HRU: Chapter 266/267

Chapter 266: The Need for Kenjaku

On the skeletal throne, Sukuna narrowed his four eyes and looked down at Kenjaku with a mocking glint in his gaze.

He knew what this was. Kenjaku was challenging him for authority. He wanted a seat at the table, or at least recognition as an equal.

Hah. Who would've thought it'd be Gojo Satoshi—his sudden appearance, his Zanpakutō, and his audacious destruction of six fingers—that gave Kenjaku the confidence to negotiate.

What an accident. Truly unexpected.

Did Kenjaku really think that just because Satoshi destroyed six fingers, he could now go against Sukuna's will?

Sukuna lowered his head. Kenjaku lifted his. The two stared at each other in silence.

After a pause, Kenjaku broke into a grin.

"My cervical spine's a little stiff. Guess I've been looking down at my phone too much. Maybe I ought to look up more often."

He gave in at the right moment.

For now, an alliance between him and Sukuna was still the best option. They were both Cursed Spirits, after all. Naturally, they belonged to the same camp. Even if he wanted a bigger say in their partnership, he knew full well how stubborn the Curse King's pride was.

He knew exactly when to stop.

But what Kenjaku didn't expect, was for Sukuna to suddenly leap down from the bone throne and land directly in front of him.

Kenjaku had yielded at the right time, and Ryomen Sukuna chose to step down in kind.

Two infamous figures, both notorious throughout history, had shown restraint toward each other at that moment.

And the cause behind all of this… was Gojo Satoshi.

Gojo Satoshi, with his two Zanpakutō, who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere and destroyed Sukuna's death wax.

Their gazes met. They both understood each other's position.

They nodded slightly.

Kenjaku no longer held back and began detailing what Gojo Satoshi had done in the real world.

...

"So it really was Gojo Satoshi. Then, the force that shattered my cursed energy structure before… that was the Kidō and Hadō he used?"

"This power is strange. It's nothing like Cursed Energy. It's not something used by jujutsu sorcerers. I can tell—it's not Cursed Energy at all, but a completely different system. That's the only reason it could disrupt my power so easily. The only reason it could instantly kill that Cursed Spirit wielding one of my fingers."

"So there are differences in strength between Zanpakutō. That's fine. Curses vary in strength too. If every Zanpakutō had the same power, this Cursed Tool wouldn't be worth anything."

"The combination of Sode no Shirayuki's Bankai's and Shikai's Ryūjin Jakka can destroy my fingers. Gojo Satoshi… I'll remember you."

Ryomen Sukuna and Kenjaku delved into the details of the livestream incident and, for the first time, identified Gojo Satoshi as their shared enemy.

"Kenjaku, I need you to retrieve my fingers in the real world before Satoshi gets to them."

Until now, Sukuna had never cared where his fingers ended up. Wherever they were, it didn't matter. No one could destroy them, and his strength remained intact.

But that illusion had been shattered.

After Satoshi had broken the stalemate, Sukuna realized that his existence as death wax in the real world was no longer safe.

Especially with Gojo Satoshi actively hunting his fingers, he needed to take action. He had to preserve his remaining strength.

He still didn't know why Satoshi harbored such overwhelming hostility toward him.

He had been dormant for nine years, and the Cursed Spirit that wielded one of his fingers had no obvious connection to the Gojo clan.

Which meant there was only one explanation.

Gojo Satoshi was his natural enemy.

He would never have imagined that Satoshi was a time traveler, not of this world, whose only mission was to prevent the world from spiraling out of control… to stop this timeline from reaching the future where Gojo Satoru was split in half.

After hearing Sukuna's request, Kenjaku nodded.

"Sukuna, my power in the real world is already being targeted by the Gojo clan. I'm sure Gojo Satoshi is behind it. Maybe it's because I tried to take Ryūjin Jakka before… but I can't shake the feeling that he's watching me."

At first, Kenjaku thought the feeling was paranoia. It didn't seem logical. But after nine years, when Gojo Satoshi awakened and immediately targeted Ryomen Sukuna, that gut instinct felt all too real.

Satoshi likely understood what made him different. And he certainly understood Sukuna's nature.

Sukuna took a long breath.

He wasn't surprised by this sudden calamity, but it did irritate him.

If he had a physical body in the real world right now, none of this would be a problem. He'd just kill everyone in his way.

But now, he was nothing more than a remnant.

In this state, he could only passively endure Gojo Satoshi's attacks. There was no way to counter.

As the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna had absolute confidence that he could destroy Satoshi.

But could a Cursed Spirit empowered by his fingers do the same?

Probably not.

The strength of those spirits varied wildly. Against a monster like Satoshi, who had two Zanpakutō, they were nothing but fodder.

And as for cultivating a Cursed Spirit that could wield more than one of his fingers?

Sukuna didn't think it was possible.

One finger's power was already enough to elevate a Cursed Spirit to Special Grade. Anything more, and the spirit would explode before it could use the power.

"Kenjaku. If you've got something to say, then spit it out."

Sukuna frowned. He already knew Kenjaku had a request. He didn't like scheming or roundabout talks—but that didn't mean he was naïve.

If Kenjaku dared play games in front of him, then he was still too green.

But from the way Kenjaku had been speaking, it seemed like he really did need something from Sukuna.

What was it?

If it was about his fingers, then yes. In the real world, Kenjaku's power was far more practical than Sukuna's spiritual form. He could track down and secure Sukuna's fingers, and let other Cursed Spirits consume them.

That alone could produce a swarm of Special Grade Cursed Spirits.

Though many of them would be cannon fodder, a Special Grade was still a formidable threat. A Cursed Spirit infused with even one finger's power could easily overpower most Grade 1 sorcerers.

