Chapter 52: Red Sun Over Paradise.
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Glory to my chief Proofreader; Solare for he is the one who points out mistakes and acts as my favourite wall to bounce ideas off of.
As the Title Suggests, Please Play "Red Sun, Extended" from Metal Gear Rising Revengeance OST for this Chapter.
That or your choice of Sukuna Vs Mahoraga Edit Audios.
It's time to decide if the World shall Burn or be Reborn.
850 Power Stones = Extra Chapter
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The term "Red Sun over paradise," in Japanese culture, references a Bloodstained night after a War, but changing the bloody moon into a Red Sun.
The "Red Sun" would mean a new dawn of drastic changes, Humans contaminating the Beautiful "Paradise" or the World.
No Matter what, One Thing was for Certain.
Following this night on the 31st of October, Nothing would Ever be the Same.
…
"WITH THIS TREASURE, I FUCKING SUMMON THE DIVINE GENERAL MAHORAGA!"
The shadows beneath Megumi Fushiguro exploded outwards as a 12 Foot Tall Behemoth emerged from his Abyss, The Divine General made his appearance to the Battlefield for the first time while being framed by an aurora of Purplish Black Cursed Energy.
For the First Time not as a Curse, but as a Shikigami.
[Image (In Discord)]
"So this is it Brat? Your Trump Card? This is the pet you think will be able to protect or save you from my will? Take solace in whatever few moments you have left in that body, because soon it will be mine and I will make everyone you hold dear suffer for your Weakness!" Ryomen Sukuna declared, brimming with malevolent intent.
To his surprise, instead of being afraid or even annoyed by that proclamation, Megumi Fushiguro Laughed.
"You can try, but I'd watch out for the feds first if I were you. I don't think they'll take kindly to hearing how you wanna enter the body of an underaged child." Megumi snarked with a grin and immediately as he did, he saw a disturbance in the air rushing in his direction.
Megumi weaved his body to the side, avoiding a Dismantle that rushed past him and sliced a nearby Truck in half instantly. Another came not even a second later, then another, then dozens.
Each and everyone was captured by his evolved eyes, he dodged each one running to the side he slid to get behind a building which was torn apart by the King's Cursed Technique.
The King himself stood with some shock as he watched what he deemed as his future vessel spot all his slashes and dodge them perfectly. He jumped backwards as the ground he stood on was shattered into dust by a giant fist, it was the Divine General.
Mahoraga didn't let up and chased his master's enemy, Sukuna chose to observe how the shikigami acted and didn't use any more Dismantles against him.
'If this Shikigami really is just like Yamata-No-Orochi as I thought, then this new body would be perfect. I can't kill it but I also need to weaken the brat enough to be able to take his body.' Sukuna thought as he stopped backing away and awaited the shikigami to attack again.
But to his surprise, the white behemoth jumped away from him. Landing right next to his master who stood atop a traffic light, they stood there side by side and awaited his next move. Megumi was more than happy to play on his opponent's Ego and just wait out the clock for Yuji to take back control.
Sukuna squinted his eyes and raised a hand, lazily pointing two fingers at the black haired man before chanting.
"Dismantle."
The King of Curses watched as his target produced a dark blade and parried his Dismantle straight out of the air. Yet despite his attack failing, he grinned with satisfaction.
"You can see can't you? You can see my Cursed Technique!" Sukuna shouted with excitement, a Vessel with a body this enhanced would be a great boon.
Sukuna then rushed forwards, so fast that Megumi was barely able to bring up his arms to block the attack. The force of the impact was too great and too sudden for him to handle as he was shot backwards and into a car which was dented heavily from his body.
Mahoraga was immediately attacked by Sukuna as soon as he was taken out of the equation, the King of Curses implanted his foot into the General's gut before jumping off the air itself to uppercut the shikigami.
The force of the impact shot Mahoraga into the air before being spiked right back down with another punch from Sukuna, the Divine General landed right next to his master. His body started mending itself from the damage inflicted upon it, he was close to an Adaptation.
'Right.. Still the King of Curses for a reason. I can tell he's also holding back since he wants my body.' Megumi thought, reaching for his back plans as he watched Sukuna rush forwards again.
Sukuna appeared before him in an instant and spiked towards him with an elbow, Megumi barely blocked it with not a second to spare. The King of Curses shifted to the right a moment later as he avoided Mahoraga's Blade of Extermination by a hair.
Sukuna noted the positive energy emanating from the blade on the shikigami's hand, it had enough Positive Energy to annihilate or severely wound any curse it touched. He then rushed in again, fighting both master and shikigami at the same time.
