Chapter 13 - Kill special grade

When Sukuna left the illusion formed from Yukinoshita Yukino's memories, Yukino was quietly sitting on the sofa, reading through a pile of manuscripts. However, judging by the tight furrow in her brows, it was clear she wasn't in a calm mood.

The living room lights were bright, and it seemed like an entire day had passed.

"What are you doing?" Sukuna opened his eyes and curiously glanced at the manuscripts. Yukinoshita Yukino typically read bound library books, so it was his first time seeing a stack of loose manuscript papers like this.

After a brief look, he instinctively commented, "Where did you find this toilet paper? You've started reading this kind of stuff too?"

"Pfft..." Yukinoshita Yukino's furrowed brows relaxed instantly, and she smiled slightly. "That's a pretty accurate assessment. I think Tetsuya would really like that."

"Tetsuya?" A strange name slipped from Yukinoshita Yukino's lips. Sukuna raised an eyebrow, and she noticed the movement. "Sounds like something interesting happened while I was asleep. New commission?"

Not noticing her own reaction, Yukinoshita Yukino explained to Sukuna, "Yeah, Tetsuya wrote a... what do you call it? A light novel, I think? He wants us to read it and give feedback."

"I see," Sukuna replied, then glanced at the clock on the living room wall. The hour hand had already passed midnight. Normally, Yukinoshita would have been in bed by now. "Don't stay up too late. You should get some sleep."

"I'll sleep after I finish this. Since we accepted Tetsuya's commission, we have to give it proper attention," Yukinoshita Yukino calmly flipped a page. After being amused by Sukuna's unintentional comment, her mood—which had been slightly soured by Tetsuya's poorly written grammar and confusing plot—had lifted.

"Kid, staying up late isn't good for you," Sukuna said in a kind, almost motherly tone.

"What? After a whole day of silence, has Parasite-kun turned from a villain to a nagging old mom?" The odd tone made Yukinoshita Yukino feel a shiver down her spine, and goosebumps appeared on her arms.

"How do you speak? You were much cuter when you were younger," Sukuna remarked.

"When I was younger? Has Parasite-kun lost his mind? How could you know what I was like when I was a kid? You've only just woken up!"

"I watched you grow up," Sukuna responded.

At first, Yukinoshita Yukino thought Sukuna was just teasing her again, but her instincts told her something wasn't right. That strange feeling, like she was at a disadvantage, prompted her to ask, "What do you mean by that?"

"I've seen your memories," Sukuna answered sincerely.

"...Huh?" Yukinoshita Yukino blinked in confusion. "You've seen my memories?"

"Yeah."

Then, as she slowly processed the information, her voice grew louder, "You've seen my memories!?"

"From childhood to now."

Her confusion turned into embarrassment, and her face turned bright red as she stammered, "You... you... you!"

Seeing her like this, Sukuna couldn't help but chuckle. If Yukinoshita Yukino had been in front of a mirror, Sukuna would've enjoyed this amusing scene to the fullest.

After forcing herself to calm down, the blush on Yukinoshita Yukino's cheeks faded slightly, and she composed herself. "Although I had a rough idea of your moral standards, I didn't expect..."

"I didn't do it on purpose," Sukuna tried to interrupt, but his attempt had little effect.

"Did you do it on purpose?" Yukinoshita Yukino shot him a cold look.

"Of course not," Sukuna countered with some frustration. After all, he and Yukinoshita shared the same body, and they had a close relationship. How could she not trust him with this? "I was pulled into your memory illusion. I'm a victim here too!"

"What do you mean you're a victim? Those memories weren't even yours!" Yukinoshita Yukino snapped. "And why does it sound like you're implying my memories were begging to be spied on by you?"

This time, Yukinoshita Yukino was truly upset.

Her memories, from childhood to now, were watched by someone outside of her family. How was that any different from being exposed to the world?

"Think of it this way: you can relax in the bath now," Sukuna said, as if reading her mind.

After all, he had seen everything.

"Sukuna!"

Yukinoshita Yukino angrily swatted the back of her left hand with her right palm, making it turn bright red.

