"What do you two think cursed energy is about?"
To me, the answer was simple but unexpectedly, Yuji beat me to it.
"Yes, Yuji-kun!" Gojo-sensei pointed at him like he was announcing the MVP of a sports match, giving him the floor or, in this case, the field.
"It's negative emotions."
"Ding ding ding!"
'W–why does he need the theatrics? I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing.'
"Exactly! Cursed energy's just the nasty stuff your body makes from all those wonderful negative emotions — fear, anger, regret, frustration. Humans are basically little cursed energy generators whether they like it or not." Gojo-sensei spun his finger in a lazy circle, like this was the easiest thing in the world.
"The trick? Most people leak it out like a busted faucet. Sorcerers don't. We keep it in, control it, and push it where we want it to go."
He stepped closer, tilting his head at us with a smirk. "Now here's the fun part — to control cursed energy, you've gotta keep those negative emotions flowing while keeping your head cool. Constantly. That's the paradox. Too emotional and you lose control, too calm and you run out of fuel. It's like trying to keep a candle's flame steady in the wind — or, my version, keeping a balloon underwater without popping it."
"…That sounds annoying," I muttered.
Gojo-sensei just grinned. "Welcome to jujutsu." He snapped his fingers. "Once you've got that down, cursed energy's like electricity. Raw, it'll shock you. But channel it into an 'appliance' — your cursed technique — and it becomes something useful, something powerful. That's how guys like me make the impossible look easy."
"Sensei!"
"Yes, Yuji!"
"Can I do kamehameha? Bankai? Spirit Gun?!"
"Of course! Just look at this!"
Fwoo—
Fwoosh~
Bang!
A blue sphere bloomed at the tip of his finger before he flicked it skyward. It really did look like the Spirit Gun from Yu Yu Hakusho—if the Spirit Gun also yanked up a couple of nearby trees and left the air sounding like it had been ripped open.
'Could we replicate that? Something in me said Yuji nor I—heck, anyone—could actually pull this off.'
"Sensei." I raised my hand.
"Tatsu-kun!"
"Are techniques unique to the individual?"
"My answer to that is… guess."
"Depends?" I replied, more uncertain than I liked.
"You're right! It does depend, but 99.99% of the time it's unique. However, exceptions exist. Jujutsu is vast, after all!"
I nodded, not saying anything else, though a thought popped into my head.
'What if you could see someone's flow while they activated their technique and copy that movement?'
Gojo-sensei said cursed energy is like electricity. Electricity flows the same but behaves differently depending on the appliance. But there are different models of appliances that do similar things, each with different outputs.
Computers, for example, are all inherently the same, but their components make them function differently. Humans are the same — built on the same foundation — but the way we move is different. The same should apply to sorcerers. If cursed energy isn't bound to a physical body part, then adjusting it should, at least theoretically, make it possible to mimic another sorcerer's technique… even if only to a certain degree.
"What is it, Tatsu-kun?"
Gojo-sensei and Yuji looked at me with raised brows. I knew I had been lost in thought, but I didn't think it would garner such attention.
"It's just, Gojo-sensei if you could see someone's flow of cursed energy, then couldn't you copy their technique?"
Gojo-sensei's grin slipped away, the usual sparkle in his covered eyes dimming. "Tatsuya, that's dangerous on so many levels." His voice dropped, low and deliberate. "I'm warning the both of you to never try to attempt that. Even for me, I wouldn't try something so suicidal. But of course, I could probably do it if I tried!"
He bragged at the end, which was a hint in itself. Gojo-sensei clearly left something in his words there, but at the moment I was clueless.
"Understood."
"Hmm hmm."
Yuji and I nodded our heads. I would just have to revisit this theory later.
"Now let's see if you two can manipulate cursed energy without external factors."
I had complete faith that I could because I was able to use cursed techniques. I even still had that vague memory of "Inverted Sky." It didn't exactly help with the direct process, but it was something to build off of, especially now that I could understand it better.
'A balance.'
I thought, closing my eyes and entering a trance. What I needed was a balance between negative emotions — one where I didn't go crazy and didn't become too calm. The more I pondered, the more I remembered my last instance of becoming free. I felt a spark of something; my mind became more sadistic and...
'Mongrels... mongrel... typically used by someone with a high sense of pride or a god complex. Then what if I just poured my hate for those lesser bastards?'
My image was clear. I hated those imperfect bastards that roamed the earth. However, I felt this still wasn't enough. I needed more than just hating those grotesque vermin.
'The death of my family...'
Something that I was forced to accept and push to the back of my mind quickly in order to adapt. Now, though, I could focus on that event. Perhaps what I need most isn't more hate but more purpose. What was it that I wanted to use my techniques for?
Was it to save others?
No. While I knew I wouldn't let innocent people die if they were in front of me, I definitely wouldn't go out of my way.
Was it simply for myself?
This was too bland. I was bound to change. When I changed, my purpose would too, making it just as flimsy.
What is it that I want?
Memories of the last few days flowed through my mind — from the start of my jujutsu journey till now. The happiness I felt when hanging out with Yuji, Nobara, Gojo-sensei, and Megumi was the most prevalent. But still, I felt something behind all of these memories — a more basic yet truer feeling.
'That's it!'
My eyes snapped open and I poured all of my focus onto the tip of my finger. My purpose for even continuing with all of this was simple, the most basic want in all of human existence. I simply...
'Want to live! I want to see the world! I want to experience new things! I want to live up to my family's expectations! I even want to build a family of my own!'
My purpose blossomed naturally as I dwelled on it. Even more so, my hate- like a tree -took the nutrients that was my purpose and grew all the way to the sky.
'I refuse for any disgusting mongrel to take this away from me! If they get in my way, I'll make them pay! I will achieve my dream! I will achieve all that I wish and be next to all those I care about while doing it!'
"Nice job, Tatsu-kun! A dark grey too, it seems your eyes changed to your immense Cursed energy. Here I thought it was a technique~"
I didn't really register Gojo-Sensei's words. All my attention locked on the swirling mass of dark grey energy coiling around my fingertip, its surface rippling like smoke trapped in water. Every so often, a faint silver shimmer pulsed through it.
"Hahaha~" I laughed with pure bliss. With this first step, I could truly experience all the world had to offer.