Although all of Yuji's memories didn't magically come back, everything seemed easier, after that.

It took a few days for the fog in his mind to clear, but, slowly, his brain started to cooperate.

After his breakthrough with Megumi, Shoko decided that it was safe for him to be discharged, and sleeping in his dorm room - with Megumi - was the best medicine Yuji could have asked for.

Nobara had a surprise for him, too, apparently. She got everyone to send her all the photos they'd taken with him since his arrival at Jujutsu Tech, all the videos they'd recorded, and all the videos she'd taken. She then organized everything into a timeline and gave him a folder with all the files.

"It's a long shot," she said, shrugging. "But maybe it'll help jog your memory. I made sure to include all the embarrassing ones, too, just so you know."

"Oh," Yuji whispered.

He was a bit overwhelmed by the gesture, his chest warm and full.

"Thank you," he managed.

"Don't get all emotional on me," Nobara grumbled. "Go on, watch them. I'm sure Fushiguro's dying to see the ones of the two of you together. I've been waiting for an excuse to tease him about them for a while."

Yuji could tell that she was trying to sound casual, but the way she was looking at him told him everything he needed to know.

"You're the best, Kugisaki," Yuji grinned.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Now get lost. I'm busy."

The photos and videos were, in a way, a trip down memory lane.

At first, he was mostly surprised by how many of them there were, and how happy he looked. In most of them, he was laughing, his smile wide and bright, and his eyes sparkling. Judging by the date stamps, the first two weeks were mostly spent with his friends, training and eating and goofing around.

That's right, he thought, before his death at the detention center, and all the time travel mess.

After that, he noticed that there were fewer photos. He remembered a big portion of that period. The trauma, the panic attacks, the nightmares, and how he'd barely slept, and Megumi had been there for all of it.

But there were some candid photos, probably taken by Nobara, of him training with Megumi, and the two of them sitting next to each other, and even a photo of the two of them smiling at each other, looking a little embarrassed.

"God, did she catch us on camera a lot?"

"Apparently," Megumi murmured.

His face was red, but he didn't look angry.

Yuji laughed, and scrolled to the next file.

"Oh my god, when did she take a photo of us sleeping?"

"She was probably trying to blackmail us," Megumi grumbled. "Considering we weren't together yet."

"We weren't?"

"Nah. Not at that point."

"Damn," Yuji grinned. "We slept like that every day, and we didn't kiss once? That's tough."

"I'm pretty sure I was dying to kiss you," Megumi mumbled. "You were the one with no idea what was going on. You freaked out when I told you I was in love with you. Do you remember that?"

"A little," Yuji admitted. "You kissed me after you found out I helped awaken Tsumiki, right?"

"Mhm."

"Wow. Okay, that- that's kind of hot."

Megumi chuckled, and leaned over his shoulder to watch the rest of the files.

"Look, she took a video of us in the kitchen," Yuji smiled. "We were making lunch. Hey, we're wearing matching aprons! Did we plan that?"

"You forced me to wear it," Megumi grumbled.

"No, no, I remember now," Yuji grinned. "I was going to make curry, but you wanted something else, and I said we could compromise and make a curry stir fry."

"Exactly," Megumi huffed.

"Hey, it turned out well, didn't it? We made tons of food, and we ate in the common room, and we spent the whole afternoon watching movies. It was fun."

"Yeah, it was," Megumi murmured.

He was staring at Yuji's face, his expression soft and full of adoration.

"I really love you," Yuji blurted out.

"I really love you, too," Megumi replied, smiling.

They watched the rest of the videos in comfortable silence, and, by the end, Yuji felt a lot better, his chest full of warmth.

Yuji's memories might not have been complete, but, as he sat there, looking through the photos, he felt as if his mind was being filled with pieces of himself.

The old him, and the new him, and the future him, and, soon, the whole picture would come together, and Yuji couldn't wait.

-

Yuji woke up the next morning, and the first thing he saw was Megumi's face.

His features were relaxed, and his breathing was even, and his hair was a mess, and Yuji was so, so in love with him.

He didn't try to hold back, pressing a kiss to his lips, his chest bursting with happiness.

"Mm," Megumi hummed, blinking at him sleepily. "Good morning."

It was only the third night Yuji spend back in his dorm room, but he could already tell that waking up with Megumi was his favorite part of the day.

