Becoming Sukuna

This is a pivotal moment in the story, packed with action, revelations, and emotional turmoil. Let's break down the translation and then analyze its significance:

A boundless white space stretched in every direction. A glowing blue sphere, pulsing with an erratic rhythm, floated behind Sukuna .

Mahito and Sukuna stared at the sphere, a sense of unease washing over them. Although it looked like an ordinary sphere, they could sense a surge of anger emanating from it.

A sphere... is angry?

"This isn't your Domain, is it? What trickery is this?" Sukuna asked, a rare look of wariness on his face. The situation had spiraled beyond his expectations. He felt a genuine threat from that bizarre sphere, a threat that transcended cursed energy and techniques, a difference in their very existence.

Sukuna didn't answer. He turned to the blue sphere. "So this is your true form, huh, System?"

He gently reached out and touched the sphere, a smooth, warm sensation spreading through his palm.

The sphere nuzzled against Sukuna's hand affectionately, emitting a blue aura before slowly merging into his body, disappearing without a trace.

"I believe I said I'd beat you up every time you were fed a finger, didn't I?" Sukuna turned back to Sukuna, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Hmph..." Sukuna scoffed, a hint of defiance in his eyes.

Mahito, completely ignored by the two powerhouses, watched numbly as Sukuna, the "King of Curses," was subjected to a one-sided beating by the mysterious black-haired youth.

The difference between Sukuna and Sukuna was like the difference between himself and Sukuna—an insurmountable chasm.

Overwhelmed by the successive shocks of Sukuna and Sukuna's power, Mahito was frozen, his thoughts paralyzed. He didn't even try to resist.

It would be futile anyway.

An unknown amount of time passed. In this endless white space, his sense of time became distorted. Finally, Sukuna , leaving a battered Sukuna behind, walked towards him. A flicker of awareness returned to Mahito's vacant eyes.

"You..."

Before he could speak, he saw Sukuna raise a hand with a bored expression, drawing a line in the air with his fingers.

Squelch!

The world spun. In a daze, Mahito saw his own body, headless.

...

Crack!

Thirty minutes later, a crisp, shattering sound drew the attention of the three waiting outside.

Yukino looked up and saw a crack appear on the black barrier of Mahito's Domain. It quickly spread, and with a loud snap, the entire barrier shattered.

She jumped to her feet, relief washing over her as she saw Sukuna emerge from the remnants of the Domain.

Although she hadn't doubted Sukuna's victory, she couldn't help but worry.

"Ah! Sukuna-sensei is out!" Yuji exclaimed, then noticed the headless corpse behind him, its head lying by Sukuna's feet.

"Mahito... is dead?"

Junpei also saw the body, but there was no sense of satisfaction or revenge. Only emptiness, a gaping hole in his heart.

"It's over," Sukuna said.

He patted Junpei's shoulder, then walked out of the house and onto the street, Yukino following close behind.

Yuji and Junpei were left alone in the room.

"Junpei, are you okay?" Yuji asked, glancing at Mahito's corpse before turning to Junpei, who had slumped to the ground.

"...I don't know." Junpei curled up, hugging his knees. "My mom is dead, and the one who killed her is dead too, but I can't seem to feel happy about it."

"It's like nothing matters anymore. There's only emptiness in my future." He hung his head, his face shrouded in shadow. "I have… nowhere to belong."

Yuji clenched his fists, then placed a hand on Junpei's shoulder. "Junpei, come to Jujutsu High."

"Eh?"

"We have reliable friends and teachers who are strong like monsters," Yuji said earnestly. "You'll definitely find a new purpose there, a new place to belong."

Junpei stared at Yuji, tears welling up in his eyes.

The clouds parted, revealing the sun. Sunlight streamed through the broken walls, illuminating the two boys.

Outside, Sukuna stretched under the warm sun, his joints popping. He turned to Yukino. "The one who killed Ōoka is dead. How do you feel?"

"Nothing, really." Yukino tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Even if the culprit is dead, it won't bring back the lost lives. It's just a small comfort."

"It's not nearly enough." Yukino stood beside Sukuna, looking up at him. "We still have a long way to go to create a world where even the weak can find happiness."

"Thanks to you, my vague ideal has taken a concrete form." Her clear blue eyes met Sukuna's. "Sukuna-kun, will you help me?"

Sukuna smiled at the hopeful girl and gave his answer.

The gentle afternoon breeze carried away his words.

...

With the curses inside the barrier eliminated, both Sukuna's and Ijichi's curtains vanished.

Soon, Ijichi arrived at Junpei's house, relieved to see minimal damage to the surrounding area.

Compared to the destruction caused by the battle between Sukuna and Sukuna at the juvenile detention center, this was much easier to clean up.

Afterward, Junpei enrolled in Jujutsu High, becoming the fourth first-year student.

The repair work wouldn't begin until tomorrow. The deserted streets had a unique charm under the setting sun.

In the quiet, the sound of footsteps on gravel echoed. Mahito's body had already disappeared, but the residual cursed energy lingered.

"Mahito is dead? Such a pity." The man with the stitched forehead and monk's robes sensed the residue. "I was planning to absorb him."

Suddenly, Suguru Geto's expression changed. He sensed a familiar cursed energy. "Sukuna's cursed energy… Did the vessel release Sukuna?"

