I'm not going to be an Spirit! (Translate)

Tokyo, Eishu Juvenile Detention Center.

Watching assistant supervisor Kiyotaka Ijichi drive away with the unconscious Nobara Kugisaki and Kurumi Tokisaki, Megumi Fushiguro finally let out a slight sigh of relief.

It had been two weeks since Kurumi Tokisaki enrolled.

Over the past two weeks, the four first-year students at Tokyo Jujutsu High had gradually gotten to know each other and become friends.

For jujutsu sorcerers, there's actually not much theoretical knowledge to study. As a result, students at Jujutsu High rarely stay in classrooms to read books—they spend most of their time out in the field fighting.

After all, a sorcerer's power is about 80% dependent on their innate cursed technique. The strength of one's technique largely determines how far they can go in the future.

And the only way to refine one's cursed technique is through battle.

That's why today marked the first actual assignment for the first-years at Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Rescue the survivors from inside a juvenile detention center.

With the cooperation of Megumi Fushiguro, Yuji Itadori, Nobara Kugisaki, and Kurumi Tokisaki, they were capable of handling semi-grade 1 curses, and could even defeat a grade 1 curse with some cost.

However, this mission was labeled Special Grade.

Normally, there's no way such a mission would be assigned to first-year students.

But in the jujutsu world, being short-staffed is the norm.

Moreover, the special-grade curse inside the detention center had not yet fully manifested—it was still in its cursed womb phase. The mission was only to rescue survivors, not exorcise the special-grade curse, so Megumi reluctantly accepted it.

However, not long after they entered the juvenile center, the special-grade curse had fully manifested.

Nobara Kugisaki and Kurumi Tokisaki were ambushed, forcing Megumi to retreat with the two of them, leaving Yuji Itadori alone to deal with the curse.

Of course, there was no way Yuji could exorcise a special-grade curse.

But the Sukuna sealed within him could.

"The domain has vanished. That special-grade curse is dead."

Seeing the incomplete domain that had enveloped the juvenile center disappear, Megumi heart lifted with joy. "Now we just have to wait for Yuji to return."

"What a pity. That kid won't be coming back."

Suddenly, a familiar yet foreign voice came from behind, sending a chill down Megumi spine.

It wasn't Yuji voice—it was Sukuna!

But why was Sukuna still in control of the body?

Shouldn't Yuji have taken back control after exorcising the special-grade curse?

"Before switching consciousness with me, that brat had already been beaten half-unconscious by the curse," Sukuna said, walking up to Megumi with a slight grin. "So until he regains his senses, I have full control of this body."

He added with a chuckle, "Even if he does wake up, I just have to make sure he's too scared to switch back."

As he spoke, Sukuna ripped the jujutsu high uniform in half with ease.

Under Megumi horrified gaze, he mercilessly stabbed himself in the left chest.

Then, he pulled out a still-beating, bloodied heart and tossed it onto a nearby patch of grass like garbage.

"I can live without a heart, but that brat can't."

Sukuna wore a triumphant, sinister smile.

Yet, as if that wasn't enough, he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his fingers—something he had retrieved from inside the chest cavity of the special-grade curse he had just exorcised.

He swallowed the finger, savoring the return of one-twentieth of his power, his eyes closing in pleasure.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Megumi didn't move a muscle. Crippled by fear, he couldn't speak or even flinch.

He couldn't even defeat Sukuna at one-twentieth power—let alone now, when Sukuna had returned to one-tenth of his strength.

He could only feel thankful that Nobara and Kurumi had been evacuated. Even if he died here, at least he had saved them.

"Now, I'm going to kill you."

After fully absorbing the power of the second finger, Sukuna opened his eyes and gave a ferocious smile.

A sense of death stung Megumi brain, and survival instincts forced his mind into motion.

He believed that once Yuji regained consciousness, even if he realized his heart was missing, he would still fight to reclaim his body.

Even if it meant certain death.

Megumi took a deep breath and assumed a fighting stance.

