The air in the village became cold. The heavy presence of Sukuna that weighed down on everything. Renzo felt as if his skin was being poked by a thousand invisible needles. Every instinct in his body told him to run away.
But he understood that he could not run. Not from that.
Sukuna did not wait for any response. He moved. he was a blur in Renzo's vision.
'Too fast!' Renzo thought.
His Agility kicked in. His nerves fired like electrical wires. He threw himself to the left just as a rush of wind passed his ear. The stone wall behind him did not just break. It turned to dust.
"Oh? You can see it?" Sukuna laughed.
The sound was dark and rich. It carried a genuine sense of amusement. Sukuna landed softly on his feet, turning to face Renzo. He did not look impressed yet, but he looked curious.
Renzo did not give him time to attack again. He was aware that he was outclassed. He had to change the environment.
"Dungeon Collapse Field!"
Renzo slammed his palm into the dirt. A wave of dark, heavy energy spread out from him. The gravity in a twenty-foot radius suddenly tripled. The wooden beams of the nearby houses creaked. The ground sank by several inches.
Sukuna's knees buckled for an instant. His eyes widened slightly. The pressure was intense. It felt as if the world itself was trying to push him into the center of the earth.
'It worked,' Renzo thought, his heart racing.
He did not stop there. He activated his Hybrid Form. The eyes on his neck and shoulder opened. He could see Sukuna from every angle.
He could see the way the King of Curses was tensing his muscles to fight against the gravity.
Renzo lunged forward. He channeled his Cursed Energy into his right fist. He aimed for Sukuna's jaw.
"Black Flash!"
Renzo hoped for the spark. The world seemed to slow down. Just before his fist made contact, a burst of black and red lightning erupted. The sound was like a thunderclap in a small room.
The hit landed. Sukuna's head snapped back.
But Renzo did not feel a sense of victory. He felt as if he had just punched a mountain made of solid iron. His knuckles cracked. Pain surged up his arm, sharp and hot.
Sukuna did not fall. He did not even stumble back. He simply straightened his neck, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with a finger, looking at the red smear with a strange expression.
"That was quite the spark," Sukuna whispered.
Then, the counterattack came.
"Dismantle."
Renzo did not see it. He only felt it. A sharp, searing line of agony sliced across his chest. His clothes were torn open. Blood sprayed onto the dirt, bright and hot.
He staggered back, gasping. His Ancient Core Resonance had lessened the blow, but it had not stopped it. The wound was deep. He could see the flash of white bone beneath the red.
'I'm going to die,' Renzo thought, his vision flickering. 'I am actually going to die right here!'
He fell to one knee. He clutched his chest, trying to hold the wound shut. His blood felt warm against his cold fingers. The sweat stung his eyes. He looked up at Sukuna, waiting for the final blow.
But Sukuna was not moving.
The King of Curses stood still, his four eyes fixed on Renzo. It felt as if he was looking at Renzo's soul. He was sniffing the air, his nostrils flaring.
"This feeling," Sukuna said. His voice had lost its playful tone. It was low and thoughtful. "Your energy. It does not just feel like a curse. It feels like... me?"
Renzo remained silent, his breath coming in ragged hitches. He felt a strange vibration in his own chest. It was his Primordial Devouring skill. It was responding to Sukuna. It was humming in harmony with him.
It was a hunger. A bottomless, eternal void that wanted to devour everything.
Sukuna walked closer. He stopped just a few feet away. The gravity field was still active, but Sukuna seemed to ignore it now. He looked down at Renzo.
"I had a brother once," Sukuna said. "I consumed him before we were even born."
He leaned down, his face inches from Renzo's.
"You have that same strange thing in you to. That same gluttony. It is like looking into a mirror from a life I almost forgot."
Renzo's red eyes met Sukuna's four burning ones. The fear was still present, but something else was rising.
A sense of recognition. He was not human anymore. He was a monster. And he was looking at the father of all monsters.
Sukuna reached out a hand. He placed a heavy hand on Renzo's shoulder.
"The Heian era is a boring place, little curse," Sukuna said. A dark, genuine grin spread across his face. "Full of weaklings and sorcerers who cry for mercy. But you... you might be interesting."
Renzo swallowed hard. "What are you saying?"
Sukuna gripped his shoulder tightly. The pressure was enough to bruise.
"I will not kill you today. Instead, I will give you a choice. Die here as a snack for me, or stand up. Walk beside me."
Sukuna's eyes gleamed with a twisted kind of affection.
"Become my brother. Let us see if we can consume the world together."
Renzo stared at him. His chest was still bleeding. His body was screaming in pain. But the system window in his mind was glowing a soft, steady blue.
[New Quest: The King's Shadow]
[Objective: Survived the encounter with Ryomen Sukuna.]
[Reward: Pact of the Twin Stars.]
Renzo looked at Sukuna's hand. He looked at the ruined village and the purple sky.
He reached up and gripped Sukuna's forearm. His hand was small compared to the King's, but his grip was firm.
"Fine," Renzo said, his voice raspy. "I will walk with you!"
Sukuna threw his head back and laughed. The sound echoed across the empty village, chilling the hearts of any creatures hiding in the dark. He pulled Renzo to his feet with a single, effortless motion.
"Good," Sukuna said, turning toward the horizon. "Now, heal yourself. We have a lot of killing to do before sunrise."
Renzo stood there, shaky but alive. He watched Sukuna walk away, the King's long shadow stretching out over the dirt.