It seems that even while not serious, the King of Curses at 19 fingers worth of his soul was more than capable of keeping up with his duo of opponents.
Or atleast, that was the case for a moment.
CLINK
The Wheel atop Mahoraga's Head spun once and when it did, several things happened.
Firstly, the Blade of Extermination switched from emitting Positive Energy to Cursed Energy. Then, Mahoraga's Strength and Speed all but Doubled.
Suddenly, the tides of the battle were immediately shifted as the King of Curses began to be pushed backwards. Megumi allowed his Shikigami to take the lead, charging in behind him as Ryomen Sukuna was forced to dodge relentless attacks from front and back.
"So it truly is like Yamata No Orochi, how very intriguing.. Let's up the voltage, Shall we?" Sukuna chuckled before disappearing from his place right as Mahoraga crashed his Blade at where he stood.
Megumi swerved around to where he felt his opponent go but it was too late, the King of Curses had grabbed his left Shoulder for approximately 0.5 Seconds.
"Cleave."
The King of Curses had touched him for less than a second and yet despite that…
Pain.
An Arm Flew Into the Air.
"MAHORAGA!"
Megumi felt pain unlike he had ever felt in his life, Mahoraga rushed forwards and grabbed him before jumping up into the air. Dismantles followed the Shikigami where he went, slashes dug deep into his flesh but were swiftly healed.
The Shade Lord activated his Tranquil Deer Incarnation as he stumbled forwards while groaning in Agony, holding the Stump where his left arm used to be. Blood Seeped out of his stump like a broken faucet as a few seconds later, flesh started to grow on where it was cut.
He could Regenerate his Arm, but it would take Time. Time He Simply Did Not Have.
"I might want that body for my own, but that doesn't mean I'm opposed to Carving it up a bit before I take it. I can always heal it after I'm done with you!" Sukuna Declared as he rushed in, now utilising more and more of his output to systematically take apart his target.
The Lord of Shadows had a choice to make, he had about 4 seconds to spare until he was set upon by the King of Curses once again. And so he had chosen to take a gamble since he knew that the plans he had set up ahead of time wouldn't be useful in this situation.
'Sorry Satoru, gonna have to borrow your hand sign for a sec…'
He swerved around to face Sukuna while raising his remaining hand up to his face, he twisted his middle finger over his index before starting to chant.
"Domain Expansion: Chimera Shadow Garden!"
A Domain barrier formed along with his shadows rushing forwards, the textbook signs of a Domain forming.
Filled with complete shock at the sudden development, Ryomen Sukuna stopped in place and formed his own Domain Expansion hand sign. He was completely taken off guard by his prey suddenly being able to form a Domain with one hand and using a hand sign he recognised to be his teacher's.
'The hell? Since when can he use a Domain Expansion with that sign? Satoru Gojo must have taught it to him while the Brat wasn't around, he wouldn't dare use an unfamiliar hand sign if he's trying to get into a Domain Clash with me!' Sukuna thought.
And he was correct, using an unfamiliar hand sign for a Domain Clash would be a desperate gamble that was doomed to fail against the King of Curses.
Yet Megumi Fushiguro was counting on that assumption.
It was a Gamble playing upon the King of Curse's Undoubtedly Enormous Ego.
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shr- eh?"
Despite all the odds, Megumi Fushiguro's Domain immediately fell apart as it formed, causing Sukuna to baulk in confusion, so much so that he lost concentration on forming his Domain and his fell apart as well.
It was a Gamble. One attempting to catch the King of Curses off guard enough to buy himself enough time to make his escape.
"Suck it Old Fuck!" Megumi shouted with overwhelming smugness as his Domain hand sign turned to a middle finger before he sunk into the shadows to make his escape, Mahoraga was also unsummoned right after.
Sukuna shot Dismantles at where they stood but it was too late. All he could do was watch as the shikigami, who held the same smug grin as his master, dissolved away into shadows.
It was a Gamble that Paid Off with Dividends.
Megumi Fushiguro had escaped his grasp right under his watch.
The King of Curses was not Pleased.
"This worthless fucking piece of trash… He thinks he can trick me with no consequences?! I'll just turn this blasted city into ashes then!" Sukuna proclaimed bringing his hands together to use his Domain Expansion and reduce everything within 200 Metres to nothingness.
However, he was forced to move a hand to protect himself at the last second as a thin Projectile approaching Hypersonic speeds sped towards him.
