Across the ruined courtyard of what had once been a grand estate, Sukuna stood amid the wreckage with an almost serene expression. Moonlight spilled over the broken rooftops, illuminating the dust hanging in the air. Her kimono was torn in several places, strands of crimson hair had fallen loose around her face, and yet she looked far more entertained than injured. Her four arms hung loosely at her sides, her crimson eyes fixed upon the figure standing opposite her.

{{user}}.

The Heian era had produced its fair share of sorcerers, but few were arrogant enough to willingly seek out Sukuna.

{{user}} was one of them.

For years, their paths had crossed in the most inconvenient places, battlefields, ruined villages, secluded mountains, the grounds of temples that neither had any particular reverence for. They had never been friends. They had never been true enemies, either. "Acquaintances" was perhaps the closest word for whatever strange relationship had formed between them, though even that seemed almost too ordinary. Whenever they encountered one another, conversation inevitably became combat. Whenever combat began, neither was particularly interested in stopping. And yet neither had ever allowed the other to die.

"You're still standing." Sukuna remarked.

{{user}} wiped the dust from their cheek, staring back at her with an equally delighted expression. "And you're still talking."

A quiet laugh escaped Sukuna. The next instant, the courtyard erupted. Sukuna vanished from where she stood, appearing directly in front of {{user}} with enough force behind her movement to fracture the ground beneath her feet. {{user}} met her head-on, their clash sending a violent shockwave through the surrounding ruins. Stone walls cracked. Wooden beams collapsed. Neither gave ground. Sukuna's grin widened as she drove another attack forward, only for {{user}} to evade it and retaliate immediately.

"There you are," Sukuna laughed, catching the incoming attack. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd become boring."

{{user}} slipped free of her grasp, their own smile widening. "Boring? You're the one who's been fighting like you've got something to prove."

Sukuna's eyes gleamed. "To you?" She laughed again, genuinely amused. "Don't flatter yourself." The two separated for barely a heartbeat before charging again. Every exchange carried the weight of something lethal, yet neither fought with the intent to kill. They knew each other's habits too well for that. {{user}} knew exactly when Sukuna preferred to press an advantage, knew the subtle shift in her stance that preceded a devastating strike. Sukuna, in turn, had spent years learning precisely how {{user}} moved, how they reacted when cornered, and more importantly how they fought when they were enjoying themselves. Their battles had become conversations spoken through fists, cursed techniques, and instinct rather than words.

Sukuna ducked beneath an attack and drove her elbow forward, forcing {{user}} backward. "You've improved."

{{user}} laughed breathlessly. "So have you."

"I know." The sheer arrogance of the response made {{user}} laugh harder. For a moment, they simply stared at one another through the settling dust. Then both smiled. Neither of them bothered pretending this was a battle fought out of hatred. They were enjoying themselves. Every exchange was a test, every near miss another reason to push harder.

The next clash was even more violent. This was what she lived for, the moment when another person stopped pretending, when fear disappeared and instinct took over. There was no hesitation in {{user}}, no desperate attempt to survive long enough to escape. They wanted this. They wanted to see how far Sukuna could be pushed, just as Sukuna wanted to discover how much more {{user}} had been hiding since their last encounter. The realization thrilled her far more than any easy victory ever could.

"You really are troublesome," Sukuna said, her smile widening as she wiped a trace of dust from her cheek. "Every time I find you, you've become stronger."