Now, he had to survive—hold out against Sukuna until Yuji returned to consciousness.

No, it wasn't just that.

He had to fight for Yuji survival.

Although Sukuna could live without a heart, his power would be diminished.

If Megumi could pose enough of a threat, Sukuna would be forced to use Reversed Cursed Technique to regenerate a heart.

That way, when Yuji took back control, he wouldn't die immediately.

But... did he really have the power to threaten Sukuna?

"Good day, gentlemen."

Just as Megumi was racking his brain trying to figure out how to achieve that goal, a sudden female voice entered his ears.

The voice sounded a bit like Kurumi Tokisaki, but less lively and cheerful—more mature and elegant.

Both Sukuna and Megumi turned toward the voice.

Unnoticed, a woman wearing a fox mask and a long red-and-black gown had appeared in the distance.

She looked like a noble attending a masquerade ball, en route to some grand banquet.

The moment Megumi saw her, he gritted his teeth, a deep despair blanketing his heart.

He had the courage to face Sukuna.

But if this woman joined the fight, even the will to struggle vanished.

The most malevolent sorcerer of the present age—the strongest in the jujutsu world, second only to Satoru Gojo.

The Nightmare!

"Hmph... I didn't even notice your presence."

The moment Sukuna saw her, his attention shifted entirely from Megumi.

He had only planned to kill Megumi for fun.

Not just Megumi—he also intended to eliminate Nobara Kugisaki and Kurumi Tokisaki next.

Over the past two weeks inside Yuji body, he had witnessed how well Yuji had gotten along with the three of them.

Killing his friends would surely devastate the boy when he woke up.

That was the plan—originally.

But the appearance of this strangely dressed woman made him forget all about Megumi.

To be able to stand so close without him noticing...

There was only one explanation.

She was stronger than him.

At least stronger than Sukuna at one-tenth power.

"Sukuna doesn't know who she is!"

Hearing Sukuna ask questions, Megumi—who had already lost all hope—suddenly glimpsed a ray of it again.

Apparently, even though Sukuna was sealed inside Yuji, he wasn't always aware of what was going on outside.

If he truly shared memories with Yuji, he would have at least recognized this woman from her outfit and mask.

"If I can make those two fight..."

Megumi Fushiguro heart pounded wildly as a bold plan surfaced in his mind.

Though risky, if he wanted to survive under Sukuna and the Nightmare hands—and even help restore Sukuna heart—this was his only shot!

A flash of determination crossed his face. Suppressing the tremble in his voice, he forced a tone of excitement as he said, "Senpai, Sukuna has broken through the vessel's restraints. Please step in and suppress him!"

He didn't directly state that the person before him was the Nightmare. Instead, he used "senpai" as a vague term.

It wasn't exactly a lie.

After all, "senpai" didn't necessarily have to refer to someone from Jujutsu High—it could be anyone who had stepped into the jujutsu world before him.

Even if they were an enemy, a senior was still a senior.

Addressing the Nightmare respectfully as "senpai" wasn't wrong.

And to the Nightmare, being called that might sound strange, but she wouldn't point it out—at most, she'd just see him as a polite junior.

But to Sukuna, it meant something very different.

"So, it turns out he's your backup, huh."

Sukuna clicked his tongue in displeasure.

Weren't they saying the jujutsu world was short on people?

Wasn't the reason Yuji Itadori and the others were assigned this mission because there were no high-grade jujutsu sorcerers nearby?

Yet the person before him was at least Grade 1… no, more like Special Grade?

He couldn't let his guard down. A swift and decisive victory was necessary!

"Domain Exp—"

Just as Sukuna was about to form a hand sign to activate his Domain Expansion, the shadow beneath his feet began to twist unnaturally.

Several pale arms suddenly yanked him downward, throwing him to the ground with force.

His limbs were pulled into the shadows, leaving only his torso and head exposed.

Unable to form hand signs, his Domain Expansion was forcibly interrupted.

