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Chapter Text

Sukuna slightly furrowed his brow and looked around. The gentle night breeze ruffled his hair as the King of Curses tried to figure out where he was. The last thing he remembered was walking with Uraume in that kind of limbo where the two had appeared after being killed by the sorcerers.

Now, he found himself on the rooftop of a building the special grade curse realized. His four eyes stopped on the curse that was rushing toward him at full speed with its jaws open, ready to devour him. Sukuna wrinkled his nose slightly, and with a mere movement of his right arm, he got rid of the threat.

A sense of nostalgia began to settle in his chest as the King of Curses continued to inspect his surroundings. At that moment, he noticed the boy with raven-black hair, watching him in horror. Megumi Fushiguro. But, unlike the last time he had seen him, his green eyes were shining, full of life.

Before he could fully comprehend the situation, Sukuna experienced the familiar sensation of being suppressed and began to lose control of his body. "I've felt this before. Yuuji," thought the King of Curses at that moment, starting to piece everything together.

He was inside Yuuji Itadori's body again, within his Innate Domain. Sukuna climbed the mountain of bovine skulls and looked at the crimson waters while recalling the events. "Could it be because of the promise that brat made to me?" the special-grade curse wondered. For now, everything pointed to him being in the past.

Still unable to believe what was happening, Sukuna tried to pay attention to what was going on outside. He opened one of his eyes on the right cheek of his great nephew and saw Satoru Gojo arriving. The brief conversation he had with Megumi and Yuuji was exactly as the King of Curses remembered it—word for word.

The special-grade curse gritted his teeth, irritated, when Satoru Gojo invaded his vessel's personal space. Gojo stared back without saying anything, challenging him to speak, but the sorcerer, just like the first time, seemed satisfied after checking their souls' condition.

"I didn't give you permission to look at our souls," Sukuna snapped, making a mouth appear beneath his eye.

Yuuji should have also found that intrusion unpleasant because he took a step back, putting some distance between himself and the newly arrived sorcerer. Sukuna slightly narrowed his eye and the mouth into a thin line when he felt Yuuji touching that part of his skin.

"Can you let Sukuna fully out?" asked the special-grade sorcerer, breaking Yuuji's concentration, who was still touching his skin, bewildered.

"Sukuna?"

"He's referring to me," answered the King of Curses, interrupting Gojo's response.

"Just let him out for ten seconds and then regain control, understood?" the sorcerer said with a smile, stretching near Megumi Fushiguro.

"…Well, I can try," murmured Yuuji, though he sounded somewhat uncertain.

Sukuna felt the boy push his consciousness upwards, granting the King of Curses control of his body once more. The King of Curses glanced sideways at Gojo, seeing the sorcerer calmly talking to Megumi.

"What should I do now?" Sukuna wondered, narrowing his gaze slightly. Maybe it was best to repeat the same actions as the first time. Suppressing a grunt of annoyance, he jumped forward, towards Satoru Gojo.

As expected, the special-grade sorcerer blocked his attack and even had the audacity to use him as a chair again. The King of Curses growled as his four crimson eyes fixed on Fushiguro's face, which was only inches away from his. The boy swallowed and gripped the bag Gojo had given him before the fight more tightly.

Sukuna ignored him completely and focused on continuing the charade. He tried to attack Satoru Gojo, fully aware that it was futile for the moment. He launched several debris at the two men and watched seriously as the gravel pieces stopped right in front of the special-grade sorcerer.

Gojo looked at him with a smile full of arrogance, undoubtedly knowing he had won their first encounter. Sukuna huffed slightly when he felt Yuuji regaining control the moment the white-haired man finished his countdown.

The King of Curses watched, unable to do anything to prevent it, as the strongest sorcerer of the present advanced toward his vessel and knocked him unconscious just by placing two fingers on the boy's forehead.

Sukuna rolled his eyes and pulled Yuuji's consciousness to lead the boy into his domain. The King of Curses took him and watched him in silence. The boy did not wake up at any moment. The curse focused on Yuuji's unscarred face; he looked almost innocent. A facade that perfectly hid the full potential of his vessel.

The King of Curses brought his right hand to his chin and furrowed his brow as he paid attention to what was happening outside. Megumi had just told Gojo that he didn't want them to execute Yuuji.

"So I really am back at the beginning of everything, huh?" Sukuna grinned broadly. Although he still didn't fully understand the reason, one thing was clear—he couldn't waste this opportunity.

He adjusted Yuuji in his arms and closed his eyes, focusing on capturing Yuuji's memories. The King of Curses clicked his tongue slightly when he didn't see any memories of the future events. "Well, maybe that makes everything easier," he thought. Sukuna needed to plan carefully what to do, although he still had several months.

The King of Curses wrinkled his nose and furrowed his brow when he saw Gojo enter a room completely covered in talismans and tie Yuuji to a chair. He sighed and closed his eyes, aware that it would be a while before the sorcerer returned and his vessel finally woke up.

"I'll stay quiet for now," Sukuna decided. He would talk to Yuuji properly when there was no sorcerer around.

Yuuji slowly opened his eyes and looked around, taking his time. His head ached slightly, and he was struggling to remember what had happened earlier. "How did I get here?" he wondered as he observed the room he was in.

It was a room completely covered in papers with strange symbols that the boy had never seen before. The dim light from the candles scattered throughout the space gave the place an otherworldly atmosphere. "Sasaki and Iguchi would have loved this place," Yuuji thought, finally noticing the white-haired man sitting in front of him.

"So, you've woken up," the man commented. "I wonder who you'll be now."

"And who are you?" Yuuji asked, trying to recall. The man chuckled a little when he heard that. Yuuji paled slightly when he managed to remember something and moved forward quickly, but the ropes binding his hands stopped him from getting up. "What happened to my friends and Fushiguro!?"

"I see Sukuna isn't in control of your body," the man said with a satisfied smile. "I'm Satoru Gojo, and don't worry, everyone is fine. Although I'm afraid you have much more important things to worry about right now."

"What do you mean?" the teenager demanded to know, struggling uselessly against the ropes, only hurting his wrists.

The quirky man's smile widened even more, and he began explaining everything that had happened in the last few hours. Yuuji's astonishment grew as Gojo continued his story. The pink haired teen looked at him in disbelief, trying to understand everything.

"So, as I was saying, the higher-ups have decided you'll be executed in secret." Not even for such grave news did the man lose his good mood. It almost seemed like he found the situation amusing.

"So, they're just going to kill me like this?" Yuuji tried to keep calm as best he could, but he kept looking at his interlocutor in disbelief.

"Not exactly," the adult said, pulling out a finger identical to the one the boy had eaten hours earlier. "You see, there are another nineteen fingers like the one you ate scattered across Japan. And we can't destroy them right now." As he explained this, the man released the finger, and Yuuji watched in confusion as it shot toward the right wall.

Despite the huge hole that formed in the wall, the cursed object was intact, which the teenager confirmed when Gojo stood up to retrieve it.

"I proposed something. They could kill you now and get rid of the problem, or postpone your execution until you've consumed all of Sukuna's fingers. After all, nothing guarantees that another vessel for the King of Curses won't appear, and once you die, he'll die too."

"So, my options are either die now or die later," Yuuji deduced, serious.

"That's right," Satoru said. "However, I'm not going to ask you to make a decision right now. Think it over tonight, and tomorrow morning, let me know what you decide."

"I don't have your phone number, how am I supposed to contact you?" the teenager asked with a bit of skepticism in his voice.

"Don't worry about that," the adult said, downplaying the matter with a gesture.

Yuuji nodded slowly, still trying to process everything. "Is dying really my only option?" he wondered as Satoru Gojo cut the ropes holding him. Yuuji rubbed his wrists with a pained expression, noticing the redness and marks the ropes had left.

He stood up from the chair and looked around for an exit, but couldn't see any doors. That's why Yuuji widened his eyes in surprise when the teenager saw the adult approach the wall and open a door that had been perfectly camouflaged.

"Come, follow me," Satoru requested. Yuuji swallowed and followed behind him.

They crossed a long corridor with completely bare white walls. Neither of them spoke during the walk, and a tense, uncomfortable silence filled the air. They left the building a few minutes later, and Yuuji shuddered slightly as he felt the night breeze.

Numerous street lamps lit the area, giving a ghostly look to the trees surrounding the three-story building they had just left. Yuuji stopped for a moment and curiously observed his surroundings. Gojo, however, kept walking along the gravel path. As soon as the teenager noticed, he swore under his breath and hurried to catch up with him. He had to run to match his pace, as Gojo was taking exaggeratedly long strides.

They arrived at a car parked in a lot. A nervous-looking man in a suit was waiting for them in the driver's seat.

"Ijichi will take you home," Gojo said, casting a sidelong glance at the man. "Right?"

"Of course," the driver stammered, swallowing loudly. Yuuji raised an eyebrow at that exchange and cast a suspicious glance at the vehicle. His grandfather had taught him from a young age not to get in a car with a stranger, but it didn't seem like he had much of a choice at that moment.

His heart clenched when he thought of Wasuke, and he had to summon all his willpower to keep a calm face. Though his lips trembled slightly, he took a deep breath and, noticing the urging looks from the two men, got into the car, sitting in the back seat on the right.

"We'll see each other tomorrow, Yuuji Itadori," Satoru Gojo said as Ijichi started the car and began heading toward the road.

Yuuji was laying down on his bed, staring at the ceiling with his hands behind his head. It was past eleven at night, but the boy couldn't fall asleep. "What should I do?" he wondered nervously.

"Well, you should know, it's not like you've been given many options," Sukuna suddenly commented. Yuuji stayed silent, his eyes wide open. He swallowed nervously.

"Who exactly are you?" the teenager asked with a wavering and uncertain tone. Sukuna gritted his teeth when he noticed this and let out a deep sigh, forcing himself to be patient. This Yuuji was the one from the beginning, a diamond whose potential was yet to be discovered.

"My name is Ryomen Sukuna," he introduced himself. "Although the sorcerers also know me as the King of Curses."

Yuuji furrowed his brow slightly at hearing that last part and sat up in bed. "King of Curses? Are you like the creatures at school?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't compare me to those nobodies. I am a special grade curse. My power is incomparable to theirs," Sukuna declared proudly.

"But you're still a curse, right?" Yuuji insisted with concern in his voice, biting his lower lip slightly.

"Does it matter, bra-Itadori?" the King of Curses asked, correcting himself just in time. Fortunately, Yuuji didn't notice the slip. Or if he did, he didn't mention it.

"It matters to me," the pink-haired teenager insisted, not willing to give in the slightest until he got an answer.

"I see. Just so you know, yes, I am a curse, satisfied?" Sukuna said sharply. "Can we now talk about what really matters?"

"What do you mean?"

"They're planning to kill us, in case you haven't realized," Sukuna reminded him. "And I have no intention of letting that happen."

The intensity with which the King of Curses spoke at that moment made Yuuji shiver, and goosebumps appeared on his skin. For a moment, it seemed like it was something personal.

"I don't know if I should trust you. From what Gojo-san said..."

"Do you really think you can trust someone who's so casually said they're going to execute you?" Sukuna asked, aware that the first thing he needed to do was gain Yuuji's trust. "I'm not asking you to be my friend, far from it. But, given our current situation, the best thing we can do is collaborate."

"And why should I do that?" Yuuji asked, doubtful.

"Because we'll both benefit from it," the special-grade curse pointed out. "I'm not asking you to trust me overnight, but it's not like you have many alternatives," he reminded him.

Yuuji shifted uncomfortably and got out of bed, starting to pace around the room aimlessly. Eventually, he let out a sigh and nodded slowly. "I guess you're right," he admitted. Besides, he didn't really have a valid reason to be so defensive. "Also, I still don't understand why I have to die."

"Ask yourself a simple question, Itadori: Do you really want to die?"

Yuuji silently observed the remains of his grandfather. With his trembling right hand, he picked up the chopsticks and began to slowly place the remaining bones into a round box that had been given to him.

"Not to be rude, Itadori, but we have company," Sukuna suddenly interjected, opening the eye on the boy's right cheek. Yuuji tensed slightly and paused, casting furtive glances toward the mechanical door.

Both remained silent as they listened to footsteps approaching. Just a few seconds later, the door opened, and Satoru Gojo entered the room.

"Good morning," the man greeted softly, noticing what the young man was doing. "I'm very sorry for your loss, Itadori," he added.

"Thank you," Yuuji said as he continued his task. He blinked hard several times, trying to hold back tears. A sense of unreality began to spread over him again, but Gojo's voice abruptly brought him back to the present.

"Have you thought about what we discussed yesterday?"

"...I have. I'll keep consuming Sukuna's fingers," Yuuji declared, feeling as if every word was a death sentence.

"I'm glad to hear that!" Gojo exclaimed, slipping his left hand into his pocket. He pulled out another of Sukuna's fingers and showed it to the teenager.

Yuuji glanced at it sideways and let out a sigh. He finished placing his grandfather's remains into the box and closed it. Setting the chopsticks on the table, he swallowed hard.

The teenager looked at the finger warily and picked it up. He shuddered slightly at the rough texture, examining it with curiosity. "Don't overthink it, Yuuji," he advised himself as he brought it to his mouth.

Yuuji placed it inside, unable to suppress a grimace of disgust as a foul taste flooded his mouth. It was like eating something rotten or a piece of soap—clearly repulsive. The worst part was that, even after swallowing the finger, the unpleasant aftertaste lingered.

Gojo watched him intently, alert. Yuuji's eyes had turned red, and the two additional eyes on his cheeks opened. Moreover, the King of Curses' tattoos decorated the boy's face.

The deranged laughter of the King of Curses pierced the tense silence that had settled in the room. Sukuna's red eyes met Satoru's blue ones for a fraction of a second, and the special-grade curse's smile widened.

Yuuji began regaining control of his body at that moment, prompting the sorcerer to gradually relax. The King of Curses' lower eyes shut completely, and the upper ones returned to their original color.

"So last night wasn't a coincidence. This boy really can suppress the King of Curses," Gojo thought, observing the teenager with growing interest.

"It tastes awful," the teenager protested, suppressing a gag. But he quickly composed himself and looked at the adult. "What now?"

Before Satoru could respond, the mechanical door opened again, and Megumi Fushiguro entered. Yuuji looked at him curiously, noticing the bandages covering his forehead.

"You'll enroll in the Tokyo Metropolitan School as a first-year student," the young sorcerer informed him seriously.

"Huh?" Yuuji cast a confused glance at the adult. "But I'm attending Sugisawa High School. Would they really accept such a sudden transfer?"

"After what happened last night, it'll be a long time before classes resume there," Gojo reminded him with a smile. "So, there's been no objection to your transfer."

"Oh… I see," Yuuji muttered, grimacing as he realized they had assumed he'd agree to leave without question. "When will we leave for Tokyo?" he asked in a low voice.

"The sooner, the better," the special-grade sorcerer said. "But since you need to pack and prepare, we can leave early this afternoon. Does that work for you, Yuuji?"

"Yes, that's fine," the boy murmured, shifting uncomfortably. He scratched his neck slightly and cleared his throat before asking, "What are the classes like at the Metropolitan School?"

"They're like any normal school, but you'll also have lessons about the world of sorcery," Gojo explained. "And from time to time, you'll be assigned missions to eliminate curses."

"And how am I supposed to fight curses?"

"Don't worry so much about the details, Yuuji," Gojo said, brushing it off with a gesture. "You'll learn as you go."

Yuuji frowned slightly and cast a sideways glance at Megumi, seeking confirmation. The young sorcerer nodded immediately.

"It's best not to overthink it for now, Itadori," the boy advised him.

"Alright," Yuuji conceded, clenching his fists slightly to keep his nerves in check. Megumi sighed and looked at the adult.

"I'm heading back to Tokyo now," he informed him. "What about you, Gojo-sensei?"

"I'll return later with Yuuji, of course."

Yuuji knelt in front of the grave and placed the white flowers he had been carrying on the cold stone surface. His grandfather's name was engraved on the tombstone, and Yuuji couldn't help but shiver as he read it. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and clasped his hands together, silently praying.

He didn't notice Sukuna's lower right eye opening, silently observing the grave without interrupting the boy until Yuuji opened his eyes and stood up. Only then did Sukuna manifest a mouth on Yuuji's right cheek.

"That sorcerer hasn't explained a single thing about what it means to be a vessel, has he?"

"What do you mean?" Yuuji asked as he began walking toward the cemetery's exit.

"You have access to my cursed technique," the King of Curses explained. Yuuji frowned slightly.

"What's that?"

"Remember last night, those dogs Megumi Fushiguro summoned?" Sukuna asked. "Those are a product of his cursed technique. Every sorcerer or curse has one."

"And I won't develop my own technique?" Yuuji asked as he slipped his right hand into his pocket, pulling out his phone and bringing it to his ear in an attempt to appear as if he weren't talking to himself.

"You've been a non-sorcerer until last night," Sukuna reminded him sternly. "But I'm telling you, as my vessel, you will have access to mine eventually."

"And why are you telling me this now?"

"Because it'd be shameful for my vessel not to know something so basic," the King of Curses replied arrogantly. "And if you want to survive in the world of sorcery, it's better to have some way to defend yourself, don't you think?"

"There's a lot I still don't understand," Yuuji admitted reluctantly. "I'm not sure what to think about you yet," he confessed mentally to himself.

"Have I given you any reason to distrust me? Or are you the kind of person who blindly believes everything they hear?" Yuuji bit his lip hard upon hearing that, guilt washing over him.

"You're right," Yuuji admitted, stopping in front of a crosswalk and pressing the button to change the light. "I'm sorry."

The cars stopped, and the boy quickly crossed the street. Sukuna silently observed his surroundings as Yuuji reached the other side and continued walking toward his home.

"I have no reason to lie to you about this," the King of Curses acknowledged. "In fact, the last thing I want is for us to die so soon. The sooner you get stronger, the better."

"I'm sorry," the teenager repeated. "It's just that I'm not used to any of this yet." Yuuji thought he caught movement to his right and glanced over.

A green-skinned creature stood on the sidewalk, its bulging black eyes scanning people as it muttered incoherently. Yuuji swallowed hard as the color drained from his face, paling visibly. No one else seemed to notice the curse, he realized.

"Don't stare at it, or it'll realize you can see it," Sukuna immediately warned him.

"Shouldn't we do something about it?" Yuuji murmured nervously. Sukuna sighed and rolled his eyes. Of course, his vessel would suggest such a thing. Still, he could use this to gain Yuuji's trust.

"Give me control of your body for a moment," the King of Curses requested. "It won't take long to deal with this curse."

Yuuji, unsure if it was a good idea, nodded slowly and did as Sukuna asked.

The King of Curses fixed his four crimson eyes on the curse, gazing at it disdainfully. It was extremely weak. With a simple gesture of his left hand, he obliterated it completely.

Yuuji regained control and smiled faintly, continuing his walk home with a sense of relief.

"Thank you, Sukuna."

"You're welcome, but don't get used to it. I only did it because you still don't know how to defend yourself," the King of Curses retorted before retreating from his face.

Yuuji rolled his eyes but didn't reply. After all, Sukuna was right. He turned left at the next street and reached into his pocket, rummaging until he found his house keys.

The pink haired teenager stopped in front of a two-story house and climbed the two small stone steps. Approaching the wooden door, he inserted the keys and opened it.

Once inside, he shut the door behind him and walked through the house in silence, stopping at the threshold of his grandfather's room. The reality of the situation hit him hard, and Yuuji began crying quietly without realizing it.

Frustrated, Yuuji wiped his eyes harshly, not caring about the pain it caused.

"Grandpa wouldn't want to see me crying," he told himself, imagining Wasuke scolding him for it.

He was grateful Sukuna didn't comment on it. For several minutes, the teenager stood in the doorway, staring at his grandfather's bare bed.

He hadn't bothered putting sheets on it since the old man was admitted to the hospital months ago. Swallowing hard as more tears welled up, he wiped them away angrily.

His throat felt tight, and his hands were cold, but the teenager forced himself to keep moving forward. "The only thing I can do now is move on," he told himself, trying to boost his morale. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

"I have to pack. I can't waste time lamenting," Yuuji said aloud to himself.

He climbed the wooden stairs at the end of the hallway and walked to his bedroom. Kneeling by the bed against the right wall, the teen searched for a medium-sized blue suitcase, reaching out with his left arm to grab it.

Yuuji placed it on the bed and opened it, starting to pack the bare essentials, ensuring everything was neatly folded. Then, he glanced at the posters on his wall, clicking his tongue thoughtfully.

"Which one should I take?" Yuuji hesitated for a moment before choosing two: one of his favorite actresses and another of a dinosaur movie he fondly remembered from childhood.

He carefully rolled them up, secured them with plastic bands, and placed them in the suitcase. Turning to the bookshelf opposite to his bed, he selected several manga volumes and carefully packed them alongside his clothes, ensuring the posters wouldn't get damaged.

"Nothing bad will happen if I don't bring much, right?" Yuuji wondered, uncertain. He swallowed hard and shook his head. "I shouldn't overthink it," he advised himself.

"You said it yourself. Hesitating won't get you anywhere. Our only option is to move forward," the King of Curses confirmed.

Yuuji sighed in resignation and nodded. "I know. I just need to grab a couple more things, and everything will be ready," he told Sukuna, heading to the kitchen.

He hurried down the stairs and crossed the hallway to reach it. Opening one of the white cupboards, he took out a Digimon mug he had kept since childhood. Smiling nostalgically, he placed it on the granite countertop and opened the second drawer to the right of the sink. Taking one of the plastic bags, he carefully put the mug inside.

A few minutes later, he finished packing and sat on his bed. Looking around his room in silence, he suppressed a shiver.

"I'll come back someday, won't I?" Yuuji wondered, breaking out in a cold sweat. The thought of never setting foot in the house where he grew up was terrifying.

"You shouldn't dwell on that, Itadori," the King of Curses interrupted his vessel before the thoughts spiraled further.

"I know, but I can't help it," Yuuji admitted, placing both hands on his knees. He glanced at his alarm clock, checking the time. He still had plenty of time before he had to leave. "I'll kill some time by checking if Sasaki and Iguchi are okay," the teenager thought seriously. He just hoped the nurses would let him visit.

Yuuji hurried down the hospital corridor. He had been lucky that his two friends had been admitted to the same hospital where his grandfather had stayed. The nurses hadn't put up much resistance when he asked which rooms Iguchi and Sasaki were in.

He carefully checked the room numbers, having just passed room 502. His two companions were in rooms 514 and 516, respectively. Yuuji quickened his pace, wrinkling his nose slightly. The pervasive smell in the hospital was unpleasant, and despite the months he'd spent visiting his grandfather, he never quite got used to it.

The teenager bit his lower lip slightly as he finally reached room 514. He reached out with his right hand toward the door handle but froze abruptly when he heard crying coming from room 516. He quickly approached the door and opened it unceremoniously.

Sasaki, who was sitting on a stool beside the bed where Iguchi lay, jumped and looked up. She relaxed slightly upon seeing Yuuji and turned her gaze back to her companion.

Yuuji stepped closer, noticing the bandages on Sasaki's fingers. Iguchi had dressings on his forehead and appeared to be deeply asleep. Yuuji noticed an IV line connected to his friend's left arm at that moment.

"How are you feeling, Sasaki?" the pink-haired teenager asked, casting a worried glance at the girl.

"I'm... okay, I think," she admitted, not too convincingly. "I still don't understand what happened last night," Sasaki said as she brought her right hand to her face and rubbed an eye. "I know this is going to sound crazy, but these terrifying creatures appeared and attacked us." At that moment, her voice cracked. "It was my fault. If I hadn't insisted so much on going to the school last night, Iguchi would be fine now." Sasaki began crying uncontrollably.

"I believe you. I saw them too." Sasaki's eyes widened as she stared at him in surprise. "They appeared because of that finger I gave you, but don't worry, it's all taken care of now." Though Yuuji tried to make his words sound reassuring, they didn't have the desired effect, as Sasaki shot him a look filled with uncertainty. "I'm so sorry," Yuuji apologized, lowering his head. "If I had known how dangerous that finger was, I never would have given it to you," he admitted.

"Don't worry. It was our decision to go through with it."

Yuuji scratched the back of his neck and let out a sigh. He approached the bed and cast a worried glance at Iguchi. His friend's complexion was somewhat pale, though it no longer had the deathly look of the previous night.

He sat down on one of the chairs nearby and clasped his hands in his lap. He glanced at the white clock hanging on the adjacent wall and relaxed, reassured that he still had enough time to properly say goodbye to his friends.

Yuuji silently followed Satoru Gojo up the stairs. The sorcerer had come to pick him up in Sendai along with the same nervous-looking man from the previous night. They had traveled the entire way to Tokyo without stopping once.

"I didn't know there were such rural-looking areas in the capital," the pink-haired teenager remarked, glancing around. He clicked his tongue slightly and opted to carry his suitcase in his hand.

Gojo had led him to a rather secluded part of Tokyo, and it seemed they still hadn't reached their destination. The adult turned and looked at him, laughing at his comment.

"Places like this are pretty common around here; you'll get used to it, Yuuji."

"I see…" the teen murmured. "How's Fushiguro?"

"Resting a bit. He had to receive treatment from another sorcerer upon arriving," Gojo replied.

Yuuji tilted his head slightly, confused. "He doesn't seem like the type to miss a day of class," he observed.

"That's because classes haven't started yet," Satoru explained cheerfully as they continued their ascent. "You still have to go through an interview with Director Yaga, and we also need to pick up the third student who will be joining the first year."

Yuuji frowned at this but didn't get a chance to comment before they reached an open area. Gojo turned to face him.

"It's just a formality, so as long as you give Director Yaga the right answer, you have nothing to worry about."

"And if I don't? Will you execute me on the spot?"

Gojo didn't answer. Instead, he walked ahead toward a Japanese pagoda and opened the door.

Yuuji quickly followed, his interest piqued as he examined the interior. The room was dimly lit by candles, giving the place a mysterious and unsettling atmosphere. At one end of the room, a burly man was handling needles, finishing the stitching on a stuffed doll. Surrounding him were many others of various shapes and colors, Yuuji noticed.

"You're late, Satoru," the man said grumpily as he adjusted his sunglasses and lifted his head.

"Ugh, come on, Yaga, I'm only eight minutes late. Ijichi was driving like a turtle, and the traffic was bad," the special-grade sorcerer excused himself. "Besides, does it matter? We're here now, right?"

"What kind of example are you setting for your students with that attitude?" Yaga asked, finally setting his sewing aside. He shifted his attention to Yuuji, studying him with a hint of curiosity. "So, you're Sukuna's vessel, huh?"

"I'm Yuuji Itadori. Nice to meet you," Yuuji said, bowing slightly in respect.

"What brings you here?"

"Huh?" Yuuji shot a sidelong glance at Gojo, but the teacher looked completely at ease. He had his hands in his pockets and wore a slightly nostalgic smile. The boy returned his attention to the director and swallowed nervously. "Well... I'm here to fight curses and consume Sukuna's fingers."

"I already know that. What I want to know is why you're going to do it."

"Well…" Yuuji scratched his chin. "No one else can."

Yaga clicked his tongue in irritation and placed his hand on a green doll. Yuuji watched in astonishment as the doll came to life and lunged at him, forcing him to shield his face with both arms.

The doll jumped back, its smile unsettling, and charged again, compelling Yuuji to grab it tightly in an attempt to pin it down. All he managed, however, was to have the doll bite his right arm.

"Is that all? You're doing this just because of that?"

"My grandfather asked me on his deathbed to save lives," Yuuji retorted, frustrated.

"So what? Being a sorcerer isn't easy. You'll face life-and-death situations daily. Will you curse your grandfather when you're on the brink of death?"

"I'd never do something like that!" Yuuji shouted.

In his frustration, he loosened his grip on the doll, which took advantage of the moment to punch him in the chin and break free.

Yuuji stumbled slightly but kept his balance. His chin was a little red, and the impact stung, but otherwise, he was fine.

"Plenty of sorcerers have ended up in such situations. What makes you think it'll be any different for you, kid?"

Yuuji swallowed hard, remaining silent. Determination filled his eyes as he pinned the doll again, applying a judo hold to keep it immobilized.

"I'm the only one who can consume Sukuna's fingers. If that's what I have to do to help others, I'll do it without hesitation," Yuuji declared, holding the director's gaze. "If I stood by and did nothing, I'd never forgive myself."

"You passed," Yaga said, rising to his feet. Yuuji relaxed as the doll went completely limp, and he let it go. It fell to the ground lifelessly, not moving an inch.

"Satoru, show him his room."

"Of course. Let's go, Yuuji!"

Sukuna reclined on his throne, focusing on the events unfolding outside. Yuuji was unpacking his suitcase, placing items in the wardrobe while softly whistling a tune.

The King of Curses narrowed his eyes as the promise the young sorcerer had made to him came to mind. He placed his right hand on his chin, deep in thought. Now he had a second chance for everything. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to indulge the brat's whims. Since Yuuji wanted to spend his life by Sukuna's side, that could only mean one thing.

He let out an annoyed huff. At that time, Yuuji had been his equal, but the same couldn't be said for the teenager now.
"I'll have to ensure you're worthy enough to become my wife," the King of Curses murmured as he went over everything that would transpire in the coming months. Some of those events were completely out of his control, but they would contribute to Yuuji's growth.

And once Yuuji Itadori was his equal again, Sukuna would see to it that the marriage proposal was done properly. He smiled at the thought. The sooner he got to work on this, the better.

With that in mind, and taking advantage of the fact that his vessel was finally alone in his room, the King of Curses pulled at his consciousness, dragging the teenager into his innate domain.

Yuuji landed in the crimson waters and quickly stood up, looking around in confusion. Sukuna suppressed a laugh at the sight and rose. With a leap, he descended the mountain of skulls, landing next to the pink haired sorcerer, who stared at him wide-eyed.

"It's about time we had a proper talk, Yuuji Itadori," Sukuna said, observing his vessel's reaction with amusement.

"You… you're Sukuna, right?" Yuuji muttered, suppressing a shiver as he realized the man looked just like him. The King of Curses rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated growl.
"If you're wondering why I look like you, it's because I've incarnated in your body."

"Oh… and what is this place?" the boy asked, still glancing around. Sukuna stifled another growl, forcing himself to remain calm.

"It's my innate domain, or more crudely put, a physical representation of my soul," the special-grade curse explained. "Now, let's discuss what matters," he added, and Yuuji nodded slowly. "As I've mentioned before, as my vessel, you'll eventually gain access to my cursed technique, but before that, you must learn to properly channel your cursed energy."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Yuuji interrupted, scratching his head.

"I'm afraid I can't help you much with that," Sukuna admitted through gritted teeth, recalling how his vessel had learned. "That's your teacher's job."

"Can't you at least give me a hint?"

"Cursed energy depends on your negative emotions," Sukuna revealed. "But as a sorcerer, you must learn to maintain a steady flow regardless of what you're feeling."

"…I see," Yuuji murmured, placing his right hand on his chin. "Doesn't sound that hard, honestly."

"Then get to work on it as soon as possible, Yuuji Itadori," Sukuna advised. "Because right now, you're nothing but an easy target."

The King of Curses frowned as he noticed someone knocking on the door outside, and before the boy could say anything else, the special-grade curse made a gesture with his right hand, abruptly sending Yuuji out of the domain.

Sukuna returned to the top of the mountain, watching as Yuuji quickly opened the door to find Megumi Fushiguro, who offered to show him around the facility.

The King of Curses growled as he saw his vessel enthusiastically accepted the offer, and the two young sorcerers left the dormitory. Sukuna grabbed a nearby skull and applied pressure to it. An unpleasant cracking sound echoed before the skull shattered into pieces.

"Seems like Kenjaku won't be my only problem," the special-grade curse thought, glaring at Megumi Fushiguro with irritation. He clicked his tongue and scowled. "What a nuisance," Sukuna muttered to himself. Still, he figured it might not be long before he had to teach that suicidal brat not to covet what wasn't his.

Yuuji looked curiously at the uniform Gojo had just handed him after informing him that he'd be waiting at Harajuku Station to pick up the first-year's third student in forty-five minutes.

For some reason Yuuji couldn't quite understand, the uniform looked nothing like the one Fushiguro wore. He picked up the red hoodie and examined it for a few seconds.
"What kind of uniform is this?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow, though he eventually gave in and put it on. "Well, I'd better get moving," he told himself, reaching out to grab his phone from the bed. "Although I have no idea how to get there. I'll have to ask Fushiguro. He probably knows."

Yuuji left his room and paused for a moment to glance at Fushiguro's door. Closing his own door, he walked over to his roommate's and raised his left hand to knock. However, before the teenager could, Sukuna's voice stopped him.

"Are you going to rely on others forever or what?" the King of Curses asked, barely masking his disdain.

Yuuji frowned at the remark, lowering his arm slightly. "I just got to Tokyo, and I don't know my way around the city at all," he explained.

"Doesn't your communication device have something to help you?" Sukuna asked, rolling his eyes at the surprised look on his vessel's face.

"When you say communication device, you mean the phone, right?" Yuuji asked, pulling it out of his right pants pocket and unlocking the screen.

"I don't care what it's called. Can it or can't it?" Sukuna pressed impatiently.

"Yeah, it looks like it can," Yuuji admitted after typing the station's name into the phone's GPS app. He frowned, realizing it would take over an hour to walk there.

Before he could comment on that, Fushiguro's door suddenly swung open, making Yuuji jump.

"What are you doing standing here, Itadori?" the sorcerer demanded, frowning. Yuuji let out a slightly nervous laugh and flashed a small smile.

"Well… it's just that I don't know how to get to Harajuku Station, so I stopped to look it up on my phone."

"Don't be an idiot. We'll have to take a taxi," Megumi retorted, rolling his eyes. He started walking, and Yuuji quickly followed.

"Oh… I see. So, where's the nearest taxi stand, Fushiguro?"

"There's one about ten minutes away on foot. Come on, hurry up, Itadori," the grade-two sorcerer urged, glancing at his companion, who rushed to keep up in an instant.

"How do you think the new girl will be?" Yuuji asked as they quickly descended the stairs. Megumi rolled his eyes and, instead of answering, began crossing the courtyard at a brisk pace. That wasn't enough to deter Yuuji, who kept talking. "Do you know her name? I hope she's nice and that we can become friends right away."

"I don't know. I just hope she's someone we can work with," Megumi admitted, giving in. It was clear Itadori wouldn't stop talking until he got a response.

"Sure she will be," Yuuji replied with a broad smile, visibly cheered up.

Fushiguro leaned against the railing and suppressed a yawn. The train carrying their new classmate had been delayed by fifteen minutes, as indicated on the digital screen.

He glanced sideways at Itadori and resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the ridiculous red-framed glasses his companion had bought. "I hope she's more normal," the dark-haired teenager wished silently.

"I forgot to ask you something earlier, Fushiguro," Itadori said as he carelessly munched on popcorn. "I got my uniform, but it doesn't look anything like yours. Is there a reason for that?"

"Jujutsu High uniforms can be customized to a certain extent. If you didn't ask for anything specific, it's likely Gojo-sensei had something to do with it." Megumi glanced at his companion's outfit as he spoke. "If you're not happy with it, you should talk to the principal."

"It's not that. I just thought it was interesting," Yuuji admitted, shoving more popcorn into his mouth.

"Looks like you two are already here," Gojo said as he strode toward them with long steps. The teacher wore sunglasses with blue-tinted lenses and sported his trademark wide grin.

"We've been waiting for a while," Megumi informed him, glaring. Their teacher was fifteen minutes late—par for the course with him.

"I had a few unforeseen matters to take care of, but nothing to worry about," Gojo replied with a dismissive wave. He checked his wristwatch before adding, "Not like I'm that late."

The three turned toward the station entrance when they heard someone shouting. Megumi raised an eyebrow as he noticed that the young woman yelling was wearing the Jujutsu High girls' uniform. "Great... It was too much to ask for a normal classmate," he lamented silently.

Gojo-sensei waved his left hand to grab the girl's attention. She let go of the jacket of the man she had been arguing with and approached them.

"Good afternoon." The sorceress gave a slight bow, though she quickly straightened and stared directly at the two teenagers. "I'm Nobara Kugisaki. You should feel lucky to have me as your classmate."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yuuji Itadori," the pink-haired teenager introduced himself with a broad smile. The newcomer scrutinized him critically, wrinkled her nose, and mumbled something unintelligible.

"I'm Fushiguro," the dark-haired sorcerer added.

Kugisaki examined him with a serious expression before grimacing in distaste. She let out a resigned sigh.

"Just my luck to get stuck with you two," she said, making no effort to lower her voice.

"I don't think she likes us," Yuuji whispered to Megumi, who merely shrugged indifferently.

"Well, now that we're all here, how about we explore Tokyo a bit?" Gojo-sensei proposed.
Kugisaki and Itadori's faces lit up with excitement as they looked eagerly at their teacher.

"Where do you plan to take us, Gojo-sensei?" the two sorcerers demanded in unison.

"Roppongi!" Satoru declared dramatically. His words had the desired effect, as Kugisaki and Itadori looked even more thrilled.

Megumi, however, observed them with resignation. "Knowing Gojo-sensei, we're not going there just for fun," he thought as he followed the animated trio. He had heard enough stories from Maki to know that the special-grade sorcerer was perfectly capable of assigning missions to his students without warning.

