In Eriri's eyes, fear was gradually replaced by a spark called 'hope.' She subconsciously looked at her mother, her eyes filled with entreaty.
Sayuri's brow was tightly furrowed, clearly undergoing a fierce internal struggle. As a mother, she was ten thousand times unwilling to let her only daughter step into that dangerous, bizarre world full of unknown threats.
But as a rational adult, she knew clearly that when danger has already come looking for you, blindly escaping and protecting is not the best strategy.
Letting her daughter have the ability to protect herself in a dangerous world was the truly responsible thing to do. Especially since the mysterious existence currently possessing Utaha, who called himself 'Sukuna,' although bizarrely powerful and unsettling, had shown no obvious malice so far and had even stepped in to save her daughter.
His proposal, though the motive was questionable, sounded like a feasible path.
Utaha, however, thought deeper.
Why would Sukuna suddenly be so 'kind' as to offer to teach them? Was there a deeper purpose hidden behind this? Was it for fun? To cultivate helpers? Or some even more dangerous plot?
But regardless, the temptation to become stronger was real. In this world where the peaceful daily life had been completely torn apart to reveal a hideous core, the power one possessed was the only reliable guarantee.
She didn't want to experience that feeling of powerlessness when facing a monster again, she didn't want to leave her fate to the unknown.
"Sukuna-san."
Utaha spoke, her voice slightly dry from tension, but her gaze exceptionally firm. "If we want to try learning, where should we start?"
The mouth under Sukuna's control hooked into an even larger, almost manic curve. All four eyes (including Utaha's original pair) flashed with a dangerous and excited light, like discovering a new toy.
"It's very simple." He said, his voice carrying a sense of unquestionable authority.
"The first step is to learn how to truly 'see.' Not with these physical eyes that can be deceived by appearances, but by closing your eyes and using your 'heart,' using all your perceptions to experience and capture those invisible energies flowing in the air and in the shadows—that is, Cursed Energy. As for specifically how to learn..."
He paused, as if announcing a major decision.
"Tomorrow, after school, find a place quiet enough where no one will disturb us, like an empty classroom at school, or some remote corner of a park. I will personally 'guide' you through this first lesson."
— — —
The walk to take Megumi home wasn't short, but after finishing it, Utaha surprisingly didn't feel much fatigue.
The evening breeze blew through her hair with a chill, and the lights of the convenience stores and izakayas lining the streets were warm and ordinary, temporarily dispelling some of the gloom lingering in her heart.
She even had the mind to silently complain to herself, "It seems being possessed by Parasite-san isn't all bad... at least my stamina has improved quite a bit."
This superhuman endurance was likely one of the few "benefits" brought by Sukuna's presence.
She habitually walked toward the nearest train station. However, a block away from the station, she stopped in her tracks.
Familiar yellow warning lights were flashing, and several eye-catching barricades with "Road Closed for Maintenance" signs blocked the way, cordoning off a section of the street.
"Tsk."
Utaha couldn't help but frown, muttering under her breath, "Why is there always roadwork lately? Wasn't this street just repaired last week?"
Such temporary road construction wasn't rare in Tokyo, but the frequency seemed a bit too high.
Just as she was considering whether to take a detour or brave the narrow sidewalk to squeeze past, Sukuna's voice, tinged with a bit of boredom yet suddenly piqued with interest, rang out in her mind.
"They probably aren't fixing the road in there, but dealing with something."
Utaha's heart tightened.
Sukuna continued to explain in his characteristic tone of mockery and indifference, "Whether it's those 'Evil Spirits' you saw this morning that look like ancient remnants, or the 'Cursed Spirits' I mentioned before, they aren't things just anyone can see."
"Those who can vaguely see the shapes of Evil Spirits need what's called 'Spiritual Eyes'—that's a different kind of talent. And those who can clearly see Cursed Spirits have a specific title in the Jujutsu World: 'Windows.' They are responsible for monitoring Cursed Energy fluctuations in the city and guiding Jujutsu Sorcerers to locations that need exorcising."
His voice carried a cold commentary on human fate. "And the vast majority of so-called normal people are practically 'blind' in this regard. Even if a Cursed Spirit is baring its fangs and claws right in front of them, they won't see it. Even being killed by a Cursed Spirit would only be perceived by ordinary people as a car accident, an accidental fall, or a sudden illness."
"From a certain perspective, living in ignorance and dying in ignorance is a kind of pathetic happiness, isn't it?"
These words sent a chill through Utaha. She looked deep into the cordoned-off, seemingly peaceful street. The darkness felt as if it had weight.
"Hey, little girl." Sukuna's tone suddenly became excited, as if he had discovered a new toy.
"Go in and take a look. I've sensed the aura inside... it's interesting. It doesn't seem like a pure Cursed Spirit, nor those low-level Evil Spirits you saw this morning. It seems like something new. This world is indeed more lively than I imagined."
"Something new?" Utaha's heart rate accelerated slightly.
Having experienced tragedy and the overturning of her worldview, she was wary of "new things," but deep down, a curiosity faintly influenced by Sukuna and a desire to understand more about this real world were quietly growing.
Moreover, for some reason, her sense of security seemed to have increased. Perhaps it was because of Sukuna's presence within her, perhaps the subtle changes brought by that finger she had just obtained, or perhaps her subconscious had already begun to accept the fact that she was no longer a purely "ordinary person."
Instead of needing Sukuna to forcibly control her body like before, she took a deep breath and looked around warily.
The streets at night had few pedestrians, and no one noticed this high school student standing before the barricades.
With an agile movement, Utaha braced herself with her hands, easily flipped over the waist-high barrier, and landed lightly inside the "under maintenance" area.