Fushiguro froze in his spot as a new cursed energy began to roll over his shoulders. Noriko's eyes glowed a darkened red as she brought her gaze lazily from Sukuna towards him. A cursed spirit? He couldn't be sure, but whatever it was no longer had the signature static energy of Noriko but a cool, weighted presence.

'Ah, this going to awkward to explain,' Noriko mused as a heavy presence pressed against the back of her eyes. She gave Fushiguro a curt nod. 'How am I meant to explain this one?'

Her hand finally finished moving and a brilliant white light erupted from her calf - which had previously been turned away from the two. A secondary flesh emerged from her own as a figure stepped forward.

It was a man - donned in traditional robes from the Heian period - with black haired tied in a topknot and two extra sets of eyes, one above where the normal ones should be and below. They were pitch black, and Sukuna watched in interest as he glanced between him and Fushiguro - who was beginning to shake.

"Fushiguro," Noriko called, moving back from Sukuna to stand closer to his rank. The figure followed. "Stop shaking, you know what needs to be done."

Her icy tone cut through the boy and he clenched his fists shut - fighting to quell his fear.

Noriko leapt forward first, moving to the left as her creation drew right, outstretching his pale hands towards Sukuna's host. She turned in the air, balling her hands into fists and bringing a strike to Sukuna's shoulder (she was aiming for some kind of pressure point that might hopefully stunt him). As she did so, Tuschigumo* (the yokai she'd brought into existence) began to shoot forth a bout of energy from his hands as webs began to fire rapidly at the masculine form. Sukuna dodged both attacks, noting their almost perfect team work as they moved in unison to corner him between them.

A thick web wrapped around Sukuna's arm and he stared down at it, noting the dark energy that radiated of it. Noriko, seeing his attention was on the web, gave her creation a sharp look and he pulled the web sharply, dragging Sukuna momentarily off balance. She brought her leg down, aiming a kick onto his right shoulder - where she could sense a knot of cursed energy (meaning he was still healing).

Fushiguro blinked, spotting the clear opening at Sukuna's back. He didn't 100% understand the situation and it was his first time seeing Noriko's ability in action: whatever she had brought forth was stronger than his own Shikigami, but there was the similar dark energy that formed it. Ridding his mind of his questions, he steeled his nerves. He brought his hands into an interlocked bird; Nue burst from his shadow.

Dashing towards the opening, Fushiguro got ready to attack - eyeing the large avian creature flying above him - who, too, was looking for it's own attack. He dove forward, almost giving into his surprise as he landed a harsh kick on Sukuna's middle. Sukuna, however, didn't react, wordlessly swaying in between their attacks as his grin grew.

"I'll leave the heavy hitting to you, Fushiguro," Noriko called, feeling her body becoming heavy. Too much energy expended already, she sighed, glancing over to the yokai she'd summon. He'd last another thirty minutes - nothing longer. Shikishi's energy wouldn't last her long, especially with such a powerful creation out. She should've called Ijichi and asked him to collect Seinaruha for her, not like that coward was doing anything more helpful. Noriko supposed this was really just a wake up call: that she couldn't always just rely on having the upper hand of surprise and the time to plan in combat, or that her opponents would be slower than her.

She was disappointed in herself, and she was sure Shikishi was too.

The fight was fluid: Noriko boxing him into a corner with the help of her ink-being as Fushiguro took any clean opportunity he could get - that was until Sukuna jumped backwards, putting space between the two as he stared down at his arm.

"Hm, interesting... "He purred, not able to lift the limb. He turned his gaze to the students, ducking to the side to avoid Nue. "What did you do to my arm when I wasn't looking?"

Noriko couldn't fight the grin, pulling at her lips as she felt Shikishi's own satisfaction.

"You give yourself too much credit," the priestess howled in entertainment, the host of Noriko's body becoming a smooth mergence of the two women. "You were looking - right at it - you just didn't notice it."

Sukuna's mind flashed back to the gentle singe he had felt on his hand a couple minutes prior: the shock that had caused him to drop Noriko. His smirk widened as the static travelled up his arm. Fushiguro took that opportunity - firing a series of strong punches at him - until he was thrown like a ragdoll by Sukuna's usable arm. He quickly got back up, sensing his partner was weakening, but it was cut short as he was thrown through the air once again - a sharp kick landing on his stomach.