"Morning," Yuji whispered.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"What, can't a guy be happy to wake up next to his boyfriend?" Yuji grinned.

"Well, you're acting like it's the best thing that ever happened to you," Megumi mumbled.

"Isn't it?"

Megumi stared at him, and then his cheeks flushed, and he looked away.

"It is. I just wish we didn't have to deal with everything else."

"We'll get through it," Yuji said firmly.

He meant it.

He knew that with the return of his memories, sooner or later, Gojo would deem him ready to go through Jacob's Ladder again and hopefully get rid of Sukuna once and for all. But the idea of getting rid of him didn't scare him, not anymore. He had so much to live for, so much to fight for. He couldn't let himself be held back by the darkness that had tried to consume him.

He wanted the future.

And Yuji wanted to face that future with Megumi.

"Are you ready to eat breakfast with the others?" Megumi murmured, smiling.

"Of course," Yuji beamed. "Choso's been blowing up my phone, sending all kinds of texts and pics. He said something about you being his best friend now. Care to explain that one?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Megumi replied.

"Come oooon, Megumi. I'm the one with amnesia here. It's not nice to withhold information from me. What did the two of you talk about?"

"After Kenjaku attacked you and he fed you the fingers, Gojo-sensei took you away somewhere on an island to keep everyone safe. Choso and I, uh, might have gone on a little rogue mission together."

"You didn't," Yuji gasped.

"It wasn't a big deal," Megumi muttered. "We just found Hana and convinced her to let Okkotsu-senpai awaken Angel."

Seeing Yuji's panicked face, Megumi quickly added, "Convinced her peacefully. She was actually pretty eager to help. You'd be surprised."

"Oh, wow. Okay, wow," Yuji whispered. "That's- that's crazy. You guys didn't get in trouble, did you?"

"Oh, no, apparently Gojo-sensei was actually expecting us to do something like that," Megumi huffed. "I had no idea. Anyway, I had a nice chat with Choso. We got along. He's obsessed with Frappuccinos, apparently. You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard about it."

"I don't think I ever had a Frappuccino," Yuji murmured.

"Don't tell him that. He'll be devastated."

Yuji laughed, and his stomach rumbled.

"We should get up," Megumi said, smiling.

"Okay," Yuji whispered.

As he lay there, watching Megumi get ready, his mind was spinning. He was feeling a lot of things at the moment. There was the anxiety, and the fear, and the guilt. But there was also hope, and anticipation, and a sense of wonder, and, above all, the burning desire to start living.

Yuji got out of bed, and pulled on his uniform, and he felt more like himself than he did in a long time.

"It'll be so weird to see Hana. Like, I associate her with a completely different timeline. But, at the same time, I kind of want to say hi," Yuji mused, walking out the door.

"Were you close, in your old timeline?" Megumi asked, his hand brushing against Yuji's.

"Uh, not that close, I guess. At first I was a bit of a jerk to her. She just saved your life, and she was so outgoing and cheerful, and, I guess I harbored a little resentment for her. Which was stupid, considering everything."

"You resented her?"

Yuji looked at him, a bit surprised by the edge in his voice.

"I know, I know. I didn't understand it at the time. I guess I was scared that she'd replace Kugisaki. God, I was stupid. In retrospect, maybe there was a bit of jealousy involved, too."

"Jealousy," Megumi repeated, his eyes wide.

"I mean, not- not like that. I didn't- I mean, I don't think I had romantic feelings for you, in that timeline. Well, I probably did, but, um, they were buried really, really deep. But for the majority of the Culling Games, you and me, we got separated. So, when she saved you, it was actually the first time I saw you in a while. And I- I really missed you, and I was worried about you, and I didn't know how to handle all these feelings."

"So, basically, you were a complete idiot," Megumi stated.

"Yeah, pretty much. But you made me apologize to her, and I'm glad you did. I ended up actually really liking her," Yuji laughed.

Megumi's hand found his, and he smiled.

"Do you realize that you just told me a story, all from your memory, with no problems?"

"Oh. Oh, shit. I did, didn't I?" Yuji exclaimed, his heart skipping a beat.

"It seems like your brain is doing a lot better."

"I think so, too. Maybe this means it's time to get rid of Sukuna for good."

"It might be," Megumi said softly.

"You sound worried," Yuji frowned.

"Of course I am. No matter the precautions we take, there's still a risk that you might not survive."

