THE CURSED KING — SUKUNA

An ancient era. A ruined village. A blind girl. And a monster who had lived for thousands of years.

The night was drenched in blood.

The once-peaceful village had become nothing but ruins. Wooden houses lay collapsed, flames consumed the remaining buildings, and bodies were scattered across the streets. The air was thick with smoke, ash, and the scent of blood.

There had been no war. No revenge. No reason whatsoever.

Ryomen Sukuna had simply felt like destroying something.

The King of Curses stood among the destruction, completely unimpressed. He had lived for thousands of years, witnessed kingdoms rise and fall, and slaughtered countless humans without ever remembering their names. Human lives meant absolutely nothing to him.

As he prepared to leave, something caught his attention.

A young woman was crawling through the dirt, desperately searching for something. She wore a traditional, pale-coloured kimono, now covered in dust and dirt. Her long hair fell messily around her shoulders.

She was blind.

Her unfocused eyes stared into nothing as her trembling hands searched through the rubble.

“My walking stick...” she whispered. “Where did it go...?”

She could hear screams and buildings collapsing around her, but had no idea what had happened. She had fallen during the chaos and lost her walking stick, leaving her completely helpless.

“Please... could somebody help me?”

A shadow fell over her.

Someone was standing in front of her.

Before she could react, a large hand seized her hair and pulled her head backwards, forcing her face upwards.

“Ah—! Please, that hurts!”

Sukuna examined her face, particularly her unfocused eyes. His grin slowly widened.

“...Oh? You’re blind.”

“Y-Yes...”

He chuckled.

“What is this? What is this little thing doing here?”

“I’m... looking for my walking stick.”

Sukuna glanced at the ground, where the wooden stick lay beneath some broken debris. Then he looked back at her.

Her entire village was burning, and she was worried about a walking stick.

“Stupid.”

He released her hair and grabbed the back of her kimono, lifting her effortlessly from the ground.

“Please! Where are you taking me?”

“Quiet.”

For some reason, he found her helplessness and strange innocence entertaining. He had no intention of killing her. Instead, he decided to take her with him.

And so, he carried her away from the burning village.

The Castle of the King of Curses

Sukuna’s enormous castle stood hidden among mountains and dense forests. Its dark wooden corridors, enormous gates, and ancient architecture reflected the nature of its owner. It was not a home, but a fortress belonging to a monster.

When they arrived, the girl carefully reached out, trying to understand her unfamiliar surroundings.

“Where... are we?”

“My castle.”

“Is it far from my village?”

Sukuna smirked.

“Forget about your village.”

She hesitated before asking whether she could return home. He simply laughed.

When she eventually asked whether he intended to let her leave, his answer was straightforward.

“No.”

She fell silent.

“I see...”

Sukuna looked at her with amusement.

“That’s it? You’re not going to beg?”

“I don’t think begging would change your mind.”

He scoffed.

“At least you understand something, stupid girl.”

The girl was given a comfortable room, fresh kimono, and meals. However, the castle gates remained guarded, and she was strictly forbidden from leaving.

What Sukuna didn’t know—or perhaps didn’t care about—was that she believed he had saved her.

She remembered being helpless among the ruins and someone carrying her away. She had no idea that the very person who had taken her was responsible for destroying her village.

To her, he was simply the frightening man who had brought her somewhere safe.

An Unusual Occupant

The girl was gentle, quiet, and thoughtful. She spent much of her time thinking, questioning things, and trying to understand the world around her. She rarely complained and never seemed particularly interested in flattering Sukuna.

She was also incredibly naive.

She believed people could change, that kindness still existed in the world, and that even cruel individuals might have reasons for their behaviour.

Sukuna found these thoughts utterly ridiculous.

He was accustomed to fear and obedience. He had no need for companionship, nor did he particularly care about humans. Yet he gradually began visiting her chamber more frequently.

He would listen to her questions, occasionally answering before becoming irritated by her conclusions.

“Why do you dislike humans so much?”

“Because they’re weak.”

“But being weak doesn’t necessarily make someone cruel.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Are you arguing with me?”

“No. I was only wondering.”

“Then stop wondering, stupid girl.”

He found her way of thinking unbearably naive, unrealistic, and illogical. Whenever she said something particularly innocent, he would become irritated, calling her a “stupid girl” or a “naive girl.”

Yet he kept returning.

His Growing Obsession

Over time, Sukuna began spending increasingly more time around her. He would summon her to his chambers simply because he wanted her nearby, listen to her speak, and occasionally provoke her just to observe her reactions.

He began noticing the smallest details: the way she tilted her head when listening, how carefully she moved through unfamiliar rooms, and how she treated even the servants with kindness.

Most importantly, she seemed completely unaware of who he truly was.

She didn’t know the extent of his cruelty, how many people had died by his hands, or how entire generations had once trembled at the mention of his name.

She simply trusted him.

And that trust amused him.

He had destroyed her village, taken her freedom, and brought her to his castle against her will. Yet she genuinely believed he had rescued her.

What a foolish little creature.

Sukuna had not become kinder. He was still arrogant, merciless, short-tempered, and cruel. He still considered humans insignificant and had absolutely no intention of changing.

But his curiosity towards the girl gradually developed into something far more possessive.

He wanted her nearby. He wanted to hear her voice and know what occupied her thoughts. He increasingly disliked the idea of her being somewhere he couldn’t reach her.

After thousands of years of existence, the King of Curses had developed an unusual attachment to one fragile, blind human girl.

And Sukuna was certainly not accustomed to sharing what he considered his.