[October 31, 2018, Shibuya]
How had it come to this? When did everything fall apart? No — the question that truly burned in my chest, while the air around me felt suffocating, was another: why was I face to face with that monster?
"Oh? You're late, kid."
Sukuna's voice pulled me from my thoughts, cutting through the silence like a blade. He was there, fully in control of Itadori's body. His eyes gleamed with sadistic delight, and the smile on his face was a promise of destruction.
"What? Frozen already?" He laughed, a deep, guttural sound that made my bones vibrate. "I was hoping you'd at least entertain me a little."
Entertainment. That's what I — what any sorcerer — meant to him. A toy, a pastime, something to ease his boredom before being crushed.
I knew that against a fully powered Sukuna, I didn't stand a chance. Maybe only Satoru Gojo could face him on equal ground. But the Sukuna in front of me wasn't complete yet. And that… that gave me a chance. Not to win, but to stall him. To buy enough time for Itadori to take back control.
Raising my hand, I feel cursed energy pulse through my body.
"Oh? Straight to the point, are you?" Sukuna said, raising his hands as well.
"Domain Expansion."
"Domain Expansion."
We both spoke at the same time.
"Darkness Purgatory."
"Malevolent Shrine."
BAAMM!
***
[8 years ago]
The sun was sinking into the horizon, casting a soft glow of orange and pink over the cherry blossom park. Petals floated in the breeze, falling like confetti around me as I sat on a wooden bench, toying with a flower in my hands.
My legs swung without touching the ground, and I stole furtive glances at Hana, my little sister, sitting beside me. She was pure energy, with her brown braids bouncing and a sketchbook in her lap, full of colorful doodles — flowers, butterflies, a sky with fluffy clouds. Hana hummed softly, her smile so radiant it seemed to brighten the day even more.
"Eiji, look!" she exclaimed, turning the sketchbook with an excited gesture. On the paper, two stick figures held hands under a cherry tree, with crooked hearts drawn in red. "It's us!"
I felt my face heat up and scratched the back of my neck. "I-I'm not that tall! And… what are those hearts supposed to be, huh?"
Hana laughed, a sound as clear as bells, and poked my shoulder. "It's because we love each other, silly! And you're going to grow up and be the tallest brother in the world!" She tilted her head, her brown eyes full of certainty.
I huffed, trying to hide my smile. "You're so cheesy." I raised my hand and gently tucked the flower behind one of her braids. "There. Now you look like one of those princesses."
Hana's eyes widened as she touched the petal with her fingers. "Eiji!" She jumped off the bench, spinning in place, her arms wide open like she wanted to hug the world. "So that means you're my knight, right?" she asked, grabbing my wrist tightly.
"W-what? Stop it, Hana!" I protested, my face burning, but I didn't resist when she pulled me. We darted across the grass, our laughter echoing through the park. Hana held my hand, her tiny fingers firm in mine, as if they would never let go.
Suddenly, she stopped, breathless, and turned her face to me. "Promise you'll always protect me, my knight?"
I blinked, surprised, but answered without hesitation. "I promise."
"Heheh!" Hana laughed, throwing herself onto the grass and rolling around. I laughed too, letting myself fall beside her, the warmth of her hand still anchoring me to that moment.
I closed my eyes, feeling the breeze, the sweet scent of cherry blossoms, the sound of her laughter. In that instant, the world felt perfect, untouchable.
But then, Hana's laughter stopped.
Silence fell like a stone. I frowned, eyes still closed. "Hana? Are you okay?" I waited, but no answer came.
The air felt heavier, the scent of cherry blossoms replaced by something metallic. What's going on? I slowly opened my eyes, my heart beginning to race.
I looked to the side, my hand still holding something. But it was just... a piece. Hana's tiny hand, her fingers still interlaced with mine, ended abruptly in a jagged cut. "...Huh?"
I froze, unable to process what I was seeing. Then I heard it. A wet, revolting sound — like flesh being torn and chewed.
Slowly, my body trembling, I turned my head forward.
There, just a few meters away, a grotesque creature crouched on the grass. A shapeless mass of pale flesh, with long, disproportionate limbs ending in claws. Its mouth, far too wide for its deformed face, was filled with crooked teeth — and between them... Hana. Or what was left of her.
The thing chewed with deliberate slowness, its dull yellow eyes fixed on me, as if daring me to react.
I didn't scream. I couldn't. My body was frozen, lungs locked, mind shattered, still feeling the warmth of Hana's hand in mine.
Then something snapped inside me. My eyes, once wide with panic, darkened. The air around me seemed to tremble, thick with a suffocating, dense energy. I didn't know what it was, but I felt it — a fury, a despair, a force burning in my veins.
SPLAASHH!!!
***
'I should've cast a curtain the moment I stepped into that damn abandoned factory. Dammit!'
Kento Nanami clenched his teeth, furious with himself as he ran as fast as his body would allow. He wasn't a man who made mistakes. Every mission was meticulously planned, every strike executed with surgical precision to ensure maximum efficiency. That's why the anger he felt now burned even hotter. Such a basic, avoidable mistake.
The thought that someone might die because of his failure pushed him to run faster, his glasses reflecting the sunlight. His senses were razor-sharp, following the trail of cursed energy left behind by the spirit that had escaped.
Suddenly, he stopped, skidding across the ground. 'What… is this?' Nanami wondered at the scene before him.
A boy, no older than eight, was kneeling on the grass. His messy black hair hung over his face, partially hiding his eyes. His small hands trembled, fingers dug into the earth.
But what truly took Nanami's breath away was the cursed spirit. The grotesque creature — the very same one he'd let escape — was only a few meters from the boy. Its deformed body was pinned to the ground by dozens of black spikes jutting from the earth like sharp spears, piercing it at every angle.
It was still alive. Its dull yellow eyes rolled in their sockets, consumed by agony, while its gaping mouth let out muffled gurgles, as if the pain was too much for it to scream. Every spike seemed deliberately placed, not to kill, but to prolong the suffering — keeping the curse conscious.
'What happened here?'
***
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, images or songs featured in this fic. Additionally, I do not claim ownership of any products or properties mentioned in this novel. This work is entirely fanfic.