Chapter 7

In the bustling downtown area—

Gojo Satoru was telling Fushiguro Megumi about his upcoming collaboration with Kamiyado.

Megumi twitched the corner of his mouth in dry sarcasm: "You really... do whatever you want!"

Yet, he couldn't bring himself to object.

Though the three of them had different motives, they all shared a single goal: to keep Yuji alive.

He didn't want the person who had risked his life to save him to just die like that.

Gojo Satoru looked slightly surprised: "Oh~, you're actually not trying to stop our reckless plan? Do you... want to save Little Yuji too?"

"Is this a personal matter?"

Megumi pressed his lips together and gave him a definitive answer: "It's a personal matter. I don't want him to die."

Gojo Satoru chuckled softly: "Since it's a request from my beloved student, leave it to your teacher!"

"I'll definitely make it happen~!"

As they spoke, Yuji suddenly wandered over, and the two of them cut off their conversation just in time.

Megumi glanced at Kamiyado standing beside Yuji, suddenly remembering something, and walked over to a nearby pastry shop.

Yuji watched Fushiguro's retreating back without thinking much of it, and instead waved his train ticket at Gojo Satoru.

"By the way, why did you guys buy a ticket for me too?"

Gojo Satoru shrugged: "To go to Tokyo, of course!"

Yuji still looked bewildered: "Tokyo? What are we going to Tokyo for?"

Gojo Satoru broke the news to Yuji that he was going to transfer him to Jujutsu High.

Yuji scratched his head in confusion: "Huh? Jujutsu High? Is that Fushiguro's school?"

Gojo Satoru patiently explained: "Jujutsu High, officially known as Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School, is one of only two jujutsu educational institutions in all of Japan, outwardly operating as a private religious school."

"Oh~~ I see! So... why are we coming to a pastry shop in the middle of the night?"

Gojo Satoru quietly pointed at Kamiyado, who had been standing quietly to the side like a wooden statue the whole time.

"This person wanted to come."

The two of them simultaneously looked at the handsome young man in the traditional kimono, but he didn't even spare them a glance.

With a completely placid expression, Kamiyado waited for Fushiguro Megumi to bring back what he had asked for.

Soon, Megumi returned to where the three of them were waiting, carrying a delicately packaged small cake.

Gojo Satoru, who loved sweets, instantly lit up—though nobody could see it through his blindfold.

"Wow~ Megumi-chan! Is this for Kamiyado-kun~? Well, did you buy one for Teacher too?"

Megumi's mouth twitched as he handed the small cake straight to Kamiyado.

Gojo Cat waited for five seconds, and looking at Megumi's empty hands, shattered into two pieces.

Then, Kamiyado held the unwrapped cake and walked over to Yuji, his voice soft yet clear enough for everyone present to hear.

"Can you let Sukuna out... for two minutes?"

Gojo Cat suffered one hundred thousand points of critical damage, shattering into a pile of dust.

Why, why?! You'd give it to the King of Curses instead of letting me eat it~!

His resentment was so palpable that even Megumi, standing nearby, could feel it.

This made him slightly regret not buying an extra cake to appease this Satoru-san.

Hearing this, Yuji scratched his head, looking at Senior Kamiyado's serious expression with some hesitation: "I guess I can, but... this is the street!" There were so many people around, after all!

Two simultaneous voices rang out, saying "It's fine."

Kamiyado and Gojo Satoru, who had snapped back to normal, exchanged a tacit glance.

Gojo Satoru quickly pulled Megumi with him to stand in front of Yuji, blocking the gazes of the passing crowd.

Seeing that everyone was ready and that the young man in front of him looked full of anticipation, Yuji found it hard to refuse and immediately closed his eyes.