"I know you're impatient, but don't rush," Sukuna's voice appeared from her right hand. "The reason I got pulled into your memory illusion is probably because our souls are sharing the same body. Before long, you'll also see my memories."

And maybe even mine.

However, Sukuna wasn't sure if Yukinoshita Yukino would be able to keep her composure after seeing his memories.

"You think I'll still believe you?" Yukinoshita Yukino was already overwhelmed with anger and embarrassment, speaking more like a little girl and losing all sense of reason.

After all, she was just a high school girl. No big deal.

"If you want to think that way, I can't help it," Sukuna shrugged, saying helplessly.

Yukinoshita Yukino glared at his open hands, her anger rising, "Now you're trying to take control of my body!?"

"Huh? That's slander! Be careful, I'll sue you for defamation!" Sukuna responded innocently.

"Parasite-kun is talking about human laws, but bugs aren't protected by the law!"

"Wait a minute..."

Sukuna finally noticed something wasn't right. He hadn't been actively taking control of Yukinoshita's body like before. Instead, it seemed like his usual comments were causing him to instinctively perform these actions. Before, he would have been in a soul-state within her, just synchronizing with her movements.

But now, it seemed like something had changed?

"Don't rush. Give me a minute," Sukuna calmed the angry little hedgehog down, then silently called out to the system.

System, what's going on? Explain.

[System analysis in progress...]

According to the system's analysis, after the host activated the system and passed identity verification, the system began facilitating a deeper binding between the host's soul and the body.

What happens after the binding is completed?

The primary control of the body will shift to the host, and without the host's consent, no one will be able to control the body.

So that's my current state...

Well, this complicates things.

Let me ask, is there a way to stop it?

[Unable. This procedure is part of the system's underlying code, and as the AI responsible for assisting and guiding the host, I do not have the authority to modify or change the underlying code.]

This answer from the system was exactly what Sukuna expected: Can you be useful for once?

[...Sorry, I can't help the host.]

Sukuna sighed helplessly. He hadn't planned to reclaim his body so soon, but now it seemed like his VIP seat was running out. The plan to hunt special-grade cursed spirits needed to be put back on track.

"There's one piece of bad news and another. Which would you like to hear first?"

"Aren't they both bad news?" Yukinoshita Yukino coldly glanced at the mouth on her hand, which had nothing positive to offer, waiting for the inevitable excuse from the other party.

"The first bit of bad news is that, as time goes on, I'll gradually become the new owner of your body. You'll end up like I am now—becoming a spirit bound to the back, unable to take control of the body at will, unlike me." Expecting a clever excuse from Sukuna, Yukino was instead struck by a bombshell.

Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening in shock at Sukuna's revelation. She even found herself breathing more lightly.

Her voice trembled, hoarse and ethereal: "...What did you just say?"

A shadow flickered in Yukino's eyes, as if she had been betrayed by someone close to her. Complex emotions surged in her heart like a tidal wave, and her chest ached for reasons she couldn't explain. A suffocating sense of helplessness spread through her limbs.

Is he lying to me? Or has he finally stopped pretending and revealed his true, malicious nature?

"Though it wasn't my intention, that's how it is," Sukuna's voice conveyed a sense of helplessness. The system, which should have been his advantage after crossing over, had only created problems for him.

Yukino, reassured by Sukuna's helpless tone, slowly regained some clarity. Since he claimed it wasn't his doing, at least it meant he hadn't betrayed her.

Though it might still be a lie, Yukino chose to trust his words.

Or perhaps... she simply didn't want to continue doubting him.

"Then, what's the other bad news?" Yukino forced herself to calm down and ask.

"You'll have to kill a special-grade cursed spirit," Sukuna said.

Wasn't the insect-like curse spirit they faced yesterday only a Grade 3? Just encountering that spirit—which Sukuna had dismissed as "very weak"—had left both Yukino Yukinoshita and Hachiman Hikigaya drenched in sweat. In the end, they could only resolve the situation thanks to Sukuna's intervention. How could they possibly stand a chance against a special grade curse spirit?

