The terrifying cursed energy of fifteen fingers erupted in the night sky of Shibuya like a volcano suppressed for a millennium!
A pillar of dark-red cursed energy shot into the heavens, dyeing most of the sky an ominous blood-red.
The surrounding ruins trembled violently under the pressure. Countless pieces of rubble rose into the air, defying gravity, before being pulverized instantly by the surging cursed energy!
"Come!"
Sukuna laughed madly, his hands thrown wide.
"Dismantle!"
This time, it wasn't just a few casual slashes.
But hundreds, thousands of invisible blades, forming a dense, suffocating net, strangling toward Yoru like a violent tornado!
Everything in its path—whether reinforced concrete or mangled cars—was sliced into neat blocks instantly!
'It's too dense...'
Yoru frowned as he observed the overwhelming net of slashes through the Transparent World.
Even with a body rivaling the Sorcerer Killer, emerging unscathed from such a dense attack was impossible.
If he couldn't dodge it, he would cut through it!
He took a deep breath, flooding his lungs with oxygen. His heart pounded like a heavy war drum.
The deep-red Slayer Mark on his left forehead seemed to come alive, radiating a heart-stopping heat.
The edge of Shiranui glowed with a brilliant crimson light, even hinting at a pure golden-white!
"Sun Breathing, Thirteenth Form."
This form had no name.
Or rather, it was the ultimate sword technique that linked the previous twelve forms into a seamless, infinite loop like a ring!
From the first Dance to the final Flame Dance, it was an unending cycle!
"First Form: Dance!"
Yoru swung first, a perfect arc of flame.
The dozens of invisible slashes at the front were incinerated instantly upon contact with the Bright Red Nichirin Sword's extreme heat!
Without a moment's pause, he twisted his body, following the momentum.
"Second Form: Clear Blue Sky!"
"Third Form: Burning Sun!"
Blade-light flowed like water, continuous and unrelenting!
Yoru transformed into a raging solar storm, forcibly tearing a path through Sukuna's slashes, which had yet to return to their peak but were already becoming lethal!
The sounds of slashes being incinerated and the scream of the blade cutting through the air joined in a violent symphony of death.
Yoru's heart thundered. He could feel Sukuna's slashes growing heavier and faster as time passed.
The other man's technique burnout was rapidly healing!
'This guy... is a real monster.'
Yoru cursed inwardly.
Even with only fifteen fingers of power, and even after multiple high-intensity battles and a Domain Expansion, Sukuna's dominance sent shivers down his spine.
He knew he had only survived this storm of attacks because he was capitalizing on the enemy's weakened state.
If it were Sukuna at full power, he would have been turned into mincemeat in a single heartbeat!
"Hahaha! Excellent!"
Sukuna watched Yoru charge toward him like a fire god incarnate, his eyes overflowing with fanatical excitement.
He slammed both hands into the ground.
"Cleave!"
"Spider's Thread!"
Crack, crack—!
As the technique burnout eased further, the power of this strike far surpassed the previous ones.
Centering on Sukuna, the ground within a hundred-meter radius was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
This was a sure-hit slash that automatically adjusted its power based on the target's cursed energy and physical strength!
The ground collapsed and disintegrated in an instant, turning into sharp fragments that acted like a meat grinder, attempting to pull Yoru in.
"Sixth Form: Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance!"
Yoru stepped off a flying boulder in mid-air, his body coiling and turning like a fire dragon.
Though he used the Transparent World to precisely catch every slash's trajectory, the overwhelming pressure still caused a slight stagnation in his movements.
Squelch!
An unavoidable slash tore through his side, blood instantly staining his black uniform.
But he ignored the wound, using the impact to accelerate once more!
"Where are you looking?!"
Just as Yoru leaped, Sukuna appeared above him like a ghost!
A fist covered in black markings slammed toward Yoru's back with a sonic boom!
"Tenth Form: Beneficent Radiance!"
Yoru forced his body into an impossible twist mid-air. Shiranui swept upward, trailing spiral flames toward Sukuna's fist!
Boom!!!
The Bright Red Nichirin Sword collided with the fist coated in high-density cursed energy!
Blinding fire and dark-red cursed energy exploded, lighting up the night like day!
Sukuna let out a muffled grunt.
His fist, capable of withstanding Special Grade cursed tools, was sliced open by the blade!
Golden flames poured into the wound, burning fiercely. The pain, striking directly at his soul, made Sukuna's brow twitch.
Both were blown back by the recoil.
Boom! Boom!
