing them with the Preta Path.

Still, Sukuna was Sukuna. Even with only one finger's worth of power, his speed remained ghostlike.

He flashed behind Ze Zenin.

"Hachi!"

Sukuna's arrogant grin vanished when he saw the purple skeletal frame surrounding Ze Zenin.

This was the limit of the Susanoo Ze Zenin could currently summon. To truly wield Susanoo's power...

It seemed he would have to wait until he faced a life-or-death crisis after all.

Sukuna's normally unstoppable slash struck the skeleton without causing Ze Zenin the slightest discomfort.

Sukuna's expression shifted from arrogance to shock.

"I preferred you when you were defiant," Ze Zenin said flatly.

A Susanoo arm promptly swatted Sukuna into the wall. Looking at his battered state, Ze Zenin sneered:

"That's it?"

Sukuna clenched his fist in frustration. Seeing the brat's arrogance, he wanted nothing more than to kill Ze Zenin right then.

"Have a taste of this... King of Curses." Ze Zenin formed hand seals and leaped into the air, the skeleton rising with him-

"Great Fire Annihilation."

A fierce wave of heat surged toward Sukuna. His pupils contracted. Realizing he couldn't cut through it with his slashes, he hurriedly darted aside.

At the same time, confusion filled his mind. Why?

Why can he use so many cursed techniques?

"Did you think that was the end, King of Curses?"

Ze Zenin teleported behind the King of Curses. The Kusanagi Sword pierced Sukuna's heart from behind, then twisted hard, shredding it.

-The surreal pain left Sukuna stunned.

How many years has it been since I felt pain like this?

At the same time, the powerful current coursing through the Kusanagi Sword paralyzed his body, leaving him unable to move.

Ze Zenin shoved hard and kicked Sukuna into the sea of fire, then thrust a Chidori Sharp Spear into the flames.

**Boom-**a violent explosion rang out, scorching the rooftop black.

The blast blew off both of Sukuna's hands and left burns all over his body. Two trails of blood ran from the corners of his mouth.

With only one finger's worth of power, his reverse cursed technique wasn't efficient enough to repair injuries this severe.

"Not bad..."

Sukuna coughed up blood and glared fiercely at Ze Zenin. In his eyes, the man was merely taking advantage of his having only one finger's power.

"I'll play with you a little longer, King of Curses." Ze Zenin smiled faintly.

Hearing Ze Zenin call him the King of Curses over and over, even an idiot could tell he was mocking him.

Through sheer determination, Sukuna finished restoring his right hand and unleashed another three slashes.

Ze Zenin raised his palm and absorbed the slashes with a mocking smile.

His eyes held nothing but contempt. To Ze Zenin, Sukuna's Malevolent Shrine was the most boring cursed technique of all.

This time, Ze Zenin absorbed and neutralized Sukuna's attack without even moving his body. Sukuna's eyes filled with shock.

Why? Why did my slashes disappear...

Could it be...

A terrifying possibility surfaced in Sukuna's mind-

The brat in front of me can absorb cursed energy!

Before Sukuna had time to think, Ze Zenin was already in front of him, gripping his throat.

Damn brat...

Sukuna flushed with rage, but before he could say anything-

Ze Zenin slammed him into the wall where the Susanoo arm had embedded him earlier.

Ze Zenin gripped Sukuna's throat with enough force to make even breathing difficult. Leaning close to his ear, he gave a cold laugh:

"Why are you so weak? Because you don't hate me enough..."

Ze Zenin's words pierced Sukuna's heart like a spike. He clenched his teeth, all four eyes brimming with venom as he stared at Ze Zenin's expressionless face.

A phantom image of Piercing Ox appeared around Ze Zenin's hand, and he punched Sukuna in the abdomen.

Ze Zenin released his grip. Sukuna's eyes rolled back from the blow, and he lost his balance, collapsing onto the rooftop and gasping for breath.

"What an ugly sight, King of Curses."

Ze Zenin's taunts continued. "Can't you even dance anymore?"

Sukuna struggled to rise. He would never let his opponent see him in such a humiliating state!

