Chapter 15: You Know Soul-Summoning? Sukuna Is Shocked!
Ijichi: "W-wait a second!"
At the same time,
the cursed spirit's scream also helped Nobara and Megumi lock on and find the right direction.
"Over there…"
…
"Sorry. There isn't a weaker move than that."
As Yuji spoke,
black smoke poured from Deity-Bearing's mouth. It had been blown unconscious.
The innate domain it had expanded dispersed with it.
Yuji reached out through the air, and his remaining cursed energy began compressing. In the end, he compressed Deity-Bearing into a sphere.
Smaller.
Smaller again.
It didn't stop until it was the size of a cherry.
Material +1
In the future, when cursed energy hit a low point and sorcerers weakened, cursed spirits weakened in turn.
Special Grade cursed spirits became rarer and rarer—kill one and there's one less, unlike now…
And there were still plenty that hadn't been killed.
As Yuji stepped forward, he picked it up—along with the scattered Sukuna finger.
Up close, the finger looked like a spiced chicken foot, except the taste was on a completely different level.
Sukuna had been watching the whole time.
He wasn't brainless. When he encountered someone novel and couldn't do anything, of course he would analyze and figure out what technique was being used.
"Compressing a cursed spirit? Cursed Spirit Manipulation…"
He rubbed his chin with one hand, then noticed something. "No. Not Cursed Spirit Manipulation—just raw cursed energy control."
Oh? A craftsman type?
Interesting. This kind of handling was rare. Only a master-level cursed tool maker would have it.
And it required specific methods too…
With this level of skill, even in ancient times, you'd see very few talents like that.
"Too bad. That brat will reclaim control and kick me offline…"
"But there'll be chances." Sukuna sounded like he was saying farewell.
He still didn't have full use of the body and could be forced out at any moment, so he could only "say goodbye."
"Hey, brat."
He started calling.
But after he called, three seconds passed with no response—Sukuna was still possessing the body.
"Don't mess with me. If you're coming out, hurry up."
He grew impatient and slowly closed his eyes.
When Sukuna opened his eyes again, he became increasingly excited.
"Hey, what's going on."
Hehahahaha.
"The brat can't wake up for now?"
A savage grin spread across his face. Then he looked straight at Yuji. "Then your execution gets moved up.
I'll kill you right now."
He rolled his neck.
Last time, he'd been caught off guard and got ambushed. This time it would be head-on, and he even had one extra finger's worth of power.
Two fingers wasn't as simple as one plus one equals two.
Sukuna's excitement rose—then his gaze drifted to the finger in Yuji's hand.
Yuji's thoughts moved. He ignored Sukuna's stare.
Calling myself Yuji feels weird… I'll call the younger one Yūji for now. Still basically the same.
So the younger one is Yūji, and I'm Yuji.
Yuji remembered: at this point, the younger Yūji had passed out, so he couldn't switch back right away.
Sukuna took advantage…
After that came ripping out the heart, fighting Fushiguro, and then making a binding vow—a "deal."
He promised to revive him.
But to make the vow, there were two conditions: when the phrase "Enchain" was spoken, he would hand over the body for one minute.
Second condition: forget that agreement.
That "Enchain" became a hidden bomb for everything that followed.
Now that it's happening again,
Yuji wasn't going to let this bastard run wild a second time.
"Hey, hey. What are you spacing out for? You think I'm like that earlier Special Grade?" Sukuna snapped Yuji back.
His eyes were wild and arrogant, making it hard to meet his gaze.
"Special Grade… in my eyes, you're only about Grade 1 right now." Yuji smiled.
About on par with a Grade 1 sorcerer.
As he spoke,
he casually tossed the finger away.
"I won't take advantage of you."
"If you want it, I'll give it to you. Let's call it a fair fight."
Yuji was eighty-three, but he still had a sincere heart.
One word: kindness.
Only the throw was awkward. The arc died halfway and the finger dropped short, not reaching Sukuna.
Meaning—
if Sukuna really wanted to eat that finger, he'd have to trot over like a stray dog and bend down to pick it up.
Pick it up like a dog.
Yuji probably didn't mean it that way, but that one motion created a huge misunderstanding and directly set Sukuna off.
Sukuna's eyes widened to the limit, catching a trace of pity. "You bastard… are you pitying me!?"
His purple nails lengthened. Veins bulged on his hands.
Heh.
Pity.
He's pitying me!?
Sukuna had originally been thinking: kill Yuji first, then pick up the finger.
Now—even if Yuji died—he didn't even feel like taking that finger anymore, like it had been contaminated.
…
Nobara and Megumi found this place after the domain vanished, and they heard Sukuna's furious voice.
"It's fine. Come in."
Yuji tilted his head slightly and even waved them in, urging them to hurry.
Like missing the banquet would be a loss.
"This is perfect teaching time."
"Gojo isn't here. From now on I'll substitute, and you'll learn deeper things."
In experience,
he naturally had more.
It was just that earlier, with Gojo around, he couldn't overstep. Now it was fine.
Hearing Yuji say that, a cough came from outside, and then Megumi and Nobara really stepped in.
"You're treating this like a picnic, all of you."
"You ambushed me once and now you're arrogant. Modern sorcerers really have never been put through real hell."
…
"Um… so this is Sukuna after taking over Itadori?" Nobara blinked. It was her first time seeing it…
Purple nails.
Sharp teeth.
Face marked with rings of strange patterns.
The aura was completely different from before.
Megumi raised a hand, warning. "Don't let your guard down. Let's stay back."
"Yūji, wake up. Class is starting—don't doze off."
Yuji spoke.
His voice struck at the soul, and it actually pulled the younger Yūji back a little.
Not fully back, but he was showing signs of waking.
Half-asleep, half-awake—no longer fully unconscious, able to sense what was happening outside.
"A soul-related technique… your technique is exposed."
Sukuna stopped wasting words and attacked first.
Whoosh!
He moved like lightning!
Nobara and Megumi couldn't see it at all. In a blink, Sukuna was already in front of Yuji.
Hoo!
A punch—wind roared!
Yuji turned and slipped aside.
The gust blew Nobara and Megumi's clothes and hair violently in the distance.
Sukuna didn't stop. Blow after blow after blow, faster and faster.
Yuji matched his speed—steady, controlled, completely at ease.
"You're really eager, Sukuna. And your temper is still garbage."
The countdown showed no change.
Yuji had acted—during a gap in the strikes, he seized the incoming fist and applied force in an instant!
In that moment—
Sukuna's chaotic assault, every trick and movement, stopped dead.
Sukuna's expression changed sharply!
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