"BOOM—!!!"
The sky over Shibuya seemed to be violently torn open!
Two columns of fire, one black and one red, representing ultimate destruction, collided head-on in mid-air!
A violent storm of energy swept across the ruins for kilometers.
The skeletal remains of buildings that were already teetering instantly crumbled into dust under the terrifying shockwave.
Uraume knelt on one knee in the distance; even his prideful Ice Formation began to melt rapidly under the extreme heat.
He was forced to output cursed energy frantically, manifesting thick ice shields one after another just to barely withstand the heatwave capable of vaporizing steel.
"So this is... Lord Sukuna's power..."
Uraume stared intently at the center of the battlefield through a gap in his ice shields, his eyes filled with fanaticism and awe.
In this contest known as the 'clash of flames,' there was never any suspense from the very beginning.
Jogo's towering pillar of molten lava was magnificent, carrying the fury of the earth and the full life force of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
But before the ink-black "Open" in Sukuna's palm, it was as fragile as a lamb facing a tiger.
*Sizzle—!*
A grating sound of devouring echoed!
Sukuna's black flames, like living beasts, instantly tore through Jogo's red pillar of fire!
The black fire, capable of melting anything, followed the trajectory of the pillar and surged back toward Jogo with utter ruthlessness!
"Aaaaaaaagh!"
The black flames instantly engulfed Jogo's entire body!
It was an extreme heat countless times more terrifying than his own magma!
Jogo didn't even have a chance to struggle; his prideful Special Grade body began to carbonize and peel away at a visible rate under the searing black flames.
The surrounding air was sucked dry by the heat, letting out overstrained pops and cracks.
Life was rapidly fading.
His body was charred to a crisp, and large patches of ash drifted into the air with the heatwaves.
'Is it over...?'
At the edge of consciousness before falling into endless darkness, a hint of confusion flickered in Jogo's battered single eye.
So, this was the true power of the King of Curses.
It turned out that the 'pure world to replace humanity' he had always pursued was truly nothing more than an unrealistic fantasy before this man's absolute power.
How frustrating...
At the very moment Jogo's soul was about to dissipate completely.
A voice suddenly pierced through the roaring flames and entered his mind clearly.
"Stand proud."
Jogo struggled to turn what remained of his head.
Through the blistering light that warped the very space around it.
He saw the man, standing like a demon god, quietly positioned at the center of the black flames.
Sukuna stood with his arms crossed, watching Jogo as he turned to ash.
In those scarlet eyes—usually filled with mockery, cruelty, and disdain—there was now a rare, almost calm sense of recognition.
"You are strong."
Sukuna's voice wasn't loud, yet it carried the overbearing arrogance of one who stood alone throughout heaven and earth.
"For a bug born from fear, reaching this level is enough."
"You are worthy of being sent off by my flames."
BOOM!
These words were like a thunderbolt striking Jogo's fading soul!
Recognition from the King of Curses!
In the eyes of this man who viewed both human lives and cursed spirits as mere ants, Jogo was finally no longer a small fry unworthy of making him take a single step.
He was a powerhouse worthy of having Sukuna pull out a trump card and end him with his strongest flames!
Jogo's hideous face, half-burned away, suddenly trembled violently.
*Drip.*
A drop of either purple blood or a tear that a cursed spirit shouldn't possess slid from his remaining eye, evaporating instantly in the heat before it could even hit the ground.
"Is that so..."
Jogo's cracked lips pulled into a hideously ugly smile, yet one filled with relief and satisfaction.
"I guess... I'm not that bad after all."
Along with one last soft sigh.
He slowly closed his single eye.
*Fwoosh—*
The black flames surged, completely devouring Jogo's remaining form!
The Special Grade Cursed Spirit, the manifestation of the earth's fury: Jogo.
He fell completely, turning into a wisp of ash that scattered in the wind!
The battlefield fell back into a deathly silence.
Only a few lingering embers of black flame crackled unsettlingly among the ruins.
"I congratulate you on your enjoyment, Lord Sukuna."
Seeing the battle conclude, Uraume dispelled his ice shields and walked quickly to stand behind Sukuna, bowing respectfully.
His eyes were full of fervor, as if he had just witnessed the most sacred of rituals.
"Enjoyment?"
Sukuna took a deep breath; the thick smell of blood and burning flesh in the air gave him a long-forgotten sense of comfort.
But he didn't look at Uraume. Instead, he slowly turned his head.
Those scarlet eyes stared intently toward a certain direction deep beneath Shibuya.
Just now.
At the very moment he ended Jogo with the black flames!
He had sensed it keenly!
Deep within the complex underground spaces of Shibuya, there was an unusual cursed energy... no, it couldn't even be called cursed energy!
It was a terrifying aura—holy and overbearing—as if it could purify all evil into nothingness!
That aura was like a blood-red sun burning fiercely deep underground!
Sukuna's pupils constricted sharply.
Then, the corners of his mouth began to curl upward uncontrollably, widening until he revealed a mouthful of pearly white teeth!
"Hahahahahaha!"
Sukuna suddenly covered his face and let out a burst of cruel, ecstatic laughter!
The laughter echoed through the empty ruins, making even Uraume shiver.
"Interesting!"
"How very interesting!"
Sukuna snapped his hand down, and a killing intent a hundred times more intense than when he faced Jogo erupted from his scarlet eyes!
"I was wondering why I felt like something was missing..."
He licked his dry lips as the image of a black-haired boy flashed in his mind—the one who had nearly severed his finger with a sword back at the detention center!
That guy who possessed no cursed energy, yet could unleash a 'divine slash' that even he found breathtaking!
"Yoru..."
Sukuna slowly rolled the name over his tongue as if savoring a long-awaited delicacy.
"So, you've been hiding down there."
He turned abruptly, not even glancing at Uraume, and strode toward the subway station entrance.
"Lord Sukuna?"
Uraume blinked in surprise and hurried after him.
"Where are you going? Regarding Kenjaku..."
"Don't bother me with those boring plans."
Sukuna interrupted Uraume ruthlessly, his voice brimming with impatient excitement.
"Over there... it seems there's a prey much more interesting than this volcano bug!"
"I... can't wait to tear him to pieces!"
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