Sukuna gave them power, ostensibly to exchange for their help in finding fingers, gathering information, and spreading his infamy. This "cost" was negligible to him. Success was good, but failure didn't matter.
The contract was not merely about borrowing power. The filament of core consciousness that merged into their bodies was more like a deeply buried seed, a secret coordinate.
He was laying groundwork for his retreat.
As a newly emergent "Conceptually Immortal" Devil, it was difficult for him to be utterly killed. But just in case, if, in some future, exhilarating death match against a true powerhouse, his body were completely destroyed, and his consciousness fell dormant again or was on the verge of dissipation, these contractors who had signed the contract and had the seed of his consciousness buried within them would become his best resurrection anchor points.
When the main body perished, these seeds, nourished by fear, would gradually awaken and grow stronger, eventually allowing him to descend into the world again from their bodies or using them as a springboard.
At that time, he would return with greater power, continuing to seek opponents worthy of a fight and enjoying the eternal battle feast.
As for whether the original consciousness of these vessels would be eroded, overwritten, or even extinguished as a result, that was simply not within his scope of consideration.
Tools, once broken, are simply replaced.
"Feeling it out is enough. Maintaining this basic attachment also consumes mental and physical stamina." Sukuna cut off the power guidance, his voice returning to its languid tone.
"Today's lesson ends here. Remember your promises and strive to become stronger, little girls. If you are too weak, it will greatly bore me."
Just as Eriri was still immersed in the excitement of successfully guiding Cursed Energy for the first time, and Megumi was silently experiencing the faint yet real flow of power within her body, Utaha, who had been silently watching, slightly furrowed her brow. A light of rational contemplation flickered in her eyes.
She looked at the gray Cursed Energy emanating from her two friends' hands, which stemmed from negative emotions, and recalled Sukuna's fighting posture—one of almost artistic precision and composure. A clear contradiction surfaced in her mind.
She hesitated for a moment, then posed her question to Sukuna inside her body, her voice filled with inquiry. "Sukuna-san, I have a question. You just said that Cursed Energy originates from negative emotions. Guiding Cursed Energy initially requires relying on memories or stimulating intense negative feelings like fear or anger. But..."
She paused, formulating her words. "I observed that when you fight, the emotions you display... don't seem to be negative emotions like anger or sadness. On the contrary, you look... like you're enjoying it? Perhaps even reveling in it? This seems somewhat contradictory to the fundamental principles of Cursed Energy you mentioned?"
This question was quite sharp, pointing directly to the core contradiction in Cursed Energy application.
Eriri and Megumi stopped sensing the Cursed Energy on their hands and looked over curiously, realizing the contradiction as well.
After a brief silence—
"Haha... Hahaha!" .
Sukuna controlled the mouth on Utaha's face and suddenly burst into loud, joyous laughter.
"Excellent, Kasumigaoka." Sukuna stopped laughing, his four eyes simultaneously gleaming with appreciation.
"To not be satisfied with the surface and observe the essential contradiction in such a short time... your brain is slightly more useful than that excitable blonde little girl's."
Eriri, who was inexplicably called out, immediately puffed out her cheeks but couldn't retort, only managing to glare angrily at Utaha.
Sukuna's tone became serious, like a mentor beginning to explain advanced knowledge. "Your observation is correct, little girl. Relying on intense, violent negative emotions to activate and drive Cursed Energy is indeed the most primary and fundamental step."
"For novices like you, who are just starting and can't even perceive what Cursed Energy is, intense emotional fluctuations are like a raging fire lighting a pile of wood. They allow you to 'see' and 'touch' the Cursed Energy inside your body most quickly."
Changing his tone, he got to the core point. "However, what happens if you constantly rely on this raging fire?"
Sukuna posed the question, but provided the answer himself without waiting. "Violent emotions, whether positive ecstasy or negative rage, are unstable and unsustainable. Like a storm, they come fiercely and leave quickly."
"In combat, if your source of power is rage, once the anger is vented, your inner self will become numb, and your Cursed Energy supply will instantly fail, like a power outage. What's worse, if a person remains immersed in intense negative emotions for a long time, their soul will gradually become numb and dull, ultimately weakening their connection to the root of Cursed Energy."
Sukuna's voice carried the certainty of someone refined by countless trials. "Therefore, to obtain powerful Cursed Energy that is continuous, stable, and perfectly controllable, you must transcend this initial stage. You must learn to continuously draw power from subtle, sustained emotional fluctuations."
He controlled Utaha's face to make a subtle expression, as if experiencing that state. "Calm killing intent, cold calculation, the pleasure of combat, the aesthetic pursuit of destruction, or even boredom and weariness itself—these seemingly mundane yet deeper, more enduring undercurrents are the true source of power for high-level Jujutsu Sorcerers."
"I can revel in it because battle itself, destruction itself, is my pleasure, and this pleasure, for me, is a stable and powerful source of negative energy, far more lasting and controllable than transient anger."
This explanation caused all three girls to fall into contemplation.
The application of Cursed Energy was not about blindly pursuing intense emotions. Rather, it required extreme calmness and control, transforming emotion into a deeper, more lasting motivation.
Sukuna concluded, "Transforming the extraction and application of Cursed Energy into an instinct, like breathing or a heartbeat, allows power to flow in calmness and burst forth instantly when needed."
"Stop being controlled by emotions. Instead, master them, and even convert all kinds of emotions into fuel. This is the path to true strength."
***
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