Gyomei Himejima felt his now-fully-restored body with a strong sense of unreality. He had not yet processed the memory of nearly crossing the threshold into the afterlife.
In that memory, he seemed to have seen a distant world, where several figures appeared to be waving to him. But just as he tried to make out their faces, Sukuna's healing had pulled him back to reality.
Gyomei looked at the hands Sukuna had regenerated for him, then at his original arms bearing the Mark in Sukuna's grip, and murmured his answer.
"I don't know the specifics of what happened either."
This was not a lie. Sukuna could tell as much, which made his research more difficult.
If it was as simple as what appeared on the surface—that Gyomei Himejima had only activated the Mark because Sukuna had pushed him to the brink of life and death—then replicating this phenomenon on himself would be nearly impossible.
In truth, even after the conclusion of the Shinjuku Showdown, Sukuna had never experienced the kind of feeling others had. It was not that he did not understand it. Rather, because he understood it so well, he was certain he could never produce it.
Sukuna examined the severed arm in his hand closely, trying to find any detail he might have overlooked.
From his perspective, there was a significant difference between Breathing Techniques and jujutsu. Compared to jujutsu, which was a power born from curses, Breathing Techniques were more of a tangible existence tied to breathing itself. They should not rely so heavily on such ambiguous conditions as emotions and feelings.
But it was still too early to draw conclusions. Including Gyomei, Sukuna had only witnessed two people capable of using the Mark. One was already dead, and the other could not answer his questions. He might need more observation subjects.
As Sukuna pondered this, he looked toward Shinobu Kocho.
Though Shinobu was familiar with Sukuna, his gaze still made her uneasy. She had no idea what he was thinking.
She thought to herself. Sukuna had already seen her Insect Breathing. He wouldn't want to fight her too, would he?
No. Surely not.
If it were Muzan Kibutsuji standing before her instead of Sukuna, Shinobu would still dare to fight to the death. But the impression Sukuna had left on her was too deep. In the battle that had just erupted, if she had been in Gyomei Himejima's position, she probably could not have withstood a single one of Sukuna's blows.
Shinobu ventured a question. "Sukuna-sama, do you wish to continue?"
After all, Sukuna had said earlier that if Gyomei did not fight him seriously, he would kill everyone.
"You mean the battle with him?" Sukuna looked toward Gyomei Himejima.
Gyomei met Sukuna's gaze with a determined expression. On one hand, Sukuna had restored his eyesight and guided him to awaken the Mark, greatly enhancing his strength. On the other hand, Sukuna's evil deeds were undeniable facts. This was why Gyomei's attitude toward Sukuna remained conflicted.
Sukuna glanced at the completely shattered weapon in Gyomei's hands and clicked his tongue before speaking casually.
"That's enough for now. I more or less understand Stone Breathing. Hey, what was your name again? Can you still use the Mark?"
"This monk is named Gyomei Himejima. As for the Mark…" Gyomei tested it as he spoke. The markings did not appear on his arms, so he could only shake his head at Sukuna.
Sukuna was not surprised. It was, after all, a technique that burned one's lifespan. Being unable to activate it at will was only natural. He waved his hand dismissively.
"Got it."
Just then, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, having finished handling Sanemi's funeral, arrived at the scene supported by his wife, Amane Ubuyashiki.
Though Kagaya could not see the carnage in the courtyard, the heavy scent of blood was unmistakable. He asked his wife softly.
"What happened here? Is Himejima alright?"
Amane looked at the scene before her and was silent for a long moment before answering Kagaya. It was the first time she had witnessed something so horrifying and beyond comprehension.
"I am not certain what happened. I do not know whose severed hands those are on the ground. Aside from Himejima's weapons being destroyed, he and Shinobu appear to be unharmed."
Hearing this, Kagaya finally relaxed slightly. "That is good."
Seeing Kagaya Ubuyashiki's arrival, Sukuna got straight to the point.
"Hey. You're their master, right? Do you know anything about those markings that appear on their bodies when they use Breathing Techniques?"
As he spoke, Sukuna tossed the severed arm bearing Gyomei's Mark toward Kagaya.
Amane Ubuyashiki was not an ordinary woman. Though somewhat startled, she caught the thick severed arm that Sukuna had thrown.
"Sukuna-sama, this is...?" Amane Ubuyashiki asked carefully.
"That was cut off from him," Sukuna replied calmly, flicking the blood from his hands.
Kagaya, unable to see, listened silently to the exchange from the side.
After confirming that the markings on the arm matched the descriptions of the Mark that had been passed down through oral tradition, Amane could not help but glance at Gyomei Himejima's now-intact arms. Her mind went to the intelligence about Sukuna's miraculous healing ability.
Even severed arms can be regenerated just like that?
But she stopped herself at that thought. She cleared her throat and began explaining the information regarding the Mark to Sukuna.
"The earliest records of the Mark date back to the Sengoku period. The swordsmen who cornered Muzan Kibutsuji all bore markings on their bodies resembling demonic patterns."
Both Shinobu Kocho and Gyomei Himejima were hearing this for the first time and showed some surprise. But since Amane was the one speaking with Sukuna, they did not interrupt.
Sukuna quickly grasped the key point and pressed further.
"If, as you say, the Mark is a technique that has been passed down since that long ago, why don't any of them know how to use it now?"
Amane continued her explanation.
"There are many ambiguous points regarding the transmission of the Mark. It is possible that it was not given enough attention at the time. It is also possible that due to the Demon Slayer Corps nearly collapsing several times throughout its history, the knowledge was lost during one of those periods."
"However, one sentence is clearly recorded: whenever a person bearing the Mark appears, it seems to cause a resonance, awakening the Mark in those around them as well."
Hearing this, Sukuna showed interest.
"Oh? Interesting."
----------------------------------
If you are enjoying the story, Consider dropping some power stones.
Read advanced chapters on Patreon!