As Sukuna in Invincible-Chapter 54: The End of this Second Beginning

The shattered fragments of Mahoraga's wheel fell to the ground, each piece dissolving into motes of light as they touched the earth.

The Emperor stood triumphant, palm open as the last glittering remnants slipped through his fingers.

"There," Emperor Mark declared, satisfaction evident in his voice. "Whatever you were planning has failed."

Sukuna's expression darkened, rage building behind his eyes as he watched years of careful preparation seemingly destroyed in an instant.

The Emperor extended his hand, his face softening despite the tear streaks still visible on his cheeks.

"Come back with me," he said, his tone gentler now. "You have nothing left you can do."

His extended hand clenched into a fist. "If you don't - then I will kill them all.

I will raze this planet till only dust remains, and then you'll have no choice but to return with grief rather than joy. It will hurt me more than it will hurt you, but it will be necessary."

The Emperor spread his arms, his eyes burning with imperial resolve. "So, choose. Are you coming willingly, or do I have take you with me kicking and screaming?

Either way, you're coming with, after all, don't forget, you ,made me The Strongest."

The tension in the air was palpable, the dimensional energy in the sky pulsing with increasing intensity as if responding to the confrontation below.

Eve stood frozen, her powers ready but virtually useless against an opponent of Emperor Mark's level.

Before Sukuna could respond, the air behind Emperor Mark distorted. A massive beam of purple energy - Hollow Purple - tore through space itself, aimed directly at the Emperor's back.

Sukuna reacted instantly, grabbing Eve and launching them both backward.

Emperor Mark sensed the attack at the last moment, turning to face it with narrowed eyes. Rather than dodging, he extended his hand, catching the devastating technique in his palm.

For a brief moment, the purple energy struggled against his grip, threatening to overwhelm even his Viltrumite durability.

Then, with a flex of his fingers and a pulse of strength that created a visible shockwave, Emperor Mark crushed the technique.

The compressed energy exploded outward in a brilliant flash, leaving the Emperor unharmed but visibly irritated.

"Who dares?" he demanded, scanning the surroundings for the source of the attack.

His answer came in the form of a massive spectral beast soaring overhead - Nue, its body crackling with electricity as it carried a familiar figure on its back.

Yukuna stood tall atop his shikigami, his expression cold and calculating as he gazed down at the confrontation.

"I believe I do," Yukuna replied, "I find myself with a particular interest in this situation."

Emperor Mark's eyes narrowed. "You again?"

"You didn't think our last encounter would be our final one did you?" Yukuna replied smirk, directing Nue to descend until he stood a safe distance from the Emperor.

"I've decided to join forces with my counterpart against you.

I already have a bone to pick with you after our earlier encounter, and I'd rather see another version of myself - no matter how compromised by humanity - triumph over an arrogant fool who thinks he can cage and possess a variation of me."

Emperor Mark's laugh was cold. "Two against one? You think that improves your odds?"

"Three against one isn't fair," a new voice called out.

All heads turned to see Mohawk Mark landing with casual grace on a nearby pile of rubble, his spiked hair and modified costume making him instantly recognizable. "But then again, who gives a shit about fair?"

He wasn't alone. Behind him, descending from the rippling sky, came four more variants: Astronaut Mark with his tactical precision, Sinister Mark with his cold cruelty, Viltrumite Mark with his imperial bearing, and Dark Mark with his haunted eyes partially hidden beneath his hood.

"The Emperor requires assistance," Astronaut Mark announced, his voice carrying the authority of someone accustomed to command. "And we've decided to provide it."

The situation grew more complex as additional figures appeared from the opposite direction - original Mark and alternate Mark, accompanied by Nolan and original Eve.

They landed in formation, creating a standoff across the devastated commercial district.

"No one's taking Megumi anywhere against his will," alternate Mark declared, his stance mirroring his father's beside him.

For a moment, everyone stood frozen as they readied themselves for battle.

Then Emperor Mark moved - a blur of motion as he launched himself toward Sukuna once more. Yukuna intercepted, a wall of cursed energy manifesting between them.

The collision created a shockwave that sent debris flying in all directions, signaling the start of a battle that would reshape the devastated landscape.

Chaos erupted as the various Marks engaged each other, the air filling with sonic booms and the crash of impacts powerful enough to shatter concrete.

Original Mark and alternate Mark fought back-to-back against Mohawk Mark and Sinister Mark, their coordinated movements suggesting a growing partnership despite their different backgrounds.

