As Yuji's consciousness continually sank from the searing pain of his severed arm and the chill of blood loss, finally plunging into a viscous darkness, he thought he was about to meet his end.
However, the expected void or life review did not appear. Instead, his perception was forcibly dragged into a space that was completely different yet eerily familiar.
A cold, sticky sensation came from beneath his feet. He looked down, his "body" of consciousness was standing in a pool of dark red liquid that washed over his ankles.
Scattered, piled up, and even half-buried in the blood were countless pale or darkened skeletons.
His vision extended forward, and at the end of the piled bones, in the center of the space, stood the most striking presence—
A set of massive, suffocatingly large, pale white ribs, seemingly belonging to some mythological giant beast, curved like an archway, forming a natural, oppressive framework.
Guarded by these ribs, at the highest point of the bone pile, was a throne of white bones, crudely riveted together with more thick bones and unknown black wood.
Four arms rested casually on the armrests of the throne and the skull decorations above them.
The man's face had two pairs of eyes, both filled with inhuman malice and majesty.
His bare upper body was covered in black tattoos, and his muscles were sculpted and brimming with explosive power.
This is Malevolent Shrine—not a Domain Expansion deployed in reality, but the manifestation of the inner landscape at the root of Sukuna's domain, deep within his consciousness. It is the King of Curses' exclusive Throne Chamber.
"Where is this place? Who are you?" Yuji's consciousness voiced a vague question.
He had never witnessed such a sight, yet a faint tremor and resonance, seemingly originating from the source of his bloodline, inexplicably rose from the depths of his soul.
This feeling was somewhat similar to the aura of Sukuna he occasionally sensed from Utaha, but it was infinitely stronger and purer.
"This place?"
"It is my temple, and your burial ground—that is, if you continue to cling to life like this."
Sukuna slightly adjusted his posture, resting one hand on his chin, his scarlet eyes examining Yuji with keen interest.
"As for who I am?" Sukuna let out an ambiguous scoff, as if the question were both boring and self-evident.
Sukuna seemed too lazy to explain in detail, so he simply dropped a bombshell in a flat, matter-of-fact tone, "It seems you're about to die, my descendant."
"Descendant?!" Yuji's sphere of consciousness fluctuated violently, conveying an incredible sense of shock and absurdity.
Sukuna raised a finger and casually pointed at the dim light flickering around the edge of Yuji's consciousness sphere, symbolizing the rapid loss of life.
"That body outside has lost over forty percent of its blood, suffered damage to multiple internal organs, and its soul is unstable due to forcibly resisting this great one's manifestation just now."
Sukuna, like the most precise physician, pronounced Yuji's death sentence.
"The kid who plays with shadows can barely save himself. Without a miracle, you probably have... three minutes? Two minutes? Then you'll be completely dead, nothing but a pile of rotten flesh."
"That Six Eyes brat outside won't even be able to retrieve your complete corpse."
Every word was like a cold nail driven into Yuji's consciousness.
He couldn't deny Sukuna's judgment, the coldness of his body and the dissipation of his consciousness were constantly reminding him of death's proximity.
How is Fushiguro? What about Kugisaki and Kasumigaoka?
Was he going to die here, just like this, for no good reason?
A fierce unwillingness burned like wildfire in his rapidly fading consciousness.
Sukuna seemed to appreciate this dying struggle of unwillingness, and a hint of pleasure flashed in his scarlet eyes.
He changed the subject, like the temptation of a devil, "However, I am not in a terrible mood today, and that noisy, half-finished trash outside is an eyesore. Therefore, I will give you a choice."
The figure on the throne leaned slightly forward, his four scarlet eyes, like searchlights, firmly locking onto Yuji's trembling sphere of consciousness.
"Sign a Binding Vow."
"I will take action, crush that annoying fly outside, and incidentally save your life and the lives of your companions."
"And as the price..."
Sukuna's voice became deep and seductive, yet undeniably dominant. "You must hand over your 'physical information' to me, completely and fully."
"'Physical... information?'" Yuji's consciousness conveyed confusion.
"It means all the data that constitutes this body of yours." Sukuna explained with abnormal patience.
"How your flesh and bones are constructed, how your Cursed Energy pathways operate, how your soul is integrated with this physical body... I must know everything."
He paused, then added with a hint of playfulness in his tone, "Don't worry, it won't require you to do anything."
Sukuna was extremely interested in Yuji, the ultimate culmination of Kenjaku's thousand years of research.
Although Kenjaku employed many small tricks on this body, it was undeniable that Kenjaku had indeed gifted Yuji with superior innate talent.
Given enough time, Yuji would, through the accumulation of experience, become a powerhouse no less formidable than him and Satoru.
As for why he didn't simply seize the body but chose to sign a Binding Vow, it ultimately came down to constraints.
The mechanism of fate—that one must lose something to gain something—was something Sukuna could not ignore.
In the original story, Yuji used Sukuna to destroy the Finger Bearer, which indirectly granted Sukuna a few minutes of activity time, almost causing Fushiguro to self-destruct and summon Mahoraga.
Rather than passively losing something, Sukuna preferred to initiate a direct transaction.
Yuji's consciousness fell into a fierce struggle.
Sukuna's terms were too generous—so generous that he couldn't believe such a windfall was possible.
But... death was imminent. Fushiguro was in mortal danger. The fate of his companions was unknown.
Sukuna did not rush him, merely waiting composedly, as if enjoying the final dance of a trapped beast.
Yuji's turmoil was reflected in his scarlet eyes.
"Choose, brat." Sukuna's voice echoed like a final bell throughout the domain.
"Will you die here, along with the people you cherish, clinging to your pointless persistence and secrets?"
"Or will you offer up the insignificant data of your physical body in exchange for the power to survive and protect those you wish to protect?"
"Time is running out."
A faint but clear intention was transmitted toward the King of Curses on the throne.
"I... agree."
Sukuna's lips curled into a genuine smile, one filled with triumph and cruelty.
"A wise choice."
In the real world, Yuji's dying body suddenly trembled, and Sukuna's consciousness, following the link of the Binding Vow, temporarily took control of everything.
Meanwhile, within the inner landscape of Malevolent Shrine, Yuji anxiously watched everything happening outside.