Talent entry system
Host: Ryuji Hoshino
Bloodline: Human
Loaded entries: Soul Devouring [Red], Yin-Yang Eyes [Gold], Presence Concealment [Gold],Tranquility [Gold], Reverse Cursed Technique [Gold], Monster Attracting Physique [Gold], Third Dimension, Dreamwalker [Gold], Physical Strengthening [Gold], Cursed Speech [Gold], Iron Fist [Purple].
Points: 62120.
Success! Two more golden entries appeared on the character template.
Moreover, Ryuji noticed something odd as he looked down at the reflection of his face in a nearby puddle.
He could see faint, intricate lines forming around his mouth marks of the Cursed Speech technique. Not just his lips, but his tongue as well carried the same pattern. These were the signs that indicated his new ability had successfully manifested.
Ryuji smirked and looked around, spotting a relatively sturdy tree in the distance.
Then, with a casual tone, he muttered:
"Shatter!"
The spell activated, and the thick trunk of the tree trembled violently. In a matter of seconds, it exploded into splinters, disintegrating into nothing but dust.
"Cough!"
Ryuji felt a slight backlash, but the Reversal Technique kicked in immediately, healing the minor strain as if nothing had happened.
Ryuji grinned, thinking about all the mischievous possibilities of Cursed Speech. He could imagine disrupting enemies in all kinds of ways like commanding someone in the middle of chanting a spell to hiccup, or forcing someone to cramp up right before they could complete a Domain Expansion.
"Damn, this ability really is terrifying."
He couldn't help but chuckle to himself. The Cursed Speech could turn any battle into a chaotic mess for his enemies.
Satisfied with his new power, Ryuji wiped the remaining smirk off his face and observed the water again. The marks on his mouth had vanished. It seemed like they only appeared when the Cursed Speech was in use. He could talk normally in his everyday life without worrying about accidentally triggering the curse.
"Now, there's just one thing left."
Ryuji reached into his pocket and pulled out a cursed item the finger of Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses. It was wrapped in cloth, but upon unwrapping it, Ryuji revealed a dried, severed finger.
"Even just one finger has enough cursed energy to be classified as special-grade? This guy really was on another level."
As expected from the strongest sorcerer a thousand years ago.
"I wonder… can it be destroyed?"
Ryuji considered. He knew Sukuna's personality well enough from watching the anime a cruel, bloodthirsty monster who treated human lives as nothing more than tools to be crushed. The thought of allowing Sukuna to fully resurrect and roam free didn't sit well with Ryuji.
It wasn't like he had any grand desire to play the hero or save the world, but if Sukuna were to rise and start killing people indiscriminately, it would only be a matter of time before someone close to him his friends, his women got caught in the crossfire. And that was something Ryuji wouldn't tolerate.
"Time to test something."
"Third Dimension!"
With his eyes narrowed in concentration, the space in Ryuji's palm began to warp. He directed the spatial distortion toward the severed finger, aiming to crush it out of existence.
But despite his efforts, the finger remained intact, unscathed by the twisting space around it.
Ryuji let out a low chuckle. "Stronger than I expected, huh?"
Destroying Sukuna's finger wasn't going to be easy not with conventional methods, at least. If even Third Dimension couldn't affect it, then there was no way a normal sorcerer would have any chance of destroying it.
"Alright, fine. If I can't destroy it, I'll just hide it."
Ryuji activated Third Dimension, creating a portal to his personal dimension. He tossed the finger inside, sealing it away in a place where no one could find it.
"Good luck getting that back, Sukuna."
Satisfied, Ryuji hummed a little tune as he left the scene. (T/N: Before you guys start asking why he didn't absorb the finger, his ability is called Soul Devouring for a reason)
---
Somewhere in a dark, twisted dimension…
The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the ground was littered with bones. At the center of it all, seated on a throne of skeletal remains, was a towering figure Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses.
His eyes, which had been half-closed in a state of idle boredom, suddenly snapped open. A sly smile crept across his face.
"Interesting… One of my fingers has disappeared."
Though he was still sealed, Sukuna had always been able to sense the location of every one of his fingers. But just now, that connection had been severed.
"Whoever did this… they didn't destroy it. That much is clear."
Sukuna's grin widened, his sharp teeth gleaming in the dim, crimson light of his domain.
"Ah, how delightful. I'm looking forward to meeting this fool. Perhaps the new era won't be so dull after all."
Even though losing a finger meant slightly weakening his future resurrection, Sukuna wasn't angry. In fact, he was amused. The notion that someone was playing with his power only excited him further.
"More. I want more of these little games."
His anticipation for the future grew. The thought of his eventual resurrection, and the chaos he would wreak upon the modern world, brought Sukuna nothing but joy.
---
Ryuji had arrived at Hiratsuka Shizuka's place, eager to see her after a long day.
Originally, he had planned to visit Miko first, but she had called to let him know that she'd be staying at her mother's house tonight. It seemed she needed to spend some time with her family after being away for so long.
Ryuji didn't mind. This gave him the perfect chance to stop by Shizuka's place.
As soon as she heard Ryuji's voice, Shizuka rushed out of the kitchen. At first, she looked excited, but then her expression shifted to a mock pout.
"Oh, so you finally remembered me, huh?"
"How could I forget my favorite girl?" Ryuji grinned, walking over to wrap her in a warm hug.
"You didn't answer my messages all day. You know how worried I was?" Shizuka tried to sound upset, but her tone softened as Ryuji's arms enveloped her.
