As Sukuna in Invincible-Chapter 36: Battle Between Beasts

The warehouse district fell silent as two titans faced each other, locked in a moment of deadly tension.

Battle Beast's massive arm remained suspended in mid-strike, his wrist caught in Sukuna's grip.

The alien warrior's eyes widened slightly - not in fear, but in genuine surprise that someone had managed to intercept his killing blow.

Sukuna's fingers tightened around Battle Beast's wrist, cursed energy flowing through the point of contact. In that fraction of a second, as his flesh touched the alien warrior's, he activated his technique.

"Cleave."

Battle Beast's instincts - honed across countless battlefields on innumerable worlds - screamed danger.

He wrenched backward with explosive force, but not before Sukuna's technique took effect.

The invisible cutting force sliced clean through flesh, bone, and armor, severing Battle Beast's hand at the wrist.

For a moment, the severed appendage remained suspended in air, still clutching the pulsing blade, before both clattered to the ground in a spray of alien blood.

Battle Beast stared at his stump, purple blood flowing freely from the perfectly smooth cut. Then, to Sukuna's mild surprise, the warrior threw back his head and laughed - a booming sound of genuine delight.

"What manner of ability is this?" Battle Beast rumbled, examining his wound with fascination rather than concern. "Clean through armor designed to withstand plasma weapons. Interesting."

Sukuna positioned himself between the alien and Mark's prone form, his expression cold and calculating. The cursed energy around him swirled like crimson mist, responding to his focused intent.

Battle Beast's mane bristled as he regarded Sukuna with newfound respect. "Sukuna, was it? At last, a worthy opponent! Our battle will be legendary!"

Despite the confidence in his stance, Sukuna felt a flicker of wariness.

Battle Beast's reputation was known even to him from Mark's stories - a warrior who traveled the universe seeking worthy challenges, who had slaughtered entire armies for sport.

The rival of Thragg, the Grand Regent of the Viltrumites, the one currently hailed as the Strongest in the Universe.

He himself was far from that level as his soul was still only partially integrated with his body. The alien's physical capabilities far exceeded his own current limitations.

This would not be a battle won through direct confrontation. It would require every trick, every technique, every ounce of tactical insight he possessed.

Before Sukuna could respond, Battle Beast moved - crossing the distance between them with shocking speed for a being of his size.

His remaining hand shot out, massive fingers closing around Sukuna's face before he could fully react.

"Let us take this somewhere more appropriate," Battle Beast growled, his voice vibrating with anticipation.

With a single powerful motion, he hurled Sukuna through the warehouse wall and followed immediately after, carrying their battle away from Mark and into the city beyond.

Sukuna crashed through three buildings before managing to control his trajectory, cursed energy cushioning his impact as he slammed into the side of an office tower.

Glass and concrete exploded outward, raining down on the street below. Civilians scattered, screaming in terror as the battle erupted in their midst.

"My baby! Where's my baby!" a woman shrieked as debris crashed around her, separating her from her child.

"Everyone get back!" a security guard shouted, desperately trying to establish order as chaos erupted.

Battle Beast landed in the street, creating a crater in the asphalt. He reached behind his back, drawing a massive mace from his arsenal of weapons.

"Show me more of your power," he demanded, swinging the weapon experimentally. "That cutting ability... I wish to experience it again."

Sukuna dropped to the street, landing in a crouch. Above his head, a glowing white wheel materialized - Mahoraga's wheel, spinning slowly and emitting a metallic hum that cut through the chaos of screaming civilians and car alarms.

"As you wish," Sukuna replied, his voice carrying that ancient quality that had once made sorcerers tremble.

He extended his hand, cursed energy gathering at his fingertips. "Dismantle."

The technique shot forward, a precise line of force aimed directly at Battle Beast's throat. The alien warrior moved with uncanny speed, tilting his head just enough for the attack to miss its target, though it sliced cleanly through a lamppost behind him.

The metal pole crashed down, crushing a fleeing businessman beneath its weight.

"Too direct," Battle Beast observed, already charging forward. "Too predictable."

