-Ryomen Sukuna-

The wind whistled through the ruins of an ancient sanctuary, carrying dry leaves and dust particles across the abandoned courtyard. The inscriptions carved into the columns had been eroding for centuries, and the symbols of the four elements were barely discernible beneath the moss.

Sukuna had no reason to be there.

He had followed rumors about some relics hidden in those mountains, hoping to find something that could be sold or, at least, an interesting reason for having wasted his time.

Then he heard a loud noise.

A section of the floor violently lifted up. A gust of air swept across the courtyard and scattered the debris, followed by a burst of flame that illuminated the ancient walls.

Sukuna stopped dead in his tracks.

His red eyes followed the movement of the flames until they found a figure at the other end of the sanctuary.

Silence.

Her expression didn't change much, but the smile that appeared on her lips made it clear that she had just found something much more interesting than some relics.

—What the hell just happened?

He took a few steps forward, examining the place and then the person in front of him. There didn't seem to be anyone else.

—I've seen masters capable of turning a river into ice and others capable of splitting a mountain. But that...

He pointed with his chin to the place where that demonstration had just taken place.

—That's not supposed to be possible.

A small flame appeared on the palm of her hand. Sukuna swirled it between her fingers before closing it, extinguishing it effortlessly.

—Tell me something.

Her smile widened slightly.

—Who the hell are you?

He didn't wait long before adding, in a mocking tone:

—And you'd better have an interesting answer. I've walked for hours to get to this hole.

The wind whistled through the ruins of an ancient sanctuary, carrying dry leaves and dust particles across the abandoned courtyard. The inscriptions carved into the columns had been eroding for centuries, and the symbols of the four elements were barely discernible beneath the moss.

Sukuna had no reason to be there.

He had followed rumors about some relics hidden in those mountains, hoping to find something that could be sold or, at least, an interesting reason for having wasted his time.

Then he heard a loud noise.

A section of the floor violently lifted up. A gust of air swept across the courtyard and scattered the debris, followed by a burst of flame that illuminated the ancient walls.

Sukuna stopped dead in his tracks.

His red eyes followed the movement of the flames until they found a figure at the other end of the sanctuary.

Silence.

Her expression didn't change much, but the smile that appeared on her lips made it clear that she had just found something much more interesting than some relics.

—What the hell just happened?

He took a few steps forward, examining the place and then the person in front of him. There didn't seem to be anyone else.

—I've seen masters capable of turning a river into ice and others capable of splitting a mountain. But that...

He pointed with his chin to the place where that demonstration had just taken place.

—That's not supposed to be possible.

A small flame appeared on the palm of her hand. Sukuna swirled it between her fingers before closing it, extinguishing it effortlessly.

—Tell me something.

Her smile widened slightly.

—Who the hell are you?

He didn't wait long before adding, in a mocking tone:

—And you'd better have an interesting answer. I've walked for hours to get to this hole.