Megumi looked sad, and Yuji's heart ached, his fingers squeezing his.

"I can't really explain it, but I have a feeling that this time it'll work," Yuji said. "I- I just feel like, finally, everything's falling into place. I feel stronger, and braver, and ready. I feel like myself again. Maybe this is what I needed all along, you know? Just time. A second chance. And you."

"Yuji..."

"I mean it," Yuji whispered, pulling him close. "I'm going to make it out of this. We'll make it out of this. We've worked too hard to get here. I won't let anything stop me. Not when I have you."

Megumi nodded, and his arms wrapped around him.

"If you die again, I'll kill you," Megumi mumbled.

Yuji chuckled, burying his face in his neck.

"I've heard that one somewhere before."

-

That day, breakfast was livelier than it'd been in a while.

Yuji didn't even realize that the Kyoto students had already left ("Thank God," Nobara groaned, when he asked her about it), but he was met with two unexpected faces, and it took him a moment to recover from the shock.

"Hakari-san, Kirara-san," he choked out.

Hakari looked up from his cereal and raised an eyebrow.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I, uh- It's Itadori. I just-"

"Oh," Hakari huffed. "Time travel kid. Got it."

"Yeah," Yuji sighed.

He'd forgotten how intimidating Hakari was.

"Uh, I didn't realize that the two of you were back at Jujutsu Tech. But, uh, I guess I wasn't really around to notice, so yeah," Yuji mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Gojo contacted us to help out when that Kenjaku guy made a mess," Kirara replied. "It was quite the experience, let me tell you. We fought against some white-haired bastard in a monk's robe. They were crazy strong and had an ice technique. Never seen anything like it."

Yuji's eyes widened.

"Uraume? You fought against Uraume?"

"That's what that was," Hakari grumbled. "Didn't know their name. They kept yapping about their master and shit. We barely managed to get out alive."

"Did you... did you kill them?" Yuji whispered.

Hakari glanced at him, and shrugged.

"Of course. What else were we supposed to do? Let them kill us instead?"

Yuji couldn't believe it. Uraume was dead. Sukuna's most loyal follower was dead.

Sukuna inside his head was silent, his presence heavy, but he didn't speak, and Yuji could sense that he was just as shocked as he was.

"So, anyway," Kirara interrupted, frowning at Hakari. "It's over, isn't it? That Kenjaku dude was executed. We said we'd stick around until they got rid of Sukuna inside you, cause apparently last time, Sukuna managed to take over your body and all that."

"Oh, he won't do that now," Yuji laughed. "He's a bit quiet, actually."

"We'll see," Hakari muttered, standing up. "I'm going to train."

Kirara followed him, waving at them before the door shut behind her.

Yuji stared after them, and then turned to Megumi, who was already looking at him.

"I missed out on a lot, didn't I?"

"I guess you did," Megumi murmured.

"Well, it doesn't matter. It's almost over," Yuji grinned.

He sat down next to him, and Megumi handed him a plate of scrambled eggs.

"Thanks," Yuji smiled.

They ate their breakfast, and it was so painfully normal that Yuji was almost scared.

How many more days would they get like this?

"Good morning!"

Yuji blinked, and looked up.

Hana was standing at the doorway, beaming at them, and it was such a familiar sight that his heart ached.

"Good morning, Hana," Megumi greeted.

"Megumi! You're having breakfast with everyone! How nice!"

She sat down across from him, and she was so much smaller than he remembered, her face still young and innocent.

"It's so nice to have you back," she said brightly. "And you are Itadori! I'm so glad you recovered okay. Nice to meet you, I'm-"

"Kurusu Hana," Yuji blurted out. "I know who you are."

"Oh! Of course, you do. Well, it's nice to meet you anyway."

She seemed completely unfazed, and Yuji was glad for it.

He noticed that Hana sat close to Megumi, and she was looking at him with bright, hopeful eyes, and Yuji wondered if Megumi had mentioned anything about them being together. He couldn't tell.

Not that Yuji minded. Because, Megumi seemed like he had no idea that Hana was looking at him like that since he was busy stealing food from his plate, and Yuji was pretty sure he was falling in love all over again.

"Gojo-sensei mentioned that I can start classes with you all next semester," Hana said excitedly. "I'm not sure how it's going to work, but I'm just glad that I get to be here with you all. It'll be fun. Oh, and Megumi, thank you for introducing me to Tsumiki-chan. She's the sweetest. We had a lot of fun playing games."

