On the skeletal throne, Sukuna narrowed his four eyes and looked down at Kenjaku with a mocking glint in his gaze.
He knew what this was. Kenjaku was challenging him for authority. He wanted a seat at the table, or at least recognition as an equal.
Hah. Who would've thought it'd be Gojo Satoshi—his sudden appearance, his Zanpakutō, and his audacious destruction of six fingers—that gave Kenjaku the confidence to negotiate.
What an accident. Truly unexpected.
Did Kenjaku really think that just because Satoshi destroyed six fingers, he could now go against Sukuna's will?
Sukuna lowered his head. Kenjaku lifted his. The two stared at each other in silence.
After a pause, Kenjaku broke into a grin.
"My cervical spine's a little stiff. Guess I've been looking down at my phone too much. Maybe I ought to look up more often."
He gave in at the right moment.
For now, an alliance between him and Sukuna was still the best option. They were both Cursed Spirits, after all. Naturally, they belonged to the same camp. Even if he wanted a bigger say in their partnership, he knew full well how stubborn the Curse King's pride was.
He knew exactly when to stop.
But what Kenjaku didn't expect, was for Sukuna to suddenly leap down from the bone throne and land directly in front of him.
Kenjaku had yielded at the right time, and Ryomen Sukuna chose to step down in kind.
Two infamous figures, both notorious throughout history, had shown restraint toward each other at that moment.
And the cause behind all of this… was Gojo Satoshi.
Gojo Satoshi, with his two Zanpakutō, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and destroyed Sukuna's death wax.
Their gazes met. They both understood each other's position.
They nodded slightly.
Kenjaku no longer held back and began detailing what Gojo Satoshi had done in the real world.
...
"So it really was Gojo Satoshi. Then, the force that shattered my cursed energy structure before… that was the Kidō and Hadō he used?"
"This power is strange. It's nothing like Cursed Energy. It's not something used by jujutsu sorcerers. I can tell—it's not Cursed Energy at all, but a completely different system. That's the only reason it could disrupt my power so easily. The only reason it could instantly kill that Cursed Spirit wielding one of my fingers."
"So there are differences in strength between Zanpakutō. That's fine. Curses vary in strength too. If every Zanpakutō had the same power, this Cursed Tool wouldn't be worth anything."
"The combination of Sode no Shirayuki's Bankai's and Shikai's Ryūjin Jakka can destroy my fingers. Gojo Satoshi… I'll remember you."
Ryomen Sukuna and Kenjaku delved into the details of the livestream incident and, for the first time, identified Gojo Satoshi as their shared enemy.
"Kenjaku, I need you to retrieve my fingers in the real world before Satoshi gets to them."
Until now, Sukuna had never cared where his fingers ended up. Wherever they were, it didn't matter. No one could destroy them, and his strength remained intact.
But that illusion had been shattered.
After Satoshi had broken the stalemate, Sukuna realized that his existence as death wax in the real world was no longer safe.
Especially with Gojo Satoshi actively hunting his fingers, he needed to take action. He had to preserve his remaining strength.
He still didn't know why Satoshi harbored such overwhelming hostility toward him.
He had been dormant for nine years, and the Cursed Spirit that wielded one of his fingers had no obvious connection to the Gojo clan.
Which meant there was only one explanation.
Gojo Satoshi was his natural enemy.
He would never have imagined that Satoshi was a time traveler, not of this world, whose only mission was to prevent the world from spiraling out of control… to stop this timeline from reaching the future where Gojo Satoru was split in half.
After hearing Sukuna's request, Kenjaku nodded.
"Sukuna, my power in the real world is already being targeted by the Gojo clan. I'm sure Gojo Satoshi is behind it. Maybe it's because I tried to take Ryūjin Jakka before… but I can't shake the feeling that he's watching me."
At first, Kenjaku thought the feeling was paranoia. It didn't seem logical. But after nine years, when Gojo Satoshi awakened and immediately targeted Ryomen Sukuna, that gut instinct felt all too real.
Satoshi likely understood what made him different. And he certainly understood Sukuna's nature.
Sukuna took a long breath.
He wasn't surprised by this sudden calamity, but it did irritate him.
If he had a physical body in the real world right now, none of this would be a problem. He'd just kill everyone in his way.
But now, he was nothing more than a remnant.
In this state, he could only passively endure Gojo Satoshi's attacks. There was no way to counter.
As the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna had absolute confidence that he could destroy Satoshi.
But could a Cursed Spirit empowered by his fingers do the same?
Probably not.
The strength of those spirits varied wildly. Against a monster like Satoshi, who had two Zanpakutō, they were nothing but fodder.
And as for cultivating a Cursed Spirit that could wield more than one of his fingers?
Sukuna didn't think it was possible.
One finger's power was already enough to elevate a Cursed Spirit to Special Grade. Anything more, and the spirit would explode before it could use the power.
"Kenjaku. If you've got something to say, then spit it out."
Sukuna frowned. He already knew Kenjaku had a request. He didn't like scheming or roundabout talks—but that didn't mean he was naïve.
If Kenjaku dared play games in front of him, then he was still too green.
But from the way Kenjaku had been speaking, it seemed like he really did need something from Sukuna.
What was it?
If it was about his fingers, then yes. In the real world, Kenjaku's power was far more practical than Sukuna's spiritual form. He could track down and secure Sukuna's fingers, and let other Cursed Spirits consume them.
That alone could produce a swarm of Special Grade Cursed Spirits.
Though many of them would be cannon fodder, a Special Grade was still a formidable threat. A Cursed Spirit infused with even one finger's power could easily overpower most Grade 1 sorcerers.
But aside from that, what else could Kenjaku want?
What kind of help could Sukuna offer him from within this world?
(To be continued.)