Coping Gojo
Ryujin's request left both Itadori and Fushiguro stunned.
—[Doesn't Ryujin know the sheer horror of Ryōmen Sukuna's power?] Fushiguro Megumi's mind raced with confusion, his gaze shifting to the white-haired man. None of Ryujin's actions made sense. Why would he provoke such a dangerous being?
On the other hand, Itadori Yuji outright refused. In his mind, Ryujin wasn't someone on the same side anymore. He had already classified Ryujin as a villain, a threat to their mission.
"Yuji, I wasn't asking." Ryujin's voice cut through the tension with a smirk forming at the corner of his mouth. As he spoke, Li Zi's oppressive energy suddenly surged, forcing Fushiguro, who had been barely kneeling, to collapse fully onto the ground under its weight.
"If you don't meet my demands, I'll be just as cruel as Sukuna. I want to be a good person, Yuji—give me that chance."
His voice was calm, but the underlying threat in his tone was unmistakable. Despite his words, his actions said the opposite, pressuring Yuji by using Fushiguro's life as leverage.
"Ryujin, let go of Fushiguro!" Itadori's voice shook with frustration. He had felt the crushing pressure of Riko's power before and knew how unbearable it was. Watching Fushiguro squirm under it made his anger flare.
Ryujin raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Yuji's desperation. "Oh?" he mused. "And will you let Sukuna out if I do?"
Itadori's eyes narrowed, anger flashing through them. He clenched his teeth, whispering, "Let go of Fushiguro, and I'll do it."
Ryujin clicked his tongue in mock disappointment, shaking his head with a look of exaggerated helplessness. "Itadori Yuji, you're not in a position to bargain with me. But, because we're so similar, I'll agree."
In Ryujin's mind, Yuji was still too naive, too reckless. [Doesn't he realize I could crush him at any moment if I wanted to? He's trying to make deals like we're on equal footing.] Yet, something about Yuji's determined innocence reminded Ryujin of himself—well, a more idealistic version.
[Or maybe he knows I'm not truly evil. Maybe he sees that I'm more chaotic neutral than anything else.] he thought with a smirk. [Well, for now, I'll give Kensuo's work some respect. After all, we're all victims of this crazy world.]
With a casual wave of his hand, Ryujin signaled Li Zi to release her hold on Fushiguro. The immense pressure lifted in an instant, allowing Fushiguro to finally move, gasping for breath as he slowly stood up, his body still aching from the overwhelming force.
Itadori sighed in relief as he watched his friend rise to his feet. "Ryujin kept his word," he thought, grateful but still wary of his unpredictable ally. Despite Ryujin's bizarre and questionable behavior, Itadori had sensed that deep down, they weren't truly enemies.
After all, if it weren't for Ryujin's intervention earlier, both he and Fushiguro would have been dead long before Sukuna emerged.
"I'm going to let him out now. Be careful, Ryujin, he's incredibly strong." Itadori's tone softened, despite everything, showing his concern for Ryujin, even after all the threats.
Hearing Itadori's concern and watching him begin to drift into unconsciousness, Ryujin couldn't help but feel a small flicker of emotion. [Brother Yuji, you're way too kind for this world.]
"It's okay," Ryujin replied with a half-smile, his sunglasses glinting under the dim light. "Rest easy. Ryōmen Sukuna is strong, sure, but I think I'm stronger. Maybe." His response, laced with uncertainty, somehow carried a strange sense of confidence.
Despite the vague reassurance, Itadori found himself oddly believing in Ryujin's words. Staring into Ryujin's eyes behind the tinted glasses, he allowed Sukuna to take control. The peaceful expression on his face quickly morphed into something far more sinister and wild.
Ryōmen Sukuna had returned, fully in control once more. The once-calm atmosphere around Yuji's body transformed into something primal, dangerous.
"I didn't expect you to talk so big," Sukuna sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "You think you're stronger? You? Pathetic. You should've run while you had the chance, kid. Now, go to hell."
The shift in Sukuna's presence was immediate, and his violent energy crackled in the air as he prepared to attack once again
Ryōmen Sukuna, now in control of Itadori Yuji's body, locked his gaze onto Ryujin. From Itadori's perspective, Sukuna had been observing everything from within the confines of the boy's mind.
Sukuna could easily tell that Ryujin wasn't all that impressive in terms of strength. The only thing that gave him pause was the powerful white guardian Cursed Spirit hovering protectively behind Ryujin.
It was clear to Sukuna that his main opponent was the Cursed Spirit, Li Zi, who was directly behind Ryujin. Since Itadori Yuji had control over this body, Sukuna decided against a direct kill.
He was more interested in gauging the strength of this era's special Cursed Spirit.
