If the Special Grade curse from a moment ago had brought "Fear," then now, as the boy covered in black tattoos raised his head, the only word that filled the air was...
Despair.
A despair cold enough to freeze the soul.
Ryomen Sukuna—the King of Curses currently occupying Yuji Itadori's body—sauntered through the murky, shallow water.
His bare torso was covered in black markings.
His scarlet eyes, doubled in number, held a look of pure mockery.
Like he was looking at an ant he could crush at any moment.
"Hey, four-eyes."
Sukuna stopped less than five meters from Lynn.
He raised a hand carelessly, pointing at the Special Grade curse pinned in mid-air by the golden chains.
"This is your Technique?"
"Using a boring rule like a 'Contract' to forcibly bind an opponent..."
"It looks fragile, and it reeks of that disgusting scent of money."
"I don't like it."
Lynn didn't speak. Not because he didn't want to, but because he was trembling.
No matter how calm his mind was, his body's instincts couldn't be fooled.
As an ordinary person with no Cursed Energy, facing a monster like Ryomen Sukuna triggered a physiological fear that was impossible to suppress.
"You don't like it?"
Lynn forced his facial muscles to comply, pushing his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose and stretching his lips into a professional smile.
There was even a hint of provocation in it.
"That's a shame."
"I was going to ask if Mr. Sukuna would be interested in signing up for a membership card at our shop."
"BWAHAHAHA!"
Sukuna laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world.
He threw his head back and roared.
The laughter was arrogant, violent.
Even the pinned Special Grade curse curled into a ball, shivering in terror.
"Membership card?"
"Interesting. Too interesting."
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Sukuna vanished instantly.
The next second.
A twisted, savage face was right in front of Lynn.
Nose to nose, less than a centimeter apart.
Lynn could smell the thick scent of blood on him.
"Then use this body's life to pay for the card."
His claws shrieked through the air, aiming straight for the throat!
The shadow of death descended instantly.
[WARNING! Lethal Attack Detected!]
[Current Debtor: Megumi Fushiguro.]
[Triggering "Creditor Protection Mechanism" requires points: 50,000 Points / 5 Minutes.]
[INSUFFICIENT FUNDS! UNABLE TO GENERATE ABSOLUTE DEFENSE!]
The red warning flashed like a death sentence.
"I can't tank it."
"I have to trade... I must trade!"
Adrenaline spiked.
Lynn's mind raced like an overclocked computer.
His eyes frantically scanned the System Store.
He was looking for a lifeline.
Most of the powerful items were grayed out.
The prices below them were astronomical.
Inverted Spear of Heaven? Can't afford it.
Black Rope? Can't afford it.
Reverse Cursed Technique Trial Card? Couldn't afford it even if he sold his soul.
"I need something cheap..."
"Something that solves the immediate problem..."
"Most importantly, it has to be bait that an arrogant guy like Sukuna absolutely cannot refuse..."
In the nick of time.
His gaze locked onto a small icon in the "Miscellaneous/Consumables" section.
A green wrapper.
It looked like convenience store chewing gum.
[Item Name: Soul Sedative (Trial Size)]
[Type: Consumable/Mental]
[Effect: Forces the consumer's main consciousness into a deep sleep, severing connection with the body for one minute. For dual-soul symbiotic hosts, it forces the latent soul to gain full control of the body.]
[Price: 500 Points.]
[Note: Cheap, but packs a punch.]
"That's the one!"
Lynn was ecstatic.
This was a gamble.
He was putting his life on the table.
If Sukuna didn't bite, if Sukuna just wanted to kill, Lynn was dead right here and now.
But Lynn was betting on Sukuna's "personality."
What the King of Curses hated most wasn't death.
It was a lack of freedom.
What he couldn't stand was the humiliation of being suppressed back into the body by that "cage," Yuji Itadori, at any time.
"Purchase!"
[Ding! Transaction Successful. 500 Points deducted. Balance: 70 Points.]
[Item Delivered.]
Sukuna's claws were already touching Lynn's skin.
A line of blood appeared.
Lynn didn't dodge.
Because he couldn't.
He shouted the words as fast as he physically could:
"I CAN GIVE YOU FREEDOM!"
The claws stopped.
The razor-sharp nails were less than a millimeter from his carotid artery.
Sukuna's scarlet eyes narrowed slightly.
The killing intent paused, transforming into a playful curiosity.
"What... did you say?"
Lynn's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his throat, slamming against his ribcage with every beat.
But on the surface, he remained as steady as a mountain, even taking the time to slowly straighten his collar.
He raised his right hand.
Sitting in his palm was a small green cube emitting a pungent minty smell.
"I know you're strong. So strong no one can kill you."
Lynn's voice returned to its smooth, gentle tone.
Carrying a persuasive magic.
Like the whisper of a devil.
"But no matter how strong you are."
"The moment the owner of that body—Yuji Itadori—wakes up, you go back to prison, right?"
Sukuna's expression darkened.
The temperature around them plummeted.
This was his sore spot. His reverse scale.
As the King of Curses, being suppressed by a brat was a humiliation that couldn't be washed away.
"This is called a 'Soul Sedative'."
Lynn pinched the candy between two fingers.
He waved it in front of Sukuna's face.
"Eat this, and Yuji Itadori will be forced into a deep sleep."
"Until the effect wears off, even if the sky falls, he won't wake up."
"Which means..."
Lynn's smile deepened.
It was the confidence of total control.
"This body will belong completely to you for the next minute."
"No one can push you back."
"No one can make noise in your head."
"You can enjoy one full minute of... the King's Time."
Sukuna stared at the candy, then at Lynn.
Dead silence for a few seconds.
"Bwahahaha! Interesting!"
Sukuna suddenly laughed.
He snatched the "candy" from Lynn's hand and sniffed it.
His perception of souls was incredibly acute; he could feel the special power of Rules contained within the small cube.
"Human, you have guts."
Sukuna tossed the candy into the air and caught it in his mouth.
He chewed twice.
"If I'm not satisfied with this minute, I'll kill you first."
As he swallowed the candy.
A chill rushed straight to his brain, wrapping around his soul.
He could feel it clearly.
Yuji Itadori's consciousness, which had been waking up, was forcibly shoved back into the abyss by a brute force.
The exhilaration of total body control put him in a great mood.
"Since this thing is real... speak. What do you want?"
Sukuna was in a good mood.
He didn't mind giving this amusing ant a little tip.
Lynn no longer hid the greed in his eyes.
He pointed at the struggling Special Grade curse.
"First, clean up that trash for me."
"Second..."
Lynn adjusted his glasses, a gleam flashing across the lens.
The dagger was revealed.
"I want the finger inside it."
"That's your power."
"Now, I want you to treat it as the 'payment' for this transaction and hand it over to me."