The atmosphere in the enclosure suddenly became thick and charged, as if the very air had become tangible, heavy, and threatening. The curses present were left paralyzed, with their incandescent eyes and fluctuating energies, upon hearing the declaration of the young man whose appearance contrasted disturbingly with the power he exuded. It was as if fate itself had decided to interrupt the usual course of darkness, and at that very moment, Jogo, famous for his temper as volatile as the magma that ran through his head, launched into the offensive.
With a roar that seemed to come from the very depths of hell, the magma ignited in his mind and appeared in intense flashes above his volcano-head, his single blazing eye full of determination, as he focused on the source of the provocation and, in a voice that thundered in every corner of the castle, he shouted with uncontrollable fury revealing his exasperation
" What have you said?! We are not your damn puppets! "
The tone of his voice, harsh and full of rage, blended with the creaking of the environment, causing even the shadows to tremble. The cursed energy that emanated from his hands sparkled like lightning in the midst of a storm, threatening to unleash devastating violence, since Satori's announcement is something that touched a sensitive nerve in the catastrophe-class curse.
At that very moment, Mahito, always the joker among the curses, saw his usual carefree smile transform into a grimace of perverse amusement. His laugh, shrill and resonant, spread throughout the area like a macabre echo, reverberating off the walls of the place and provoking a shudder in every creature present. Holding his stomach, Mahito writhed from side to side, amid laughter bordering on the inhuman.
" Did you hear it, Geto?! Did you hear it?! It says, HAHA, that we are its puppets! What a joke! "
Mahito's laughter became an instrument of tension, a deafening mockery in the midst of chaos, while the darkness seemed to throb to the rhythm of his hilarious flashes. In contrast, Hanami, whose serenity was almost enigmatic, remained in an unruffled silence, reflecting the gravity of the situation without uttering a word. By her side, Dagon clung like a loyal shadow, waiting in expectant silence for the intervention of Kenjaku, whose authority had always been the voice that ordered chaos in times of crisis.
The tense calm was broken when a figure emerged from the center of the circle of curses, the newly born curse, whose presence was as ethereal as it was lethal. Its countenance showed a smile, but despite having it, it did not display any emotion, it was merely a superimposed grimace. In an almost whispered voice, Kenjaku commented, and his words seemed to float in the air with a mysterious echo
" Puppets… why do you say that? " he offered a placid smile, but behind that smile his analytical nature was evident in the way this curse displayed itself; the manifestation of its cursed energy is very different from what is known. It combined a pure aura with the sinister CE.
But it seems that for this new curse it does not matter at all to have both.
The newly born curse, now known as Satori, regarded them gently; as soon as it saw them it found something curious, now perfectly understanding the magnitude of its technique, not being afraid of those beings that were created with its own technique
" Humans with this pure energy, despite having it, are weak and their fears do not develop consciousness, only those in the chakra who have such willpower; but this human, emitting this delicious energy, the cursed energy, this little human having so much cursed energy… affecting him, his fears are so deep that they have previously damaged his soul, and cursed energy is a well full of memories… I see it now, that is why their consciousnesses could never disappear " it gave a slight, placid smile " although they are my puppets, they may have their own unique essence, I suppose I can value them and leave them as my collection slaves. "
Every word of Satori slid with precision, making even the darkest corners of the place seem to listen. Kenjaku, with a furrowed brow and his mind full of questions, could not help but reflect; Could cursed energy contain memories? Being one of the greatest sorcerers of the golden era a thousand years ago, he never questioned the method, he only knew that it was by the work of negative energy that humans themselves made all the evil sprout. As his thoughts wandered, his eyes fell again on the child who was at the edge of the contention. He had never dealt with someone so small in his entire life, they were always sorcerers, so, what did he do to be summoned through memories? Why could he not see something in the child? And yet, something in that human made him shine with a latent, disquieting power.
The tension became unbearable when Jogo, unable to tolerate any longer the idea of being reduced to mere puppets, broke the silence with an order that reverberated like thunder in the vast darkness
" Let's kill that damn human and return to Shibuya! " this curse didn't even pay attention to the entire explanation of the boy's technique, only wanting to end that farce and leave there.
