Even in his current state, stripped of the ability to think, Sukuna felt a surge of white-hot rage at those eerily familiar words.
For some reason, both that unknown curse and this one that had appeared out of nowhere loved spouting such meaningless drivel.
'Mortals of an era without me'? What kind of person with a fully functioning brain would even say something like that?
If someone like him, Sukuna, was considered a mortal, then what did that make these humans? Insects?
He desperately wanted to retort, to roar his defiance, but unfortunately, within mere seconds, even his capacity for thought was utterly extinguished.
Sukuna was dead.
No earth-shattering cataclysm marked his end, not even a battle worthy of a powerful being's final stand.
He was simply erased, his consciousness wiped away without a sound by the Herrscher of Sentience, becoming nothing more than a living corpse.
His fingers still held Cursed Energy. That immense power remained within Yuji Itadori's body.
In fact, Yuji could now draw upon that power more easily than ever before.
As he gradually acclimated and merged with the Cursed Energy from the fingers, he could even begin to comprehend and learn Sukuna's techniques.
Normally, Innate Techniques are engraved onto the flesh. But because Sukuna had been transformed from a human into a Cursed Object, his Innate Techniques weren't tied to his original body, but to his fingers.
In other words, anyone who could comprehend Sukuna's Cursed Energy through the fingers could potentially learn his techniques.
The usual prerequisite was Sukuna's consent, of course. But Sukuna was now dead. The gatekeeper was gone.
"So... it's over?" Yuji asked, bewildered. "Sukuna won't come back?"
"Of course not! How could this Celestial make such a rookie mistake?"
The Herrscher of Sentience puffed out her chest, proudly declaring, "Sukuna is no more. The so-called King of Curses didn't even manage to make me break a sweat."
"Give it a rest," Dark Amber interjected, sounding utterly done.
"You're an ancient fossil who's lived for tens of thousands of years. What's so praiseworthy about bullying a mere thousand-year-old youngster?"
"Now that's where you're wrong!" The Herrscher of Sentience refused to accept that logic.
"When I first awoke, wasn't I far superior to this Sukuna? Couldn't I have crushed him just as easily back then?"
Well, that was true.
But Dark Amber couldn't be bothered to argue. "Yeah, yeah, sure," she said dismissively, and before the Herrscher could retort, she retreated back into Amber's body, essentially saying 'think what you want, I'm not listening.'
"Hey, you—!" The Herrscher of Sentience made to pull her back out, but Amber cut her off.
"Little Senti, will you come back to Jujutsu High with us?"
"Not interested," the Herrscher of Sentience replied without a moment's hesitation. "I have no desire to be cooped up in one place. Besides, the jujutsu world... well, those who know, know. If I got involved, I'd probably turn the whole place upside down. I don't exactly get along with that crowd."
Hearing this, Satoru Gojo's eyes lit up. "Then you absolutely should come!"
"Hah?"
"We desperately need talent like yours! Do you need the addresses of the higher-ups? You're welcome to pay them a visit anytime! Oh, and it's best if you only take out the big shots and the old fossils."
"The jujutsu world is short-staffed, you see. Wiping them all out would cause a manpower shortage." Gojo grinned. "The younger ones can still be changed, so it's better to leave them be."
"Well, well, trying to use me as your personal cleaning service?" The Herrscher of Sentience didn't refuse outright. Instead, she glanced at Amber.
"I don't really care either way, but it's up to Seele. To be honest, that old fossil Fu Hua wants you to handle these matters yourself. If you can't manage it now, handle it later. She sees it as a form of training for you."
"Frankly, I don't entirely agree with the old fossil's approach."
"Given what we are, I don't see why we have to make life so difficult for ourselves. Wouldn't it be better to just do as we please? But... I suppose her way isn't harmful for you either."
The Herrscher of Sentience's reasoning was simple: Amber should do whatever she wanted. Weren't she and the other 'masters' and 'aunts' here to be her support system?