Megumi smiled, and Yuji could tell that it was genuine, his expression softening.

"I'm glad there's someone else she can talk to," Megumi murmured. "When I'm not around, at least."

"Of course," Hana nodded. "She's lovely."

Yuji couldn't bite back a smile. Hana was just as friendly and bubbly as he remembered. It was hard not to feel happy in her presence.

He was glad that she would be joining them.

He hoped they could be friends again.

-

After a morning filled with chatter, and laughter, and a surprising amount of hugs, Yuji was finally alone with Megumi again.

They were in the infirmary, waiting for Shoko to run all kinds of tests on him to determine whether or not his brain was healthy enough to withstand Jacob's Ladder again.

Yuji's anxiety had been steadily rising as the time passed, his heart racing, his palms sweaty.

But, despite the fear, he couldn't help but feel determined. He had no reason not to trust Shoko's judgment. She was one of the smartest people he knew. She would know when he was ready.

"So," Shoko started, sitting down across from them. "Your brain has made an incredible recovery. I wasn't expecting such drastic improvement. You really outdid yourself."

"Really? That's great," Yuji exclaimed.

"Yeah. I think we're safe to attempt Jacob's Ladder again. You've come a long way, and you've healed faster than I thought was possible. I don't know why. Maybe it's just because your willpower is stronger than any other person I know."

Yuji blushed.

"Thank you," he murmured.

Shoko nodded.

"But, just so we're on the same page, you understand the risks, right?"

"Yes," Yuji whispered. "But, I'm ready. I can do this."

Shoko's eyes lingered on him, and then she nodded.

"You're sure?"

"I am."

"Okay," Shoko sighed. "I'll tell Gojo."

-

"You look really nervous," Yuji noted, glancing at Megumi.

"Why wouldn't I be nervous? The person I love most in the world is going to undergo a potentially life-threatening procedure in the next hour," Megumi retorted, and it would have sounded sharp if it weren't for the slight tremble in his voice.

"Yeah, it does suck," Yuji nodded.

"Are you really that calm about it? Or are you just faking?"

"Honestly, I'm not calm at all. I'm kind of freaking out, actually. My heart is pounding, my palms are sweating, I keep thinking I'm gonna throw up," Yuji sighed. "But, it's worth it. To me, it's worth it."

Megumi grabbed his hand, and squeezed, and Yuji smiled.

They walked through the doors, and they were met with the sight of Gojo, Shoko, Nanami, and Yaga.

"It's good to see you, Principal Yaga," Yuji smiled, his chest tight. "And Nanamin! I haven't seen you in so long."

"Itadori-kun," Nanami greeted, and he was smiling, a genuine smile, and Yuji's heart felt so warm.

"So, we confirmed that Itadori can use Reverse Cursed Technique just fine, the same as before. And his brain has fully recovered, too. I think we're all set," Shoko explained. "Kurusu will be here in a minute, and then we can begin."

Yuji nodded.

He exchanged a few more words with Nanami, his nerves spiking, and he was just about to turn to Megumi, when the doors opened. Hana and Nobara walked in, followed by Tsumiki. Megumi's eyes widened at the sight of her sister, and she smiled at him.

"She was very persistent," Hana explained.

"Tsumiki," Megumi murmured. "I didn't realize you were coming."

"Of course, I was," she huffed. "I wanted to support Yuji. And you, silly. This must be scary for you."

Megumi's lip quirked up, and he nodded.

"It's- it's nice to see you," he said softly.

"Me too, Megs," she grinned, reaching out and ruffling his hair.

Yuji's throat was dry, and he looked away. Nobara was already standing next to him, and her hand rested on his shoulder.

"Please do us all a favor and survive, Itadori," she said. "You know, if I ever lose you again, I'll hunt you down and kick your ass."

"You know, I don't doubt that for a second," Yuji laughed.

She smiled, and she hugged him.

"Good luck, Itadori," she whispered.

"Thanks, Kugisaki," he replied, hugging her back.

"Alright guys, let's start," Gojo said, clapping his hands. "Yuji-kun, Hana-chan, come with me."

Yuji and Hana followed Gojo, and Yuji's heart was pounding, his legs heavy.