The order spread with the ferocity of a forest fire, provoking a wave of screams and murmurs of approval and terror. Jogo's aggressiveness was palpable, and his words seemed to trigger a cascade of contradictory emotions. However, Satori, in a low and almost imperceptible voice, added in a whispering tone, as if lamenting what he was about to do " I suppose you no longer have the strength of old… unless this human believes that you were once invincible. "
At that precise moment, a sepulchral silence seized the assembly, and the air seemed to stop, holding the breath of every curse. It was then that a hoarse, deep, and resonant laugh broke the stillness. With astonishment and confusion, all eyes turned toward the child. Before their incredulous eyes, two additional arms burst forth from the child's body, emerging with the power and fluidity of an overflowing river. For a long time, everyone had believed that the only remarkable thing about him was the strange curse that adorned his neck, but now a hidden, unexpected, and overwhelming power was revealed.
The child's cursed energy was let flow, expanding in a wave that seemed to shake the very structure of Hōzuki castle. Satori, Kenjaku, and the other curses opened their eyes with a mixture of astonishment and terror, feeling how the pressure emanating from that force was so oppressive that even their senses seemed to tremble. The rising wind was biting, icy, laden with an incredible foreboding; the air had transformed into a wintry river that swept along fragments of an uncertain fate.
" Sukuna? " murmured Kenjaku, without taking his eyes off the child, while a shiver ran down his spine. His voice, barely a whisper, was imbued with an icy coldness, and every word seemed to invoke memories of remote eras, of the Heian period, where the oppression of evil was palpable. The question floated in the air, loaded with an unusual tension, if it really was Sukuna, why did the binding vow remain active? It should have ceased to function upon releasing Sukuna, this child had the same aura, there is no doubt that it is the king of curses, then why? Despite being so intelligent and meticulous, it was the first time he encountered a problem like this.
The child, moving with an almost choreographed calm, turned slowly. With a measured and elegant gesture, he ran his hands through his hair, carefully pushing it aside to reveal a clean forehead without tattoos; those symbols, which once had defined his identity, had disappeared in the process of fusion with Yūji. At that moment, the image of Sukuna emerged with unmistakable clarity: a playful gesture, a look of contained madness, and an energy that radiated an ancient authority. Kenjaku, agape, could not take his eyes away. With a playful smile full of overflowing arrogance, Sukuna addressed the group " Kenjaku, I am surprised that you still have memories, but do not worry about understanding it… You will die again. "
The declaration, laden with a chilly mockery, made all the curses fall into a silence of astonishment and reverent fear. Mahito, unable to contain his bewilderment, raised his voice in despair, holding his head with both hands, while he shouted:
" B-but what happened to you?! You are still trapped in Yūji's body! How did you end up in such a small body? I don't understand a thing! " the blue-haired curse continued to be dumbfounded, along with everyone else, there is no doubt, it was Sukuna.
Confusion and disbelief mingled in a whirlwind of emotions. At that precise moment, Satori raised his hands, imbued with an almost palpable darkness, and with a simple gesture forced all voices to cease. An overwhelming silence spread, so thick that even Hanami, who tried to move or speak, found herself paralyzed, unable to free herself from the tension. Only Jogo, with his single dominant eye, focused on Satori.
In a low voice, almost in a conspiratorial whisper, Satori addressed the little being directly
" Do these puppets call you Sukuna? Is that your name, human? " Satori stood facing that child; before, he felt no threat from him, but this time it was palpable, it was felt in the atmosphere that he now was a greater threat.
The challenge thundered in the silence, and at that moment, Sukuna, analyzing every detail with a penetrating gaze, replied with an unsettling calm. His tone, laden with a measured disdain and a subtle envy, unfolded from his voice
" Being the first curse born in the era of the ninjas is truly impressive, but what really amazes me is that your CE does not compare to that of these weak ones. On the contrary, it resembles the curse I wear around my neck. You are capable of fusing chakra with your cursed energy in a unique formation, something enviable, and that deeply irritates me, because neither Yūji nor I have achieved such a fusion, despite our tireless efforts " while he spoke he clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling very angry at the thought, he has not advanced much in Yūji's body, but the one that is now his body, and feeling weak frustrated him.
