Is this fucker even human?

How dare you? How fucking dare you!

I walked two whole stops and wandered around all day just to find one Grade 2 Cursed Spirit, and you casually tore it apart before I even got a taste?

I'd already invoked my [Three Questions], and you killed it before I could complete the binding vow. Then you can take its place!

Boom!

Another punch landed. Without a thick coating of cursed energy amplifying the blow, Ryomen Sukuna took another hit to the head, and the floor caved in beneath him.

The aftermath of the earlier battle had already left this place in ruins. Now, struck by Kamo Xu's cursed-energy-enhanced strength, it finally gave way and collapsed!

Sukuna fell to the floor below in Yuji Itadori's body. Kamo Xu didn't follow. With Sukuna's temper, the bastard would definitely jump back up for another beating.

"You damned brat! You're asking to die!"

Sure enough, he'd taken two punches before he could even savor his first breath of fresh air after coming back to life. Forget this short-tempered bastard-anyone would have been furious.

Sukuna leaped out of the hole, twisted in midair, and thrust his claws toward Kamo Xu. He would plunge both hands into this bastard's chest and tear him down the middle!

That fucking brat dared to ambush me!

Under the influence of Sukuna's cursed energy, Yuji Itadori's fingernails grew into long, black claws, gleaming coldly like ten sharp blades.

His face twisted with savage fury. Anyone who saw him would have been scared half to death.

But...

"Itadori, don't switch back for the next ten seconds. Let me beat up this bastard hijacking your body and blow off some steam, then you can come back."

"Don't worry. I'll heal you afterward. You're [human], after all..."

Kamo Xu paid no attention whatsoever to Sukuna right in front of him. That vicious attack seemed no more noteworthy than a passing breeze.

"What nonsense! This brat's body belongs to me now! Switch back? You dare underestimate me..."

"Oh, got it, old man."

Sukuna: ?

What was that? Who?

The brat who owns this body? How can he still act?!

But he was a seasoned veteran from a thousand years ago, after all. After a brief moment of shock, he immediately collected himself.

His first priority was killing this arrogant bastard, who had dared ambush him as he savored his first breath of air and first glimpse of moonlight after coming back to life!

Kill him. Kill him!

Sukuna thrust his hand forward and successfully plunged it into Kamo Xu's chest!

"Mr. Kamo!" Megumi Fushiguro shouted in alarm. Everything had been fine just a moment ago, only to suddenly turn into this.

He struggled to get up, but dizziness and weakness from blood loss suddenly overwhelmed him. He stumbled and fell again instead.

He looked toward the battle in frustration... but that hurried glance showed him Kamo Xu still standing tall.

Kamo Xu calmly raised one hand, signaling him not to panic.

On closer inspection...

There was no blood flowing out?

Sukuna's entire arm was clearly buried in his chest, with his fingertips even protruding from his back.

That was unmistakably a fatal wound!

But... how could he remain so calm and composed?

"Hmm... is it because you haven't swallowed many fingers? You're much slower than the Heavenly Tyrant. Weaker, too."

"You do have more cursed energy than most people, but... you don't feel nearly as terrifying as the legends claim."

With his chest still impaled, Kamo Xu actually took two steps forward. Under Sukuna's incredulous gaze, he let the entire arm sink into his body.

The sharp nails even dragged out flesh, but the blood remained firmly confined within Kamo Xu's body. Not a single drop escaped.

Kamo Xu leaned down and closely examined Sukuna, who occupied the body of a boy half a head shorter than him.

Tattoos, extra eyes, fangs, a hideous face...

Nothing special. Just a cursed piece of human garbage.

Meanwhile, Sukuna was observing him as well...

I see. The ability to control blood. But this is a fatal wound. The pain should have rendered him unable to move long ago. How can he still...

No, is he insane? He's actually controlling blood circulation throughout his body and stopping it across a large area around his chest?

There's no sign of Reverse Cursed Technique being used. And this bizarre quantity of cursed energy... is he willingly accepting curses from outside objects and other people?

