Sukuna's tone returned to its previous laziness, as if the earlier gloom had been a mere illusion. "Over time, the rumors naturally became more 'real' and detailed the more they were spread. After all, a 'human-eating, heartless, and brutal demon' is far more terrifying and better at inspiring the determination of those righteous souls to crusade against me, isn't it?"
He controlled an invisible hand to pick up the milk and take a sip, his tone carrying a playful insight into human nature. "And fear itself is the ultimate seasoning. Watching an opponent fight under the extreme terror of 'being eaten'—the flavor that bursts forth from that despair is much more interesting than a peaceful slaughter."
So, he might have actually eaten people, or he might not have, or perhaps he just executed his enemies in some extreme way that turned into rumors.
But the truth didn't matter to Sukuna at all. What he enjoyed was the deterrent power of the title "man-eating demon," the process of toying with human hearts and amplifying fear through words and gestures. Whether he admitted it or not depended entirely on his mood and whether it would bring more "fun."
Utaha was slightly stunned, she had gained a new understanding of Sukuna.
What happened next made her feel as though her common sense was shattering even further.
The invisible hand nimbly used a fork to pick up a piece of toast soaked in egg yolk. Instead of bringing it to Utaha's normal mouth, it delivered it to the extra mouth on her left cheek controlled by Sukuna.
That mouth opened, swallowed the food in one bite, and then made a satisfied chewing sound.
Sukuna even gave a muffled critique, "The heat was fine, but the quality of the eggs is just average. Buy better ones next time."
Utaha: "..."
She felt her cheeks burning, half from anger and half from shame.
Using her face, her kitchen, and the ingredients she bought to cook food for "himself"? And he even complained that the eggs weren't good enough?
An invisible hand picked up a napkin and quite elegantly wiped the mouth Sukuna was controlling.
"I'm full."
Sukuna smacked his lips with satisfaction, causing the eye and mouth on Utaha's face to slowly close and disappear. The busy hands also dissipated like smoke.
The kitchen instantly returned to peace, leaving only the clean cookware and the lingering scent of food in the air.
Sukuna left one final command in Utaha's mind. "Today, go check that forum. See if there's any news about Special grade cursed objects or cursed objects shaped like fingers. I need more 'ingredients.'"
With that, his consciousness went silent, returning full control of the body to Utaha.
— — —
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the sparse leaves outside the old school building, casting dappled light and shadows onto the dust-covered windowsills.
This cramped club activity room, located in the corner of the top floor, appeared exceptionally quiet at this moment. The adjacent classrooms on both sides had long been abandoned and were usually deserted, making it perfect for conducting some "clandestine" teaching activities.
Utaha, Eriri, and Megumi.
The three girls sat around a slightly worn long table, the atmosphere heavy with a hint of irrepressible tension and curiosity.
Their gazes were all focused on Utaha's face, which looked slightly abnormal right now—on her left cheek, a faint slit had pulled open, revealing a crimson eyeball and a mouth beneath it.
"First, recognize the environment you are in." Sukuna's deep voice echoed within the activity room, breaking the silence.
"As the most common and lowest-level small fry in daily life, Grade 4 Cursed Spirits... you two..."
He controlled the eye on Utaha's face to turn toward Eriri and Megumi. "On your way to school today, you should have seen them, right?"
Eriri's body trembled, and her twin-tails seemed to lose some of their vitality. She nodded vigorously, her face pale with lingering fear. "I... I saw them. Some slimy little things that looked like rotten potatoes or trash bags with legs, crawling around in corners or sewer openings... So disgusting!"
Ever since experiencing that terrifying incident yesterday, she and Megumi seemed to have permanently pried open that layer of cognitive filter. The originally clean world had instantly become foul and unbearable.
Megumi's reaction was much calmer, only letting out a soft "mm," but her hands, clenched slightly on her lap, betrayed her inner turmoil. "There are more of them than I imagined, and... it seems ordinary people don't notice them at all."
"Exactly."
Sukuna's tone carried his usual mockery. "This is the true color of the world—foul and crowded. The fact that you can see them shows that the total amount of Cursed Energy flowing within your bodies has already exceeded the threshold of ordinary people. You are no longer purely 'blind'."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three before finally resting on Utaha with a hint of indefinable scrutiny.
"Although the three of you are currently pathetically weak and I could crush a whole field of you with a single breath, there is no doubt that you all possess the most basic qualifications to become Jujutsu Sorcerers: a sufficient amount of Cursed Energy, and eyes that can see the 'truth'."
"Jujutsu Sorcerer..." Eriri muttered to herself, a flicker of longing flashing in her eyes.
Having experienced yesterday's powerlessness and despair, her instinctive desire for strength was completely ignited.
A deep-seated instinct belonging to a veteran otaku girl buried in her soul was suddenly set ablaze, like a match dropped into a barrel of gasoline. At this moment, her Chuunibyou soul was burning, erupting with unprecedented passion.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves." Sukuna poured cold water on her.
"Being able to see and being able to use are worlds apart. Today's first lesson is to make you understand what Cursed Energy is, and how to distinguish it from a higher-level Cursed Technique."
He began the explanation in earnest, his tone rarely carrying a hint of a "mentor" vibe, though he still remained aloof.
"Cursed Energy is a power that breeds within every living human. Its source is your negative emotions—fear, anger, anxiety, hatred... every bad thought is its fuel."
"Ordinary people cannot sense or control this power. They can only allow it to be unconsciously emitted in trace amounts, becoming a breeding ground for Cursed Spirits. Jujutsu Sorcerers, on the other hand, are those who are born with the ability to sense and learn how to manipulate this power."
"Whether or not one can freely manipulate Cursed Energy is the first threshold that separates ordinary people from Jujutsu Sorcerers."