"This isn't what you promised!" Yuuji exclaimed, staring incredulously at the abandoned building Gojo-sensei had led them to. Nobara was also voicing her complaints, muttering angrily about how their teacher had taken advantage of them.

"I thought it'd be a good idea for you to take part in your first mission as soon as possible," Gojo confessed with a small smile, reaching into the small white pouch he carried. "Yuuji, it'd be best if you use this cursed tool. And one more thing—don't let Sukuna out under any circumstances. Understood?"

Nobara raised an eyebrow at this, her confusion evident as she turned her gaze to Itadori, who was examining the dagger with intense focus.

"Wait a second, what's all this about Sukuna?" she demanded.

Megumi sighed, his expression neutral as he addressed her. "Itadori recently consumed one of Sukuna's fingers. Before that, he wasn't even a sorcerer."

Nobara stared at the pink-haired boy in disbelief, her face soon scrunching up in distaste. "That's disgusting! Only an idiot would do something like that!"

"There's no need to insult me!" Yuuji protested immediately, looking offended.

"Kugisaki isn't wrong, you know?" Megumi added, his deadpan expression unchanging as he glanced between the two. None of the three noticed the fleeting melancholy in Gojo's smile or the peculiar glimmer in his eyes—a momentary lapse that vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"It's time for you to get moving, Yuuji, Nobara," Gojo announced, clapping his hands to draw their attention.

"What choice do I have?" Nobara muttered, strapping on a belt with a small pouch before striding toward the building, with Yuuji following close behind. She shot him a warning glance. "You'd better not be a liability, got it, Itadori?"

"Can I go with them?" Megumi asked, but Gojo firmly shook his head.

"You still need to recover from your last mission, so it's better for you to rest."

Megumi let out a low growl, his gaze shifting to his companions, who had just entered the building. "I really think I should go, just in case," he pressed.

Gojo chuckled softly, his amusement clear as he looked at the younger sorcerer. "You'll get plenty of opportunities to go on missions, Megumi," he assured, ruffling the teenager's hair with his hand despite Megumi's irritated protests. "Today, I want to see what those two are capable of."

Yuuji nervously glanced at Nobara. The two of them were climbing the metal stairs in silence. So far, they hadn't encountered any curses.

"Do you have a plan?" the teenager asked, trying to make conversation and ease the tension in the air. But all he achieved was making the girl stop and shoot him an irritated look.

"We'll cover more ground if we split up," Nobara said, crossing her arms. "I'll take the second and third floors. You handle the first floor and the ground level, got it, rookie?"

"Wouldn't it be better if we stayed together?" Yuuji questioned her. "I don't think splitting up is a good idea."

"Shut up! I didn't ask for your opinion!" the girl snapped, frowning. Before Yuuji could protest further, Nobara huffed and continued climbing the stairs without waiting for him.

"I don't understand women," Yuuji muttered, giving up and resuming his climb minutes later, once his partner had already left.

"Don't mind her," Sukuna advised him at that moment. "I don't think the curses in this place are too powerful. Besides, learning to fight on your own will do you good, Itadori."

"If you say so…" Yuuji stopped on the first floor and began walking down the hallway, staying alert to any faintly suspicious sound.

Suddenly and without warning, he felt something move toward him from the ceiling. He ducked just in time, avoiding being decapitated by the scythe-like claws the curse had for hands.

The creature, a strange mix between a scorpion and a praying mantis, landed on the floor on its four legs and immediately tried to attack the young sorcerer again. Yuuji dodged effortlessly and quickly drew his knife, slicing off one of the creature's arms.

He didn't give the curse any time to recover. In the blink of an eye, he severed one of its legs, causing the creature to lose balance for a moment. Yuuji seized the opportunity to leap onto it.

He raised his knife and drove it into the creature's skull. Purple blood immediately gushed out, and the curse thrashed in pure agony for a few seconds before going completely still.

"Well, that wasn't so hard," Yuuji remarked, watching as the curse disintegrated into dust, leaving only the blood as proof of its existence.

"I told you it was low-level," the King of Curses reminded him.

"Well, I'd better go find Kugisaki now. I hope she's not mad," the teenager said, recalling how furious she had been just minutes earlier.

Nobara entered the room and flashed a confident smile as she spotted the mannequins at the far end. Her eyes settled on the one in the middle, and she drew her hammer and a pair of nails from her belt.

"This is going to be a piece of cake," she thought, channeling her cursed energy into the two nails. The curse remained motionless the entire time.

"No need to keep up this charade," Nobara said sharply. "I'm talking to you, the curse in the middle," the sorcerer clarified. The creature didn't move, and Nobara sighed. "Suit yourself, then." That was the only warning the curse received before Nobara struck the nails with her hammer.

She watched with a smile as the nails embedded themselves in the mannequin's face. It arched backward, revealing four pairs of dark eyes on its head. Nobara snapped her fingers on her left hand, and the nails drove further into the curse's skull, causing its head to explode as its body collapsed to the floor.

"Well, that was underwhelming," Nobara muttered, releasing a sigh of disappointment. "I'll go find the idiot, and we'll get out of here." She turned on her heel and headed toward the door.

"Wait! Don't leave!" A child's voice called out behind her, making Nobara spin around. She saw a boy who couldn't have been older than ten. His almond-shaped eyes were wide with fear, and he was trembling violently, Nobara noticed.

"Don't worry, it's over now," she said, trying to reassure him, but the boy shook his head vehemently. Nobara then noticed the scratch marks on both of his arms. "We need to get out of here," she insisted, motioning for him to come closer.

The boy took a hesitant step toward her but didn't get far. The wall behind him rippled, and another curse emerged, seizing the non-sorcerer as a hostage while casting a mocking gaze at Nobara and laughing at her.

"Damn it," the sorcerer thought, realizing the predicament. She bit her lower lip hard. "What do I do now? It's just a low-grade curse, but if I attack recklessly, it'll use the boy as a shield. Damn!"

The curse pressed one of its claws into the boy's face, its bulging eyes never leaving Nobara's. She gritted her teeth as she saw blood begin to flow.

"Help me… please," the boy pleaded in a barely audible voice, tears streaming down his face.

"What can I do?" Nobara continued to hesitate, unable to make a decision. "If I surrender, there's no guarantee it'll release him, and it'll probably kill us both."

If Itadori had been there, the situation would likely have been entirely different, but Nobara had no way of knowing when he'd show up. Swallowing hard, she racked her brain for a way out of her precarious situation.

At that moment, the wall behind the curse shattered, and Yuuji's voice rang out from the other side. Before Nobara or the creature could react, Itadori widened the hole in the wall and stepped into the room.

With a precise strike, he severed the arm holding the boy and leaped backward, moving out of the creature's reach. Nobara saw the panic flash across the curse's face, and before it could flee, she hurled several nails at it.

She landed a solid hit, but it wasn't enough to finish the curse, which lunged toward the wall leading outside and crashed through it.

"Itadori, give me its arm!" she shouted.

Though Yuuji gave her a puzzled look, he obeyed immediately. Nobara wasted no time unbuttoning her jacket and pulling out a straw voodoo doll. Placing it on the curse's severed limb, she drove one of her nails into the doll with her hammer.

"That's that," she declared, casting a sidelong glance at Yuuji and noting the way he was staring at her. "What's your problem!?"

"I… didn't know you practiced voodoo…"

"It's my cursed technique, you idiot!" she snapped. "The weird one here is you! How the hell did you punch through the wall like that!?"

"…I didn't do anything strange," Yuuji said, looking at her in confusion. Nobara growled and turned away.

"You know what? I don't care. I'm not staying in this dump a second longer."

"You've done an excellent job for your first mission!," Gojo praised them, sitting across from them in the restaurant.

To celebrate their success, the special-grade sorcerer had taken them to a high-end sushi restaurant. Nobara, her eyes glued to the menu, barely acknowledged his words.

"It was easier than I expected," Yuuji admitted, glancing skeptically at the dish names and their prices.

"I wanted to start you off with something simple, but I can't promise your next mission will be as easy."

"I hope I can join in next time," Megumi grumbled. Gojo chuckled at that.

"Still upset about that?" he asked. Noticing the curious looks Nobara and Yuuji gave him, Gojo quickly clarified, "He's mad because he couldn't go with you."

"What are you, a little kid or something?," Nobara teased, earning a scowl from Megumi.

"What are you going to order?" Yuuji asked, eager to change the subject.

"Don't worry about it; order whatever you want," Gojo encouraged him. "This time, the bill's on me, okay?"

That declaration didn't entirely convince Yuuji, who shot a side glance at Megumi.

"Don't hold back. Money's no problem for Gojo-sensei. If I were you, I'd take advantage of the opportunity."

"Well… if you say so…," Yuuji murmured, giving the menu another look. His stomach growled just then, and he blushed as Nobara smirked in amusement. Finally, he decided on a few dishes that sounded good. "Though I have no idea what they are," he thought.

Once everyone had made their choices, Satoru raised his hand to catch the attention of one of the waitresses. A woman with neatly tied black hair approached.

"What will you be having?"

"Well, the Tokyo Tasting Menu looks absolutely wonderful," the teacher declared, ignoring the looks his students shot at him.

"An excellent choice, Mr. Gojo," the waitress replied, jotting down the order. "And for drinks?"

"Three colas," Megumi interjected, cutting off their teacher. The waitress glanced at the adult for confirmation, and he nodded.

"And one non-alcoholic beer," Satoru added. The waitress noted it down and walked away briskly. "Oh, come on, don't look at me like that," the special-grade sorcerer said. "I've been here plenty of times, and I'm sure you'll love it. Just wait and see."

The conversation was interrupted when the sorcerer's phone rang. The white-haired man picked it up, his brow furrowing slightly. He stood up quickly and shot them an apologetic look.

"Is something wrong?"

"Work calls, I'm afraid," Satoru apologized. "But don't worry. When it's time to pay, just tell them it's on me, okay?" With that, he left in a hurry.

"Is he always like this?" Yuuji asked, watching their teacher leaving the restaurant.

Megumi nodded. "I'm afraid so. Gojo-sensei is a special-grade sorcerer. He never stays around for too long."

"Oh…"

"That's just how it is, Itadori," Megumi said, more brusquely than he intended. "So don't overthink it."

"…Is it really that hard to be a sorcerer?" Yuuji asked, worried."And also, what exactly is a special-grade sorcerer?"

Chapter Text

Yuuji was chopping vegetables quickly, fully focused on what he was doing, and didn't hear when Megumi Fushiguro entered the kitchen. The black-haired young man raised an eyebrow as he saw his partner wearing a brown apron over his casual home clothes. Yuuji was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed he was no longer alone.

"What are you cooking?" asked the young sorcerer, his gaze shifting to the pot on the stove. The sound of boiling liquid could be heard, and a delicious aroma was starting to fill the air.

Yuuji jumped slightly, lifting his gaze quickly. Their eyes met, and Megumi noticed that Sukuna had one of his red eyes open on the pink-haired teenager's right cheek. Megumi felt a shiver run down his spine and swallowed hard, visibly uneasy.

"Oh, I didn't hear you come in, Fushiguro," Yuuji commented with complete calm, setting the knife aside and wiping his hands with a nearby cloth. Sukuna's eye remained fixed on Megumi the entire time, unblinking. Yuuji then noticed how pale his partner looked. "Is something wrong?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

"...You've got something on your right cheek," murmured Megumi, trying to find the right words. Yuuji raised his right hand to the spot, frowning slightly when he didn't feel anything unusual. This forced Sukuna to close his eye, and Megumi held his breath, nervous.

"Is it gone now?" asked the pink-haired young man, casting a doubtful glance at his companion. The black-haired sorcerer relaxed slightly, seeing that the King of Curses didn't reappear.

"Yeah, it's gone," Megumi said, trying to sound normal. "He didn't notice anything," the sorcerer realized then. Noticing Yuuji still looking at him, he quickly added, "You still haven't told me what you're cooking."

"Oh, right, sorry," Yuuji said, glancing at the pot. "It's beef stew," he explained while tossing in the vegetables he had just chopped.

"Should I tell him?" Megumi wondered, biting his lower lip lightly. "Although, maybe that's exactly what Sukuna wants me to do," the young man pondered. Perhaps it was better to act as if nothing had happened.

"Smells great," Megumi remarked, shoving both hands into the pockets of his gray pants and stepping closer to get a better look at the pot. "I didn't know you could cook."

Yuuji shrugged and lowered the heat on the stovetop before answering.

"I learned when I was little, and I quite enjoy preparing dishes," he said simply, stirring the food with a wooden spoon. "Do you know how to cook?" Yuuji asked, looking at him curiously.

"Just the basics. Enough to get by."

"Oh, I see." Yuuji's face lit up at that moment, and he looked at his companion with enthusiasm as a warm smile spread across his lips. "I know! If you want, I can teach you how to make this dish. It's really simple."

Megumi observed him in surprise, unsure how to respond for a few seconds. He ended up shrugging and glancing sideways at the pot. "It's hard to say no when he asks me like that," the black-haired sorcerer thought, resigning himself.

"Sure, whatever you want," Megumi said, moving from the doorway to where his partner was standing. The pink-haired teenager's smile widened at that, and the sorcerer felt his stomach tighten as he realized it.

Completely oblivious to this, Yuuji placed the wooden cutting board in the sink and rinsed it with water. He left it to dry and turned to look at Megumi.

"Alright, let's get started!"

Sukuna leaned slightly on his makeshift throne and growled. He had been enjoying a pleasant moment watching his wife cook, but the damned suicidal brat had to show up and ruin everything.

The King of Curses let out another growl. As expected, Yuuji had readily agreed to spend time with Megumi Fushiguro. He closed his eyes and inhaled slowly.

"I still have time to set things right," he reminded himself. But it was undeniably infuriating. In an attempt to stop watching his wife spending time with that suicidal brat, the King of Curses shifted his attention away from the scene. "I have more important matters to think about right now."

He brought his left hand to his chin, realizing something he had overlooked until that moment. Uraume had been with him in this sort of limbo. "I wonder if he's traveled back in time like I have," the King of Curses mused. "Though for now, I have no way of knowing," Sukuna acknowledged.

Shaking his head, he decided to deal with that when the time came. If he recalls correctly, they won't meet again until the end of October. For now, his main priority was ensuring Yuuji's growth as a sorcerer.

The King of Curses turned his attention back to the outside world, wrinkling his nose when he saw his vessel still chatting animatedly with his classmate. Sukuna let out a huff and chose to let it slide for the moment.

With nothing better to do, the King of Curses directed his gaze into the distance within his Innate Domain, trying to clear his mind and relax. It was an art he had perfected during his time as a cursed object.

Even so, he remained vaguely aware of what was happening outside. When Sukuna noticed one of the instructors organizing one-on-one sparring matches and saw that his wife was paired with Megumi Fushiguro, Sukuna paid close attention to the fight's development.

The King of Curses watched with interest as his vessel moved with agility, easily dodging Fushiguro's attacks. Sukuna grinned widely, seeing how Yuuji managed to defeat the other sorcerer with relative ease.

"I must admit, you're not half bad, Itadori," he remarked aloud so his vessel could hear him. "Though you're holding back too much," the King of Curses pointed out.

"I can't hit him with everything I've got," the pink-haired teenager replied instantly as Megumi got back up and they resumed their match. Sukuna rolled his eyes and refrained from commenting further. Instead, he chose to focus and analyze his vessel's fighting style.

Yuuji stared in bewilderment at the plush doll Gojo-sensei had just handed him. The special-grade sorcerer had shown up at the dorms to give him the stuffed toy—a bear with comically long arms wearing boxing gloves—that, according to Gojo-sensei, would be a great help for his training.

"And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?" Yuuji asked, eyeing the bear suspiciously.

"You'll find out soon enough," Satoru replied, his gaze fixed expectantly on the plush toy. Yuuji raised an eyebrow, his distrust growing. Suddenly, the stuffed bear's eyes snapped open, and before Yuuji could react, it delivered a punch straight to his chin.

The bear fell to the floor, and Yuuji rubbed his chin with his right hand, glaring at his teacher in annoyance.

"You could've warned me first!" the teenager protested. Gojo chuckled at his student's complaint and picked up the plush toy from the ground. He handed it back to Yuuji, who accepted it with evident reluctance.

"It's pretty simple. This is one of the principal's cursed dolls," Gojo explained. "If you don't want it to activate and punch you again, you'll have to maintain a constant flow of cursed energy."

"And how is that supposed to help me?" Yuuji asked, holding the doll at arm's length as its eyes flickered open and it wriggled in his grip.

"You see, cursed energy is born from negative emotions," Gojo began, his expression growing more serious. "And you need to control it regardless of whatever emotion you're experiencing at any given moment. That's why I'm putting you through the toughest training imaginable." Yuuji swallowed hard at that, bracing himself for the worst. "For the next few weeks, you'll watch movies of all genres."

"If I do that, will I really get stronger?" Yuuji asked, frowning as the plush toy woke up again. He wrestled it into submission until the teddy bear finally closed its eyes once more. Letting out a sigh of relief, Yuuji returned his attention to his teacher, who watched him curiously.

"Of course you will!" Gojo exclaimed with utmost confidence. "Trust your sensei!"

"And where am I supposed to watch these movies?" Yuuji growled in frustration as the doll opened its eyes yet again, managing to land another punch. He almost threw it to the ground but held back at the last second.

"Don't worry about that. The student lounge has everything you need, Yuuji. I've even left a stack of movies there for you to get started right away."

"Alright," Yuuji murmured, nodding. Gojo stepped aside from the doorway, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Perfect. I'd love to monitor your progress myself, but unfortunately, I have a business trip to attend to," the special-grade sorcerer explained with a mock grimace of annoyance. "If all goes well, I'll be back in a couple of days. Three at most."

"Where are you going, sensei?" Yuuji asked with a beaming smile, his enthusiasm unmistakable.

"Kyoto." Gojo turned and began heading down the stairs. "See you in a few days, Yuuji! Don't slack off on your training!"

"I won't! Have a good trip, sensei!"

Yuuji watched his teacher disappear down the hall and then looked at the doll in his hands. Letting out a sigh, he shrugged and jogged down the stairs, two at a time, to the ground floor.

Crossing the courtyard, he made his way to the student lounge. There, on the low table, was a pile of DVDs just as Gojo-sensei had said.

Yuuji approached, picked one at random, and thought, "This one looks interesting." He placed the doll on the couch facing the TV, then moved to set up the DVD player.

Grabbing the remote, he sat on the couch, holding the plush toy on his lap as he focused on the screen, programming everything properly.

Yuuji listened with concern to Ijichi's explanations. The mission they had been assigned seemed fairly straightforward: enter the detention center and check if the five people trapped inside were still alive.

"The reports indicate that the curse inside the building is of special grade," Ijichi explained, adjusting his glasses. Nobara and Megumi tensed up upon hearing that, and Yuuji glanced at them sideways, not fully understanding their reaction.

"Are special grades really that dangerous?"

"You'd have to be useless not to know something so basic," Nobara muttered, giving the teenager an annoyed look, while Megumi refrained from commenting.

Perhaps feeling sorry for him, Ijichi proceeded to give a simple explanation of the sorcerers' grading system.

"Thank you very much, Ijichi-san," Yuuji said with a small smile, looking at the man gratefully. "Now I get it."

Before the assistant could respond, a woman tried to rush toward them but was stopped by the officials cordoning off the area.

"Where is my son?" the woman asked, her voice breaking as she looked at those present, searching for any kind of answer. "Why hasn't Tadashi been evacuated yet?"

Yuuji felt his heart clench and his throat tighten upon seeing her anguish, but Ijichi, who had noticed immediately, stepped in front of him, preventing the student from continuing to look at her.

"Focus on the mission, please. This is a special-grade curse, as I've already told you. Avoid any confrontation with it, or you won't make it out alive. Understood?"

"I just have one question," Megumi said, crossing his arms. "Why have we been assigned a mission clearly above our level?" Ijichi looked away at that and cleared his throat.

"I'm afraid we're currently facing a significant shortage of sorcerers qualified for this kind of mission. I'm very sorry."

"But it's a simple mission, right?" Yuuji interjected. "We rescue that woman's son and the others, and we leave."

Megumi opened his mouth to say something, but Nobara elbowed him and gave him a warning look. He gave up on speaking but shot an irritated glance at his teammate.

"Exactly, so the sooner we stop wasting time with this pointless talk, the better," Nobara remarked.

Ijichi accompanied them to the entrance of the building, and before the students went inside, he gave them a final pleading look.

"Be careful and don't take any unnecessary risks, please," he urged. "I'll extend the curtain, but I'll stay nearby until you return."

The three of them nodded and entered the complex while Ijichi stayed outside, shielding himself from the rain with his umbrella and beginning to chant something softly. A dark veil enveloped the entire building in seconds, isolating it from the outside.

"...Good luck," Ijichi murmured at that moment, casting one last glance at the curtain before turning around and heading back to his car.

Megumi realized something was wrong the moment they stepped into the building. A chill ran down his spine as he took in the surroundings.

The place didn't match the blueprints Ijichi had shown them earlier while explaining the mission. Judging by the fearful expressions on Kugisaki and Itadori's faces, they had noticed something was off as well.

"We need to leave now," Megumi said, turning to look at the door. To his horror, it was gone.

"What do we do now?!" Nobara shouted, panicking. "How are we supposed to get out if the door is gone?!"

Megumi stifled a groan as his two companions began running in circles, repeating Nobara's words over and over. The young man with jet-black hair rolled his eyes and clasped his hands together, summoning one of his shikigami hounds.

"Shiro has memorized the scent of the door and will lead us back to it." That was enough to calm his companions, who began promising the shikigami the highest-quality meat if it managed to get them out of there. "Stop wasting time. Let's go."

"I'm sure we'll find the survivors without any problems now," Yuuji said cheerfully, throwing Megumi a grateful look. The Ten Shadows technique user felt his heart race and had to look away.

"Whatever you say, Itadori," he muttered, taking the lead and following his shikigami. Megumi could hear Nobara and Yuuji close behind, but he quickly focused on his surroundings, staying alert. The special-grade curse could be anywhere. The young sorcerer couldn't rule out the possibility that it already knew they were there.

Despite his reservations, they managed to pass through several rooms without any trouble. The place was completely deserted, which only increased the unease Megumi was feeling. His worst fears didn't take long to materialize.

They entered a large room and noticed something haphazardly tossed to one side. They hurried over to see what it was, and Megumi paled when he realized it was a human torso. He swallowed hard, staring at the lifeless eyes of the man, then closed his own eyes for a moment, trying to steady himself.

When the young sorcerer opened them, he saw Itadori crouched in front of the corpse, examining something on the man's uniform.

"It's the son of that woman from earlier," said the teenager with pink hair. "We should take him out and return him to his mother."

Megumi looked at him incredulously and shook his head. However, before he could say anything, Sukuna spoke up first.

"Do you think that's fair to her, Yuuji?" asked the King of Curses, opening the eye on Yuuji's left cheek and making a mouth appear beneath it.

"What do you mean?" Yuuji asked, tense. "How wouldn't it be fair?"

"Think about it. That woman remembers her son alive. Do you really think it's a good idea for her to see what's left of him? Don't you think it would be cruel of you to do that to her?"

Chapter Text

Yuuji froze when he heard that, paling slightly as his mind processed the words, and Sukuna took the opportunity to continue speaking.

"Although right now, you have more important things to worry about," revealed the King of Curses, glancing sideways to his left.

"What do you mean?," Megumi asked curtly, casting a suspicious look at Sukuna.

"I sense one of my fingers rapidly approaching here". As Sukuna revealed this information, the ground beneath Kugisaki's feet collapsed, and the young girl had no time to scream before falling.

The two boys turned around and watched in mutual horror the place where their teammate had been just seconds before. The ground was intact, and neither of them had any way to follow her.

"...Fushiguro, what has just happened?," Yuuji's voice trembled, and he looked at the young sorcerer for an explanation. It seemed that, for the moment, he had forgotten about his plan to take the body.

Megumi looked at him and realized that Sukuna had withdrawn. However, before he had a chance to say anything about it, he felt his skin crawl, and his body froze in pure fear.

From the corner of his left eye, he could see the anthropomorphic curse that had just appeared. The pale face and terror-filled eyes of Itadori were enough evidence that he too had noticed its presence.

"Why didn't Shiro warn us?" Megumi wondered at that moment, searching for his shikigami with his gaze. When his green eyes landed on the dog's head embedded in the wall, the young sorcerer's hands began to shake noticeably. "How didn't I realize it earlier?" he lamented as he tried to bring his hands together to form a new seal. What mattered now was to fight, but his muscles wouldn't respond at all.

The certainty that none of the three of them would make it out of this mission alive became clearer and clearer, and the young man with black hair swallowed hard. He could feel the creature's four eyes fixed on them, increasing the pressure and the sense of urgency.

Megumi watched in disbelief as Yuuji gathered the courage to move. The pink-haired teenager drew his cursed tool and tried to attack the special-grade curse. A viscous, unpleasant sound filled the room at that moment. Megumi and Yuuji watched in shock as the young sorcerer's right hand fell to the ground. Both of them noticed that the weapon's blade had broken as well.

Blood began to spill from the resulting stump, and the curse started laughing while pointing at Yuuji. Each laugh sent chills down the two young sorcerers' spines, and they remained unable to move.

Megumi watched all of this horrified, feeling his stomach churn as he saw the blood stain his friend's clothes. A cold sweat ran down his body, and Megumi swallowed again. "I have to do something now," he told himself, but he remained paralyzed by fear. He had never faced anything like this in his life, and he felt completely overwhelmed.

Yuuji, who seemed to have recovered from the initial shock, removed the belt from his uniform and tied it as best as he could around his injured arm, creating an improvised tourniquet that helped stop the bleeding. He gritted his teeth and looked slightly pale.

"Sukuna, any idea what we can do?," the pink-haired teenager asked, trying to control his teeth chattering. The King of Curses opened the right eye on Yuuji's cheek again and looked at the creature with indifference.

"Although it's quite weak, it's far above your level". Yuuji growled when he heard that and cast a cautious glance at the special-grade curse as it moved. "Though I could finish it off if you let me borrow your body for a moment."

The creature spat a yellowish energy sphere that passed between the two boys, without touching either of them. The wall behind them trembled and partially collapsed. The shaking that gripped Megumi intensified as he felt his ears start to ring.

"Fushiguro!" Yuuji's voice reached the boy faintly, and he cast an uncertain glance at him. The fear in the pink-haired boy's eyes had been replaced by determination. "Go find Kugisaki! Sukuna and I will handle this curse!," Megumi parted his lips, ready to refuse such an absurd suggestion, but the King of Curses intervened once more.

"When you're done, come back here. We have something important to discuss after," Sukuna ordered, fixing his crimson eye on the user of the Ten Shadows. "Understood?"

Megumi felt his throat dry up and cast a doubtful glance at Itadori, who nodded and gave a shaky smile.

"I'll be fine," he said, misinterpreting his friend. "I'm sure it's something important."

Megumi cast one last glance at the curse, still unsure if it was a good idea to leave. Finally, he let out a sigh and reluctantly nodded.

"Be careful, Itadori, please. I'll be back as soon as possible", the Ten Shadow cursed technique user assured him before turning and running toward the exit without looking back.

Yuuji relaxed as he saw his friend leave and turned all his attention back to the special-grade curse. He swallowed hard and tensed up as he saw it preparing another direct attack against him.

The pink-haired teenager had just enough time to dodge it, but the power behind that sphere, which was stronger than the previous one, was enough to send him flying. Yuuji crashed to the ground and was momentarily breathless.

With effort, he managed to get up and wiped the gravel that had embedded itself into his face with his only hand. The curse gave him a wide grin and moved toward him.

"Megumi Fushiguro should be far enough away by now. It's better if you let me take over, Yuuji," Sukuna said at that moment. "If you don't, you'll die here and now. And you have a promise to keep, right?"

Yuuji nodded and closed his eyes. Tattoos appeared on his face, and when he opened his eyes, they had turned crimson. Sukuna fixed both pairs of eyes on the curse and gave a disdainful smile when he saw that it had stopped laughing and was now looking at him with a hint of fear.

"So, that cocky attitude of yours is gone," Sukuna commented with a touch of contempt. He could feel Yuuji's consciousness awake, paying attention to what was happening. The King of Curses let out a sigh and glanced sideways with his lower right eye at the stump. He began regenerating the lost limb, accomplishing it in a matter of seconds. "You better pay attention, Yuuji," he commented as he lunged at his enemy. It was time to show off a little, since his wife was watching.

Sukuna kicked the curse to the back of the room and moved toward it, pulling both hands to his hair and brushing it back. He rolled his eyes when he saw the special-grade curse launching a desperate attack at him. Sukuna didn't even bother to move. He extended his right arm, and the energy sphere dispersed as soon as it brushed his palm.

"How did you do that?" Yuuji asked immediately, interested. Sukuna smiled as he picked up on this. "Is it part of your cursed technique?" the young man wanted to know.

"Not at all. For a curse, regenerating lost body parts is a piece of cake," the King of Curses explained as he dodged the next attack from the special-grade curse and slammed it to the ground, stomping hard on its chest. An unpleasant sound was heard, and numerous cracks spread across the ground, which quickly began to break apart.

"So sorcerers can't do it?" Yuuji inquired. Sukuna, who had sat on one of the rubble pieces, raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Of course, they can; but it's not something common," the King of Curses revealed while sending several invisible slashes at his opponent, trapping all four of its limbs. He gave a cruel smile when the special-grade curse fell into the water, completely at his mercy.

"…You're enjoying this," Yuuji declared, shaken, and for the first time, fearful. Sukuna cursed inwardly and quickly responded.

"I've never denied enjoying a good fight," he said. "And I've been in a state of slumber for a thousand years. Don't I have the right to have a little fun?"

"But there's no need to go that far," Yuuji retorted. Sukuna let out a growl and rolled his eyes.

"I could finish off this insignificant being in the blink of an eye, do you prefer I do it that way?"

"Well, yes. Besides, I'm worried about Fushiguro and Kugisaki. The sooner we reunite with them, the better."

Sukuna resisted the temptation to express out loud the unpleasant feeling hearing the name of the suicidal brat from his wife's lips, and focused all his anger on the curse. He gestured with his right hand, activating Cleave and slicing the curse into pieces until the only thing left was a burgundy-colored finger in the water.

The King of Curses approached and picked it up. Without thinking twice, he took it to his mouth and swallowed it.

"Now, let's wait for your friends; let's see if they don't take too long," Sukuna said, looking ahead. "Yuuji, I'll need you to let me control your body a bit longer."

"What is it that's so important that you want to talk to Fushiguro about?" the young pink-haired sorcerer asked.

"You'll know when the time comes."

Megumi ran through the intricate hallways as fast as he could, following Kuro, his black dog shikigami. The animal sniffed the air now and then, speeding up but always keeping a pace his master could follow.

"I hope you're okay, Kugisaki, Itadori," the teenager thought as they turned right and moved through a narrow hallway. He shuddered at the thought of Sukuna's request and shook his head. "Not the time for this," the young sorcerer chastised himself when he saw Kuro stop in front of a metallic wall, barking urgently as it stared at him.

Megumi approached the wall and placed his right hand on the surface. His eyes widened slightly as his fingers sank into it and quickly withdrew his hand.

"Alright, let's see what's in here," he said aloud, taking a deep breath and stepping forward. He easily passed through the wall and found himself in a dark place, dimly lit by curses resembling white masks in front of him. They glowed faintly, allowing him to see Kugisaki ahead.

A curse gripped her left ankle and was about to devour her, but no one had noticed his presence yet. Wasting no time, Megumi summoned his toad shikigami, which used its tongue to save his companion and pull her out of danger.

Kugisaki landed inside the toad and shot Megumi a disgusted look just as he summoned his snake shikigami to deal with the giant mushroom-shaped curses.

"While I appreciate you saving me, Fushiguro, was this really necessary?" the girl complained, grimacing in revulsion.

"We have bigger problems right now!" the black-haired sorcerer snapped. "Can you fight or not?"

"No, I'm out of nails." As they spoke, Orochi, the snake, finished off the last mushroom curse and turned to its user, awaiting further orders. Megumi summoned Nue, his flying shikigami, instructing both to handle the mask-like curses. "By the way, Fushiguro, where's Itadori?" Kugisaki's face paled, and her voice lowered. "He hasn't...?"

She didn't finish, but Megumi understood perfectly what his classmate meant.

"Sukuna is handling the special-grade curse. Once we're done here, we'll go back."

Kugisaki swallowed nervously, glancing sideways at the ongoing battle. Megumi's two shikigami were dealing with the curses without much difficulty.

"Any idea what he wants?" the young sorceress asked. Megumi shook his head, his green eyes locking onto hers.

"Itadori won't let him hurt us." Confidence colored his voice, and Kugisaki gave a slight nod.

"Guess you're right," she murmured as the last curse fell to the shikigami. Megumi had them retreat and glanced toward where Kuro waited. The toad withdrew as well, and Kugisaki tumbled to the ground. She groaned but quickly got to her feet.

The room plunged into complete darkness, and they couldn't see a thing. Kugisaki fumbled around until her left hand found Megumi's uniform sleeve.

"Don't get any weird ideas," she warned. "Let's get out of here."

Kuro began barking again, guiding the two young sorcerers toward him. He fell silent once they reached him, and the trio exited the room through the wall.

Kugisaki released Megumi's sleeve as soon as they were outside, standing expectantly with her hands on her hips.

"Alright, let's find Itadori and get out of here, right?"

"Yeah."

The two sorcerers began running, following Kuro. They passed through several corridors before finally reaching Itadori. Kuro vanished, and the pair stopped at the door, observing how part of the floor had completely disappeared.

Sukuna stood near the gap, hands in his pockets, his head slightly tilted as if listening to something neither sorcerer could hear.

"So you finally decided to show up, huh?" the King of Curses remarked, turning to face the two. He yawned lazily and stretched. "I was starting to think you'd never come back, and I'd have to go save you or something."

"What did you want to talk about?" Megumi cut to the chase, while Kugisaki muttered indignantly under her breath, visibly offended.

"Straight to the point, I see," Sukuna said, stepping closer. He stopped just a few feet away, and the two sorcerers instinctively stepped back. "I suppose I don't need to spell out why you were assigned this mission, do I?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Megumi snapped, tense. Sukuna raised his right eyebrow, studying him for a moment before letting out a chuckle.

"Alright, let me make it simple for you," Sukuna said, narrowing his eyes in annoyance. "This mission. Do you really think it was given to you by chance?" Megumi clenched his teeth as Kugisaki looked at him in confusion.

"What is he talking about, Fushiguro?"

"It's possible they wanted to get rid of Itadori. After all, this mission is way above our level," Megumi explained, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Not bad, brat," Sukuna remarked. "This was nothing more than a covert attempt to kill my vessel and me."

"What are you going to do?" Megumi asked, eyeing the King of Curses warily.

"Not let them get away with it, of course," Sukuna said, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Here's the story you're going to tell: the special-grade curse attacked you, and you tried to defend yourselves," the King of Curses explained. "But you couldn't, and all three of you were gravely injured, forcing Yuuji to let me out. I healed Yuuji's wounds and defeated that weakling. Got it, or do you have questions, brats?"

"Just one problem with your story: Kugisaki and I are unharmed," Megumi pointed out, frowning. Sukuna's smile widened as he eyed the pair with amusement.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Sukuna said, closing the distance in an instant. "We'll have some fun first. Don't worry; I'll hold back just enough to make the story believable." Sukuna narrowed his eyes again and frowned slightly. After a few moments, he relaxed and turned his attention back to the sorcerers. "I hope you can at least entertain me a bit. I've only got five minutes of control left, so make it count."

Neither Kugisaki nor Megumi had time to react as Sukuna appeared behind them, kicking Megumi away.

"Fushiguro!" Kugisaki shouted, watching her companion crash to the ground several times before landing on the other side of the gap. She sighed in relief as Megumi quickly got up.

"I think you've got more pressing concerns, girl." Sukuna grabbed her right ankle and effortlessly lifted her. Spinning her around a few times, he hurled her toward the opposite wall.

Realizing what would happen, Megumi summoned Nue, which cushioned the impact and let the two slide to the ground. Kugisaki's breathing was labored as she clutched her right side, grimacing in pain. She stood up with effort, glaring angrily at the King of Curses.

The bird, ensuring Kugisaki's safety, charged at Sukuna, who easily dodged its attack. The King of Curses still wore that arrogant, disdainful smile.

He ran toward the two sorcerers and, with a leap, landed in front of them. Looking at them with mild disappointment, he sighed.

"Is this all you've got?" he asked. Megumi gritted his teeth and tried to punch him, but Sukuna effortlessly dodged. Nue seized the opportunity to strike Sukuna from behind, attempting to paralyze him with electricity, but the attack didn't even faze him.

Sukuna punched Megumi in the stomach, leaving the boy momentarily breathless and making him cough up blood. Without giving him a chance to recover, he swung at his face. A sickening crunch echoed as Megumi coughed hard.

"Oh, looks like I broke your nose," Sukuna remarked, feigning concern. Megumi's uniform was torn from the previous impact, revealing bruises all over his body. "I would've liked to keep going to make it more believable, but I think this will suffice."

The King of Curses closed his eyes as the markings disappeared from his face. When he reopened them, Yuuji was back in control. The teenager casted a remorseful look at his friends, then averted his gaze.

"I'm so sorry," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes. "I tried to take back control, I swear, but I couldn't," Yuuji stammered, visibly shaken.

