Neo is currently standing in the middle of a massive crater, surrounded by countless charred corpses, burned to such an extent that it's impossible to distinguish one from another.
But Neo doesn't care about that. What truly concerns him is the strange emptiness coursing through his veins—a hollow sensation that feels deeply unsettling.
[DING!]
[THE HOST'S SYNCHRONIZATION LEVEL WITH THE FUSED CHARACTER HAS INCREASED NATURALLY. FUSION RATE IS ADJUSTING ACCORDINGLY.]
Neo's eyes widen as he realizes what this means. He is becoming a little more like Sukuna. The problem is, he doesn't know whether that's a good or bad thing.
[DING!]
[FUSION RATE 30% → 40%]
The sudden increase in percentage catches Neo off guard. He just gained an additional 10% for free.
Of course, it's not exactly "free." Deep down, he feels that the price he paid was something far more significant than he could immediately perceive.
Setting that aside, Neo begins to process the knowledge that came with the increase in fusion.
After a couple of minutes, excitement flashes in his eyes—because what he just gained is none other than Reversed Cursed Energy Technique.
Yes, the very same technique that allowed Gojo to regenerate parts of his brain and survive inside Sukuna's domain.
The real problem? Neo can't even begin to grasp the knowledge of Domain Expansion that Sukuna possessed, which is a bit disappointing.
Still, setting that aside, Neo begins preparing to return home after resting a bit. He even manages to recover some of his cursed energy reserves, which are growing absurdly large—even for his own liking.
Because every time the fusion percentage increases, his energy reserves expand as well. But what surprises Neo the most is that as his energy level increases, he also regains a portion of his energy.
The problem is… there's no real way to take advantage of that, since increasing the fusion rate with a character is incredibly difficult. In the end, it's more of an added bonus rather than something truly exploitable.
Not dwelling on it too much, Neo starts to leave—until he senses something approaching at an alarming speed.
At first, he wonders if it's a missile, but then he remembers that if it were, he wouldn't have been able to sense it from this distance. That leaves only two possibilities:
Either a powerful mutant is closing in, or Tony Stark is headed this way. Since Captain Marvel is still far from making an appearance, Neo hopes—prays—that it's Tony Stark.
Neo prefers Tony for one simple reason: the few powerful mutants who can fly are a massive headache for him at full power, let alone now, when he's at roughly 45% of his total energy.
Without hesitation, he starts running in a random direction, hoping to escape.
Unfortunately for him, just as he's about to put some distance between himself and the crater, whatever was heading toward it suddenly shifts course—heading straight for him.
And that… is not good news.
After a quick calculation, Neo realizes that there's no way to escape—the speed of whoever is approaching far surpasses his current capabilities.
Accepting this, he simply sits down on the ground, one knee bent, resting his arm on it as he props his head up lazily.
And so, he waits for whoever is coming.
It doesn't take long. Within two minutes, a red-and-gold iron suit descends from the sky, hovering above him in silence, observing him without any apparent reaction.
Recognizing the figure, Neo feels a small wave of relief. Still, if a fight breaks out, things could get troublesome—his energy reserves are running low.
But setting that aside, he smirks and speaks in a mocking tone.
Neo:Well, if it isn't the billionaire Tony Stark, coming all the way here to meet me. To what do I owe the honor?
_________________________________________________________
A few minutes earlier…
J.A.R.V.I.S.:Sir, I am detecting a life signal not far from the crater. However, there is something unusual about it.
Tony was already en route to the location where the massive pillar of fire had appeared when J.A.R.V.I.S. interrupted his flight with the update.
Hearing the emphasis on "something unusual," Tony's curiosity was instantly piqued. J.A.R.V.I.S. only did that when he had important information.
Tony:What do you mean by 'unusual,' J.A.R.V.I.S.?
J.A.R.V.I.S.:After a quick analysis, I have determined that this individual originated from the very center of the crater. That should be impossible, as nothing should have survived that event.
Tony's eyes widened at the revelation. That shouldn't be possible. So how?
He didn't even bother questioning J.A.R.V.I.S.—he built him, after all. Mistakes weren't part of his programming. Still, just to be thorough…
Tony:J.A.R.V.I.S., are you certain?
J.A.R.V.I.S. paused for a few seconds before responding.
J.A.R.V.I.S.:Yes, sir. I have run over a hundred analyses, all reaching the same conclusion. Unfortunately, I cannot provide certainty—only strong speculation.
Understanding the weight of this information, Tony increased his speed, making a beeline for the mysterious individual.
It took only a few minutes for him to arrive.
But what he found was nothing like what he had expected.