Nolan faced off against Viltrumite Mark, Original Eve and alternate Eve found themselves defending against Astronaut Mark's, their molecular powers combining to create barriers and counterattacks.

Dark Mark hung back, his movements hesitant, his eyes tracking the battle with an expression that suggested internal conflict rather than bloodlust.

Amid this chaos, Sukuna turned to alternate Eve who as well tried to help him. "You need to focus on joining the others," he instructed, his voice carrying that unmistakable authority.

"I'm not leaving you," she protested, pink energy swirling around her hands.

"You'll only distract me," Sukuna replied, his tone softening slightly despite the urgency. "And against opponents of this caliber, distraction means defeat."

She wanted to argue, but the truth in his words was undeniable. With a reluctant nod, she stopped to assist him and focused on assisting the others.

Yukuna guided Nue closer to Sukuna, the two versions of the King of Curses standing side by side as they faced Emperor Mark, who had disengaged from his initial assault and now hovered above them, cape billowing in the air.

"Do you have a plan?" Yukuna asked, his voice low enough that only Sukuna could hear.

"Of course," Sukuna replied without taking his eyes off the Emperor. "I would be a fool not to."

"Care to share it?" Yukuna pressed.

"Mahoraga's adaptation should be complete," Sukuna explained. "But the final integration was disrupted when the wheel was shattered. I need time to complete the process."

Yukuna laughed - a cold, amused sound. "Fine. I'll buy you the time you need. Do what you must."

Sukuna raised an eyebrow, studying his counterpart with newfound curiosity. "You're surprisingly supportive. Aren't you concerned that my plan might result in the elimination of all other variations - including yourself?"

Yukuna scoffed. "I'm not fool enough to come without my own contingencies. Besides," he added with a dismissive glance,

"you're too soft a version of me to execute such a ruthless strategy. Normally, I'd find that disgusting, but in this case, it works to my benefit."

Before Sukuna could respond, Emperor Mark attacked again, this time targeting Yukuna directly.

The two engaged in a brutal exchange, cursed energy clashing against Viltrumite strength in a display that lit up the night sky.

Sukuna used the distraction to focus inward, gathering the scattered fragments of Mahoraga's adaptation that remained within him.

Though the wheel had been destroyed, its purpose had been largely fulfilled - the divine general had spent a long time studying the dimensional energies, the various Sukunas, and most importantly, the mechanics of the merger itself.

The plan had always been multifaceted, with contingencies built upon contingencies.

The first step had been completed when he defeated Heian Sukuna without using cursed energy - a binding vow of immense difficulty that granted him proportionate power in return.

This had allowed him to extract and seal Heian Sukuna's cursed energy into twenty fingers, just as he himself had once been sealed.

The second step involved Mahoraga's adaptation to the constraints Heaven had placed upon his binding vow capabilities.

As the First Son of Heaven, albeit fallen, Sukuna's connection to the divine realm was complex -

Heaven did not wish to sever its ties with him completely, limiting what he could sacrifice through binding vows.

But Mahoraga, with its ability to adapt to any phenomenon, had gradually developed a countermeasure - a temporary window during which Sukuna could circumvent these limitations.

Now, as the battle raged around him, Sukuna prepared for the third and most crucial step. He gathered his cursed energy, focusing it.

Yukuna was thrown backward by a particularly devastating blow from Emperor Mark, crashing through the remains of a building before recovering with remarkable resilience.

"Whatever you're planning," he called to Sukuna, "do it quickly! This one is stronger than he looks."

Emperor Mark turned his attention back to Sukuna, his expression a complex mixture of determination and desperation. "It's over, Megumi," he declared. "Whatever trick you're attempting won't change the outcome. You're coming home with me."

"No," Sukuna replied simply. "I'm sending everyone home."

With that, he initiated the binding vow - the most powerful he had ever attempted. In exchange for his cursed energy - his status as the Son of Heaven coming from it - and his connection to the binding vow system itself,

he would reverse the merger's destructive effect, returning all variations to their original world before the dimensional collapse began.

Under normal circumstances, such a vow would be impossible.

Even sacrificing something as fundamental as his cursed energy and binding vow capabilities would not provide enough power to affect reality on such a scale.

But Sukuna had found a loophole - by sacrificing not just these abilities themselves but all the potential future applications of them -

for there was much one could gain by sacrificing the binding vow system -

he could be cruel and let the Merger happen, survive and with it gain power that would be enough to dominate the universe, but he isn't. And that in itself is a sacrifice.

Not that he never planned this - to gain abilities from it that is - for since he got Mahoraga he has been trying this approach, it only recently finally succeeding.