"Don't worry, I've got this," Sukuna said with an exaggeratedly confident laugh.

"Your task is simple: roam around, find the special grade curse spirit, and leave the rest to me. Once we eliminate it, the first wave of bad news will take care of itself."

"Really?" Yukino's navy blue eyes brightened slightly as she glanced up at him.

"What would I gain from lying to you? Just relax and live your life normally," Sukuna replied with a chuckle. Then, after checking the time, he added, "For now, though, you should get some rest."

Yukino hesitated for a moment but realized her feet were already moving toward her bedroom. "Wait, stop! I can walk on my own!"

That night, Yukino never did finish reading Zaimokuza's manuscript.

Back at the Yukinoshita residence, her mother had never pressured her to go to bed early, unlike Sukuna had last night. His insistence was oddly reminiscent of an overbearing mother—something she found unexpectedly refreshing.

Of course, in her family's home, Yukino wouldn't have dared stay up late as freely as she could now in her private apartment.

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Shortly after she set down the manuscript, Hachiman arrived at the clubroom with a cheerful, pink-haired girl in tow.

"Good afternoon," Hachiman greeted plainly.

"Yahallo, Yukino-chan!" Yui Yuigahama chirped brightly.

Since Sukuna's absence, Yui had officially joined the Service Club. Yukino found it hard to resist Yui's infectious energy. Her presence had transformed the once-quiet room into a space filled with lively chatter.

As Yui animatedly recounted amusing stories from her class, the clubroom door suddenly slid open.

"The great General Yoshiteru has arrived in triumphant glory!"

With that bold proclamation, Yoshiteru Zaimokuza made his grand entrance.

A self-proclaimed novelist, Zaimokuza was a white-haired, chubby boy dressed in a bulky brown trench coat over his school uniform. He strutted in like a victorious general returning from war, only for his bravado to crumble as he nervously wrung his hands, looking more like a defeated soldier.

His appearance matched Sukuna's mental image almost perfectly.

"Have you all finished reading it?" Zaimokuza asked cautiously.

"Finally done. It was... quite the ordeal," Yukino replied, her voice tinged with weariness.

"Well, I skimmed through it, I guess," Yui added hesitantly.

"Uh, technically, yeah," Hachiman muttered, scratching his head.

Hearing their responses, Zaimokuza seemed to regain some of his confidence. Straightening his posture, he pushed up his glasses, which gleamed ominously as he declared, "Then speak your minds! Be it praise or criticism, I shall accept it all!"

Chuunibyou? Sukuna asked privately.

You know about that condition? Yukino was surprised that someone from a thousand years ago would recognize such a modern term.

Doesn't everyone? You don't? Sukuna's tone was casual, as if discussing the weather.

After all, everyone experiences a bit of "second-year syndrome" at some point. He even admitted to mimicking ninja hand seals from Naruto as a child, shouting, "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!" before spitting water at others.

I only learned about it yesterday, Yukino admitted, recalling the strange individual who had appeared in the clubroom during her absence. Thankfully, the broken window had gone unnoticed, sparing her the need to use Aikido to subdue him.

"Speak freely! Do not hold back!" Zaimokuza spread his arms dramatically, as though inviting the world to embrace him.

"You're practically asking for it," Hachiman sighed. "Compared to the harsh critiques from editors or online readers, Yukino's remarks might actually be gentle."

Still, it was like trying to warn a moth away from a flame.

Rest in peace, Zaimokuza.

"Alright, I'll begin," Yukino said, picking up the stack of manuscript pages marked with sticky notes. "It was boring. So boring it exceeded my imagination. Honestly, reading it felt like torture."

"Ugh!"

Her blunt critique landed like a sword to Zaimokuza's chest. He clutched at his heart, reeling back dramatically, nearly falling out of his chair. The subsequent detailed analysis of plot issues and grammatical errors cut even deeper, leaving him visibly shaken.

The truth, sharper than any lie, had already pierced his fragile soul.

By the time everyone had finished sharing their thoughts, the so-called General Yoshiteru lay sprawled on the floor, his spirit seemingly departing from his body.