The air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur and an suffocatingly high temperature.
Jogo lay slumped on the ground, his dim single eye staring fixedly at the demon-like man before him. The last spark of pride in his heart was rapidly fading away.
Just as Sukuna raised his right hand, preparing to deliver the final blow—
Whoosh!
Accompanied by a bone-chilling wind, a figure wrapped in white frost swept in at high speed from the distant ruins.
It was a refined-looking youth with white bobbed hair, wearing monk's robes.
Wherever he passed, the earth—which had been boiling and burning from the meteorite's explosion—was instantly covered in a layer of absolute cold ice!
The violent collision of ice and fire kicked up clouds of white steam.
When the figure clearly saw Sukuna standing on the remains of the meteorite, an extremely fanatical light erupted in his originally cold eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, he knelt heavily on one knee amidst the messy, scalding ruins!
"Lord Sukuna!"
Uraume lowered his head deeply, his voice filled with uncontrollable excitement and fanaticism.
"Welcome back!"
The sudden turn of events caused the collapsed Jogo to daze slightly.
His single eye turned with difficulty, looking at the white-haired youth kneeling on one knee.
"Uraume...?"
As a core member of Kenjaku's camp, Jogo naturally knew this ice-attribute curse user who stayed by Kenjaku's side year-round and possessed unfathomable strength.
In previous encounters, Uraume had always appeared arrogant and cold, not even putting Special Grade Cursed Spirits like them in his eyes.
But now.
This incredibly powerful curse user was kneeling before Sukuna without hesitation, like the humblest of servants!
The awe and fanaticism emanating from the depths of his soul could not be faked.
Watching this scene, the last trace of Jogo's unwillingness and humiliation dissipated completely along with the steam in the air.
He finally understood.
Just what kind of existence he was facing.
That was not some mountain that could be crossed through effort or a so-called Maximum technique.
It was a blood-red sun hanging in the sky that all living beings could only look up to!
Sukuna turned his head slightly, glancing at Uraume kneeling on the ground.
A trace of casual amusement flashed in those crimson eyes.
"Oh? Uraume."
Sukuna's voice was lazy, as if he had just happened upon a stray cat he once fed by the roadside.
"You're actually still alive."
"Yes! My Lord!"
Uraume buried his head even lower, his tone becoming increasingly fanatical.
"During these thousand years, I have been waiting for your return every single moment!"
"To offer you the most exquisite frost and flesh is the only meaning for my existence!"
Sukuna gave a noncommittal chuckle and stopped paying attention to the fanatical Uraume.
He slowly turned his head, refocusing his gaze on Jogo lying on the ground.
"Well, the reunion ends here."
Sukuna looked at Jogo, a cruel arc curling at the corner of his mouth.
"As I said just now."
"Since you like playing with fire so much, I'll send you on your way using the method you're best at."
As soon as he finished speaking.
The right hand Sukuna had raised slowly formed an extremely strange gesture.
His index finger and thumb were pressed together, his middle finger slightly curved, as if pinching an invisible flicker of flame in the void.
The air around them, which had cooled slightly due to Uraume's arrival, suddenly fell into a deathly stagnation at this moment.
"[Fuga] (Open)."
With that single word softly uttered from Sukuna's mouth.
Hum!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor any blinding light.
In an instant!
A clump of eerie fire, black as ink and seemingly capable of swallowing all surrounding light, quietly ignited in Sukuna's palm!
That black flame wasn't large; it looked like a cluster of black flickers swaying in the wind.
But the moment it appeared.
Jogo's single eye suddenly widened to its limit, the red blood vessels on his eyeball appearing as if they would burst on the spot!
"This... this is..."
Jogo's voice was trembling. It was extreme fear originating from the deepest part of his soul, belonging to the incarnation of fire!
He could clearly feel it.
As soon as that black flame appeared, the high temperature that existed because of him—the volcano curse—was instantly and forcibly suppressed!
No, it wasn't suppression.
It was consumption! It was submission!
It was like the light of a firefly meeting the true black flames of hell that incinerate all things!
An extreme heat more terrifying and destructive than lava, seemingly able to burn through space itself, instantly descended upon the ruins!
"How is this possible... You clearly use slashing attacks..."
Jogo looked blankly at the black flame in Sukuna's palm, his brain having completely stalled.
Seeing Jogo's expression of utter shock, Sukuna's mockery became even more apparent.
"Don't use your narrow jujutsu common sense to speculate about my power."
He lightly tossed the clump of black flame in his hand.
"Come, Cursed Spirit."
"This is your final curtain call. Don't let me down too much."
Facing this black flame capable of incinerating him along with his soul in an instant.
Jogo did not run.
Because he knew that in front of the King of Curses, running was meaningless.
At this moment, countless images suddenly flashed before his eyes.
It was a revolving lantern of his life.
He saw Hanami playing lightheartedly in the sunlight.
He saw Dagon running joyfully along the beach.
He saw Mahito, who always wore an innocent smile yet cruelly transfigured human souls.
These Special Grade Cursed Spirits, born from human fear of nature, gathered together for a single, pure dream—
To replace humans and establish a pure world belonging only to cursed spirits.
"Hanami... Mahito..."
Jogo murmured his companions' names.
His vision gradually blurred, but the fire in his heart flared with a frantic, final glow at this moment!
"I am Jogo!"
"I am the wrath of the earth! The Special Grade Cursed Spirit born from the fear of countless living beings!"
"Even if I die..."
"Even if I face the King of Curses!"
"I will absolutely never disgrace... the dignity of flames!!!"
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
Jogo erupted with a shriek of extreme intensity!
He drained the last drop of cursed energy in his body, even igniting his own soul at this moment!
Rumble!
The tattered volcano on his head erupted violently once more!
This time, what gushed out wasn't ordinary lava.
Instead, it was a towering pillar of fire representing the deepest wrath of the earth, condensed at the cost of his life!
The scorching red pillar of fire, like a meteor flying in reverse, charged toward Sukuna with an uncompromising resolve!
"Die!!!"
Facing this desperate strike capable of melting steel.
Sukuna simply smiled and casually pushed the ink-black flame in his palm forward.
"As you wish."
One black, one red.
Two flames representing the pinnacle of high temperatures collided violently above the devastated Shibuya!
BOOM!
No sound could describe that moment of collision.
The resulting energy storm seemed intent on completely tearing the sky over Shibuya apart!
A violent heatwave mixed with black and red flames instantly swept through every corner for several kilometers!
This was the final dignity of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, and the most heartless crushing force of the King of Curses!