Chapter 33. Ritual (Part 1)

Despite everything happening, life continued as usual: people deceived each other, animals looked at their owners with sweet naivety, and Sorcerers exorcised curses.

Yuji, stretching, questioned, "Why does it seem like our well-being concerns you more than Satoru?"

"Just because I regularly accompany one of you on missions doesn't mean I care more about you," I replied, turning the corner onto the street where my favorite cafe stood.

"Sure, and the Earth is flat and held up by three elephants," Yuji remarked ironically.

"That theory existed solely due to lack of information," I said, glancing at him. "You're in a similar situation: lack of information leads to erroneous conclusions."

"So, you don't care about us?" Yuji clarified, raising an eyebrow lightly.

"It means Satoru is much more caring than you might imagine."

"So, are you both playing 'tsundere' roles?" Yuji seized the moment to tease.

"In any case, you're too naive to figure out which of my words is true and which isn't," I said, stopping at the cafe entrance and patting Yuji on the shoulder. "So, perhaps being 'tsundere,' as you put it, is better than remaining as naive and trusting as a puppy."

Entering the cafe, I waved to the head chef, who was busy in the kitchen where steam was rising.

"Chef, as usual, please!" I called out, settling at a free table.

"I'll make it excellently," came the response from the kitchen.

Yuji, sitting opposite, remarked discontentedly, "Why can't you and Satoru accept that being an ordinary person is normal?"

"I'm quite an ordinary person. But Satoru... he's completely different, uninterested in mundane life, striving for something higher, like asceticism, for example," I paused, pouring myself water from a pitcher, and continued. "See the difference?"

"No, I don't see," Yuji crossed his arms over his chest, his irritation evident. "You both seem equally detached."

"When did you learn to analyze our words and actions so deeply?" I exclaimed, placing the empty glass back on the table. "Is Todo really getting to you? Headaches lately?"

"I mean," Yuji began, hesitantly continuing after a short pause, "I mean, both of you don't show your attachment to others, although deep down you care, don't you?"

"You know, Yuji," I started, pausing briefly to emphasize the importance of my words, "Our unspoken concern for others doesn't imply indifference. Deep down, we do care, even if it's not always visible on the surface."

Yuji looked at me, his gaze filled with doubt and skepticism.

"Do you get the metaphors?" I asked.

In response, Yuji shot me a sharp, slightly irritated look, which was oddly endearing.

"If a person buys a weapon, it means subconsciously they'd like to use it," I continued.

"And what are you trying to say with that?" Yuji sighed, his gaze becoming less sharp but more sincere.

"That Satoru and I, we carry a burden much heavier than it may seem. Our emotions and personal connections can be both a weapon and a weakness. In our position, any personal attachment can turn against us," I tried to speak as clearly as possible.

Yuji shook his head, showing his disagreement, but I noticed he began to ponder.

"So what's the point of all this? If we can only rely on cold calculation," he asked, deeply contemplating.

"The point of the ramen shop?" I glanced around, shrugged, and continued, "Tasty food, cozy atmosphere."

However, Yuji didn't appreciate the joke; instead, he just frowned, his gaze becoming even more serious.

"I don't know what's going on in Satoru's head, but personally, I think if you don't let your emotions run wild, then next time I might save a person, maybe even more than one," I responded more seriously this time. "It doesn't mean you have to cut off your relationships with classmates or friends. Not at all. However, as long as you're a Sorcerer, you exorcise curses, as long as you exorcise curses, you sacrifice something or someone, and while you're sacrificing, you need to be sober-minded and have a clear memory."

My words made Yuji pause, and for a moment, he fell silent, lost in his thoughts. This gave me a chance to enjoy the calm and take a break from endless inquiries about my motives and actions.

Observing Yuji, I saw a range of emotions flicker across his face, from incomprehension to disagreement. However, one thing remained constant: his brows were furrowed with tension.

Internally sighing, I thought about how the newcomers this year were particularly full of humanity. The exception was Megumi, who, having spent several years with Satoru, undoubtedly absorbed his lessons of stoicism and responsible irresponsibility, even if Satoru was just goofing around him.

"Yuji, do you know what it's like to die?" Noticing that the guy was suspiciously silent for too long, I decided to take the initiative.

"No, I haven't died," Yuji shook his head negatively.

"Logical," I replied, biting my lip. "However, you know what it's like to lose a loved one. That's why Satoru, I, and other high-ranking Sorcerers are lonely people. It's more than just living your own life. When you face death or the loss of someone close, your perception of the world changes. And possessing the power capable of destroying a city, the last thing we want is to lose control because of something as foolish as personal loss."

"But the teacher lost a close friend," Yuji reminded, trying to find cracks in my logic.

"And I lost my grandfather," I gently countered. "The question isn't whether we've lost someone or not. Life is like a coin toss: today it's heads, tomorrow it's tails. We learn to control our emotions, but who said we can always do that? That's why we seem so closed off, so... 'tsundere.'"

"Maybe you're just like that by nature," Yuji suggested, not without irony.

I smiled in response, appreciating his ability to stay light-hearted even in such conversations. I've always liked Nobara for her uncompromising nature and brightness, but if you remove the attention-grabbing factors of lips, wide hips, and ample chest, what's left is Yuji. Yes, self-sacrifice and naivety can be damn irritating, but unlike most, Yuji uses his flaws as weapons, tools through which he saves people. Naivety will fade with time and be replaced by wisdom, self-sacrifice will be replaced by the desire to help others without ruining oneself. In the end, there will be a person who may not be perfect but will become a great friend and a reliable Sorcerer.

"You know, if you think about it, you've already died once when you ate Sukuna's Finger," I began.

"Really? I just felt like I ate crap. And I'm not talking about the finger right now," Yuji replied.

"Before you imprisoned that 'crap' in your body, you were a different person with different aspirations. And now you're traveling around the country saving people, fully aware that instead of gratitude, you'll be..." I made a chopping motion with my hand to signify execution, finishing my sentence.

"I don't know, if I felt death at that moment, then it makes me nauseous. And I also feel like laughing," the guy expressed.

"Laughing?" I stared at the freshman in confusion.

"Yeah, every time after I consume Sukuna's Finger, for some reason, I feel like laughing," Yuji explained with a nod.

Laughing... If these aren't emotions experienced by Yuji himself, then it's Sukuna. From which one can conclude that if during regular calm times, when there's no irritant around, Sukuna's soul can't seize control, then during the consumption of the finger, a critical moment occurs... A moment when the souls of Yuji and Sukuna touch and struggle for the right to possess the body, which means the cursed object that the Sorcerer consumes is...

I immediately got up from the table and headed for the exit.

"Um, Sukehiro, where are you going?" Yuji called me uncertainly, clearly surprised by my sudden change in mood.

"Eat your ramen and head back to school, I have urgent matters," I replied, leaving the ramen shop.

"But I don't have any money," Yuji muttered to himself.

"Don't worry, what Sukehiro orders, I make for free," an elderly man passing by spoke up.

"In that case, two more portions!" Yuji's energy increased with such news.

"But you're not Sukehiro," the chef shifted his gaze from the tray to the freshman.

"Um," Yuji tried to find a response, awkwardly scratching his cheek.

"Don't worry," the chef laughed heartily. "I serve Sukehiro's friend for free too."