Sukuna's Finger

Sizzle, sizzle-

Several slices of Kobe beef sat on the red-hot griddle, sizzling as the heat melted their fat.

The fat ran across the griddle, bubbling in tiny beads as white smoke slowly rose.

The meat gradually darkened, its seared aroma spreading as tiny droplets of oil danced on the griddle.

"All right, everyone, try Gojo-sensei's grilled meat. I'm pretty confident in my skills."

Maki was the first to pick up her chopsticks. She lifted a slice of beef and put it in her mouth.

"Not bad."

"Right? Right? Dai Li, Inumaki, Panda, you three try some too."

Dai Li picked up his chopsticks as well, eagerly lifting a richly marbled slice of Kobe beef.

The warm aroma of meat wafted toward him. When he put it in his mouth, the juices stayed locked inside while the rich fat melted immediately. Both the texture and flavor were superb.

When he wanted another taste, the meat was already gone. There had been exactly enough for one large slice each, so they could only put more beef on the griddle.

"Why do we have to grill it ourselves so slowly, anyway? Can't we just ask the kitchen to cook it and bring it over?"

"You're so impatient, Dai Li. Taking our time grilling is the perfect way for the five of us, teacher and students, to bond. Besides, it's inconvenient for Panda to put on clothes and cover himself up every time a server comes in."

"Salmon."

Panda picked up the black coat lying beside him. It wasn't quite the right size for him.

"My fur is thick. Wearing this makes me a little uncomfortable."

Bzz, bzz, bzz.

Someone's phone seemed to be vibrating.

"Hello, hello! Satoru Gojo speaking."

Satoru Gojo took out his phone and answered. The name on the caller ID was Masamichi Yaga.

"Satoru, the higher-ups have a mission for you. A cursed spirit that swallowed one of Sukuna's fingers has appeared in Tokyo. I'll send you the address after I hang up."

"According to the jujutsu sorcerers who were at the scene earlier, this cursed spirit has already absorbed most of the power in one of Sukuna's fingers. Its strength is unquestionably special grade.

"The civilians have already left under the protection of two grade 2 jujutsu sorcerers. There's only one semi-grade 1 jujutsu sorcerer still at the scene. None of the other grade 1 sorcerers are in Tokyo right now, so you need to go there immediately, exorcise the cursed spirit, and recover Sukuna's finger."

Masamichi Yaga quickly explained the situation at the scene, but Satoru Gojo didn't care in the slightest. Whatever grade the cursed spirit was, he could finish it in one move.

"Okay, okay, got it."

Satoru Gojo immediately hung up.

"What did Yaga call about?"

Curious about Masamichi Yaga's call, Panda asked Satoru Gojo. Dai Li and Inumaki were still eating grilled meat.

"I have to go exorcise a special grade cursed spirit that ate one of Sukuna's fingers, and recover the finger while I'm at it."

Satoru Gojo then waved a hand helplessly.

"Sukuna's fingers, the special grade cursed objects? I heard those things can't be destroyed, so they can only be sealed and recovered for safekeeping."

Maki had also heard about special grade cursed objects like Sukuna's fingers.

"The location is... pretty close, actually."

Satoru Gojo received a text on his phone. It was the address Masamichi Yaga had sent.

"Well? Does anyone want to come with me?"

Satoru Gojo asked his students, seemingly intending to let them see his true strength.

He felt that his students underestimated him a little too much. He wanted to take this opportunity to show off in front of them and prove that his title as the strongest of the modern era was no empty boast.

"I'm not going. It'll be over the moment you get there anyway."

"Bonito flakes."

"I'll pass too. You'll be faster on your own."

Maki, Inumaki, and Panda rejected Satoru Gojo's invitation at lightning speed, but not because they were afraid of fighting a special grade cursed spirit. They knew how strong Satoru Gojo was and understood that going along would pose no danger.

But that was precisely why they didn't want to go. The higher-ups had assigned this mission to Satoru Gojo, not them.

It wasn't that Dai Li didn't want to refuse. His mouth was simply still full of grilled meat when Satoru Gojo asked.

Seeing the other three refuse, Satoru Gojo immediately turned to Dai Li. Even with the bandages hiding his eyes, Dai Li could sense his pleading expression, as though he were begging Dai Li not to turn him down and embarrass him as their teacher.

"Not going. The beef's almost done again."

Dai Li swallowed the meat in his mouth and flatly ignored Satoru Gojo's plea. After all, recovering the finger would only take Satoru Gojo a few minutes.

"Fine, fine. And here you were saying earlier that you wanted to fight Sukuna.

"But do you guys know how I met Dai Li and recruited him into Jujutsu High?"

!!

This bastard!

"Back when I was in Sendai..."

"I'll go! Let's go recover Sukuna's finger, Gojo-sensei."

"If we wait any longer, something might go wrong."

I never thought you'd stoop this low, Satoru Gojo!

Exposing my embarrassing past in front of my classmates? I'll probably remember this for the rest of my life. You're despicable.

"Then let's get going."

With his plan successful, Satoru Gojo said no more. He couldn't afford to alienate his student completely.

"Don't die."

"You really have a way with words, Maki."

It was hard to tell whether Maki was expressing concern or teasing him. She had no interest in hearing about Dai Li's embarrassing moments, either.

Men were all the same anyway, absurdly protective of their pride when it came to things like this. So stupid.

"Don't worry. He's my student, after all. Besides, Dai Li has fought the special grade curse user Suguru Geto. He won't die that easily."

"He fought a special grade sorcerer? Seriously?"

"Salmon roe?"

Maki and Inumaki couldn't believe Dai Li had fought a special grade sorcerer, but Panda looked perfectly calm. Perhaps he had already heard about it from Masamichi Yaga. Faced with their stares, Dai Li avoided eye contact and kept quiet, though he was secretly basking in it.

"If you want the details, I'll tell you when we get back. It's better for teammates to get to know one another more deeply, after all."

"Anyway, we'll head out first."

Satoru Gojo and Dai Li left the three bewildered students behind and headed to the special grade cursed spirit's location to recover Sukuna's finger.

Dai Li and Satoru Gojo arrived at an abandoned factory. According to their information, a few civilians had originally been inside. They had come specifically to explore the place and encountered a cursed spirit-a perfect case of asking for trouble.

Cursed spirits, beings much like ghosts, really existed in this world. Dai Li couldn't quite understand why so many idiots here still went on tests of courage, when there were plenty of cases of people dying from curses after visiting haunted places.

"This is it? I don't see an assistant supervisor."

"Are they inside the curtain?"

"I told them to leave. With me here, nothing unexpected will happen, and there's no need to go out of our way to contact them if something does."

Before coming here, Satoru Gojo had asked Masamichi Yaga to notify the assistant supervisors to leave.

This guy really does go all out. But somehow, he actually has the strength to back it up.

"Well, let's go inside the curtain and see what's happening, Dai Li."

"Whatever you say, Gojo the Magnificent."

The two walked up to the pitch-black barrier. The faintly visible membrane didn't block their path; they could pass straight through it.

As soon as he stepped inside the curtain, Dai Li sensed an extraordinarily powerful surge of cursed energy. Its source was unmistakable: the cursed spirit that had swallowed Sukuna's finger.