They crashed into the ruins, creating two massive craters.
"Pant... pant..."
Yoru leaned on Shiranui, gasping for air.
His hands trembled violently, and his organs felt displaced by the shock.
While the Thirteenth Form was terrifyingly powerful, simultaneously maintaining a Sorcerer Killer-level output, the Transparent World, and the Bright Red Nichirin Sword was an astronomical drain on his stamina.
He felt his lungs burning, and his muscles screamed in protest.
'I can't hold on...'
Yoru grit his teeth, his eyes filled with frustration.
He could feel Sukuna's aura rising rapidly.
The enemy's cursed technique had completely recovered!
On the other side, Sukuna slowly stood up from the debris.
He looked at his charred hands—wounds that couldn't be healed by the Reverse Cursed Technique. Instead of exploding in rage, he began to laugh softly.
"Heh... Hahaha!"
The laughter grew louder, becoming unrestrained.
"How interesting, Yoru!"
"Your flames... they can actually burn my soul!"
Sukuna looked up, his crimson eyes locked onto Yoru.
The cursed energy inside him surged like a tsunami; the pressure was several times stronger than before!
"I really want to tear you apart right here..."
Sukuna raised a hand, a strand of pure black cursed energy condensing at his fingertip.
With his technique restored, the fifteen-finger Sukuna at full strength was about to show his true fangs!
Yoru's pupils shrank. He instinctively tried to take a defensive stance.
But his body had reached its limit. Even lifting Shiranui was a struggle.
However, just as Sukuna was about to deliver the killing blow, his body suddenly stiffened.
The black markings on his face began to flicker and blur!
"Tsk..."
Sukuna's attack stalled. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, his brow furrowing deeply.
Inside the Innate Domain, Yuji Itadori's soul was struggling and resisting frantically!
"Give it back... Give me back my body!"
Yuji's angry roar echoed in Sukuna's mind.
Fifteen fingers provided immense power, but Sukuna had used Malevolent Shrine and the high-drain Fuga to deal with Mahoraga.
Combined with Yoru's desperate Thirteenth Form combo and the soul-burning heat of the Bright Red Nichirin Sword, his control over the body had been significantly weakened.
Yuji's consciousness took advantage of the opening Yoru created and finally forced itself awake!
"Damn brat, of all the times..."
Sukuna grit his teeth. He knew he could no longer suppress Yuji's consciousness by force.
If he stayed, he would lose control once Yuji fully woke up.
"What's wrong, King of Curses?"
Yoru forced himself to stand straight. Though shaking, his gaze remained sharp.
"Your technique is back, but you aren't moving?"
Sukuna looked deeply at Yoru.
There was no frustration in that gaze, only the cruel anticipation of a predator who had found choice prey.
"Yoru, I'll remember you."
Sukuna's voice lowered.
"To push me this far by exploiting my moment of weakness... you are indeed worthy of my remembrance."
"Next time we meet, once I've reclaimed all my power, I will crush everything you pride yourself on in my perfect form."
Buzz—!
As Sukuna spoke, the black markings on his body receded like a tide.
The suffocating cursed energy vanished.
At the very moment his technique fully recovered, Sukuna chose to retreat due to Yuji's interference.
"Yor... Yoru?"
A few seconds later, Yuji Itadori's consciousness took back control.
He opened his eyes in a daze, seeing the ruins of Shibuya.
Broken walls were everywhere, marked by fire and slashes.
"This... all of this is..."
Yuji's pupils shrank as overwhelming guilt and fear flooded him.
He saw Yoru in the distance, covered in blood and gasping for breath.
"I'm sorry... I did it again..."
Yuji's voice trembled, tears streaming down his face.
But the mental trauma and extreme physical exhaustion were too much. Before he could finish his sentence, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed into the ruins, unconscious.
Yoru watched Yuji fall and slowly sheathed his sword.
The Slayer Mark on his forehead faded, and the aura that had supported his explosive power dissipated.
"Is it over...?"
Yoru knelt on one knee, fighting off exhaustion, and looked into the distance.
He knew that although Sukuna had retreated, the nightmare of Shibuya was far from over.
Kenjaku was still out there with the Prison Realm, lurking somewhere in this city.
Even with only fifteen fingers, the gap Sukuna showed the moment his technique recovered was despair-inducing.
"If I don't get stronger... next time, I really will die."
Yoru clenched his fist, a shadow of gloom passing through his eyes.
This night in Shibuya was destined to be the heaviest memory of his life.