And to his utter shock, the projectile, now recognisable as a thin stream of highly pressurised water, pierced straight through his hand and sliced his cheek open.
"Ah.. How unfortunate, I was going for your shoulder but you moved and got Yuji's poor face cut."
Ryomen Sukuna turned around with boiling rage, he saw Megumi Fushiguro exit a shadow right behind him, now with his left arm fully restored.
"Aww~! Is the poor King of Curtheth mad that he got outplayed~?" Megumi teased, bringing up a hand to his face while doing so in order to piss him off as much as possible.
"Don't worry, there's plenty of that where it came from! With this Treasure, I summon the Divine General Mahoraga." He then said while raising his arms slightly, the titular Shikigami rising at his back once more.
Sukuna looked like he was going to bust a vein for a moment before his rage was replaced by a small smile, it was like he had finally understood something after a while.
"I see. This is your attempt at angering me to throw me off again, an ultimately futile effort."
WIth that, the battle began in earnest once more.
Sukuna closed the distance between them in an instant, this time he had started by trying to Dismantle Mahoraga to take out his Prey's Trump Card, knowing that he can still benefit from it later on.
He started to battle the two of them for a moment, he lured Megumi into taking an opening at his abdomen before jumping into the air and stomping him on his back, forcing him to one knee. He then turned to the Divine General and pointed at his face point blank before chanting.
"Dismantle!"
Slash after Slash dug into the behemoth's flesh, and while that would have been enough to reduce him to chunks of meat normally thanks to the unneeded rituals and the King's overwhelming output, Mahoraga didn't seem to be affected by his slashes as he normally should be.
CLINK
All the wounds on the Divine General mended in a second before he crashed forward with his Blade of Extermination. Sukuna blocked the blade with his arms and used the momentum to get away from his second attack.
'I got Mahoraga Adapted to Slashes and Fire before this Incident even began, I was only able to proc one Adaptation to each but that alone is a huge boon against this asshole.'
Megumi got up to his own two feet and turned to face Sukuna, immediately spotting his observing look. He knew that Sukuna would be more than capable of figuring out his plan of baiting him into feeding Mahoraga's Adaptation.
'That Adaptation just now locked in Mahoraga's Adaptation into Dismantles and allowed him to see them, the next one will make him way more resistant. That is 'Check', and the next Adaptation following that would be 'Checkmate'.' He concluded, knowing that this battle had yet to even reach its height.
And so, he had to be proactive.
"You're making a Severe Miscalculation if you think my plan is to Double Team you until Mahoraga Adapts." He called out, stealing his opponent's attention and confusion.
"Despite all the Ego and 'Royalty', you must be stupider than I thought you were if you thought I came into this fight unprepared."
Sukuna's eyes widened, turning behind him to defend himself but it was too late. Serosh formed from a Shadow behind him and slashed at him faster than he could dodge, forcing him to block it with his arm.
The Beast Reagent didn't dare stick too close to the King of Curses for too long as he dashed away right after his attack and stopped at his Master's side.
"It's not a 2 v 1, It's 3 against 1." The Lord of Shadows declared with spread arms, both his shikigami being filled with more Cursed Energy in preparation for the next bout.
Megumi Fushiguro watched on with a smirk while Ryomen Sukuna stared at his right arm, it held 4 deep grooves in it which healed away as soon as they formed.
"That's it. I am done playing with you. I'll slaughter those Dogs and remove your limbs." Sukuna stated, his rage was palpable as his Malevolent Cursed Energy began permeating throughout the Atmosphere.
Megumi got back into a fighting stance, everything was still within range of his plans. He would continue to stall Sukuna until either Yuji took back control or Mahoraga completed his Adaptation. Then he could go on the offence.
It was a Brilliant Plan, one that showed off great forethought and ability to think ahead.
Megumi looked at the expression on Sukuna's face before adrenaline shot straight through his veins, he knew all too well what came next.
But Forethought Alone can not Overcome the King of Curses.
Both combatants raised their hands and brought them together before chanting at the top of their lungs.
"Domain Expansion: Malevolent Shrine!"
"Domain Expansion: Chimera Shadow Garden!"
Black nothingness was faced with a perversion of Buddhist Nature as a Domain Barrier formed around the two of them.
Behind Megumi formed a Colossal Spinal Skeleton, at the top of which floated the Dharma Wheel of the Divine General. While behind Sukuna formed a Shrine which had a demonic, open-mouthed facade with sharp teeth.
Their Domain Clash began, with one thing being all too clear to both of the fighters. The Domain Clash more than heavily favoured Malevolent Shrine.
