As Sukuna in Invincible-Chapter 30: Reunion

Time seemed to stand still in the abandoned warehouse as Sukuna stared at the figure before him.

Uraume - his faithful servant, his personal chef, the closest thing to family he had known in his centuries as the King of Curses - stood just meters away, as real and tangible as the dusty floor beneath his feet.

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"Uraume," he said, his voice betraying more emotion than he would normally allow. "How is this possible?"

She took a hesitant step forward, her traditional kimono rustling softly in the silence of the warehouse.

Her eyes never left his face, drinking in his features as if afraid he might disappear at any moment.

"Sukuna-sama," she repeated, her voice trembling slightly. "It is truly you. I... I was not certain the ritual would work."

Sukuna approached her slowly, his senses alert for any sign of deception or danger.

But there was none - this was undeniably Uraume, her cursed energy signature as familiar to him as his own.

The cold, precise aura that had always complemented his fiery power perfectly.

"Explain," he commanded, though his tone lacked the harshness it might once have carried. "How did you find me? How did you cross between worlds?"

Uraume immediately knelt in a formal position, head bowed in respect - a gesture that seemed both archaic and deeply personal in this abandoned modern setting.

"Forgive my presumption in seeking you out, Sukuna-sama," she began, her voice steadying as she fell into the familiar rhythm of reporting to her master.

"After your... disappearance, when Fushiguro regained control of his body before the battle with Gojo Satoru, I fled."

Sukuna's expression darkened at the mention of Gojo - his final battle, the one he had been preparing for, only to have it snatched away. He was still somewhat bitter about not being able to kill the Six Eyes.

"Continue," he said, moving to sit on a broken concrete pillar, gesturing for Uraume to rise.

She did so, though she remained standing at a respectful distance. "I sought out Kenjaku, believing she might know what had happened to you. We... collaborated, researching ways to locate you."

"Kenjaku," Sukuna repeated, a hint of disdain in his voice. "Always interfering, always scheming. What did she want in return?"

"Knowledge," Uraume replied simply. "Information about you that only I possessed. Your techniques, your binding vows, your... preferences."

Sukuna nodded. That sounded like Kenjaku - forever collecting data, storing it away for some future machination. "And what did you discover?"

"That you were not dead," Uraume said, a flash of fierce loyalty in her eyes.

"I - we refused to believe it, and the evidence supported our conviction. Your essence had not dispersed as it would have in death. It had... transferred. Moved beyond our realm entirely."

"And so you followed," Sukuna concluded, studying her with new interest. "How?"

Uraume hesitated, and for the first time, a flicker of apprehension crossed her face. "I... devised a method. A binding vow of unprecedented scale."

"Explain," Sukuna commanded again, leaning forward slightly.

"I used your remaining finger as an anchor," she began, her voice steady despite her obvious concern about his reaction. "The last fragment of your original body that remained in our world. With it, I could establish a connection to your essence, wherever it had gone."

Sukuna's eyes narrowed. "A finger alone would not provide sufficient connection for interdimensional travel. What else?"

Uraume's hands clasped tightly before her. "I sacrificed... items of significance. Cursed tools of immense value. The Kamutoke being among them."

At this, Sukuna's expression darkened visibly.

The Kamutoke - his cursed tool, one of his two favoured weapons that he used to bring the Void Generals and the Fujiwara clan to their knees alongside the entire army of Sorcerers of the Heian Era.

It had been lost till Yorozu recreated it upon her death - a foolish notion of love from her, attempting to kindle some feeling of affection and remembrence towards her when using it in the future, despite him being her killer.

"You destroyed the Kamutoke?" His voice was dangerously quiet.

Uraume immediately prostrated herself, forehead touching the dusty floor. "Forgive me, Sukuna-sama!

I know it was precious to you, but I deemed finding you more important than preserving any artifact, no matter its value.

I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate."

For a moment, Sukuna remained silent, his face unreadable as he considered her words. In his previous life, such presumption might have been met with immediate, terrible consequences. The Uraume he had known would have expected nothing less.

But he was not that Sukuna anymore - not entirely. And besides this, he never expected to regain Kamutoke or Hiten anyway - without recreating them himself.

"Rise, Uraume," he said finally, his tone softer than she would have expected. "The Kamutoke was merely an object. Valuable, yes, but replaceable. Continue your explanation."