The mace swung in a devastating arc.

Sukuna melted into shadow at the last possible moment, the weapon passing through empty darkness to crush a parked car into scrap metal.

The vehicle's gas tank ruptured, sending a fireball into the air that engulfed a nearby bus stop where terrified civilians had taken shelter.

Their screams cut short as flames consumed them.

Sukuna reformed behind Battle Beast, hands already moving through the motions of another technique. "Sacred Flame."

Fire erupted from his palm, not as an arrow this time but as a wave that engulfed the alien warrior. Battle Beast roared - not in pain but in exhilaration - as the supernatural flames licked at his fur and armor.

"Yes!" he bellowed, turning within the inferno to face Sukuna. "This is what I seek! True combat!"

With shocking disregard for the flames still clinging to his body, Battle Beast charged through the fire, his mace swinging in a horizontal arc that would have decapitated Sukuna had he not ducked beneath it.

Even so, the backswing caught him in the ribs, the impact sending him crashing through the front of a department store. Glass and mannequins shattered around him as he tumbled through displays of clothing and electronics.

"Oh God, there are people in there!" a woman cried from across the street, watching in horror as the storefront collapsed.

Inside, shoppers who had been browsing moments before found themselves trapped in a nightmare. A young cashier, barely twenty, was impaled by a shard of glass the size of a sword. Her coworker, frozen in shock, was crushed beneath falling ceiling tiles seconds later.

Reversed Cursed Technique activated automatically within Sukuna, healing the three broken ribs and punctured lung before he'd even stopped moving. Still, the pain was intense, a reminder of the vast difference in physical capability between them.

Civilians screamed and fled as Battle Beast stalked into the store, his massive frame silhouetted against the street lights outside. The flames had burnt away patches of his fur, revealing scorched skin beneath, but he seemed entirely unbothered by the injury.

"You heal quickly," he observed, kicking aside a broken display case. "Good. It would be disappointing if you fell too soon."

Sukuna rose to his feet, the wheel above his head spinning faster now, its metallic sound intensifying. The technique was working - Mahoraga's adaptation process was analyzing Battle Beast's capabilities with each exchange, each blow.

But he needed more time.

"Ten Shadows Technique: Divine Dogs."

Shadow pooled at his feet, then erupted upward, forming into two massive canine shapes that lunged toward Battle Beast.

The alien warrior met them head-on, his mace swinging through the first dog with enough force to temporarily disperse its shadowy form.

The second latched onto his arm, teeth sinking into flesh. Battle Beast laughed, grabbing the shikigami by its neck and ripping it away, taking a chunk of his own flesh with it.

"Constructs of shadow," he said, crushing the dog in his massive hand until it died. "Clever. But insubstantial against true strength."

Sukuna used the momentary distraction to launch another attack, this time combining techniques in a way he hadn't attempted before in this world.

"Dismantle: Area Expansion." Something similar to a domain, yet not exactly. An area where without the aid of a barrier he forces his technique - though not in the way of a true barrierless Domain Expansion.

The technique expanded outward in a circular pattern, slicing through everything in its path - display cases, structural supports, and finally, Battle Beast himself.

The alien roared as multiple cuts appeared across his body, his armor splitting in several places to reveal bloody fur beneath.

The department store's remaining support columns were also sliced through, causing the upper floors to collapse in a cacophony of screams and crashing debris.

A family of four who had been hiding in the children's clothing section were crushed instantly.

An elderly security guard, who had been helping customers evacuate, was bisected at the waist, his dying eyes registering confusion more than pain.

For the first time, genuine pain registered on Battle Beast's face - but it was quickly replaced by something more disturbing: increased excitement.

"YES!" he bellowed, blood spraying from his wounds as he charged forward again. "THIS is what I have traveled galaxies to find!"

His speed increased, his attacks becoming more precise, more deadly. Sukuna found himself on the defensive, using shadows to dodge, Reversed Cursed Technique to heal, and precise applications of cursed energy to deflect what blows he could.

