The chamber was enormous.
Akira Kurose stepped slowly into the cavern, his footsteps echoing against the cold stone walls. The air inside felt heavier than the rest of the cave. Every breath carried a strange pressure that made his chest tighten.
In the center of the chamber, resting on a cracked stone pedestal, was the object that made the entire place feel alive with cursed energy.
Sukuna's finger.
It glowed faintly in the darkness, wrapped in ancient sealing paper that had partially torn away. Even sealed, the cursed energy radiating from it was intense.
Akira swallowed.
"So that's it…" he whispered.
Megumi stepped beside him, his eyes sharp.
"Yes," Megumi said quietly. "One of Sukuna's fingers."
Nobara frowned as she looked around the room.
"And judging by this place," she added, "we're definitely not the only ones who want it."
Almost immediately after she finished speaking, the ground trembled.
Cracks spread across the cavern floor.
Then something crawled out of the darkness.
A curse.
But not like the others they had fought.
This one was massive, its body shaped like a distorted humanoid creature with long arms dragging across the ground. Its skin looked like black tar, and dozens of twisted faces were embedded in its body, each one silently screaming.
Akira felt his Echo react instantly.
His cursed energy pulsed violently.
Megumi spoke first.
"Special grade… or close to it."
Nobara clicked her tongue.
"Great. Just what we needed."
The curse slowly lifted its head.
Its many eyes locked onto the pedestal.
Then onto them.
It opened its mouth, and a horrible sound echoed through the chamber.
Akira felt his legs shake for a moment.
But then he clenched his fists.
No.
He wasn't the same person who entered this cave.
Megumi moved first.
"Divine Dogs!"
Two shadow wolves burst from his shadow and rushed toward the curse.
The creature reacted instantly, swinging one enormous arm.
The impact shattered the stone floor.
The wolves barely avoided being crushed.
"Fast!" Nobara shouted.
She threw three nails forward.
"Straw Doll Technique!"
The nails exploded with cursed energy as they struck the curse's arm, forcing it back.
But it didn't seem badly hurt.
Akira took a step forward.
His heart was pounding.
Echo pulsed again.
He remembered Sukuna's movement from earlier.
The subtle shift.
The way the energy flowed.
Akira inhaled deeply.
Then he moved.
His body copied the motion.
Echo activated.
His speed suddenly increased.
He dashed forward faster than before, sliding under the curse's massive arm.
Megumi's eyes widened.
"He copied the movement…"
Akira reached the creature's side and struck with cursed energy.
The impact shook the monster, but it wasn't enough.
The curse roared.
Its massive hand grabbed Akira.
Everything happened instantly.
The pressure was overwhelming.
Akira felt the air leave his lungs.
For a split second, fear froze him.
Then Echo reacted again.
His body copied the curse's own movement.
He twisted violently.
The grip loosened just enough.
Akira dropped to the ground and rolled away.
"Akira!" Nobara shouted.
The curse slammed its fist into the ground where he had been.
The impact created a crater.
Megumi raised his hand.
"Nue!"
A massive winged shikigami burst into the air and unleashed a bolt of lightning that struck the curse directly.
The monster staggered.
"Now!" Megumi yelled.
Akira looked at the pedestal.
The finger.
Everything in the cave was reacting to it.
He understood.
If they removed it…
The curse would weaken.
Akira sprinted.
The monster roared and turned toward him.
Too late.
Akira jumped onto the pedestal and grabbed the sealed finger.
The moment his hand touched it—
A wave of cursed energy exploded through the cavern.
The curse screamed.
Its body began to crack.
Megumi immediately shouted.
"Destroy it!"
Nobara didn't hesitate.
She drove a nail into the curse and swung her hammer.
"Resonance!"
The nail exploded with cursed energy.
The cracks spread across the monster's body.
Akira focused his Echo one more time.
He copied the power flow he sensed from the curse itself.
Then he struck.
The impact shattered the creature's core.
The curse collapsed, dissolving into black mist.
Silence filled the cavern.
Akira stood there, breathing heavily, still holding the finger.
The cursed energy around it pulsed slowly.
Megumi walked over.
"You did it."
Nobara crossed her arms.
"Not bad for the new guy."
Akira stared at the finger.
For a moment…
He thought he heard laughter.
A low, distant voice.
Sukuna.
"Well… interesting."
Akira's eyes widened.
But the voice disappeared instantly.
Megumi wrapped the finger carefully.
"Let's get this back to Gojo."
Akira nodded.
But deep inside his mind…
Echo was still reacting.
And something about Sukuna's energy felt different now.
As they walked out of the cave, Akira had the strange feeling that Sukuna had noticed him.
And that was far more dangerous than any curse.