Surprise flickered across her features as she straightened, clearly having expected a harsher response. "Even with the finger and the sacrificed tools, the vow required... more. Something of true value."

"And what did you offer?" Sukuna asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer.

Uraume met his gaze directly. "My ability to make binding vows."

A heavy silence fell between them as Sukuna processed this revelation.

The sacrifice of one's ability to make binding vows was not merely giving up a technique or capability - it was severing a fundamental connection to the very fabric of jujutsu itself.

"You sacrificed your connection to the binding vow system... to find me?" he asked, unable to fully mask his astonishment.

"Yes, Sukuna-sama," she replied simply, as if the decision had been obvious. "It was the only offering significant enough to power the vow I needed."

Sukuna rose from his seat, pacing the dusty floor as he considered the implications.

A memory surfaced - one from centuries ago, when he had first explained binding vows to a young Uraume.

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Flashback:

The forest clearing was silent except for the soft sound of flowing water from a nearby stream. Sukuna sat cross-legged on a flat stone, watching as his young servant practiced the technique he had just taught her.

"Again," he commanded, observing as Uraume attempted to channel her cursed energy in the way he had demonstrated. "Your control is improving, but your understanding is still lacking."

The girl - for she was little more than that then, despite her already formidable abilities - paused, frustration evident in her usually composed features.

"Forgive me, Sukuna-sama," she said, bowing her head. "I do not understand why the binding vow requires such specific terms."

Sukuna's lips curved in a rare smile that held actual warmth. "Because, Uraume, binding vows operate on principles of value and exchange. What is valuable differs from person to person."

He gestured to the stream. "To a man dying of thirst in the desert, that water would be worth his most prized possession. To us, it is merely convenient."

Uraume nodded slowly. "So the same sacrifice might yield different results depending on who makes it?"

"Results when it comes to value," Sukuna confirmed. "This is why binding vows are particularly useful to the strong.

What might be precious to an average sorcerer could be worthless to one such as myself - for the standard is based on what is precious to the average person."

He demonstrated by casually slicing his palm, letting blood drip onto the stone. "For most, blood represents life, vitality - a significant sacrifice.

For me, it is merely fluid, easily replenished. Thus, a blood sacrifice yields me greater returns for lesser cost."

Uraume's eyes widened with understanding. "Then the most powerful binding vows would require sacrificing something truly irreplaceable."

"Yes," Sukuna agreed. "The ultimate binding vow would be to sacrifice one's very ability to make binding vows - to sever one's connection to the system itself."

"Have you ever attempted such a vow, Sukuna-sama?" Uraume asked, her curiosity overcoming her usual reserve.

Sukuna's expression darkened momentarily. "Once. I failed."

"Failed?" Uraume echoed, clearly surprised that her master would admit to any failure.

"Heaven will not sever its connection with its Son," Sukuna said cryptically.

"Binding vows are, at their core, a connection to the divine order - to the very rules that govern cursed energy. And I... well, let's just say my relationship with that order is complicated."

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The memory faded as Sukuna returned his attention to the present, to Uraume kneeling before him in an abandoned warehouse in a world far from their own.

"You succeeded where I failed," he said quietly. "Heaven refused to sever its connection with me, yet you managed to sever yours."

"Perhaps because I was never connected to Heaven in the same way," Uraume replied. "I was not born as the Son of Heaven, merely a servant who learned to manipulate cursed energy through dedication and your guidance."

Sukuna nodded slowly. "And the vow brought you here, to this specific world, this specific location?"

"The vow brought me to you, Sukuna-sama," Uraume clarified. "Wherever you might be. I had no knowledge of what awaited me - whether it would be death, another realm, or something else entirely."

She looked around the warehouse, taking in the unfamiliar architecture and materials. "I still do not fully understand where we are. This world... it is strange. The energy here feels different, the very air tastes wrong."

"We are in another dimension entirely," Sukuna explained.

"One where jujutsu does not exist as we knew it. Instead, there are 'superheroes' and aliens - beings with powers derived from different sources altogether."

Uraume's expression remained composed, though her eyes widened slightly. "And you... you have integrated into this world?"

"I have," Sukuna confirmed.