Instead of a monster, an alien, or some terrifying entity… he found a kid.
Around 15 years old, covered in intricate tattoos, with white hair and piercing crimson-red eyes. His outfit—a kimono—was partially burned, exposing his upper torso.
Tony analyzed the boy, but before he could say anything, the kid looked directly at him and, with a cocky smirk, spoke in a mocking tone.
Neo:Well, if it isn't the billionaire Tony Stark, coming all the way here to meet me. To what do I owe the honor?
The sheer audacity of it irritated Tony slightly.
______________________________________________________
At this moment, Neo is staring at Tony as if he were nothing more than an insect.
But behind that mask of indifference, he notices something interesting.
Tony Stark is a user of cursed energy.
Clearly, he has no idea. He can't use it and is completely unaware of its existence.
But that's something Neo will keep in mind for the future. If the need ever arises… Tony Stark might just prove useful.
But at the moment, Neo needs to find a way to resolve this situation without too many complications—or at least without having to kill Tony or leave him in a miserable state.
As Neo is thinking, Tony speaks from behind his helmet, trying his best to contain his irritation.
Tony:Kid, can you tell me where you came from?
Hearing that, Neo stops his train of thought and smirks disdainfully.
Neo:And why should I tell you?
Tony clenches his fists, anger flaring up, but he quickly forces himself to stay calm. With the last bit of patience he has, he speaks again.
Tony:Because if you tell me, I'll give you an autograph. Imagine bragging at school about getting an autograph from me.
He strikes a superhero pose as he lands, standing tall and looking down at Neo, as if the roles have now reversed—Neo is the insignificant one.
But Neo just wrinkles his nose in disgust.
Neo:Who the hell would want an autograph from a disgusting womanizer like you?
Tony's patience instantly shatters. Without hesitation, he fires a restraining net toward Neo, intending to capture and interrogate him properly.
But just as the net is about to make contact—SHING!
In an instant, it's reduced to mere strands, shredded into nothingness, scattering in the wind.
Tony freezes. His eyes widen in disbelief as he stares at the boy who was, just moments ago, a seemingly normal kid.
Now, however, Neo is exuding an aura—an overwhelming presence that makes Tony's instincts scream at him.
If I don't react now… I'll be devoured.
Acting purely on instinct, Tony leaps backward, blasting off into the air while simultaneously unleashing his full arsenal upon Neo.
A barrage of lasers streaks toward him at incredible speed, aimed at non-fatal points. But to any outsider, it would look like absolute overkill.
To Tony, though, it feels like he doesn't have enough firepower.
Neo is caught off guard.
Shit! The plan was just to spook him into backing off—not make him attack without thinking!
Reacting immediately, Neo dodges at high speed, weaving between the lasers while striking out with precise slashes, redirecting and deflecting the attacks just enough to throw them off course.
And for a brief moment, it actually worked. But there were just too many attacks—so many that Neo wouldn't be able to dodge them all without resorting to aggression.
As Tony continued his aerial assault, J.A.R.V.I.S. suddenly issued a warning.
J.A.R.V.I.S.:Sir, the external armor has sustained damage from an unidentified method.
Tony's eyes narrowed in confusion. He glanced down, only to see a massive gash across the chest plate of his armor—alarmingly close to his arc reactor.
His heart skipped a beat.
What the hell?!
He frantically scanned his surroundings, trying to locate the attacker.
That's when Neo's voice rang out.
Neo:HEY, TONY! LOOKING FOR SOMEONE?!
Tony's head snapped toward Neo—only to see that everything around him had been sliced to ribbons.
Then, in a disturbingly casual motion, Neo waved his hand as if swatting away a fly.
And in that instant—Tony's entire being screamed at him.
A primal, gut-wrenching sense of danger.
If he didn't move—he would die.
Without a second thought, Tony cut the power to his thrusters, letting himself plummet.
Barely a second later, he reignited them, stabilizing mid-air. But when he looked back at where he had just been, a cold chill ran down his spine.
A nearby building had been cleaved clean through, leaving behind a massive, jagged gash.
Tony swallowed hard and turned his gaze back to Neo.
Tony:What... are you?
Neo grinned. There was barely contained amusement in his expression, as if he was holding back laughter.
Neo:I am the King of Curses, Sukuna… and your worst nightmare tonight.
_______________________________________________________
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What's up, everyone! Unfortunately, this chapter's a bit shorter than the others—I ended up releasing it a little early, just in case I don't manage to write more later this week.
So if there's anything you're not enjoying, if you've got a question, a suggestion, or even a bit of constructive criticism, feel free to drop it—I always read your messages!