Megumi Fushiguro's Refinement could not compare to the Refinement of the King of Curses.
"To think you had such gall to stand against me with this Mediocre Refinement in Domains, it seems being born in an era of Weaklings has made you soft 'Special Grade Sorcerer'." Sukuna mocked before starting to attack his Prey's Barrier from the outside since his Open Domain could reach further than what Megumi's could.
It was then that he noticed something odd, the barrier was oddly durable from the outside.
"That's because I made a Binding Vow for that!"
Sukuna had to block a fist reaching for his face at the last possible second, feeling the barrier grow even more durable following his opponent's declaration.
Megumi gave a strained grin before going for a sweep at his opponent's legs, who jumped over it while utilising his height and positional advantage to crash down at the black haired man's exposed form.
The elbow was avoided by a hair's breadth, Sukuna had to jump back to avoid a punch. He got back in by grabbing his opponent's stretched hand and pulling him inwards.
"Sit.." He growled before backhanding him, making his own Binding Vow to empower the output of his Domain outside the range of Megumi's own in exchange for weakening it inside as he did.
"DOWN!"
Sukuna gut punched him with the same hand, causing him to cough up saliva. The force of the punch sent him stumbling backwards, and right after that?
His Domain 'Chimera Shadow Garden' Crumbled Away, leaving him with Cursed Technique Burn Out. And Ultimately Rendering himself without Reverse Cursed Technique.
"Falling Blossom Emotion!"
Megumi called out immediately, hastily activating his Anti-Domain Technique he had learned specifically for this moment. His body was covered by a protective layer of cursed energy, strong enough to make him functionally immune to most Sure-Hit attacks of compatible Domains.
But it could never be enough before the King of Curses.
Pain.
In an instant, his entire body was torn into repeatedly with Cleaves and Dismantles. Blood spurted from every inch of himself, it covered everything within 5 metres of his body.
Pain.
Next, his muscles were relentlessly torn apart. From his ankle, then his shoulder, then both his thighs and next both biceps. His capability to move or defend himself was Ruthlessly ripped away from him.
PAIN.
"With that, you'll stay still for a while. Please don't bother moving, I'll try to keep any of the damage to be superficial. That's about to be my body in a second after all." Ryomen Sukuna ordered, his rage was completely replaced with sheer and utter smugness.
He dissolved his Domain to be sure he didn't kill his Prey accidentally before Flames poured out of his hands like geyser, not an inch of worry of his victim's escape was on his mind.
"Fuga."
Megumi fell to his knees as his body lost all semblance of power or capability to hold itself up. It was completely clear to both combatants, the result of the battle was Ryomen Sukuna's absolute Victory.
"Stand Proud, you were Strong enough to keep up with me for longer than most. Rest assured that your Body will be put to use for Great Things!" Sukuna declared, reaching his right arm back as it formed an Arrow of Flames.
Megumi Fushiguro stayed silent, he knew he was all but Dead.
Dead to Rights.
He couldn't feel his Cursed Technique being regained any time soon, so he prepared to make a Binding Vow that ensured his Death from the Flame Arrow. He would not be allowing his body to be stolen and used against his friends and family once again.
The Flame Arrow blurred ahead with the signature Demonic Laugh of the King of Curses.
The Black Haired man stared Death itself in the eyes, not with fear or anticipation, but with a smile.
'Guess my Gamble didn't pay off… Oh well.. Guess it's time to Kill Myself. With the Heavens Above as my Witness-' Megumi thought, beginning to make his Vow to ensure his Death.
But something stopped him at the last second.
He felt something draw upon his Cursed Technique, a Will not his Own.
Both Megumi Fushiguro and Ryomen Sukuna watched on in complete and utter shock as the Black haired man sunk into his own shadow just as the Flame Arrow was about to make its impact.
The King of Curses was left behind, standing there in confusion. His victory had been robbed from his once again, yet it seemed like even his opponent didn't know how he had escaped.
So all he could say was one thing.
"What The-"
…
"-Fuck?!"
Megumi looked around himself, finding himself to be within his own Innate Domain, it's very bottom in fact.
"So we finally meet, Megumi Fushiguro – or well.. Do you prefer Jack Conners?"
Never in his life had Megumi turned around so fast and with such shock running through his veins.
What he looked upon was Himself. A Mirror? A Simulacrum? A Copy? A Manifestation of his own mind perhaps?