The battle spilled back onto the street, then into neighboring buildings, then across rooftops. Everywhere they went, destruction followed - concrete pulverized, steel bent, glass shattered.

A mother clutching her infant son tried to escape down an alley, only to be crushed beneath falling masonry as Battle Beast hurled Sukuna through a load-bearing wall.

A school bus driver, attempting to evacuate a group of children from a nearby museum field trip, watched in horror as Battle Beast's mace, thrown with casual force, tore through the vehicle's engine block, causing it to explode in a fireball that consumed all inside.

Civilian casualties mounted as structures collapsed, though Sukuna made efforts to direct the fight away from populated areas when possible.

From above, the scene must have looked apocalyptic - two beings of incredible power carving a path of devastation through the city's eastern district.

The wheel above Sukuna's head spun continuously, its glow intensifying with each exchange, each adaptation to Battle Beast's fighting style and physical capabilities.

But the process was taking too long, and Sukuna was reaching his limits.

A particularly vicious strike caught him off-guard, Battle Beast's fist connecting with his chest with enough force to send him crashing through the roof of a parking garage.

He plummeted through multiple concrete levels before slamming into the ground floor, creating a crater in the foundation.

The impact crushed several vehicles, their occupants killed instantly - people who had thought themselves safe taking shelter in the solid structure.

Blood filled Sukuna's mouth as he struggled to rise, Reversed Cursed Technique working overtime to repair the extensive damage.

His vision blurred, focusing just in time to see Battle Beast descending through the hole he'd created, landing with earth-shaking force nearby.

"You fight well," the alien warrior acknowledged, approaching with measured steps. "But you lack the raw physical power to match me. A pity. Your abilities are fascinating."

Sukuna spat blood, forcing himself to his feet despite the protests of his partially-healed body. The wheel above his head spun frantically now, its metallic sound almost deafening in the enclosed space.

"I'm not finished yet," he said, his voice steady despite his condition.

"Sukuna!"

The shout came from above, and both combatants looked up to see Eve hovering at the edge of the destroyed roof, Mark beside her. The young Viltrumite looked battered but conscious, clearly healed enough by Eve's powers to rejoin the fight.

"Stay back!" Sukuna commanded, his voice carrying an authority neither had heard before - the voice of a king accustomed to absolute obedience. "This is not your battle!"

"The hell it isn't!" Mark shouted back, preparing to descend. "He nearly killed me!"

"And he will kill you if you interfere," Sukuna replied coldly. "Stay. Back."

Before either could respond, a new figure appeared beside them - Tsukumo, her traditional clothing fluttering in the night breeze.

"You heard my master," she said, her voice carrying a chill that matched her powers. "This is not for you."

With a single breath, she exhaled a cloud of freezing air that crystallized around Mark and Eve, encasing them in a shell of ice that held them immobile but unharmed.

"Tsukumo!" Eve's muffled voice came through the ice. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting you," she replied simply, before turning her attention to the battle below.

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Battle Beast had watched this exchange with mild interest, but his focus remained on Sukuna. "Your companions wish to join our dance," he observed. "Admirable, but unnecessary. This is between warriors."

"Agreed," Sukuna replied as he rose, and mildly stretched his neck, gathering his strength for what he knew must come next.

The battle resumed with renewed intensity, both combatants pushing beyond normal limits. Sukuna utilized every technique at his disposal - Dismantle, Cleave, Nue's lightning, Sacred Flame - in combinations designed to keep Battle Beast off-balance.

But the alien warrior was relentless, shrugging off injuries that would have killed lesser beings instantly, adapting his own fighting style to counter Sukuna's techniques with frightening speed.

A group of paramedics, attempting to reach victims trapped in earlier devastation, were caught in the crossfire.

Nue's lightning, deflected by Battle Beast's mace, struck their ambulance, electrocuting all inside.

Their deaths were mercifully quick compared to those still trapped in collapsed buildings, slowly suffocating under tons of concrete and steel.

By now, others had arrived at the scene. Nolan Grayson hovered in the air nearby, watching the battle with intense focus but making no move to intervene.