"Tuschigumo!" Noriko let out a loud yell, her heart rate quickening as she watched Fushiguro's form go flying through the air; Sukuna leapt after it. He slammed the boy into a building before sending him rocketing through the air again. Not them both in one day, she begged internally, feeling Shikishi's compassionate rage flow through her - almost bringing her to tears. The Tsuchigumo made quick work of firing off another net as it encased Fushiguro mid-air, pulling him into the yokai's grasp. Sukuna landed on the edge of a building, staring down at her as her creation began to morph, until it was no longer recognisable as man.

The spider Yokai - which was a staggering 8 to 9 feet tall - detached the web, letting a dazed Megumi hit the ground near the spider's legs. Noriko watched as he wheezed, gasping for breath as he lay in the wet grass - unable to pull himself up. Blood trickled out of his mouth and she sighed, turning her gaze to Sukuna, who gloated at her from the rooftop of the building nearest them - the building Fushiguro had been thrown into.

"Don't hate me too much for this," Noriko breathed, tilting her head back as it began to rain. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest, but the warmth in her blood distracted her mind from the pain - her emotions - or Shikishi's emotions - or perhaps the two had mixed long ago when Noriko was born. "I've got a heart condition - so I'm dying anyway at one point (while that point could potentially be very far in the future, she figured the way to make Fushiguro least guilty would be to be very vague). I'll get him back for you, so you can forgive me later."

The spider yokai - which had a dark brown body and striking red legs - began to spin a series of webs and Noriko wet her ink brush again, hovering the tip over her arm as she tried to force her brain to provide her with something to write. The spider scooped the fragile body of Megumi Fushiguro into the net, curling him to it's thorax with one of it's eight legs.

"W-wait... "He called and the spider halted mid-turn. Noriko glanced over her shoulder, noting the torment in his deep blue eyes as he lifted his shaky hands to perform a handsign. "Orochi will get you up there."

From within the shadows of the trees, a great white snake emerged, it's yellow eyes boring into Noriko as she stared down at it. Perhaps not as strong as Tsuchigumo, but he would do - for some movement at least. She didn't exactly want to be responsible for it dying.

"Thank you, I'll take good care of him," she offered him her signature childish grin as the spider turned, making a quick retreat through the undergrowth - the trees shaking as it navigated it's eight legs and large abdomen through the woods. Noriko turned to the snake, her hair and hoodie thoroughly drenched and stepped onto the white-scaled head as it began to slither it's way out into the open. A perfect canvas, she moved, crouching low on the snake's head as it made it's way up the building.

"You interrupted us at the best moment, I was just starting to see his potential," Sukuna chuckled lowly, folding his arms across his bleeding chest. Noriko rolled her eyes, straightening back up as she watched the ink disappear into the scales. She stepped off the snake, briefly turning back to collect her item from the glow and waving the creature away. It slithered down from the building tentatively. "Though I must say, that's quite an interesting ability you have there. I've seen balloons, living birds, yokai... and now... a shield?"

She ignored the smirk on his face as she flipped the shield around in her hands. It was a rounded wooden shield with a metal strip lining the edges and a metal circle in it's centre. It was almost flat, and had a leather strap on the inside which she gripped onto.

"Is that the best you can do?"

"I guess you'll just have to see - it's called 'Svalinn' - it's my first time bringing it forth," Noriko shrugged, rolling her shoulders back. Sukuna liked to talk, she could tell, and the fact he'd let her prepare herself meant he was more interested in being entertained with a battle - rather than just killing her. Or maybe, Yuji was in more control than he was letting on.

"Bring them forth? I take it's similar to the boy's Shikigami?"

"Hmm... maybe, a lot of things affect the strength of my technique, but I find the stronger the item, or creature, was believed in - at any point in history - I can draw on that strength from it's peak period," she shrugged, clipping her brush into her holster. "I'm a little jealous, you expended all that strength for Fushiguro and yet you won't even attack me."

He chuckled.

"I like you... you're certainly better conversation than the other brats," he sent her a devious grin before launching at her. Noriko lifted her shield in time - the thick wood appearing to absorb the the energy - however, the remaining force pushed her back and she found herself airborne - and Sukuna followed her.

"Hmm? Are you a masochist then? Because I don't recall doing anything other than pissing you off." Noriko called, moving her shield to defend from another blow, which sent her into another fast freefall. Ahh... I'm falling so often today, maybe it's an omen, she sighed internally. Her arm was beginning to ache, but it was better than being hit directly by the reincarnation.