"Don't apologize," Megumi interrupted immediately. His voice sounded strange, but he seemed relatively okay. "What's important is that you're back."

"So, what do we do now?" Itadori asked as Nobara approached and smacked him on the head, scolding him for making her worry.

"We'll tell them what Sukuna said. As much as I hate to admit it, he has a point."

Itadori, visibly paler, nodded slowly.

Yuuji lay in bed, unable to sleep. No matter how hard he tried, the teenager just couldn't drift off. Letting out a sigh, the pink-haired sorcerer gave up and stretched out his left arm, reaching for the switch on the lamp on his bedside table, turning it on.

Yuuji sat up, placing the pillow against the headboard of his bed. Leaning back, he grabbed the comic book on his nightstand, opened it, and began to read.

"You shouldn't be doing that, Yuuji," Sukuna admonished him, opening the eye on Yuuji's right cheek and making a mouth appear beneath it.

"Why did you attack my friends like that?" the young sorcerer cut him off immediately, his tone serious. Fushiguro had ended up with a broken nose, while Kugisaki had fractured two ribs.

"I believe I already explained my reasons," the King of Curses replied with a brief growl. "All I wanted was to avoid raising unnecessary suspicion, Yuuji. Besides, I must say I held back quite a lot, you know?"

"I don't want anything like today to happen again." Sukuna let out a laugh at that.

"Then get stronger. Because I can guarantee they'll try to kill us again, and you've already seen they don't care if they take your friends down with us."

Yuuji gritted his teeth slightly. Part of him wanted to keep reprimanding Sukuna for what had happened, but deep down, he knew Sukuna was right. If they had survived, it was thanks to his intervention.

"Help me to get stronger," Yuuji asked seriously. Sukuna smiled widely at that.

"I hope you're ready for the training, Yuuji.I won't have any mercy"

Chapter Text

Sukuna relaxed slightly in his throne and observed what his wife was doing. Yuuji was sitting on the common room sofa, his gaze fixed on the TV screen. The young man was holding the doll his teacher had given him a few days ago in his lap.

"What movie is this?" asked the King of Curses at that moment, making a mouth appear on the right cheek of the young sorcerer. Yuuji, who had almost immediately gotten used to this, didn't flinch.

"An old one. I think it's called Nosferatu," the young sorcerer replied. Though it should be ending soon, or so Yuuji hoped. He had been watching for more than two hours.

"Not bad," Sukuna acknowledged, directing his gaze at the screen.

"It's pretty good."

"Don't tell me you've started talking to yourself, Itadori," Nobara, who had just arrived, looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Don't talk nonsense, Kugisaki," Yuuji protested, throwing her an offended look. Sukuna had completely withdrawn, and there was no trace left of his presence.

The girl walked over and leaned her arms on the back of the sofa, curiously watching the TV screen. She rolled her eyes when she saw it was a black-and-white movie.

"Really? You've started watching one of those old movies?" Yuuji shrugged and glanced at her sideways.

"Gojo-sensei recommended I watch it," the pink-haired teenager defended himself. His companion chuckled a bit and walked over to the table where the DVD boxes were messily stacked.

"Let's see if there's anything worth watching," Kugisaki commented, looking at the various titles. Every now and then she made grimaces of disgust as she discarded movies.

"See anything you like?" Yuuji asked. At that moment, the doll suddenly opened its eyes and punched the young sorcerer in the stomach, momentarily knocking the wind out of him.

Nobara, seeing her friend's condition, couldn't help but burst out laughing, completely ignoring the irritated look Yuuji gave her as he tried to calm the stuffed bear.

"Why are you laughing!?"

"Itadori, normally a sorcerer learns how to channel cursed energy at seven years old," Kugisaki informed him. "It's the most basic thing."

"I almost have it under control," Yuuji assured, giving his friend an indignant look. "Besides, I remind you, I haven't even been practicing for a month."

Nobara nodded distractedly, and her eyes stopped on the cover of a movie that seemed interesting. Without thinking twice, she grabbed it and showed it to Yuuji.

"This one is definitely worth it!" Yuuji took the DVD and read the title. It was one he had already seen, but seeing the excited look on his friend's face, the teenager couldn't bring himself to say no.

"Could be, yeah. We can watch it tomorrow. I'm going to bed after I finish watching this one."

Nobara made a face of annoyance and checked the time on her phone. It was after ten at night, she confirmed with some disappointment.

She let out a grunt and looked at her friend. Yuuji had gone back to paying attention to the screen, relaxing a bit as the credits started rolling.

The pink-haired boy turned off the TV and left the stuffed animal on the sofa. He stretched a little and smiled at Nobara.

"I'm getting better at this, you know? It almost doesn't hit me anymore."

Kugisaki suppressed a yawn and looked at him, unimpressed, while crossing her arms.

"Well, if not, you'd just be a burden, Itadori," she remarked. The teenager grunted a little and glanced at her sideways.

"I don't need you to tell me something I already know, Kugisaki," Yuuji suppressed a yawn and looked at her. "Anyway, I'm going to bed now, we have class early tomorrow," the young sorcerer remembered, making a face of annoyance. "Good night, Kugisaki," he wished her as he waved goodbye, leaving the girl alone in the common room.

Gojo dropped into the seat next to Nanami and looked straight ahead. The special grade sorcerer raised his right hand slightly to get the attention of the bartender at the counter.

"Could I get a non-alcoholic beer, please?" the white-haired man requested.

The bartender nodded and quickly left to prepare it. Satoru let out a long sigh and took off his sunglasses for a moment, cleaning them with a handkerchief. Then, he put them back on and looked at the other sorcerer.

"What did you want to talk about, Gojo-san?" Nanami asked seriously. "Or is this just another one of your nonsense?"

"They tried to kill one of my students again." The strongest sorcerer's tone had turned cold, almost threatening. "Don't you think it's about time I took care of those old geezers?"

Nanami let out a small huff and took a sip of his beer before bothering to reply.

"You wouldn't fix anything. They would just replace them, and you know that as well as I do, Gojo-san," the blond-haired sorcerer pointed out.

"I know." Gojo smiled slightly as his beer was placed in front of him, taking a long sip before continuing. "They're idiots who can't see the potential Yuuji Itadori has."

"Did you really just call me here to complain about that?" Nanami asked, giving him a disapproving look.

"Of course not," Satoru said, lowering his glass and looking at his companion. "I need to ask you for a favor, Nanami."

"What is it this time?"

"I need Yuuji Itadori to be under your tutelage for a while. He has potential, but I'm afraid I can't spend enough time properly honing his skills."

"And you think I'm the right person to take care of Sukuna's vessel?" Nanami asked, looking at the other sorcerer with disbelief.

"I'm not asking you to help Sukuna's vessel; I'm asking you to help Yuuji Itadori."

Yuuji let out a sigh as he sat on the steps at the entrance of the building where the classrooms were. Kugisaki and Fushiguro, sitting to his right and left respectively, stared ahead with boredom. They had finally finished their last class, and no missions had been assigned to them that day.

"What are you guys going to do now?" Yuuji asked with interest.

"I think I'll go buy something more suitable for summer," Kugisaki replied immediately, eyeing the long sleeves of her uniform with distaste. "Fushiguro, don't they have a proper summer uniform?"

"You can request modifications if you're not satisfied," Megumi pointed out. After that, silence settled between them again, and none of the three made an effort to break it.

A good while later, a tall girl with long hair tied in a ponytail approached them at a brisk pace.

"So here you are, Megumi!" The girl stopped in front of them, hands on her hips, looking serious.

"Who's that?" Kugisaki asked, pointing at the newcomer and shooting a questioning look at Fushiguro. "Don't tell me a depressed emo like you got a girlfriend before I did?" Both Megumi and the newcomer gave her disgusted looks, and the girl cleared her throat.

"She's Maki Zenin… she's my aunt," Fushiguro explained. Yuuji and Kugisaki looked back and forth between the two in silence, processing that information.

"Anyway, Megumi, I came to ask you guys something," Maki said, getting straight to the point. "The exchange event with the Kyoto Metropolitan School is coming up, and I wanted to know if you'd be interested in participating."

"What's that?" Yuuji asked, glancing at Fushiguro in confusion. But Maki was the one to answer.

"It's an event held every year, where second and third-year students participate."

"But we're first-years," Kugisaki pointed out, confused. Maki dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

"I already talked to the principal, and he had no objections," she explained. "So don't worry about that. It's the third-years' fault—they got expelled for being idiots," Maki muttered under her breath.

"Oh…"

"Anyway, are you in or not?" the second-year insisted. "It's an unique opportunity to measure yourselves against strong opponents."

"Of course we're in!" Yuuji jumped to his feet, enthusiastic and without hesitation. Nobara rolled her eyes and stood up as well.

"I suppose I could participate," the girl said. Fushiguro let out a sigh of resignation and straightened up.

"Count us in, Zenin-senpai."

"How many times have I told you not to call me by my last name?!" Maki let out a growl and then turned to Kugisaki and Yuuji. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you."

"I'm Yuuji Itadori," the pink-haired teenager introduced himself first. The second-year student frowned slightly and observed him with curiosity.

"And I'm Nobara Kugisaki."

"Maki!" someone suddenly shouted, approaching them quickly. The four of them turned in that direction and saw a panda advancing toward them, followed by a light-haired young teenager who was covering his mouth with the collar of his uniform.

"How many times have we told you not to rush ahead like that?! Neither Toge nor I can keep up with you!"

"They're Panda and Toge Inumaki," Maki introduced them once the two reached their group. "They're second-years, like me."

"Nice to meet you," Panda said.

"Salmon," Toge exclaimed. Yuuji and Nobara exchanged puzzled looks, and Fushiguro quickly explained.

"Inumaki-senpai is a Cursed Speech user, so to avoid hurting people by accident, he speaks using sushi ingredients."

"And how does that cursed technique work?" Yuuji asked, eyeing the second-year student with curiosity.

"You'll see during the exchange event," Maki assured him. "For now, what matters is that the three of us are going to train you thoroughly for it." A confident smile spread across the girl's lips. "I hope you're ready, brats."

"I have a question," Yuuji muttered, raising his left arm a bit. "What is Panda exactly? Is he a sorcerer?"

Chapter Text

Yuuji silently followed Kento Nanami through the movie theater hallways. The blond-haired sorcerer walked ahead with a stern expression, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

"Have you read the mission report, Itadori?"

"Ijichi explained all the details to me," the young sorcerer quickly replied.

"Good." Nanami stopped in front of the theater door and looked at Yuuji. "I want you to follow my orders at all times, understood?"

"Of course!"

Nanami slightly frowned at the young sorcerer's enthusiasm before entering the movie theater.

Yuuji followed closely behind, and they walked down the steps until they stopped in the middle of the room. There, sitting in the seats, were three completely deformed bodies.

The pink-haired teenager stared at them as a chill ran down his spine. He had already seen the photos in Ijichi's report, but seeing them in person was still unsettling.

"What do we do now?" he murmured in a barely audible voice. Nanami, who had been examining the bodies, turned to look at him.

"Whoever did this left behind a trail of cursed energy. Can't you see it, Itadori?"

"Focus a little, and you will," Sukuna advised at that moment. Yuuji quickly did as he was told, and it didn't take long before he could see what the sorcerer was referring to.

"Of course, I see it." Yuuji quickly thanked the King of Curses for his help and hurried to follow the other sorcerer outside.

The trail of cursed energy led them to the rooftop of a nearby building. There, a green-skinned creature awaited.

"I'll take care of that curse," Nanami said as he unsheathed the knife strapped to his back. Yuuji slightly raised an eyebrow when he noticed that the blade was wrapped in white cloth. "You take care of the other one."

Yuuji flinched at that and looked around, finally noticing the creature that had been hiding. The curse was staring at them, wariness and fear evident in its dark eyes.

The pink-haired teenager didn't hesitate. He concentrated cursed energy into his fists and lunged at the curse. Yuuji managed to land a right punch to its chest. A second after his fist made contact with the creature's skin, a delayed impact followed—this time, fully charged with the cursed energy Yuuji hadn't been able to release in time.

The curse collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. Yuuji stepped forward, determined to finish it off, but Nanami's voice calling out stopped him.

"Don't finish it off, Itadori!" the Grade 1 sorcerer warned. Yuuji looked at him in confusion, and the blond-haired man gestured for him to come closer. The young sorcerer obeyed immediately, and without a word, Nanami showed him his phone.

Yuuji's eyes widened in shock when he saw a photo of the curse Nanami had been fighting.

"Curses aren't supposed to appear in photos," Yuuji murmured, turning to look at the creature in question. It had collapsed, clearly dead, but it was still there—it hadn't disappeared. "Then… does that mean they aren't curses?"

"I don't know, Itadori," Nanami admitted honestly. He started dialing a number and brought the phone to his ear. "I'll ask Ieiri to examine them, see what she can find out."

"And what do we do in the meantime?"

"Wait. Once we have all the information, we'll decide how to proceed," Nanami said, putting the knife back onto his back. "Besides, Ijichi is still gathering information on the boy who was in the same theater as the victims."

Yuuji nodded immediately, and before following the other sorcerer, he cast one last glance at the two bodies, making sure they were still there.

Ieiri's response didn't arrive until the following morning. Yuuji was in class with Kugisaki and Fushiguro when Ijichi, visibly uneasy, peeked into the classroom and asked him to step outside.

Yuuji, feeling a knot forming in his stomach, glanced at the teacher, who gave him permission to leave. He could feel Fushiguro's and Kugisaki's gazes boring into the back of his neck, but he did his best to ignore them.

He knew them well enough to be certain that later, when he returned, they would bombard him with questions. The pink-haired sorcerer closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I'll figure out what to tell them later," Yuuji decided, putting the matter aside. "What do you think Ieiri-san will tell us, Sukuna?" the teenager asked at that moment.

"The only thing I can say is that those things weren't curses," the King of Curses replied. "This is the first time I've seen anything like this, so I'm afraid I can't be of much help."

Ijichi led him to one of the meeting rooms. There, sitting in one of the chairs, was Nanami. The sorcerer looked at them and gave a small nod in silent greeting.

Ieiri was holding a tablet and standing in front of a digital screen. She flashed a small smile when she saw Yuuji and Ijichi.

"Thanks for bringing him, Ijichi," the woman said, twirling a strand of her hair. The assistant, slightly flustered, mumbled a response and quickly left. "Alright, let's get straight to the point," Ieiri said, looking at the two sorcerers. Yuuji sat down, watching her expectantly. "I performed an autopsy on all five bodies and reached the same conclusion. They were human."

Yuuji swallowed hard and paled, staring at the doctor in disbelief. Ieiri continued explaining what she had discovered, but the young sorcerer wasn't listening.

"Did I… kill a human being?" Yuuji asked himself, still struggling to process the news.

He snapped back to reality when he felt a hand on his right shoulder. Ieiri had moved closer and was looking at him with a hint of sympathy.

"It wasn't your fault they died," she explained gently. "They suffered cardiac failure because they couldn't withstand the changes they were subjected to."

Yuuji looked at her in confusion, and the woman continued speaking. "Their appearance and brains were altered by a cursed technique, and unfortunately, they weren't able to adapt to it."

"Who could do something like this?" Yuuji murmured, horrified.

Nanami and Ieiri exchanged a glance before the blond-haired sorcerer took the lead.

"Ijichi was able to track down the young man who was at the cinema," he informed him. "I need you to confirm whether he's a sorcerer or not."

"I want to go after the one who did this," the pink-haired teenager interjected, looking defiantly at Nanami, only to be met with a stern look.

"We don't have enough information yet," Nanami reprimanded him. "That's why I need you to find the only witness and try to figure it out. Understood?"

Yuuji, though he didn't seem entirely convinced by what he had just heard, nodded and stood up. "Can I start as soon as possible?" he asked. "If we take too long, there's a good chance there will be more victims, right?"

"That's correct. Itadori, go with Ijichi. He'll tell you everything he's managed to find out. I still have more investigating to do," Nanami said, adjusting his green glasses.

Yuuji nodded and quickly left, leaving the two adults alone. Ieiri let out a sigh and looked at Nanami with curiosity.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to go alone?"

"I'll be fine, Ieiri-san," Nanami assured her. "I'd rather handle this myself and avoid putting a child in unnecessary danger."

"If you say so, but be careful, Nanami."

Before the Grade 1 sorcerer could respond, Yuuji ran back into the room. Ieiri raised an eyebrow and looked at the teenager.

"I forgot to wish you luck with your mission, Nanami-sensei!"

"Don't call me sensei, I'm not a teacher," the sorcerer said, avoiding looking at the teenager. Ieiri watched the exchange with amusement.

"Then Nanamin it is," Yuuji replied.

The doctor chuckled at that and shot a teasing look at Nanami, who pretended to be annoyed.

"Get going and stop wasting time, Itadori," the sorcerer advised. "And don't even think about calling me that again, understood?"

Yuuji was already gone and didn't hear the last part. Nanami let out a sigh and rolled his eyes slightly.

"He reminds me a lot of Haibara, don't you think?" Ieiri commented with a nostalgic smile.

"The world of sorcery isn't kind to people like him," the blond-haired sorcerer pointed out.

Sukuna listened with mild disinterest to what was happening outside. His spouse was paying attention to the explanation given by the talentless sorcerer as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world.

So far, nothing much had changed, but the King of Curses wasn't in a hurry either. He let out a sigh of relief when the assistant's explanation was interrupted by one of the fly heads escaping.

Without a second thought, Yuuji had rushed after them, cutting off the conversation he was having with the brat they were supposed to be watching over and a non-sorcerer.

"Should I even bother keeping that brat alive?" the King of Curses wondered while his spouse took care of the non-sorcerer, making him leave in embarrassment.

Sukuna brought a hand to his chin, deep in thought. The Cursed Technique that the brat would develop thanks to Mahito wasn't going to be anything groundbreaking. It wouldn't provide any real benefits either.

"His death is more useful to me," the King of Curses decided, making a face of distaste.

His spouse had just started talking excitedly about different movies they had watched, and the brat was quickly getting engaged in the conversation. Sukuna let out a grunt. It was already enough of a hassle to put up with the suicidal brat.

On top of that, the death of the jellyfish brat could work in his favor.

He stretched slightly when the two boys stopped talking upon being interrupted by the brat's mother.

"Don't forget why you're here, Yuuji," the King of Curses said, eager to put an end to all this. "You've already gotten the information you needed, haven't you? Besides, you made plans with Nobara Kugisaki to watch one of those movies tonight, or have you already forgotten?" Sukuna reminded him.

"Well, yeah..." Yuuji hesitated for a moment. He had completely forgotten that he had agreed to watch the movie Kugisaki had recommended. He knew his friend well enough to know she wouldn't take it lightly if he went back on his word.

Sukuna smirked in amusement as his spouse struggled to come up with a convincing excuse. Fortunately for Yuuji, at that moment, his phone rang, and his vessel used the assistant's call as an excuse to leave.

Minutes later, the sorcerer with barely any cursed energy arrived in one of those noisy modern vehicles, and his spouse got in after waving goodbye to the non-sorcerer and the jellyfish brat.

Sukuna let out a sigh and focused on letting his cursed energy fully envelop Yuuji's soul. If that poor excuse of a special-grade curse had even a shred of intelligence, it would refrain from attempting to touch his spouse's soul or his own once it saw this. And if it dared to do so anyway, it would pay the price.

Yuuji stared at the television screen with little interest. The movie Kugisaki had chosen was a comedy, but instead of focusing on what was happening, the pink-haired boy found himself recalling the events from hours earlier.

Even though Ieiri had assured him it wasn't his fault, it didn't change the fact that he had attacked that human with the intent to kill.

Without realizing it, he started trembling, completely unaware that Kugisaki had paused the movie and was now watching him seriously.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Itadori?" The pink-haired teenager didn't seem to hear her, which made the girl huff in frustration before trying a different approach to get his attention.

She pinched his right hand, finally making Yuuji look at her in confusion.

"I asked you what's wrong, idiot."

"Oh, it's nothing." The pink-haired sorcerer averted his gaze as he spoke, and Kugisaki had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, right. And I'm the Queen of England, sure," the girl replied sarcastically. "Now spill it. What happened?"

Yuuji fidgeted nervously with his fingers for a moment before finally sighing and starting to explain everything that had happened.

Kugisaki listened silently, her brow slightly furrowed. She didn't interrupt him at any point and only spoke once he had finished.

"I think Ieiri is right," she said. "Besides, you didn't even know they were humans. From what you told me, they were emitting cursed energy, right?"

"Yeah, but..."

"No buts," Kugisaki cut him off. "It's not your fault. Dwelling on it isn't going to get you anywhere. What you need to do is find whoever did this and beat the crap out of them. And if you need help, count me in."

She flashed a defiant smile as she said that.

"Thanks, Kugisaki." Yuuji gave her a grateful look as he spoke.

"Don't mention it, idiot," the girl said, noticing the tension in her friend's shoulders ease slightly.

Nobara cast one last glance at him before finally deciding to press the button to resume the movie.

Yuuji listened in disbelief to Ijichi's words. What he was saying simply made no sense.

The assistant had picked him up early in the morning and driven him to the high school where Junpei Yoshino studied—only to find that, for some reason, someone had dropped a curtain, isolating the building from the outside world.

"We'll wait for Nanami-san to arrive, and then you'll go in," Ijichi said, glancing nervously at Yuuji, who was clenching his teeth and staring at the curtain. "The fact that someone was able to cast one suggests the presence of a cursed user."

"We can't wait that long," the student interjected, his voice firm. "I'm going in, Ijichi-san."

Yuuji ignored the assistant's protests, got out of the car, and, without a second thought, sprinted toward the curtain. He passed through it with ease, frowning as he scanned his surroundings. His eyes quickly caught a trail of cursed energy leading to a gymnasium.

He headed straight there and pushed the door open abruptly.

What greeted him was a horrific scene—nearly all the students and teachers lay motionless on the ground, and Yuuji couldn't tell whether they were still alive or not.

But that wasn't the most chilling part.

Junpei stood in the center of the room, his face completely devoid of the warmth he had shown the previous day. A jellyfish-like shikigami was holding one of the students in the air.

Yuuji watched in horror as the non-sorcerer's face began breaking out in sickly purple rashes. He couldn't take it anymore.

"What the hell are you doing, Junpei!?"

"Stay out of things that don't concern you, sorcerer," Junpei replied coldly, his gaze like ice, sending a shiver down Yuuji's spine.

Chapter Text

Love was a waste of time. That was what he had told Kashimo back then, but now Sukuna was fully aware that that wasn't entirely true.

The problem wasn't with love itself, but with people. Only those who were strong enough had the right to it. It was an undeniable fact.

Sukuna watched the fight with little interest and clicked his tongue as he saw the jellyfish's stingers pierce Yuuji's body. The pink-haired sorcerer continued to try to reason with the jellyfish brat.

The King of Curses rolled his eyes as he finally achieved his goal and the other sorcerer began to cry. "How pathetic," Sukuna thought with displeasure. He sat up a little, interested, as he saw the moment being interrupted by that poor excuse for a special-grade curse.

The curse had the audacity to transform his right arm to hold his wife against the wall. Yuuji, far from caring about his well-being, urged the jellyfish brat to leave. Sukuna let out a snort upon hearing that. Weak sorcerers like that brat did not deserve a single iota of compassion from his spouse.

The King of Curses watched with disinterest as the jellyfish brat was modified by the cursed technique of that miserable excuse for a curse. Sukuna could clearly feel the desperation and helplessness that Yuuji felt at what was happening at that moment.

"Sukuna!" And there he was, his beloved wife, just as he did in the past, asking for his help. "You can fix it, right!?" Yuuji asked, distressed. The King of Curses stretched a little and let out a sigh.

"I'm afraid not," he said, without stopping for a second to soften the reality. Yuuji protested immediately and the King of Curses continued speaking. "There is no wound to heal. The cursed technique has completely modified his body and I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done now."

"Is there really nothing you can do?" Yuuji insisted anyway and Sukuna sighed, arming himself with patience.

"I'm afraid so." The King of Curses sat up from his throne and stretched a little. He watched as the jellyfish brat died and stifled a yawn. It was all as boring as he remembered.

The special grade curse had the audacity to take advantage of that moment of weakness of his vessel to touch the teenager and try to force him to exchange with the King of Curses. Sukuna, who did not intend to forgive that audacity, forced the soul of the stupid curse to enter his Innate Domain.

He looked down on him from the top of the mountain of skulls, savoring the panic on the curse's face.

"I should kill you just for having the audacity to touch our souls," the King of Curses declared disdainfully. He was aware that dealing with him at that moment was not something that would benefit him at all, but Sukuna could not let him go unscathed either.

He made a gesture with two fingers of his left hand, activating Cleave. The curse's chest was torn open and purple blood began to flow out at the same time that Sukuna expelled him from his Innate Domain.

The special-grade curse took a few seconds to react, but Yuuji, far from questioning the cut that had appeared on the creature's chest, began to attack, managing to land a punch on the curse's face.

The King of Curses watched as his spouse, completely out of his mind, relentlessly attacked his enemy. A smile made its way onto the King of Curses' lips. Seeing his vessel out of control was the most attractive sight he has ever seen.

Even the fact that that pathetic curse was capable of hurting Yuuji wasn't enough to make his wife stop. The sorcerer was ready to kill his enemy.

Sukuna clicked his tongue when, due to his spouse's carelessness, the curse regained the upper hand and if it hadn't been for the appearance of the 7:3 sorcerer, Yuuji would have been seriously injured.

The King of Curses frowned slightly as he watched how both sorcerers coordinated perfectly to face the curse. Neither of them gave him a single second to react and they were progressively cornering her.

Sukuna stopped paying attention for the moment, for some reason, seeing how his wife coordinated so well with someone who wasn't him was especially annoying. He grabbed one of the skulls that was nearby and squeezed hard. An unpleasant sound was heard and the skull broke into a thousand pieces.

The King of Curses let out a groan and removed the pieces of bone that had fallen on the kimono. He forced himself to witness what was happening outside at that moment.

The poor excuse for a special grade curse had just been able to activate its domain expansion, imprisoning the 7:3 sorcerer inside and leaving his wife out.

Yuuji began to hit the black surface of the barrier with constant force until, seconds later, cracks began to appear and part of the barrier broke, allowing his wife to enter.

The pink-haired sorcerer did not think twice and entered the domain expansion. He immediately located the curse and Sukuna sketched a cruel smile when he saw the panic in the creature's eyes.

The King of Curses didn't waste a second in dragging the curse back into his innate domain.

"And here I thought you would have learned your lesson after my previous warning." Sukuna didn't give him a chance to explain and activated Cleave again, severing the special grade curse's right arm at the elbow. He watched as panic and bewilderment stained the creature's face and let out a snort. "You're more pathetic than I thought," the King of Curses said boredly. He expelled him from his innate domain and sat back on his throne, paying attention to the battle taking place outside.

His wife, despite not fully understanding what had happened, launched into the attack, managing to hit the curse several times before the cursed creature used the little cursed energy he had left to escape.

The 7:3 sorcerer wanted to go after it, but Yuuji, who was beginning to suffer the consequences of his injuries, fainted at that moment. Sukuna did not waste the opportunity and led his wife's soul to his innate domain.

"Why did you bring me here?" the teenager asked in bewilderment. "I have to go after that curse, I can't let it escape!"

"In the state your body is in, you wouldn't be able to," Sukuna said calmly, fixing his four eyes on his wife. "You should be more aware of your own limitations, Yuuji."

"But…"

"I'm sure you'll have the chance later to finish what you started today," the King of Curses commented. "Let me ask you something, how did you feel while fighting that curse?" Yuuji frowned, bewildered by the question, but it didn't take him long to answer.

"I was furious; I wanted to kill him," his wife admitted as he looked at both hands. "I wish I could have prevented what happened to Junpei."

"Didn't you feel afraid at any point?" Sukuna insisted, visibly interested. Yuuji looked at him confused and shook his head immediately. "That curse you faced was a special grade, you know?" the King of Curses informed him.

His wife's eyes widened and he remained silent as Yuuji processed the revelation. Sukuna waited patiently for him to say something.

"I didn't even stop to think about all that," the young sorcerer admitted.

"You've become stronger," the King of Curses said. "Although that's not the only thing I wanted to talk to you about. Do you remember what the 7:3 sorcerer said before?"

"7:3 sorcerer? Do you mean Nanamin?" Sukuna nodded and Yuuji looked at him with some strangeness. I don't know what you mean exactly." The King of Curses resisted the urge to roll his eyes and began to explain.

"His attacks didn't affect him, but yours did. Doesn't that surprise you, Yuuji?"

"What are you getting at with all this?" the pink-haired teenager wanted to know, feeling more and more confused.

"Every living creature is made up of two elements: the soul and the body," the King of Curses explained. "The body is nothing more than a fleshy envelope that protects the true essence of each individual, that is, the soul." Yuuji nodded and Sukuna continued with his reasoning. "Under normal circumstances, attacks are only capable of damaging said fleshy envelope, but the same cannot be said of your blows."

"You mean that what I hit was his soul?" his wife deduced, looking at his hands again in disbelief.

"Indeed." Yuuji gulped and closed his eyes briefly as he took a breath. When he opened them, his gaze was filled with determination.

"The next time I find him, I won't let him escape," his spouse promised at that moment.

"Get even stronger if you really want to exorcise him," the King of Curses advised.

Yuuji stared silently at the ceiling of his dorm. Nanamin had taken him to the Jujutsu High infirmary and Ieri-san had taken care of healing all the wounds the young sorcerer had all over his body.

Even though there was no trace of the holes, the doctor had insisted that he rest and recover completely. Yuuji let out a frustrated groan and sat down.

He got out of bed and left his dorm. The pink-haired teenager walked to the railing and looked around in silence. He didn't feel tired at all and as much as he had tried, falling asleep was proving impossible.

Yuuji silently watched as dawn broke and the soft breeze that blew at that moment ruffled his pink hair. Yuuji glanced back when he heard a door open.

"What are you doing up so early, Itadori?" Megumi covered his mouth with his right hand as he barely suppressed a yawn.

"I've had enough rest," the pink-haired teenager answered distractedly. Fushiguro stopped beside him and stared at him while resting both arms on the metal. Yuuji noticed this and looked back at him while forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Did something happen on the mission, Itadori? You seem worried."

"I'm fine," the pink-haired sorcerer answered hastily. His classmate slightly arched an eyebrow and held his gaze. Yuuji ended up looking away and giving in. "Something did happen," he admitted without stopping to go into more depth. Fushiguro didn't insist any further, either. "But I'll be fine," Yuuji added seriously.

"You've gotten stronger," Megumi commented, changing the subject. "But I'm not going to let you leave me behind. I can become stronger too, Itadori."

The smile that graced the pink-haired teenager's lips became slightly more sincere and he nodded.

"I have no doubt about that, Fushiguro."

Megumi let out a grunt of annoyance when, at the end of the last class of the day, Gojo-sensei decided to make an appearance in the classroom.

The adult entered the room with his characteristic good humor and stopped in front of the blackboard. He was grinning from ear to ear, the black-haired young man noticed with displeasure as he grimaced.

"Thank goodness I caught the three of you here," the teacher commented. Itadori, against Ieiri-san's instructions, had come to class, claiming to be fine and also due to his desire to not to miss any more lessons. "Nanami has told me everything that has happened," Gojo declared while rocking on his heels as if he were a small child. "And I, your dear teacher, had an excellent idea."

"Could you stop beating around the bush and say it already?" Kugisaki asked boredly as she finished putting the books and pencil case into her red backpack. "I wanted to go shopping and I don't feel like wasting my time on nonsense."

"It turns out that a luxury cruise ship is going to be inaugurated in a couple of days and I've pulled a few strings to get four invitations."

Both Kugisaki and Itadori stood up abruptly upon hearing that and looked at the special-grade sorcerer with interest.

"They're offering a gala dinner before it sets sail, but it'll be worth it for us to go check it out. I'm sure you'll have a good time. You can see it as a reward for how hard you've worked," Gojo said. "Not every first-year student can boast of having survived the attack of a special-grade curse."

"Are you serious!?" Kugisaki shouted. Her eyes were shining brightly and she looked like she was about to burst with excitement.

"Of course I do!" And I'll make sure you can eat whatever you want there," Gojo-sensei declared as his smile widened at the sight of Itadori and Kugisaki's enthusiasm. The girl stopped abruptly and looked at her two companions.

"But if it's a gala dinner, we'll have to dress formally, right?"

"Of course; but don't worry about that," Gojo said cheerfully. "I'll take care of everything. You two just have to focus on enjoying the experience."

"You two!" Kugisaki shrieked, glaring at his two classmates. "This afternoon we're going shopping for everything. And I won't take no for an answer, is that clear?" She challenged Megumi with her gaze to refuse, but the black-haired young man just let out a sigh.

"As you wish, Kugisaki," Megumi said, completely resigned. He knew his friend well enough to know that she wouldn't change her mind and that it was best to just go with the flow.

"I must admit that the idea of relaxing doesn't sound bad," thought the black-haired teenager, glancing at Itadori. Gojo-sensei had good ideas from time to time.

Yuuji looked at himself in the dressing room mirror. He finished putting on the black jacket and evaluated the result.

"Something traditional would look better on you," Sukuna said at that moment. The King of Curses had insisted on this from the beginning, always finding reasons to complain about the different outfits his vessel had tried on.

"We already decided that we would go with modern suits," Yuuji reminded him again. "Anyway, this doesn't look so bad on me, does it?"

The teenager had ended up opting for a jacket and dark pants, which went perfectly with the white shirt, the navy blue striped vest and black shoes. An orange tie and handkerchief finished off the outfit.

"I guess you're right," the King of Curses reluctantly admitted. "Those colors suit you."

"Thanks," Yuuji muttered as he scratched the back of his neck with his left hand. Outside the changing room, footsteps approached, and a few seconds later, Kugisaki's urgent voice was heard.

"How long are you going to stay there, Itadori?"

"I'll be out now," said the teenager, drawing back the white curtain and stepping out into the hallway of the changing room area. Kugisaki looked at him critically and nodded in satisfaction.

"It seems that, contrary to what I expected, you don't have bad taste when choosing clothes, Itadori."

"I don't know if you're insulting me or flattering me," Yuuji murmured, pouting. Nobara rolled her eyes and gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"I'm not going to let the people accompanying me embarrass me," said Kugisaki seriously. "Now all that's left is for Fushiguro to decide what to wear." Itadori laughed a little and took off his jacket.

"Well, I'm going to put on my uniform and I'll be right back," the pink-haired teenager said and without waiting for her friend's answer, he went back into the changing room.

Yuuji quickly changed his clothes and went back out. Kugisaki was checking her phone and didn't even notice him returning.

"Have you already chosen what to wear?" The teenager asked in interest. The young sorceress was startled and turned quickly, glaring at Yuuji.

"There was no need to scare me, idiot!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Yuuji said, failing miserably to hide his laughter. Kugisaki rolled her eyes and looked at him.

"It's about time you stopped making such a long face, it doesn't suit you at all, idiot."

"I didn't want to worry you," Yuuji admitted, looking away.

"Who told you I was worried!?"

"Will you stop yelling, you morons?" Fushiguro asked in a bad mood as he came out of his changing room. Kugisaki ignored him completely and looked at her cell phone again.

"Have you already chosen what you're going to wear to the luxury cruise or not?" the girl wanted to know.

"Yes, you?"

"Of course I have. You're just a slowpoke, Fushiguro, you know?" Kugisaki replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Of course." Yuuji agreed immediately and the black-haired teenager rolled his eyes and refrained from commenting on the matter.

"Let's just pay for it, come on," he asked, taking out the credit card that Gojo had given them earlier.

Yuuji stared at the ocean liner with his mouth agape. It was a majestically intimidating sight. Its entire surface was white and had multiple windows on both sides. It was illuminated, which made it stand out even more.

Kugisaki, who was next to him, was wearing an elegant black dress and kept taking photos of the ship. Fushiguro, who was a few meters behind, kept checking the time on his phone, grunting from time to time. Gojo-sensei was late, for a change.

"You two, let's see if any of you can take a photo of me with the ocean liner," Kugisaki demanded at that moment. Seeing that neither of them offered, the girl ended up passing her phone to Itadori. "And you better make me look pretty, is that clear?" she warned him while glaring at him.

People passing by stared at them from time to time and Fushiguro resisted the urge to growl again. Neither Kugisaki nor Itadori flinched in the slightest, they were completely focused on taking photos and excitedly commenting on what it would be like to dine in such a place.

"I'm glad to see you're having such a good time already," Gojo-sensei commented, approaching unexpectedly. The teacher had put on an elegant dark suit and had exchanged the blindfold for glasses with dark square lenses.

"You're late," Fushiguro commented annoyed as Kugisaki and Itadori quickly approached.

"I had to take care of some last-minute matters," the special-grade sorcerer excused himself. "But I'm here now," he said as he took four tickets from his right pants pocket.

His three students each took one and advanced towards the entrance walkway, standing in line.

"Gojo-sensei, what kind of food do they have in places like this?" Yuuji asked excitedly. Nobara also watched the special-grade sorcerer with interest as the adult grinned from ear to ear.

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised if they had lobster or caviar," Gojo commented. "Maybe they have Kobe beef and bluefin tuna." Yuuji licked his lips internally as he imagined all those dishes.

The movement of the people in the line brought him out of his reverie and the four of them moved quickly. It took them more than ten minutes to get onto the liner, but they finally made it.

