Chapter 08

What do you think of the Itadori so far? Has his personality been pleasant?

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Itadori didn't have time to appreciate his own achievement of having been able to manipulate the cursed energy.

There was a world of difference between sensing cursed energy and being able to use it in battle.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't be able to learn to manipulate it so quickly, but he was in a desperate situation where he didn't have many options but to try until he succeeded.

Fortunately, understanding how to manipulate it came to him more easily than expected.

It was still incomplete, and its flow was volatile. He felt he was wasting too much cursed energy, but for what he was about to do, he hoped it would be enough.

Beating a special-grade curse was far from his current capabilities, even if he was now able to hone his attacks.

He just needed to survive long enough.

Boom!

Jumping backward to escape an explosion of pure power, Itadori clenched his teeth as he raised his defense to block a barrier that extended to hit him.

As the boy was thrown away, the curse immediately advanced towards him, its claws advancing towards Itadori's stomach with the intention of piercing it.

But waiting for this, Itadori immediately turned his body while kicking, hitting the curse's neck squarely and sending it flying away.

'That curse is too strong.

Landing on the ground, he wiped the blood dripping from his lips, the cursed energy flickering around his fists as he watched the curse lift without much damage.

"But you keep underestimating me.

Rolling to the side to narrowly escape an advance, Itadori immediately turned and countered with a punch, his fist hitting the curse's torso squarely.

"..."

But although it made the creature's body shudder for a moment, it didn't seem to cause any significant damage, the curse flashing a smile as it hit it full on with an energy-coated punch.

!

Colliding with a wall, Itadori spat out a little blood as he landed firmly on the ground, his breathing becoming wheezy from the damage accumulated in his body.

'Shit... My punch didn't even hurt him.

Placing his hand on his ribs, Itadori growled as a shock of pain ran through his body.

'Broken ribs... That's great.

Returning his gaze to the curse, Yuji could clearly see a disdainful smile on his lips, his brow furrowing as he returned to the combat position.

'It looks like I'm going to have to do something I've been avoiding for a while.

Jumping backward as the curse spat a projectile of pure cursed energy in his direction, Itadori snarled as a bolt of pain from his ribs made him freeze.

That short time of hesitation due to the pain was more than enough for the curse to reach him in an instant, hitting him with a powerful slap coated with cursed energy.

Boom!

Scraping his back on the ground, Itadori stabbed his fingers into the ground to stop his momentum.

"Hey, Sukuna." Getting up with difficulty, Itadori braced himself as the curse threatened to advance once more. "Help me with this. You don't want to die, do you?"

"I refuse."

With a new mouth appearing on Itadori's cheek, Sukuna simply declared as the boy stepped back to escape an energy blast.

"So much to avoid me, and in the end, you're here, asking for my help? How pathetic."

His arm was pierced by the curse's claws, Itadori clenched his teeth as he grabbed the creature's wrist and threw it away.

"Well, extreme situations call for extreme decisions." Yuji commented with irritation.

Clenching the wound on his arm, Itadori gritted his teeth as he watched the curse land quietly on the ground.

"Anyway, my soul is separated into 18 more parts, so even if you die here, I'll still be able to return."

Itadori frowned at this, a sigh escaping his lips.

"And are you really going to risk losing two parts of your soul? After all, after that, you'll never be whole again." Itadori gave a dismissive smile, his eyes fixed on the curse, which began to walk calmly towards him.

"..."

"How about that, Sukuna?"

Retreating in quick steps, Itadori used the surrounding pillars to hide from the curse in order to gain as much time as possible.

"I'm going to eat all your fingers, and when that happens, how about we find out which of us will prevail?"

Jumping to the side as the curse pierced one of his claws through the pillar, Itadori quickly moved to another.

"Will I dominate you, or will you take control?"

Eyes widening as a claw grazed his cheek, Itadori smiled nervously as he kicked the pillar, his leg going through it and hitting the curse on the other side with enough force to push it away.

"Tempting, isn't it?"

Without receiving any more answers, Itadori ran to another pillar, but the curse was too quick to intercept him, appearing in front of him in an instant.

!

*Uivo

With the howl of a wolf echoing in the distance, Itadori cracked a confident smile while the curse seemed distracted by the strange sound.

"Think carefully about what I've said, king of curses!"

"..."

With the curse turning on Itadori, his eyes widened as he was faced with a completely new presence staring back at him.

"You annoying brat... Using me like that."

The king of curses was now on the battlefield.

"What do you think I am?"

.