On the way back to Jujutsu High from the cafe, Fushiguro Megumi remained silent.
It wasn't until the two of them entered the Jujutsu High barrier and stepped onto the tree-lined path that he finally spoke, "Gojo-sensei, I don't understand."
Satoru had his hands in his pockets, his steps light, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly. "Hmm? What don't you understand, Megumi?"
"Why didn't you take immediate action against Sukuna possessing Kasumigaoka?" Fushiguro Megumi stopped in his tracks, his eyes staring straight at Satoru.
"That's a special grade cursed object, the King of Curses. Right now, he only has the power of one or two fingers, he's at his weakest. With your abilities, you should be able to..."
"Should be able to exorcise him on the spot and eliminate the threat forever?"
Satoru turned around, standing against the light, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the sunset. He lightly pushed up his sunglasses, his tone still relaxed, but with a trace of imperceptible seriousness.
"Megumi, do you think I'm strong?"
Fushiguro Megumi was stunned for a moment and said, "Of course, you are the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer."
Satoru continued to ask, "Then, what about Sukuna? How would he compare to me at his peak?"
Fushiguro Megumi answered truthfully, "According to the records, Sukuna at his peak was the King of Curses from a thousand years ago, but you said that if you were to fight Sukuna at his peak, it might be a bit of a hassle, but you would be the one to win."
The man before him was the wielder of the Six Eyes and Limitless, the undisputed strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer standing at the pinnacle of the modern Jujutsu World.
Satoru nodded, leaning casually against a tree. "Exactly. So from a perspective of pure power, even if Sukuna fully recovers, I'm confident I can defeat him. So here's the question—why should I be in a hurry to act when he only has the power of one or two fingers, is possessing a high school girl, and hasn't shown any obvious destructive intent yet?"
Fushiguro Megumi opened his mouth but couldn't answer immediately.
"Megumi, this world doesn't just have Cursed Spirits and Jujutsu Sorcerers." Satoru's voice lowered, carrying a rare, almost solemn tone.
He pushed up his sunglasses, his gaze appearing to pierce through the Jujutsu High barrier, looking toward the distance—at the seemingly peaceful yet fragile society made up of ordinary people.
"The Gun Devil incident is the best example."
Fushiguro Megumi was slightly taken aback. He had heard of that name. It was a massive disaster that swept the globe, resulting in the instantaneous deaths of millions. Even in the records of the Jujutsu World, it was one of the darkest chapters.
But he didn't quite understand what it had to do with the Sukuna they were discussing.
"The source of that disaster wasn't Cursed Energy, but humanity's fear of the concept of 'guns' itself." Satoru explained, his tone calm yet warning.
"Excessive fear converged into a physical form in a place called Hell, giving birth to the terrifying existence known as the Gun Devil. The lives it took in an instant were more than all the Special Grade Cursed Spirits in the last thousand years combined."
He looked at Fushiguro Megumi, his gaze sharp beneath his sunglasses. "Fear is a kind of power, a power sufficient to overturn the balance. The Sukuna we are facing now, though existing in the form of Cursed Energy, has a core that is also a collection and symbol of 'fear.' The concept of the 'King of Curses' he represents, once it triggers large-scale panic in ordinary society, could have a chain reaction more terrifying than simple physical destruction."
"If we were to start a war with an incomplete Sukuna in a busy downtown area right now, setting aside the unpredictable outcome, wouldn't the terrifying aura spread by the battle itself become a breeding ground for the next Gun Devil or a similar monster?"
"What would those ordinary people, who can't see curses, do when driven by inexplicable panic? Could the order of society still be maintained?"
Satoru threw out a series of questions, each one incredibly heavy.
"No matter how strong I am, I'm just one person. This country has many dangers lurking in the shadows that even I can't handle."
He patted Fushiguro Megumi's shoulder, his tone regaining some of its usual lightheartedness, but the core remained serious. "So, it's not that we won't fight, but that we must choose the right time and place. Before ensuring the fallout can be minimized and being certain of complete eradication, flipping the table rashly is the stupidest choice."
"No matter how strong Sukuna is, he's not stronger than me, I still have that much confidence. But the byproduct of 'fear' he brings is much more troublesome to deal with than just giving him a beating."
The Six Eyes beneath his sunglasses gazed at the Tokyo streetscape.
Recalling Kiyotaka's report on Sukuna's recent activities, a meaningful smile curled on his lips.
He said softly, "And one more thing, that King of Curses has been resurrected for a while now, yet he's been unexpectedly well-behaved."
He recalled Sukuna's recent activity records from the surveillance reports: exorcising Special Grade Cursed Spirits, clearing out Devils, and even indirectly protecting ordinary citizens on some occasions.
This behavioral pattern was completely different from the bloodthirsty King of Curses recorded in historical documents.
"Those old fogies in the Higher-Ups only know how to shout 'kill on sight'." Satoru shook his head disdainfully.
"But they never see the more important things."
He thought of Sukuna's current state—residing within Utaha's body, seemingly forming a delicate symbiotic relationship. In this state, Sukuna exhibited a behavioral pattern completely different from before.
"If we take hardline measures against Sukuna now, it will only push him completely to the opposing side." Satoru analyzed the situation.
"Moreover, the threats we're currently facing are far from just Sukuna."
"Maintaining balance, Megumi. It's not just about protecting the weak, it's also about protecting the world we live in. Eliminating a threat is important, but preventing the creation of a larger, more uncontrollable threat in the process is equally important. That's why, sometimes, even the 'strongest' can't just do whatever they want."
He considered another possibility: if Sukuna could be brought within a controllable range, it would not only add a powerful combatant to their side but also avoid a disaster that could affect countless civilians.
Given Satoru's personality, if Sukuna were truly like a Cursed Spirit that couldn't be reasoned with, he would clear Sukuna out even at a cost, as it would be a necessary sacrifice.
But when things haven't happened yet, Satoru won't act. Until he determines whether killing Sukuna is worth it, he won't make a move.
"Of course, this requires careful testing and guidance."
Satoru decided privately, 'First, I need to confirm Sukuna's true intentions, and second, find a way to restrain him.'
He thought of Utaha, who was about to enroll in Jujutsu High. This might be an excellent observation opportunity. Through her, he could both monitor Sukuna's movements and test Sukuna's degree of adaptation to modern society.
"However, this decision will definitely make those old fogies jump in anger." Satoru laughed even more happily.
"Then let them keep being noisy. Anyway, they're just a bunch of old geezers who won't die."
***
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