"What the hell is this?!"

As he struggled, more arms emerged from the shadows, tightly restraining him on the spot.

In just a moment, Sukuna had been completely subdued.

"Ha…?"

Seeing this, Megumi Fushiguro was stunned.

This—this isn't right, is it?

Sukuna was supposed to be the King of Curses, the strongest sorcerer in history!

When Yuji Itadori swallowed one of his fingers and he first awakened, Sukuna was instantly crushed by Satoru Gojo.

Now, even after swallowing a second finger… he got taken down in one hit again?

Fushiguro had been hoping that Sukuna and the Nightmare would clash, ideally to the point where both sides were badly injured.

But now, frozen in place, he could only stare blankly as the Nightmare slowly walked toward him.

Huh?

What's going on?

Am I supposed to fight the Nightmare?

Are you serious?

If he had to fight Sukuna at one-tenth of his full strength, maybe—just maybe—he could risk his life and make Sukuna feel a bit threatened.

But against someone who just floored that version of Sukuna in a single move… Fushiguro couldn't see even a sliver of hope.

"But even so, I can't just sit here and do nothing!"

A look of fierce resolve replaced his usual calm expression—as if he was ready to gamble everything.

With a hand sign, a black wolf appeared beside his feet.

Ten Shadows Technique—Divine Dogs!

"So cute."

To a strong opponent, weak resistance meant nothing. The Nightmare even let out a genuine smile.

"Summoning this little guy to win me over? Too bad, I'm a cat person."

"I know. Killing me is probably no different to you than stepping on an ant."

Fushiguro voice trembled, no longer able to stay calm.

"But I won't just stand here and let it happen. Even ants have the right to fight back!"

Faces flashed through his mind.

At the end, the image of his sister lingered.

He had someone he needed to protect.

So even if his chance of winning—or even escaping—was only 0.000001%, he had to bet on it.

"Sorry, Itadori. I really can't protect you anymore," Fushiguro gritted his teeth. "Don't blame me."

"Relax, boy. I don't plan to kill you."

Walking over to Sukuna, Tokisaki Kurumi glanced at his restrained form, then casually sat on his back—

—as if using him as a living chair.

"You despicable woman! I will tear you to pieces!!!"

Something inside Sukuna mind snapped.

In his era, the terms "woman," "child," and "elderly" were all synonymous with weakness.

Now, he was being humiliated by a woman like this. How could the former King of Curses not be enraged?

Even worse—this wasn't even the first time he'd been used as a human chair!

Back when he first awakened, that white-haired brat did the same damn thing!

Twice! This was already the second time!

"So noisy."

Just as he was about to hurl more curses, a hand emerged from the shadows and clamped tightly over his mouth.

Even with bloodshot eyes and rage boiling over, all he could do was let out muffled noises—obediently serving as a stool.

"Well then, now we can talk in peace."

Tokisaki Kurumi smiled enchantingly at Fushiguro, showing no signs of hostility.

"What do you want to talk about?"

But Fushiguro dared not lower his guard for even a second, staring at her intensely and ready to fight at any moment.

"No need to look so wary. Being treated like an enemy by a cute junior is kinda heartbreaking, you know."

She put extra emphasis on the word junior, smiling knowingly.

"Besides, if I really wanted to kill you, you'd already be dead."

Though her tone was arrogant to the extreme, it was strangely convincing.

Fushiguro took several deep breaths, barely managing to regain some composure.

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right.

If someone who could restrain Sukuna in one move wanted him dead, he'd already be gone.

Sure, he had his own trump cards.

But he wasn't even sure they could deal with Sukuna, let alone someone like the Nightmare.

Besides, she wasn't showing any direct hostility now. If he angered her, he might not even get a chance to regret it.

Thinking this through, Fushiguro dispelled Divine Dogs.

"Good boy. Obedient children are always the best."

Tokisaki Kurumi pulled out a Sukuna Finger from the shadows.

"Now, let's talk about a deal."