Chương 42: Talent
Sōjun Minamoto led Riko Amanai back to the dormitory loft.
The walk was silent.
"Act... actually, it's okay," Riko Amanai suddenly said.
"What?"
"It's okay if you don't want to teach me..."
Sōjun Minamoto turned his head to stare at her.
In recent times, Riko had shown a newfound liveliness, sometimes acting out of character. Everyone understood and didn't think much of it. Did he say something earlier that upset her too much?
"Uh, wh... what is it?" Riko Amanai asked nervously under his gaze.
"I don't regret this decision," Sōjun Minamoto replied, snapping out of his thoughts. Being more serious would be good for her.
The Star Plasma Vessel wasn't chosen randomly. From birth, they were sensed by Tengen, as if destined by the heavens. This sort of fatalism intrigued him...
To be honest, he wanted to study her.
"Oh, th... thank you," Riko stammered out.
See? She even felt the need to thank him.
Sōjun walked ahead.
Behind him, Riko trailed closely, bowing her head deeply, her lips curling uncontrollably into a smile—Got him!
Since he had decided to teach, Sōjun Minamoto wouldn't do it half-heartedly.
He called Riko over, and the two sat across from each other at a low tea table.
"Alright!" Sōjun suddenly straightened up, his expression turning serious and profound as he stared at Riko. "Before we start formal training, answer me one question:
Jujutsu sorcerers are often accompanied by death—not just their own, but also witnessing others being harmed by curses. There will even be times when you must tear apart a cursed spirit's flesh. This is a tough path, requiring a certain level of madness and motivation. So, what is your motivation for becoming a jujutsu sorcerer?"
Sōjun was following Masamichi Yaga's method of asking about motivation at the outset. It was a tradition passed down in Yaga's lineage, meant to give the other person a final chance to reconsider.
Riko sat upright, furrowing her brows as she thought for a moment before her eyes lit up:
"Because... it sounds fun?!"
...What?
Fun?
Well, fun works.
Sōjun clapped his hands and laughed. If that's the case, he'd teach in his own way.
"When emotions fluctuate strongly, cursed energy is consumed. So, we must learn to control our emotions—or rather, learn to control cursed energy amidst emotional fluctuations to prevent its loss. Your task is to extract cursed energy from even the faintest sparks of emotion."
"How do I do that?" Riko asked, puzzled.
How clueless can you be?
"Think of something that makes you angry, sad, or regretful—anything that stirs your emotions. Recall it, and the energy will manifest. Your job is to grasp it."
Riko closed her eyes and delved into her memories.
Her brows furrowed, fists clenched, and anger flickered across her face. But soon, her anger turned into joy, then shock. She opened her eyes and looked at him, a bit frustrated: "I can see it, but I can't grab it."
She saw it already?
Was her first emotion anger?
Sōjun's mind stirred, but his face remained calm. He offered a simple critique:
"Not enough anger."
Her emotions weren't intense enough, and her control was too poor. She was practically putting on a dramatic performance.
Riko tried again, clenching her fists at her waist and scrunching her face in concentration. But soon, she slackened: "I can't. It's still not enough."
She was indeed angry but quickly felt sad instead—pitying herself. She was an orphan who couldn't even remember her parents' faces, restricted from doing many things she wanted. Her fate had been decided from birth...
Then her thoughts shifted to Miri Kuroi and her new friends at Jujutsu High, including Sōjun Minamoto—
"Hahaha, that's so funny!"
Sōjun raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, placing his hand on her head. Azure points of light emerged, and a spiritual blade cut through her memories, piecing together fragments.
Her memories weren't plentiful, whether sad or happy.
Riko suddenly envisioned her friends—Miri Kuroi, Sōjun, and the others—all at the beach, laughing and having fun. She scooped up seawater and splashed it at them—
"Hahaha!"
She laughed at their drenched appearances. But then, their expressions changed, and they silently turned away.
"Hey, don't leave!"
She panicked.
"Let me splash you back!"
She hurried to catch up, blocking their paths, but they seemed unable to see her and walked through her as if she didn't exist.
She refused to give up.
Over and over, she intercepted them, but each time, she failed.
Finally, she managed to catch up with Sōjun, who was walking the slowest. She reached out, trying to grab the corner of his clothes, but her fingers passed through thin air.
Powerless, she felt only confusion and despair.
To not be seen or heard—how was that different from not existing?
Her deepest fear was solitude.
"Feel that power," a familiar voice jolted her back. She obediently focused on the energy nearby, always within reach but just out of grasp.
Her chaotic emotions threatened to overwhelm her reason, her mind like a fire. Each time she was about to lose control, that voice reminded her, guiding her back. She began to trust the voice, even rely on it.
After all, he was watching over her.
Riko concentrated all her attention on chasing that energy, her fingertips inching closer until she finally grasped it firmly.
Surprisingly, it didn't feel special.
Everything seemed natural, as if it were meant to be.
She opened her eyes, dazed...
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