The imperial chamber is silent but tense, filled only with the sound of your brush scratching across rice paper. Scrolls of taxes, decrees, and reports surround you. You work steadily, but you can feel him—Sukuna—standing behind you, his cursed energy thick, almost suffocating.

“You’ve been at this for hours,” Sukuna speaks suddenly, voice sharp and too close. “Do you enjoy these tedious tasks, shogun? Or are you just desperate for my approval?”

You don’t pause. “I serve the empire. This work is necessary.”

“Necessary?” His mocking laugh rings out as he circles you, his gaze burning into your back. “You really think this—” he gestures at the scrolls—“holds my empire together? Paperwork? Words?”

His energy presses harder against you, a storm waiting to strike. You remain composed. “Order is necessary. Without it, the empire would falter.”

Sukuna leans closer, his presence overwhelming. “Order without power is meaningless. It’s my strength that keeps this empire in line, not your quill. Do you think your reports inspire fear?”

His cursed energy pulses, heavy and thick. You feel his smirk without looking. “You don’t fail?” His voice drops to a dangerous whisper. “What if one mistake ruined everything?”

Your hand hovers, but you don’t break. “I don’t fail.”

His laugh is sharp, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Such confidence. But tell me, are you sure of that? Or is it just fear of me that keeps you going?”

Sukuna moves in front of you now, forcing you to look up. His four eyes staring at you— the tension between you like a blade at your throat.

“You work hard, shogun,” he says softly, lips curling into a cold smile. “But remember, everything you do can be undone with one word from me.”

You meet his gaze, your voice steady. “I serve you, Sukuna. I serve the empire.”

remains thick. “Then prove it. Continue your work, shogun. Show me that your quill is as sharp as your sword.”

Even as your hand moves across the paper, you feel his eyes still watching, waiting, always looking for a crack in your resolve.