He appeared behind her in the air and she had a split second to react, turning in the air and using the weight of the shield for propulsion. Please work, she begged, crossing her fingers. Sukuna's energy, which the shield had absorbed, was a fiery red colour and it exploded out as they were both sent flying away from each other. In the split second from the explosion, Noriko lifted her brush into a familiar vertical line, catching Sukuna's surprised stare.

"Domain Expansion!" A sea of white encompassed the two and familiar, paper surroundings began to crop up out of the abyss. The shrine enfolded and Noriko found herself stumbling back onto the steps out of exhaustion, but before she could fall, a gentle pair of hands caught her - lowering her gently onto the white staircase. Shikishi smiled down at her before taking a seat next to her. "Thank you, but I'm going to have to continue to take your power."

The spirit nodded.

"You still have the energy for a Domain?" Sukuna smirked, turning on the balls of his feet as he took in his surroundings. He ran a hand through his hair as he took in the potential. It was the first time he'd encountered something like this: a cursed spirit and a human living in harmony. While the movement of his arm had returned some time ago, he could clearly see the division in the energy that shocked him and the colder, heavy energy - yet they were intertwined in a strange way. "It's my first time seeing a cursed spirit and a human working together."

"Well, not all regrets and desires are bad," Noriko explain, leaning down to lay down on the steps, not enough energy to hold her head up. A robed Shikishi rested a hand on her forehead and she couldn't help but wonder if that was what a motherly gesture should feel like? "Some humans long for a life of freedom: to be loved like we're told we're entitled to: to live without sickness. Don't you think its unfair that, when those people die, those same harmless regrets and wants can turn them into a cursed existence?"

It was the first time Sukuna had seen the priestess sitting on the steps and he pulled his attention away from an outcrop of mushrooms to stare at her. She wore clothes from the Heian period - a time close to his own - and she had the grace and elegance of a high ranking woman. She was deathly pale, which contrasting with her jet black hair, and he saw the same red eyes he'd seen before on her now.

"Don't you think those are the people we should be protecting, as sorcerers?" She was speaking more to Yuji now and kept her eyes trained on the body before her. She didn't dare let her eyes slip behind him to glance at the ink forming in the sky. "How do you tell people to live without regrets when they're born to suffer?"

"Human's are -"

"Yuji would agree," a phantom Megumi sat down on the same steps as Noriko, followed by a similar Kugisaki and a Satoru Gojo. Purely imaginations, but if there was a chance they could encourage Yuji to gain control, she would take it. "When I first became a sorcerer, I did it out of my own desire for control - but now, I find myself surrounded by people who are in the same boat as me."

Familiar faces began to spring up within the space and Sukuna felt his control waver. He wanted to banish her Domain and cancel it out with his own, but he could feel his control slipping away.

"I want to preserve people's choices over their own life - the ones that they're entitled too. That includes you too, Yuji - I won't let you die a death you don't want to." She watched in quiet satisfaction as the black marks along Sukuna's body begin to recede. Or maybe now it was finally Yuji's body again. "If killing curses and working as a sorcerer is the only way to do it, then it doesn't seem like I have a choice."

There was a silence.

"This is a nice space you have here," Yuji gave her a smile, his eyes trailing tearfully over the faces of his closest friends: his teacher: everyone he'd grown to know as a sorcerer. "Of course, there'd be a shrine."

"Some habits die hard," Noriko shrugged, pushing herself up into a sitting position. "Do you feel like shit?"

"Of course," he chuckled, his eyes growing dark. This was it, Noriko thought, fighting to keep her emotions in check. His body began to sway. "I... was worried I was going to be alone... Thank you."

"You'll be back on your feet in no time," Noriko gave him her signature grin. He opened his mouth to respond but ended up falling head first into the ground - blood seeping into her white domain. It grew cold and the phantom people disappeared, leaving her and Shikishi.

"Sukuna won't let himself die after all this time."

Tsuchigumo, known as the purse web spider in English, are found all over the Japanese islands and throughout much of the world. Long-lived tsuchigumo can transform into yōkai. They grow to a monstrous size, able to catch much larger prey—particularly humans. Tsuchigumo live in the forests and mountains, making their homes in silk tubes from which they ambush passing prey. Like other spider yōkai, they rely on illusion and trickery to deceive people. While the jorōgumo use their sexuality to seduce young men, the tsuchigumo have a wider selection of deceptions—and often bigger ambitions.