Chapter 21 - Chapter 21: The Broken Throne

📖 Chapter 21: The Broken Throne

Smoke lingered over the blackened soil, rising slowly like forgotten prayers. The battlefield, once full of fury, had quieted—but the silence held weight, as if something ancient still breathed beneath the ashes.

Sukuna floated above the scorched earth, arms crossed, his eyes glowing like hellfire. Below him, Shinra Gojo and Retsu Zenin stood battered but defiant, the ground cracking under their cursed pressure.

"You both talk like warriors," Sukuna's voice was thick with disdain. "But you fight like frightened rats."

Shinra narrowed his gaze, blood trickling down his cheek. "I won't let you mock our legacy."

Sukuna chuckled. "Legacy? That ended the day your ancestors screamed my name in fear."

Without warning, Retsu launched forward, cursed blade slicing through the air. "Then scream this time, curse!"

They charged together. Energy roared.

> A thousand-year-old hatred… reignited.

In the depths of Lucius's mind, darkness stretched endlessly. A child wandered alone in this black void, his voice trembling.

"No… not again…"

He could feel Sukuna pushing forward—taking everything.

Suddenly, a voice echoed through the void. "You're not ready… but he is."

Lucius dropped to his knees. He remembered the warmth of his Master's hand… the firelight… the lessons whispered beneath starlight. Rage and fear clashed in his chest.

Back in the real world, Sukuna flinched, his aura faltering.

"Tch… this brat again?"

In the cursed dimension inside his own soul, Lucius faced him—chains in hand, body glowing faintly.

"GET OUT!" he roared.

Sukuna smirked, but stumbled. "You little pest…"

> Inside, two souls collided.

One cursed.

One still learning what it meant to protect.

"You won't kill anyone else!" Lucius shouted, pulling the chains tighter.

Sukuna's voice shook with fury. "I'll tear you apart, boy!"

A memory surged forward—Master's voice, soft and steady:

"Strength isn't about power… it's about choosing what not to destroy."

Lucius's voice cracked as he answered aloud, "I choose… to protect."

And then everything exploded in light.

Back in the real world, Sukuna staggered mid-air, his body sparking. The red markings on Lucius's skin faded. For a moment—just a moment—Lucius was back.

He fell to one knee, panting. Shinra and Retsu stared, stunned.

"He's… back?" Shinra whispered.

Lucius's voice was weak but urgent. "I don't have long. Run. He'll return."

Before they could answer, he vanished—into the jungle, into the unknown.

Elsewhere, a girl walked alone under the trees. Her eyes glowed crimson. The Demon Girl. She paused as something heavy landed nearby.

Lucius—bruised, broken, and unconscious.

She knelt beside him, her hand trembling. "You're… the boy from the stories."

Back on the battlefield, crimson alerts blared across Gojo HQ monitors.

"The seal has changed," a voice crackled through speakers. "The King is unstable."

Far above, on a distant cliff, a shadow watched in silence.

"Soon," it whispered. "They'll all kneel."

Lucius lay sleeping beside a small fire, his breathing shallow, the Light of battle still flickering behind his eyelids. The demon girl watched over him, silent and still.

> "The boy has returned.

But will he remain… himself?"

🩸 To be continued…