"Now I hate you enough... Ze Zenin!"

Sukuna spoke calmly, his overwhelming killing intent pouring out without restraint. "I've already seen how you'll die, brat..."

Why does it feel like our roles have switched... is he Sasuke now?

Ze Zenin looked at Sukuna with amusement-

His right eye had turned red, bearing a six-pointed star pattern, while his left had become a purple tomoe Rinnegan.

"I'm tired of playing, King of Curses."

"You little brat... don't look down on me!"

Enraged by such contempt, Sukuna looked at Ze Zenin's strange eyes and froze.

"What are those..."

The scene shifted. Sukuna was bound to a cross, surrounded by red.

"This is my world of illusion..."

Several Ze Zenins stood before Sukuna, each holding a short blade. "Here, mass... space and time are all under my control."

One Ze Zenin plunged his short blade into Sukuna while another said flatly, "For the next forty-eight hours, these blades will keep stabbing you. I hope you can endure it."

"King of Curses..."

Sukuna stared coldly at the Ze Zenins before him without letting out a single scream. Through clenched teeth, he said icily:

"Once I reclaim all my power and take over this brat's body, you're the first one I'll kill!"

Ze Zenin ignored Sukuna's threat. He never took threats from someone like him to heart anyway.

The short blades stabbed relentlessly into Sukuna's soul-

Within that space, it continued for a full forty-eight hours.

In reality, however, only an instant passed. The black curse markings rapidly faded from Yuji Itadori's body, and everything belonging to Itadori once again reclaimed it.

"..."

Covering his left eye, Ze Zenin silently watched Sukuna fall into a deep sleep within Yuji Itadori's innate domain.

He could use his ocular power to enter that innate domain, and even speak face-to-face with Sukuna.

It was simply a question of whether doing so was necessary.

After all, Sasuke had already been able to see the Nine-Tails inside Naruto when he first appeared in Shippuden.

Not to mention his current Rinnegan, which could place the Nine Tailed Beasts under an illusion with a single glance.

Still, Ze Zenin disdained using the same move twice on one person. If there was a next time, Sukuna would experience overwhelming power.

Ze Zenin stood calmly in place. Over these past twelve years, apart from developing his ocular power to its limit...

He had also drawn on his memories to develop several ninjutsu that complemented his abilities. (They were formed from cursed energy.)

At this point, aside from the Rinnegan's portals, he could be said to have developed his powers to their limit.

Now, it was simply a matter of what kind of fight Ze Zenin wanted.

"Ze, you finished already?"

Satoru Gojo appeared beside Ze Zenin with the body flicker technique. It was the first time he had seen Ze Zenin use an illusion.

As far as Satoru Gojo could see, Sukuna had barely finished talking tough before Ze Zenin put him in his place.

Still, thinking of Ze Zenin's eyes-one red, one purple, appearing and disappearing from time to time-Satoru Gojo thought they were pretty cool.

"Let's check on Itadori. Ryomen Sukuna inside him should already be asleep."

Ze Zenin stood up and walked over.

He placed both hands on Itadori's abdomen and channeled Reverse Cursed Technique outward. The injuries on the boy's body healed completely in moments.

Then he continued:

"Itadori was born to be a vessel that could imprison Sukuna...

Gojo, bring him into Jujutsu High from now on.

Let him be Megumi's classmate."

"Huh?"

Satoru Gojo looked at Ze Zenin with a mischievous grin. "Is this kid some relative of yours? Trying to sneak him in through the back door?"

"Get lost."

"So touchy. Later, I'll show Geto and a certain someone's dear Shoko just how fierce you look!"

Satoru Gojo held up his phone smugly. "I took pictures, you know. I even made a separate album-"

"How about calling it 'Ze's Collection of Show-Off Techniques'?"

Ze Zenin: "..."

Sensing Ze Zenin's murderously "friendly" gaze, Satoru Gojo hurriedly grabbed Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro beside him.

Then, using Blue's attraction, he teleported away.

"Just you wait, you bastard..." Ze Zenin said through gritted teeth.