Hearing Sukuna's evaluation, Satoru didn't get angry but instead burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha, as expected of the King of Curses, that evaluation is truly incisive. It really is quite boring. That's why..."
He changed the subject, his tone suddenly carrying a rare, almost self-muttering seriousness, but those eyes covered by the blindfold seemed to look toward some distant place, "...I chose to be a teacher."
"Hmm?" Sukuna seemingly hadn't expected the topic to turn to this.
"The pedantic thoughts of those old fogeys, the rigid system, and the despair and sacrifice that Jujutsu Sorcerers have to face... I'm tired of seeing it, and I'm sick of it." Satoru's voice was light, but the weight in his words was heavy.
"Relying on me alone to beat people up won't change the root of it. So I thought, why not try to raise a group of new, different people? Not bound by old rules, stronger, more interesting, and maybe... I can see the Jujutsu World become a little less boring?"
What he was talking about was his core reason for choosing to teach despite being "The Strongest"—to change the corrupt Jujutsu World from within by nurturing a new generation.
However, these words, which would sound full of ideals and responsibility to many, drew a merciless, absurdly mocking laugh from Sukuna.
"Pffft... Hahahahaha!"
"Who wants to know why you're a teacher? Also, you're only taking in this few students, what the hell can you change? Six Eyes brat, did you break your brain from fighting too much?"
He controlled Utaha's face to make an extremely exaggerated expression, as if looking at an idiot.
"Raising a few powerful students and the Jujutsu World is saved?" Sukuna's mockery was like a cold dagger.
"If the world could be changed that easily, I would have turned it into a hunting ground belonging only to the strong eight hundred years ago."
"Instead of thinking about this useless crap, why not think about how to make yourself stronger? Strong enough that no rules, no tragedies, and no boring fools can affect you—that is the right path."
— — —
The corridors of Jujutsu High seemed to stretch on forever.
Finally, Satoru stopped in front of an ordinary classroom door and pushed it open with a grin.
"Yo! Kept you waiting, Megumi, Itadori."
The scene inside the classroom came into view.
By the window, Fushiguro Megumi stood with his arms crossed, his expression beneath his hair as calm as ever.
Seeing Satoru and the three girls behind him, he only gave a slight nod.
What truly caught Utaha's eye was the pink-haired boy standing next to the podium, peering over curiously.
He looked to be about their age, with a sturdy build and a bright, somewhat goofy smile. Wearing a tracksuit, he radiated an aura of sunshine and health.
However, the moment Utaha's gaze met his face, her heart felt as if it were gripped by an invisible hand, and her breath hitched for a second.
This boy...
Beneath that thick, short pink hair was a sharply defined facial contour, especially the line of his brow bone and the curve of his nose... a strong, indescribable sense of déjà vu hit her hard.
This face—compared to the face of that four-armed, pink-haired man she had glimpsed on the throne within that bloody and terrifying Domain—was a smaller, softer version, with all the tyranny and evil removed.
They were shockingly similar!
(This person... why does he look a bit like you?)
Utaha asked Sukuna in her mind almost subconsciously, filled with deep confusion and a sense of absurdity.
Sukuna was an ancient being from a thousand years ago. How could he share a face with a modern high school student?
Sukuna's consciousness seemed to pause briefly as well. Then, a voice with a strange undertone, as if confirming something, rang out. His tone was more subtle than ever before.
(Him? Heh... In your terms, he's probably my grandson or nephew or something like that.)
(What?!) Utaha exclaimed internally, nearly losing control of her expression.
Grandson? Nephew?
This was too much information, it shocked her worldview even more than learning about the existence of Cursed Spirits.
Sukuna had descendants?
The bloodline of the King of Curses from a thousand years ago had actually continued to the modern era and resulted in such an... ordinary, cheerful boy?
"Hey, you guys, don't just daze off at the door, come in, come in!" Satoru called out, leading the still-shocked Utaha, along with Eriri and Kato Megumi, who were curiously observing the classroom, inside.
"Come, come, let me introduce you."
Satoru clapped his hands and pointed at the pink-haired boy. "This is Itadori Yuji, a first-year student, and currently... well, a rather special subject of observation."
He then pointed to Fushiguro Megumi. "This is Fushiguro Megumi, also a first-year, very reliable."
Then, he turned to Yuji and Megumi. "These three are new classmates: Kasumigaoka Utaha, Sawamura Spencer Eriri, and Kato Megumi. Their situation is... a bit complicated, you'll get to know them later. Especially Kasumigaoka, there's quite an incredible old man living inside her."
He spoke of a terrifying fact in a lighthearted tone.
Yuji immediately broke into a brilliant smile and nodded vigorously. "Hello, I'm Itadori Yuji. Nice to meet you."
His gaze swept over the three, lingering on Utaha for an extra moment. He seemed to feel some extremely faint, indescribable sense of familiarity, but he just scratched his head and didn't think much of it.
Fushiguro Megumi also gave a polite bow.