The air around him began to shimmer as the binding vow took effect.

The dimensional energy in the sky responded, the green ripples shifting and changing pattern as they reacted to the new force being introduced into the system.

"What are you doing?" Emperor Mark demanded, sensing the change. "Stop this immediately!"

But it was too late. The binding vow had been sealed, the sacrifice accepted.

Portals began to open throughout the battlefield - swirling vortices of energy, each one tuned to a specific dimension, a specific reality.

"NO!" Emperor Mark roared, understanding dawning in his eyes. "You can't do this! You can't send me back without you!"

He launched himself at Sukuna with desperate speed, but Yukuna intercepted once more, buying precious seconds as the portals continued to form and stabilize.

The various Marks fighting across the devastated district began to feel the pull of their native dimensions.

Mohawk Mark cursed as he was dragged toward one of the portals, his attempts to resist proving futile against the metaphysical force.

"This isn't over!" he shouted as he disappeared into the swirling energy.

One by one, the variants were pulled toward their respective portals. Astronaut Mark went with dignity, offering a salute to his opponents before stepping through voluntarily.

Sinister Mark fought to the last, his fingers leaving gouges in the concrete as he was dragged away.

Viltrumite Mark, engaged in combat with Nolan, found himself suddenly pulled backward. "This changes nothing!" he declared. "The Empire endures, with or without you!"

Dark Mark, who had remained on the periphery of the battle, approached his portal with what might have been sorrow and relief, disappearing without resistance.

Yukuna, still battling Emperor Mark, felt the pull of his own dimension. He disengaged, allowing himself to be drawn toward the portal that had formed for him.

"This isn't over, Emperor!" he called, his laughter echoing across the battlefield. "One day, I'll find you and settle the score!"

With that, he vanished into the swirling energy, leaving Emperor Mark alone against Sukuna.

The Emperor turned to Sukuna, rage and desperation warring in his expression. "I won't go back without you," he declared. "I can't!"

He charged forward, but this time Sukuna didn't attempt to evade. Instead, he stood his ground, focusing on maintaining the binding vow as it continued to reverse the merger.

Emperor Mark seized him by the shoulders, his grip powerful but not crushing. "Please," he begged, his voice breaking. "Don't do this. Don't send me back to a world without you in it."

"Mark!" a voice called from behind them.

Both turned to see a woman hovering near one of the portals - Emperor Universe Eve.

Her expression was a mixture of shock, joy, and determination as she gazed at Sukuna.

"Megumi?" she whispered, clearly struggling to believe what she was seeing. "Is it really you?"

Emperor Mark's grip on Sukuna tightened. "Eve! Help me bring him back!"

Understanding flashed across her face, followed by resolve. She flew toward them, her powers already reaching out to envelop Sukuna in a molecular field that would allow her to transport him.

Alternate Eve saw what was happening and launched herself forward. "No!" she shouted, her own pink energy colliding with her counterpart's. "You can't take him!"

The two Eves engaged in a brief but intense battle, their powers evenly matched despite Emperor Eve's greater experience.

In the confusion, Emperor Mark began dragging Sukuna toward the portal to his dimension.

Alternate Mark saw what was happening and rushed to intervene. "Let him go!" he demanded, grabbing Emperor Mark's cape and pulling with all his strength.

The Emperor didn't release his grip on Sukuna, and as the portal's pull intensified, all four found themselves being drawn inexorably toward it -

Emperor Mark refusing to release Sukuna, alternate Eve trying to pull Sukuna free, alternate Mark trying to stop the Emperor.

"No!" original Mark shouted, seeing what was happening. He launched himself toward them, but it was too late.

With a final surge of energy, the portal expanded, enveloping Emperor Mark, Sukuna, alternate Eve, and alternate Mark.

The last thing original Mark saw was his counterpart's desperate expression before the portal collapsed, leaving behind only empty space where the four had been.

The remaining portals began to close one by one, the dimensional energy in the sky gradually stabilizing as the merger reversed itself.

Original Mark, original Eve, Nolan, and the others found themselves standing in the devastated commercial district, now eerily quiet after the chaos of battle.

"They're gone," original Eve said, her voice hollow with disbelief. "All of them."

"Not gone," Nolan corrected, his tactical mind already analyzing what had happened. "Returned to their proper dimensions. Except..."

"Except our Mark and Eve went with the Emperor," original Mark finished, his expression grim. "And Megumi too."

The implications hung heavy in the air between them.

Their friends and counterparts were now trapped in another dimension - the domain of a being with the power to conquer seventeen galaxies, a being obsessed with possessing Megumi at any cost.