But now that they have fused, nothing will stop him from obtaining the supreme power of that place, if he was able to reach the pinnacle of sorcery before, why wouldn't he achieve it here?
" I will have to go to the limit this time " Suiren looked at 'Yūji' before her eyes, watching as he closed his eyes and tensed his arms, it seems he is preparing something.
Satori regarded him after his words, and he too began to prepare himself " You will be imprisoned for your entire life in the box, human, and you will feed me for countless eras. I will never have to worry again. "
Satori's order was executed with the precision of a puppeteer who moves his strings in a perfect choreography. In a matter of seconds, the curses under his control set themselves in motion. The ground itself seemed to come to life: wooden antlers and nature itself began to revive, the earth split in cracks from which robust plants sprouted, the octopus-shaped being summoned aquatic creatures that emerged by his side, also making use of the sea now that it was so near, even the one who bore a single eye managed to make the earth vibrate with volcanic eruptions. Kenjaku, with determined movements, invoked one of his cursed spirits, and Mahito, in an act of almost surreal metamorphosis, generated clones that transformed, all running straight toward that child and his curse.
Now they could do nothing as their speech was blocked.
But everyone seemed skeptical of what they were doing against their will, that newly born curse was controlling them, Satori, seeing their attacks, also influenced by his cursed technique which, although he created them, their thoughts are independent, something that made him smile; it did not seem a bad idea to have people to govern in this way, and this child continues to be the key to everything.
Meanwhile, Suiren did not cease in her determination. From her own body emerged a water barrier that, in a matter of seconds, solidified into an impenetrable shield, protecting Yūji from the attacks that were erupting in a chaotic frenzy. At that moment, fine black lines began to emerge from Sukuna's body, slowly extending, emitting glimmers that could be seen painfully; however, he really did not care, he forced his body to overcome the blockage from the previous attack, deciding to resurge with renewed strength, to feel the influence combine again, as he was forcefully merging his Chakra, his Cursed Energy, and the last energy, his conjectures as he analyzed and studied that last energy, with his six eyes, before it could backfire on Yūji, Sukuna watched as that last energy permeated the air, the vegetation, and every drop of water. That force was the vital essence of the world, an unstoppable current that connected all things. And he, seeing it everywhere, called it
Natural Energy.
With a sudden flash, Sukuna's red eyes widened. Time seemed to stop in a suspended instant, while a smile of pure excitement and thirst for power spread across his face. With lethal agility, he moved his four arms in a chaotic yet precise dance. From his limbs burst forth four devastating slashes that rose toward the sky, slicing through the clouds in an explosion of force and revealing a scorching sun that, relentlessly, illuminated every corner of Hōzuki castle; the gray sky that Satori had formed was destroyed and left the ninja world exposed to his devastating attack. The impact was such that the entire structure dissolved into a whirlwind of destruction, and the forest, along with the majestic trees guarding the place, vanished in an instant, swept away by the fury of the attack.
The curses, those that had once inspired fear in Yūji in past times, now found themselves subjected to Satori's absolute dominance. With superhuman speed, Hanami's arm vanished into nothingness, and the dark mass that composed his being writhed in a chaotic frenzy. Satori, with his eyes open in a mixture of astonishment and disbelief, watched as the released energy was more powerful and intimidating than ever; his feathers, which until recently had fallen sleek and orderly, instinctively stood on end as a defensive barrier, reacting to the magnitude of the unleashed power.