If the junior gets bullied, the seniors step up. Simple. Like with this jujutsu world situation.
Since Amber had been wronged by the higher-ups, why not just have the two of them deal with the higher-ups directly?
Either brainwash them, or wipe them all out. Plenty of options.
"This…" Amber had a vague understanding of Fu Hua's intentions.
In Fu Hua's eyes, Amber had an abundance of time—so much that she had plenty of opportunities for trial and error.
Across vast stretches of time and different worlds, a momentary mistake wouldn't cause lasting damage. Unless Amber was in genuine danger, Fu Hua hoped she could handle things on her own.
Because Fu Hua understood better than anyone that a person must possess the ability to keep moving forward, even when completely alone.
Gojo also looked at Amber.
To be honest, this student was becoming more and more mysterious in his eyes.
The existence of a curse tens of thousands of years old was already enough to send shivers down his spine. And now, this ancient curse apparently knew someone even older, someone she herself referred to as an 'old fossil.'
And this 'old fossil' seemed to be the girl's master, quietly observing her growth all along.
It made the whole world feel suddenly unfamiliar.
"I... I still don't want to disappoint my master..." Amber hesitated, clearly still concerned about Fu Hua's opinion.
"Actually, it's not nearly that complicated."
At that moment, Dark Amber's figure suddenly materialized beside the group, floating behind Amber.
"Let's be real. Anything that self-proclaimed Celestial can do, can't you do it too, Seele? Don't forget, you have the Fenghuang Down."
Ah... that's right...
Amber realized it a bit belatedly.
She had been so immersed in her role-playing that she'd practically forgotten this.
It wasn't that she couldn't use the Fenghuang Down; she just hadn't used it because it didn't fit the 'Seele' persona she was emulating.
Besides, Fu Hua had never forbidden her from using the Fenghuang Down or her other abilities. These things were, after all, part of her.
Fu Hua only hoped that Amber would make choices based on her own will, without relying on constant help from her 'old folks.'
"Who forgets about their own gear like that?" Dark Amber sighed.
The Herrscher of Sentience didn't comment, merely raising an eyebrow.
Dark Amber's suggestion was a bit of a shortcut, skirting the intended challenge, but it probably still fell within the bounds of the 'old fossil's' rules.
Not that it really mattered if it crossed the line. It's not like the old fossil would punish Amber for something like this.
"What's the Fenghuang Down?" Yuji's timid voice piped up, weakly reminding everyone of his presence.
"Hmm... It's a Divine Key that can control consciousness... You can think of it as a Cursed Tool," Amber explained.
"Changing consciousness... to what extent?" Gojo had already decided not to dwell on all these unfamiliar terms.
Compared to a curse that had existed for tens of thousands of years, his own worldview seemed decidedly unreliable.
"It can achieve an effect similar to Kotoamatsukami... but with no cooldown," Amber explained in simple terms.
"...Seriously?" Gojo and Yuji were incredulous, but after all the unbelievable things they'd witnessed today, a strange sense of 'sure, why not?' began to settle in.
[A/N: This timeline is 2018. Naruto Shippuden has already ended.]
Once he processed the sheer power of that ability, Gojo's breathing became slightly rapid. He had never imagined that an opportunity to so easily change the jujutsu world would just fall into his lap.
This was far more effective than just killing everyone, and it wouldn't sacrifice the already scarce number of jujutsu sorcerers.
As for the fact that the girl had this power all along but hadn't used it earlier, he certainly didn't feel any regret or think to question why she hadn't brought it out sooner.
On the contrary, the fact that she possessed such power yet refrained from abusing it made Gojo admire her even more.
Such a bright and promising seedling shouldn't have to grow up under the rule of those rotten old men!
"So, for the sake of your handsome and overworked teacher Gojo, Seele-chan... how about you use that Fenghuang Down on the higher-ups?"
He looked at Amber. Though he was waiting for her answer, the girl's attitude already made it clear what it would be.
"Mm!" Amber nodded firmly.
--+--
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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.