Sukuna walked calmly out of the shattered building, humming to himself as blood dripped from his fingers. The sky had grown dark, and the air felt heavier, twisted by his cursed energy.
Elsewhere, Megumi sprinted through the woods, leaves crunching beneath his feet. His mind raced, calling out Itadori's name—but no answer came. He'd already sent Nobara off to the hospital, barely conscious and bleeding, and now Itadori was missing.
Megumi stopped. A dense pressure flooded the area.
He looked up—and there he was.
Sukuna stood in the middle of a clearing, smirking. "Looking for your little friend?" he said.
Megumi's expression shifted into cold fury. He summoned his Shikigami, prepared for a battle he knew he might not win.
Sukuna didn't wait. In a flash, he closed the distance and sent Megumi flying into a tree with a single punch. Blood sprayed. Megumi staggered back to his feet, battered but resolute.
"You want to die that badly?" Sukuna mocked.
"I won't let Itadori die alone," Megumi said, panting. He summoned his final Shikigami—the one he had never used fully before. It flickered with immense cursed energy, ready to explode and kill both of them.
But Sukuna… laughed.
He slashed through the Shikigami's form before it even manifested fully, then grabbed Megumi by the collar and slammed him into the dirt. "You're strong, brat," he muttered. "But not strong enough."
Then, for a moment—Itadori's eyes returned.
"Itadori?" Megumi gasped.
Itadori stared at him, shaking, trembling as blood spilled from his mouth.
Sukuna's smile came back. "Nice try," he said, retaking control—and then, shockingly, he slammed his own fist through his chest and tore out his heart.
Megumi's eyes widened. "What… are you doing?"
Sukuna held the beating heart in his hand, grinning maniacally. "I can survive like this," he said. "But if I switch back to your friend… he dies instantly."
And with a cold smirk, he relinquished control.
Itadori's body collapsed instantly, lifeless and silent.
Megumi fell to his knees, staring in horror.
"...Idiot," he whispered, as the forest around them went completely silent.