Time passed in silence, and the steam in the bathroom gradually thinned.
Utaha's entire mind was immersed in this strange introspection and guidance. Fine beads of sweat even broke out on her forehead, though whether from the water temperature or mental exhaustion was unclear.
Sukuna's consciousness observed quietly without speaking to interrupt. He could "see" the weak Cursed Energy inside Utaha's body being gradually combed and gathered from its initial complete chaos by a strand of resilient and peaceful intent. Though slow, it was steadily converging toward her palm.
Utaha's comprehension and temperament were a bit better than he had expected.
Although as a literary girl, Utaha tended to get stuck in dead ends, there was no doubt she was a genius.
Despite taking some time, those scattered streams of Cursed Energy, converged with difficulty but persistence near Utaha's right palm. They intertwined and fused with each other. Although the total amount was still nothing amazing, they had changed from "scattered soldiers" into a small-scale, steadily rotating "energy ball."
Now!
Utaha had a sudden flash of inspiration. She didn't think about complex form changes, but simply concentrated her will on one point—Manifest!
Let this gathered Cursed Energy reveal its most primitive state according to its "cold" essence.
The next moment—
Whoosh!
A faint but stable, pale blue flame suddenly ignited between the fingers of Utaha's clenched right fist.
The flame was very small, only enough to wrap around her fist. Its color was a clear and icy blue, emitting no heat. Instead, it seemed to make the surrounding air even cooler.
It burned quietly, its light reflected in Utaha's red eyes, which were wide with shock and joy.
Success!
For the first time, relying on her own will, she had ignited her own Cursed Energy flame.
"Not bad." Sukuna's brief evaluation sounded in her mind.
No clear emotion could be heard, but there seemed to be no dissatisfaction either.
"Remember this feeling. This is the first step, and the most important one. Your Cursed Energy is blue... that's rare. Keep familiarizing yourself with it and strengthening it. The road is still very long, little girl."
The pale blue flame continued to burn in her palm for a few seconds before flickering and slowly going out as Utaha's emotions fluctuated. But the feeling of successfully guiding, condensing, and releasing Cursed Energy was deeply branded into her soul.
The joy of success made her instinctively want to stand up and cheer, forgetting that there was more than one person in this bathroom who could see her body.
"Nice body, quite to my taste." Sukuna said flatly.
"Kyaaa!!!"
The string in Utaha's mind called "reason" and "shame" snapped instantly at this flat "comment".
All the previous excitement and sense of achievement were like a popped balloon, replaced in an instant by a more surging, burning shame and indignation.
She let out a short scream, and her face turned beet red at a visible speed, the blush spreading all the way to her ears and neck.
Almost like a reflex, she dove back into the water, moving so fast she splashed a large amount of water.
Plop!
She submerged herself back into the tub, leaving only the part above her nose visible. Even her ears were red with shame as she soaked in the cool water to try and cool down. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, whether from the sudden movement of standing up or from that extreme embarrassment.
'Despite talking big all day, she's surprisingly a greenhorn.' Sukuna lamented inwardly.
— — —
Toyogasaki University, clubroom.
Utaha, Eriri, and Megumi sat around the table in the center of the classroom.
Although the club had long existed in name only due to Tomoya's passing and the impact of a series of supernatural events, this remote classroom had become their new base—a place where they could safely discuss matters related to the Jujutsu World.
"Look, Kato, fat woman! Look at this!" Eriri's face was flushed with excitement, her blonde twin tails swaying slightly with her movements.
She held out her right hand, palm up, and concentrated. After a moment, a small cluster of stable, pale blue Cursed Energy flames flickered above her palm. Though only the size of a candle flame, its light was warm, dispelling a hint of the surrounding chill.
"I did it. A stable form. I can maintain it for over thirty seconds."
Megumi sat to the side, hands on her knees, her face wearing its usual calm smile as she clapped lightly. "Mm, that's very impressive, Sawamura-san. Your control is very stable."
Her gaze was clear, able to "see" the active Cursed Energy belonging to Eriri flowing within the flames.
Utaha, leaning against the window with her arms crossed, squinted her eyes at the golden flame.
She habitually threw cold water on the situation, her tone carrying a hint of lazy mockery. "Heh, are you letting such a minor achievement go to your head? It's just a tiny flame that could go out at any moment. Sawamura-san is truly easy to please, how childlike."
"What did you say?! You black-stockinged fat woman!" Eriri instantly bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
The flame in her palm wavered due to her emotional fluctuation.
"I figured this out on my own. You clearly had Sukuna-san give you private lessons, yet your progress is about the same as mine. How can you even talk down to me? Aren't you ashamed?"
"Private lessons?"
Utaha raised an eyebrow, her sharp tongue in full swing. "Furthermore, the application of Cursed Energy is about understanding and control, not some childish race to see who lights a flame first. Sawamura-san's way of thinking is indeed still stuck at the stage of drawing with crayons."
Eriri said, "You're the one with crayons! I'm a professional doujin artist! The detail in my line art is ten streets ahead of those sentimental romance novels you write."
"Oh? Is that so? Then tell me, Great Artist Sawamura, do the sales of your 'ten streets ahead' line art even match a fraction of the reprints for my Love Metronome lately?"
"You..."
Seeing the daily "cat and dog fight" about to escalate, Megumi intervened at the right time, her voice soft but clearly reaching both of them. "Um... Sawamura-san, Kasumigaoka-senpai, shouldn't we discuss the main business? About Sukuna-san's... promotion plan?"
This sentence was like a pause button.
Eriri huffed indignantly, withdrew her Cursed Energy flame, and sat back down, though she didn't forget to glare at Utaha.
Utaha reined in her sharp-tongue, but the faint, playful smile on her lips, as if she had successfully teased a pet, showed she was in a good mood. Perhaps even she didn't realize that this bickering with Eriri had become a way for her to feel a sense of "daily life" and relaxation after experiencing so many terrifying events.