A moment later, intricate black cursed markings spread across the boy's face, and when he opened his eyes again, they carried the wild and overbearing aura uniquely belonging to Sukuna.Sukuna took control of the body once again, pulling somewhat uncomfortably at the tighter collar of this new set of clothes. Megumi certainly wasn't going to let Yuji leave the school grounds naked, so he had naturally managed to get him a new outfit. Be that as it may, Sukuna managed to keep his patience and refrained from tearing the clothes to shreds right out on the street. Those crimson eyes remained fixed on the gentle young man beside him, and on the young man's hand... a custard cake that looked very sweet indeed. Sukuna glanced at the cake for just a fraction of a second, then looked away with total indifference, letting his gaze trace, inch by inch, over features so terribly familiar and yet so utterly foreign to him. Kamiyado... Kamiyado? Who on earth was Kamiyado? Why didn't he have the slightest memory of him...? With that thought in mind, he simply asked aloud, his voice low and hoarse, carrying a resonant echo that was profoundly hypnotic: "Who the hell are you?" Kamiyado let out a gentle, soft laugh, but sidestepped the question entirely, lifting the cake in his hand right up to Sukuna's lips. "As for that, I'll enter your Innate Domain later and explain it in detail. You'll slowly start to remember in due time, too." "Now, as an apology for making you wait so long, I'd like to treat you to a piece of cake. Is that alright?" Wait, wait, wait, waiting again! Sukuna felt an inexplicable surge of wild irritation and stifled frustration welling up from the depths of his heart, as if his past self had once waited a very, very long time for something of great importance. Accustomed as he was to acting on pure whim, he had no intention of letting that agitation take over his brain. His body moved a step ahead of his consciousness as he raised his arm and knocked the cake right out of Kamiyado's hand with a sweep of his palm, roaring in a brooding, ferocious tone: "Mortal, do not test my patience over and over again!" Yet it never crossed his mind that in the past, anyone who had ever managed to make him feel irritated would have been greeted with a swift slash. Even if it wouldn't kill them, it would certainly put them through absolute misery. Never before had he been gentle enough to simply swat away what someone handed him, resorting to a thoroughly un-intimidating, verbal threat instead. And what was more... as Sukuna looked at the somewhat blank expression on Kamiyado's face right now, a thought actually popped into his head—he felt like picking the shattered cake back up off the ground. How could that even be possible?! Sukuna had no choice but to force himself to look away, yet he couldn't actually stop himself from observing Kamiyado's reaction. Sharing his fate were the two of them standing off to the side like background scenery, forced to rely solely on their ears. The moment the cake hit the ground and Sukuna let out his roar, Fushiguro Megumi had wanted to turn around and see what on earth was going on, only to be held firmly in place by Teacher Gojo. What malicious intentions could Gojo Satoru possibly have? He was simply afraid that his beloved student would be hunted down for interrupting the tender moments between those two, and besides, he wanted to catch a good show. The legendary, bloodthirsty King of Curses had actually done nothing more than issue a verbal threat, acting ridiculously gentle—and he might even have a sweet tooth? Now this—was an utterly fascinating turn of events~! Eavesdropping on the gossip was far more important, my dear Megumi-chan! Just as Sukuna was about to reach his breaking point, Kamiyado suddenly offered a low apology: "I'm sorry, I remembered that you used to like this." The "My bad" that had been rolling around on the tip of Sukuna's tongue for ages was swallowed right back down with complete and utter justification as he let out a light huff: "Since you know how to correct your mistakes... mortal, I forgive you!" Gojo Satoru's shoulders suddenly shook a few times, as if he were desperately holding back laughter. Kamiyado cast a deadpan glance at Gojo Satoru's back, and then spoke gently to Sukuna: "Next time, I'll make what you like with my own hands... Don't worry, it won't be too long. I'll come into your Innate Domain tonight to see you." "By then you can tell me what you like to eat nowadays, and you'll be able to have it tomorrow."All four of Sukuna's crimson eyes fixed on him. After a long silence, he agreed in a thoroughly reluctant tone: "Since you're so desperate to find me, I suppose I can deign to wait a little longer for you..." "Only a little longer... Don't push your luck. If I'm in a bad mood, I'll chop... I'll chop this brat up." Yuji: ......Did I commit a capital crime?! Kamiyado smiled and let out a hum. Remembering something, Sukuna suddenly reached out and pinched his shoulder. Feeling that the gaping hole he had punched through was indeed completely healed as good as new, Sukuna felt the suppressed restlessness deep in his heart ease for no apparent reason. It was strange... In the past, there were countless humans who had suffered far more severe injuries at his hands, yet not a single one had ever made him feel anything other than boredom. But this person was different. Just by standing here, this person could stir up all his deeply hidden, complex emotions. It was like... before he was suppressed back down by the brat in this body, he hadn't had time to fully treat Kamiyado's injuries with the Reverse Cursed Technique. At that time, he had been pacing back and forth in his Innate Domain, feeling irritated and worried that the man might actually be severely injured by his punch and bleed to death. Yet stubbornly, his soul couldn't suppress the brat's soul, and he couldn't switch places, leaving him to fret helplessly inside the Innate Domain. He didn't know why he felt this way... Before he figured it completely out, this human would remain his only untouchable taboo... at least, the man couldn't be allowed to die. Fortunately, this person