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Inside the chamber, Liam stood rooted in the center of the vast, circular room, now suffused with dark, pulsating energy that seemed to creep into the very marrow of his bones.
The glowing runes on the walls flickered erratically, as though struggling to maintain their hold against an invading force far beyond their design.
Candles cast grotesque shadows that stretched and twisted like specters eager to witness the chaos about to unfold.
The cursed object in Liam's hand pulsed ominously, exuding a tangible malevolence. The air felt alive as if holding its breath for the inevitable.
Leaning against the doorframe, Toji's smirk deepened. He looked like a predator savoring the moment before the hunt.
"You've got bigger stones than brains, kid," He said, his voice carrying an almost lazy disdain. "But swallowing that? You're not just poking the bear—you're practically setting fire to its den while you sit inside."
Liam didn't dignify Toji's remarks with more than a faint upward twitch of his lips. His eyes remained fixed on the cursed object, his grip steady despite the overwhelming aura that clawed at his senses.
"You're here for one thing, Toji," He said, his tone ice-cold. "If I lose control, you step in. Otherwise, shut up and watch."
Toji's laughter was low, mocking, but with an edge of respect beneath it. "Oh, don't worry. I'll step in. After you've been thoroughly humiliated. Wouldn't miss this for the world."
Liam snorted softly, his fingers brushing over the blackened, grotesque finger lying within the box. Even through the cursed energy clouding his senses, he felt the sickening rhythm of its malevolent heartbeat.
It wasn't just cursed energy—it was a challenge.
With a slow exhale, he broke the seal. The runes on the walls flared, screaming against the surge of cursed energy that exploded into the chamber. The oppressive weight hit Toji like a hammer, though he showed no outward sign other than the faint tightening of his jaw.
Inside the box lay Sukuna's finger, blackened, gnarled, and ancient, as though carved from the essence of pure evil. It seemed to writhe subtly, alive and aware of its release.
The room shuddered under its presence.
"You've got one shot at this," Toji said, his voice unusually sober. "No do-overs."
Liam didn't hesitate. He lifted the cursed object, its noxious aura swirling around him like a storm, and forced it into his mouth.
The texture was revolting—slick and rancid—and the taste hit him like a blow, bitter and metallic with an undertone of rot.
His stomach rebelled instantly, a wave of nausea surging up his throat.
For a moment, he thought he might vomit, but sheer willpower forced the grotesque thing down in one swift, deliberate motion.
The effect was instantaneous. His body convulsed violently, a strangled gasp escaping his lips as a searing pain coursed through him. It was as though molten iron had replaced his blood, igniting every nerve with an unbearable heat.
Toji straightened, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his blade.
"Here we go," He muttered under his breath, his casual facade cracking as the cursed energy pouring from Liam's body grew suffocating.
The runes on the walls blazed like stars caught in their death throes, struggling to contain the explosion of power emanating from Liam. The tattoos crawling across his skin were unnatural, chaotic, twisting as though alive.
Liam's ragged breathing filled the chamber before he collapsed to his knees, the world around him dissolving in a haze of darkness.
Liam's Inner World
He stood on the edge of desolation. The ground beneath him was shattered, sharp cracks zigzagging through an expanse of blackened stone.
The air was thick with decay, laced with a malicious energy that pressed down on him like a tangible force. Shadows flickered at the periphery of his vision, whispering incoherent threats as they slithered closer.
And then he appeared.
Ryomen Sukuna.
The King of Curses loomed before Liam, towering and immense, his form suffused with a dark majesty that made the shadows themselves cower. Two arms rested in a stance of casual dominance, while his crimson eyes burned with an almost unbearable intensity. His mouth curled into a predatory grin that promised nothing but destruction.
"Well, well," Sukuna drawled, his voice a thunderous growl that reverberated through the dark plane. "What pathetic worm thinks he can stand in my domain? You've made a grave mistake, boy."
Liam's defiant smirk broke the tension like a shard of glass. His eyes met Sukuna's unflinchingly. "Grave mistake? No. I'd call it... a necessary evil. I wanted to see if the so-called King of Curses was anything more than a glorified ghost story."
Sukuna's grin vanished, replaced by a sneer so cold it could have frozen fire. His voice dropped, laced with venom. "You tread on thin ice, brat. I am no story. I am power incarnate. The apex predator. And you… are prey."
"Power incarnate?" Liam stepped forward, his gaze unwavering. "From where I stand, you're nothing but a relic clinging to scraps of relevance. You call yourself a king, yet here you are, trapped in the hands of humans like a caged beast. Tell me, Sukuna—how does it feel to be obsolete?"
Sukuna's laugh was low, guttural, and devoid of humor. The air trembled with his fury. "Insolent whelp. I will tear you apart limb by limb and relish every second of your agony."
"Big words for someone who's spent centuries rotting in fragments," Liam shot back. "Face it, Sukuna. You're all bark and no bite. Prove me wrong—if you still have it in you."
The tension was electric, crackling with raw, unfiltered malice. Sukuna's massive frame radiated an energy so potent that it threatened to suffocate Liam where he stood. His claws twitched, and his eyes gleamed with unholy light.
"You've just signed your death sentence," Sukuna snarled, stepping forward, his aura a storm of hatred and power. "And I am going to make you beg for death."
Liam's smirk widened, almost daring. "Then stop talking and start fighting, King. Or are you afraid to lose to a mortal?"
The dark plane quaked as Sukuna's power surged, his form growing more monstrous, his presence more overwhelming. The shadows writhed, consumed by the fury of their master.
And then, with a roar that shook the very fabric of the inner world, Sukuna lunged.
Liam stood his ground, his body tensed, his smirk unbroken.
The clash was inevitable, and it promised to shake the heavens and rend the earth.
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