"I didn't expect to find you here, Mukuro Fushiguro. I thought you were still stuck inside the Prison Realm."
Sukuna was only stunned for less than a second before crossing his arms and smirking at "Megumi" standing across from him.
The two looked like old acquaintances meeting again after a long time, casually exchanging words.
There was no change in appearance or cursed energy. But that distinctive right eye, and that unmistakable presence… Sukuna couldn't be fooled.
He didn't know how it was done, but he could clearly tell that the soul inside the current "Megumi" had been completely replaced by Mukuro, and it had happened in that very instant.
Such a method was nothing short of unbelievable.
"Wait, wait! What is even going on right now?!"
Behind them, Nobara was completely lost.
She already knew Sukuna was inside Yuji. Even if she hadn't seen it herself, she was mentally prepared. But this… what about Megumi?
From what Sukuna said, his uncle was inside him too?
But his uncle was still alive. Unlike Sukuna, he hadn't turned into a cursed object after death, so how could he possess someone?
Her small brain was filled with confusion. What kind of monsters were in the Fushiguro family?
More importantly, both of them were speaking with Yuji and Megumi's faces.
To her, it looked like Yuji and Megumi had suddenly swapped personalities and were confronting each other, which felt completely strange and unsettling.
"How should I put it… this is also one of Fushiguro's abilities. His methods are endless."
From behind, Haibara spoke up like a proper teacher, trying to explain.
"Can I leave this to you?"
At this moment, Toji had already stuffed the Split Soul Katana back into Inventory Curse's mouth, clearly preparing to step aside.
"Take everyone and move farther away. Just focus on getting the survivors out."
Mukuro waved his hand in acceptance, and at the same time signaled everyone else to retreat.
He alone was enough here.
"Be careful."
Nanami stepped forward and patted his old friend, even though he was wearing a student's body, then led the Jujutsu High personnel away.
This battlefield was no longer for them.
As for Suguru, his technique hadn't recovered yet from burnout, so he also stayed at a distance.
He and Toji positioned themselves somewhere safe enough to avoid being caught in the fight, yet close enough to support if needed.
"Don't you need someone to collect your corpse? I'll try to cut you into bigger pieces."
Sukuna stood with his hands in his pockets. He didn't stop them, but a hint of thought flickered in his eyes.
Megumi was someone he had taken an interest in, a body capable of containing him, yet not like Yuji, who became a complete vessel that suppressed him.
And within that body… something incredible was hidden. His technique was also rare and exceptional.
All of this fascinated Sukuna.
But Mukuro was a troublesome unknown, especially now that he had shown an ability so close to possession.
"Talk big after you can actually do it," Mukuro replied calmly, his gaze sweeping the area as his perception spread outward.
After being sealed in Kyoto, he had been using the Deva Path to partially attach himself to Megumi, observing the battlefield and staying ready to assist at any moment.
Because most of his consciousness had remained outside, he wasn't affected by the altered flow of time inside the Prison Realm. If Sukuna hadn't appeared, he wouldn't have chosen to manifest through the Deva Path at all.
Aside from letting the younger generation grow, materializing himself like this consumed a great deal of energy.
Especially since his true body was still sealed inside a barrier, and even after manifesting, he still needed to exert considerable power.
That was also why, before fully appearing, he chose to kill Dakotsu. He simply didn't have the spare attention to keep suppressing it.
However, from Megumi's perspective, he had never seen Kenjaku appear.
Why not just follow his brother instead?
Because Toji's raw physical strength was too overwhelming, and his willpower was too strong. Even with permission, it wasn't easy to track him through the Deva Path.
Besides, Toji carried a protective charm. Mukuro believed he would have the chance to use it if needed. So he focused on the relatively weaker ones.
"That coward already ran away."
Sukuna seemed to read his thoughts, casually giving the answer as he flicked his finger to send out slashes.
"He'll show up again anyway."
Mukuro didn't care much. The plan had already reached this stage, and there was no way that old schemer would just stay out of it.
The only thing worth noting was how Mahito's technique, which he had already dealt with, reappeared in that man's hands.
Leaping up to avoid the slashes, Mukuro formed hand signs, and the number in his right eye shifted to "2" as he activated the Preta Path to access Megumi's technique.
"Rabbit Escape… enhanced with Nue. Unknown Wind and Thunder."
Using shadows as a medium, countless rabbits burst forth, flooding the area and engulfing Sukuna in darkness.
Some of the rabbits were enhanced, gaining Nue's flight ability and lightning power.
Thousands of them surged toward Sukuna.
"You're more interesting than Megumi Fushiguro."
Sukuna grinned and waved his hand as slashes and cursed energy erupted together.
The overwhelming swarm of rabbits was wiped out almost instantly, leaving only a few dozen behind. Even with lightning, their attacks against Sukuna were no more than a light scratch.
"Max Elephant."
As the rabbits were about to vanish, Mukuro had already repositioned himself onto a nearby pole. With a gesture, a massive pink elephant dropped from the sky, crashing down toward Sukuna.
Caught off guard by the earlier distraction, Sukuna reacted instinctively, raising both hands to block it.
The immense weight forced the ground beneath him to sink dozens of centimeters.
"Cleave."
At such close range, Sukuna immediately activated his cutting technique, intending to slice the elephant apart.
But just as the technique was triggered, the elephant suddenly dissolved into shadows.
Simultaneously, Mukuro's fist was already in front of him.
Boom!
The mighty King of Curses was pushed back several meters before he managed to stop.
'I see…'
Sukuna steadied himself and touched his cheek where he had been struck.
Mukuro had blurred the existence of the shikigami, keeping Max Elephant on the edge between manifestation and dissolution to avoid being instantly destroyed by his slashes.
Of course, in exchange, its power was weaker than its fully manifested state.
But…
"This is interesting. Still, I prefer your pure physical form. I hope you won't bore me."
Although the gap in strength was obvious, and Mukuro wasn't at full power, Sukuna found himself slightly intrigued by this flexible use of technique.
"The one who's boring… is you."
Mukuro cracked his knuckles, and the number in his right eye shifted to "4."
That punch earlier had been nearly Megumi's full power at this stage, yet it still failed to deal any real damage.
In the end, with Megumi's current cursed energy and shikigami strength, he simply wasn't capable of contending with a sixteen-finger Sukuna.
Since he hadn't used the Naraka Path to fully manifest his true body, this form lacked overwhelming physical strength.
So instead he would replace it with the Fourth Path.
"Hundred-Battle Asura."
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