In another reality, in the grand throne room of the Viltrumite Empire's central palace, a portal opened with a sound like tearing fabric.

Four figures tumbled through, landing on the polished marble floor as the dimensional gateway closed behind them.

Emperor Mark recovered first, rising to his feet with the fluid grace of someone accustomed to command.

His eyes immediately found Sukuna, who lay unconscious nearby, the strain of the binding vow having finally overwhelmed even his enhanced physiology.

Alternate Eve and alternate Mark were also unconscious, the journey between dimensions having taken a greater toll on them than on the Emperor, who was accustomed to cosmic travel.

Emperor Eve rushed forward from where she had been waiting, having returned through her own portal moments earlier.

"Megumi," she breathed, kneeling beside his still form, her fingers gently brushing hair from his face. "After all this time..."

Emperor Mark stood over them, relief and joy washing away the rage and desperation that had consumed him during the battle.

"Welcome back," he said softly as Sukuna's eyes began to flutter open. "Welcome home."

The binding vow had succeeded - the merger had been reversed, the dimensions separated once more.

But in his careful wording of the vow, Sukuna had created an unexpected outcome.

He had sacrificed his cursed energy and binding vow capabilities to reverse the merger and return all variations to their original dimensions.

But he had never specified which dimension he himself would return to - he couldn't it was too much already what was gained. He couldn't risk not having the enough power.

And now, as consciousness slowly returned, Sukuna found himself in the heart of the Viltrumite Empire, with the Emperor standing triumphant above him, and no immediate way to return to the world he had come to call home.

Back in the original dimension, as dawn broke over the devastated city, the green energy in the sky had completely disappeared, leaving only the familiar blue of Earth's atmosphere.

The merger had been reversed, reality restored to its proper configuration.

But for those left behind, a new mission had already begun to form - finding a way to rescue their friends from a dimension ruled by an Emperor who would never willingly let them go.

Original Mark stared up at the sky, determination hardening his features. "We'll find them," he promised. "Somehow, we'll find a way to bring them back."

Beside him, original Eve nodded, already calculating possibilities. "If Sukuna could create portals between dimensions once, we can find a way to do it again."

Nolan placed a hand on his alternate son's shoulder. "It won't be easy," he cautioned. "But you're right. We'll find a way."

As the sun rose higher, casting long shadows across the ruins of what had once been a battlefield between realities, they turned and began the long walk back to what remained of the GDA facility.

They had a rescue to plan, a team to assemble, and a dimension to breach.

The Invincible War might be over, but a new conflict was just beginning.

In the vast throne room of the Viltrumite Empire, Emperor Mark watched as medical staff attended to the still-unconscious forms of alternate Mark and alternate Eve.

His attention, however, remained fixed on Sukuna, who had regained consciousness but remained silent, his expression unreadable as he took in his surroundings.

"I know this isn't what you wanted," Emperor Mark said softly, kneeling beside him. "But in time, you'll see that this is where you belong. With me. With Eve. With the empire we built together."

Emperor world Eve stood nearby, her eyes never leaving Sukuna's face, drinking in every detail as if afraid he might disappear again.

"We've waited so long," she whispered. "Seventeen years of emptiness, of preserving your vision, your memory."

Sukuna's gaze shifted between them, calculating, assessing. The binding vow had cost him his cursed energy - temporarily, at least.

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The twenty fingers of Heian Sukuna remained sealed within his body, a resource he had deliberately preserved through careful wording of the vow.

In time, he could extract that energy, restore his powers. But for now, he was weakened, in an unfamiliar dimension, surrounded by beings of immense power who had no intention of letting him go.

"Rest," Emperor Mark urged, misinterpreting his silence as exhaustion rather than strategic assessment. "We have all the time in the world now. The empire awaits its architect's return."

As medical staff helped Sukuna to a recovery chamber, he caught sight of alternate Mark and alternate Eve being taken to separate rooms.

He gritted his teeth but kept himself controlled. For now, Sukuna would wait. Observe. Plan. The game had changed, the board reset. New pieces, new rules, new strategies required.

The Emperor had won this round, but the King of Curses was far from defeated. After all, he had faced worse odds before and emerged victorious. This would be no different.

Just another challenge for the one who had transcended death itself.

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(Author note: Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the Chapter!

So, our Mark, Eve and Sukuna are now in the Emperor universe.

The Big Battle Arc is over. We're going back to slice of life with the occasional fights again.

So yeah, do tell me if you are excited and I hope to see you all later,

Bye!)