The Embodiment of Despair

Sukuna stepped out of the car first, and Shoko followed right behind him.

Of course, the blonde, blue-eyed beauty had already begun lowering the curtain, as any competent member of Window would.

"Born from darkness, darker than black."

The sky had already been dark enough, but the moment the curtain fell, the area grew even darker.

Still, this slight visual obstruction meant little to jujutsu sorcerers.

And, of course, once the curtain was lowered, ordinary people could no longer notice anything strange about this place.

"Sukuna, can you sense how strong the special grade cursed spirit inside is?"

Shoko stayed close on Sukuna's heels.

The blonde, blue-eyed beauty had already left the area. What happened next had nothing to do with her.

"Very strong!"

Sukuna frowned slightly. From the moment he entered the hospital, he had sensed a powerful surge of cursed energy.

Hearing his answer, Shoko quietly edged a few steps closer, afraid she might get separated from him if she wasn't careful.

Soon, they climbed the stairs to the hospital's third floor. The instant Sukuna stepped onto it, he sensed the source of the cursed energy.

Their surroundings were also changing wildly. The stairs they had just climbed had vanished!

Even the hospital windows were gone. It was as though they had been trapped inside a square box.

Looking back, they saw no way out. Looking ahead, they saw no end.

"Looks like this special grade cursed spirit really is strong."

Sukuna's expression grew a little more serious, and he decided to show some of his true strength.

Just then, a sudden thud came from behind him.

Sukuna turned around. It was Shoko!

With her back against the wall, she slowly sank to the floor, burying her face between her knees and sobbing.

He glanced ahead, then back at Shoko, and finally walked over to her.

"Shoko, don't be afraid. I'm here."

At his words, Shoko slowly raised her head, revealing two trails of tears on her face.

She was nothing like her usual cheerful, optimistic self. It was as if she had suddenly become a different person.

"I felt despair..."

As Shoko said those words, Sukuna's chest suddenly tightened too.

A genuine wave of despair welled up in his heart. Frowning, Sukuna immediately forced it back down.

Seeing that despair had already consumed Shoko's mind, he gave her a hard slap.

Shoko's vacant eyes cleared as though she had suddenly awakened, and she sprang to her feet.

"What just happened to me?"

Shoko wiped the tears from her face, looking bewildered. She had actually cried?

If the tear tracks on her face hadn't still been wet, she would have thought she was dreaming.

"I think I know how this special grade cursed spirit was born."

Sukuna surveyed their surroundings, then looked at Shoko and spoke.

"We've probably already stepped into its innate domain."

Shoko knew what an innate domain was, of course.

Generally, newly born special grade cursed spirits already possessed innate domains, but they were not yet capable of Domain Expansion.

Domain Expansion was essentially the construction of an innate domain using the cursed technique engraved within one's body.

Unlike an ordinary innate domain, Domain Expansion came with a sure-hit effect, along with the distinct aspects manifested by each cursed technique.

"If I'm right, this special grade cursed spirit was probably born from the despair people felt after contracting incurable terminal illnesses."

"And that gave birth to a special grade cursed spirit embodying despair."

He glanced at Shoko before continuing, "You probably let your guard down mentally just now, allowing that despair to get in."

"From now on, stay right beside me. Our opponent might be even stronger than I thought."

Sukuna looked at Shoko with a serious expression.

"All right. I won't leave your side."

Shoko wiped away the last of her tears, determination settling over her face. She wouldn't give up so easily.

"Then follow me. Since it's extended its innate domain, it must be somewhere inside."

Sukuna looked to either side, placed his hand against one wall, and unleashed a slash.

"Dismantle."

As the cursed technique activated, countless slash marks quickly appeared across the wall.

The wall rumbled, then collapsed with a crash a moment later.

"Looks like our opponent does have some strength."

The collapsed wall restored itself in an instant, leaving no trace of damage.

Unfortunately, he couldn't use flames. Otherwise, he would have burned this place to the ground.

Shoko's expression grew even graver at the sight. Her cheerful smile had disappeared the moment they entered the hospital.

Determination and tension had replaced it, and now Sukuna's cursed technique seemed to have done no damage to this innate domain.

Knowing there was little she could do to help, Shoko could only hide behind Sukuna and silently cheer him on.

After all, even if Sukuna did get hurt, he wouldn't need her to heal him. He could use Reverse Cursed Technique himself.

"Let's go. We'll keep moving forward and see just how far its domain extends."

Sukuna took his left hand off the wall and stepped forward.

In truth, Sukuna knew perfectly well that everything before them was merely an illusion.

They would find the exit if they walked back the way they came, but this special grade cursed spirit embodying despair had already angered him.

Rather than showing itself, it actually dared to make him, the King of Curses, play hide-and-seek?

That alone was enough for Sukuna to kill it a hundred times over.

Naturally, Shoko stayed right on his heels.

With every step Sukuna and Shoko took, it was as though some enormous abyssal beast swallowed the floor behind them.

The scenery behind them blurred, while the path ahead lit up little by little.

The two of them continued as if out for a leisurely stroll, since the special grade cursed spirit embodying despair made no move to attack.

It seemed to know it was no match for the man before it, so it intended to keep Sukuna trapped inside indefinitely.

After all, this cursed spirit had only just been born and possessed nothing beyond the instinct to remain where it was.

That was why Sukuna wasn't worried about it leaving, unless it had already evolved to the level of cursed spirits like Jogo.

But that was impossible.

As far as Sukuna remembered, this special grade cursed spirit had never appeared, which meant that even if he didn't exorcise it, someone else would.

If this special grade cursed spirit kept hiding in the shadows, Sukuna would indeed have trouble exorcising it.

But as long as it dared to show itself, he could simply open his domain and kill it.

"How much farther is it? It feels like we've been going in circles."

Shoko looked at the wall with a grave expression. A closer look revealed a few drops of water on the floor.

Those were the tears she had shed when despair overtook her, yet they had already walked an unknown distance.

There was only one possible explanation: they really had been going in circles.

"Looks like our opponent doesn't want to meet us. Then let's try this!"

Sukuna pressed his right hand against the wall and applied a little pressure with his fingers.

"Cleave."

The entire wall collapsed instantly. Seizing the moment before it could repair itself, Sukuna pulled Shoko straight through the opening.

Sure enough, once they passed through the wall, their surroundings changed. The space was no longer as enclosed as before.

They seemed to have left the spirit's innate domain and returned to the hospital.

"Just as I thought."

Sukuna nodded in satisfaction. He had noticed long ago that they were going in circles, and he had also worked out that this special grade cursed spirit really was newly born.

Its control over its innate domain was still imperfect, giving him just the opening he needed.

Taking advantage of the instant it spent repairing its innate domain, he had brought Shoko straight out of it.

"We're out already?"

Shoko still looked incredulous. She had thought they would be trapped inside for a long time.

Instead, they had escaped in less than half an hour, even though that special grade cursed spirit's emotions had affected her earlier.

Of course, she knew how troublesome it was.

"That's right. We've broken out of its innate domain. Now it's my turn to take control!"

Sukuna surveyed their surroundings. He didn't have anything as absurdly powerful as the Six Eyes, so he couldn't sense its exact location.

But the cursed residue left by the special grade cursed spirit was enough to give him a general direction.

"Straight ahead. This time, I'm the one who gets to toy with it!"