They walked down a long, narrow hallway following one of the cruise ship employees until they reached a huge room.

Yuuji looked in awe at the crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There were many round tables spread throughout the room and at the back of it was a wooden stage.

The waiter escorted them to one of the free tables and the four of them sat down quickly. A white tablecloth with gold trim covered the table they were sitting at. Napkins were neatly folded and placed on red ceramic plates.

"How elegant," Kugisaki murmured, looking around with a goofy grin.

A waiter approached with a bottle of champagne and offered to pour some into their glasses, but the four of them shook their heads and ordered soft drinks instead.

"So, what do you think of the place?" Gojo asked, loosening his white tie a little.

"It's really cool," Yuuji said, grinning from ear to ear.

"It's not bad at all," Fushiguro replied, somewhat indifferently looking toward the stage as he saw a group of musicians arriving carrying several instruments.

They started playing a soft piece of classical music at the same time as numerous waiters began to walk between the tables carrying trays. They began to serve the starters to the diners at that moment.

"What kind of music is it?" asked Yuuji looking at Gojo-sensei, but it was Fushiguro who answered.

"The four seasons." Fushiguro looked at Yuuji as if he had just asked a really stupid question.

"Bon appétit!" exclaimed Gojo-sensei as a waiter served them several starters then.

Chapter Text

Yuuji let himself fall onto the track and let out a long sigh while covering his face with his right arm. The sun was beating down hard that morning, making it even more annoying. Toge had made sure to wake them up early before leaving on a mission, and the three of them had been training since dawn on the school's tracks. The second-year students weren't giving them a single break. Maki was especially demanding with them.

Upon hearing Kugisaki shout angrily, Yuuji looked in that direction and raised an eyebrow when he saw that Panda had grabbed her by the left leg and was spinning around with her.

At one point, he let go of Kugisaki, and the girl crashed onto the ground. She immediately got up and began yelling at the second-year student.

Yuuji couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Kugisaki's hair was completely disheveled, and some grass had gotten tangled in her orange strands.

"What the hell are you laughing at, idiot!?" Nobara was glaring at him, but that only made Yuuji laugh even more. The girl let out a huff and rolled her eyes in irritation.

Maki, who had been talking with Fushiguro until then, approached them and cleared her throat.

"We're taking a short break now. Kugisaki, Itadori, would you mind accompanying Megumi to buy some drinks for everyone?"

Yuuji quickly stood up and nodded. Kugisaki let out a sigh of relief and tried to fix her hair, removing the grass as best she could.

"We'll pay you back later, don't worry," Maki added.

"What flavors do you want for the drinks?" Yuuji asked.

"Megumi knows our favorites, don't worry," Maki reassured him immediately.

Kugisaki, having finished cleaning herself up, urged Yuuji to get moving. Fushiguro was already waiting for them on the stairs, so they hurried to catch up with him and headed toward the vending machines on the school grounds.

"What kind of drink should we get for Panda?" Yuuji asked, tilting his head slightly as he observed the different options. There wasn't a bamboo-flavored one.

"Yeah, what exactly is a panda supposed to drink?" Kugisaki inquired as she inserted some coins and selected an orange soda. She smirked mischievously, and both teenagers looked at her with suspicion.

"Water," Fushiguro answered immediately. Kugisaki scowled in annoyance and let out a long sigh.

They grabbed a couple of sodas and continued chatting. They were so engrossed in their conversation that none of them noticed the approaching footsteps.

"You guys are the first-years students, right?"

The three students turned toward the voice and found themselves facing a boy and a girl who seemed slightly older than them.

The teenager was so burly he looked like a rugby player, and the scar over one of his eyes gave him an intimidating appearance. The girl with him was slender and, to some extent, attractive. Both newcomers were wearing Jujutsu High uniforms.

"And who are you?" Kugisaki asked seriously.

"Hello, Megumi," the short-haired girl greeted with a sly smile, completely ignoring the question. "It's been a long time since I last saw you."

Kugisaki gritted her teeth and shot Fushiguro a grumpy look.

"What's with this girl, and how do you know her?"

"…She's an old acquaintance," Fushiguro replied vaguely. "Mai Zenin, Maki's twin."

"Now that you mention her, where is that idiot?" Mai asked. "Don't tell me she's finally realized she's the family's failure and completely gave up on her stupid dream."

Kugisaki frowned at that and looked at her with disgust, but Mai wasn't finished.

"Megumi, I have to say I'm disappointed to see you hanging around with Sukuna's vessel."

"It's none of your business what I do or don't do."

Fushiguro's tone had turned hostile, and Kugisaki now looked at the girl with even greater disdain, almost as if she had personally insulted her.

"Oh, come on," Mai continued regardless. "I don't even know how they allowed him to attend Jujutsu High. He can't even be considered human."

"Take that back," Kugisaki snapped, stepping forward, casting a sideways glance at Yuuji, who had paled and was staring at Mai in disbelief. But it only lasted a moment before he quickly regained his composure.

"Why? I'm just telling the truth," the girl mocked.

"That's enough, Mai," the bulky teenager beside her cut in with an authoritative voice."That's not why we're here."

He barely glanced at the first-years before continuing.

"So, you guys are the ones replacing Okkotsu and the third-years. Nice to meet you. I'm Aoi Todo."

None of the first-years responded, and Todo let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head.

"Please excuse my companion's attitude,"he said, locking eyes with Fushiguro and Itadori."I have a question for the two of you. What's your ideal type of woman? You'd better not bore me with your answer, or I'll beat you up."

Sukuna lifted his head upon hearing Aoi Todo's question and waited. The first time this had happened, the King of Curses had paid no attention to his wife's response, but now he had the chance to find out.

His eyes widened when Yuuji stepped ahead of the suicidal brat and declared that his ideal type was tall women with a nice ass. The King of Curses blinked several times, trying to process what he had just heard.

"Now that I think about it… In my original form, I'm taller than Yuuji," Sukuna thought. "And if he finds people like that attractive, does that mean that when we were fighting in Shinjuku, he thought I was hot?"

That would explain why, during that fight, Yuuji kept grabbing him almost constantly. Sukuna blushed slightly but forced himself to focus on what was happening.

Aoi Todo had started crying and was babbling incoherently while the others stared at him in disbelief. Fortunately for them, the girl without cursed energy, Maki Zenin, and the cursed doll arrived, cutting the moment short.

Shortly after, the two sorcerers left, though Aoi Todo kept muttering nonsense, assuring Yuuji that they would meet again soon to catch up. The students from Tokyo watched the scene with raised eyebrows, not understanding what was happening.

Maki Zenin made sure everyone was okay, and the cursed shell apologized for not having anticipated that something like this would happen.

Sukuna let out a scoff at that. It sounded like an excuse and was hardly convincing, but he refrained from commenting.

Instead, he focused all his attention on Yuuji upon sensing sadness emanating from his wife's soul. It didn't take a genius to figure out the reason. Even so, his spouse masked that feeling while assuring their two friends that he had no idea who Aoi Todo was and that, just like them, he didn't understand what had just happened.

"Yuuji, what's wrong?" Sukuna asked anyway, unwilling to ignore what he was sensing.

"Nothing, I'm fine." The King of Curses let out a small growl and furrowed his brows.

"Our souls are intertwined; I can perfectly sense your emotions," he stated.

"Oh, I didn't know that," Yuuji mumbled. Sukuna rolled his eyes upon seeing the boy trying to reassure his friends, insisting that the brat's words hadn't hurt him.

"To the sorcerers, you're nothing more than my vessel," Sukuna said. "And you've seen firsthand that they won't hesitate to try to eliminate you."

"But I haven't done anything to them," Yuuji protested. He shook his head slightly. "Can we talk about this later? There are some things I want to ask you."

Sukuna raised his left eyebrow slightly upon hearing that. But a satisfied smile soon spread across his lips.

"As you wish, Yuuji."

The opportunity to talk didn't come until nighttime, much to the King of Curses' frustration.

Yuuji had spent the entire day with his companions, and it wasn't until after they all had dinner together that he was finally able to return to his room alone.

In an attempt to have some privacy and avoid interruptions, Sukuna pulled his wife's soul into his Innate Domain. Due to their training, this action had become almost routine—almost necessary.

Yuuji landed on the crimson waters, just a few meters away from the King of Curses. Sukuna, his hands tucked into the sleeves of his kimono, watched him expectantly.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, getting straight to the point. Yuuji fidgeted with his hands before answering.

"I just don't get it," the teenager muttered. "I haven't done anything for them to treat me like that; they don't even know me."

"Knowing that you're my vessel is enough for them," the King of Curses reminded him. "Rejecting what they don't understand is the easiest thing to do, you know?" he murmured bitterly. Yuuji looked at him with concern.

"Have you… ever gone through something like that?" he asked in a small voice.

"Yuuji, think for a moment. How do you think someone like me would be treated?" Sukuna questioned him. "I was always an unwanted child."

Yuuji froze upon hearing that revelation, opening and closing his mouth several times, unable to find the right words.

"You don't have to look at me like that. I'm not telling you this so you'll pity me."

Yuuji averted his gaze slightly and nodded slowly. Sukuna sat at the base of the mountain of skulls and tapped the empty spot to his right, inviting his vessel to sit. The young sorcerer obeyed, staring ahead, still unsure of what he was supposed to say.

"I stopped caring a long time ago, Yuuji," he said. "Just like you, I eventually found people who accepted me."

Chapter Text

Yuuji rocked nervously on his feet. He stood next to Kugisaki, Fushiguro, the principal, and the second-year students, waiting for the Kyoto students to arrive. He completely ignored the irritated looks his classmates were giving him and forced a small, shaky smile.

"Stop acting like an idiot, Itadori," Kugisaki scolded him, stepping closer and giving him a smack on the back of the head. Yuuji rubbed the spot and shot her a pained look.

"What was that for!?" the teenager protested. The young sorceress rolled her eyes and let out an annoyed huff. Fushiguro shot both of them a warning look, visibly irritated.

"Is it really that hard for you two to behave for two minutes?" he asked, frowning.

"Brother!" Aoi Todo's loud voice interrupted Fushiguro before he could continue scolding them. The Kyoto sorcerer was running towards them. "We have so much to catch up on now that we've finally reunited!"

Yuuji raised an eyebrow as the young man approached him and ruffled his hair with a confidence that felt uncomfortable. The pink-haired young sorcerer stepped back and looked at him in confusion.

"Behave, please." A woman dressed as a miko priestess arrived at that moment, accompanied by an elderly man and several students wearing Jujutsu High uniforms. Yuuji curiously observed the newcomers, noticing that one of them seemed to be some kind of robot. "What kind of sorcerer is that?" he wondered, intrigued, though he was careful not to say it out loud.

Kugisaki gritted her teeth and glared at Mai, while the other girl simply smiled and looked at her smugly. The priestess rolled her eyes and clapped her hands twice to get everyone's attention. It worked, and all eyes turned to her expectantly.

"Where is that idiot?" she asked, looking at the Tokyo students.

"Gojo-sensei shouldn't take much longer," Panda quickly responded.

The woman clicked her tongue in irritation and looked at the elderly man, who also seemed displeased. At that moment, Yuuji leaned slightly toward Maki.

"Who exactly are they?" he whispered curiously. Maki glanced at him sideways before shifting her attention to the two adults. Kugisaki, who had also heard the question, discreetly moved closer to listen.

"She is Utahime-sensei, and he is Gakuganji-san, the Kyoto principal," the second-year student explained.

"Sorry for the delay!" Gojo-sensei arrived at that moment, wearing his usual bright smile. "The mission in Hokkaido got a bit complicated, but thanks to my presence, everything was resolved without a problem," the teacher explained. He looked directly at Yuuji for a few seconds, and his smile briefly faded before quickly relaxing again. The strongest sorcerer let out a small chuckle upon noticing the irritation of the other adults.

Utahime rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. Yaga quickly took control of the situation and cleared his throat.

"Maki, Panda, can you show the Kyoto students the dorms they'll be staying in?" he asked, though it sounded more like an order. "We'll finish making the final preparations for tomorrow."

"Of course, Masamichi," Panda replied. "Let's go," he said to the other students. Without bothering to check if they were following, he turned around and started walking away, forcing the six students to follow him.

Megumi sat down next to Itadori and watched as the boy finished preparing dinner. Kugisaki, sitting across from him, licked her lips and grabbed the chopsticks to her right. Itadori had made a meatball stew at both of their requests.

"It smells amazing, Itadori," the girl commented. She was the first to reach into the pot with her chopsticks, grabbing one of the meatballs. Megumi let out a small grunt at the sight and shot her an annoyed look.

"You could at least wait for it to cool down, you know?" he remarked when Kugisaki started complaining about burning her tongue because it was too hot. Itadori chuckled at the scene, but his laugh sounded nervous and insincere.

"What do you think of the Kyoto students?" Itadori asked while his two friends gave him genuinely concerned looks.

"I'm going to beat up that arrogant Mai," Kugisaki declared, gripping her chopsticks tightly. She then glared at Itadori. "And you better not listen to the nonsense they say, got it?"

Itadori nodded and slightly averted his gaze. Megumi decided to step in and change the subject.

"I agree with Kugisaki, but it's best not to dwell on it too much," he advised. "By the way, I didn't know you knew Todo, Itadori."

"I don't," the teenager stated firmly.

"Well, he sure acted like he knew you," Kugisaki insisted, taking another bite and chewing quickly. Itadori just shrugged.

At that moment, as if summoned by Kugisaki's words, Todo suddenly burst through the door and peeked inside. His face lit up upon seeing Itadori, and he quickly approached them.

"I was looking for you, brother!" he exclaimed, sitting down at the table. Itadori shot a desperate look at his friends, but his silent pleas were ignored. Then, Todo noticed the food on the table, and his smile widened.

"Don't tell me… you made this, brother…" Todo murmured, for some reason beginning to cry right then and there. "I can't believe you remembered this is my favorite dish."

"I didn't make it for you. And why are you acting like we've known each other forever?" Itadori questioned, but Todo wasn't even listening, still mumbling incoherently.

"Ignore him, it's for the best," Megumi said, glancing at the Kyoto student, who only snapped back to reality after finishing his long-winded tale about how Itadori, in an attempt to cheer him up after being rejected by someone named Takada-chan, had supposedly made this dish.

Todo cleared his throat and looked straight at Megumi.

"As Itadori's brother, there's something I need to ask you, Fushiguro, to make sure you're a worthy friend of his," he declared.

Megumi frowned at that and shot him a sharp glare.

"I don't think that's for you to judge, Todo," the Ten Shadows user retorted, perhaps harsher than intended. However, the Kyoto student completely ignored his words.

"What type of women do you like?"

Megumi barely resisted the urge to groan at the question. "This is ridiculous", he thought, feeling an impending headache. The teenager also felt the gazes of the three students locked on him, waiting for his answer.

"I don't see why I should answer something so absurd," he finally responded.

"Oh, come on, Fushiguro," Kugisaki interjected with a mischievous smile. "I doubt your answer could be worse than Itadori's."

Megumi let out a sigh and looked down at his hands before replying.

"The only thing I look for is someone with an unshakable will. I don't ask for anything more," he revealed, unaware that Kugisaki was watching him with an unusual expression. Itadori watched Megumi with curiosity and a certain strangeness.

"You're too mature for your age, Fushiguro," the pink-haired sorcerer finally said.

Todo had started crying again for some reason and looked at Megumi as if he had offended him in the worst possible way.

"I knew it. You're such a boring person," declared the Kyoto student. He wiped his tears and gave Megumi a look of disappointment. "I don't understand how my brother can consider you his friend, honestly." Todo let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. "But you must have something, otherwise my brother wouldn't have befriended you, Fushiguro."

"I don't care what you think," Megumi interrupted, furrowing his brow and pulling the chopsticks out of his mouth. He shot a deadly look at Todo, but the Kyoto student didn't flinch in the slightest.

"That's exactly why, since tomorrow we have the group fight, I've decided to give you another chance," the sorcerer declared. Before Fushiguro had the chance to add something, Todo got up and smiled one last time to Itadori. "I would have loved to enjoy this awesome meal, but I have some…things I need to solve now. Brother, even if we are best friends, I am not going to hold back at all. I hope the same from you, okay?" Todo left quickly after saying that.

Yuuji swallowed nervously. He had barely been able to sleep at night, thinking about the group battle that would take place. Even though the second-year students had explained what the test involved, the young sorcerer couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Yuuji, you should focus on today's group battle and stop thinking about other things," advised the King of Curses. Yuuji bit his lip slightly upon hearing that.

"I know, but it's not that simple," the teenager admitted. Still, he tried to follow the advice.

The pink-haired sorcerer closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. Kugisaki elbowing him lightly in the ribs, and he opened his eyes. Yuuji shot his friend an annoyed look, but upon realizing that the Kyoto students were approaching their position, he forced himself to pay attention to them.

For some reason, Todo was frowning and keeping slightly apart from the rest of his teammates. Yuuji shook his head and made an effort to focus on what mattered. The nearby megaphones crackled to life, breaking the tense silence that hung over the clearing as Gojo-sensei's voice rang out.

"Good morning, everyone!" The teacher sounded especially cheerful that morning. "Today's test will begin in one minute, but first, Utahime-sensei wanted to share a few words of encouragement with you all."

"Eh… well…" Utahime-sensei hesitated for a moment before continuing. "In a competition like this, injuries are inevitable, but be careful and work as a team."

"Alright, it's time to start!" Gojo-sensei took over again, completely ignoring the other teacher's protests. "START!"

The students from both schools sprinted into the forest.

Chapter Text

Sukuna watched with interest what was happening outside. Just as it had happened in the past, Aoi Todo immediately went after them. His wife took care of him while the sorcerers accompanying Yuuji split into two groups.

The King of Curses smiled when he saw how his spouse moved. Without waiting for the Kyoto student to do anything, Yuuji landed a knee right to his face.

Yuuji, possibly due to all the time he had spent training with him, moved quickly, easily dodging Todo. The smile on Sukuna's lips grew wider as he saw how fast his vessel adapted to his opponent's movements.

"Why aren't you hitting him with everything you've got, Yuuji?" the King of Curses asked, stretching out as far as he could.

"I don't think that's the most appropriate thing to do," the pink-haired sorcerer immediately protested while crossing his arms over his face, barely protecting himself from Todo's punch. The young sorcerer with pink hair gritted his teeth as he was pushed back.

"Well, it doesn't seem like he's holding back," Sukuna pointed out, bringing his hand to his chin. He could clearly feel his wife's doubts. "If you don't give it your all, it would be like insulting him, don't you think?"

The King of Curses watched as his words made Yuuji hesitate, but it only lasted for a second. His wife's eyes filled with determination, and he began responding to Aoi Todo's attacks. Sukuna immediately noticed how his spouse's movements started adapting to his adversary's fighting style, even managing to outpace him at times.

"I wonder if everything will happen again like the first time," Sukuna thought. If the Kyoto students attacked Yuuji, he could gain an advantage from it and generate some mistrust, but for now, the best thing he could do was stay alert.

The King of Curses watched as his wife struck Todo several times with his divergent fist, causing the Kyoto student to shout in frustration.

Yuuji leaped backward, and Sukuna sensed his confusion and suspicion as the other sorcerer began lecturing him, pointing out the visible mistakes in his cursed energy use.

Sukuna suppressed a yawn and closed his eyes for a moment. There was no sign of the other Kyoto students, though the King of Curses had sensed the presence of the broom's wench a while ago, but she had left almost immediately.

Yuuji and Aoi Todo continued fighting for a few more minutes until, abruptly, both stopped. The King of Curses opened his four eyes and looked through his wife as a curtain began to cover the forest. Both sorcerers noticed it too and stopped fighting immediately.

"Is this normal, Todo?" the pink-haired teenager asked, casting a confused glance at the other sorcerer, who was staring at it with a furrowed brow, visibly tense.

"I'm afraid not, brother," he replied seriously. "We should go check on the others, I have a very bad feeling."

"Alright!"

Megumi ran as fast as he could toward the outside. He had been fighting Noritoshi Kamo in one of the buildings at the edge of the forest when branches burst through the place, forcing both sorcerers to move outside the structure.

The black-haired sorcerer gritted his teeth as his phone began to ring. He was about to answer the call, but his eyes fixed on the curse on the roof. Absorbed in this, Megumi didn't notice when his phone stopped ringing.

The curse's skin was completely white, except for the fingers on its right hand and feet, which were pitch black. It completely covered its left shoulder and arm with a white cloth and wore dark pants.

Megumi felt a shiver run down his body from his feet to his head. The bloodlust and murderous intent radiating from that curse were enormous. Kamo looked in the same direction and stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide open.

The curse, which seemed to be watching them, sent new branches toward them, forcing both students to step aside.

"Why is a special grade curse here!?" Kamo shouted, bringing his hands together and firing a blood beam at the creature. The attack grazed one of the branches the curse had for eyes, but it didn't manage to inflict any damage.

"I need you to keep it busy as much as possible," Megumi said as he brought his hands together and made the seal to summon his frog-shaped shikigami. "I'll try to contact the others." Kamo glanced at him sideways and nodded.

"I'll try, but hurry up, Fushiguro," he asked, stepping forward. Megumi nodded and quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket. He stepped slightly aside and glanced out of the corner of his eye as his frogs worked with Kamo, trying to hold the curse still.

The Tokyo student dialed Kugisaki's number and let out a sigh of relief when his companion answered right away.

"Why the hell didn't you pick up before, Fushiguro?!" At that moment, Kamo was thrown to the ground, and a loud crash was heard. "What was that?"

"Special grade curse," Megumi quickly responded, glancing back at the fight. The curse had just killed his two frogs and was moving toward Kamo. "We're in the temple area," he added before Kugisaki could say anything more. The black-haired sorcerer temporarily held the phone with his shoulder and made another seal with his hands, summoning another of his shikigami to fight. "We need reinforcements, Kugisaki," Megumi said before hanging up and putting the phone back in his pocket.

Kamo was struggling to get up, blood trickling down his forehead. The young man was panting and had a pained expression, but at least he was able to stand. The two sorcerers exchanged a brief glance, and while Megumi drew a black sword from his shadow, the Kyoto student threw a blood shuriken at the curse.

The shikigami Megumi had just summoned, the full and enhanced form of his divine dogs, also rushed toward the enemy.

The curse didn't flinch at all and launched what seemed like cocoons at the two sorcerers. Megumi had just enough time to crouch down and dodge them, but Kamo wasn't as lucky, and several of them pierced his chest.

The fact that the curse focused on the two sorcerers allowed his shikigami to reach it and scratch its right arm. In response, some branches shot up from the ground, sending the shikigami flying. Megumi managed to get closer and tried to attack the creature, but the curse easily grabbed the sword and looked at him disinterestedly.

"You humans are nothing but a plague that must be eradicated," the curse said, using a language Megumi had never heard before.

"How is it possible that I understand what it's saying?" Megumi wondered, pulling the sword with a strong yank, trying to make it let go, but the curse didn't budge an inch. "It's as if the meaning of its words is getting into my head," the sorcerer deduced, shuddering. It was an incredibly unpleasant feeling.

Taking advantage of the fact that the curse wasn't looking at him, Kamo launched several projectiles that struck the creature's back, though it was useless; the curse didn't even seem to notice.

Kamo let out a grunt and placed his hand over his chest. Something began to emerge from that area, but Megumi couldn't see exactly what it was. He focused his attention back on the curse when he saw it laugh slightly.

"It looks like it's already starting to take effect," the creature commented. Megumi gritted his teeth as he saw Kamo spit out some blood and prepared to continue fighting. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to recover the sword, he released it and opted to summon Nue as well.

"Please, don't take too long to arrive," the young man thought. "I don't know how long I can hold on by myself."

Nobara pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at Maki as she put it away. Her companion had just defeated Mai and was speaking to her in a low voice. The orange-haired girl had made sure to step away to give them some privacy.

"Maki!" The second-year student turned around and raised an eyebrow, waiting. "Fushiguro says he's facing a special-grade curse!" That was enough to catch Maki's attention. She jumped down from the tree and walked toward her.

"Where is he?" the second-year student asked urgently.

"In the temple area." As soon as Nobara finished speaking, Maki took off running in that direction.

"Make sure to inform the others, Nobara!" the fourth-grade sorcerer ordered before disappearing among the trees.

Nobara nodded and reached for her phone again, starting to dial a number.

"I guess I could go help once I'm done here," she mused aloud. Mai, who had just climbed down from the tree, shot her a look of disapproval.

"Do I need to remind you that I'm out of bullets and that there might be loose curses around here?" Nobara raised an eyebrow and stared at her.

"Are you really so stupid that you didn't bring any extra ones?" the young sorcerer asked mockingly. Mai clicked her tongue in irritation.

"That's not the point, idiot," she snapped through gritted teeth, starting to walk ahead. Nobara let out a small huff.

The first-year student pressed the phone to her right ear as she realized Itadori had answered the call. Without taking her eyes off Maki's sister, Nobara explained what was happening.

"Be careful, Itadori. As soon as I finish dealing with this, I'll head over there," Nobara said before hanging up. Mai was glancing at her sideways, serious.

"I'm surprised the Tokyo Jujutsu High allowed someone like you to enroll as a student." Mai continued antagonizing Nobara, who shot her a glare filled with hatred.

"What I don't understand is how someone like you can be Maki's sister. You two have absolutely nothing in common."

Mai scoffed and didn't bother to reply. She quickened her pace, forcing Nobara to walk faster.

"Do you even have any idea which direction we need to take?" Nobara asked after a while. They still hadn't managed to find a way out.

"Of course I do. Who do you take me for, rookie?" Mai replied without stopping walking.

The first-year student clenched her teeth and muttered under her breath. Instead of answering, Nobara simply grabbed her phone again and dialed Inumaki's number.

Mai glanced at her sideways and did the same. She bit her lip slightly while waiting for someone to answer. When she heard Momo's voice on the other end, part of the tension in her shoulders eased.

Yuuji hurried after Todo along the edge of the forest. The two sorcerers were near the river when they saw branches emerging from a nearby area. A white figure stood atop them, trying to escape from Nue.

Fushiguro's shikigami managed to strike it with one of its lightning bolts, but it didn't seem to have any effect. Todo started running in that direction, and Yuuji followed closely behind. Nue screeched as several branches managed to trap it, and the shikigami, unable to fly, plummeted to the ground.

Yuuji and Todo took a little longer to reach where Fushiguro and Kamo were. The pink-haired teenager quickly rushed over to his friend when he saw that Fushiguro was bleeding from multiple wounds.

"What happened?! Are you okay, Fushiguro?" he asked hurriedly.

"Don't worry; I'm not the one who took the worst of it," the dark-haired young man muttered through gritted teeth. Yuuji glanced at Kamo out of the corner of his eye. A plant protruded from his chest, and a trickle of blood ran from his lower lip down his chin.

"Todo and I will handle this." Yuuji stepped toward the plants, but at that moment, the curse jumped, landing just a few meters away from them and making all the vegetation disappear. It stared at Yuuji, sending a shiver down his spine.

"So, you're Sukuna's vessel," the curse remarked, eyeing him curiously.

"Brother, I'm not going to intervene in this fight," Todo declared, ignoring the incredulous looks from both Fushiguro and Kamo. Yuuji, still looking at the curse, simply gave a brief nod. "Unless you manage to use Black Flash, I'll just stand by and watch you die. Understood?"

Fushiguro clenched his teeth as he saw Yuuji not even protesting and instead launching himself at the curse, dodging its attacks with ease.

"I don't know what game you're playing, Todo, but I'm going to help him." Fushiguro's Nue and his Divine Dogs: totality charged at the curse, responding to their master's will.

"There's no point in coddling him, Fushiguro," the Kyoto student stated. "You need to let my brother spread his wings, don't you think?"

Fushiguro completely ignored his words and focused entirely on the battle unfolding before him. The curse lifted itself into the air using the roots it summoned, but with Nue's assistance, Yuuji quickly closed the distance.

He landed near the creature and delivered a punch. Todo grinned widely when he saw the black sparks appear.

"See?" he asked, glancing at the other student. Fushiguro gritted his teeth in frustration and stepped forward. Yuuji, taking advantage of the curse's slight retreat, delivered a kick. Once again, dark sparks flashed.

"It's about time I joined in," Todo remarked, flashing a broad smile. "Fushiguro, take Kamo somewhere safe." Without waiting for a response, he moved forward.

The dark-haired young man locked eyes with Yuuji, confirming that his friend had landed a third Black Flash, and let out a long sigh. Fushiguro hesitated for a moment before moving to help Kamo stand up. The curse had already destroyed his sword, and he wasn't as skilled in hand-to-hand combat as Itadori. Rather than helping, he would just be a hindrance at this point. Still, he had no intention of withdrawing his shikigami.

"Don't you dare die, Itadori!" Fushiguro shouted, turning one last time. "If you die, I'll kill you! Got it?!" He heard Itadori laugh at that.

"I'll keep that in mind!" the pink-haired teenager responded. Fushiguro allowed a barely perceptible smile before retreating as best he could. Todo arrived at Yuuji's side then and glanced at him.

"I'm going to use my Cursed Technique now, brother."

The curse sent roots in their direction, forcing the two young men to dodge and charge forward. Todo clapped his hands at that moment. Yuuji, noticing that their positions switched abruptly, blinked in surprise for a moment but didn't stop. He picked up speed and landed another punch on the curse, activating a fourth consecutive Black Flash.

Yuuji stepped back and tensed slightly as he looked down at his hands, momentarily distracted. The curse took advantage of that, launching several roots at the young sorcerer. Todo was about to clap again, but before he could, Yuuji rushed forward and touched one of the plants.

Discontinuous lines and scissors appeared all over the surface of the roots. Todo's eyes widened in shock as he watched them separate cleanly along the marked lines.

Chapter Text

Gojo watched the curtain covering the area where the students were with a serious expression. The sorcerer extended his left arm and brushed the surface with the palm of his hand. He felt the same jolt as before and clicked his tongue.

"I wonder who created this curtain," Satoru thought as he looked around, trying to locate the source of the barrier. His eyes fixed on a spot to his right in the forest, and the special grade sorcerer raised his right eyebrow as he headed in that direction.

He had to walk a bit before he found the place. Hidden behind a tree, crudely covered by weeds, was a nail wrapped in cloth. Satoru crouched down and picked it up carefully. He examined it closely and let out a whistle of admiration.

"Alright, time to get to work," he remarked cheerfully as he began to rise into the air. Once above the curtain, he removed his blindfold at the same time as he effortlessly broke the nail.

The effect was immediate; the curtain began to fade, allowing the sorcerer to catch a glimpse of what was happening inside. Right below him, Yuuji and Aoi were confronting a curse, Satoru noticed at that moment.

The blue eyes of the strongest sorcerer of the era locked onto the first-year student, and Satoru tilted his head slightly as he brought his right hand to his chin.

The way Yuuji channeled cursed energy had improved noticeably, but that wasn't all. According to the information provided by the Six Eyes, Yuuji had just awakened the Cursed Technique of the King of Curses. Moreover, Sukuna's cursed energy still enveloped the soul of the pink-haired teenager, Satoru confirmed with a slight frown.

"I'm not sure if that's a good sign," the sorcerer wondered, serious. He shook his head and focused on the curse. "Better to focus on what matters. Doesn't look like I'll be doing much here. I'll go check on the old man."

At that moment, the students and the curse all looked up, realizing the presence of the special grade sorcerer. Just before fully clasping his hands to teleport to another area, Satoru noticed that Yuuji's eyes had changed color — now a crimson red.

The strongest sorcerer didn't get the chance to see anything else, as he finished interlocking his fingers and transported himself to another part of the forest. He appeared beside the elderly sorcerer and flashed a sadistic smile upon seeing the man in front of them.

"I'll talk to Yuuji when this is all over," Satoru decided as he prepared to attack.

"Don't kill him!" Satoru clicked his tongue at that and rolled his eyes, immediately reducing the force of his attack.

The cursed sorcerer, who had been rambling incoherently about making a coat rack, let out a scream of pain as his arms twisted in a grotesque way due to the special grade sorcerer's attack. He fell to his knees, his face completely distorted in agony, staring in terror at Satoru Gojo, who was approaching slowly.

"I hope you weren't trying too hard, old man," Satoru commented. Gakuganji clenched his teeth and glared at him in silence. "Well, it's about time I wrapped this up, don't you think?"

The Kyoto principal didn't answer. He simply moved toward his electric guitar case and began putting it away without a word. Gojo chuckled a bit at that and fixed his gaze into the distance. He extended his right arm while bending the other, preparing to launch a ranged attack.

Sukuna watched with a wide grin as events unfolded outside. His wife continued fighting the curse with Aoi Todo's help, and together they were gradually cornering the creature.

"This is better than good," thought the King of Curses as he saw Yuuji, thanks to Aoi Todo's Cursed Technique, getting close enough to the curse to attack it directly with Shrine, even if the damage was only superficial. "More than enough for now," Sukuna told himself, noticing how quickly his wife was adapting to the other sorcerer's technique. Yuuji's innate talent was more than evident.

"We're not so different after all," the King of Curses reflected. He was going to need to plan how to continue drawing out his wife's full potential. Sukuna turned his attention back to the battle when he sensed the curtain begin to fade and Satoru Gojo made his appearance. That alone was enough to momentarily interrupt the fight as the curse and the two students waited to see what the newcomer would do.

The special grade sorcerer took a quick look at what was happening and, without saying a word, vanished immediately. The curse didn't wait another second and resumed the attack, launching seeds toward Yuuji. However, before they could reach the pink-haired sorcerer, Aoi Todo clapped once more, switching Yuuji's position with the curse's.

The seeds hit the creature's bare chest without causing the slightest bit of damage. The King of Curses yawned as he watched the special grade curse remove the cloth covering one of its arms, revealing the strange red flower on its shoulder.

"I didn't think I'd be forced to use my full power," the curse remarked, placing the newly revealed palm against the ground.

Sukuna observed with disinterest as it began absorbing the life of the surrounding flora. His spouse and Aoi Todo watched in horror as the nearby plants started withering at an alarming rate.

Yuuji clenched his teeth and stepped forward, clearly ready to strike before the curse could complete its move. At that moment, Sukuna sensed a massive wave of cursed energy coming from his left, rushing rapidly toward them.

"Don't move," he warned. "Or you'll die." Sukuna felt the confusion coming from his wife, but the boy obeyed without question.

The special grade curse had just enough time to shield itself with its roots before the strongest sorcerer's most powerful attack hit it head-on. A cloud of dust rose, preventing both sorcerers from seeing what was happening.

Yuuji stepped back once the dust finally settled and they could see the aftermath. The area where the attack had passed through was completely devastated — a chilling sight.

"What the hell was that?" Yuuji asked, noticeably shaken.

"That was an attack from your teacher," the King of Curses informed him immediately. His spouse swallowed hard and looked away from the destruction. Aoi Todo, on the other hand, had already turned around and was walking away as if nothing had happened.

"How do you know it was Gojo-sensei?" Yuuji asked, deciding to follow the other student before he lost sight of him.

"From the traces of cursed energy," Sukuna replied quickly. "Anyway, we'll talk calmly later when we're alone. I don't think now is the right time."

Yuuji hesitated for a moment, but eventually gave in. "That's probably for the best. Besides, I've got a few questions for you," the teenager admitted as he caught up with Aoi Todo.

"You look awful, Fushiguro," Kugisaki said as she sat in the chair to the right of the bed where her teammate lay, completely ignoring the annoyed look the black-haired teenager gave her. Itadori, sitting in the chair on the other side, nodded energetically.

"Do I need to remind you that I fought a special grade curse?" Megumi pointed out just as Kugisaki opened the pizza box left on his bed and grabbed a slice.

"Itadori did too, and he didn't end up this bad," Kugisaki reminded him, taking a generous bite of her food. Itadori grabbed a slice as well and started eating alongside her.

"I would've appreciated something easier to digest for dinner." Despite his complaint, Megumi picked up a slice and took a small bite.

"Don't be such a whiner. Itadori and I wanted pizza." Megumi rolled his eyes and simply kept eating.

"How are you feeling, Megumi?" Gojo-sensei's voice came from the infirmary door, breaking the moment. All three teenagers looked toward him.

"Still alive," grumbled the dark-haired teenager.

"I see, I see," Gojo replied as he walked over to them. "I'm glad the three of you made it out of today's incident in one piece. But I'd like to have a word with you alone about what happened. It's urgent."

Kugisaki and Itadori exchanged a confused glance, but quickly stood up from their chairs. Megumi watched his teacher seriously and nodded right away, noticing how his two friends promptly obeyed and left, closing the infirmary door behind them.

Gojo-sensei placed both hands on his legs and let out a sigh, ignoring the expectant look from his student.

"What did you want to talk about, Sensei?" Megumi asked when Gojo remained silent.

"What happened today is still under investigation," the teacher admitted. "But I have to say, you all handled it admirably."

"I didn't do much," Megumi muttered, scoffing slightly. "In the end, Maki and Panda had to help me get Kamo out. It was Itadori and Todo who faced that curse."

"About that—did Yuuji tell you he managed to control the King of Curses' technique?" The stunned look Megumi gave him was all the answer Gojo needed. "I see he didn't. I figured you should know ahead of time."

"Wouldn't it be better to talk to Itadori about this?" Gojo grimaced at the comment.