really could use the Reverse Cursed Technique and wasn't just all talk. The King of Curses gave the man's shoulder a pat of satisfaction, his voice a bit raspy as he offered a word of praise: "Not bad!" Kamiyado rubbed his ear: "Don't talk to me like that..." Thinking he was being disliked, Sukuna narrowed his eyes dangerously, reached out, and poked the man on the forehead: "Human, you ask for too much!" Everything I give you, you take without complaint. Where do you get off having so many opinions?! Having poked the man's forehead, the overbearing and dictatorial Sukuna then pinched his cheek, his mood inexplicably improving. At that moment, Kamiyado muttered softly: "If you do that, I really want to bite you." Sukuna's hand dropped abruptly. Three seconds later, Yuji regained control of his body with a face full of suppressed laughter. "Th-this is the King of Curses? How come... he actually seems pretty nice (and fun)!" Annoyed, Sukuna let out a furious roar in Yuji's mind: "Brat, say that again and see if I don't slice you to pieces!" Yuji really wanted to answer "I don't believe you," but in order to maintain his fine reputation of caring for lonely elderly folks from a millennium ago, he kept it to himself. He only had to look at Teacher Gojo beside him to see that the sorcerer was already on the verge of laughing his head off. Kamiyado sighed helplessly: "Stop laughing. If you keep going, he'll actually get mad, and he's really hard to appease." Hearing this, Sukuna pressed down the corners of his mouth, picked the best-looking ox skull from the pile beneath him, and tossed it to the side. Hmph! I'm beyond appeasing! The moment I get out, I'm going to slaughter every last one of these people who dare to make fun of me... Huh? Sukuna abruptly lifted his eyelids, pressing a palm over his heart. No trace of killing intent surged from within. Or rather, it wasn't that there was none; it was just that the moment it reared its head, it was replaced by another sort of arduous sensation, as if his flesh were being torn apart. It was the feeling that if he truly killed someone, some extremely important part of himself would leave him forever. Even though he had been slumbering for a thousand years and his memories had grown terribly blurry, he could still recall fragments of his past life as a human. Back then, he had never felt killing intent either... there had only been a dull, flat sense of insipid boredom. When had it all started...?! Sukuna closed his eyes and thought hard, finally pinning down a specific point in time. After he "killed" all the sorcerers in Jujutsu society. Back then, as he looked out over the mountains of corpses and severed limbs, watching the pools of blood slowly dry up, the desire for slaughter seemed to have drifted far away along with those people's souls. Perhaps he had simply grown sick of killing... Sukuna could still remember convincing himself of that at the time. From then on, his life had suddenly turned dull and hollow. The meaning and value of his existence had blurred as well... He had been granted the terrified, reverent pampering of the Emperor, enjoying a position above ten thousand people, yet he always felt as though something was missing. At first, Sukuna thought it was because his former rivals had all been "killed" by him. No one else could satisfy his craving to fight the strong, his desire to challenge his own limits, and his yearning for the collision of mighty powers. Worshiped like a deity by people who feared, revered, and loathed him, he sat high upon the altar, looking down at the common folk. He could live however he pleased, holding the right to freely choose every action he took. What a perfect and enviable way of life. Yet... the emptiness in his heart only grew larger, and the illusory feeling of having lost something became heavier and heavier. By the twilight of his life, this sensation had reached its absolute peak. He didn't understand, so—he would prolong his life, using more time to unravel the mystery hidden deep within it. And that was how the Special Grade Cursed Object passed down through a millennium came to be: "Sukuna's Finger". Perhaps Heaven was showing mercy...? Though Sukuna believed in neither heaven nor earth, nor ghosts nor deities, he could make an exception this time. He believed that the mystery which had plagued him for the better part of his life would soon find its answer in that gentle young man. Sukuna lowered the hand resting against his chest, looking through Yuji's eyes at the handsome young man. The youth seemed to be looking back at him. Sukuna instinctively flinched, but instantly forced his gaze back, a familiar, indescribable irritation and depression welling up in his heart. Damn it, why does it feel like Kamiyado is looking at this brat! No! He *is* looking at this brat! Tsk, how unpleasant...! ——————Mini-Theater—————— Inside the blood-red Innate Domain. Sukuna crossed his legs gracefully, sitting atop a mountain of piled ox skulls. He had his eyes closed, seemingly resting. After a long while, he picked up the nearest ox skull from his side and hurled it into the blood-red pool. Why didn't I just eat that cake! It was Kamiyado who offered it to him, after all. Having thrown the skull, Sukuna immediately resumed his calm expression and fiercely wrote a mental review: That's right, it was simply because I don't have a sweet tooth. Confirmed. After another long while, yet another skull met a tragic fate. Why hasn't Kamiyado come in to find me yet?! Could he have been lying to me? Damned human, the moment I get out, I'm going to—I'm going to—give him a beating! Another long while passed... Sukuna silently walked down the bone mountain, retrieved the three discarded skulls, stacked them back up, and lay down in a pose of absolute surrender. Whatever. He said he wouldn't make me wait long, and it's been ages! I'm not playing along anymore! Time for a nap! Yet *another* long while passed. Sukuna opened his eyes and slapped his own forehead. Damn it, I can't fall asleep. Why didn't I just eat that cake! Meanwhile, in the outside world, barely ten minutes had passed, and Kamiyado hadn't even sent Yuji home yet: ......