"Regardless, without Mahito, the plan needs to change."

He vanished, as if he had never been there.

It had only been three days since the investigation began and ended with the successful elimination of the special grade curse, Mahito, yet it felt like a lifetime ago.

Throughout this incident, Sukuna discovered a way to kill Sukuna at any time.

Sukuna's arrogance stemmed from the fact that even if he died within Yuji Itadori's body, his sixteen remaining souls, residing in his sixteen fingers, would ensure his survival.

But now, things were different.

Sukuna could simply spend 50,000 points to exchange for Idle Transfiguration, allowing him to enter Sukuna's Innate Domain through Yuji at any time and destroy his soul, without harming Yuji or risking collateral damage.

He could even eliminate Sukuna in stages – zero risk, high reward, very humane. Sukuna would be cursing his name if he knew.

Although Yukino had taken a week off from school, she planned to return for the remaining four days. Sukuna, now free from urgent matters, returned to his leisurely routine.

"Good morning, Sukuna-kun."

Yukino, dressed in her school uniform, emerged from her room and greeted Sukuna, who was basking in the morning sun on the balcony lounge chair.

"No early morning drinking today, I see."

It seemed the balcony had become Sukuna's designated spawn point. Every morning, he would be there, either drinking or simply enjoying the sunlight.

"Morning," Sukuna replied lazily, the chair swaying gently. "What's for breakfast?"

"Rice, grilled fish, and miso soup," Yukino's voice called from the kitchen.

He smacked his lips and shouted back, "I want baozi."

"We don't have any."

"We will."

Sukuna told her not to rush breakfast and to prepare his lunch first. Then, he pulled out his phone, opened the map, and searched for the nearest Chinese breakfast place.

Two minutes later, he returned from the balcony, carrying soup dumplings and two cups of soy milk.

"Let's eat," he announced.

"I still need to make lunch," Yukino said, holding up a kitchen knife playfully.

Sukuna quickly devoured two soup dumplings, then got up and walked over to her. "You can go ahead and start."

"You know how to cook?" She looked at him skeptically.

"Nope," Sukuna replied honestly.

"But I've watched you cook countless times. I can just copy what you do." He sounded confident. With his learning abilities, cooking should be a piece of cake.

Yukino considered it for a moment, then stepped aside.

After taking off her apron, she instinctively reached out to tie it around Sukuna . Realizing the impropriety of her actions, she blushed, but still went ahead and tied the apron for him.

"Alright, go eat," Sukuna shooed her out of the kitchen.

"I'll look forward to your cooking then, Sukuna-kun," Yukino said with a playful smirk, leaving the kitchen.

Back at the table, she picked up a soup dumpling with her chopsticks, about to take a small bite, when Sukuna interrupted her.

"That's not how you eat soup dumplings," he said.

"I already tried one. They're delicious. You have to eat them in one bite. Your teeth pierce the thin skin, and the soup and pork filling explode in your mouth. If you take small bites, you'll just get splashed."

"Oh."

Yukino nodded, opening her mouth wider and popping the entire dumpling in.

Yukino's breakfast usually consisted of light and simple fare. The rich flavors of the soup and pork filling were a novel experience for her.

Her lips glistened with a bit of oil, looking as tempting as the dumplings themselves.

She ate the breakfast Sukuna had brought while occasionally glancing at him working in the open kitchen.

By the time she finished eating, Sukuna had also finished preparing her lunch, carefully packing it away, preventing Yukino from inspecting his work.

It seemed she would have to wait until lunch to experience Sukuna-kun's culinary skills.

What if it's awful? What should I do...

Yukino pondered with a troubled expression.

However, by lunchtime, she would realize her worries were unfounded.

The morning classes passed quickly. Although Yukino had been absent frequently and hadn't been focusing on her studies, catching up wasn't a problem for someone who consistently ranked first in her year.

After all, she had already studied the material in advance.

Her grades might drop slightly, but her ranking would remain unshakeable.

After retrieving the key from Shizuka Hiratsuka's office, Yukino arrived at the Service Club room and opened the door. She wasn't the first one there.

A black-haired young man sat in a chair, one hand propping up his cheek, the other holding a magazine. The breeze from the window gently ruffled his layered hair. From this angle, she could see his sharp jawline, his facial features highlighted by the sunlight. His long, thick eyelashes framed half-closed eyes, and his red pupils seemed to shimmer with an inner light.

Yukino paused, momentarily captivated by the sight.

"What are you doing here?" she finally asked, surprise coloring her voice.

"Bored." Sukuna sat in the client's chair, casually flipping through the magazine. "I won a bit of money betting on horses, so I thought I'd come see you."

Yukino's expression turned flat, but she couldn't exactly control Sukuna's daily activities. She simply went to her seat with her lunchbox and sat down opposite him.

"Anyway, good afternoon, Sukuna-kun."

She opened her lunchbox and froze.

The food, the arrangement, even the portion sizes were exactly the same as what she had made.

If she hadn't seen Sukuna prepare it this morning, she would have thought she made it herself.

So when you said 'copy,' you meant literal copying?

After taking a bite, the last shred of doubt in her mind vanished. This was undeniably her cooking, just made by Sukuna's hands, without any of his personal touch.

Her feelings were a mix of surprise, amusement, and a touch of something she couldn't quite name.