Chapter 05

When Nobara came up with a plan that involved splitting up, Yuji didn't object. He remembered that none of the curses in the building were capable of posing a threat to them, so he saw no need to take longer than necessary.

Walking down a corridor, Itadori looked around with interest, his grip on the knife in his hand always firm so he could be ready to strike back at any moment.

For his first field test, Gojo had given him a knife imbued with cursed energy, as curses couldn't be destroyed with just his punches.

While using a knife wasn't something he was used to, he still preferred it to only fighting physically.

With his supernatural physique and eventual ability to imbue objects with cursed energy, he saw himself improving his combat abilities astronomically.

The real Yuji would have preferred to fight with his fists rather than use weapons, but Mark, now Yuji Itadori, liked the idea of a balance between the two.

After all, in a fistfight, a weapon would make all the difference.

He wouldn't have to rely solely on his fists, nor would he have to depend entirely on a weapon.

!

Widening his eyes when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, Itadori immediately propelled himself forward in time to dodge a sneak attack.

'That was close.'

Turning around, his vision landed on what looked like a curse that vaguely resembled a grasshopper, its pincers instead of hands appearing as sharp as real blades.

'This will be a good way to try and awaken my manipulation of cursed energy.'

Raising his blade, Itadori prepared himself as the curse began to charge towards him.

Killing curses was a topic Itadori had stopped to discuss in his mind.

How should he feel about doing it? After all, some of them were sentient enough to not be so different from ordinary humans.

It was a solid attack on his morals because despite everything, they were just beings created by the humans' own fears and negative emotions. None of them had asked to be born this way.

Blocking an attempt to pierce him, Itadori grabbed the curse's arm and easily threw it away.

But as much as Itadori tried to convince himself of these words, as if he was trying to make himself a good Samaritan, he couldn't care less about this sort of thing.

His character was good; he knew he was a good man who didn't mind helping as long as he had the time.

But his morality was like that of any other person who understood how bad the world he lived in was.

If a serial killer or rapist were sentenced to death, Itadori was like millions of others who would simply turn to the television and say, "Well, that's great. They won't hurt anyone anymore."

Itadori was the kind of person who, if he had the means to defend himself and others during a robbery, wouldn't hesitate to do so, not caring if the thief had a family to return to.

He was someone who wouldn't hesitate to eliminate something threatening his life.

Dodging a stab, Itadori advanced towards the curse and stabbed its head, the blade easily piercing the creature's skull before it collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

"Damn…"

Placing his foot on the creature's head, Itadori sighed in disappointment.

"It was too weak."

!

Feeling a strong presence behind him, Itadori was surprised to turn and see a corridor infested with curses, his grip on his blade tightening as he prepared with a small smile forming on his lips.

"Looks like this is just getting started."

.

Walking down the corridor after eliminating dozens of curses, Itadori looked around while noticing the faint traces of cursed energy throughout the corridor.

After concentrating for a while, he finally managed to do it, using this new ability to hunt the remaining curses.

This didn't give him a greater understanding of cursed energy, but it would be useful in the future when he encountered Mahito.

If possible, he wanted to eliminate that curse in their first meeting.

"I'm unarmed! Let the boy go!"

Hearing a muffled voice from the other side of a wall, Itadori quickly recognized it as Nobara's.

'Oh, I almost forgot about the boy held hostage.'

Narrowing his eyes, Itadori focused on discerning the cursed energy of the curse on the other side, his vision slowly forming a large energy signature on the other side of the wall.

'Found it!'

Boom!

Stabbing the wall with his blade, Itadori destroyed the wall separating him from the curse, his blade piercing the creature's skull before it could react.

With the curse falling lifelessly to the ground, Itadori crouched beside the frightened boy used as a hostage.

"It's okay now, kid. No monsters will hurt you."

"Damn, how the hell did you go through that wall like it was nothing?"

Nobara, despite not showing it, felt relieved with Itadori's arrival. Having a boy die on her first day would have been a severe blow to her confidence.

"I ate my vegetables when I was younger."

Picking up the child, Itadori approached Nobara with a mocking smile.

"Maybe we shouldn't have split up after all."

Nobara frowned at his words. "What? Do you think I didn't handle it well on my own?"

"…"

"I do."

"Shut up, idiot!" With a sigh, Nobara crossed her arms as she approached.

"Damn, anyway, I'm grateful to you."

Messing up the boy's hair, Nobara gave a small smile.

"Even if I could survive, I wouldn't have such a bright future."

"Thank you!"

Turning to Itadori, Nobara gave a smile full of gratitude.

Thump!

"…"

'Damn, I guess all that food didn't sit well with me.'