They were at the same clearing as before, and they walked to a safe distance away from everyone else, and Yuji's palms were sweating, and his breath was shaky, and he tried to remember that he was stronger, that this time would be different, that he could do this.

"Itadori, I know we haven't talked a lot," Hana started. "But I can see how much Megumi cares about you. So, be strong. I'll do everything I can, and you need to focus on keeping yourself alive. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it," Yuji nodded.

Hana smiled, and reached for his hand, squeezing it once.

"Good luck."

"Thanks."

Yuji took a deep breath, and walked further away from her. He glanced at her, and she nodded, and he looked ahead, his hands balling into fists.

"Alright, Hana-chan," Gojo called out. "Do your thing."

-

Jacob's Ladder felt worse the second time.

Yuji gritted his teeth, trying not to scream as the curse energy ripped through him.

He could feel his lungs burning, his head spinning, and the only thing that kept him from passing out was the fact that Megumi was waiting for him, that this would be over soon, that he could make it.

The pain was worse than anything he'd ever experienced, but he was able to keep Reverse Cursed Technique running, even if the cursed energy flowing through him was starting to make him dizzy.

The pain didn't stop, and Yuji felt his knees buckling, but he forced himself to stay upright. He could hear Sukuna's voice, could feel his agony and rage, and he wondered how painful  it was for him, how much of it he could feel.

Yuji could hear his own voice echoing through the air, and he could taste the metallic tang of blood on his tongue, his mouth filling with it, and he coughed, his throat raw.

It was the most painful experience of his life.

Yuji's vision was hazy, and he blinked, trying to clear his sight, but all he could see was black.

And then, he was swallowed by darkness.

-

Yuji opened his eyes and he wasn't sure what he was seeing.

He wasn't standing in the clearing anymore. Instead, he was standing on thousands and thousands of bones and skulls, inside a ribcage-like structure. It was pitch-black and cold, and Yuji realized with a jolt that this was Sukuna's innate domain.

After all, he'd been here once before.

"You damn brat," Sukuna spat, standing in front of him. "You've got some nerve doing that to me."

"You're welcome," Yuji muttered.

"Shut the hell up," Sukuna growled, taking a step forward. "I'm sick of hearing your damn voice. I'm going to kill you, and then I'm going to destroy the entire jujutsu world. Everyone is going to burn, and it will all be your fault, brat."

Yuji laughed.

"What's so funny?" Sukuna demanded.

"You sound like a toddler having a temper tantrum," Yuji snorted. "You're clearly desperate."

Sukuna's eye twitched, and his grin widened.

"Desperate? You're the one who's desperate. You've done everything you can to save yourself, but in the end, you won't be able to beat me."

"We'll see," Yuji shrugged.

"What's wrong with you? What the hell is wrong with your brain? Why aren't you screaming? You're in pain, aren't you?" Sukuna demanded.

Yuji shrugged.

"I guess being here in your domain must have made it better. Besides, I'm used to pain."

"What a pathetic, miserable life," Sukuna sneered. "You've had a horrible, pitiful existence. Nothing more than a weak, powerless nobody. If it weren't for me, you'd have died long ago. Your life is meaningless. You're nothing but a worthless brat, a failure. And, you're a fool. A stupid, naïve, useless fool."

Yuji sighed.

"You done?"

Sukuna growled, his hands moving to rip Yuji's head off, but Yuji blocked him, punching him in the face.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you," Sukuna hissed. "I'm going to tear you apart piece by piece, in here, and then I'll bury your consciousness and take over your body. I'll rip everyone else apart, and I'll make your lover watch as I kill him last. I'm going to enjoy watching his heart break. I'll-"

"Okay, this is getting boring," Yuji groaned. "Just shut the hell up, Sukuna."

He knew that Sukuna was trying to rile him up, and he didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"Shut up? Shut up?" Sukuna roared, lunging forward, but Yuji dodged him easily, kicking him in the side.

"This is pathetic," Yuji sighed.

Sukuna glared at him, his eyes darkening, and Yuji knew that his patience was wearing thin.

"Pathetic, huh? I'll show you pathetic. I'll destroy you, you pathetic little worm."

Sukuna moved again, and he was faster this time, and Yuji barely managed to avoid the attack.

Yuji knew that Sukuna's technique was a mix of hand-to-hand combat and cursed energy. But inside his innate domain, he didn't have to be afraid that Sukuna would try using his domain expansion, which meant that his only concern was dealing with Sukuna's speed and strength.

