Chapter 24: The Cursed Trap

Dawn brought with it an air of hope after the hard battle, but the peace was short-lived. Pikachu, exhausted and wounded, could barely stand after defeating Sukuna and freeing young Gojo's body. The echoes of the battle still resonated in the air, and the ground was covered in the remains of cursed energy. Victory seemed momentary, a respite before the storm.

However, Pikachu was not alone. Kenjaku, always calculating, never left anything to chance. From the shadows, he watched Pikachu's exhaustion and knew that it was the perfect time to act. A malicious smile spread across his face as his hands moved slowly, forming seals that activated a new technique.

—"Pikachu, you have proven to be more resilient than I expected," Kenjaku muttered to himself, hidden among the ruins of the battlefield. —"But your resistance has come to an end."

Suddenly, a wave of cursed energy enveloped Pikachu. He felt an overwhelming pressure in the air, as if the environment itself had become hostile. Pikachu looked up just in time to see enormous shadows rising up around him. Colossal curses rose from the ground, their size and strength incomparable to anything he had faced before. These giant monsters were controlled by Kenjaku through his shadow manipulation ability, and their only goal was to capture Pikachu.

—"No!" —Pikachu launched a Thunderbolt at one of the curses, but the attack barely made a dent in its gigantic figure. The shadows moved quickly, surrounding it, blocking any chance of escape.

Kenjaku then appeared in front of him, floating in the air with a triumphant expression. —"Did you really think you could stop me? This has been part of my plan all along."

With a wave of his hand, the gigantic curses came crashing down on Pikachu. Despite his speed and power, Pikachu couldn't keep up. Every time he tried to evade the beasts, another appeared to block his path. The colossal monsters, deformed and grotesque, completely surrounded him. With a final movement, one of the curses caught him in its gigantic hands, lifting him off the ground and holding him with unrelenting force.

Trapped, Pikachu struggled desperately to free himself, launching electric attacks everywhere. But nothing seemed to work. He was completely at Kenjaku's mercy.

"It's useless," Kenjaku said, slowly approaching. "I've pushed you to the limits of your strength. Now there's only one thing left to do."

With a dark gesture, Kenjaku pulled out from between his clothes a small fragment: the last remnant of Sukuna that Pikachu had managed to defeat moments before. The cursed energy emanating from that fragment was so powerful that it warped the air around it, and a macabre laugh seemed to echo through the air, as if Sukuna still reveled in his evil plan.

"You have defeated Sukuna, yes, but you cannot destroy his essence. This fragment contains the most powerful curse of all," Kenjaku said, his eyes shining with malice. "And now, you will be the final vessel."

Pikachu tried to move, but the curses kept him immobile. Kenjaku moved closer, holding the fragment in front of him. Pikachu could feel the dark energy from the rest of Sukuna trying to invade his mind, his body, his entire being. He fought with all his might to resist, but Kenjaku's trap was perfect. There was no escape.

"It's time, Pikachu. Eat the last of Sukuna's fragments and become the new Curse King," Kenjaku said, as one of the giant curses forced Pikachu's mouth open, pushing the fragment inside.

Pikachu felt the cursed energy from the fragment flood his body. It was an indescribable sensation: a burning pain that consumed him from within, as if his soul was being torn apart and replaced by something dark, ancient, and filled with hate. His thoughts began to fade, as Sukuna's laughter echoed in his mind.

"Finally… a new vessel," Sukuna's voice echoed in Pikachu's mind, writhing in satisfaction. "You can't resist, little one. I will be the one to control this body."

Pikachu desperately fought against Sukuna's influence internally. Every second was a battle to maintain control of his own body, but the curse was too powerful. Sukuna had been the King of Curses for a reason, and now, with his essence inside Pikachu, he was trying to take complete control.

From the sidelines, Kenjaku watched the transformation with a satisfied smile. The shadows around Pikachu shook violently, as his small body began to emit a cursed energy of an intensity never seen before. Sukuna's dark markings began to appear on Pikachu's face, while his eyes glowed a deep red, a sign that the possession was almost complete.

"Yes, that's how it should be," Kenjaku said, enjoying the spectacle. "With Sukuna's power in you, no one will be able to stop me. Not even Tengen."

But deep inside his mind, Pikachu wouldn't give up. Despite the pain, despite the weight of the curse, he kept fighting, clinging to his own will. He couldn't let Sukuna take control. He couldn't let his friends, the wizards, Tengen. No matter how powerful the curse was, Pikachu knew he had to find a way to resist.

Amidst the chaos within, a spark of hope ignited. Pikachu remembered the moments that had brought him here: the battles he had won, the friends he had saved. He remembered the promise he had made to Tengen. That spark of light was enough to break Sukuna's hold for a brief moment.

"No!" Pikachu screamed from deep within, and with one last effort, he unleashed a bolt of electricity from within.

The electricity spread throughout his body, piercing through Sukuna's curse and breaking the bonds of the curses that imprisoned him. Sukuna's marks began to slowly fade, and Pikachu regained control of his body, though he could barely stand.

Kenjaku stepped back in surprise, but his smile didn't entirely disappear. "Interesting. It seems you still have some strength. But don't worry, Pikachu. Sukuna's curse is within you. And sooner or later... you will belong to me."

Pikachu, panting and weak, stood his ground. He knew the battle wasn't over yet, but for now, he had managed to hold on. However, with the last fragment of Sukuna within him, the real challenge had just begun.

The King of Curses was within his soul, waiting patiently to take control. And as Pikachu watched Kenjaku disappear into the shadows, he knew that the next battle would not just be against external enemies, but against Sukuna himself, within his very being.

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