In Battles of Blood and Shadow 2

"Huh."

"Another, riveting response. 'Huh' well thought out and articulate, really. You have a talent for saying so much with so little."

"Are these insults going somewhere?"

Sukuna laughs, enjoying the banter. "Insults? Oh I'm not insulting you little mortal. I'm simply observing your unique way of expressing yourself. Most mortals would be cowering in fear and yet you seem oddly unfazed. It's almost as if you're enjoying this little exchange as much as I am."

She shoots him a look of disbelief, almost surprised by her own response.

"What? Can't a guy admit when he's enjoying himself? It's not every day I find a mortal who can match my wit. And you certainly have a unique way of thinking. You.. well you're certainly something aren't you?"

"...I suppose there may be some validity to your claim."

He crossed his arm as he looked down at her. He could slice her into a thousand pieces before she even blinked. Yet, she continued to lay there casually conversing with him, as if she were relaxing with a friend on some tropical beach.

"Some validity? No need to be modest, little mortal. You've been quite the little conversationalist. Most mortals find themselves struggling to string together enough words to form a sentence in my presence, yet, here you are. Surprisingly articulate, and interesting, despite your blase attitude towards death."

"And you find this," she gestured sarcastically at herself laying on the floor, "interesting?"

"Interesting?" Sukuna laughed heartily, genuine amusement at her gesture, "Oh you have no idea. You're downright fascinating."

He leaned in closer, "You have a way of thinking that I can't quite fathom and that, well that's rare. Even for a cursed spirit like myself. Yes, I find you very interesting indeed."

"But," he continues, "I am not just interested in your personality, little mortal. I want to know more about you. Your past, your experiences." He pauses a beat, "You see, I have a habit of collecting fascinating things. And you... well you've piqued my interest in a variety of ways that few mortals ever have."

She laughs.

"Care to share what's so funny?" he asked clearly taken aback by the laugh.

"I" she gave him a look, "have piqued your interest? Me..."

Sukuna chuckles at her disbelief.

"Yes, Yes." he sighs, "You. The fearless mortal laying on the ground, unflinching in the presence of a cursed spirit. I find your indifference quite refreshing. So yes. I do find you interesting in a very real way I can assure you."

"I guess I'll be taking your word for it?"

"Still don't believe me do you? Ah well. I guess it is rather strange. A powerful being like me interested in such a worthless ordinary human like yourself. Still. I don't lie. So trust me when I say that I find you intriguing, even if it is difficult to believe."

"Well, if that's the case, I'll answer any questions you have. You want to know me? That's fine. But, I'll need something in return."

"Oh? Now this I have to hear. Go on. What do you want in exchange for satisfying my curiosity, little human?"

"I'd like you to satisfy mine as well. A secret for a secret. And" she paused, "one more thing. If you are amenable...?"

He hums in thought, amused at her bold request. "A secret for a secret. Seems like a fair trade. What else do you require?"

"I would like to... prolong our encounters. A mortal mind takes longer to learn and process information. And I don't want to forget about anything I learn. I want to be able to come and go freely from your domain and the real world as I please. Without restrictions."

Sukuna laughed at her request, the nerve this tiny human had to ask him such a thing. It was almost impressive. "You certainly aim high don't you? No other mortal has ever made such a request of me."

He smiled, "Very well. I'll grant your wish. You may come and go as you please and we can continue our interesting conversations. But, I have my own condition."

"Tell me."

"The condition I have is this: you must remain interesting. You must continue to surprise me, amuse me, intrigue me. If you ever bore me our deal is off. So, do we have a deal?"

"I want to be clear first, before I agree."

Sukuna found her insistence on clarity to be amusing as well. He leaned forward again, "Fair enough. Can't fault you for wanting to take precautions. You're wise, little human. So, I'll spell it out for you. Our arrangement is this: you get the privilege of coming and going from my domain as you please and I get the satisfaction of continued entertaining conversations with you. However, if you ever bore me, our deal is off. Simple enough don't you think?"

"When you say 'our deal is off', you really mean what exactly?"

"Inquiring more detail about the consequences. Very astute. Well if you bore me, if you fail to keep up your end of the bargain, I'll have no more use for you. And it might be better to ask less questions where that is concerned."

"Death?"

He give her a sinister look. "Oh death would be the least of your worries. Death would be a release. A mercy. No if you bore me, I'll have some other plans for you..." He smiled widely, his gaze meeting hers, "but don't worry! I'm sure you'll keep me plenty entertained. After all, look at how well you're doing already."

She thought. Knowing Sukuna, the deal would likely benefit him and harm her. However, she could not leave his domain now. She knew that, despite his promises otherwise. technically she could leave, but he was likely to kill her if she tried. But if she could use his pride and curiousity to make him form a deal that ensured her safety. It was the only way, but she had to be very clear about the deal's requirements.

"Yes, think it over. You're quite the contemplative young human aren't you? Don't worry mortal, I don't expect you to make a decision immediately. Take your time. Weigh the pros and cons. After all, it's not everyday you make a deal with a cursed spirit is it?"

"One more question."

"Another one already? Go on."

"You said 'if I bore you' but are you implying that the consequences will apply only if I bore you in our conversation?"

"Finally catching on I see? Yes, that is correct. Our deal hinges upon your ability to keep me interested and entertained through our conversations. As long as you keep up your end of the bargain, I'll honor my end, meaning you can come and go as you please. Does that answer your question?"

"Can I know what the unpleasant part will look like?"

"I like this curious nature of yours. You want to know? Alright. I'll paint you a picture. If you bore me I have many ways to make your life unpleasant. For one, I'll remove your ability to come and go from this domain as you please. You'll be stuck here trapped in this endless void, with no chance of escape and no one to hear your screams."

"Kind of a 'I have no mouth and I must scream' kind of thing?"

"And she's well-read. That is an excellent comparison."

"Sounds..."

"Sounds.. what? Go on, finish your thought. Thinking about whether it's worth the risk? I can practically see those gears turning in your head."

"Before I agree, what happens if I leave the domain now and I don't come back."

Sukuna smiled, then I'll just kill you now.

"If the deal is made and you choose not to return then the deal will be rendered null and void. But don't forget, this deal is a two way street. If I don't deliver on my end, you can walk away Scott-free too. After all, fair's fair."

"You won't" she hesitates, "rip me from reality because I watched some show on TV that you found boring?"

Sukuna laughs hard, "Rip you from reality? Because of a boring TV show? No, no, no. Our deal is based solely on our conversations, not your entertainment choices. I don't care what you watch on TV. As long as you can keep our conversations engaging you have nothing to worry about. So go ahead, Watch all the boring TV your human heart desires. I won't rip you from reality because you have terrible taste."

"Well, I don't but," she shakes her head, "A secret for a secret. And if you get bored, I will stay. I can come and go as I please. You cannot invoke any punishment unless our conversation bores you. You cannot lie about being bored. Is this all precisely correct?"

Sukuna was amused by her vivid detail and request for more clarity. "So meticulous. Yes, yes. It's all correct. You've managed to summarize it quite well. Are you satisfied with those precise terms?"

"Yes."