If Sukuna would kill him here, Yuji had no doubt that he would do exactly what he said, and he'd bury his consciousness so he could take over his body, and escape Jacob's Ladder before it fully destroyed him.

But, Yuji didn't plan on dying.

And, despite being faced with his worst enemy, despite his nerves, his anxiety, his fear, he was starting to have fun.

"Damn brat," Sukuna hissed. "What is wrong with you? Why are you smiling?"

"I'm not sure," Yuji said honestly. "I mean, I should probably be a bit more terrified right now, but I'm not. Honestly, it feels kind of liberating. It's like, my worst nightmare is finally happening, but I'm not scared. I feel like I'm dreaming."

Sukuna scowled.

"What a freak," he muttered. "You're a psychopath. There's something wrong with your brain."

Yuji's smile widened, and he charged forward, throwing a punch, but Sukuna blocked him, and countered with an uppercut, his fist landing on Yuji's jaw. Yuji stumbled backwards, and Sukuna laughed.

"I wonder what kind of expression you'll have on your face when I kill you. I can't wait," Sukuna smirked.

"Well, that makes two of us," Yuji retorted.

Sukuna seemed to change tactics, and instead of attacking him directly, he moved back and Yuji knew that he was about to use his cursed technique on him.

"Die, brat!"

Yuji jumped out of the way just in time, Sukuna's Cleave missing him by a hair. Yuji threw another punch, but Sukuna caught his wrist and twisted it, and Yuji bit back a groan.

Sukuna was fast. He was strong. But, he wasn't perfect.

Yuji could tell that Jacob's Ladder was starting to affect him. It was obvious that he was in pain.

But, so was Yuji.

However, Yuji could also tell that Sukuna's technique was becoming harder for him to control. He could see the tremor in his fingers, the slight wince that flashed across his face, the beads of sweat on his forehead.

Jacob's Ladder was tearing his soul apart.

But, he had no doubt that Sukuna was still stronger than him, even with the added pain.

It wasn't over yet.

Yuji didn't have much time left.

If he was going to do something, it had to be now.

He could see the anger in Sukuna's eyes, could see the frustration, could sense his impatience.

So he launched his attack.

He ran forward, and he was fast, his fist flying towards Sukuna's chest, and Sukuna stepped to the side, dodging him.

Yuji had expected that, and he pivoted, swinging his other fist towards Sukuna's stomach. Sukuna tried to dodge, but Yuji was quicker. He could see the moment in Sukuna's eyes when he realized that his attack would be a Black Flash.

Sukuna was fast, but Yuji's speed was something else.

The Black Flash connected, and Yuji could see the shock on Sukuna's face, could see his eyes widen, could hear the pained grunt he let out.

Yuji's knuckles were aching, his fingers were numb, but he couldn't stop, and he followed up his attack, throwing another punch, and another, and another, black and red sparks flying around them.

Sukuna growled, his anger clear, and Yuji was about to move back, but then, he felt Sukuna's fist connect with his abdomen.

The breath was knocked out of him, and he gasped, trying to catch his breath, but his vision was starting to blur, and he was coughing up blood, and Sukuna was laughing.

Shit. Sukuna hit a Black Flash too.

Yuuji knew that they were inside Sukuna's innate domain, so any injuries inflicted on him wouldn't appear on his physical body. This knowledge was the only thing keeping him from worrying too much about his condition and the pain.

As long as he didn't die in here, he would be fine.

Landing a series of Black Flashes earlier had made him tap into the depths of his strength, and he had pushed himself to his limit.

"You think a few Black Flashes would be enough to defeat me? How pathetic," Sukuna sneered. "I'm going to tear your heart out and crush it."

Yuji had a feeling that he wasn't exaggerating.

But there was something else he was feeling there, in that moment. Something that reminded him of that night at Yasohachi bridge, when he was fighting against Choso, desperate to prove that he is his brother.

A tingling in his fingers, an itch in his chest, a restlessness in his bones.

A sign, that there was something more. Something that he hadn't yet tapped into.

That, for the first time, he was seeing a glimmer of the true potential within him, the potential that had been sleeping, buried beneath the surface. A technique that had been waiting to be awakened.