With a subtle narrowing of his four eyes, Sukuna vanished from sight and reappeared instantaneously right in front of Ryujin.
He didn't waste time. Sukuna's fist shot forward with a powerful thrust aimed directly at Ryujin's face. The idea was simple: to provoke the strongest protective instinct from Li Zi by attacking what she cared about most.
Sukuna's body contorted grotesquely with movements that seemed almost impossible, a feat only possible due to the flexibility of Itadori's body. His right fist smashed into Ryujin's face with a force that should have been devastating.
"Boom!"
The impact created a violent shockwave that sent smoke and debris billowing outward. The roar of the force echoed through the area.
Despite the tremendous power behind Sukuna's attack, Ryujin remained standing, seemingly untouched.
His expression and posture didn't shift an inch. It was clear that Sukuna's blow had struck Li Zi's arm instead. The special Cursed Spirit had wrapped her arms around Ryujin, creating an impenetrable shield.
"So fast!" Fushiguro Megumi exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief. He was so captivated by the sudden turn of events that he nearly stumbled from the sheer force of the air displaced by the battle.
"What is Ryujin thinking? This is Ryōmen Sukuna we're talking about. Even with a special Cursed Spirit's protection, if Ryujin himself isn't strong enough, Sukuna will eventually overpower him,"
Fushiguro thought, his face betraying his anxiety. Despite Ryujin's previous hostility, he couldn't help but feel concerned. After all, Sukuna was the King of Curses.
As the dust began to settle, the figure of Ryujin remained steadfast. His face displayed a mix of calm and playful amusement as he peered through the protective gap created by Li Zi's arms.
"You know," Ryujin said, a smirk playing at his lips, "your face looks a bit off. And, not to mention, you're still undressed. Itadori Yuji's appearance is far more pleasing."
At Ryujin's words, Li Zi launched a retaliatory strike. Her fist, charged with magical energy, swung decisively toward Sukuna.
This wasn't just a random attack. Ryujin had intricately woven threads from the other Nine Curse Fetuses into Li Zi's body, effectively making her an extension of himself. This connection allowed Li Zi to mirror Ryujin's movements with precision.
As Li Zi's punch landed, Sukuna's excitement turned into pain. He was unable to evade the blow and was struck with a force that sent him crashing through several floors before plummeting to the ground below.
"This special-grade Cursed Spirit is the strongest I've encountered in ages," Sukuna marveled as he began to rise again. "I didn't expect such a formidable Cursed Spirit to exist in this era. It's exhilarating!"
With renewed interest, Sukuna, still controlling Itadori's body, started to stand up, eager for more of the battle ahead.
ukuna's face was alight with the thrill of facing Li Zi in combat, but as the fight wore on, a flicker of disgust crossed his features.
"A powerful Cursed Spirit reduced to being the guardian of a Jujutsu master? How dull," Sukuna muttered with a sneer. He internally resolved to relieve this tedium in a more personal way.
But it seemed he had both overestimated the power of a single finger and underestimated Ryujin, who had now perfectly synchronized with Li Zi.
"Come on, Sukuna, show me what the King of Curses can really do!" Ryujin challenged, his voice ringing with excitement.
Without hesitation, Ryujin leaped from the fourth floor, crashing down towards Sukuna with a forceful impact.
The collision was almost immediate, a thunderous noise reverberating through the air from the sheer force of their clash.
Sukuna tried to retaliate swiftly, but Li Zi's protection remained flawless. This time, however, instead of actively shielding Ryujin, she merely used her magical energy to resist.
Ryujin's grin widened as he relished the fight. He delivered a powerful counterattack, sending Sukuna flying back with a decisive swing.
Sukuna scrambled out of the debris, confusion etched across his four eyes as he took in the sight of Ryujin.
"With your reaction speed, you're able to fully control that Cursed Spirit's defensive actions? Why didn't you use it to defend yourself earlier?"
Sukuna was bewildered by Ryujin's approach. His methods of fighting, thinking, and speaking seemed erratic and puzzling.
Ryujin chuckled, his demeanor relaxed. He raised his right hand, gently brushing his fingers against Li Zi's face.
"I wanted to test the limits of Li Zi's spells. Besides, focusing on defense can be such a mood-killer. It's the ultimate attack that brings out the true madness!"
With a loud laugh, Ryujin pushed off the ground with renewed energy. The synchronization with Li Zi allowed him to harness tremendous force, creating a spider-web pattern of cracks on the floor beneath him.
In an instant, Ryujin's figure blurred as he flashed towards Sukuna once more, launching him away with another crushing blow.
"Sukuna, welcome to the new era!" Ryujin declared triumphantly. "Let me give you a proper welcome speech. After all, I'm more recent and I woke up before you, right?"