The first thing Sukuna saw as soon as he opened his eyes was a scene he was intimately familiar with, it was the scene of slaughter and bloodshed. All around him were the corpses of fallen warriors, the once pristine ground was marred with steel blades and crimson life essence that used to flow through veins. He expanded his gaze and found himself in a city that was wrought with ruin and decay.
The large buildings that were opulent before were nothing more than crumbling stones and debris, in the distance was a ruined temple with a statue of what he assumed to be the being the people of this land worshipped and next to it was a large colosseum.
Sukuna for a moment basked in the familiar feeling that he unknowingly missed, ever since reincarnating in this world and losing his powers, he hadn't been able to indulge in the pleasures he enjoyed such as battle and slaughter.
He, unfortunately, was cut short from his reverie as time began to move back and all the damage done began to recede. The ruined buildings began to return to it's former glory, regaining their luster and pristine visage. The ground which was littered with weapons and corpses were no more as they disappeared and in their place was formidable warriors.
Time finally stopped and then resumed at it's usual pace.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]
Sukuna looked around and found himself walking with other warriors, they were all wearing black armor with a crimson cape with sword sheaths strapped to their hips. They moved as a synchronised unit as if they were a single entity. Sukuna, without breaking his stride, shifted his gaze to his fellow men and studied them with clinical precision.
He observed the way they carry themselves and the looks in their eyes. He can tell these are experienced men and it wouldn`t be easy to take them out if the need arises. The one who seemed to be the captain stopped and the rest followed.
The captain was a man with black hair and grey eyes with a scar running across his cheek, he turned to face the group and looked at everyone, with his eyes staying longer on Sukuna.
The captain then finally spoke, his voice was cold and steady, "Alright warriors, we were given orders to scout for any suspicious activity in the Imperial city. We have reason to believe that the followers of the Daemon have started moving." At the mention of the Daemons followers, all the warriors' faces shifted from serious to disgust, with the sole exception of Ryomen Sukuna of course, who remained neutral.
The captain noticed this, but didn`t say anything and continued, "You will be moving in teams of two. Amara, you will be with the new recruit." He gestured toward Sukuna. Sukuna turned to see who was assigned to him and saw a pale woman with black hair and deep onyx eyes. She had an expressionless face and she stared at him. If Sukuna was being honest, the woman reminded him of sunny when he first met him in the Outskirts, in fact he would`ve assumed that they were related.
The teams were assigned and everyone left, leaving both Sukuna and Amara together. Without saying a word to each other they moved to a random part of the city and started there.
As they walked, Sukuna decided to check his runes and see what abilities the Spell has given him. He thought about it for a bit and finally the runes appeared in front of him and his eyes widen slightly
Name: Ryomen Sukuna
True Name:-
Rank: Aspirant
Soul Core: Dormant
Memories:-
Echoes:-
Attributes: [Cursed Existence], [Mark of Divinity], [Curse Energy].
Aspect: [Cursed Shrine]
Aspect Description: [You bear a shrine that demands the blood of those who would dare oppose you]
Sukuna was surprised to see that cursed energy was one of his attributes and a strange feeling suddenly consumed him. It was as if something precious to him that he been longing for had been returned to him. For the first time, since appearing in this world, a genuine happy smile unconsciously graced his face.
"What are you smiling about?" A cold female voice asked next to him. Sukuna turned and saw Amara staring at him with a curious expression. Sukuna schooled his expression and his face became neutral and said in a neutral tone.
"Nothing."
Amara looked at him for a bit and decided to ignore it and continue their mission.
Sukuna began planning in his head, now that he had at least some of his original powers back, along with the abilities that the spell would grant him, it was time to take back what was his. He wouldn`t just conquer this Nightmare, he would conquer all the Nightmare`s and reclaim his throne at the top. All those that would dare hinder his progress will be Dismantled, Cleaved, and Burned without mercy.
'With my might, I once again will become the Strongest.'