"Got it!"
Itadori answered cheerfully.
He felt a twinge of regret; after all, he'd grown attached to this place—he could still pinpoint every single tree.
But Curses had to be exorcised, so his reply was decisive.
Great—so many Cursed Spirits meant he could master the Cleave Sukuna had taught him!
Itadori's eyes sparkled as he gazed at the forest below the cliff.
Today was the final day of training here, and he'd be sure to "thank" all his sparring partners.
"—They chased me for so many nights; time to return the favor in one go!"
…Itadori sprinted through the trees.
He darted a few steps forward, suddenly spun, and slashed diagonally with an outstretched finger toward the Curse behind him.
[Dismantle]—
An invisible slash split the pursuing Curse in two, even wounding the one behind it, which howled in agony.
Yet more Curses rushed forward as if fearless.
Unperturbed, Itadori lowered his Cursed Energy output and switched to [Cleave], carving another diagonal line to kill the nearest Curse, then sprinted a few steps to open distance.
Two down first.
He exhaled lightly, light-brown eyes gleaming as he bolted like lightning.
He could score one-shot kills at medium range without getting close—trying this style for the first time thrilled him.
Slashes flew in rapid succession, and the Cursed Spirits chasing him kept dropping.
Alternating "Dismantle" and "Cleave," he carefully compared their effects.
"Dismantle" did vary in power with the Cursed Energy poured in, just as Sukuna had said—but "Cleave"… Itadori's eyes shone.
"Cleave" was insanely efficient!
Even with the tiniest sliver of Cursed Energy, it still one-shotted these Grade 4 Cursed Spirits.
So that was it: "Cleave" hinged solely on relative Cursed Energy. His was near Grade 1; against Grade 4 Curses, any successful slash meant instant death.
It cost far less energy than "Dismantle."
He gradually abandoned "Dismantle," trading low output for high frequency, and his slashes grew faster and faster.
At last, the number of Curses chasing him couldn't keep up with those he exorcised. When no living Curse remained within ten meters, Itadori stopped and turned to face the distant horde still approaching.
He drew a deep breath, kicked off the ground, and charged them.
A reverse hunt began—
Invisible slashes, like the scythe of a god of death, reaped every Cursed Spirit that neared.
Itadori flashed through the jungle; wherever his hand moved, nothing within ten meters survived.
His heart pounded wildly; for the first time, he tasted the thrill of dominating the field without entering melee.
It felt nothing like killing Curses with Divergent Fist!
If Sukuna could hear his thoughts, the King would nod: Exactly, boy—this is the joy of an area-of-effect sweep!
When the last Cursed Spirit fell to his slash, he panted softly, eyes blazing with fiery light.
Not from fatigue, but from the exhilaration of battle electrifying his nerves.
So satisfying—
He realized he had never felt this way in a fight against Curses before.
He couldn't wait to share the experience with Sukuna.
The boy lowered his head slightly, voice hushed yet unable to hide his delight.
"Sukuna, your Cleave—it's insane!"
"It's just so good!"
Inside his soul, Sukuna, who'd been watching tensely, swelled with pride at the sudden praise—
Who'd have thought the kid who'd worried the technique might flop would flip to lavish compliments the next second?
The contrast delighted him so much he clenched a fist and pumped the air, almost losing his composure.
[Hmph! Of course! It's the King of Curses' technique—enjoy it while you can!]
Hahaha—as expected of himself!
Anything the King of Curses makes is top-tier!
…No, no—must stay cool!
[Ahem! Don't celebrate too soon; these were only Grade 4. Against Grade 1, you'd be toast.]
Itadori immediately vowed, "I'll train my Cursed Energy harder. I won't waste the technique you taught me!"
[Good, keep at it, kid—I believe in you~]
Sukuna's tone rose even higher.
…The extermination mission ended in success, and all three were satisfied.
Gojo hadn't expected Yuji to master Cleave so quickly; at first, he'd worried the boy, used to brawling, couldn't switch styles.
But the results were stellar—pure talent.
"Nice work!~"
Gojo ruffled the boy's hair.
"Next we'll blend melee and slashes. I'll find you the right jobs."
"Starting tomorrow you'll take Grade 1 missions."
Yes!
Itadori clenched a fist—another step forward!
Inside his soul, Sukuna nodded in equal satisfaction.
Excellent!
His private stash would keep growing!
…The next day.
"Fushiguro—!"
Early morning: Fushiguro had just stepped out when Itadori bounded over and handed him an apple—
It was hacked all lopsided, as if a kid had played with a knife, chunks missing here and there; his OCD screamed.
He frowned, itching to snatch it back and re-peel it properly.
Then Itadori said,
"Fushiguro, I've learned Sukuna's technique!~~~"
The boy's excited voice carried a smug little lilt.
"Look—this was carved with Sukuna's Cleave~!"
Fushiguro: "…"
???
Huh—what did you say?
He stared at the apple again—sure enough, faint residues of Itadori's Cursed Energy clung to it.
He didn't know whether to praise the boy for finally learning a technique or to face-palm.
So… after mastering it… you used Cleave… to peel an apple??
And did it this ugly??!
Does your Sukuna even know?
Sukuna: […]
Of course he knew—he was furious!
An apple that hideous on display? People would think his Cleave was to blame!
His slashes were perfect—he could carve fruit way better than Yuji! <(｀^′)> Hmph!~
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