"I will, but I wanted to make sure you knew too. If word of this reached the wrong ears, things could get… unpleasant for him," the teacher admitted. "I'd like to keep a closer eye on him, but with my current workload, that's not possible."

"You mean what happened at the detention center would happen again?" Megumi asked, his expression hardening as he recalled the mission.

"Exactly. And since Yuuji's gotten stronger, I wouldn't be surprised if you all start receiving more dangerous assignments." Megumi nodded, as if he had already expected that. "I don't know if I'll get the chance to speak with Yuuji today," Gojo-sensei said. "But I'll try," he added, noticing the look his student gave him.

Megumi grabbed another slice of pizza and chewed in silence. Gojo watched him quietly for a few moments.

"I'd like to stay a bit longer," he admitted, "but I've got a meeting about what happened." He stood up. "Focus on getting better for now. Tomorrow's a new day."

Yuuji stepped toward Sukuna. As soon as he had entered his bedroom, the King of Curses had dragged the young sorcerer's soul into his Innate Domain. Yuuji stopped in front of Sukuna and looked at him.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"You didn't do too bad today," said Sukuna. "But you still have a lot to improve."

"I barely managed to hurt that curse," Yuuji pointed out. The King of Curses rolled his eyes and quickly closed the distance to give him a light smack on the head. His spouse immediately rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand.

"It's the first time you've used my cursed technique. Of course you weren't going to be able to use it perfectly just like that," The King of Curses commented.

"What are you thinking? More training?" asked the pink-haired teenager, curious. He frowned slightly and looked at the King of Curses. "Now that I think about it, when I used your cursed technique, I didn't do it like you. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, it's just that you've adapted my cursed technique to yourself. Even if we are sharing a body right now, we're still different people," Sukuna explained. "So we won't manifest the same technique in the same way." Yuuji nodded and looked at his hands, thoughtful.

"It was strange," the pink-haired sorcerer admitted, raising his eyes to look at Sukuna. "Suddenly, I just knew what I had to do."

"The only thing you can do now is keep refining Shrine and keep using it until you master it completely," advised Sukuna. "If only I knew how my spouse managed to learn all that in a month, I could try to replicate the method they used," the King of Curses lamented internally. "I'll have to find another way to teach himeverything," he told himself. They still have time for improvement.

Yuuji nodded and smiled. He shortened the distance between him and the King of Curses and, impulsively, gave him a hug. Sukuna, who hadn't expected such an affectionate gesture, froze, unsure how to respond.

"Thanks for helping me," Yuuji said. The King of Curses, a bit awkwardly, returned the display of affection as best he could.

"Of course I'll help you. After all, we're in this together, Yuuji."

Nobara dropped onto the couch and glanced sideways at the other students. Both the Kyoto and Tokyo groups had gathered in the dorms' common room. The injuries from the previous day's attack hadn't been too serious, except for Kamo.

It had been Gojo-sensei who insisted on the meeting, apparently because there was something important to discuss.

"The idiot is late," Maki growled after checking the time again.

"Well, it'd be strange if he were on time, don't you think?" Panda remarked. At that moment, almost as if the words had summoned him, Gojo-sensei appeared, accompanied by the principals of both Tokyo and Kyoto.

"Good morning!" greeted the strongest sorcerer with a wide smile. "I'm glad to see you're all here already."

"You're the one who told us to meet," Maki pointed out, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

"True. As you all know, something unpleasant and rather unusual happened yesterday," Gojo-sensei said, bringing his hands together. "We've been considering canceling the event, but before making a decision, I'd like to hear your thoughts."

"We can't cancel it," Todo declared firmly. "What kind of sorcerers would we be if we let what happened yesterday stop us?"

"I have no problem continuing," Maki added, raising her right hand slightly.

"Me neither," Nobara said, quickly copying her, doing her best to ignore the mocking look Mai was giving her.

"Anyone disagree?" Gojo-sensei asked, smiling brightly. None of the students protested, and the sorcerer's grin widened even more. "Perfect! Then let's move on to choosing the next event, shall we?" he said, revealing a metal box with a round opening on the lid—just large enough for someone to stick a hand through. "Yuuji, care to do the honors?" Gojo-sensei offered, moving the box toward the student.

The pink-haired teenager stepped forward and slipped his left hand inside. A few seconds later, he pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. The young sorcerer unfolded it completely and read it aloud.

"Dodgeball." Itadori raised his right eyebrow slightly and looked around for Gojo-sensei, but the teacher had already vanished from the room. The two principals were speaking to each other hurriedly in hushed tones. Finally, Yaga took control of the situation and cleared his throat, catching the students' attention.

"I suppose, considering what happened yesterday, a more… relaxed activity isn't such a bad idea," the sorcerer said. "I'll take care of organizing everything. The match will be held this afternoon."

Yuuji positioned himself behind the Kyoto players and took a deep breath. He had been chosen as the team captain for Tokyo, while the blue-haired girl was holding the same position for the other team.

Kyoto's teacher, Utahime-san, stood next to the two oldest members of the two teams, Inumaki and Todo. Yuuji watched as the woman tossed a coin into the air and caught it.

"What is this dodgeball thing?" Sukuna asked as the two captains took their positions on the field and Gojo-sensei handed the ball to Fushiguro.

"The goal is to hit members of the opposing team to eliminate them," Yuuji explained, while the Kyoto students backed away as the obsidian-haired boy prepared to throw.

"Brother, do you remember those dodgeball games we used to play during P.E. in high school?" Todo, who was standing a few meters in front of Yuuji, glanced back at him with a nostalgic smile. Before the pink-haired teenager could correct him, Fushiguro threw the ball, hitting Todo square in the stomach.

"Todo is out!" Gojo-sensei shouted at the top of his lungs. The Kyoto student grabbed the ball, which had rolled a couple of meters away, and walked to the spot where his teammate stood—behind the Tokyo students.

"The game ends when all members of one team have been eliminated," Yuuji continued, while Todo threw the ball at Maki. She managed to catch it in time and threw it toward the pink-haired boy.

Yuuji caught it and looked at the Kyoto students. He got ready to throw, but instead of hitting one of his opponents, he passed the ball to Kugisaki, who grinned widely and managed to strike Mai, eliminating her.

The dodgeball game picked up intensity from that moment on. The ball flew rapidly from one side of the field to the other, although not every throw resulted in someone getting hit.

Kugisaki was the next to be eliminated after a precise hit from Mai, which allowed her to rejoin her teammates on the field. As the orange-haired girl crossed into the Kyoto's team side, Maki's twin sister gave her a smug smile, which earned her a death glare from Kugisaki.

"You're gonna pay for that," Kugisaki muttered, getting ready to throw the ball. Mai dodged it with ease, but Fushiguro, who managed to catch the ball, eliminated Nishimiya with a clean hit to the back.

Satoru watched the game with amusement. It was obvious both teams were giving it their all, but it was just as clear that the teenagers were having a lot of fun. "It is almost like yesterday's attack never happened" the sorcerer thought, looking at Yuuji, making sure his eyes weren't red again.

"We should do this every year," he remarked aloud, glancing sideways at Utahime. "Don't you think?"

The teacher let out a low grunt and looked thoughtfully at her students.

"I admit that, for once in your life, you've had a good idea," she muttered under her breath. "They deserve at least one chance to act like the teenagers they are."

"...Utahime, you just sounded like an old lady," Satoru pointed out, giving her a look of concern. "You must have been spending too much time with that fossil."

Utahime shot him a furious glare upon hearing that.

"Stop saying nonsense!" she snapped, throwing the drink she had been sipping. The liquid never touched Satoru, protected by his Infinity. "I hate you!"

The two principals observed the scene in silence. Yaga was the first to look away and let out a sigh.

"I'll deal with Satoru later, don't worry," he said in a low voice.

"Fine, but about Sukuna's vessel—why did you allow him to enroll as a student, Yaga?" Gakuganji inquired. "It goes against sorcery regulations."

"I chose to give Yuuji Itadori a chance," admitted the Tokyo principal, adopting a serious expression. "And for now, I can say I don't regret that decision."

"Let's hope that moment never comes," Gakuganji said as he stroked his beard. The two principals turned to watch the students again, ending their brief conversation.

They observed the students continue playing, unaware of the discussion. Kyoto's team kept losing players one by one. Yoshinobu let out a sigh as the last of his students was hit by Yuuji Itadori.

"It seems this year's victory is also yours," commented the Kyoto principal.

Chapter Text

Yuuji sat beside Sukuna and thoughtfully observed the crimson waters. The King of Curses fixed his four eyes on the young man and waited silently until his vessel finally decided to speak. He knew Yuuji well enough to realize the teenager was trying to find the right words.

"...Can I ask you a question?" the young sorcerer asked, turning to look at him.

"What's it about?" asked the King of Curses. Yuuji nervously fiddled with his fingers for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"I know I should've asked you this before, but... when is your birthday?" Sukuna gave him a look full of disbelief, and Yuuji quickly looked away. The King of Curses soon recovered and a tiny, affectionate smile crept onto his lips.

"Of course, only you would want to know things like that," Sukuna thought with a hint of fondness.

"I don't know," the King of Curses replied honestly, completely ignoring the puzzled look his spouse was giving him. Sukuna fixed his gaze forward before continuing to speak. "I don't know the date I was born, and it's not like anyone would've been willing to remember the day a monster was born," he said flatly. Yuuji furrowed his brow upon hearing that.

"I don't think you're a monster," the young man confessed in a soft voice. Sukuna chuckled a little at this. "I'm serious," Yuuji insisted, serious.

"It stopped mattering a long time ago." The King of Curses made a gesture, as if trying to downplay the matter, but his vessel didn't seem too convinced, so Sukuna added, "You shouldn't dwell on it either."

Yuuji let out a sigh and stared ahead.

"I still don't think it's right," he protested, slightly furrowing his brow. Sukuna shook his head at that moment.

"It makes no sense for you to keep dwelling on things that have no solution anymore, Yuuji," said the King of Curses.

"I guess you're right," Yuuji grudgingly accepted, lying down on the pile of skulls.

"What you should focus on now is improving the control of your cursed technique," Sukuna pointed out. "It wouldn't be surprising if, since you've gotten stronger, they start assigning you more dangerous missions." Yuuji, far from seeming worried about that, gave a small smile.

"I'm sure we'll do just fine," said the young man with pink hair. Sukuna rolled his eyes and, acting on impulse, ruffled Yuuji's hair with his right hand.

Megumi stopped in front of a two-story building and turned to look at Itadori, who was following him closely.

"This is the library," the black-haired sorcerer said, having to look away when he noticed the ear-to-ear smile that had appeared on his friend's face.

"Thank you so much, Fushiguro!"

"You don't have to thank me," Megumi said, putting his hands in his pockets and looking at Itadori with curiosity. "Although, to be honest, you don't seem like the type of person who would go to a library," Megumi commented bluntly. Itadori scratched the back of his neck and looked at the building.

"There are some things I'd like to check out," Itadori admitted as he moved toward the entrance and opened the door. Megumi raised an eyebrow and hurried to follow him inside the building.

"If you tell me what you're looking for, I might be able to help," Megumi suggested as he stopped beside his friend. He saw Itadori tense up slightly and flash a nervous smile.

"Well, to be honest, I'd like to read something about the Heian era," the pink-haired sorcerer confessed. Megumi immediately turned to look at him, his eyes wide, causing Itadori to hurry to justify himself. "It's just that, since I recently got Sukuna's cursed technique, I thought I might find some information there."

"Well, I guess we won't lose anything by taking a look," Megumi reflected, putting his right hand to his chin. "Though don't get your hopes up, I don't know if we'll find anything."

"It's okay!" Itadori had regained his previous upbeat attitude and smiled widely. "Thanks a lot, Fushiguro," he added, lowering his voice when he noticed the disapproving look Megumi was giving him. "Where do we start?" Itadori asked, looking at the wooden bookshelves in front of them.

"Let's start by looking in the history section," Megumi agreed, moving forward and scanning the signs on the shelves. Itadori followed closely behind, and Megumi focused on looking ahead.

The shelf they were looking for was at the back of the room, illuminated by the sunlight streaming through the windows. Megumi began checking the titles of the books carefully, searching, with his friend's help, for anything related to the Heian era.

"I think we should start with this book on famous sorcerers of the Heian era," Megumi said, pulling a thick tome from the shelf in front of him. Itadori grimaced at the size.

"Isn't there anything that's dedicated exclusively to Sukuna?"

"Many records from that time have been lost," Megumi said, glancing at him sideways. "Better get to work, Itadori."

"But, Sukuna is a curse, right?" the pink-haired teenager questioned. "Are you sure he'll be in that book?"

"He was a sorcerer before, and a pretty powerful one at that. I don't see why he wouldn't be mentioned," Megumi said, heading toward one of the tables in the middle of the room. He sat down and gave Itadori an expectant look as his friend continued to check the books until he finally grabbed another volume and hurried to join him.

The black-haired teenager glanced curiously at the title of the book Itadori had picked up. "History of the Heian Era I" was written in golden letters on the black cover.

"Alright, let's get to work then," Itadori declared, visibly excited as he opened the book to the index and started flipping through it.

Megumi did the same and glanced at the glossary. It didn't take him long to spot Sukuna's name, right below another sorcerer named Angel.

"Alright, it's on page 125," Megumi thought, starting to flip the pages. He lifted his gaze slightly and looked at Itadori.

The pink-haired teenager was staring intently at the book, his nose slightly scrunched up, completely absorbed in whatever he was reading. Megumi smiled faintly and watched him for a few seconds until, suddenly, Itadori looked up, and their gazes met. The pink-haired sorcerer was looking at him with some curiosity, Megumi noticed immediately.

"Is something wrong, Fushiguro?" Itadori asked, though his face quickly lit up. "Have you found something?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Megumi said, hastily focusing back on the book. Itadori continued to stare at him for a few more seconds, confused, but eventually shrugged and went back to his book.

A silence settled between them, broken only by the sound of pages turning. After a while, Itadori started clicking his tongue from time to time and reading in a low voice.

The black-haired teenager bit his lower lip and forced himself to focus entirely on the task at hand. He kept flipping through the pages until he reached the chapter dedicated to the King of Curses.

He couldn't help but shudder at the sight of a drawing of Ryomen Sukuna in his original form. Just looking at that abomination with four arms and two pairs of eyes sent chills down his spine. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat, quickly diverting his gaze from the terrifying illustration.

"I found something, Itadori," Megumi said, his voice trembling. Itadori immediately lifted his head and looked at him expectantly. Megumi cleared his throat for a second time and showed him the portrait of the King of Curses.

Itadori stared at the sketch for a few seconds without saying a word. Megumi didn't notice the slightest change in his friend's expression.

"So that's what he really looks like," Itadori murmured at last. "Pretty cool." Megumi blinked several times and looked at his friend as if he had just grown a second head.

"Are you serious, Itadori?"

"Of course," the pink-haired teenager replied, looking at him with confusion. "It must have been pretty cool having four arms, to be honest." Megumi raised an eyebrow at that and looked back at the image.

"You're weird sometimes, Itadori," the sorcerer of the Ten Shadows technique commented, his voice free of malice. His friend didn't pay any attention to what he had just said, opting instead to read the text on the page after the image.

"What's the Sun, Moon, and Stars Squad?" Itadori asked at that moment.

"Well, let me see, here it says that it was a squad at the service of the Fujiwara family," Megumi explained, taking on a more serious tone. He blushed slightly when he realized the way Itadori was looking at him. "Is there a reason you're looking at me like that?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"It's just that I'm amazed at how much you know, Fushiguro," Itadori said, his eyes shining with admiration as he spoke. Megumi noticed it, feeling his heart start to beat faster and his cheeks redden even more.

"...We should keep looking," Megumi said after coughing slightly. He let out a long sigh and took a deep breath, forcing himself to look back at the text. "Look, here it talks about Sukuna's cursed technique," the black-haired sorcerer pointed out. Itadori leaned even closer to Megumi, who hurriedly moved his chair to the side.

"I'll read it aloud for you, okay?" Megumi suggested, swallowing hard.

Itadori seemed not to hear him at that moment. He frowned and appeared to be concentrating on something else. Suddenly, he moved away and gave his friend an apologetic look.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Fushiguro," Itadori quickly apologized, crossing his fingers and casting an embarrassed glance at Megumi, who coughed again and started reading aloud.

Chapter Text

Yuuji closed the door to his bedroom and walked over to his desk. The young sorcerer placed the book he had taken from the library on the table and felt Sukuna begin to tug at his consciousness.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, Yuuji was standing over crimson waters. Sukuna frowned, arms crossed as he watched him.

"Is something wrong?" Yuuji asked, confused as he walked toward the King of Curses.

"Why did you go look through those books?" Sukuna's voice was harsh and sharp, making Yuuji give a sheepish grimace.

"Well… I just wanted to learn more about you," the young sorcerer admitted, "and I thought I might find something there." Sukuna let out a sigh and stepped closer to him.

"And what do you think about what you found?" The King of Curses' tone had grown more cautious, his eyes studying his vessel with interest. Among the records his spouse and that suicidal brat had found, there were some details about the massacres Sukuna had committed in the past.

"Well..." Yuuji hesitated for a moment and shook his head. "I don't think you're someone who would do something like that for no reason," the sorcerer admitted. Sukuna looked at him in a slightly strange way, but before the pink-haired youth could question him, the King of Curses spoke again.

"If you want my advice, I wouldn't recommend trusting everything you read," Sukuna said seriously. "My reputation among sorcerers is what it is, so it's not like they're going to write nice things about me, right, Yuuji?" The teenager nodded slowly, and the King of Curses continued. "Besides, humans tend to forget details or misremember them—whatever suits them best."

"I guess you've got a point," Yuuji admitted, remembering all the times he'd played Chinese whispers with his friends and how the final message was always completely different from the original.

"If you want to know more, it's better to ask me directly," suggested the King of Curses, adopting a more affable expression. That was the invitation Yuuji had been waiting for.

"Is your true form just like it appeared in the illustration from that book?"

"It is." Sukuna raised an eyebrow when he noticed how excited Yuuji looked. "You're really not scared of how I really look?"

"Of course not! I think it's super cool," the pink-haired sorcerer admitted. Sukuna let out a huff of amusement.

"I'm glad to hear that." Sukuna seemed completely relaxed at last, Yuuji noted with relief.

"How does your second mouth work?" the young sorcerer asked, and the King of Curses couldn't help but burst into laughter at the question.

"You really are something else, Yuuji," Sukuna replied affectionately, ruffling his vessel's hair while ignoring his wife's protests.

Sukuna listened with little interest to the conversation taking place outside. His spouse was talking to the voodoo technique woman and the suicidal brat about the new mission they had been assigned.

Two weeks had already passed since the exchange event with Aoi Todo and the other brats from the other school. So, the mission they had to complete now was the one involving that bridge.

The King of Curses brought his right hand to his chin thoughtfully, closing his upper pair of eyes. "Should I stop my wife from killing that Death Painting?" he wondered. "Though I doubt it would be of any real use," Sukuna admitted. Besides, he clearly remembered how deeply his vessel had been affected after taking down those two hybrids.

"Maybe I can use that to my advantage," the King of Curses mused. Using that moment to grow closer to his wife seemed like an excellent idea.

At that moment, his vessel's voice interrupted his thoughts, and Sukuna narrowed his upper eyes slightly.

"Sukuna, is it possible for a curse to take this long to activate?" Yuuji wanted to know.

"It's not typical, but it's possible certain conditions haven't been met yet," the King of Curses replied immediately.

"Do you think it'll be a strong curse?" Sukuna resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the question.

"It's too early to tell, Yuuji," he reminded him. Their conversation was cut short just then, as the woman driving the noisy motored carriage found a place to park, and the three sorcerers got out.

Sukuna barely paid attention to the conversation they were having with the non-sorcerers at the site, and let out a small yawn. He made himself comfortable in his usual spot atop the mountain of bovine skulls and closed his eyes. Even so, the King of Curses remained somewhat aware of what was happening outside.

His wife and the two brats who were his friends, after receiving some information, decided to head over to the place they needed to investigate.

Sukuna opened his eyes when that happened, watching with a smug smile as the three young sorcerers tried in vain to activate the curse.

As night began to fall, they decided to pause and get some food at one of those excessively lit stores nearby.

His spouse picked out a couple of stuffed rice balls and sat on a bench near his friends to eat calmly.

"Now that I think about it, what's your favorite food, Sukuna?" his wife asked as he took a generous bite of his meal.

"Meat in general." Sukuna stretched out to his full length and stifled another yawn. "But don't you think there are more important things you should be worrying about right now?"

"I guess so, but I don't think we're going to find anything today," Yuuji commented with resignation as he finished the first rice ball and unwrapped the second.

Just then, one of the non-sorcerers arrived with a young woman in one of those bizarre modern vehicles, making the three sorcerers stop eating and look at them curiously.

The two newcomers approached quickly and began speaking urgently. Sukuna barely paid attention to what they were saying—the voice of that human woman was particularly annoying, and the King of Curses let out a sigh of relief when the two non-sorcerers finally left, escorted by the woman who had driven the motor carriage.

Sukuna gave a wide grin when, thanks to his wife stepping in front of the young sorcerer, he got a close look at the panic etched across the suicidal brat's features. Beads of sweat dotted the teenager's pale skin, and he seemed completely lost in his thoughts.

"Does this brat really consider himself a sorcerer?" Sukuna mocked inwardly, watching as his wife had to call his name several times to finally snap him out of it. "Pathetic," he thought, a sardonic smile spreading across his face as he noticed the fear hadn't left the suicidal brat's eyes.

And his wife, seeing that he had managed to snap him out of it, let go of his friend and stepped back a few paces, though Yuuji's concern hadn't faded, making the King of Curses grit his teeth in irritation.

Just a few minutes later, after a quick exchange between the three youths and a brief phone call the suicidal brat made to one of the school officials, the Ten Shadows user shoved his two companions into the motored carriage without the slightest care, completely ignoring their protests.

"In case you haven't noticed, Yuuji," the King of Curses began, deciding it was time to intervene, "your friend is going to try and handle everything on his own." Referring to the suicidal brat that way left a bitter taste in Sukuna's mouth, but he knew he didn't have much choice.

"So you noticed it too?" The concern in his wife's voice was still present, and Sukuna resisted the urge to growl in frustration.

"It's pretty obvious," Sukuna acknowledged, resting his head on his right hand and smiling triumphantly when he realized his wife wasn't questioning him. He had already started talking with the hammer woman, and both agreed to follow the suicidal brat to see what he was up to.

Yuuji frowned with concern. He and Kugisaki had been following Fushiguro for quite a while now, but their friend showed no signs of noticing—and it wasn't like they were making much of an effort to hide their presence.

"Should we say something?" Yuuji exchanged a glance with Kugisaki, who let out a sigh and nodded.

The two picked up their pace as they saw Fushiguro finally come to a stop just before reaching the Yasohachi Bridge.

"We're supposed to be a team, you know," Kugisaki said, placing her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't just go off on your own like that."

"We've been following you for a while and you didn't even notice," Yuuji added, stepping forward to stand beside Fushiguro. "I'm not saying you have to tell us everything, but at least trust us a little. We're a team, right?" Kugisaki nodded firmly, completely agreeing with his words. She also stepped forward and stood on the opposite side of the black-haired sorcerer.

"Tsumiki is in a coma," Fushiguro revealed, keeping his gaze fixed ahead. "And I have no way of knowing when she might become the curse's target," the young sorcerer admitted. "My only option is to deal with this here and now—but the mission has become more dangerous."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say," Kugisaki replied, rolling her eyes. "So the plan is to find the curse and take it out." She and Yuuji moved forward a few steps, followed by Fushiguro a few seconds later.

"We will save your sister, Fushiguro," Yuuji added, looking at his friend. He sounded so sure of himself that Fushiguro found himself nodding.

They made their way through the area until they reached a small stream running beneath the bridge. The three sorcerers stopped on the right bank of the water and exchanged a brief glance.

"Ready?" Fushiguro asked. Both Yuuji and Kugisaki nodded with determination, and the three of them crossed the stream in a single stride, easily landing on the opposite shore at the same time.

Chapter Text

Yuuji watched the place that had formed around them with a serious expression the moment they crossed the stream. They were now inside a cave with no visible exit.

"This is the same thing that happened at the detention center," Kugisaki remarked, raising her hammer while cautiously scanning the area.

"Don't let your guard down," Fushiguro warned, drawing a sword with an obsidian-colored blade from his shadow. No sooner had he spoken than several mole-like curses emerged from nearby holes, all laughing in unison at them.

"…They don't look very strong," Kugisaki said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think it'll take long to take care of them."

Yuuji and Fushiguro nodded, and without another word, the three teenagers sprang into action.

While Kugisaki took one out with her hammer, Fushiguro sliced another in half with his sword.

Yuuji dashed toward the nearest one and brushed it with the fingertips of his right hand just as he activated Cleave.

He sliced the curse into pieces, eliminating it effortlessly. The pink-haired teenager quickly scanned for the next creature, but before he could reach it, a laugh echoed through the cave.

The three young sorcerers immediately froze, on high alert. A creature running on all fours was charging at them. It was greenish in color, with a huge mouth where its head should have been. A smaller mouth sat just above that, and what looked like empty eye sockets stared blankly.

"What the hell is that?" Yuuji asked as the horrible creature came to a stop in front of them and tilted its head slightly.

"It doesn't matter," Fushiguro said seriously. "We have to deal with the curse," he reminded him, trying not to shudder upon noticing that his friend's eyes had turned red, with several concentric circles appearing in his irises, giving him a disturbing look.

"All right. I'll handle the new curse—just keep going with the rest," Yuuji muttered, launching himself at the newcomer without hesitation.

Fushiguro, trying to stay focused, shook his head and nodded. He charged at the nearest mole-shaped curse and slashed it with his sword.

Kugisaki, after glancing at Yuuji—who had just hurled the green curse far away—wasted no time in jumping in to help Fushiguro.

Yuuji dodged the cursed creature's strike and punched it in the stomach, but upon realizing it was spewing blood at him, he was forced to leap back and put some distance between them.

A potent, nauseating smell emanated from the ground where the blood had landed. A white vapor rose from it, and Yuuji thought he saw the rock begin to corrode.

"I'd better make sure that stuff doesn't touch me," Yuuji thought, preparing to keep fighting.

He managed to kick the curse in the head, but it grabbed him and tried to spew blood again, forcing Yuuji to use a judo hold to break free and pin both of its arms behind its back. He finished the move by kicking the creature away.

The pink-haired teenager clenched his teeth upon realizing he hadn't even managed to scratch his opponent.

"What kind of curse is this?" Yuuji wondered, eyeing the curse suspiciously as it stood back up and appeared to fix its empty sockets on a point behind him.

"Does it even matter, Yuuji?" Sukuna inquired just as the curse let out a jubilant scream and began a frenzied dash, leaping over the pink-haired youth with unsettling ease.

"Wait for me, brother!" the curse yelled.

Yuuji let out a curse and immediately took off after it, watching in disbelief as the creature simply left the Domain. The pink-haired youth stopped beside Fushiguro and frowned as he noticed Kugisaki was gone.

"Where's Kugisaki?" he asked, a bad feeling creeping over him. Fushiguro was tense, his lips pressed into a thin line. Yuuji thought he saw him looking at him strangely, though it might have just been his imagination.

"They took her," Fushiguro replied seriously. "You should go help her." Seeing Yuuji glance at the exit of the Innate Domain that had opened, he quickly added, "I can handle things here on my own."

Yuuji looked at him for a few seconds before stepping toward the exit. However, just before leaving the Innate Domain, he turned back one last time to look at his friend.

"I'll try to be back as soon as I can, Fushiguro," he said seriously. "If things get bad, you get out too, okay?" The dark-haired teenager nodded, and Yuuji left.

Megumi let out a sigh of relief as he finished off the last of the curses. The black-haired sorcerer was about to sheathe his sword when he noticed something. His brow furrowed, and he looked around seriously.

"I'm sure there are no curses left, so the Innate Domain should've vanished by now," the dark-haired teenager thought. "What's still left to do?" he wondered uneasily.

At that moment, the sound of falling water caught his attention. Several meters to the right, something resembling a cocoon had formed on the rocky ceiling of the cave.

Megumi's eyes widened as it opened and something dropped to the ground. When he recognized it, a chill ran down his spine, and the young sorcerer swallowed nervously.

It was the same curse they had fought in the juvenile detention center.

"No, it's not the same," Megumi corrected himself quickly. The curse standing before him was far more intimidating than the last. "Am I really going to be able to face this alone?" he wondered.

But it wasn't a question of whether he could or not. He had no choice—he had to fight this curse here and now. However, that brief moment of hesitation cost him dearly. Before Megumi could react, the creature appeared in front of him and landed a punch to his stomach, sending him crashing into one of the cave's pillars.

Megumi struck his head against the stone and was momentarily dazed. Once the teenager regained focus, he locked eyes with the curse and stretched out both arms. He ignored as best he could the blood dripping down his face and the headache starting to settle in.

The dark-haired sorcerer smirked with satisfaction when he saw fear in the creature's eyes. It leapt back quickly, watching him with a mixture of wariness and caution.

Megumi paused before completing the words he was about to recite, thinking about Itadori. His friend had improved a great deal since joining the Metropolitan School—so much that he had surpassed him.

The teenager also remembered the conversation he'd had with Gojo-sensei when he'd asked for training to become stronger to try to be on the same level as Itadori. A crazed grin spread across Megumi's lips as he interlocked his fingers and glared defiantly at the curse.

"I've changed my mind!" he shouted, unable to contain the euphoria. "Domain Expansion: Chimera Shadow Garden!" The grin remained on his face as his shadow began to stretch and twist unnaturally beneath his feet, spreading across the rocky floor.

The curse readied an improvised arrow of cursed energy, but before it could shoot, several frog-shaped shikigami began climbing up its legs, breaking its concentration and causing the cursed energy to disperse.

Megumi stopped smiling and launched his attack. He managed to exchange several blows before the curse landed a solid hit using its cursed energy. The creature grinned triumphantly—only for its smile to vanish as the human dissolved into a mass of shadows, revealing it had only struck a decoy.

The curse scowled and looked around for the sorcerer, but two Nue emerged from the shadows and struck it with electricity, paralyzing it briefly. The curse, however, unleashed a powerful wave of cursed energy that shattered Megumi's Domain Expansion entirely.

The curse grinned broadly, convinced it had completely annihilated its enemies. That's why the last thing it expected was the sudden pain in its chest. It looked down and saw a claw piercing through it. Behind it stood Megumi and the full form of his Divine Dogs.

"I knew you'd let your guard down if you thought you'd won." Megumi's voice was shaky but resolute. He let out a breath of relief as the curse vanished completely, leaving behind one of Sukuna's fingers.

Megumi clumsily picked it up just as the curse's Innate Domain finally disappeared. His legs gave out beneath him, and he dropped to his knees. His breathing was labored, and his vision began to blur.

The dark-haired boy doubled over and vomited onto the rocky ground. He closed his eyes for a moment and let out a groan. The pounding in his head had intensified until it became unbearable, and a wave of both mental and physical exhaustion washed over him.

"Hope those two idiots are okay," Megumi thought before losing consciousness right then and there.

Nobara managed to free herself from the person who had pulled her out of the Innate Domain and tried to strike him with two of her nails, but the stranger dodged the attack with shocking ease.

The young sorceress gritted her teeth when the moonlight illuminated her attacker's features. He appeared to be a young man of medium build with dark skin. He was barely wearing anything, which made Nobara wrinkle her nose slightly.

"Oh, my apologies, miss," the stranger said in a calm and polite tone. "I'm afraid I wasn't intending to take you."

"What do you mean?" Nobara demanded, gripping her hammer tightly and preparing to strike again. The stranger raised an eyebrow and looked at her in confusion, as if the girl had just asked an absurd question.

"Miss, didn't you come here to look for Sukuna's finger?" That was all the information Nobara needed.

"And what if I did?" she asked tensely, pulling two more nails from her pouch. "How is it possible there's a Sukuna finger here?" If that were true, they would have sensed it. "Unless it's like the curse from the juvenile detention center", Nobara thought, biting her lip.

"In that case, I'm afraid I'd have no choice but to kill you, miss," the man said with a tone of regret, almost as if he lamented the situation.

"I'll have to take care of him quickly," the girl thought. If there really was a Sukuna finger inside the Innate Domain, Fushiguro and Itadori were in serious danger. Her hands trembled slightly. She wasn't sure if her enemy was human or a curse, but there was no time for hesitation.

Before she had the chance to attack again, the door to the Innate Domain opened once more, and the greenish curse emerged, followed moments later by Itadori.

"Oh, here you are, big brother," the creature said with a wide grin upon seeing the man.

"Kugisaki!" Itadori shouted, giving a small smile of relief upon seeing that Nobara was okay.

"You two!" The dark-skinned man scowled, clearly about to lose his composure completely. "Have you seen my back?!"

"I'm so sorry!" the creature immediately apologized. Nobara, seizing the opportunity while the man let his guard down as he assured he would kill both Itadori and his "brother," ran to where her friend was and threw two nails. Finally, she saw the man's back and suppressed a shiver.

Just below the fabric covering the area under his armpits, he had a pair of blood-red eyes, bones resembling a nose, and a small mouth.

"Itadori, we need to get back inside as soon as possible," Nobara hissed. "So let's take care of these two once and for all, understood?" Itadori nodded and clenched his fists.

The man, who had completely lost his cool, moved in immediately. Blood began to pour from the eyes on his back, forming two butterfly wings, lifting him into the air.

Seconds later, he launched several attacks using that blood, forcing the two young sorcerers to jump back and dodge.

"Kugisaki, don't let him touch you!" Itadori shouted as he saw one of the rocks hit by the blood start to dissolve.

"You don't have to tell me something that obvious, idiot—" Nobara didn't finish her sentence, as one of the attacks grazed her cheek.

That was all the two young sorcerers needed to start running.

The brat with the voodoo technique was nothing more than a nuisance at that moment. As soon as they started running, she tripped when one of the attacks struck near her, forcing Yuuji to pick her up in his arms to prevent her from being killed right there.

Sukuna scrunched his nose in annoyance. That act of heroism had caused his wife to waste valuable seconds, but the King of Curses refrained from making a comment about it.

Yuuji managed to put enough distance between them and the two Death Paintings. Sukuna stifled a grunt when he saw that both of them lowered their guard, and first his wife, in an attempt to protect the brat with the voodoo cursed technique, ended up being drenched in the blood of the green Death Painting.

Sukuna observed with little interest as everything unfolded almost exactly like it had before. The brat with the voodoo technique, who had also been affected by the ritual of the two hybrids, began to drive nails into her arm to force them to undo their cursed technique.

The King of Curses narrowed his eyes slightly when he felt that one of his finger was exposed, allowing Sukuna to know concisely what was happening with the suicidal brat.

"One must be truly incompetent not to be able to perform a full Domain Expansion after so many years of practicing sorcery," the King of Curses thought with disgust as he wrinkled his nose. Though it was undeniable that the suicidal brat had potential as a sorcerer, Sukuna was aware that, given his current mindset, the suicidal brat would never reach his full potential. He shook his head and paid attention to what was happening with his vessel.

The hammer-wielding brat had just managed to make the Death Painting withdraw its cursed technique, only to, just two minutes later, kill one of them without the slightest hint of compassion.

Sukuna picked up on the confusion his wife felt when he glanced sideways and saw that the supposed curse didn't disappear.

"Yuuji, you shouldn't be distracted," the King of Curses pointed out, though it wasn't really necessary, since his vessel, to prevent the other Death Painting from escaping, had already launched into pursuit.

Sukuna watched as his wife delivered the final blow to his enemy, though he suppressed a sigh when he heard Yuuji apologize to the Death Painting before finishing it off with a Black Flash, killing it instantly.

He grunted slightly when, as the two young sorcerers returned to where they had left the suicidal brat, they began talking about what had happened. Yuuji remained silent, almost sounding regretful for having killed one of the Death Paintings.

"Overthinking won't get you anywhere, Yuuji," the King of Curses advised. "It was either you or them," he reminded him.

"I know, but one of them cried for the other. Of course, being siblings...," murmured the young man with pink hair. Sukuna resisted the urge to roll his eyes when he heard that. He would never understand that aspect of his wife.

"It's like your friend says, you had no other choice but to finish them off," the King of Curses said seriously.

"I know," Yuuji admitted, hanging his head, walking behind his friend, while the hammer-wielding brat tried to lift his spirits by declaring that, from that moment on, they were both accomplices in murder.

A while later, they finished crossing the forest and arrived at where the suicidal brat lay unconscious. Sukuna couldn't help but let out an amused snort when he saw how his spouse and the hammer-wielding brat were celebrating that their friend wasn't dead.

When the suicidal brat extended the finger to Yuuji, Sukuna didn't hesitate for a second and made a mouth appear in the palm of his wife's hand, swallowing the finger in his place.

Nobara stared at the ground with her lips pressed into a thin line. After the idiot Itadori let Sukuna eat the finger, Nitta had found them and had been scolding them the whole way for their recklessness.

The worst part was that, as expected, the assistant had notified the school director about what had happened. As soon as they arrived at Jujutsu High, the three first-year students had to go straight to the infirmary for Ieiri to tend to their wounds, but afterwards, the three were summoned to Yaga's office, where they were still listening to the second reprimand.

