"I can't take it anymore~ I really can't~"
The next morning, inside the hotel, Sayuri's hoarse voice echoed in the room. She truly couldn't handle it anymore. Her body ached all over, and she lay sprawled across the bed in exhaustion.
"I'm heading to school," Ryuji said casually, taking a quick photo of Sayuri's flushed, worn-out face before getting dressed and preparing to leave.
"Go on, get out!" Sayuri grumbled, waving him off. She was too tired to even lift her head. Her entire body felt sore, and she knew she'd be limping for the next few days. Despite the discomfort, there was a certain sense of satisfaction. Last night had been an extraordinary experience for her.
"I really need to sleep," she mumbled, pulling the covers over her head. After staying up all night, she felt like if she didn't rest soon, she might just pass out from sheer exhaustion.
Watching her drift off into a deep sleep, Ryuji quietly left the hotel, careful not to disturb her.
---
As Ryuji walked into the classroom later that morning, he was immediately greeted by the sight of Yukino glaring at him with a look that could only be described as pure resentment.
"Ah…" Ryuji mentally kicked himself. No wonder something had felt off earlier, he had totally forgotten that he was supposed to visit Yukino's place the previous night.
He scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out how to explain himself. Before he could come up with anything, his phone suddenly rang. The name "Nanami Kento" flashed on the screen, and Ryuji, curious, answered the call.
Yukino, who had been ready to storm off, paused. Her frustration kept her rooted in place.
"Why are you calling me this early?" Ryuji asked, holding the phone to his ear.
There was a deep sigh on the other end. "Sorry to bother you, but do you have time today?" Nanami Kento asked.
Ryuji's interest piqued. "What's going on?"
Nanami's voice was laced with concern. "Recently, there's been a huge surge in the number of cursed spirits. A few new special-grade spirits have even appeared. The higher-ups believe that within a month, humanity will become fully aware of the cursed spirits' existence."
Ryuji frowned. Cursed spirits had always been around, but the sudden increase in their numbers, especially the appearance of special-grade spirits, was alarming.
Nanami continued, "The sorcerers are already spread thin. We've dealt with most of the threats, but there are still a few special-grade cursed spirits that we haven't been able to handle. Can you help? Don't worry, Jujutsu High will cover any costs for your assistance."
Ryuji's mind raced. Recently, he'd felt that absorbing weaker cursed spirits wasn't helping him grow anymore. He needed a challenge, something powerful enough to push his limits.
"Sure, send me the details," Ryuji said. It wasn't just about the money. He could feel that devouring these higher-grade cursed spirits would be the key to breaking past his current bottleneck.
Nanami sounded relieved. "Thank you. I'll send you the locations shortly."
"Great. I'll take care of it," Ryuji replied, his tone casual. "After all, I like this world too much to let it fall apart. If cursed spirits start running rampant, that'd ruin my fun."
Nanami chuckled on the other end. "You've got an odd way of putting things, but I appreciate it."
After a few more words, Ryuji hung up the phone and turned to Yukino, who was still standing there.
"It looks like I won't be able to stay at school today," Ryuji said, his tone apologetic. "I was going to tell you last night, but—"
"There's no need to explain," Yukino suddenly interrupted, her voice soft.
Ryuji blinked in confusion. "Huh?"
Yukino's expression softened. "I overheard your conversation just now. I didn't realize… you're not just a regular student. You're a sorcerer. I should've known better than to accuse you of anything. You were out there fighting cursed spirits, weren't you? And here I was, being selfish…"
" _ "
Ryuji was caught off guard. He hadn't expected her to come to that conclusion on her own. "Uh, well, I…"
"You must have been working all night. It's no wonder you didn't come," Yukino continued, her eyes filled with understanding. "Please… be safe out there, Ryuji."
Ryuji sighed, realizing there was no need to correct her. "Thanks. I'll be back soon."
Yukino smiled, though there was a touch of sadness in it. "I'll be waiting… tonight, or tomorrow night. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you."
Her words were soft, but they carried a quiet determination. It wasn't the fiery kind of love, but something more gentle, more patient. Ryuji, a bit touched by her resolve, nodded.
"Alright then. Take care of school for me."
"I will," Yukino replied with a serious nod, watching him walk out of the classroom.
As he made his way through the school halls, Ryuji felt someone brush past him. He turned just in time to see a pink-haired boy, who immediately caught his attention.
"Itadori Yuji?" Ryuji muttered to himself, recognizing the boy. Yuji, the future vessel for Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses.
But what's Yuji doing here? Ryuji wondered. Then again, if Yuta Okkotsu had been from Sobu High School, it wasn't too far-fetched to think that Yuji might attend the same school.
"What's wrong?" Yukino asked, noticing Ryuji staring after the pink-haired boy.
Before he could answer, a girl from behind rushed up to Yuji and shoved him playfully, causing him to stumble right into Ryuji.
"Woah!" Yuji yelped as he tripped forward.
Reacting instinctively, Ryuji reached out and caught him before he hit the ground.
"Contact established with target: Itadori Yuji!"
"Golden entry triggered. Would you like to load it?"
A familiar voice echoed in Ryuji's head, making him smile slightly. "A golden entry, huh? Nice."
"Thanks!" Yuji said, standing up and giving Ryuji a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that. I wasn't paying attention."
"It's fine," Ryuji replied, letting go of Yuji.
The girl who had pushed Yuji came running up, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry, Yuji! I was just trying to mess with you!"
Yuji waved her off. "Don't worry about it."
After thanking Ryuji again, Yuji and the girl left, chatting and laughing as they disappeared down the hall.
Yukino, still beside Ryuji, tilted her head. "Do you know him?"
Ryuji smiled. "Not personally, but I have a feeling we'll cross paths again."
"Is he a sorcerer too?" Yukino asked, intrigued.
"He's got potential," Ryuji said, though he kept the full truth about Yuji's connection to Sukuna to himself. It wasn't something he could explain easily.
"Well then, I hope he'll be alright," Yukino said, though she didn't press the matter further. The Service Club had already dealt with enough strange situations for her to trust Ryuji's instincts.
Ryuji glanced at his phone, noticing that Nanami had already sent him the details of the special-grade cursed spirit. "Looks like I've got work to do."
"Good luck," Yukino said softly.
"Thanks," Ryuji replied with a wave as he left the school grounds.
---
As he made his way toward the location Nanami had provided, Ryuji couldn't help but reflect on the golden entry he had just received from Yuji.
"Golden Entry: Domain Expansion – Malevolent Shrine."
"Malevolent Kitchen," as JJK fans often call it, was Ryomen Sukuna's Domain Expansion technique. The sheer destructive power of it was mind-boggling. It allowed Sukuna to slash through anything within the domain with lethal precision. The fact that Ryuji could now use this ability was both exhilarating and slightly terrifying.
"So I can even unlock future abilities?" Ryuji mused to himself, pleased with the unexpected bonus. He had wanted a domain expansion for some time, and now, thanks to Yuji's connection to Sukuna, he had it.
"Let's see how this works in action," he muttered, excited to try it out on the special-grade cursed spirit awaiting him.
---
Elsewhere, near the edge of the city, a blizzard raged, covering everything in snow and ice. The cursed spirit that had caused the sudden drop in temperature was relentless, its eerie wails echoing through the streets.
Standing in the middle of the snowstorm was a lone sorcerer with long, light-blue hair. She wielded a massive battle axe with surprising grace, each swing cutting through the cursed spirits surrounding her.
The sorcerer's strength and poise were remarkable, It was hard to believe that such a seemingly frail body could swing the battle axe so effortlessly, without showing any signs of fatigue.