A Cursed Corpse Doll for Training

Sukuna seemed angry.

Yuji Itadori sighed and looked down at the unmarked back of his hand, feeling as though he were looking after a child.

Though whenever he recalled Sukuna saying, "Please call me Two-Faced," he couldn't help wanting to laugh himself.

Sukuna: [...]

Itadori: "Pfft... Sorry..."

Sukuna gritted his teeth. [...You're still laughing... Why didn't you tell me beforehand?]

Those were second-year students-his seniors, whom he would have to spend years around.

He could already picture that wonderful scene: every time they met, they would look at him and burst out laughing.

His imposing image... He no longer had an imposing image!

Inside, Sukuna was drowning in tears.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you didn't know."

Itadori racked his memory and finally remembered that most of what he knew about Sukuna had been explained on the first day he met Teacher Gojo, while the teacher had him shut inside a sealed room. The place had been sealed with countless talismans, and Teacher Gojo had said Sukuna wouldn't wake up then.

And so, from that moment on, their understanding of things had diverged just a tiny bit.

Sukuna: ...

Just... so infuriating!

Maki's voice came from nearby.

"Itadori, what are you still standing there for? Get over here!"

"Coming, coming."

Itadori hurried over.

Then he and Sukuna watched Maki's expression-

Go from serious...

To blank,

Before she turned away and covered her mouth-

Her shoulders shaking.

Sukuna: ...

God, send down a bolt of lightning and give everyone here amnesia!

"Ahem. All right, Itadori."

Maki composed her expression, trying hard to preserve her dignity as his senior.

She twirled the training spear resting on her shoulder, then held it behind her back with one hand and beckoned Itadori forward with the other.

"I heard from that blindfolded idiot that you're good at close combat. Let's put that to the test."

"If you don't impress me," she said with a curl of her lips, her tone half teasing and half threatening, "you'd better watch yourself from now on."

"Uh..."

Itadori hesitated and instinctively looked toward Megumi Fushiguro.

He was a little worried he might accidentally hurt her.

Megumi Fushiguro cleared his throat and said quietly, "Don't worry. Zenin is really strong. She's one of the best students at using cursed tools. You..."

Itadori's eyes lit up, and he quickly replied, "Got it!"

Then he immediately took a fighting stance, pushed off the ground, and charged at Maki.

Megumi Fushiguro: ...can use about eighty percent of your strength... Oh, no.

Before Megumi Fushiguro could finish, he watched Itadori vanish from where he stood in an instant.

Maki had readied herself to meet his attack, but her vision blurred for a moment, and in the next second, Itadori's fist was right before her eyes.

So fast!

She immediately grabbed both ends of the spear and held it in front of her, taking the blow head-on.

Bam!

A thunderous sound rang out. Maki felt an immense force travel through the shaft and into her arms, knocking her entire body backward.

She slid a full five meters before her back hit a tree and finally brought her to a stop.

Both hands were aching and numb, barely able to hold the shaft.

For a moment, she even found herself thinking of that third-year monster, Aoi Todo.

His strength was... pretty impressive, too.

Feeling the uncontrollable trembling in her hands, Maki curled her lips.

That's more like it. No wonder Satoru asked us to give him special attention-even without counting Sukuna inside him, he was already strong enough in his own right.

And apparently, Itadori still didn't know how to use cursed energy. Reaching this level through physical strength alone made him well worth honing.

Gasp-

Sharp intakes of breath came from around her. Maki looked down and froze.

A faint impression of a fist had appeared where Itadori had struck the spear.

Although it was only a training spear and contained no cursed energy, its shaft was still made of thoroughly forged steel.

She imagined what would have happened if that punch had landed directly on her and couldn't help feeling a shiver of fear.

This guy really wasn't human...

"N-not bad."

Maki planted the ruined spear in the ground and flexed her numb hands.

A stiff smile curled her lips.

"You pass in close combat. Next, go train your cursed energy."

She turned toward Panda.

"Panda, give it to him."

Panda muttered, "That's why I said we should just give it to him in the first place. Satoru wouldn't lie to us."

"Huh? What's wrong with testing him?" Maki snapped.

Panda's round body moved over to Itadori. Under the boy's bewildered gaze, he pulled a... little backpack out of his body and handed it over.

"Here, Yuji. This is for you."

Itadori took it and looked it over, his eyes growing even more confused.

It was an ugly-cute stuffed doll with two shoulder straps sewn onto it to make it resemble a backpack, but there was no zipper to open. Itadori turned it over in his hands, then looked at Panda in bewilderment again.

Panda explained, "Satoru asked Masamichi... Oh, that's Principal Yaga, to make this to help you practice controlling your cursed energy."

The principal, huh...

Figures. He'd thought it looked familiar at first glance. It was just as bizarre as all the principal's other strange dolls.

"How am I supposed to train with-"

Bam!!

A tremendous noise rang out as a solid punch landed squarely on Itadori's face.

The force of it made everyone around him gasp.

Even Sukuna inside him couldn't help wincing on his behalf.

That looked so painful...

The previously motionless stuffed doll in Itadori's hands had suddenly opened its eyes and slammed a fist into his face.

The boy let go in pain and covered his face. The stuffed doll fell to the ground, still raring to throw a second punch.

"What... is this thing?"

Tears sprang to Itadori's eyes from the pain. If not for his unusual constitution, his nose probably would have been broken.

Panda hurriedly bent down and picked up the doll. The instant he touched it, the violent doll's movements slowed. It closed its eyes and became still again.

"This is a cursed corpse doll for training. As long as you keep feeding it cursed energy, it'll stay asleep."

"But the moment you stop feeding it cursed energy, it'll wake up and attack whoever is closest."

"Satoru said he wanted you to carry it on your back all day, except when you're sleeping, to practice controlling your cursed energy output. That's why it was made into a backpack."

"You can do it! We believe in you!"

Panda cheered Itadori on.

A... backpack?

He had to carry this thing... all day??

Itadori looked horrified, every inch of him screaming refusal.

Wouldn't he get beaten to death?!

He turned his head with difficulty, staring in resistance at the doll being held out to him.

Then he remembered that these were instructions from his dearly beloved Teacher Gojo, and finally accepted it despite his dread.

He tried feeding cursed energy into it. Sure enough, the doll didn't wake up and punch him, allowing him a small sigh of relief.

Fine, then he'd... train with this... But would he live to see tomorrow's sunrise?

"Huh?"

Sukuna suddenly spoke.

"This hideous doll is actually a tiger? It suits you pretty well!"

Itadori: "...Don't think I can't hear the mockery in your voice."

"...Pfft, hahaha! Congratulations, Tiger. You get to carry this thing around from now on. How wonderful!~"

Sukuna's voice was full of glee at his misfortune.

Itadori held back and held back, until he finally couldn't take it anymore.

"So what are you laughing at? When you take over, won't you be carrying it too...?"

Sukuna: ...

His smile gradually faded.

He pictured that scene and immediately found he couldn't laugh anymore.

...Satoru Gojo, get out here! I'll beat you until you cry!