"Which one of you three thought it would be a good idea to ignore the order to leave the mission to another, higher-ranked sorcerer?" None of the three students responded, and Yaga let out a grunt. "You'd better confess as soon as possible," he advised, but none of them gave an inch.

"We all did," Itadori said seriously, finally lifting his head and holding the director's gaze with difficulty.

"That's right." Nobara clenched her fists and also lifted her head. Yaga sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Is that true, Fushiguro?" Before the young man with black hair could answer, Nobara gave him a subtle nudge in the ribs, as discreetly as she could.

"Yes." Yaga nodded and looked at the three students.

"Although I must admit that the fact that you were able to take down a special grade curse without help is something worthy of admiration," Yaga said seriously, "that doesn't change the fact that you disobeyed the orders you were given," declared the director of Tokyo High. "So I find myself in the position of having to penalize your behavior. For the entire week, you'll be in charge of sweeping the schoolyard." Nobara made a face of annoyance, but she didn't dare protest. "You'll start tomorrow, and one of my cursed dolls will keep an eye on you to make sure you don't shirk the task."

Chapter Text

Yuuji silently stirred the contents of the pot. The stew was boiling, releasing a delicious smell of meat that filled the entire kitchen. The young sorcerer wore a faint smile, completely focused on what he was doing.

He grabbed a spoon from one of the drawers and served himself a bit of the stew. The teenager brought the spoon to his mouth to taste it, but the voice of the King of Curses made him pause.

"Give me some," Sukuna said, opening the eye on Yuuji's right cheek while a mouth appeared just below it. "I want to taste it too."

Yuuji hesitated for a moment and glanced sideways, making sure they were still alone. Only then did he bring the spoon to Sukuna's mouth, allowing the King of Curses to sample the food.

"Not bad at all," Sukuna judged once he finished chewing. "It needs more salt," he objected.

Yuuji cleaned the spoon and tried the stew. He licked his lips thoughtfully and nodded.

"Yeah, a bit more salt would help." The pink-haired sorcerer opened the cupboard where the salt shaker was kept and added some to the food. "I hope that's enough; I don't want to overdo it."

"I didn't know you two got along." The voice of Gojo-sensei coming from the kitchen entrance startled Yuuji, who turned quickly.

There, casually leaning against the doorframe, was his teacher, watching them. Yuuji looked away, uncomfortable, and the sorcerer stepped into the room, approaching him.

"I'm not blaming you, Yuuji," the adult said, softening his tone. "But I'd like you to tell me if something's bothering you."

"...I'll keep that in mind, sensei," the pink-haired sorcerer murmured. The adult smiled slightly, completely ignoring the way the King of Curses was glaring at him with clear irritation. Gojo gave them both one last look and nodded to himself, thoughtful.

"I'd like to stay a bit longer and have a proper chat, but unfortunately I've got a packed schedule today," the teacher lamented, letting out a loud sigh, which made Sukuna roll his eye and glare even more. "I just wanted to congratulate you on the good job during the last mission."

Yuuji tensed slightly at those words and forced a small smile as best he could. He glanced sideways at his teacher, unsure how he was supposed to respond.

"How's Fushiguro's sister?" Yuuji would've preferred to ask him personally, but his friend had been sent on a solo mission and he hadn't had the chance.

"She's stable," Gojo-sensei replied. "But she still hasn't woken up."

"...I see..."

"But I'm sure she'll wake up sooner or later," the special grade sorcerer added.

"I'm sure she will," Yuuji said, trying to sound a bit more upbeat. "I should ask Fushiguro when he gets back," the pink-haired teenager decided.

"Do you doubt your teacher?" asked the King of Curses, amused. He was mockingly watching the special grade sorcerer, who raised an eyebrow and held his gaze.

"It's not that," the teenager quickly replied, sounding almost scandalized. Sukuna rolled his eyes.

"Is something wrong, Yuuji?" Gojo asked, noticing his student had narrowed his eyes and seemed distracted.

"No, nothing," the young sorcerer said quickly. "I was just thinking about Fushiguro," he improvised, though he wasn't sure if the teacher completely believed him. Fortunately, the adult didn't press the issue.

Satoru watched Yuuji in silence. After Fushiguro had told him about his brief visit to the library to search for information on Sukuna, the sorcerer had wanted to talk to the pink-haired boy—but the last thing he had expected was to find him calmly chatting with the King of Curses.

The Six Eyes revealed to him that Sukuna's cursed energy still enveloped the soul of his vessel, but what caught Satoru's attention the most was the harmony between the two souls.

It was almost hard to tell where Yuuji's ended and the King of Curses' began. Yet nothing indicated that the young sorcerer had lost control of his body. On the contrary, from what he was seeing, Yuuji had seemingly managed to completely make Sukuna's cursed technique his own.

"I wonder what will happen as time goes on," the teacher mused, bringing a hand to his chin. Yuuji was proving to be quite the fascinating boy. "But whatever it is, it's going to be interesting to watch, that much I'm sure of," Satoru thought, amused, as he watched his student hurry to take the pot off the stove—since it had just begun to smell slightly burnt.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance when his phone started to ring and saw that the caller was none other than Ijichi.

"Well, I've got to go now, Yuuji," he said, masking his irritation as best he could. "See you tomorrow in class, alright?"

The pink-haired teenager, more focused on checking whether the food had burned or not, nodded distractedly, barely noticing that his teacher was leaving.

Yuuji watched with interest the movie poster board from the street in front of the cinema. At first, since it was his day off, the young sorcerer had intended to study a bit to prepare for the upcoming exams, but since he couldn't focus, Yuuji ended up deciding to take a walk around Tokyo instead. Kugisaki had gone with him, but they didn't take long to separate, as the girl wanted to go shopping on her own.

Yuuji hadn't planned to go to the cinema; it had been Sukuna's idea, and since the pink-haired teenager had nothing better to do, he didn't mind going along with it.

"Is there anything in particular you want to watch?" Yuuji asked, curious. "How about we watch Human Earthworm 4?" he suggested, noticing the movie poster.

"Whichever one you want," replied the King of Curses. Yuuji didn't hesitate for a second and quickly approached the ticket booth, buying a ticket for the afternoon showing. Once inside the cinema, Yuuji hurried to get in line to buy popcorn and a soda.

"Is it really necessary to buy that?" Sukuna asked, scrunching his nose slightly.

"You can't watch a movie without popcorn and a good soda," Yuuji said seriously. "It's almost a requirement, you know?" he added.

"I see," Sukuna bit his tongue to keep from saying what he really thought. He held back a sigh of relief when he saw the line moving and Yuuji ordering his food from the woman behind the counter.

Soon after, the young sorcerer was sitting in one of the cinema seats. He looked around, a bit puzzled. Despite there being less than fifteen minutes before the movie started, there was no one else in the room.

"Maybe we came too early," Yuuji commented, setting the popcorn box on the floor and placing the soda in the cup holder.

"Well, to be honest, I'd almost prefer it if no one showed up," Sukuna admitted. The pink-haired boy raised an eyebrow slightly as he sensed some irritation from the King of Curses. "I don't like crowded places. They're annoying," Sukuna said.

"What was it like during the Heian era?" Yuuji asked, watching as the cinema's giant screen turned on and started showing movie trailers.

"It was different; the cities weren't as populated," Sukuna replied. "I guess I'll have to get used to how things are nowadays," he commented, trying to soften his tone. He paid attention to the screen, disinterested in the movies being advertised. "That one looks interesting," the King of Curses said.

Yuuji, who hadn't expected such a sudden change of topic, took a moment to react. "The Halloween one?" he asked, deciding to go along with Sukuna's shift in conversation.

"Yeah, we should come back another day to watch it, don't you think, Yuuji?" Sukuna asked.

"Of course!" Yuuji smiled widely and grabbed a handful of popcorn. He chewed and then realized something. "Want to try one?" he offered, picking one up and holding it near his cheek, waiting.

"No, they don't look appetizing at all. I don't know how you can eat them," the King of Curses grumbled, serious.

"I just like them," Yuuji said, focusing his attention on the screen as he realized the movie was finally starting.

Yuuji stretched a bit as he stepped out of the cinema. He was grinning from ear to ear, visibly cheerful. The movie had turned out to be much better than he had initially thought.

"Did you like the movie, Sukuna?" the pink-haired teenager asked as he searched for his phone. It had just gone off, indicating that he had received a message. He frowned slightly when he saw it was from Kugisaki, asking him to go to the address she had just sent. He quickly replied with a simple okay and let out a sigh. He clicked on the link his friend had sent, and the browser immediately opened, starting to give directions to the location. At least it wasn't too far, less than a fifteen-minute walk. "I hope it's not a last-minute mission," Yuuji wished.

"I don't think so; after all, you all had the day off today," replied the King of Curses. Yuuji squinted slightly as he began walking. He could sense some irritation coming from Sukuna ever since he had received Kugisaki's message.

"We'll have another day to do whatever we want," Yuuji pointed out, hoping that would calm him down, even just a little.

"Next time, we could go to a restaurant," Sukuna suggested immediately while Yuuji glanced at his phone and turned right.

"We could go to a burger joint," the pink-haired sorcerer proposed with a small smile.

"I was thinking of a more refined place," the King of Curses protested right away. "Like the sushi restaurant you went to the other day with your friends," Sukuna recalled.

"That sounds like a good idea," Yuuji glanced at his phone again to make sure he was on the right path. "We could go next week, what do you think?" he suggested.

"Fine," Sukuna agreed immediately, and Yuuji's smile widened.

Nobara looked at the girl in front of her with curiosity. This girl had approached her when she had finished her shopping and was about to head back to Jujutsu High.

Their gazes met at that moment, and Yuko was the first to look away, visibly embarrassed.

"So, you were classmates with Itadori?" Nobara asked, taking a small sip of the green tea she had ordered.

"Yes, although I lost all contact with him when I moved to Tokyo a couple of years ago," Yuko replied immediately. She nervously fiddled with her fingers before gathering enough courage to lift her gaze and continue speaking. "There's something I'd like to ask you… Are you and Itadori… dating?" Nobara, who had been taking another sip, suddenly choked and started coughing violently. Yuko looked at her with concern, but the orange-haired girl waved her off with a gesture to let her know she was fine.

"No, not at all," Nobara firmly denied. "Not even if heaven and earth started dancing the lambada." Yuko let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that, and Nobara glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "So that's what this is about, huh?" Although it was a rhetorical question, Yuko put on a serious expression and nodded decisively. Nobara pulled out her phone and began fiddling with it. "I'm going to call someone who knows Itadori better than I do," she said as she dialed Fushiguro, who answered almost immediately.

"What do you want, Kugisaki?" Nobara completely ignored the irritated tone in her friend's voice and went straight to the point.

"I'm sending you my location. We need to talk about something important," she said, and before Fushiguro had a chance to protest or ask anything, the young sorceress hung up.

"So how did you and Itadori meet?" Yuko asked as Nobara placed her phone on the table.

"We're classmates," the girl replied immediately, quickly engaging in a pleasant conversation with Yuko, answering all her questions while asking some of her own.

That's how Fushiguro found them when he arrived some time later. He walked up to the two girls with a frown, stopping in front of the table.

"Can I know what you wanted to talk about, Kugisaki?" the boy asked grumpily.

"I'll get to the point. Do you know if Itadori has a girlfriend?" Nobara questioned. Fushiguro raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yuko, prompting the orange-haired girl to quickly explain the situation.

"No, although I've never asked him directly, I'm pretty sure he doesn't have one," Fushiguro answered, sitting next to Nobara and looking at Yuko. "Not only did he have no problem coming to Tokyo, but he also has posters of actresses and models in his room," the boy recounted. "I don't think he'd do that if he had a girlfriend."

Yuko's expression brightened, and she exchanged a quick look with Nobara, who quickly sent a brief message to Itadori. Fushiguro turned his gaze away, and noticing a waitress approaching, he hurriedly ordered a black coffee.

"Itadori's on his way," Nobara announced, pulling her phone away a little. She flashed a triumphant smile and looked at Yuko. "I'm convinced you've got a chance. Itadori said he likes tall girls."

Sukuna gritted his teeth the moment his vessel stepped into that dump where humans gathered to drink that concoction they called coffee. His wife, who didn't exactly know why the brat with the voodoo cursed technique had called him here, was in a good mood and didn't take long to find her friends.

The King of Curses snorted a bit as he saw the serious expression on the suicidal brat's face. Normally, Sukuna would have found pleasure in that, but at that moment, a troubling feeling had settled in his stomach, and it didn't seem like it was going to disappear anytime soon.

He wrinkled his nose in disgust when Yuuji was able to recognize without any difficulty the non-sorcerer sitting across from the hammer girl. Something as simple as that was enough to make the pathetic human's cheeks flush slightly, and for his wife's friends to give approving looks in his direction.

"Disgusting," he thought as the two brats came up with a quick excuse and went to sit at a table a bit farther away from them, leaving Yuuji alone with the non-sorcerer.

Sukuna paid little attention to the conversation his wife was having with the woman, but he was sharp enough to notice that, just as he remembered, that stupid human lacked the courage to declare her feelings.

"Better, much better this way," thought the King of Curses. Had it been the opposite, he would have had to intervene to make it clear to the human who Yuuji truly belonged to.

Once the woman had finished her drink, she nervously smiled and offered to give Yuuji her phone number. Sukuna clenched his fists tightly when he saw that his wife immediately agreed.

The King of Curses only allowed himself to fully relax when the annoying non-sorcerer apologized, claiming she had to leave because she was expected somewhere.

Sukuna yawned, watching as they both handed some coins to one of the women working at the café. The girl, after saying goodbye to Yuuji, quickly left the place.

"So, that girl was your classmate," the King of Curses commented aloud as his vessel reunited with his two friends.

"Ozawa? Yeah, but it's not like I ever talked to her much," Yuuji replied casually. Sukuna couldn't help but grin when he realized there was no affection in the way his wife spoke.

"I see," murmured Sukuna as the three young sorcerers left the café after paying the bill.

At that moment, just as the King of Curses remembered, the suicidal brat's phone rang, and the sorcerer of the Six Eyes notified them that they needed to take care of an important top-secret mission.

Chapter Text

Yuuji dropped to the ground and crossed his arms. He glanced sideways at the woman and the boy a few meters to his right. It was past eight in the evening, and he and his friends had been assigned a last-minute mission. They had been split into different groups, and he ended up paired with Mei-Mei and her younger brother, Ui-Ui.

A group of civilians was trapped inside a curtain in Shibuya and were demanding the appearance of Satoru Gojo. Given the number of sorcerers assigned to the area, it was more than evident that the situation was extremely serious.

"What do you think is going on, Sukuna?" asked the pink-haired young man, waiting several seconds, but received no response. Yuuji glanced again at the other two sorcerers.

A slight blush colored Ui-Ui's cheeks as he praised his older sister with an enthusiasm that bordered on excessive. Yuuji quickly looked away and silently observed the cemetery where they were waiting.

He stifled a yawn and tried once more to speak with Sukuna, but again got no response. The King of Curses had been unusually quiet all day; Yuuji had wanted to enter the Innate Domain to speak face to face, but there was no way to access it unless Sukuna himself brought him in.

"I hope he's not mad at me or something," thought Yuuji, trying to remember if he had done or said anything that might have upset Sukuna, but nothing came to mind. Up until the day before, the King of Curses had been acting completely normal.

"Hey, you, Sukuna's vessel!" Yuuji flinched at the sudden call and looked up, noticing Ui-Ui glaring at him with furrowed brows and crossed arms. "At least pay attention when my sister's talking to you!"

"Sorry," said the teenager, casting an apologetic glance at the sorceress, who didn't seem the least bit annoyed.

"It's all right," said Mei-Mei with a small smile as she looked at him. "I've just been informed that Gojo has finally made it inside the curtain."

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Yuuji asked, standing up and approaching the two sorcerers.

"For now, we just have to deal with a second curtain," Mei-Mei explained, starting to walk toward the cemetery's exit.

"Shouldn't we go help Gojo-sensei afterward?" the pink-haired sorcerer inquired.

"We'd only get in his way," Mei-Mei said without even turning around. "There's a window waiting for us at Meiji-Jingumae Station."

Yuuji clenched his fists slightly but ended up nodding and following the two sorcerers, ignoring the annoyed look Ui-Ui shot at him.

"If you do well today, there's a good chance you'll get promoted, Itadori," Mei-Mei then commented. "So make sure you stand out on this mission."

"Of course," said the young sorcerer.

Satoru stopped in midair and looked down, observing the non-sorcerers scattered throughout the area. More than a few of them noticed him and cast confused, incredulous glances his way. Some took photos, but the sorcerer paid them little attention.

Fear and anguish hung thick in the air, but there didn't seem to be any casualties. Yet. Satoru frowned slightly as the Six Eyes picked up a mass of cursed energy emanating from the lower level—down on the platform.

"I don't like this one bit," Satoru thought as he slowly began to descend. He clearly recognized two of the cursed energy sources. The curse that had attacked his students during the exchange event and the one that had ambushed him on the highway were both there. "There's no doubt in my mind this is all a trap," he told himself as he removed his blindfold and looked directly at the two curses.

There were more people down there, and Satoru noticed the Death Painting among the non-sorcerers. It watched everything with a bored expression and didn't seem intent on attacking him, but Satoru couldn't be entirely sure.

At that moment, a series of thick vines blocked off the entrance through which the strongest sorcerer of the present day had entered. Simultaneously, the non-sorcerers on the platform were forcibly pushed forward—many of them falling onto the tracks.

"There's no need to go to all this trouble," the sorcerer said. "It's not like I was planning on leaving, you know?"

"Perfect," said the curse with a volcano on its head, grinning widely and revealing teeth black as coal.

"I don't think any of them is the mastermind behind this," Satoru thought as the two curses charged toward him. His eyes widened when, instead of attacking him directly as he had expected, the curses and the Death Painting chose to kill several of the bystanders.

The smell of burning flesh filled the air, but Satoru barely noticed. The remaining non-sorcerers had begun to scream, and panic had completely overtaken the station. Several tried to flee but were struck down by the Death Painting's cursed technique, dying instantly.

"Domain Amplification," the two curses said in unison. And at that moment, they finally attacked him.

Yuuji hurried down the stairs and came to a sudden stop when he found himself face-to-face with a decapitated body. He swallowed hard as he stepped forward and stopped in front of the corpse. Kneeling down, he closed his eyes and offered a silent prayer for the soul of the deceased.

"I'm really sorry," Yuuji murmured as he stood up. He cast one last glance at the dead man and resumed his path. He turned the corner and quickened his pace when he heard the sound of something—or someone—chewing.

The scene he came upon was horrific. Blood stained the floor and walls of the station. Crouched near the right wall was a curse that looked like a giant grasshopper. It was holding the remains of a human body.

Yuuji noticed the blood around the curse's mouth as it kept chewing, unfazed. He clenched his teeth tightly as the creature finally noticed him and eyed him with a hint of curiosity.

"Who are you?" the curse asked with some difficulty as it dropped the body and stood up.

"Where is the curse with the stitched face?" Yuuji demanded, his tone serious as he channeled cursed energy into his fists, ready to fight.

"...Stitched face?" The curse tilted its head, clearly confused. "You mean... Mahito, right?" it asked.

"I don't care what his name is. Just tell me where he is," Yuuji demanded, stepping toward the curse.

"You're one of those sorcerers Mahito told me about, aren't you?" the curse asked. "He said you'd come to try and destroy the source of the curtain—and that I should guard it."

Yuuji didn't wait a second longer and launched his attack. The grasshopper curse easily blocked his punch and tried to strike back with one of its lower arms, but the sorcerer quickly dodged the blow.

"Do you know how I figured out you're a sorcerer?" the cursed creature said casually. "It's because I'm really smart, you know?" it added before lunging at Yuuji, trying to bite him.

The young sorcerer didn't even bother replying. He ducked just in time and placed his left hand against the creature's abdomen, activating Cleave. Numerous gashes appeared across the curse's skin, not enough to finish it off, but enough to do significant damage.

Thinking it had an opening, the grasshopper curse lashed out with a stinger from its abdomen. Yuuji reacted instantly, grabbing the appendage with one hand and smashing it with the other—breaking it effortlessly.

He didn't give the curse time to recover. He pressed his left hand against its abdomen again and activated Cleave once more, slicing the creature cleanly in two. Yuuji jumped back and watched in silence, alert, as the curse began to completely disintegrate.

The pink-haired sorcerer relaxed only once there was nothing left of his enemy. Then, he began searching the room for the source of the curtain. After a while, he found what looked like a nail wrapped in a cloth covered with strange symbols.

Yuuji picked it up and examined it carefully for a few seconds. Then he activated the King of Curses' technique once again, slicing the object into three pieces. He let out a sigh and glanced at the bodies the curse had been feeding on.

Clenching his teeth, he turned around at once. The pink-haired teenager had agreed with Mei-Mei to meet back at the point where they had split up once everything was taken care of.

"Hope that was enough," Yuuji muttered, glancing sideways at the destroyed object.

He hurried back up the stairs and returned to the spot where he had parted ways with the two sorcerers. He wasn't too surprised to see that both of them were already there, waiting patiently.

"Not bad at all, Itadori," Mei-Mei commented with a satisfied smile.

Satoru grinned widely when the curse that had attacked his students let down its guard and deactivated the Domain Amplification to strike directly with its cursed technique.

The sorcerer dodged the branches and used them to his advantage to close the distance and approach both curses. He grabbed the branches protruding from the curse's eye sockets and, before it could react, Satoru yanked them forcefully.

His grin turned sadistic as the creature let out a scream of pain and blood oozed from the wound.

"And I'm not done yet," Satoru announced, pulling the branches free from the wood with ease. He paid no attention to whatever the other curse was shouting, focusing solely on advancing toward the snow-colored curse, cornering it against the wall and beginning to crush it with his Infinity.

He didn't stop until he had exorcised the curse that way. Only then did he turn to face the curse with the volcano on its head. He raised an eyebrow when he saw it, in a clear act of desperation, abandon the tracks and disappear into the crowd still lingering on the platform.

"Well, if you want to play, I've got no problem with that," Satoru said, heading after it.

However, before he could catch up, he heard the sound of a train speeding toward the station. His face paled and he clenched his teeth as his eyes turned to the tracks. He wasn't the only one who had noticed.

Almost all of the non-sorcerers who were still alive had gathered near the tracks, anxiously waiting for the train to arrive. Satoru swallowed nervously as the vehicle finally pulled into the station and came to a stop.

The doors opened, and before the civilians had a chance to exit, the modified humans inside began to pour out uncontrollably, attacking the non-sorcerers all around them.

"No… this can't be," Satoru thought in horror as he caught, out of the corner of his eye, a third curse stepping off the train. Its face was stitched together—matching exactly the descriptions that both Nanami and Yuuji had given him months ago.

People around him were screaming in sheer terror. Gojo watched as one modified human charged at a civilian, knocking them to the ground before stomping on them and ending their life. Similar scenes played out all around. If he didn't act fast, all the civilians would die.

At that moment, the newly arrived curse tried to attack him, but was immediately stopped by the Infinity. Satoru stared at it in disbelief, noticing the look of joy on the cursed creature's face.

"So this is the curse that can manipulate souls," realized the strongest sorcerer of the modern era. Without a doubt, it was the greatest threat among all those present. Satoru clenched his teeth—under different circumstances, he would have eliminated it with Hollow Purple, but with so many people nearby, that was no longer a viable option.

On top of that, the fact that the curses were keeping their distance posed another problem.
"And I highly doubt the same trick will work twice," Satoru thought. There was only one thing he could do. It was risky—but it was also his only option. He raised his index and middle fingers in front of him, to the stunned expressions of the two curses.

"Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void."

He let his domain expand for 0.2 seconds, then instantly deactivated it. All the humans—modified and otherwise—were now completely paralyzed. The curses, too, remained motionless, Satoru confirmed.

He let out a sigh of relief and got to work. He began dealing with all the modified humans, glancing sideways now and then to make sure the curses were still frozen under the effects of his Domain Expansion.

He didn't stop until every modified human had been taken out. Blood stained his cheeks and Satoru was panting, nearly out of breath—but he wasn't done yet. He fixed his gaze on the two curses, ensuring they were still immobilized.

He was about to step toward them when he noticed a box lying on the ground, just a few meters away. He frowned, and acting on instinct, turned around and backed away several steps—until a voice made him stop.

"It's been a long time since we last saw each other, Satoru." He would never forget that voice. He turned sharply and found himself face-to-face with the last person he ever expected to see. Satoru opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to collect his thoughts, but before he could say anything, the newcomer spoke. "Gate open." At that command, the box on the ground opened.

It split into four smaller boxes, connected by a fleshy mass with a massive open eye at its center. Satoru found himself staring into the unsettling eye, and before he could react, he found himself completely unable to move.

The mass of flesh had surged toward him and split into multiple tendrils to effectively restrain the sorcerer. Satoru clenched his teeth tightly as he realized he had no access to his cursed energy.

But that wasn't what disturbed him the most. He looked up and eyed the newcomer with suspicion. His Six Eyes were analyzing him thoroughly, but Satoru refused to believe the information they were providing. It was simply impossible.

"Who are you?" he asked, barely able to contain the rage burning inside him. The newcomer raised his eyebrows slightly and examined Satoru closely before letting out a small chuckle of disbelief.

"What, you don't recognize me, Satoru? I'm Suguru Geto."

"THAT'S A LIE!" Satoru tried to move toward him but couldn't even shift an inch. "The Six Eyes might tell me you're Suguru, but my soul says otherwise! Who the hell are you!?"

That seemed to amuse the other man, who smiled broadly as he watched him with interest. A few seconds later, he burst out laughing under Satoru's disgusted gaze. "Suguru" wiped away a few tears that had escaped his eyes and looked back at the sorcerer.

"I have to admit, you're the first to actually figure it out," he said, reaching up to his temple and beginning to remove what looked like a sewn-in thread.

Satoru pressed his lips into a thin line as he watched the man peel off the upper part of his head, revealing the brain. It had a small mouth filled with teeth that made Satoru wrinkle his nose in disgust.

"It was thanks to you that I was able to take over Suguru Geto's body, you know?" the stranger said. "After all, it was you who asked Shoko Ieiri not to dispose of this body last year."

"Who are you?" Satoru asked again.

"Oh, come on, where's the fun in just telling you?" The usurper of Suguru's body grinned from ear to ear as he looked at Satoru. "It's time for you to sleep, Satoru Gojo."

"Isn't it time for you to wake up, Suguru?" Satoru shot back, fixing his gaze on the other sorcerer. "Suguru" laughed upon hearing that, but before he could respond, his right hand began to tremble. The usurper looked at it in confusion.

His right arm moved on its own and gripped his neck tightly, starting to strangle him. "Suguru" let out a surprised smile and used his other hand to slowly pry it off. The right arm seemed to have a will of its own and resisted somewhat, but eventually the impostor managed to pull it away completely.

"I have to admit, that was… interesting. This never happened to me before, you know, Satoru?"

"Looks like you've taken care of him, Geto," said the stitched-face curse as it approached. Satoru clenched his teeth when he saw that the other curse and the Death Painting were also recovering from the effects of his Domain Expansion.

"Mahito, remember when you told me that the soul forms before the body?" "Suguru" asked, turning to look at the curse.

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't think your theory is entirely accurate." Before the impostor could elaborate further, the strongest sorcerer cut in.

"Would you mind wrapping this up already?" Satoru interjected. "Watching this spectacle is thoroughly disgusting."

"You're right," "Suguru" replied. "Best not to take any unnecessary risks. Gate close."

The object returned to its original form, sealing the strongest sorcerer alive inside it.

Yuuji came to an abrupt stop when he felt an extra weight on his right ear. He frowned and brought his right hand up, feeling a small metallic circular object.

"Is something wrong, Itadori?" Mei-Mei asked, glancing at him. The young sorcerer removed the object and held it out for them to see.

"This just appeared in my ear," he admitted. Mei-Mei and Ui-Ui stepped closer to examine the metallic piece.

"I am the life insurance left behind by Kokichi Muta," said a voice as one of the compartments on the object opened, revealing a small speaker. "I was programmed to appear in case a specific event happens."

"What kind of event?" Mei-Mei asked with mild curiosity.

"In the event that Satoru Gojo has been sealed," the earpiece revealed.

Yuuji, without really realizing it, clenched the device so tightly it emitted a harsh screeching sound, prompting the voice from the speaker to ask him to stop.

"Why should we trust you?" Mei-Mei asked. "What you're saying is absurd."

"Kokichi Muta died on October nineteenth at the hands of the curse with the stitched face," the device explained. "As I said before, I would not have appeared unless Satoru Gojo had truly been sealed. Furthermore, I am communicating with you specifically because out of all the sorcerers deployed to this location, you are statistically the least likely to be working for the curses."

"And what makes you think I can be trusted?" Mei-Mei asked, a slightly sly smile on her lips. The earpiece replied immediately.

"The fact that two cursed sorcerers are currently approaching your current location." Mei-Mei tensed at that and exchanged a brief glance with her brother.

"Itadori, go. Inform the others about the current situation," the sorceress ordered, stepping forward.

Yuuji nodded. After casting one last uncertain glance at the two of them, he turned around and ran off at full speed.

Chapter Text

Yuuji climbed the tower with ease and took a deep breath. He cupped both hands around his mouth to use them like a megaphone. However, before he could start shouting, the King of Curses stopped him.

"If you start yelling like that, you risk alerting any potential cursed sorcerers in the area," Sukuna remarked. Yuuji narrowed his eyes slightly and let out a sigh of relief, but given the circumstances, he decided to get straight to the point.

"It's not like we have any other choice right now," Yuuji said seriously. Seconds later, he began shouting with all the strength he could muster.

"NANAMIN! ARE YOU AROUND HERE, NANAMIN!?" Yuuji stepped back slightly from the edge and prepared to keep shouting. "GOJO-SENSEI HAS BEEN SEALED!" At that moment, he had to stop for a second to catch his breath before continuing to shout. "WE HAVE TO RESCUE HIM!"

"Should I say anything else?" the young sorcerer wondered, placing his right hand on his chin.

"I think that's enough," the King of Curses replied. "We should talk about what really matters now."

"What do you mean?" Yuuji asked, visibly puzzled, furrowing his brow slightly.

"You've managed to avoid execution thanks to your teacher. And even that wasn't enough to stop them from trying. What do you think will happen now that he's gone?" Yuuji tilted his head slightly and fell silent, prompting the King of Curses to let out a growl of exasperation before hurrying to explain. "Most likely, they'll resume your execution immediately," Sukuna said seriously.

Yuuji shook his head at those words and pressed his lips tightly together. He was about to respond, but at that moment, he felt a light tap on the back of his neck.

As he turned to face whoever had hit him, he came face-to-face with Fushiguro, Nanami, and a man Yuuji hadn't seen before.

"That was fast," he commented as Mechamaru began to recount once again what he had already told Yuuji earlier.

"If Satoru Gojo has been sealed, that means the difficulty of this mission has increased,"— Nanami stated seriously. "Ino, Fushiguro, Itadori, you'll be in charge of taking down the second curtain," he ordered. "We've lost contact with several of the windows, so I'll go check what's happened." The other three sorcerers nodded, and Nanami continued. "Ino, I'm leaving you in charge, understood?"

"Yes!" the sorcerer replied, sounding quite enthusiastic. Nanami glanced sideways at him but didn't wait any longer before leaving.

Yuuji glanced at Ino, who had begun to explain what it meant for Gojo to have been sealed.

"It's pretty much the same thing you told me, Sukuna," Yuuji thought, although Ino hadn't been as blunt.

"I hope this helps you realize the position we're in right now. If we don't manage to free your teacher, we'll be at a serious disadvantage," the King of Curses pointed out, his tone grave.

"Itadori, are you listening to us?" Fushiguro, noticing that his friend wasn't responding, came closer and gave him another light tap on the back of the head.

"Sorry," Yuuji apologized immediately. "I was just thinking things over, that's all."

"Come on, we can't waste any more time," Ino said, taking control of the situation again. He turned around, and the two young men followed a few seconds later.

Megumi stopped in front of the curtain and glanced at Itadori. His classmate stood a couple of meters to his right, intently focused on the surface of the barrier.

Without saying a word, Itadori threw a powerful right punch at the curtain, but it didn't leave the slightest mark. Megumi frowned slightly and examined it more closely.

"This is much stronger than the curtain they raised during the exchange event," thought the black-haired young man. "But if what Itadori said is true, destroying the curtain's source should be enough." The problem was going to be finding it.

"Where do you think they've hidden the source of the curtain?" Itadori asked at that moment. Ino brought a hand to his chin, thoughtful.

"Well, I don't think it can be too far from here," he replied. "If I were them, I'd have put it somewhere hard to reach." The three sorcerers silently scanned their surroundings.

Megumi observed a skyscraper a few meters ahead. Without a doubt, it was the most prominent building in the area. Even though there was no guarantee their enemies were hiding there, it was their only lead worth checking out.

"We could start by checking that one," he suggested, pointing with the thumb of his right hand at the skyscraper that had caught his attention.

"The tricky part will be getting up there without drawing attention," Ino commented.

Without a word, Megumi joined his hands and summoned one of his shikigami, while Itadori rolled up the left sleeve of his shirt slightly, revealing a silver bracelet-like device on his wrist. The boy pressed a button on the left side and pulled out a metallic cable that began to extend from the bracelet.

Ino watched as the pink-haired teenager tied the cable around the shikigami's right leg, and then both young sorcerers turned to look at him expectantly.

"It's best if I go with Itadori, and you stay down here, Fushiguro," Ino said, taking charge of the situation again. "Itadori, you'll be in charge of destroying the curtain's source, and I'll handle whoever's guarding it, understood?" Megumi shrugged while Itadori nodded enthusiastically. "Alright then, let's get to work!"

Yuuji hurried to try to catch the three sorcerers on the rooftop of the skyscraper with the metal wire, gritting his teeth as he saw that the younger of the two men and the woman with gray hair were able to duck in time.

Ino, who had just dismounted from Nue, quickly grabbed the source of the curtain and broke it immediately. He glanced sideways at the black dome and frowned when he noticed there were two more holes.

"You've got to be kidding me," Ino muttered under his breath, scanning the surface, but he couldn't spot the other two sources of the curtain. The sorcerer fixed his gaze on the two cursed sorcerers and sighed. "Well, I'll have to take care of you two and let Fushiguro and Itadori deal with the rest."

Yuuji was descending rapidly at that moment. The cold air and the speed of the fall were taking his breath away, but he managed to break a window with a kick as he entered the room, gathering enough strength to shout.

"FUSHIGURO, RETRACT NUE!" At the same time, Yuuji cut the cable and watched as his friend's shikigami vanished, and the man plummeted into the void.

Yuuji shuddered slightly and swallowed, quickly stepping away from the broken window. At that moment, he heard groans of pain and looked up, spotting the modified human staring at him from the door.

"Help me…" the creature muttered before charging at the young sorcerer. Yuuji gritted his teeth and jumped to the right to avoid the attack.

Before the modified human could strike again, Yuuji gently placed his left palm on its brownish skin and activated Cleave, killing the creature instantly by slicing it into several pieces.

"We should think about what we'll do if we can't free your teacher," Sukuna insisted. The pink-haired sorcerer said nothing and simply rushed out of the room while scanning the area for the stairs. "Yuuji, stop ignoring me," the King of Curses didn't seem ready to drop the subject, and the teenager immediately sensed the irritation in his voice.

"I don't think now's the best time to talk about that," Yuuji conceded, running toward the stairs and starting to descend quickly. "We'll be able to rescue him, you'll see, Sukuna."

"I just want to avoid the scenario where they try to kill us. I don't want you to die," the King of Curses retorted. "It's best to be prepared in case that scenario becomes reality."

Yuuji didn't reply. He just kept descending the floors and dealing with several modified humans that came his way.

"If I keep this up, I'm going to waste too much time," Yuuji muttered, stopping. He wasn't sure how many floors he'd descended, but he couldn't afford to delay any longer. He peered over the stair railing, silently calculating the distance. Nodding in agreement, he climbed onto the railing.

He jumped without thinking any further and reinforced his legs with cursed energy. Yuuji clenched his teeth and took a deep breath, trying to relax. Seconds later, he landed on the ground floor of the skyscraper.

The tiled floor cracked on impact, and the young sorcerer almost buckled, but the foundations held just in time. Yuuji scanned his surroundings, serious, quickly locating the glass doors leading to the street.

He made his way toward the exit and left the building. His gaze swept the area until he spotted Fushiguro standing by the road, with his back to the skyscraper. Yuuji hurried to catch up, noticing what his friend was keeping an eye on. It was the sorcerer they had thrown off the rooftop earlier.

The pink-haired sorcerer furrowed his brow upon realizing that the man wasn't injured at all.

"I'm no expert, but... isn't he a little too... unscathed?" Yuuji asked, looking at Fushiguro. His friend, still not taking his eyes off the body, nodded immediately.

"I was waiting for you to get here before doing anything," the black-haired teenager declared, frowning slightly. "Hey, you, old man!" he raised his voice a little as he faced the cursed sorcerer. "Get up already!"

The man slowly got up and watched them with a mocking smile, as he unwrapped the metallic cable that had been wrapped around his abdomen.

"You kids these days; you just don't know how to respect your elders," he commented, tossing the cable to the ground.

Nobara frowned in alert as she stared at the man approaching. She immediately stepped in front of Nitta upon noticing that the newcomer was carrying a sword.