But aside from that, what else could Kenjaku want?

What kind of help could Sukuna offer him from within this world?

(To be continued.)

Chapter 267: Let Uraume Help Me

Facing Sukuna's question, Kenjaku smiled.

"I don't need any other help from you. But I do need a very capable subordinate to assist me with something I can't handle personally."

His words left Sukuna visibly confused. What was the point of telling him this? Sukuna was confined to the spiritual realm and had no way to summon subordinates for him.

Noticing his puzzled expression, Kenjaku didn't keep him guessing.

"I have a test subject. Someone you know well. An old acquaintance of yours."

Sukuna narrowed his four eyes and locked his gaze on Kenjaku.

"An old acquaintance?"

"Yes. Uraume. I want Uraume to help me."

At the mention of that name, Ryomen Sukuna went still for a moment, lost in thought.

"Uraume? Uraume is still alive?"

His tone carried a rare hint of doubt. A thousand years ago, Uraume had been his most capable subordinate. Could she really have survived until now?

That shouldn't be possible. As far as he could remember, Uraume didn't have that kind of longevity.

She shouldn't still exist in this era...

"Kenjaku, what did you do to Uraume?"

Though his expression was calm, the cursed pressure inside the Malevolent Shrine surged like a blade. If Kenjaku gave an unsatisfactory answer, Sukuna might strike him down without hesitation.

"If Uraume knew that Ryomen Sukuna-sama still cares so much about her, she might be moved to tears. Although... she probably isn't even capable of crying right now."

Despite the rising pressure, Kenjaku remained completely unfazed.

"Uraume does still exist in the world. But if you saw her now, you probably wouldn't recognize her. Don't worry, Sukuna, I didn't force her. I simply gave her a chance to live."

"However, the process was extremely painful. As a result, she now bears some hostility toward me. She doesn't fully believe that I will succeed in reviving you."

Even though Kenjaku wasn't being fully explicit, Sukuna understood his meaning.

"So, Uraume is under your control now? And you want her to help you? You want me to convince her?"

As his most capable chef and attendant, Sukuna had always held Uraume in high regard. If she were truly still alive, it would bring him some comfort.

But was Kenjaku really asking for help just because he lacked manpower?

"I found Uraume and proposed a body transfer experiment. She agreed—partly to survive, partly to see you again."

"Because the experiment was so painful, she no longer trusts me. So I need you to give me a mark—proof from you—so I can convince her. You know how strong she is. If she cooperates with me, gathering your fingers will be much easier."

"Most importantly, Uraume now possesses a human body. That makes it easier for her to operate in the human world. At worst, people will think she's just a Curse User."

Kenjaku explained the situation clearly and raised both hands.

"So, Sukuna-sama, I didn't mistreat your loyal subordinate. I even got her consent before starting the experiment. I just didn't expect the process to cause such intense pain... enough to make her fear me."

"That fear... only you can resolve it."

The way Kenjaku addressed Sukuna was somewhat strange, but Sukuna chose not to dwell on it.

"As the one in control of the experiment, you didn't know how much pain it would cause? Uraume must've realized that cooperating with you was no different than dancing with death. That's why she won't work with you."

Sukuna shook his head slowly, a rare trace of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

"I do miss Uraume's cooking."

As he spoke, he raised his right hand. A surge of cursed energy shot toward Kenjaku's right arm.

This cursed energy was powerful, imbued with Sukuna's distinct signature. Any ordinary cursed spirit would have been instantly annihilated.

But Kenjaku didn't flinch or resist. He allowed the cursed energy to land.

The moment it touched his body, it transformed into a sigil—a four-eyed demonic crest—engraving itself onto the back of Kenjaku's right hand.

"This is my proof. With this mark, Uraume will follow your orders and help you collect my fingers."

"However, don't expect this mark to make her obey you unconditionally. If she believes you've done anything to harm me, she'll resist you. That's the level of autonomy I've granted her."

Sukuna returned to his throne and rested his chin on one hand, looking at Kenjaku lazily. From this point forward, the affairs of the world would fall to him.

Standing beneath the throne of bones, Kenjaku looked down at the mark now etched onto his right hand and frowned.

"Sukuna, this is way too conspicuous. How am I supposed to apply makeup like this?"

Veins twitched on Sukuna's forehead.

"I didn't see you trying to hide those stitches on your head. Wouldn't any normal person ask about those first? If you're not covering that up, why do you care about a little mark?"

Kenjaku pursed his lips.

"If it were a more refined design, I wouldn't complain. But this thing? Seriously? If someone didn't know me, they'd think I was a yakuza matriarch."

Sukuna was speechless.

"Kenjaku, have you been playing at being a woman for so long you've forgotten you were a man?"

He couldn't help but comment.

Kenjaku's reply shut him down completely.

"Sukuna, you're mistaken. I am a woman now... and I'm also a mother."

"Oh, and by the way, my child might have a very special connection with you in the future."

His posture and tone sent a chill down Sukuna's spine.

"I'll leave the matters of this world to you. Find out Gojo Satoshi's true goal as soon as possible. With your current strength, he shouldn't be much of a threat."

With that, Ryomen Sukuna waved his hand.

His expression suddenly shifted.

He could feel it. A portion of his power had disappeared.

This meant that in the present world, Gojo Satoshi had completely destroyed his six fingers using Ryūjin Jakka and Sode no Shirayuki.

"It's over, Kenjaku."

A moment later, Kenjaku felt an irresistible force pulling him away.

Before he could say another word, he was expelled from the Malevolent Shrine.

(To be continued.)