Sukuna laughed. "Ah... to think there would still be a freak like you a thousand years later. Are you the strongest of this era?"

Kamo Xu smiled and modestly denied it, waving a hand as he said bluntly, "How could I be? Someone else is the strongest. You're just such a worthless piece of shit that everyone you meet seems strong to you~"

"It was bad enough that filthy scum like you ran wild in your own era, but you actually dared turn yourself into a disgusting Cursed Object. And in the end, you got trapped by a teenager, toyed with and even used like some pathetic clown..."

"Aren't you ashamed?"

"I'll kill you!"

Sukuna completely lost it. Kamo Xu's sharp-tongued tirade had made his face darken with rage.

He tried to tear Kamo Xu apart on the spot, but the moment he moved, he realized something was wrong.

Scarlet crystals had spread over his arm. They were condensed blood!

This lunatic condensed this much blood inside himself? Isn't he afraid of dying from a blood clot?!

There was no time to remain stunned. The attack was here!

Kamo Xu's fists descended like a sudden, violent storm, hammering Sukuna's body blow after blow!

His face, abdomen, ribs...

His temples, throat, chin.

Sukuna tried to retaliate, but the wrist of his only free arm was seized in a tight grip. The relentless punches left him unable to mount any effective defense.

Every strike targeted a vital point-not to defeat, but to kill!

But it wasn't his life they were killing. It was his nerve.

In just a few moments, Sukuna understood that he absolutely could not fight this bastard at close range!

He's holding back!

Sukuna awkwardly raised the hand he could still move. He could clearly sense that Kamo Xu wasn't using cursed energy to reinforce his attacks at all. His hand-to-hand skills far surpassed Sukuna's.

In a purely physical fight, the outcome might have been uncertain. But Kamo Xu wasn't purely human.

His innate physical cheat, Heavenly Restriction, allowed him to control all the blood in his body.

After defecting from Jujutsu High, half a year of relentless development had naturally enabled him to use the pressure exerted by his blood to move his body. This accelerated his attacks and even let him perform extreme movements that had previously been impossible!

Like a marionette, he personally controlled his own shell in battle.

Every strike could achieve the speed of Convergence: Piercing Blood. If he coated himself in blood armor, the damage would only increase!

Moreover, the extreme pressure generated by his blood let him fight exactly as he envisioned, at will.

Like an improvised script, he directed his blood to perform the actions. His body instead became an accessory, serving only to assist!

As a result...

Without an absolute advantage in speed and combat awareness, or an overwhelmingly powerful, unreasonable means of control, anyone fighting Kamo Xu at close quarters would find his hand-to-hand skills leagues ahead of theirs!

That included Satoru Gojo when he wasn't using Limitless to defend himself!

Bam!

Kamo Xu threw one final punch. This time, he added a little of his own cursed energy, and its overwhelming force instantly surged!

Sukuna took the punch squarely in the face. His skin split and flesh tore open, sending blood spraying.

The terrifying force sent his body flying, pulling his arm straight out of Kamo Xu's torso!

The thousand-year-old monster was shocked once again...

That much damage? I'd just tested this brat's body myself. It's far tougher than any ordinary human's, yet that one punch tore straight through the flesh!

The combo demonstrated the mechanics. The beating demonstrated the stats.

Boom!

Yuji Itadori's body slammed into the wall. His head lolled, making it clear he had suffered considerable damage.

Sukuna covered his face and hurriedly healed his body with Reverse Cursed Technique. He still didn't believe Itadori could reclaim control of the body. He immediately set about restoring it so he could use his Cursed Technique to slice this monster to pieces!

But before Sukuna could do anything, he saw that red-eyed lunatic in the distance reach both hands toward the wound he had just punched through his torso...

Riiip!

Under everyone's horrified gaze, Kamo Xu tore open the flesh on his chest, lowered his head, and dug out large chunks of the coagulated, hardened blood embedded inside his body with his fingers!

Sukuna: ...

Megumi Fushiguro: ...

Itadori, silently counting the seconds inside his mind: Holy shit!

Is this fucker even human???