"Nitta, hide in the mall while I take care of this guy," the sorceress requested as she pulled out her hammer. "I'll meet up with you as soon as I'm done," Nobara promised when she saw the doubtful look Nitta gave her.

The woman eventually nodded and ran toward the entrance of the mall to her right. The cursed sorcerer hurled his sword at the assistant, but Nobara intercepted it and struck the weapon with her hammer, knocking it to the ground. Rather than getting irritated, the man seemed amused, as he flashed a smug smile. Nobara ran at him, but the cursed sorcerer dodged all her strikes with insulting ease.

She gritted her teeth and kept trying to hit him, but none of her attacks even managed to scratch him.

"So the woman didn't run away," the man commented as he looked toward the mall where Nitta was hiding.

Before Nobara could react, the cursed sorcerer took off running in that direction, forcing her to chase after him.

"Shit!" thought the young sorceress when she heard Nitta scream in pain. When she managed to enter the mall, she saw the assistant on the ground. The cursed sorcerer had his right foot on her back, pinning her down. He held the sword in his left hand, and Nobara watched in horror as he stabbed both of the woman's legs.

"Stop!" Nobara shouted, hurling herself at him without a second thought. The cursed sorcerer effortlessly dodged again, making Nobara stumble back a few steps.

Far from giving up, the young woman flung several nails toward the ceiling and watched as debris fell on the sorcerer. He remained still, eyes closed, seemingly unafraid.

Nobara stared, bewildered, as none of the debris hit him. At that moment, the sorcerer charged at her. Before she could turn around to face him, she felt a harsh blow to her chin. Her legs buckled and she collapsed heavily to the ground. She tried to get up, but not a single muscle in her body responded. On top of that, a high-pitched ringing filled her ears. She tried to speak, only to discover she couldn't even move her jaw.

The cursed sorcerer crouched in front of her and observed her silently for several seconds, making sure she couldn't move. Only then did he stand up and walk back over to the assistant.

With Nobara watching helplessly, he began stabbing the woman again. A wide, mocking grin stretched across his face as he ridiculed her.

"S…St…Stop," the young sorceress finally managed to say with difficulty. The man raised an eyebrow and let out a laugh.

"Then why don't you do something to stop me?" Nobara tried to get up, but her muscles still wouldn't respond. All she could do was watch as the cursed sorcerer plunged the sword into Nitta's hip.

Driven by desperation, Nobara managed to rise and clumsily lunged at her enemy. The blond man dodged with ease and tripped her. Nobara fell to the floor but quickly got back up and tried to strike him with her hammer.

"If you want to stop me, I'm afraid you'll have to try harder," the cursed sorcerer said. "Or do you just not care if I kill this woman?"

Nobara let out a frustrated growl and gritted her teeth. In a desperate move, she attacked a third time, but the man easily blocked her hammer with his sword. He smiled from ear to ear as he stared at her.

"You're gonna pay for this… bastard," Nobara muttered through clenched teeth. The blond man didn't reply, as the sound of shattering glass rang out, and they both turned toward the noise.

Nobara relaxed when she saw it was Nanami. The cursed sorcerer looked at the newcomer with interest and kicked the young woman aside.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to deal with you too," the man murmured as he confidently approached Nanami. "I was told to eliminate the suited men—I suppose you more or less fit that category," he added.

"On my way here, I found several dead assistants," Nanami said, locking eyes with the cursed sorcerer. "I assume that was your doing, correct?"

"And what if it was?" the cursed sorcerer asked. He tried to kick Nanami with his right foot while swinging his weapon and attempting to stab him. His euphoria quickly turned into confusion when he realized he hadn't managed to hurt him at all.

"How many of you are here?" Nanami kept questioning while Nobara fully recovered and noticed that, despite her injuries, Nitta had managed to drag herself to the escalators and was now safe.

The young sorceress let out a sigh of relief and turned her attention back to Nanami, just in time to see him punch the cursed sorcerer and send him crashing into one of the glass displays.

Nanami didn't give him time to recover. He grabbed him by his ponytail and forced him to stand. Nobara, now nearly fully recovered from the cursed sorcerer's blow, watched from a safe distance, holding her breath and not daring to intervene.

"So that's the power of a Grade 1 sorcerer," Nobara thought in awe. She thought she saw something move out of the corner of her left eye and noticed the cursed sorcerer's sword moving on its own toward Nanami, attempting to stab him.

"Don't even think about it," the young woman hissed. Without wasting a second, she struck one of her nails with her hammer, causing it to hit the sword's hilt and pin it to the ceiling.

"Hey!" the cursed sorcerer protested. But Nanami tightened his grip on the man's hair, and the sorcerer winced in pain. "If you let me go, I'll tell you everything, I swear!"

"You already had your chance," Nanami said curtly. He clenched his free hand into a fist and, at the same time he released the sorcerer, punched him in the face. The blow sent the cursed sorcerer flying out of the mall, slamming him into the wall of a building across the street.

"Why aren't our attacks affecting him?" Yuuji wondered, frustrated. No matter how much he and Fushiguro hit him, the cursed sorcerer remained unscathed—and it was starting to get irritating. He had even struck him with all his strength, but it had done nothing.

"That's not entirely true," Sukuna interjected at that moment. Yuuji frowned and dodged the sorcerer's next strike, avoiding the knife blade with ease and putting some distance between them.

"What do we do, Fushiguro?" the pink-haired teenager asked, glancing at his friend. "What do you mean, Sukuna?" he inquired at the same time, turning his gaze back to the cursed sorcerer.

"Did you notice the bruise forming on his head?" the King of Curses asked. "It appeared after your friend hit him there. Why do you think that particular blow affected him while the others didn't?"

"Now that you mention it… I hadn't noticed", Yuuji admitted. He watched Fushiguro summon the rabbit-shaped shikigami and saw them charge at the cursed sorcerer. The pink-haired teenager picked one up and cradled it in his arms.

"It's likely a damage reversal technique," Sukuna continued. "Strong attacks become weak, and weak ones become strong," the King of Curses explained.

Yuuji was about to reply when he noticed one of the creatures strike the sorcerer in the neck—and he thought he saw a faint bruise appear there, though it was hard to tell for sure. At that moment, Fushiguro grabbed him firmly by the hood, and Yuuji shot him a puzzled look.

"I think I know what's going on," Fushiguro said seriously as he let go of the hood. Yuuji stood up and looked at him. Before the black-haired boy could continue, Yuuji jumped ahead.

"He has a technique that reverses damage, right?" Yuuji said. His friend looked a bit surprised but nodded.

"That's the most likely explanation, yeah." Fushiguro gave him a hesitant glance but ended up shaking his head and quickly laid out the plan he had just come up with. "The best thing we can do is keep attacking with all our strength so he doesn't realize we've figured it out."

"And then land a weaker strike, right?" Fushiguro nodded and let out a sigh.

"All right, let's do this. You got all that, Itadori?"

"Yeah, of course."

Sukuna watched intently as events unfolded around his wife. Yuuji was overwhelming the pathetic sorcerer he was facing, and it was only a matter of time before the man lost consciousness. The King of Curses smirked mockingly when that happened just a few minutes later.

"It won't be long before I can finally step in," Sukuna thought as his wife, with help from the suicidal brat, managed to pick up the sorcerer who had accompanied them earlier.

Sukuna rolled his eyes in boredom at the sight of the man's face, now so disfigured by wounds that it was nearly unrecognizable. There was blood everywhere, and several parts of his face were visibly swollen.

"What a pathetic display," the King of Curses muttered with disdain. He turned his attention back to the conversation his wife was having with the suicidal brat. Sukuna grinned when the suicidal brat finally agreed that they should each go their separate ways.

After saying goodbye, his spouse ran toward the train station. Sukuna stifled a yawn as his vessel rushed down the stairs—only to come face to face with the cursed womb.

Yuuji barely had time to raise both arms and shield his face from the incoming attack. Sukuna felt the surge of anguish and sorrow that overwhelmed his wife when the cursed womb declared he would avenge his two slain younger brothers.

"Don't get distracted by that nonsense, Yuuji," the King of Curses advised sternly. The pink-haired teenager, too busy dodging the cursed womb's relentless attacks, didn't respond.

Sukuna glanced at the cursed womb with little interest. He was just as weak as Sukuna remembered, so considering Yuuji's current level, he should have no trouble handling him. But for some reason, his wife was avoiding using Shrine at all costs. The King of Curses pressed his lips together but said nothing.

At this rate, the outcome he already knew would repeat itself. Yuuji was being gradually cornered as the cursed womb managed to injure him bit by bit. His spouse was panting heavily, sizing up his opponent.

"Maybe that's for the best," the King of Curses thought. He could make something out of it. A satisfied smile formed on his face as he began planning his next move.

Yuuji managed to dodge the cursed womb's blood whip, but two blood projectiles exploded behind him right after. Sukuna brought his right hand to his chin and suppressed a sigh.

Though he knew his vessel could easily defeat the cursed womb given his current abilities, he chose not to say it aloud. It was in his best interest for his wife to lose this fight.

At that moment, the device on his vessel's ear crackled back to life. After learning the current situation, the mechanical sorcerer quickly came up with a plan. Sukuna stretched a little as he watched his wife run toward the public restrooms and break all the water valves inside.

Then, his spouse hid in one of the stalls, waiting for the provocations from the sorcerer with the Heavenly Restriction to take effect. A few minutes later, the cursed womb stormed in, furious.

All the blood he had gathered around him turned to liquid the moment it touched the water. Sukuna observed as his wife used that moment to launch an attack. They clashed in close combat immediately.

The King of Curses stifled a snort when the result he remembered repeated itself—his wife made the mistake of closing the distance in an attempt to end the fight. He could clearly feel the surprise and confusion flooding from Yuuji as the cursed womb landed a final blood projectile directly into his liver.

Despite the fatal wound, his vessel kept fighting, though Sukuna noted the strength fading fast—until finally, the cursed womb defeated him.

Yuuji collapsed to the ground, his gaze lowered, as his enemy prepared to deliver the final blow. But it never came—the cursed womb's right fist crashed into the wall beside him, shattering it, without laying a finger on Yuuji.

Sukuna watched with little interest as the cursed womb stepped back, wide-eyed, clutching his face. He looked at Yuuji in bewilderment, then turned and left without saying a word.

"Well, now all that's left is to wait," murmured the King of Curses, frowning slightly as he sensed something odd. But he soon let out an amused laugh. "Well, now... that's interesting," Sukuna commented with a smile.

Chapter Text

Megumi was running as fast as he could through the deserted streets of Shibuya. He turned right at the intersection and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the entrance to the subway station.

He hurried over and quickly descended the stairs. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He hadn't stopped running since he had left Ino with Ieiri.

"I hope Itadori is okay," Megumi thought as he started walking again, moving through the corridor.

It didn't take long before the young sorcerer came across misshapen bodies lying on the ground. There was blood on the walls and the floor—clear signs of the battle that had taken place there. That alone was enough to make the young sorcerer quicken his pace.

The teenager passed through several hallways until he reached a large waiting area. His eyes landed on a dark-colored sphere in the center of the room. He walked slowly toward it, glancing sideways at the destruction around him. He also noticed several puddles of water on the floor.

Megumi took a breath and reached out his right arm toward the sphere. As soon as he touched the smooth surface, he felt the resistance it offered. He let out a slightly sarcastic laugh.

"Of course it wasn't going to be that easy," muttered the young sorcerer. He focused on finding the weakest point of the barrier. Only then did he press his hands together to form the sign to activate his Domain Expansion.

The shadows of his domain began to spread beneath his feet, but this time, instead of expanding throughout the room, they surged upward like a geyser, forcefully striking the barrier until it broke at its weakest point, dragging Megumi into the Domain Expansion.

The teenager emerged in what seemed to be a tropical beach, and as he slowly descended, he spotted Nanami, Maki, and the leader of the Zenin clan. Megumi also noticed the presence of a curse that looked like a bipedal octopus.

At that moment, his descent ended and the shadows spread slightly beneath his feet, keeping him from sinking into the water. Several frog-shaped shikigami appeared near him.

Megumi raised his head upon hearing something approaching rapidly. He swallowed hard and noticeably paled upon seeing two enormous sea serpents heading toward him.

"Shit," the young sorcerer thought. Given the circumstances, he couldn't undo the seal of his domain. If he did, the guaranteed hit from the other domain would resume, and that would be a death sentence for everyone.

The serpents never reached him. Before they could get to him, Nanami—who had been using the frogs as stepping stones—took care of them.

The blond sorcerer stood at his side and gave him a concerned look. Megumi noticed at that moment that some blood was dripping from his nose, but he remained steady, clenching his teeth.

Keeping his Domain Expansion active wasn't easy. He swallowed and looked seriously at Nanami.

"Nanami-san…" the teenager muttered. "The opening I made to get in has already closed." Megumi felt more blood come from his nose and forced himself to keep speaking. "I'll open another one, but I'm afraid it will only last a few seconds. We'll use it to escape."

Nanami seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he finally nodded, though not without throwing another worried glance at the student.

"I'll cover you. But Fushiguro—"

"I have no intention of dying here," Megumi declared firmly, abruptly cutting him off. "There are people waiting for me," he told himself, thinking of his sister and Itadori.

"Alright," Nanami turned toward the beach, where Maki and the Zenin clan leader were keeping the curse busy, preventing it from going after Megumi. "HEY, YOU TWO! GET OVER HERE!"

Maki and the old man immediately obeyed. They ran toward them, using the frogs as support, while the curse followed close behind. Megumi let out a sigh of relief when both of them reached him just as he managed to pierce the barrier and open an exit.

However, none of them made it out. A man with black hair and dark eyes jumped in. Megumi clenched his teeth as the exit closed behind the stranger.

The newcomer approached Maki and in the blink of an eye snatched Playful Cloud from her hands, throwing the girl into the water. Megumi swallowed hard, and drops of sweat trickled down his forehead.

"Who the hell is this guy?" he muttered upon realizing the man had no cursed energy at all. The Zenin clan leader observed the man in silence for a few seconds before responding.

"He's a ghost from the past."

Megumi watched, stunned, as the newcomer fought the curse. The young sorcerer swallowed and shivered at the brutality with which the man fought.

It was a nightmarish scene, and it was obvious that the curse—no matter how hard it tried—didn't stand a chance. "He's a monster," Megumi thought as he watched the man drive the sharp rods of Playful Cloud through the curse's head, then repeatedly strike the same spot until the creature stopped moving and began to fade away.

The curse's Domain Expansion started to dissolve around them, and Megumi let out a sigh of relief as he deactivated his own. His legs gave out, and the young sorcerer began coughing violently, spitting up some blood. He was struggling to breathe, and for a few seconds, his vision blurred.

Once Megumi felt slightly better, he raised his head and watched the black-haired man approach them slowly, warily. With some effort, he managed to stand up.

The next thing the young sorcerer knew, he was being thrown out of the station through one of the windows. He managed to cushion the impact slightly, but he still rolled several meters across the ground.

Megumi got up quickly and narrowly avoided having his head pierced by sheer luck. The young sorcerer leapt back in a failed attempt to put some distance between them, but the man reached him in seconds.

Realizing he had no other option, Megumi tried to land a hit, but all his attacks were blocked, and he ended up taking a punch to the stomach that left him breathless for a moment.

As if the situation wasn't already bad enough, Megumi suddenly felt the cursed energy of the King of Curses coming from the station.

"What the hell is going on here?" he muttered through gritted teeth. "I hope Itadori is okay," he thought, glancing sideways at his opponent.

Sukuna immediately noticed the moment the two bratty sorcerers forced his semi-conscious spouse to swallow one of his fingers. The King of Curses looked up as he felt Yuuji's soul abruptly enter his Innate Domain.

His vessel was unconscious, Sukuna observed as he descended from the mountain of skulls and approached him. He crouched near his spouse and extended his right arm, gently caressing the young sorcerer's cheek.

"I'll take care of things for now," he remarked as he caught the exact moment the curse with a volcano for a head forced his spouse to consume ten fingers. His consciousness surged upward, granting him full control over his spouse's body.

He opened his eyes and glared at the curse. Activating Cleave, the King of Curses reduced its forearm to shreds. He smiled inwardly as he noticed the expression of disbelief that now twisted the creature's features.

"Don't touch us," said the King of Curses as he stood up and focused on healing the wounds still present on his body. Yuuji had only just learned how to use the Reversed Cursed Technique, but he hadn't had time to fully heal before those two annoying, loud sorcerers had found him.

The King of Curses dusted himself off and wrinkled his nose slightly, irritated. He lifted his gaze as he slicked his hair back. He noticed how much the two humans were trembling, and his smile widened slightly. Sukuna began to walk slowly toward them, savoring the terror written on their faces—those of the two brats and the curse. I'll refrain from ordering them to kneel, Sukuna thought sternly.

"You two," he said, fixing all four of his crimson eyes on them. Both averted their gaze immediately and swallowed hard. "You wanted to speak with me, didn't you?" Neither dared speak, so the King of Curses continued, "I will listen, only because you gave me a finger."

The two girls exchanged a quick glance, and the blonde one quickly spoke up.

"There's a man down here dressed like a monk, with a stitch across his forehead." The brat paused as a few tears rolled down her cheeks, but she soon regained her composure. "Kill him, please. Free Master Geto, I beg you. We know the location of one of your fingers—if you get rid of him for us, we'll tell you where it is."

Sukuna resisted the urge to frown at the demand. That offense, under normal circumstances, would have been enough to kill them on the spot, but he couldn't afford to do that now. The King of Curses growled internally and observed them thoughtfully.

"I see," he said with a hint of dryness, barely containing the disgust the situation caused him. "We'll continue this conversation once what's happening here is over," Sukuna concluded seriously. "Leave and wait outside this district," he ordered, satisfied to see that neither dared argue and both hurried to get away. "I wonder if they'll even manage to make it out alive", the King of Curses mused internally.

He turned to the curse at that moment. "And you, what do you want?"

"I don't want anything," the curse stammered while holding his gaze. "Our only goal is to ensure your full incarnation." Sukuna narrowed his eyes slightly in pure boredom as the creature continued explaining its intentions.

Before the curse could finish speaking, Sukuna activated his cursed technique again, slicing off the top of its head with a clean cut. The creature's lone eye widened as it cautiously stared at the King of Curses.

"I don't know who you think you are to go around giving me orders like that," Sukuna snapped coldly. The curse didn't get a chance to respond. Before it could even open its mouth, Sukuna grabbed it by the poncho it wore and hurled it through the window.

The glass shattered, and the curse found itself plummeting toward the asphalt.

Megumi wiped the sweat from his forehead and touched his right cheek. He had almost managed to completely dodge the man's last attack, though he'd still received a light scratch. The important thing was that he'd made it to safety in one of the nearby buildings thanks to the few seconds his rabbits had bought him.

"I need to come up with a plan," he said aloud as he pulled a sword from his shadow. He looked up, noticing the sprinklers on the ceiling. He clenched his teeth slightly and let out a sigh.

He didn't know how long it would take for that man—who had no cursed energy—to find him, but he had no doubt he eventually would. He quickly left several rabbits scattered throughout the building and summoned Nue.

He stayed close to the window, and when he heard approaching footsteps, he quickly escaped, using Nue to ascend to the rooftop. He remained alert until he heard the metallic creak of the door.

Megumi didn't hesitate—he ordered Nue to dive down and release an electric charge at the man, while he himself jumped down, using the remaining rabbits as a cushion to soften his fall.

He rolled across the floor and caught sight of the man out of the corner of his eye as he leapt through the window. The boy clenched his jaw upon realizing the man was completely unharmed. He gripped his sword tightly as his opponent advanced.

Megumi barely had time to react before the man closed the distance, wielding one of the sharp ends of Playful Cloud. He stepped on one of the rabbits, crushing the creature, and Megumi used that to throw him off balance, pulling that foot into his shadow.

The metal staff plunged into Megumi's right side, piercing clean through him, and the boy stifled a grimace of pain as he tried to counterattack with his sword.

Before he could even graze him, the man's eyes widened, and he leapt back, not taking his gaze off the young sorcerer.

"What's your last name?" he asked. Megumi ignored the pain from the open wound and looked at him in confusion.

"Fushiguro," he answered, alert, expecting to be attacked again at any moment.

However, to his surprise, the man gave a relieved smile, and under Megumi's incredulous gaze, he plunged one of Playful Cloud's sharp ends into his own head. He collapsed instantly, and by the time the young sorcerer reached him, his appearance had changed—he now looked like a young man with a mohawk hairstyle.

Megumi placed a hand on his side, and when he pulled it away, he saw blood staining his palm. He wiped it off carelessly on his jacket and suppressed a grimace of pain. The wound that man had inflicted on him minutes earlier was still bleeding.

"I need to get to Ieiri," the young man muttered through clenched teeth as he covered the wound again, trying to stop the bleeding. And once I'm healed, I'll go look for Itadori, he promised himself.

Sukuna watched the curse with boredom. Moonlight shone down on them through the hole above their heads.

The King of Curses let out a sigh and slid his hands into his pockets. He looked on with indifference as the creature regenerated its dislocated jaw and stood back up, ready to continue the fight.

"After fighting my spouse and those other brats, I have to admit—this battle is utterly lacking in grace," Sukuna thought, wrinkling his nose.

"Tell me something—what exactly are you hoping to achieve with all of this, curse?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

The cursed spirit, who didn't seem to expect the question, faltered for a moment and slightly lowered its guard.

"A world without those fake humans," it declared seriously. "A world where curses like me can roam free."

"I see," said the King of Curses. There was little point in dragging this out any further. He began to chant the incantation for his Cursed Technique without taking his eyes off the curse, who gave a resigned smile.

"So this is how it ends, huh?" the curse asked, looking at the King of Curses. It opened its lone eye wide, clearly seeing Sukuna's technique just seconds before the slash split it cleanly in two.

Sukuna made sure there wasn't a trace left of the curse, and only then did he step away.

"Now what?" the King of Curses wondered. "Maybe if I hurry, I can stop that suicidal brat from doing something stupid," he thought, curling his lip in distaste.

Megumi kept stumbling forward. His breathing was strained, and he looked quite pale, but he refused to stop.

"I'm not far from Ieiri," he told himself, trying to stay motivated. "I hope Maki and the others are okay." Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear someone running up behind him.

A sudden, sharp pain hit his back, and he staggered forward, losing his balance and falling to the ground. Megumi managed to lift himself slightly and stifled a grimace of pain when his attacker stepped on his back and struck the same area again with the edge of his blade.

"This is what I do best, you know, sorcerer?" the man said as he finally stepped away, watching Megumi drag himself several meters.

"My Cursed Technique, the Ten Shadows, is based on subjugating different types of shikigami," Megumi began, still crawling but gradually managing to lift himself up a little. "At first, the sorcerer only has access to two Divine Dogs, and in order to obtain the rest of the shikigami, they have to defeat them. The advantage is that they can try as many times as they want and other sorcerers can participate, but that would invalidate the process," Megumi continued, clenching his fists and stretching both arms forward. "Among the ten shikigamis there's one that no user of the Ten Shadows has ever managed to tame."

Megumi watched as the cursed sorcerer's arrogant expression shifted into pure panic the moment he began the incantation for Mahoraga.

"I'm so sorry, Itadori," the black-haired teenager thought, focusing entirely on the words he was chanting. But he didn't get to finish. Suddenly, Sukuna appeared at his side, grabbed his arm, and broke the seal—causing the shadows gathered at the young sorcerer's feet to vanish completely.

"Looks like I made it just in time." Megumi went pale and tried to pull away, but the King of Curses didn't let go.

"What happened to Itadori?" the teenager asked through clenched teeth as Sukuna finally looked at him.

"What were you planning to do? Kill yourself just to take that sorcerer down?" The King of Curses completely ignored his earlier question and fixed his gaze on the cursed sorcerer. Sukuna clenched his teeth slightly before continuing. "If you have even a shred of common sense, you'd be running already, sorcerer," he snapped, and watched with disdain as the man didn't hesitate to turn his back and flee.

Chapter Text

Once the other sorcerer had fled, Sukuna turned all his attention to Fushiguro, who tried to stand his ground.

"Answer my question," demanded the King of Curses, crossing his arms. The young sorcerer with black hair swallowed hard and looked at him warily.

"It seemed like it was my only option," he replied with obvious effort. Sukuna scoffed at the response and rolled his eyes.

"Against such a weak sorcerer?" asked the King of Curses, raising an eyebrow incredulously.

"Give control back to Itadori," Fushiguro said seriously. He was slightly hunched over and trying to hide the pain he was in.

"I'm afraid that's not possible. Yuuji is fine, he's just lost control of his body momentarily," Sukuna explained, sticking his hands into his pants pockets and taking a few steps forward. "Although I think you should worry more about yourself—unless you actually want to bleed out?"

Fushiguro clenched his teeth tightly as another wave of pain hit him. The King of Curses was right, but he had no intention of admitting it. With those injuries, he wasn't going to make it far.

"Do you really think I'm just going to let you roam freely?" Sukuna stopped at those words and turned to look at him. He stared at him in silence for several seconds before bursting into laughter. For a moment, the only thing that could be heard was the shrill laughter of the King of Curses.

Then, before Fushiguro could react, Sukuna moved at full speed and appeared behind the young sorcerer. He knocked him out with a precise blow to the neck and grabbed him carelessly by the collar of his jacket.

He let out a sigh and began healing the teenager with the reverse cursed technique until he was sure the injuries were no longer life-threatening.

"I still have time to leave you in the hands of those two sorcerers," Sukuna said thoughtfully, eyeing the suicidal brat with displeasure. His hands had begun to tremble slightly—an unmistakable sign that his spouse was about to regain control of the body.

He glanced back when he sensed another presence. A faint smile appeared on his face when he saw who it was. The King of Curses turned fully and faced the newcomer.

"Uraume!" he greeted, looking at the sorcerer.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Sukuna-sama," said Uraume, kneeling and respectfully lowering their gaze. "I've come to escort you."

"That won't be necessary; my spouse and I still have matters to attend to here," Sukuna replied. "I want you to wait for us near the station entrance."

Uraume, visibly surprised, lifted their head and stared at their lord with wide eyes for several seconds until their expression returned to impassiveness, and they nodded slowly.

"I see," they simply said, as Sukuna walked away without another word.

The King of Curses left Megumi Fushiguro leaning against a lamppost across from the bridge where the woman with the reverse cursed technique and the sorcerer of the cursed dolls stood, and withdrew before either of them could notice his presence.

He returned to the metro entrance and stared thoughtfully at both his hands. The trembling had intensified, but there were still a few minutes before Yuuji would regain control of the body.

He walked calmly toward the stairs and began descending them leisurely. He stifled a yawn and put his hands back in his pockets. "If I remember correctly, it was around here," thought the King of Curses as he reached the bottom of the steps.

Sukuna walked past several shops and paused for a moment when he noticed the kimonos displayed in the window of one of the stores. That was when he felt Yuuji's consciousness beginning to resurface, and he let out a sigh. The King of Curses closed his eyes as the tattoos disappeared completely from his body.

Yuuji looked around in confusion. He frowned slightly and let out a low grunt. "How did I end up here?" he wondered, disoriented. The answer came just a second later when countless memories flooded his mind without warning.

He swallowed hard as he became aware of everything that had happened while Sukuna had full control of his body.

"Sukuna…" Yuuji murmured in a faint voice, sounding completely overwhelmed for a moment. "Thank you for saving Fushiguro." The King of Curses opened one eye and looked upward as a mouth appeared on the boy's right cheek.

"How are you feeling?" Sukuna asked seriously. Yuuji swallowed and shook his head.

"A bit dizzy and nauseous," the teenager admitted as he began walking forward. "But it's nothing serious. I'll survive." He hesitated for a moment, then continued speaking. "About what you said to your friend earlier…"

"We'll talk about that more calmly once this is all over," the King of Curses interrupted. "Right now, the important thing is rescuing your sensei, isn't it?"

"…Yeah… you're right," Yuuji admitted, picking up the pace as he heard sounds of fighting ahead. Sukuna glanced at him from the corner of his eye before retreating completely.

The young sorcerer began to run, turning the corner and rushing down the hallway as fast as he could. He descended the stairs at full speed. The sounds of battle grew louder—until they suddenly stopped.

Yuuji hurried the rest of the way until he arrived at a wide chamber. Modified human corpses were scattered across the room, clear signs of the fight that had taken place there—but that wasn't what caught his attention.

Several meters to his left stood Nanamin. Yuuji's breath caught in his throat when he saw that part of the older sorcerer's abdomen was burned. Behind him, with a hand resting on Nanami's back, stood Mahito.

"No… no way," Yuuji thought, eyes wide and face pale.

"Nanamin," he managed to murmur as he took a few hesitant steps forward. Yuuji felt a knot in his stomach when Nanami turned his head to look at him, and the boy realized how calm he was.

"I'm leaving the rest to you, Itadori." Those were the last words the blond-haired sorcerer spoke before Mahito activated his cursed technique and the upper half of Nanami's body swelled for a few seconds—then exploded.

Yuuji stood frozen for a few seconds as he tried to process what had just happened. He clenched his fists and began trembling violently. He locked eyes on the curse and, to his horror, saw Mahito watching him with curiosity, a playful smile on his face.

"MAHITO!" Yuuji shouted, no longer able to contain his emotions.

"No need to yell, Yuuji Itadori!" replied the curse with the stitched face. "I can hear you just fine!"

The pink-haired young sorcerer started running toward him as fast as he could, channeling cursed energy into his fists. Mahito's grin widened, and before Yuuji could reach him, he used a modified human.

The creature expanded into a solid, opaque wall that completely blocked Mahito from view. Yuuji instinctively slowed down and stopped his right fist just inches from the modified human's face.

"Don't stop now," the King of Curses scolded him immediately. "The only thing you can do is give him a merciful death and end his suffering."

Yuuji swallowed and took a deep breath. However, before he could act, numerous spikes began sprouting from the fleshy wall, forcing him to leap back and shield his face with both arms as the spikes grew and struck him. Breaking them proved excessively easy.

He looked ahead as he realized the form of the modified human was beginning to change. Yuuji had just enough time to grab both sides of the jaw that burst through the opaque surface.

He clenched his teeth, recalling Sukuna's words, and activated Shrine. Before the modified human could be sliced to pieces, Mahito emerged from its throat and, taking advantage of Yuuji's inability to defend himself, landed a punch to his face with enough force to hurl the boy backward.

Yuuji was thrown against a column and used his feet to absorb the impact. The sound of cracking concrete echoed, but neither of them paid it any mind.

The pink-haired sorcerer barely had time to dodge the charging modified human, though he still took another blow to the face, deepening the cut.

The teenager reached for the wound—it ran from the bridge of his nose down to his cheek. Blood trickled out, and Yuuji focused just as he had when the Death Painting had fatally wounded him. He felt the injury begin to slowly heal, and the young sorcerer turned his attention to Mahito.

The curse casually shook the hand he had struck with, bits of metal from the blade he'd formed falling to the ground.

"If I'd used a bit more strength, I could've pierced your skull," Mahito commented offhandedly.

"How can you keep playing with countless lives over and over again?" The curse rolled his eyes at the question and sighed in boredom.

"Since you're a simple guy, Yuuji Itadori, I'll give you a simple answer." Yuuji's eyes widened as Mahito's right hand morphed into the likeness of Junpei Yoshino's head. One of the fingers on Mahito's left hand extended like a stake, and Yuuji watched as he used it to stab through the fake Junpei's head. "You're just like me."

Yuuji gritted his teeth as rage welled up inside him. Mahito looked at him and began laughing, mocking him.

"Stop talking nonsense," the young sorcerer spat, furious.

"Nonsense? Tell me something—do you count how many curses you've killed?" Yuuji didn't respond, but his silence was all the confirmation Mahito needed. "And let me guess, you don't feel even the slightest bit of compassion when you kill them, do you?" The smile on Mahito's face widened. "I'll say it again—you're just like me."

Yuuji started walking toward the curse, and Mahito landed softly on the ground. He placed his right hand on the modified human and imitated a human's movements, slowly advancing toward Yuuji.

Nobara helped Nitta lie down on the ground, and several men from the rescue team sent to the area quickly approached the two of them. One of them knelt down, frowning as he examined the wounds on the assistant's legs.

The young sorcerer then stood up. The man looked at her immediately, and Nobara turned her eyes toward the curtain. She began walking in that direction, completely ignoring the assistant's desperate pleas for her to stay.

"I can't just sit back while those two idiots are still fighting," Nobara declared, glancing sideways at the assistant and noting the concern still visible in the woman's eyes.

The young sorcerer kept moving forward and stepped through the curtain without hesitation. She emerged in the middle of a completely deserted road and suppressed a shiver.

It looked like something out of a horror movie, but Nobara didn't stop. The only sound that could be heard was the echo of her footsteps as she glanced around cautiously, alert for any suspicious noise.

"I hope those two idiots are okay," Nobara thought, placing her hand on the handle of her hammer as she heard footsteps nearby. She grabbed several nails and moved slowly toward the source of the noise.

She reached an alleyway and saw a human figure with their back to her. Nobara tightened her grip on the handle and watched the stranger in silence.

"Who are you?" she asked firmly. The sorceress tensed as the figure turned around, revealing a stitched-up face. "You're the cursed spirit with the sewn-up face who fought my idiot friend a few months ago, right?"

"So I'm famous now," the curse replied with a wide grin.

"I know you ran off with your tail between your legs." At that moment, Nobara threw two nails.

The curse dodged them effortlessly and transformed his right arm into a massive hammer. He tried to strike the girl with it, but Nobara leapt back, easily avoiding the attack.

She hurled more nails, but with the same result as before. The curse shot her a mocking look and chuckled.

"Is that all you've got?"

Nobara didn't answer. She struck a few more nails with her hammer and directed them toward a sign right above the creature. When it fell and landed in front of the curse, Nobara ran forward and snapped her fingers, causing the nails to hit their mark for the first time.

"I'm not the kind of girl who gives up easily, you know?"

Yuuji stared intently at the top of the elevator, waiting. He focused cursed energy into his right fist as he remained on alert. Sooner or later, Mahito would catch up—of that, he had no doubt.

The moment he saw the lights start to shatter, Yuuji jumped and smashed through the elevator ceiling with his right fist, creating a hole that allowed him to spot his enemy.

He dodged Mahito's attack and managed to land a kick before the curse—whose arms had morphed into two scythes—sliced the elevator cabin in half. Yuuji narrowly avoided being caught by leaping through the hole he had made and grabbing onto the only remaining intact cable.

He swung himself toward the elevator shaft and let out a breath of relief when he spotted the elongated mutated human racing upward.

"If I'd been even a second slower, it would've gotten me," Yuuji thought as Mahito also entered the shaft, grinning smugly. His right hand had transformed into a gun, and he fired a tiny mutated human as a projectile.

Yuuji struck it with his left fist, sending the creature flying backward. But just before it could reach Mahito, it shifted shape, launching four pink tentacles back at him.

The young sorcerer dodged by leaping onto the stairs and crouched down for a few seconds. A massive hand suddenly appeared and tried to crush him.

Yuuji gritted his teeth and quickly activated Cleave, slicing the giant limb into pieces. He leapt again in Mahito's direction, only to see that the curse had already fled, rounding a corner.

He rushed after him, but when he turned, all he saw were two young men. One of them, wearing a blue cap, gestured for him to come closer with his right hand.

"Where is he?" Yuuji wondered as he approached the two non-sorcerers. There was no trace of Mahito. He frowned. There was no way Mahito had simply vanished. "He couldn't have gone far," Yuuji reasoned, stopping in front of them.

The young sorcerer didn't have time to react. The man in the blue cap suddenly opened his mouth wide, and an arm shot out, catching Yuuji off guard and sending him rolling several meters across the ground.

He got up just in time to see Mahito emerging from inside the man. The curse reached out and touched the other non-sorcerer, transforming him into a sword. Yuuji felt his blood boil at the sight.

"Control your anger," Sukuna advised him then. "All he's trying to do is provoke you. Don't give him the satisfaction," said the King of Curses.

"Easier said than done," Yuuji muttered, realizing Mahito had once again taken off. He clenched his teeth and hurried after him.

The curse pulled the nails out of its head and stared at her in silence. It extended its right arm and tried to strike her, but Nobara quickly put some distance between them, eyeing the creature warily.

She threw more nails at the curse and clicked her tongue in irritation when she saw it dodge them effortlessly. "This isn't getting me anywhere," Nobara thought, moving away again—though this time she wasn't fast enough, and her left shoulder was pierced.

She winced in pain and stepped back. The curse lunged at her again, and though she tried to dodge, she ended up with deep scratches along her arm.

Nobara jumped backward when the curse transformed into a spiked sphere. She used the moment to climb onto a nearby balcony and waited until the creature returned to its original form.

Only then did she jump down, landing on top of it. She pinned it with her feet and yanked out several strands of its hair. Then the sorceress jumped back and pulled out a straw doll hidden inside her jacket.

Before the curse could attack, Nobara placed the hair on the doll and used her hammer to drive a nail into it while activating her cursed technique.

"Resonance," she murmured, glancing sideways at the curse. She frowned when it remained completely unharmed. "I just felt the burst of my cursed energy in a different spot nearby," she noted, a wide smile forming on her face. "Which means you're nothing but a double that can't use cursed techniques," Nobara added, recalling all the moments when the curse could've used its abilities but didn't.

"Well, you caught me," the curse said with a mock-regretful grimace. "I guess the only thing left to do is get out of here." It turned around and started running, leaving Nobara staring in disbelief before she quickly gave chase.

