Chapter 104: Itadori Kaori

"Success! I finally did it!"

During lunch break, the excited cheers of Mai rang through the service club room.

"I finally sensed cursed energy!"

That's right, after so much effort, Mai had finally managed to extract a small amount of cursed energy. Now, it was just a matter of accumulating more over time.

"..."

Ryuji glanced over at her but didn't say anything. He wasn't one to heap praise on minor achievements, especially considering how long it had taken her.

Saki, however, couldn't help but snicker.

"Tch, what's there to be so excited about? Miko and Hana mastered this a while ago."

"That's different!" Mai immediately shot back, unwilling to accept being compared.

"You don't understand how hard it is until you've done it yourself!"

"Pfft."

Saki rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "As if I care."

To be fair, both Mai and Saki had been a little envious of Miko and Hana's progress. Even Yukino had once felt the same way, though things had changed for her.

Yukino glanced at Ryuji, a small smile forming on her lips. She was no longer envious, not anymore. Whether she had cursed energy or not didn't matter, her life with Ryuji was already perfect, and there was nothing more she needed.

"Ryuji!" Saki, now the center of attention, grabbed his arm with a bit of playful frustration.

Her expression said it all: "When is it my turn?"

"Don't worry," Ryuji said, waving his hand casually.

"I've already figured out which cursed technique could give ordinary people like you the chance to become sorcerers."

Since Geto Suguru was no longer around, it was only a matter of time before the four disaster-level curse spirits appeared. Ryuji just needed to locate Mahito and trigger his Idle Transfiguration technique.

If it didn't work the first time, he'd try again. If it failed ten times, he'd try twenty. He was determined to make it work.

"Ah… achoo!"

Meanwhile, far away on a beach, Mahito suddenly sneezed.

"What's wrong? Catching a cold?" a woman with long, pink hair asked with a smile, her voice gentle despite the grotesque scar running across her forehead that ruined her otherwise beautiful face.

"Idiot, curse spirits don't catch colds," Jogo grumbled, glaring at Mahito. But even he was curious as to why Mahito sneezed.

Hanami stood off to the side, quietly observing, while Dagon floated serenely over the sea, enjoying the ocean's presence, the place he felt most at home, being a curse spirit born from humanity's fear of the ocean.

"It's nothing," Mahito said, grinning mischievously. "I just felt like someone was talking about me. But who cares?"

He waved it off. He was, after all, a special-grade curse spirit, born from humanity's fear of each other. In terms of potential, Mahito was perhaps the most powerful among the four disaster curses.

Unfortunately, potential alone doesn't guarantee strength. For now, Mahito still had room to grow.

"It's good you're alright," the pink-haired woman said, her eyes narrowing slightly. Despite her calm demeanor, there was something eerie about her.

She wasn't a curse spirit herself, but her power was undeniable. Jogo remained cautious, squinting at her with his large, single eye.

"So, when do we begin this plan of yours?"

Not too long ago, the woman had approached them with an offer to cooperate. After a brief skirmish, the curses agreed to work with her, though not without suspicion. Jogo, especially, was wary, but for the sake of achieving their goal of curse domination, temporary alliances with humans were tolerable.

"Soon," the woman said with a cryptic smile. "I just need a new body first."

Her name was Kenjaku, the mastermind behind countless conspiracies over the centuries. Using the Brain hopping technique, she could swap bodies and live indefinitely.

Currently, she was inhabiting the body of Itadori Kaori, Yuji's mother, and was preparing to initiate a plan that would reshape the world. It was no coincidence that Yuji Itadori, the future vessel for Ryomen Sukuna, was born as a result of her machinations.

Kenjaku, with all her schemes and her ability to implant her brain into others, had already decided her next target: Geto Suguru's body. The plan was to use Suguru's body to control cursed spirits, and more specifically, to obtain Mahito's Idle Transfiguration technique.

"Once I have Geto Suguru's body, the real fun will begin," Kenjaku said, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

But there was still one significant obstacle: Gojo Satoru.

"Aren't you worried about Gojo Satoru?" Jogo asked, his voice low and menacing.

They had all learned about the human world's most powerful sorcerer, and even for a curse, Gojo was a threat.

"Yes, he's troublesome," Kenjaku admitted with a sly smile. "This generation's Six Eyes user is far stronger than the previous one. If I were to fight him head-on, I'd likely die."

"Hmph! Strongest sorcerer, my foot. I'll deal with him when the time comes," Jogo boasted, full of confidence.

Kenjaku didn't argue, her smile widening. "Let him try," she thought. "If he's foolish enough to challenge Gojo, he'll learn the hard way."

As far as she was concerned, the curses were mere pawns in her grand scheme. All she truly cared about was Mahito's technique, which would pave the way for her ultimate plan.

"Well, I'll be off to retrieve that body now," Kenjaku said, leaving the beach without another word.

---

Back at the school, Ryuji sat with the girls, who were all staring at him expectantly after his earlier comment.

"Are you sure it'll work?" Saki asked, looking hopeful but still a bit skeptical.

"Of course," Ryuji said confidently. "It might take some time to locate the right target, but I'll handle it."

"That's enough for me," Saki replied, smiling. "Take your time. If it's too dangerous, don't push yourself."

The other girls nodded in agreement. For them, Ryuji's safety was the top priority. Becoming a sorcerer was a distant second.

"Hahaha!" Ryuji laughed, clearly amused by their concern. "You all worry too much. Didn't I tell you? I'm the strongest!"

His confidence was infectious, and the girls couldn't help but smile back, reassured by his words.

"Speaking of which…" Mai suddenly raised her hand, her voice small and a little hesitant. "I finally condensed cursed energy. How about a little praise, huh?"

The room went silent for a moment before everyone burst into laughter, lightening the mood even further.

"Yeah, yeah, congratulations," Ryuji said, though his tone was a bit dismissive.

"How perfunctory!" Mai puffed her cheeks, clearly displeased with his lack of enthusiasm.

"Come here," Ryuji said, waving her over.

Despite her annoyance, Mai immediately walked up to him, eager for some recognition.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Ryuji gently grabbed her face.

"Let's not forget, you were the first one I taught how to channel cursed energy, and you were the slowest to get it. Don't go bragging about it just yet."

"W-Wha…?!"

Although Ryuji wasn't using much force, Mai whimpered pitifully, pretending to be hurt. Once he let go, she stared at him with mock resentment.

Deep down, though, she had to admit that Ryuji had a point. Maybe her talent wasn't quite on par with the others, and that realization stung.

Seeing her dejected expression, Ryuji softened. He didn't want to crush her spirits.

"But hey, all that aside, I'm proud of you for sticking with it and finally succeeding."

Hearing Ryuji's gentle tone, Mai's face turned bright red.

"W-Well, it wasn't that hard…" she muttered, suddenly flustered and unable to meet his eyes.

"Just you wait," she added, trying to sound more confident. "I'll surpass both Miko and Hana soon enough!"

Ryuji smirked, finding her determination cute.

"You'd better hurry, then," Saki chimed in with a smirk. "If you're not careful, I'll catch up and leave you in the dust."

"Why you—! You wanna go?" Mai snapped, immediately on edge.

"Bring it," Saki replied, equally fired up.

***

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