Smack!

  As soon as Sukuna finished speaking, Yuji spped his face again, trying to silence him.

  "I'm so sorry! So sorry!" Yuji blurted, waving his hands apologetically toward Ryuji. He wao make it clear that he wasn't iionally disturbing anyone.

  "It's fine," Ryuji replied calmly, brushing off the interruption.

  "What's more, I'm quite curious about the King of Curses from a thousand years ago."

  "This…"

  Hearing that, Yuji hesitated. After a brief moment of sideration, he lowered his hand and didn't try to suppress Sukuna any further.

  "Hmph!"

  Suku out a disdainful snort. Being interrupted repeatedly by Yuji only fueled his anger. He mentally swore that once he was fully resurrected, he'd make Yuji pay for the humiliation.

  "Boy, you still haven't answered my question."

  For now, however, Sukuna had more pressing matters and couldn't be bothered tue with Yuji. He focused his attention ba Ryuji.

  "That tone…"

  Maki frow Sukuna's words, her irritation clearly visible.

  Before she could act, Ryuji raised his hand to stop her, his expression calm.

  "Yes, you're correct. That was the Malevolent Shrine," Ryuji firmed without hesitation.

  "So, you use my domain after all."

  Even though Sukuna had expected this answer, hearing it directly from Ryuji made his expression darken.

  "Wait, what?!"

  Yuji's jaw dropped. "That domain belongs to Sukuna?!"

  The atmosphere shifted into an awkward silence. Sukuna's eyes twitched slightly, unsure how to respond.

  Yuji's reaade it clear he had no clue that Sukuna had used his domain before, even though Sukuna had done s the brief moments he had taken trol of Yuji's body.

  "How he not know?" Sukuna muttered to himself, genuinely a Yuji's obliviousness.

  "Uh…"

  Sensing the tension, Yuji scratched his head in fusion. He wasn't sure what he'd said to make things so awkward.

  "I'll just… let you guys talk," he mumbled, stepping back.

  Sukuna ignored him pletely, too focused on his versation with Ryuji to care about Yuji's awkward retreat.

  "I've never used Malevolent Shrine in front of you. Even if your copying teique is extraordinary, you shouldn't be able to replicate my domain without seeing it," Sukuna said, narrowing his eyes.

  Although he had briefly used Yuji's body to expand his domain, Ryuji hadn't bee at the time. It didn't make sense for him to know about it.

  "..."

  Everyone assumed Ryuji's ability was some kind of advanced copying teique. How else could he use so many different teiques and domains?

  But Ryuji didn't bother correg them.

  "Who said a teique only be copied after witnessing it firsthand?" he replied with a faint smile.

  "..."

  Sukuna was momentarily at a loss for words.

  Hmm. Teically, there wasn't a rule stating that copying required seeing the teique. Thinking about it that way… it seemed almost reasonable.

  No. Not reaso all.

  "You've got to be kidding me," Sukuna thought. If this wasn't ht cheating, then what was?

  "You two of my fingers in your possession, don't you?"

  Deg not to dwell on the copying issue any further, Sukuna shifted the topiething more important: his missing fingers.

  "Hmm?"

  Ryuji raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised Sukuna had been able to sehem.

  Then again, it made sehough the fingers were stored within Ryuji's Third Dimension space—a separate dimension—there were occasional overps between that spad the real world when he used his abilities. It was during those moments of overp that Sukuna must have picked up on their presence.

  "That's right," Ryuji admitted openly.

  There was o deny it.

  When Ryuji had first obtained Sukuna's fingers, he had sealed them away as a precaution. Back then, his strength was far from the level it was now, and Sukuna posed a signifit threat. Taking steps to avoid emp him further was simply on sense.

  Even with the advantages of transmigration and his abilities, Ryuji wasn't reckless.

  A genius who acted without caution would never live long enough to realize their potential.

  But things were different now.

  With Ryuji's current strength, even if Sukuna were restored to his peak and joined forces with two, three, or even ten versions of himself, it wouldn't be enough to pose a real threat to Ryuji.

  There was no longer any reason to worry.

  "Haha!"

  Suku out a cold ugh, his voice dripping with mockery.

  "So you were afraid of me. That's why you hid my fingers, to stop me fraining my full power."

  His ughter grew louder, carrying an unmistakable tone of ridicule.

  "You're scared of me, aren't you?" Sukuna taunted, his voice eg in the air.

  "You—!"

  Maki ched her fists, gring at Sukuna angrily.

  Though she didn't voice it, Maki had developed a deep respect for Ryuji. Hearing Sukuna mock him so openly lit a fire in her chest.

  Even Nobara, who usually kept her cool, couldn't help but shoot Sukuna a look of irritation.

  Meanwhile, Yuji Itadori looked utterly lost.

  "Why is everyone looking at me like I'm the one who said it?" he thought miserably.

  It wasn't like he could trol what Sukuna said. Yet somehow, he felt like he was being bmed for the King of Curses' words.

  "Should I stop him?" Yuji wondered nervously, gng at Maki's furious expression.

  The way she gripped her on made him genuinely worried. If Suku running his mouth, Yuji had a feeling Maki's arget wouldn't be the cursed spirit but him.

  ***

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