The basement beneath Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical College.
Originally—
It had been a morgue.
A place meant to store corpses.
But after Satoru Gojo claimed it as a private training area, the place had transformed into something entirely different.
Snack wrappers were piled in the corners.
Shelves were stacked with Weekly Shonen Jump magazines.
A brand-new game console sat beside the television.
If one ignored the faint chill lingering in the air—
It almost resembled a paradise for otaku.
At this moment—
The room was dark.
Only the flickering light of a projector illuminated the space.
On the screen—
A Hollywood action movie played.
Explosions.
Car chases.
Gunfights.
The protagonist sprinted through a burning building as flames devoured everything behind him.
The speakers roared loudly enough to shake the basement.
"…This is training?"
Yuji Itadori sat cross-legged on the carpet.
In his arms—
A cursed corpse doll.
An ugly-cute creature that looked halfway between a bear and a kappa.
Yuji stared at the screen in confusion.
He still didn't understand what movies had to do with controlling cursed energy.
Whenever his cursed-energy output fluctuated—
The doll punched him without mercy.
"Yes."
Yagami Sora sat comfortably on a leather sofa.
A bucket of popcorn rested in his hands.
"This is basic cursed-energy control training."
"You must maintain stable cursed-energy output under any condition."
"Even when the movie makes you excited…"
"Or angry…"
"Or emotional."
"It's like threading a needle while riding a roller coaster."
"But this movie is terrible!"
Yuji pointed at the villain delivering a long speech.
"Why is the villain talking so much?"
"He could've killed the hero already!"
"Doesn't he know the rule that villains die because they talk too much?!"
"And that female lead!"
"All she does is scream!"
"Does she have a megaphone in her throat?!"
BAM.
The cursed corpse punched him squarely in the face.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!"
Yuji clutched his nose.
Tears filled his eyes.
"Why did I get punched just for complaining?!"
"Because your emotions spiked."
Sora calmly pointed at the screen.
"Anger."
"Frustration."
"Contempt."
"All emotional fluctuations."
"And complaining is also emotional output."
"If your cursed energy reacts to every emotional wave…"
"You'll lose control during battle."
"How is anyone supposed to stay calm like that?!"
Yuji protested.
"That's basically inhuman!"
"Watch."
Sora took the cursed corpse from Yuji.
He hugged it casually.
At that moment—
The movie reached its emotional climax.
The hero sacrificed himself.
Fire surrounded him.
He gazed dramatically into the heroine's eyes while music swelled in the background.
A typical viewer might cry.
Sora stared blankly.
Then yawned.
"This emotional scene is completely forced."
"Did the writer never date anyone?"
"They should be running instead of staring at each other."
"And the explosion effects are awful."
"Looks like cheap CGI."
"The bomb even has a countdown timer."
"Why do bombs always stop at one second?"
"Do they have obsessive-compulsive disorder?"
Sora continued mercilessly roasting the film.
His critique was even harsher than Gojo's sarcasm.
Yet—
The cursed corpse in his arms didn't move.
Not once.
No cursed-energy fluctuation.
"How?!"
Yuji stared in disbelief.
"Your criticism is even harsher than mine!"
"Is the cursed corpse broken?!"
"No."
Sora tossed the doll back to him.
"My heart is completely calm."
"The criticism is just words."
"They're logical analysis processed by the brain."
"There's no emotional fluctuation behind them."
"My cursed energy remains perfectly stable."
"Like a mirror-still lake."
"That…"
"…is control."
"Imagine cursed energy like breathing."
Sora continued.
"You don't consciously control every breath."
"Your body handles it automatically."
"Cursed energy should be the same."
"An instinct."
"Not something you constantly struggle to regulate."
Yuji nodded slowly.
"Breathing…"
"…instinct…"
His eyes sharpened.
Focus returned.
The training continued for hours.
They watched three movies in a row.
First—
A terrible action film.
Then—
A tragic romance.
Finally—
A horror movie that terrified ordinary viewers.
At the beginning—
Yuji got punched every few minutes.
Later—
Only once every half hour.
Eventually—
Even when the horror film showed a ghost crawling out of the television—
Yuji could scream in fear…
While maintaining stable cursed-energy output.
"Not bad."
Sora glanced at the end credits.
He patted Yuji's shoulder.
"Your learning speed is ridiculous."
"Mastering this technique so quickly…"
"You really are the vessel capable of containing Ryomen Sukuna."
Yuji scratched his head and laughed.
"That's because Sora-sensei is such a good teacher."
"I feel like my cursed-energy control is way better now!"
"Don't call me 'sensei.'"
Sora stretched lazily.
"I'm not as old as Gojo."
"Just call me 'brother.'"
"Training is over for today."
Sora stood up.
"As a reward…"
"I'll take you for ramen."
Yuji's eyes lit up instantly.
"Seriously?!"
"I want tonkotsu ramen!"
"Extra chashu!"
"And a soft-boiled egg!"
"Fine."
"Call Megumi and Nobara too."
"They're probably bored in the dorm."
"Got it!"
Yuji ran off to make the call.
Watching Yuji leave—
Sora's expression softened.
This boy…
Carried the curse of Sukuna.
A future filled with danger and suffering.
Yet—
His heart remained brighter than anyone else's.
That kind of kindness—
Was rare in the brutal world of jujutsu.
"Sukuna…"
Sora murmured quietly.
Through Yuji—
He could almost feel the presence of the King of Curses sealed within.
The arrogant tyrant sitting upon a throne of bones.
"You may be strong."
"But this kid's soul…"
"…won't break so easily."
A cold light flashed in Sora's eyes.
"And besides…"
"With me here…"
"You'd better behave."
"Even if you're the King of Curses."
"In front of Vector Manipulation…"
"You're just another variable."
Sora switched off the projector.
The basement returned to darkness.
Leaving only—
The faint smell of popcorn.
And the quiet bonds forming between teenagers.
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