"No to all of them, it's me – or well, it's you. I am Megumi Fushuguro, the Original one as it were." Megumi answered, placing a hand at his chest as he did all the while reading his mind like it was his own, because it was his own.
"How… How is this Happening?" He asked, never in his life had he been this taken aback and surprised.
"The Body is the Soul – or is it the other way around? Well in either case, I took the Burden of your Cursed Technique Burn Out on my fragment of our Soul. That allowed me to temporarily use my limited control to sink you in our Shadow." Megumi answered once again.
"You can read my- Our- FUCK! You know what I mean! How the hell are you alive?!" Shouted the first Megumi, or was it the second?
"..Never gave it a thought, did we? You're functionally an Incarnated Sorcerer you know? Only your Soul was irreparably infused within our body with full control from the beginning – or well, mostly full control. But that's for later." The other Megumi answered, or was it the first one?
"You remember Tsukumo's research don't you? Remember what it said?" He then reminded.
"...'Souls may mix to some degree but they never fully Merge'. SHIT! I should have thought of that!. So… What now? Why now?" Megumi asked after much deliberation, it was confusing to get his head around.
"I couldn't contact your fragment of our Soul without the Completed power of the Ten Shadows, I also needed you to be as close to Death as possible to weaken your control enough to be able to manipulate it. And now? Now it's time for me to Die."
The Lord of Shadows stood there in shock, he was unable to comprehend everything he was hearing. So that is why the only time he was able to see him before was when he was suffering from Brain Damage from Infinite Void, that was the closest he had brushed with Death in Years.
"Indeed, when you took over our body, a portion of my Soul remained and is taking away control from yours. Don't you get it? My very existence within this body is holding you back. In order for you to achieve your Full Potential – Our Fullest Potential I must fade away completely and allow you to Ascend."
"Are ya' really just okay with that? Just fading away and dying?" The greater fragment questioned, he watched as his other half disappeared and reappeared in front of him in an older form and spoke.
"...Are you the Better Me because you will live up to our Full Potential or will you live up to our Full Potential because you're the Better Me?"
"...Why am I feeling a sense of Deja Vu?"
The Lesser Fragment dissolved away into shadows before reforming behind him, this time in the form of what he looked like as a child sitting on a desk with his legs swinging.
"Sure, I hated you at first for taking my life but then I realised.. As much of a Greedy Bastard as you are, you also made everyone's life better with your existence, I realised I was just being Selfish. You will be the one to fix it all, of that I am Sure."
The Shade Lord watched as Megumi Fushiguro grew once again to his full form and laid down at the bottom of their shared Abyss, staring up at the Blinding Light at its very Peak which stood as a Symbol of False Hope to all that saw it.
He walked ahead and laid down by his other half, they laid side by side in silence for a moment before the Lesser Fragment spoke again.
"I don't Care for my Existence, so I will Burn Away my own Soul to Unleash yours. It'll Release all the unconscious Limiters placed on it, from your Cursed Energy Refinement to even your Reverse Cursed Technique. You'll finally be, for Real this time – Truly Free."
Once again, a few seconds of silence set upon the two of them before it was the Greater Fragment that spoke this time.
"Is this your final wish?" He asked, getting up and looking down at his other half.
"Hah.. Yes, it is. Nothing would make me happier than setting you free to Demolish Sukuna. I'll be Going First, so you better kill him for me."
The Lesser Fragment – No, Megumi Fushiguro began to be covered with Purplish Obsidian Flames, they set upon his body starting from his foot and crawled upwards.
Wherever they went, remained only Purplish Ethereal Ashes that flowed softly into the Lord of Shadows.
"But.. Even with all that, what the hell do I do about his Open Domain? I can't do shit against that since he just Shatters mine from outside!" He asked, feeling a hint of doubt for the first time in years.
He only heard an Uproarious Laugh in return, Megumi Fushiguro Spoke One Last time before Burning Away.
"Oh I think we both know the answer to that… It's just like Shoko told you when Nyx Died, you even said it so much back in the day it was practically a Mantra. You're a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Why Bother Playing Human?"
It was then that Ryomen Sukuna felt the Earth Beneath Him Start to Shudder.
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850 Power Stones = Extra Chapter
Author's Note:
Ah Yes.. My 'Foreshadowing' Technique that I've been spamming since chapter 2!
Read the synopsis, I've been building up to this from the very beginning!
And yes, to those that read 'White Mage' on QQ, this is very much inspired from it to some extent.
I expand on this matter way more in the next chapter.
…
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Next Chapter Title: The Only Thing I Know For Real.
…
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