He had received the same command from Sukuna - to stay back, to not interfere - and despite his enormous power, he respected the warrior's right to his own battle.

The fight had reached a critical point. Sukuna, despite his remarkable healing abilities, was approaching his limits. Battle Beast, though wounded in dozens of places, showed no signs of fatigue or weakness.

In a desperate gambit, Sukuna gathered his remaining cursed energy, focusing it into a single, concentrated attack.

"Sacred Flame: Arrow."

The fiery projectile shot from his palm with blinding speed, its trajectory perfectly calculated to strike Battle Beast's chest. The alien warrior saw it coming but, perhaps out of curiosity or arrogance, made no attempt to dodge.

The arrow struck him directly in the center of his chest, erupting into an inferno that engulfed his upper body. For a moment, it seemed the attack might have succeeded where others had failed.

Then Battle Beast laughed, the sound echoing through the flames that surrounded him. "Fire that burns hot as the very stars themselves," he rumbled, clearly impressed despite himself. "A worthy technique."

With terrifying determination, he charged through the flames, his mace raised for a killing blow. The weapon connected with Sukuna's left side with immense force, shattering bone and tearing flesh.

Sukuna's arm was torn completely from his body, blood spraying in an arc as he was blasted backward, crashing through yet another wall and into an open area beyond - the central plaza of a shopping complex, mercifully evacuated during the battle.

He landed in a broken heap, his consciousness flickering as Reversed Cursed Technique struggled to cope with the massive trauma.

The severed arm lay several meters away, cursed energy still swirling around it like dying embers.

Battle Beast landed at the edge of the new crater, watching as Sukuna somehow forced himself to rise once more, blood pouring from the ragged wound where his arm had been.

The wheel above Sukuna's head had reached a fever pitch of rotation, its glow now blindingly bright, its metallic sound resonating through the destroyed plaza.

"Enough," Sukuna said, his voice somehow steady despite his grievous injuries. "I have what I need."

With his remaining hand, he made a gesture of summoning, his blood spattering the ground in a crimson arc.

"Ten Shadows Technique: Eighth Form - Divine General Mahoraga."

The air behind him shimmered, then tore open as a massive figure emerged - its muscular form dwarfing even Battle Beast's impressive physique.

The same wheel that had been spinning above Sukuna's head now adorned Mahoraga's, and upon its hand, it held an enormous executioner's blade.

Battle Beast's eyes widened in genuine appreciation. "Another construct? This one seems more... substantial."

"Not a construct," Sukuna corrected, blood still flowing from his wound despite his healing abilities. "A divine general. My divine general."

He turned slightly, addressing the massive shikigami. "Mahoraga, aid me in this battle in the way you deem best fit. Destroy this opponent."

What happened next occurred so quickly that even those with enhanced perception barely registered the movement.

Mahoraga, rather than attacking Battle Beast, moved with impossible speed - not toward the alien warrior, but toward Sukuna himself.

The executioner's blade flashed once in the dying sunlight, then plunged forward, piercing through Sukuna's back and erupting from his chest in a spray of blood and shattered bone.

Time seemed to freeze as the blade protruded from Sukuna's chest, dripping with his blood. His eyes widened in genuine shock - an expression rarely seen on his face.

From above - having broken away from their prison earlier, Eve and Mark screamed in horror as they drew closer.

"MEGUMI!"

"NO!"

The wheel above Mahoraga's head continued to spin, casting its cold light over the scene as Sukuna's blood pooled on the ground beneath him, spreading in a widening circle of crimson.

Mahoraga ripped out the blade as Sukuna stumbled.

The last thing the King saw before he fell face first into his own blood was a murderous expression on Battle Beast's face.

Soon after there was only darkness.

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(Author note: Okay, WTF?! Did Mahoraga just Betray Sukuna?!!

What happened?!

What's gonna happen now?!

Is Battle Beast going to kill everyone in his disappointment?!

Hehehehe~

Do tell me your theories on this, cause you ain't gonna see me drop the next Chapter till I see at least one or two comments about some possibilities.

Well, I hope to see you all later,

Bye!)