He wasn't sure how he knew. Maybe it was a combination of everything he'd learned, the experiences and the memories and the emotions, all coming together, a puzzle piece finally slotting into place. He smiled, and he could feel his strength flowing through him.

"You're unable to use it now. But, in due time, your body will learn Sukuna's cursed technique!"

Gojo's words from a long time ago echoed through his head, and Yuji's smile widened.

It had been waiting inside him all along.

He could feel his body, feel his muscles, his nerves, his veins. He could feel his lungs, his heart, his head. He could feel the cursed energy coursing through his body, could feel it in his bones.

"What the hell are you smiling for, brat? Don't tell me you're excited to die."

"Actually, I've never felt more alive."

Yuji charged forward, and he punched Sukuna's stomach, hitting a Black Flash as if it were a natural extension of his own technique. Sukuna's eyes widened, and Yuji punched him again, another Black Flash, and Sukuna's legs buckled, and Yuji hit him again.

The power inside him was building, and the strength was overwhelming. It was almost like a high, and Yuji grinned, throwing a few more punches, landing two more Black Flashes.

He was about to attack again, but then, Sukuna moved, and his foot connected with Yuji's knee, and Yuji's legs gave out, and Sukuna grabbed his neck, lifting him up, choking him.

"You really thought you could win? You really thought you could beat me? You're a weak, stupid, naïve fool," Sukuna hissed.

He then threw him on the ground, and kicked him hard, his foot slamming into Yuji's ribs. Yuji felt a few bones crack, and he coughed, the pain making him dizzy.

Sukuna was grinning.

"I'll cut you to pieces, brat."

Yuji couldn't hold back a chuckle, despite the pain.

"Why are you laughing?" Sukuna demanded.

"I just think it's funny that you're talking about cutting me to pieces, when," Yuji coughed, wincing at the pain, and then he continued, "When, you're the one who's about to be dismembered."

Sukuna growled and sent a Dismantle his way, but Yuji dodged him easily, the curse attack slicing through his right arm, but missing the rest of his body.

"Your aim sucks, Sukuna."

Sukuna roared and attacked again, but Yuji was prepared. He visualized the imaginary lines where he wanted to cut, the invisible marks, the pattern that would ensure the best results, the way that would allow him to sever Sukuna's arms and legs.

He used his fingers to form the pattern, the technique that would enable him to win.

And, then, he swung.

"Cleave."

The result was instantaneous. Sukuna's arms and legs were separated from his body, and he was staring at Yuji, his mouth agape, and Yuji smiled, watching the disbelief in his eyes.

"How the hell did you-"

"Sukuna. I loathe you," Yuji interrupted, and Sukuna flinched, and Yuji took a step forward, his hand moving to grab Sukuna's neck.

"What the hell-"

"I hate you. I'm disgusted by you," Yuji continued, and he squeezed, and Sukuna tried to move, but he was helpless.

"Let go of me, damn brat," Sukuna growled.

"No," Yuji said, his voice low. "I won't. Because you've taken so much from me. You've hurt the people I care about. And, I'll never forgive you for it. I wish I could see that you are capable of being saved, but the truth is, you aren't."

"What are you blabbering about?" Sukuna spat.

"I'm going to kill you, Sukuna. You're going to die, here, inside your domain. And then, I'm going to withstand Jacob's Ladder until you're completely eradicated, until you're nothing more than a memory. And, then, I'll never have to worry about you hurting anyone ever again."

Sukuna stared at him, and Yuji could see the realization in his eyes, could see his desperation.

"You can't," he rasped.

"I can. And I will," Yuji said, his tone hard. "I'm going to save the world from your evil, Sukuna. And I'm going to save myself and everyone I love."

Sukuna's eyes widened, and Yuji's grip tightened around his neck, his nails digging into the skin, his fingers crushing the bones.

"Goodbye, Sukuna. May you burn in the depths of hell."

And then, he squeezed until the world went black.

A/N: I know I said it before, but I'm not a fan of writing fight scenes. As much as I would love to drag out a fight, especially one between Sukuna and Yuji, I decided to cut it short, because the point was never the fight itself.

This story is ultimately a fix-it, but it turned out as more of a slice of life. But, in the end, the main purpose was always Yuji's healing, and the happiness that comes with it.

There are two more chapters left, but I think I might follow up with some bonus content if you guys are interested, like, little scenes from the future, and stuff like that.

Thanks for reading and see you soon!