Kenjaku panted as he contemplated the devastation. Every slash of Sukuna was a work of destruction, and the coordinated movement of his four arms managed to erase the clouds from the sky, revealing a radiant sun that seemed to announce the arrival of a new order. Jogo's single eye trembled, and in a voice laden with astonishment and reverent fear, he murmured " This… can no longer be classified as mere cursed energy. "
Sukuna let out subtle, almost playful laughs, while caressing his neck with one of his outstretched arms, in a gesture that combined arrogance and amusement. In a defiant and confident voice, he stated " No, this is no longer just cursed energy; it is something far more powerful. With a single movement, I will send them back to where they have no relevance. "
Every word impregnated the atmosphere, intensifying the suspense and making every being present feel the weight of the fate hanging over them. The fusion of chakra, cursed energy, and the newly discovered natural energy combined in a synergy so overwhelming that it seemed to intimidate all the beings present.
" The brat asked me to make them suffer, but I want to have fun then… let's begin. " Sukuna, with a movement, once again made the symbol that Kenjaku knew perfectly; Kenjaku's eyes widened.
" Domain Expansion... "
When Sukuna began to speak, one of his eyes transformed into a softer one, and a mouth appeared on his cheek in a flash " Suiren! Grab all the people right now and throw them into the sea! " ordered the mouth that had appeared on Sukuna; Suiren, who was at the neck of the now Sukuna, blinked curiously at hearing another voice different from the one speaking now.
" Yūji? Yes! I will do as Yūji tells me! " Suiren did not stop; she separated from Yūji's body to address all the humans present, whether they were bad or not, she would only obey Yūji.
Beneath what was happening with the curses, Daigo was breathing with difficulty, bloodied all over his body; fighting his father without a trace of chakra is truly painful, as it reminds him of all his own failures, and he did not flinch, his greenish eyes beginning to look lilac, he seemed affected by the heartbreaking thoughts and negative emotions being bestowed upon him; he fell to one knee, spitting out a great torrent of blood, despite being a man who never gave up, this time… he felt that at last he would have a defeat for which to be ashamed.
He lowered his head, listening to the footsteps of his father, that flashing chakra ready to behead him.
" In the end I could never live up to your expectations… " was all that Daigo thought with his eyes closed in bitterness, the heaviness falling hard upon his shoulders; he had been defeated.
At least that's what he thought, feeling something watery surround him; when he looked down he saw a water connection supporting him, and with surprise he looked toward where it directed him and it was a strange summoning.
" A water summoning? " was all the man could think.
Hisa, who was killing all those beings, despite her fears managed to defeat them with brute strength and had been killing all those who looked horrible; this time she took one by the head and twisted him so hard that she separated his very head in one rounded movement, letting out a loud cackle of the euphoria of the fight, her broad smile showing her courage, but feeling surrounded by something watery made her lose focus for a moment, when she saw that it was a summoning.
Genshō attacked with his expert taijutsu, breathing agitatedly as he had faced many of those dark, formless masses, but being immobilized made him scream " What's h-happening?! "
Chouko, with those bewildered eyes, watched as her entire environment changed; the darkness and fear loomed over everyone, she had no deeply ingrained fear so the technique launched by Satori did not work, but she saw how some water took hold of all the existing humans, well, at least those who were in the outer courtyard, since those who were not in the courtyard were not taken.
The tired twins, breathing heavily, saw something happening; whether prisoners or other people, they were held tightly, Suiren combined her entire body into a huge dome enclosing as many humans as possible and in the end, with all of them, despite being disconcerted, she threw them directly into the sea; the strong echo of their screams was heard but she did not care if some died from the abruptness of her act, she only obeyed.
Yūji, with his only manipulable eye, looked again at instigating Sukuna " Remember the vow, Sukuna, and also, if possible, try not to kill the bird curse, Suiren needs to feed. "
" Your damn pet curse? Well, she will get a good bone for wanting to help me, you had better teach her to make ice soon, " he saw that everyone already had their hands ready to contradict his domain expansion
" As long as you have driven away those you like, that is enough for me, this castle is larger than 200 kilometers, I will kill them immediately. "
Everyone grew tense when they saw Sukuna, that smile became more pronounced " Nothing can defeat us now that I have these three energies together, brat. "
I need nothing more, Sukuna; his eyes were overflowing not so much from the act of fighting, but rather, how his domain expansion will work now that he has this natural energy combined with his chakra and his cursed energy in a single well.
" Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine "