Chapter 108 108: Defeat Him, and I'll Acknowledge You!

The one who appeared before them was Asuramaru.

Half of his face was hidden beneath long, dark hair, but the crimson eye that remained visible seemed to pierce straight through both Yuji and Sukuna. He stood upon the mirrored surface of the sea with effortless stillness, as though he had always belonged in this place where sky and water met.

Sukuna's expression shifted.

It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there.

At this distance, he had not sensed the other party's arrival at all.

No cursed energy.

No presence.

No warning.

For the King of Curses, that was more than strange. It was offensive.

Compared to Sukuna's caution, Yuji felt no danger from the newcomer. If anything, the figure before him gave off a strange, mysterious beauty, like something out of an old shrine legend.

Yuji blinked, then pointed at himself.

"Did you bring me here? Who are you? And where even is this place?"

Asuramaru's gaze slid toward him.

"You ask too many questions."

"Eh?"

Yuji froze, not expecting to be scolded the moment he opened his mouth.

Asuramaru ignored his reaction and turned his attention to Sukuna for a brief moment. Only then did he speak again, his tone calm and unhurried.

"This is your mental world. In jujutsu terms, it can also be called an Innate Domain."

Yuji stared blankly.

"Innate... what?"

"And I," Asuramaru continued, without the slightest intention of explaining further, "am your Cursed Technique."

The words fell lightly.

Yet to Sukuna, they struck like a stone dropped into still water.

A Cursed Technique with a will of its own?

A Cursed Technique that manifested as an independent being inside a vessel's Innate Domain?

Since the Heian era, Sukuna had seen countless techniques, bizarre, cruel, elegant, and grotesque. He had witnessed sorcerers twist the laws of the world with barriers, souls, space, blood, shadows, and vows.

But this?

This crossed into absurdity.

Sukuna did not refute it.

He simply watched.

Asuramaru noticed his silence and gave him a sidelong glance, but there was no particular concern in his eyes. To him, the so-called King of Curses was interesting, but only that.

"My name is Asuramaru."

The moment that name was spoken, Sukuna's composure cracked.

Asuramaru.

That name existed even in ancient rumors.

A sword said to house a god.

No one knew where it had come from. No one knew who forged it. There were only fragments of legend, half-buried in the dust of old eras.

It was said that whoever gained Asuramaru's acknowledgment would become the strongest of all time.

Sukuna had once dismissed it as superstition.

At most, he had thought it might have been some ancient cursed tool exaggerated by frightened fools. He had even searched for traces of it in the past, only to find nothing.

And now, the legend stood before him.

Not as a cursed tool.

As a Cursed Technique.

Yuji, who had clearly heard the name somewhere before, scratched his head.

"Asuramaru... That sounds familiar. Wait, are you that legendary god people talk about?"

Asuramaru remembered the identity the system had fabricated for him in this world.

After a slight pause, he nodded.

He acknowledged it without shame.

Yuji's eyes lit up.

"So you really are a god? Then does that mean I can use all kinds of cool abilities now? Like an anime protagonist? Or like Fushiguro's shikigami?"

Even Sukuna listened.

He wanted to know as well.

What exactly was the power of the legendary Asuramaru?

But Asuramaru's face only showed faint displeasure. He looked at the two of them as though they had asked something deeply foolish.

"Unfortunately, neither of you has earned my acknowledgment. Naturally, neither of you can use my power."

Sukuna stepped forward before Yuji could say anything.

His interest was now fully awake.

"Then how does one earn your acknowledgment?"

The wording mattered.

Neither of you.

That meant Sukuna himself was included among the candidates.

Yuji also leaned forward, equally curious.

Asuramaru looked between them.

"Simple. I have not felt a desire strong enough to move me from either of you."

"Desire?" Yuji repeated.

Sukuna lowered his eyes slightly.

Desire.

Joy. Rage. Grief. Hatred. Greed. Obsession.

Was he speaking literally? Or was this some kind of condition?

Yuji, on the other hand, had no patience for hidden meanings.

"So besides desire, is there another way to earn your acknowledgment?"

At that, the corner of Asuramaru's lips curved upward.

It was a small smile, but it carried a dangerous elegance.