"It wasn't on purpose. I was dealing with a special-grade curse spirit, and things got a little hectic."
Shizuka's worried expression deepened. "A special-grade curse? Are you okay?"
"Relax, your man is invincible." Ryuji laughed, giving her a reassuring pat on the back.
Shizuka sighed, but couldn't help smiling at his confidence. "Alright, alright. But don't scare me like that again."
Ryuji sniffed the air, detecting a strange scent. "Wait… what's that smell?"
"Oh!" Shizuka's eyes widened. "I was making fish soup!" She quickly pulled away from Ryuji and dashed back into the kitchen.
Ryuji blinked. "shizuka knows how to cook?"
---
When Shizuka brought the food out to the table, Ryuji was left speechless.
The dishes were… questionable, to say the least. Everything was either overcooked or had a strange color, especially the fish soup. It was purple something he had never seen before.
"Are you trying to poison me?" Ryuji asked with a teasing smile, though there was genuine concern in his voice.
"Hey! This is my first time cooking, okay?" Shizuka huffed, clearly annoyed by his reaction. She had tried so hard, following the recipe to the letter. How had everything gone so wrong?
"Maybe it just looks bad but tastes good?" she suggested, though even she didn't sound convinced.
Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "You try it, then."
Shizuka hesitated, then picked up a spoon. But before she could even take a bite, the smell hit her nose full force.
"Okay, yeah, let's just order takeout." She put the spoon down in defeat, realizing she had no talent for cooking.
Ryuji burst into laughter, and Shizuka's face flushed in embarrassment.
---
Elsewhere…
After Maki and Inumaki returned to Jujutsu High School, they were greeted by the familiar voice of Gojo Satoru.
"Yo! You guys look like you survived without a scratch!"
"Salmon!" Inumaki replied with a nod.
Maki, on the other hand, didn't share Gojo's enthusiasm. "The cursed spirit we were sent to handle was supposed to be first-grade, but it turned out to be a special-grade. How did that happen? Are the curse specialists getting sloppy?"
It wasn't the first time an error in intelligence had led to dangerous situations, and many young sorcerers had died because of such mistakes.
Gojo waved off her concerns. "Relax, didn't I send back-up? You're fine now."
"Hmph!" Maki crossed her arms, still irritated. "Sure, but that guy, Ryuji, he took care of the special-grade curse spirit like it was nothing. If he hadn't shown up, we'd probably be dead."
Gojo grinned, clearly entertained by the conversation. "Oh, so you got to see Ryuji in action? Impressive, right?"
Maki frowned. "Impressive? He killed a special-grade curse spirit in seconds! How is that not more concerning to you?"
Standing nearby, Panda's ears perked up at Maki's words. "Wait… what? Did you just say he killed a special-grade curse spirit instantly?"
"That's right, Panda." Maki confirmed, her voice still laced with frustration. "I've never seen anything like it. The curse didn't stand a chance."
Panda blinked in shock. "I've never heard of anyone doing that so easily, not even most special-grade sorcerers." He turned to Gojo, his confusion clear. "Who is this Ryuji guy?"
Gojo shrugged nonchalantly. "Just a new talent."
Maki rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure, whatever you say. But seriously, I've never seen anything like it."
Before Panda could ask any more questions, a group of first-grade sorcerers entered the scene. Leading them was Masamichi Yaga, the principal of Jujutsu High School. Alongside him were well-known sorcerers Nanami Kento, Mei Mei, and Kusakabe Atsuya.
The arrival of the first-grade sorcerers made Maki pause. "Principal Yaga? Nanami? Mei Mei? Kusakabe? What are you all doing here?"
Nanami, always the stoic one, adjusted his glasses and spoke in his usual monotone. "We were called for a meeting regarding the recent increase in cursed spirits. There's been an uptick in special-grade activity lately."
Gojo leaned back lazily, grinning. "Yup, we've been seeing some new types of cursed spirits, especially these urban legends that regular people can see."
"Urban legends?" Maki raised an eyebrow.
Gojo nodded. "Yeah, it's a new breed of cursed spirits. The weird thing is, they seem to blend with the ordinary world in ways we haven't seen before. People without cursed energy can see them, and they're becoming more common. You guys already encountered one today, that special-grade curse you fought was an urban legend mixed with a traditional cursed spirit."
Panda let out a low growl of concern. "If ordinary people can see them now, that changes things. What's causing this shift?"
Mei Mei, who had been silent up until now, stepped forward, her cold eyes narrowing slightly. "It's hard to say. But if this trend continues, it won't be long before the entire world becomes aware of the existence of cursed spirits."
Gojo, ever the optimist, shrugged. "Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, we just have to deal with what's in front of us."
Maki scowled. "Easier said than done. If even first-grade cursed spirits are becoming special-grade, we're going to have a serious problem on our hands soon."
Kusakabe, always one to complain, sighed loudly. "This is a mess. I'm not paid enough to deal with this kind of chaos."
Nanami, being the pragmatic one, crossed his arms. "Regardless, we need to be prepared. We'll need to work more closely together to deal with these emerging threats. The world of sorcery is changing, and we can't afford to fall behind."
Gojo clapped his hands together, his grin never wavering. "Sounds like a plan! But don't worry too much, I've got this covered."
Maki shot him an annoyed glare. "Yeah, because you're so reliable."
Gojo's smile only widened. "Of course, I am! After all, I'm the strongest!"