"Though not by choice initially. I awoke here in this body - still Megumi Fushiguro's form, but in this world, it is truly mine. All my lives are one - my existence as the King of Curses, and now this."

He studied her reaction carefully. "Much has changed, Uraume. I have changed."

"I see that, Sukuna-sama," she said softly, her perceptiveness as sharp as ever.

"There is... a different quality to your cursed energy. Less driven by destruction, more integrated. And you speak differently as well."

Sukuna found himself appreciating her insight. Uraume had always been more than just a servant - she had been a witness to his existence, someone who truly knew him across his life.

"This world faces a threat," he continued. "Aliens called Viltrumites, with physical powers that rival or exceed even the strongest cursed spirits. I have... aligned myself with this world's defenders."

Uraume's expression remained neutral, though something flickered in her eyes - surprise, perhaps, or curiosity. "You fight alongside others? As an equal?"

"As a leader, in many ways," Sukuna corrected. "Though yes, I work with them rather than simply commanding them."

He paused, considering how much to reveal. "I have found... connections here. People of value."

"I understand," Uraume said, though her tone suggested she was still processing this significant change in her master's approach.

"What would you have me do, Sukuna-sama? How may I serve you in this new world?"

The question hung between them - simple on the surface, but layered with meaning.

In asking how she might serve, Uraume was reaffirming her dedication to him, but also acknowledging that her role might need to change given his own transformation.

Sukuna considered her carefully.

Uraume's abilities had always been formidable - her ice manipulation, her combat skills, her strategic mind. She could be a valuable asset in the coming conflict with the Viltrumites.

But more than that, she represented a connection to his past that was both comforting and complicated.

She knew him as he had been - the King of Curses, feared and revered. She had served that version of him faithfully for centuries.

Could she adapt to what he had become?

"For now," he said finally, "you will remain hidden. This world has systems for detecting and monitoring powered individuals. Your arrival has likely already triggered alarms."

He moved closer to her, his expression softening slightly. "I need to understand how your abilities function in this world, how your cursed energy interacts with the physics here. And I need to prepare others for your presence."

Uraume nodded immediately. "As you wish, Sukuna-sama. I will remain concealed until you determine it is appropriate for me to emerge."

"And Uraume," he added, his tone shifting to something almost gentle, "thank you. For finding me. For the sacrifices you made."

The words seemed to catch her off guard. In all their time together, expressions of gratitude from Sukuna had been exceedingly rare.

Her composure slipped momentarily, revealing genuine emotion beneath.

"I would have searched forever, Sukuna-sama," she said simply. "For as long as it took."

Sukuna nodded, acknowledging her loyalty without further comment. "There is much to discuss, but not here. This location is too exposed."

He considered his options. Taking her to his apartment was too risky - Uncle Kenji might return unexpectedly.

The GDA facilities were obviously out of the question. The Grayson house had too many variables with Nolan's enhanced senses.

"I know a place," he decided. "An abandoned construction site I've been using for training. It's isolated and unlikely to draw attention."

Uraume rose gracefully to her feet. "Lead the way, Sukuna-sama."

As they prepared to depart, Sukuna found himself in an unfamiliar position - explaining his new world to someone who had known him in his old one. The irony wasn't lost on him.

For centuries, he had been the one constant in Uraume's existence - her master, her purpose, her guiding force.

Now, in this strange new reality, he would need to help her find her place just as he had found his.

The thought was oddly satisfying.

Perhaps having someone who truly knew him - who had witnessed his worst and remained loyal nonetheless - would make navigating this complex new life somewhat easier.

Or perhaps it would complicate everything beyond measure.

Either way, the King of Curses had regained his most faithful servant.

The person who he considered his own kin, and that is all that mattered at the moment.

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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the Chapter!

Do tell me how you found it.

I hope it made sense, the way Uraume arrived here, and also why Sukuna can't just replicate her achievement.

I always wondered why no one made a binding vow to never do binding vows again in exchange for something - since I'd reckon Sukuna most definitely would.

He would sacrifice it for something incredibly powerful. One can say it maybe doesn't work like that, but I disagree.

There has been no statement to anything being unable to be sacrificed, actions and even techniques have been sacrificed so this I believe can.

So yeah, that's all I had to say, hope to see you all later,

Bye!)