"The first thing I'll do when I get out is kill you, you piece of trash!"
After Sukuna spat out those vicious words, he fell completely silent. Yuji, who'd expected the war of words to go on a bit longer, was caught off guard.
Just like that, the guy who acted like he owned the damn world had shut his mouth?
Though Yuji was the one directly involved, he hadn't actually witnessed the previous fight between Dark Amber and Sukuna. So, this sudden radio silence was puzzling.
If he'd seen the whole thing go down, he'd have understood why.
Getting utterly crushed without a chance to fight back tends to take the wind out of your sails.
No amount of tough talk changes the fact that you're the one lying in the dirt.
Sukuna had no interest in being that kind of loser. So, he decided to play ostrich and stick his head in the sand.
And honestly, could you blame him? Just look at what he was up against! Dark Seele was a fully realized Special Grade curse spirit, a curse whose true form and age were complete mysteries.
Even her host possessed incredibly convenient and powerful cursed techniques and innate talent.
And what did he have? This host? You want him to carry the team?
What was Yuji Itadori's current level, anyway? He'd only collected a few fingers! Treating a basic Divergent Fist like some ultimate technique? Could it even measure up? Of course not. He simply didn't have the capability, let's be real here.
At this rate, they'd be losing to Satoru Gojo next.
After losing to Dark Seele, then losing to Gojo, and then... who even was left to lose to?
It was getting embarrassing.
"Finished barking?"
Dark Amber shot back with a sneer. Seeing that Sukuna was committed to playing mute, she couldn't be bothered wasting more breath on the King of Curses.
She relinquished control, handing the body back to Amber.
Noticing the girl's eyes shift from red back to blue, Yuji knew his underclassman had returned.
"Thanks for handling that, Seele-chan. And thank the other Seele-chan too. That's the first time Sukuna's ever been that quiet."
"It's no trouble... Um, about the paintbrush..."
Amber wasn't really bothered by the insult; her mind was on something else.
Yuji, understanding how she felt, grinned. "This cursed tool is amazing! I feel sturdier already!"
Seeing that Yuji wasn't upset and didn't press for details, Amber finally relaxed, a soft smile returning to her face.
"Mhm! My other self worked really hard to make it! She put in so much effort."
Even with a Lahmu's learning capacity, comprehending the creation of cursed tools in just a few days and actually succeeding in making one was no small feat.
It was safe to say Dark Amber had barely rested during that time, pouring all her focus into the task.
Knowing the girl would feel guilty about it, Dark Amber had already prepared an excuse to stop her in her tracks.
'I learned it because I was interested. Might come in handy in other worlds, you never know. Besides, I'm just cooped up with nothing to do all day. Researching something helped pass the time.'
Even so, Amber couldn't ignore the fact that this effort was ultimately for her sake.
"Yeah! I need to thank her properly! I know! How about we all go for sukiyaki together later!"
Yuji's eyes lit up. "Seele, can't you let the other Seele come out for a bit? Then we can all eat together!"
"That's a great idea! I'm sure my other self would love that!"
Amber had been wanting to introduce Dark Amber to everyone for a while, but never found a good reason.
Dark Amber never showed any interest in meeting the others, so using this as a chance to express gratitude seemed perfect.
'Hey, I never agreed to this.'
Dark Amber immediately resisted.
'Don't you want to come out?'
Amber asked.
'It's not that I don't want to. I just hate crowded places.'
Dark Amber explained. 'You know my nature is different from normal people. Humans... aren't exactly my favorite creatures.'
Besides, even though those humans hid it well, Dark Amber knew their acceptance of her was conditional.
They saw her as harmless precisely because she couldn't manifest freely. If she were out and about all the time, the situation would change completely.
If that happened, this silly girl would definitely be really upset.
Introducing your friend to another friend, hoping everyone gets along and has more fun—that's the kind of naive thinking only a child has. Your friend's friend isn't necessarily your friend.
Maybe it works out sometimes, but Dark Amber knew it was impossible between her and those jujutsu sorcerers.
Even if the girl explained that she wasn't a curse, but another existence born from the girl's own consciousness, a separate personality, Dark Amber doubted they'd just become buddies.
Rather than risk an awkward scene that would dampen the girl's spirits, it was better to nip this in the bud.
And besides... she had her own feelings too.
Logically, she knew she wasn't just an alternate personality, but she loved that Amber thought of her that way.
She loved being called 'my other self,' and she cherished Amber's desire to introduce her to others, to prove she wasn't some monster.
But if those students showed even a hint of an attitude she didn't like, Dark Amber was sure she wouldn't be able to play nice with them either.
Amber hadn't considered all this, but she could tell Dark Amber was serious.
'I understand...'
The girl felt a little disappointed, but she couldn't force Dark Amber to change her mind. She turned to Yuji, who was looking at her expectantly, and explained, "I'm sorry... My other self isn't very fond of noisy environments..."
"Ah... That's alright. How about after we all eat together, the two Seeles can go for a second round on your own?"
Yuji didn't know Dark Amber's thoughts, but it didn't stop him from wanting to share his gratitude.
Speaking of which, he suddenly remembered something and scratched his cheek apologetically.
"But, with the recent exchange event over, Jujutsu High has been assigning new missions. Chances for all of us to get together are kinda scarce right now. So, this group hangout might have to wait a little while..."
Like right now, Satoru Gojo wasn't even at the school due to some sudden issue. For a sukiyaki dinner, it'd be better if everyone was there, so Yuji could only regret the timing.
"That's fine. Seele isn't in a hurry."
Even as she said it, Amber truly loved going out with everyone together.
After all, she'd spent years confined to a sickbed. Going out with friends? She couldn't even find memories of going out with her parents.
When it came down to it, her impression of them mostly came from the internet; she was lucky to see them once a year.
So, when she first came to this world and had a meal with Gojo, Yuji, and the others, Amber had been thrilled and overjoyed. She'd instantly fallen in love with the feeling of going out with friends.
"Alright, we've been here a while. The seniors are probably getting worried. We'll see you later, Seele."
Yuji knew the girl loved lively atmospheres, or rather, she loved being surrounded by that energy. But there wasn't much to be done about the situation; they could only wait patiently.
--+--
Meanwhile.
Watching the successful Incarnation of the third Brother of the Death Painting Womb, a faint smile played on Kenjaku's lips.
His gaze then drifted towards the First Year Sorcerer floating listlessly in the tank.
"What is it? Another devious idea brewing?"
The Herrscher of Sentience didn't even need to look up from her idol training manual to know Kenjaku was watching her.
"Not at all. I was merely reflecting on my own fortune, to have such a powerful ally on my side."
Kenjaku replied with a warm, smiling tone.
The Herrscher of Sentience laughed too. She set her book down, and in the moment her face was revealed, her previously mocking, spectator-like smirk transformed into a haughty, almost brainlessly self-satisfied grin.
"Obviously."
This little shit really thought he could play mind games with the Herrscher of Sentience? Let's see who outsmarts who.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.