"You two are somewhat interesting. Very well. I'll give you a chance."

He raised one hand.

The sea beneath their feet rippled.

Behind Asuramaru, the horizon trembled. A colossal sword emerged from the line where sky and water met, rising like a monument from another world. Its surface was engraved with ancient-looking markings, and around it hovered countless smaller swords, each one carrying a different presence.

Some were fierce.

Some were sorrowful.

Some were quiet, but terrifyingly sharp.

Yuji's eyes widened.

Even Sukuna narrowed his gaze.

From within the colossal sword, a figure stepped out.

He wore a fitted crimson samurai uniform, and two swords hung at his waist. His face was young, gentle, and composed, but the aura around him was anything but soft.

It was the calm of a man who had walked through hell, slain monsters, lost people dear to him, and still chosen to remain human.

Asuramaru introduced him with unmistakable pride.

"Tanjiro Kamado. My first Sword Master."

Tanjiro stood silently on the water, one hand resting near his waist.

Asuramaru continued, "Whichever one of you defeats him will earn my acknowledgment."

Sukuna's eyes sharpened.

A trial?

No, something close to a taming ritual.

He could not sense cursed energy from Tanjiro. Not a trace. Yet the pressure coming from him was real. It was not the pressure of a sorcerer, nor that of a Cursed Spirit. It was something refined to the limit, like a sword polished for an entire lifetime.

The aura of someone who had reached the peak of his own world.

Sukuna's blood stirred with interest.

But before he could step forward, Yuji raised his hand.

"Wait, I'll try first."

Sukuna looked at him as though he were watching an insect volunteer to challenge a mountain.

Yuji walked toward Tanjiro, then paused and looked back at Asuramaru.

"If I lose, I won't die, right?"

"No."

The answer was short.

Yuji let out a breath.

"Okay. Then I'll give it a shot."

He clenched his fists and rushed forward.

For an ordinary human, Yuji's physical strength was monstrous. His body moved with explosive speed, his fist cutting straight toward Tanjiro's chest.

Tanjiro did not draw his sword.

The battle ended before Yuji understood it had begun.

One moment, Yuji was throwing a punch.

The next, Tanjiro's fist was hovering in front of his nose.

Just a little farther, and his head would have been shattered.

Yuji froze.

He had not seen the movement at all.

For a second, the mental world was silent.

Then Yuji lowered his fist and smiled, not discouraged in the slightest.

"As expected, he's crazy strong. I can't beat him."

He stepped aside with surprising honesty, then turned his attention back to Asuramaru, observing the so-called legendary god with obvious curiosity.

Sukuna's expression deepened.

That speed was no joke.

Even he had only caught a blur.

Still, fear did not appear in Sukuna's eyes.

Instead, his smile widened.

He stepped forward, absolute confidence written across his face.

"The legendary Asuramaru. Your first Sword Master." Sukuna flexed his fingers. "Let me witness him for myself."

Asuramaru's lips curved faintly.

Take him down, Tanjiro.

With a thought, the surrounding sea expanded. Space stretched outward, giving the two enough room to fight.

Tanjiro and Sukuna faced each other across the water.

Yuji stood to the side, suddenly feeling like he had been dropped into the final boss fight of a game without reading the manual.

The air changed.

Tanjiro placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. His body leaned forward slightly, strength gathering in his legs.

Sukuna noticed it immediately.

He intends to attack first.

Sukuna raised his hand without hesitation.

"Dismantle."

An invisible slash flew forward.

Against ordinary opponents, it would have cut them apart before they realized anything had happened.

But Tanjiro's eyes saw through it.

The Transparent World laid bare the movement, the angle, the intention. He did not even change his stance.

Black mist appeared before him and swallowed the slash.

Sukuna's eyes narrowed.

At the same instant, golden lightning erupted around Tanjiro's body.

His gaze flashed like a storm breaking open the night.

"Thunder Breathing, First Form."

His body vanished.

"Thunderclap and Flash, Godspeed."

A bolt of gold tore across the mirrored sea.

Tanjiro appeared directly in front of Sukuna.

His sword came out in a single clean arc, aimed straight for Sukuna's neck.

Fast.

Too fast.

Even Sukuna was caught off guard.

.....

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