"What the hell is this thing playing at?" she wondered, trying to catch up. She saw the curse head into the subway entrance and let out a sigh of relief. "Well, two birds with one stone. Once I exorcise this curse, I'll try to find Gojo-sensei," Nobara thought, hurrying down the stairs.

She followed it down into a massive corridor and came to a sudden stop—caught off guard when she spotted Itadori on the other end. And just as she had suspected, there were two identical curses. One was running straight toward her friend, and the other was charging right at her.

"Kugisaki, get out of there!" Itadori shouted. But despite the warning, Nobara didn't have time to move and the curse touched the left side of her face.

Yuuji let out a curse when Mahito split into smaller versions of himself and he failed to identify the original, allowing the curse to escape.

He immediately ran after Mahito, following him into a wide corridor. His eyes widened in shock when he saw there were two of them. But what truly froze the blood in his veins was seeing one of them head to the opposite end of the corridor—where Kugisaki had just appeared.

"Kugisaki, get out of there!" he shouted, only to witness his friend fail to move in time as Mahito touched her face.

Yuuji reacted the moment both Mahitos began to laugh. He punched the fake one, slamming it into the wall. He didn't even flinch at the sickening sound the curse's head made upon impact. The clone collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

He walked toward Kugisaki, visibly trembling. She wore a neutral expression and had covered the left side of her face with her hand.

"Itadori," Yuuji looked up, noticing how calm she seemed as she lowered her hand and met his gaze. "Tell everyone… I didn't do too bad." At that moment, Mahito's cursed technique activated, and Yuuji watched as dark markings appeared above and below her left eye.

Then, it was as if that part of her face exploded—and Kugisaki collapsed. Drops of blood splattered across Yuuji's face as he stared at her body, struggling to comprehend what had just happened. It was as if everything around him blurred, like he'd been trapped in a nightmare. He didn't even notice the smug look Mahito was throwing his way.

Pale as wax, he moved mechanically toward her and knelt by her side. He placed one hand gently over her injured face and focused, trying to replicate what he had done before when mortally wounded.

"It has to work… please," the young sorcerer thought through clenched teeth. He frowned—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't heal Kugisaki. "What am I doing wrong!?" he asked himself, desperate. Nothing he tried was working.

"Nothing. You're not doing anything wrong." Sukuna's words hit Yuuji like a cold wave. He still couldn't tear his gaze away from the lifeless eyes of his friend. "Being able to use the Reverse Cursed Technique is already nearly impossible. Healing others? That's something only a very rare few can do." the King of Curses explained. "Besides, the damage caused by that curse—it's to the soul itself. That kind of injury can't be healed. You know that, Yuuji." Sukuna's voice softened slightly as he said this. Yuuji's lower lip trembled as he processed the truth behind those words. "But you have other things to worry about right now."

Mahito had started running toward Yuuji, laughing maniacally. Before the sorcerer could react, the curse punched him in the stomach—using Black Flash.

Yuuji coughed up blood as he rolled across the floor. He tried to get up, but Mahito didn't give him a chance. The special-grade curse kicked him hard, sending him flying into a pillar. Yuuji hit his back and barely managed to get to his feet. He wiped the blood from his lips and glared at Mahito.

The sorcerer winced as he stepped forward, pain stabbing through the area where the Black Flash had hit. Still, when Mahito tried to slice him in half, Yuuji managed to dodge in time.

Gritting his teeth, he glanced sideways at Kugisaki. "I have to draw him away from here," he thought, dodging another of Mahito's attacks.

"You probably came here thinking this would be like exterminating monsters in a video game," Mahito mocked, stretching his arm and grabbing Yuuji. The boy touched the hand gripping him and activated Shrine, severing the curse's hand. "Naive people like you make me sick, Yuuji Itadori," Mahito snarled, attempting to regenerate his lost limb. He frowned when it didn't work but refocused on Yuuji. "This is a war between humans and curses!"

Yuuji wasn't fazed at all by his words. He narrowed his eyes and launched himself at Mahito, landing several punches before the curse transformed his hand into a scythe and tried to decapitate him.

Before the blade could even graze Yuuji, there was a sharp clap—and the pink-haired sorcerer reappeared next to Todo, who was watching the scene with a calculating gleam in his eyes.

"Sorry I'm late, brother," said the Kyoto student. A blond-haired boy joined them at that moment.

"I've treated the girl," he announced. "I couldn't heal her wounds, but her condition won't worsen." A wave of relief swept over Yuuji's face. He could only murmur his thanks in a faint voice. "However I can't guarantee she'll survive," the blond-haired teenager added. "I'm taking her somewhere safe now." He ran toward Kugisaki then, as quickly as he could.

Yuuji nodded and turned to face Mahito, his expression hardening. Todo continued to hold the curse at bay—but it wouldn't last too long.

The pink-haired sorcerer took a deep breath and stepped forward, resolute. "I'll kill Mahito—here and now," he swore to himself.

Sukuna watched the battle with interest. Despite everything that had happened, his wife hadn't broken down the way the King of Curses remembered.

Yuuji had begun using Shrine more frequently, though he didn't seem fully aware of it yet. Sukuna's lips curved into a curious smile when he noticed that the slashes made by his wife were now capable of reaching the curse's soul.

"So, you're evolving as a sorcerer," he remarked to himself with interest. The hesitation and inability to attack transfigured humans had also completely disappeared, the King of Curses noted. This made his smile stretch even wider.

"If you keep this up, you might run him out of transfigured humans," he said aloud, watching Mahito hurl another group of them at them.

"Do you really think that's possible?" Yuuji questioned, unconvinced.

"Judging by how many he's used already, I wouldn't rule it out entirely," Sukuna pointed out, watching as Mahito released several transfigured humans shaped like worms, forcing them to the surface.

At that moment, his wife was separated from Aoi Todo when Mahito threw a transfigured human at the Kyoto sorcerer, sending him flying into a nearby building.

The King of Curses raised an eyebrow when, after the two sorcerers regrouped, the curse activated his Domain Expansion for 0.2 seconds.

Mahito's soul appeared inside the Innate Domain of the King of Curses, who observed him with a mix of disdain and boredom.

"Do you find this acceptable, Sukuna?" The disrespect and arrogance in Mahito's voice were palpable. Instead of remaining silent, Sukuna raised the index and middle fingers of his left hand, causing numerous cuts to open across Mahito's body and successfully expelling him from the Innate Domain.

That left the curse vulnerable long enough for his wife to reach him and land a punch, triggering a Black Flash in the process.

"I wonder if this fight will end like the last one," Sukuna mused. Yuuji had more than enough skill to exorcise the curse, but the King of Curses knew Kenjaku wasn't far off.

"Yuuji, you should focus solely on using Shrine against him," he advised, after Aoi Todo was taken out of the fight and Mahito assumed a new form.

His wife had tried to strike him, quickly realizing how tough the curse's new body was.

"I have to land a Black Flash," Yuuji said as both he and the curse fell into the sewer area.

Several pipes had burst, and everything was flooded, but neither of them paid any attention to the rising water.

Sukuna keenly observed how his wife focused while the curse circled around him. Yuuji managed to hit him, and the King of Curses smiled broadly upon seeing the fear on the special-grade curse's face.

"Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic," Sukuna thought as Mahito tried to flee from Yuuji, utterly terrified. He wrinkled his nose when the curse twisted its ankle and fell.

Just then, without warning, a towering wall of ice blocked Mahito's escape route. Yuuji, who had finally caught up to the special-grade curse, struck him hard with a punch, activating Cleave at the same time.

Sukuna watched with a satisfied smile as Yuuji finally exorcised the special-grade curse. His wife collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.

Yuuji tried to get up, but his legs wouldn't respond. He turned his head sharply at the sound of approaching footsteps. Sukuna raised a brow upon seeing that it was Uraume.

"Forgive me for intervening in the battle, Itadori-sama," the sorcerer said, bowing their head slightly. "But it's time for us to leave."

Sukuna, aware of what his spouse was about to say, decided to intervene. He opened the eye on his vessel's left cheek and a mouth appeared.

"You've already done more than enough, Yuuji."

"But I haven't saved Gojo-sensei yet!" the boy protested, trying once again to stand.

Uraume glanced sideways at the ice wall they had erected and frowned. The sorcerer didn't know how long they could keep Kenjaku at bay—time was running out. Uraume turned their gaze back to their lord's spouse and sighed.

They stopped in front of the teenager and delivered a swift, precise blow to the back of his neck, knocking the young sorcerer unconscious.

Chapter Text

Sukuna opened one of his eyes on Yuuji's cheek and fixed his gaze on Uraume. The cursed sorcerer had brought his vessel to an apartment block, and they had entered one of the units. The sorcerer had dealt with a low-level curse that had killed the non-sorcerers living in the apartment, but it hadn't taken him more than a minute to exorcise the creature.

Then, Uraume had placed Yuuji on one of the sofas in the living room and sat down in an armchair across from him. At that moment, the King of Curses made a mouth appear beneath his eye.

"Uraume," Sukuna called softly to his servant, making sure to not wake up his spouse, watching as they immediately looked up, expectant. "It's good to see you again," he said.

"My lord, I apologize for the harsh way I treated your... wife," Uraume said at once.

"See that it doesn't happen again." The King of Curses' tone left no room for argument. "I want you to treat my wife with the same respect you show me."

Uraume, keeping their face expressionless, nodded and kept their gaze lowered at all times.

"Sukuna-sama, may I ask you something?" the cursed sorcerer asked, maintaining a respectful and cautious tone. The King of Curses nodded, and Uraume continued. "Why do you consider Yuuji Itadori your wife?"

Sukuna remained silent for a long moment, but just as Uraume was about to apologize for asking, the King of Curses replied.

"He is the refuge of my soul." Sukuna said nothing more, and Uraume didn't press the issue. "Put up a curtain—I'd rather avoid the sorcerers for now." The sorcerer nodded and quickly left, leaving the King of Curses alone with his vessel.

Sukuna withdrew at that moment and reappeared in his Innate Domain. He looked around for Yuuji and approached him. The King of Curses noticed that his vessel had not yet regained consciousness. He sat beside him and adjusted Yuuji, resting the teenager against his chest. His wife didn't wake up at all, and Sukuna gave a tender smile as he looked at him.

He wrapped his right arm around the sorcerer's waist and sat silently, staring ahead as he lost himself in thought. The smile slowly vanished from his lips. "I don't think it's possible to avoid the sorcerers forever," the King of Curses thought with some irritation. "I highly doubt they won't try to kill my wife again in this timeline," Sukuna said to himself, gently stroking the young sorcerer's cheek.

Besides, there was also the matter of Kenjaku being out there. That might keep the sorcerers occupied for a while. "I wonder what he's planning now that he can't carry out the Culling Games," Sukuna thought with curiosity. Knowing Kenjaku, anything was possible.

He shook his head and glanced sideways at Yuuji. The pink-haired teenager had shifted slightly and seemed about to wake. Sukuna kept his gaze fixed on the crimson waters as Yuuji finally opened his eyes.

The sorcerer tried to pull away from the King of Curses, and Sukuna noticed the slight blush that had appeared on the young sorcerer's cheeks. Reluctantly, he let go, and Yuuji sat up.

"You took your time waking up," commented the King of Curses, crossing his legs and looking at his vessel.

"Your... friend hit me pretty hard," Yuuji admitted, rubbing his neck. Sukuna chuckled a little, and Yuuji glared at him.

"There was no other choice. We had to get out of there as soon as possible," the King of Curses interjected. Yuuji was about to protest, but Sukuna kept speaking. "In the state you were in, you wouldn't have been able to save your sensei. And now that he's gone, it's highly likely they'll try to kill you again." Yuuji flinched slightly at that but shook his head.

"But I have to do something to help. I can't just sit back and do nothing, Sukuna," the pink-haired boy protested. Sukuna let out a growl and shook his head.

"You're not up against a normal sorcerer, Yuuji," the King of Curses told him. "Besides, you need to recover from your fight with Mahito first. In your current state, you can't do much." Yuuji looked away upon hearing that.

"I know... it's just that I can't stand doing nothing."

"I'm aware of that, but you're in no condition right now." Yuuji shifted a little, and seeing that Sukuna wasn't about to budge, he didn't press further.

"Sukuna… do you think Kugisaki survived?" the teenager murmured, his voice barely audible. Sukuna noticed he seemed on the verge of breaking down.

"I don't know," the King of Curses answered honestly. "That's something that depends entirely on her."

Yuuji broke down at that moment. Sukuna watched as, without warning, his spouse began to cry uncontrollably. He looked away, feeling somewhat awkward, but allowed Yuuji to cling tightly to him.

Sukuna held a sigh and wrapped his arms around the boy. He hugged his wife clumsily, trying to comfort the young sorcerer.

Yuuji opened his eyes and sat up abruptly. He looked around, realizing he had been lying on a sofa in a living room he didn't recognize.

"I see you're finally awake, Itadori-sama," said someone to his right. Yuuji quickly turned to see who had spoken.

"You're Uraume-san, right? Sukuna's friend?" the pink-haired sorcerer asked, relaxing. He stood up and grimaced in pain as a sharp stab shot through his side. He clutched the area and stifled a groan. Lifting his sweatshirt slightly, Yuuji noticed the skin was bruised and somewhat swollen.

"Your injuries haven't healed. You should be careful when moving," Uraume warned, keeping a calm tone. "I deeply regret striking you earlier, but I'm afraid we had to leave as quickly as possible. For now, we'll stay in this house until you've fully recovered, Itadori-sama."

Yuuji brushed it off with a gesture and tried to heal the sore area using the Reverse Cursed Technique. He watched as the swelling began to subside slowly and the skin gradually returned to its natural tone.

Uraume observed silently, raising an eyebrow when the teenager's stomach growled loudly. Yuuji blushed slightly, embarrassed.

"I'll prepare something to eat right away," they said, and before Yuuji could protest, the cursed sorcerer headed to the kitchen.

"Maybe I should go help," the young sorcerer thought, glancing toward the door. From there, he could hear Uraume opening drawers and rummaging through them.

"Uraume prefers to cook alone." Sukuna, who had opened one of his eyes and manifested a mouth on the boy's cheek, spoke up at that moment. "The best thing you can do is leave them alone."

"Are you sure?" Yuuji asked, casting a hesitant glance toward the door.

"Yes."

Despite Sukuna's words, Yuuji—who felt guilty doing nothing—followed the sounds into a small, narrow kitchen. He saw Uraume skillfully chopping several vegetables, focused on what they were doing.

"Do you need something, Itadori-sama?" the sorcerer asked.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Uraume-san?" the teenager offered as he stepped into the kitchen. Uraume quickly and firmly shook their head.

"I won't take long to finish everything," the cursed sorcerer assured with a calm tone. "Please wait in the living room, Itadori-sama."

Yuuji watched them silently, uncertain. Uraume had returned to what they were doing, completely ignoring the pink-haired teenager. Shaking his head, Yuuji stepped into the kitchen. He could feel Uraume's pink eyes on him as he searched through the drawers.

The pink-haired sorcerer pulled out a couple of plates and set them on the counter near the stovetop. Then he began looking for trays and cutlery.

"At the very least, I'll help you with this." Uraume rolled their eyes and shrugged. They tossed the meat and vegetables into the pan on the stovetop, and the soft sizzling of the food filled the silence.

"As you wish, Itadori-sama."

Yuuji smiled slightly, visibly pleased at having gotten his way, and glanced sideways at what Uraume was cooking.

"Smells amazing." The cursed sorcerer barely reacted to the compliment, though for a moment, Yuuji thought his words had caught them off guard.

"Thank you."

Once Yuuji had arranged everything on the trays, he leaned against the wall and waited for Uraume to finish cooking. "I will ask what we are going to do now when we are eating," the teenager thought. He had to question Sukuna on a few things too.

Megumi opened his eyes with effort and grunted slightly as he sat up and looked around, immediately recognizing where he was. Jujutsu High's infirmary.

He got out of bed and walked seriously toward the door. The young sorcerer stretched out his right arm to open it when it suddenly swung open, and Ieiri appeared, immediately noticing the student.

"How are you feeling, Fushiguro?" the woman asked, entering and closing the door behind her. The boy, who had taken a couple of steps back, grunted slightly.

"Like a train ran over me." Ieiri nodded and glanced at him as she made her way to her desk and sat in her chair.

"I see," the woman commented, playing with a lock of her hair. "Though you woke up earlier than I expected." Megumi furrowed his brow slightly and looked at her intently.

"Where is Itadori?" he asked more abruptly than he intended. Ieiri hesitated for a moment before answering, something the student didn't miss.

"I'm afraid we don't know where he is right now," the woman informed him gently. "But, knowing him, he's probably fine." Megumi clenched his fists tightly until it hurt and tried to calm himself.

He turned around and headed back toward the door as Ieiri let out a long sigh but made no attempt to stop him.

"You're still not fully recovered, Fushiguro. I recommend you take it easy and rest for a couple more days."

"What happened to the others?" the teenager asked before leaving.

"…Eat something and then we'll talk, okay?" the woman said, softening her tone. Megumi nodded and hurried out of the infirmary. He only stopped when he was at a safe distance and leaned against the wall. He swallowed hard while clenching his fists tightly, and the last encounter he had had with the King of Curses flashed through his mind. The way he had referred to his friend, the familiarity with which he had spoken his name, was unsettling.

"I have to find Itadori," Megumi thought seriously. He took a breath and tried to relax then closed his eyes. The best thing he could do was go find Kugisaki and try to get more answers from his teammate.

Besides, if he went out to look for Itadori, Megumi had no doubt his friend would want to join him. With that in mind, he left the school's administrative building and made his way across the courtyard when he noticed Panda and Inumaki.

The two second-year students were sitting on one of the benches, deeply engaged in conversation. Megumi walked briskly toward them, and it didn't take long for them to notice his presence.

"Ah, I see you're awake, Fushiguro," Panda commented, immediately getting up. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. What happened while I was unconscious?" he asked, going straight to the point. Panda and Inumaki exchanged a glance before responding. Megumi listened silently, with an unreadable expression the entire time.

"The situation is worse than I expected," Megumi thought, placing his left hand on his chin. Exorcising all the curses that had been left loose would take too long.

"We should focus on rescuing Gojo-sensei," the first-year student pointed out seriously.

"Tuna mayo," Inumaki interjected at that moment.

"We're going to need all the help we can get, yes," Panda said. "Masamichi told me he spoke with Yuta, and he'll be back in a few days. And Yuki Tsukumo is currently trying to locate the fake Geto."

"And what do we do in the meantime?" Megumi pressed. Panda shrugged.

"The higher-ups have been in meetings for hours deliberating what to do," the cursed doll told him. "The only thing we can do right now is wait. They'll let us know something soon."

"And until then, what? Do we just sit here doing nothing?"

Chapter Text

Yuuji walked up to Sukuna without saying a word. The King of Curses had dragged him into his Innate Domain the moment the teenager had laid down on the bed.

Sukuna, who was sitting on several skulls atop his mountain, gestured for the young sorcerer to sit beside him. They remained in silence for several minutes until Yuuji cleared his throat softly and looked at the King of Curses.

"There are a few things I'd like to ask you, Sukuna," Yuuji admitted with a hint of hesitation. "When you were talking to Uraume-san in Shibuya, you said I was your wife and… well… I…"

"Our souls have been coexisting for months now. I've been able to get to know every part of you in that time," the King of Curses explained, watching Yuuji as he spoke and reached out to intertwine their hands together to empathise with the young sorcerer close, analysing the teenager's expression. Sukuna let out a sigh and tried to be as sincere as possible without overwhelming his wife. He looked ahead before continuing. "In a way, it feels natural to call you that. I don't think there's a better way to describe the kind of bond we share, you know?" Sukuna glanced sideways at Yuuji. "Does it bother you?"

"…No, not really," the pink-haired sorcerer admitted after a brief pause. Sukuna smirked when he noticed that his spouse's cheeks were slightly flushed while the teen's eyes were fixed on their intertwined hands. He was about to make a comment about it, but Yuuji continued speaking.

"I wanted to talk to you about this before, but it never seemed like the right moment."

"There are more important things to focus on right now," Sukuna agreed, adopting a more serious expression. "Even though you're recovered enough to fight, I don't want to take unnecessary risks."

"I think the best thing to do would be to look for my friends," Yuuji said at that moment. "I want to know what happened to them after Shibuya's mission." Sukuna bit his tongue to keep himself from saying something inappropriate.

"I told you before, but I still don't think going back is a good idea. We don't know how things are over there," the King of Curses reminded him. "It's better to be cautious."

"If they dare lay a hand on you, I'll make sure they pay for it", Sukuna thought. He wasn't sure if that suicidal brat and Yuta Okkotsu were looking for his vessel yet, but it was highly possible they were. That's why the King of Curses had done everything he could to keep Yuuji away from Shibuya. "Though I doubt that's going to be enough".

"As soon as I'm fully recovered, we should go back," Yuuji insisted, unwilling to back down. "I want to know how Fushiguro and the others are doing." Sukuna held back a growl at that.

"…Once you're better, we'll talk about it calmly," the King of Curses said seriously. Yuuji beamed at him upon hearing that.

"Thank you, Sukuna."

Megumi listened in disbelief to what Okkotsu was telling him. The second-year student had just come out of a meeting with the higher-ups of the sorcery world and had gone straight to find him in his dorm, claiming there was something of utmost importance to discuss.

"You're joking, right?" Megumi asked, clenching his fists when the other student finished speaking.

"No, I'm afraid the execution of Yuuji Itadori has been reactivated and declared a priority," the special grade sorcerer declared, diverting his gaze as he felt Megumi's green eyes piercing him.

"Why are you telling me this?" Okkotsu let out a sigh and looked at him seriously.

"I need your help to find him," the student admitted. Megumi frowned and immediately shook his head.

"No, I refuse."

"Fushiguro-san, please," Okkotsu insisted.

"They should be focusing on finding and freeing Gojo-sensei," Megumi protested. "Itadori hasn't done anything."

"I'm aware of that, but the higher-ups have considered Gojo-sensei one of the people responsible for what happened in Shibuya," Okkotsu said. Megumi snorted a little at hearing this.

"That's ridiculous."

"Gojo-san asked me a few months ago to protect Itadori-san," Okkotsu revealed at that moment.

"And your idea of protecting him is to kill him?" Megumi asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Gojo-sensei came up with a plan in case something like this happened," Okkotsu explained. "You see…"

Uraume watched Yuuji Itadori without saying a word. The pink-haired teenager had insisted on coming along as soon as the curse user told him they were going out to look for some food.

"It wasn't necessary for you to come with me, Itadori-sama."

"I wanted to get out for a bit," Yuuji admitted. "I'm feeling better now, and I didn't want to spend the whole day locked up." Uraume let out a sigh and nodded.

"I understand."

They walked the streets in silence, and the teenager couldn't help but shiver when he noticed how empty they were.

"This looks like something straight out of a horror movie," he murmured. "I didn't imagine Nagoya would be like this." They had arrived in the city that very morning and settled into one of the apartment blocks that had remained intact.

In the area they were walking through, some buildings were completely destroyed, with rubble scattered across the street. Yuuji stopped for a moment when he noticed several dark stains—dried blood. Uraume, who had also noticed them, halted by his side and observed the marks.

"There are traces of cursed energy," the curse user remarked with a slight frown. "We should hurry. They seem fairly recent."

"Is it a curse?" Yuuji asked as they stepped into the supermarket on their right.

"It's possible; I can't say for sure," Uraume replied, grabbing several canned goods and putting them in a green backpack they had found at the apartment. Yuuji helped by adding several containers and packets of instant ramen. Uraume wrinkled their nose slightly but said nothing.

They stuffed several bottles of water into the backpack and quickly left the building. The walk back to their shelter was made in complete silence. From time to time, Uraume cast furtive glances around, alert to even the faintest suspicious sound.

It wasn't until they were almost at their destination that they came across a young-looking man standing in the middle of the road. Both Uraume and Yuuji tensed, eyeing him warily.

"Well, it seems Megumi hasn't arrived yet," the man commented, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He fixed his eyes on Yuuji and sighed. "He's really slow, you know?"

"Who are you?" Uraume demanded, focusing cursed energy in their hands.

"I see at least you're smart enough to run, Yuuji Itadori." The man began advancing toward them leisurely.

"What do you mean? And why are you looking for Fushiguro?"

"Your death sentence has been reactivated," the stranger revealed. "Honestly, I don't care if you live or die. The only one I have business with is Megumi."

"Itadori-sama, let me handle this," Uraume requested, placing both hands on the ground and sending a wave of ice toward the man, who vanished in the blink of an eye, evading the attack with insulting ease. He reappeared right in front of them, landing a punch at both, which Uraume and Yuuji blocked with ease.

"Still, I can't just let you wander around freely," the man said with an arrogant smile. "I think I'll start by breaking your legs." He leapt back, dodging Uraume and Yuuji's counterattacks, and placed himself at a safe distance. "I'll admit, you're not bad, but I wonder if you can keep up with me."

Before the sorcerer had the chance to move again, the three of them felt a massive surge of cursed energy approaching quickly. Just seconds later, a young man with black hair appeared, observing the three of them with a certain curiosity.

Yuuji noticed that the newcomer was wearing the Jujutsu High uniform, though for some unknown reason, his jacket was white. "I don't remember seeing him at the school before," the young sorcerer thought seriously.

"Which one of you is Yuuji Itadori?" he asked in a monotone voice. The sorcerer who had attacked Uraume and Yuuji quickly raised both arms.

"I'm on your side," he said. "I'm Naoya Zenin, Maki's cousin." The newcomer nodded and fixed his gaze on the other two. Uraume stepped in front of Yuuji and glanced at him from the corner of their right eye, serious.

"Itadori-sama, I'll handle everything," the curse user declared. "Run and wait for me nearby; I shouldn't take long." Confidence filled Uraume's voice, yet Yuuji still cast a wary glance at the two sorcerers.

"Uraume is perfectly capable of fighting both of them," Sukuna intervened for the first time. Yuuji nodded and, after one last look at the curse user, took off running as fast as he could.

He heard Uraume curse, and just seconds later, the black-haired sorcerer was at Yuuji's side, easily keeping up with him.

Sukuna clenched his teeth tightly when he saw Yuta Okkotsu drive his katana straight into his wife's heart. He could clearly feel the confusion radiating from Yuuji just seconds before dying at the hands of the cursed brat.

At that moment, his wife appeared inside the Innate Domain, and the young sorcerer looked around in confusion as the King of Curses leapt down from the mountain of skulls, landing right in front of him.

Yuuji touched the spot where the cursed brat's sword had pierced him, quickly realizing the complete absence of any wound.

"This is what I feared would eventually happen," Sukuna said, stepping ahead of Yuuji. He gently moved his spouse's hand away from his chest and looked at him. "You didn't fight badly at all, Yuuji, even if this was the outcome."

"You mean we've…"

"Died? Yes, I'm afraid so," the King of Curses replied immediately, crossing his arms. "Though we're still within the threshold where I can heal your wounds without much trouble." Yuuji let out a sigh of relief at hearing that. "Even so, it's better to wait until that brat leaves." Sukuna couldn't help but refer to Yuta Okkotsu that way, and his wife didn't correct him either. "We'll continue our path toward Fukuoka as soon as we can."

At that moment, both of them lifted their heads as they sensed a flow of reverse cursed energy coming from outside. Yuuji cast a confused glance, while Sukuna had furrowed his brow, clearly displeased.

"I won't allow them to lay a hand on you again, Yuuji." Those were the last words the pink-haired sorcerer heard before vanishing from the Innate Domain. Sukuna growled a bit and grabbed one of the bovine skulls. The King of Curses crushed it immediately then and sighed. "At least it's over now" Sukuna thought. From now on, the cursed brat won't be a headache.

Yuuji sat up quickly, gasping for air as he looked around in complete disorientation. In front of him was a small fire burning, and sitting across from him was another Jujutsu High student, who, upon seeing that Yuuji had woken, gave a relieved smile. Uraume stood to Yuuji's right, glaring daggers at the sorcerer.

"Good thing it worked!" Yuuji looked at him in confusion, and the boy hurried to continue. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Itadori. I'm Yuta Okkotsu, a second-year student at Jujutsu High." Okkotsu's smile faded as he went on. "It was back in September that Gojo-sensei came to see me and asked me to look after you in case something happened to him. Given the current circumstances, I'm afraid all this charade was necessary."

"I see," Yuuji murmured, sitting up straighter and looking at Okkotsu. "What's happened at Jujutsu High since I left?" he asked, resting both hands on his knees. He clenched his fists tightly as the other student began explaining everything.

"I'm afraid things don't look too good." Yuuji's head snapped around when he recognized Fushiguro's voice, and he saw his friend approaching slowly, hands in his pockets.

"And why should that matter to us?" Sukuna made a mouth appear on Yuuji's right cheek and opened the eye there, glaring at Fushiguro. "Even less so after what's just happened."

"Itadori." Fushiguro's gaze fell on Yuuji, who had remained silent.

"I'd love to do something to help," Yuuji admitted. Uraume watched him without a word, frowning slightly. "But if they find out I'm still alive, wouldn't that cause trouble for all of you?"

"We've already thought of that," Fushiguro confessed, sitting down beside Okkotsu and staring seriously at Yuuji. "For now, the best thing is for you to hide until the situation stabilizes."

"And when will that be?" Uraume cut in mockingly.

"There's no way to know right now—we're still dealing with the consequences of what happened in Shibuya," Okkotsu admitted, meeting the curse user's eyes. "On top of that, we haven't been able to track down the sorcerer who's using Suguru Geto's body." Uraume and Sukuna both scoffed at that.

"You won't find Kenjaku that easily," Uraume pointed out, locking their pink eyes on the special grade sorcerer. "At this point, it's very likely he's already changed body to avoid being detected."

"So that's his name." Okkotsu and Fushiguro exchanged a quick glance, and the special grade pressed further. "What else can you tell us about that sorcerer?" Okkotsu asked, but Uraume only shrugged and shook their head.

"If you want to know more about Kenjaku, you should go speak with Tengen," the curse user said, rising to their feet. "I think it's time we continue on our way, Itadori-sama," Uraume agreed, their pink eyes fixed on the teenager. "We've already wasted too much time here." Yuuji looked at Fushiguro then, swallowed hard before speaking.

"How's Kugisaki? Is she…" The words caught in his throat, and he couldn't finish. Yuuji watched his friend avert his gaze, and that was all the answer he needed. "I see," he whispered, his voice trembling.

"Itadori-sama." Uraume's tone had turned more pressing now.

"Where do you plan to go?" Fushiguro asked, standing as well.

"Well, we're going to…" Yuuji began, rising to his feet, but Sukuna cut him off sharply, glaring at the Ten Shadows user.

"That's none of your business," the King of Curses snapped. "We have no way of knowing that information won't fall into the hands of other sorcerers."

"We need to know where you are in case things get worse," Megumi insisted, unwilling to back down.

"Nothing guarantees you won't tell someone else," Sukuna retorted coldly. Yuuji and Okkotsu exchanged an uneasy glance, and the pink-haired sorcerer hurried to step in.

"Sukuna… I don't think Fushiguro or Okkotsu would do something like that," Yuuji said, trying to defuse the tension.

"Yuuji, think about it for a moment." Sukuna softened his tone then, something the second-year student didn't fail to notice—Okkotsu raised a curious eyebrow while watching them closely. "Say we told them where we're headed, and they visited often. What do you think would happen if, on one of those occasions, another sorcerer got suspicious and decided to follow them?" Yuuji nodded slowly, bringing his left hand to his chin.

"I think I see your point, yeah."

"I'm afraid Sukuna's right about that," Okkotsu admitted thoughtfully. "The wisest thing for now is to stay in contact by phone." Fushiguro stifled a growl when he saw Yuuji quickly agree and exchange numbers with the second-year student.

"Well, if everything's settled, we'll be going," Uraume said as soon as Yuuji and Okkotsu pocketed their phones. Yuuji hesitated, glancing at the two students, but Okkotsu gave a small smile and nodded.

"Take care on your journey," he wished. "Itadori, let us know when you've arrived, please."

Chapter Text

Yuuji was carrying a bag full of food as he walked calmly down the street. The sun was shining brightly that morning, and the young man smiled faintly. Uraume walked beside him, barely paying attention to the people around them.

It had already been almost two weeks since they had settled in Fukuoka, in the house that belonged to Uraume's vessel.

"What are you making for lunch today?" Yuuji asked, his gaze fixed on the cursed sorcerer.

"Well, I was thinking of miso soup and…" As Uraume was speaking, a woman's scream echoed from an alley a few meters ahead to their right. Without thinking twice, Yuuji dropped the bag he was carrying and ran toward it.

Uraume let out a sigh of annoyance and picked up the bag. They hurried after the young man and stopped at the entrance of the alley. Yuuji was fighting a humanoid-looking curse. The creature had no eyes and sharp claws, which it used to try to reach Yuuji.

There was a young girl leaning against the wall, Uraume noticed at that moment. She was trembling noticeably and had several deep scratches on her left arm, from which blood was oozing.

Uraume watched the fight with some interest. Yuuji was slowly cornering the curse. At one point, he managed to get close enough to touch the creature's chest and activated Sukuna's cursed technique, slicing the curse into pieces. Both sorcerers watched as the creature disappeared after being successfully exorcised.

Yuuji approached the girl and crouched beside her, looking at her with concern. The girl gazed at him, and Uraume silently moved closer to both of them.

"There's no danger anymore," Yuuji declared, offering a small smile, hoping it would help calm her down a bit. "What's your name?"

"...Hikari Yuki," the girl murmured as she slowly sat up. Yuuji mimicked her and stepped back a little, giving her enough space to move. She swayed a bit and had to lean against the wall for a few seconds.

"Yuuji Itadori," the young sorcerer introduced himself. He glanced at Uraume, but Sukuna's servant made no attempt to introduce themself. "This is Uraume, a... friend of mine."

"Hikari!" Before Yuuji could ask the girl if she wanted him to take her to the hospital, a boy who had just arrived abruptly pushed him aside.

Yuuji took a few steps back, bewildered, as the newcomer began bombarding the girl with questions while improvising a bandage with the left sleeve of his jacket. It was at that moment that the young sorcerer noticed the boy was wearing a Jujutsu High uniform.

"I'm fine, really, Kaito. These scratches are nothing," Hikari said, giving Yuuji an apologetic smile. "Thanks for saving me from that curse," she added. Kaito looked at Yuuji seriously.

"Are you sorcerers?" He demanded to know, eyeing Uraume with suspicion.

"Yes, of course," Yuuji waited nervously and tried to remain calm under the wary look the newcomer was giving them. Finally, the teenager snorted and looked at his sister.

"Hikari, let's go." Ignoring the girl's protests, the sorcerer grabbed her uninjured arm and began pulling her toward the alley's exit.

Sukuna made a mouth appear on Yuuji's right cheek and opened the eye there once the two boys had left.

"I don't like that there are sorcerers in this area," he commented. "We'll have to be careful for now."

"Could it be that they know there's one of your fingers around here?" Yuuji asked.

"It's possible," Sukuna begrudgingly admitted. "The worst-case scenario for us would be if they had the finger in their possession."

"Sukuna-sama, Yuuji-sama, I believe it would be better to address this matter at home where we can discuss it more calmly," Uraume interjected for the first time. Yuuji nodded immediately, and the two left the alley.

Megumi sat in the chair and absentmindedly nibbled on the rice ball he held in his hands. He let out a sigh and looked straight ahead. It had been almost three days since he arrived in Fukuoka on a solo mission.

Apparently, the Fukuoka branch of Jujutsu High needed assistance dealing with a curse that had appeared in the area. He heard footsteps approaching and turned in that direction.

It was Kaito Yuki, one of the only two first-year students at that school. The young sorcerer sat across from him and stared at him in silence for several seconds.

"Any luck with the investigation?" Megumi was the first to break the ice as soon as he finished eating the rice ball.

"Nothing. My sister ran into one of those curses, but, by the time I got there, someone else had already taken care of it." Megumi slightly raised his right eyebrow and looked at him with some confusion.

"I wasn't aware another sorcerer had been assigned to this mission."

"I don't think anyone was," Kaito interlaced his fingers and glanced sideways at the other student. "It was Sukuna's vessel. You know, the one who's supposed to be dead." Megumi managed to remain impassive at the revelation, though it wasn't easy.

"Have you told anyone else?" he asked, deciding to get straight to the point. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw Kaito shake his head.

"I thought it'd be best to tell you first."

"Thanks." Megumi stood up and gave the other sorcerer one last look. "Can I ask you something? Please don't tell anyone that Itadori is still alive."

"But he's Sukuna's vessel. It's dangerous to let him roam free!"

"Itadori's not the kind of person who would hurt others." Kaito looked at him in disbelief and shook his head, as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I know him well." Megumi ended the discussion there, and Kaito let out a sigh. The sorcerer from Tokyo quickly added. "Yuuji is a good person, and he's perfectly capable of keeping Sukuna in check. That much I can guarantee."

"I hope you know what you're doing. But in two days, I'm reporting this to Nagino-san." Megumi bit his lower lip but nodded.

"Thank you." He turned around and hurried out of the building, looking for a place where no one could hear him. Only then did he take out his phone and scroll through his contacts until he found the one he was looking for. He pressed the call button and held the phone to his right ear, waiting for that person to answer.