...Sukuna sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his dizzy head, stars flashing before his eyes.
Let him recover... He hadn't expected his Innate Domain to have such a drawback; the sonic attack left his ears ringing.
—The only upside was the fantastic echo... perfect for karaoke?
Tch! As if he'd ever open a karaoke bar with the brat in here.
He flopped straight back—
Only to scramble up again two seconds later.
No good; lying down made the vertigo worse... Sukuna stayed seated, and through the haze, he heard that dearest friend comrade outside start lecturing the kid on Cursed Energy use.
A lecture? They're doing live tutorials now?
...Wait—wasn't this the very part he and Gojo could never get across to the kid?!
Sukuna perked up; the dizziness vanished as he leaned in to listen.
Later he could teach that White-haired Idiot! Been a teacher for years and still can't explain this!
After Todo's explanation, Yuji's eyes lit up with sudden clarity.
So that's how... The Cursed Energy he'd kept compressed in his abdomen slowly unfurled, flooding every cell of his body.
He clenched his fists, feeling the lag-less flow, directing it in circuits through his frame.
The stray energy at the edges was swept back into the vortex; even diffused, the waste was negligible.
His eyes gleamed faintly.
—The barrier of a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer, always within reach yet impassable, was finally stepped across.
He had officially entered that gate, wielding the true might of a First-Grade Sorcerer.
Yuji exhaled sharply.
Head slightly lowered, a smile he couldn't suppress tugged at his lips as he whispered almost inaudibly,
"...Sukuna..."
"I think I've hit Grade 1."
Hearing it, Sukuna's heart gave a wild thud... The kid had reached Grade 1?
In barely three months, Yuji had gone from not knowing what Cursed Energy was to wielding First-Grade power; no one knew the grind better than Sukuna.
A surge of pride welled up, as though watching a child he'd always guarded finally seize his own glory.
"[Yeah! Congrats, Yuji—]"
He beamed, lavish with praise.
"[You're amazing!!—]"
—Amazing beyond words!
Listening to Sukuna's unabashed emotion, Yuji's eyes shone brighter still.
A radiant grin bloomed across his downturned face.
"Yeah!!"
This milestone was theirs together; every step of his growth had Sukuna as a witness, and that filled him with joy.
All his progress was shared with Sukuna, and that made it priceless.
Todo watched the kid smiling like a blooming flower and rubbed his nose, emotional.
He's this happy just stepping into Grade 1?
His dearest friend really is a prodigy~!
Next, it's my turn to guide him!
He dropped into an attack stance again... In the monitor room, Gojo watched Yuji's power rise, a grin tugging at his lips.
As expected of my Yuji~
Hah, that geezer Yoshinuma dared send students to kill Yuji—I'll torch his guitar Cursed Tool later!
Just then, every surveillance screen blacked out.
The talismans on the wall representing Curses in the Exchange forest flared crimson.
The monitor-room staff froze; a bad premonition surged.
Judging it an intrusion, they dispatched rescuers at once.
When Gojo's team reached the forest, a colossal curtain was already descending from the sky, sealing the woods before they could arrive.
The curtain's rule: keep Gojo out; everyone else passes freely.
Gojo stared at the barrier he couldn't breach, recalling the recent Special Grade Curses. Outwardly casual, real unease took root inside.
Sure enough... there's a traitor. He watched the others enter, then froze.
Damn... No more dallying. He slipped the blindfold off, revealing cerulean eyes.
He gazed at the curtain, a wry smile flickering across his face.
Our Sukuna's still inside... can't stall; if that guy switches out, it'll be chaos—The sudden curtain halted every duel between schools.
Yuji looked up at the descending veil—was this part of the Exchange Event?
"What's going on...?"
Instinctively he glanced at Todo; the third-year should know.
But Todo's grave expression told him something was wrong.
Before Yuji could ask, Sukuna's voice echoed from within.
"[Yuji! A Special Grade Curse just showed up!]"
Yuji jolted, opening his mouth, then remembered he couldn't speak to Sukuna in front of Todo.
He clenched his left fist, fingertips pressing his palm to signal he'd heard.
"[This aura's familiar... I've met it before...]"
Sukuna frowned; while inside Yuji, his sensing range was limited, and he hadn't caught the Curse immediately.
"[...Not Volcano Head, not Patchwork... Got it! Flower-Thrower! The one who carted off Volcano Head's skull!]"
"[—The nerve! Storming our Jujutsu High? Hurry, find it so I can beat it senseless!]"
"[It's in the central complex—go!—]"
After spectating all day, Sukuna couldn't sit still; he bounced up in excitement.
Yuji: "..."
Dear Sukuna, did you forget you can't switch out?!
Even if we find it, I'm the only one who can fight, right?
Still, without hesitation, he sprinted toward the buildings—
Worried someone might already be over there; barely anyone here can handle a Special Grade Curse!
"Yuji?"
Seeing him move, Todo followed without a second thought.
As they ran, Yuji jabbed a finger at the complex. "Over there! Special Grade Curse!"
Surprise flashed across Todo's face.
But the thickening Curse stench ahead quickly sharpened his expression.
Like twin bolts of lightning, they tore through the forest.
Boom—!!!
Just before they reached the buildings, a thunderous crash sent something smashing from the complex into the outer woods.
Someone had already engaged the Curse!
Sukuna's voice overlapped instantly.
"[That thing flung into the forest just now is the Special Grade—go!]"
Without pause, Yuji pivoted, Todo right behind him.
Staring ahead, Yuji's chest tightened.
Please... please! Let no one get hurt!
×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×
Read Extra Chapter Visit My Patreon
I have only 1 tier
19$ Tier – Access to 40 advance chapters
patreon.com/Lempil
patreon.com/Lempil