You call this a projection?

Cursed Spirits: special lifeforms born from cursed energy—that is, from the negative emotions humans harbor toward specific objects.

Originally, the majority of Cursed Spirits were mindless entities. However, there are exceptions to every rule, much like the special room Kenjaku had just entered.

It wasn’t that he had used some kind of teleportation technique to cross the distance between the city and the beach when he opened that door. Rather, upon entering the room, he had automatically stepped into a certain Cursed Spirit’s Innate Domain.

The sunlight, the beach, the waves, and the various coconut trees and green plants growing around were all part of this Cursed Spirit’s domain—items derived from his cursed energy.

As for why a Cursed Spirit, who supposedly should lack intellect, would maintain such a comfortable-looking domain and use it as a gathering place for Kenjaku and other Cursed Spirits to vacation and hold meetings, the reason was simple.

Unlike other mindless Cursed Spirits driven only by instinct, these Cursed Spirits—who had consumed a massive amount of human negative emotions toward specific objects since their birth—had long ago undergone a qualitative change triggered by quantitative accumulation. They possessed an intellect no less than that of a human.

In fact, just as humans ponder where they came from, these spirits pondered the meaning of their existence as Cursed Spirits in this world, desiring to seize living space on Earth from humanity.

It must be said that after learning of these Cursed Spirits’ ambitions, even Kenjaku couldn’t help but marvel; live long enough, and you truly will encounter anything.

However, Kenjaku’s marveling was brief. Regarding the success probability of these Cursed Spirits’ uprising... Kenjaku could only say they couldn’t beat Gojo Satoru.

Of course, ”can’t beat Gojo Satoru” was one thing. To put it bluntly, if Kenjaku himself were to fight Gojo, he wouldn’t win either. Even though his knowledge was richer and his understanding of techniques far surpassed Gojo Satoru—a human who had only lived for twenty-odd years—the combination of the [Six Eyes] and the [Limitless Cursed Technique] was simply too much of a cheat.

The [Six Eyes] made Gojo Satoru’s cursed energy consumption approach zero, and the [Limitless Cursed Technique] provided an absolute defense that, through normal methods, made it absolutely impossible for others to land an attack.

No matter what advantages Kenjaku possessed, he could only surrender in the face of Gojo Satoru’s simple combination of these two.

But for the sake of being cannon fodder, these Cursed Spirits were absolutely sufficient.

Therefore, upon seeing his arrival, Kenjaku faced Jogo—the Cursed Spirit representing humanity’s fear of volcanoes—who looked at him with a face full of disdain.

Kenjaku still spoke with a smile: ”Regarding Sukuna’s fingers, I discovered something while dispatching a Cursed Spirit to keep tabs on Gojo Satoru. One of Sukuna’s fingers was just recovered by Gojo and his group. If we intercept them now, we might be able to snatch that finger before they return to the college and seal it.”

Generally, it is very difficult for a Cursed Spirit to increase its strength after birth. After all, they originate from fear of a specific object. Once the spirit tied to that object is born, the fear humans feel toward it has already peaked. Whatever fear was to be given has been given; it’s impossible to significantly increase that fear—and the cursed energy generated by it—in a short period.

But as the saying goes, there are exceptions to everything.

Sukuna’s fingers are such an exception. A finger containing a massive amount of cursed energy, if swallowed by a Cursed Spirit, allows that spirit to instantly gain a portion of Sukuna’s vast power, elevating an ordinary spirit to a Special Grade in an instant.

However, faced with this temptation, Jogo spoke indifferently: ”Oh, just for this matter?”

After all, Jogo’s combat power had already surpassed the level of a single finger of Sukuna. The finger wouldn’t significantly increase his strength. On the contrary, he had to be wary of the consciousness within the finger attempting to take over his body.

”Fine, consider it for the sake of creating more of our kind and the resurrection of Sukuna you mentioned. I will go and recover that finger.

Besides, after you’ve mentioned Gojo Satoru’s strength so many times and said only Sukuna can defeat him, I really want to see for myself what kind of skill this sorcerer—who makes you so afraid—actually possesses.”

After finishing this sentence, a dangerous expression appeared on Jogo’s face. ”If Gojo Satoru’s strength fails to satisfy me when the time comes, I wouldn’t mind burning your head off.”

”As long as you’re happy,” Kenjaku smiled flatly.

Angry? Why be angry? Would anyone get angry at a corpse?

Unfortunately for them, in Kenjaku’s eyes, not a single one of these Cursed Spirits looking down on him was anything other than a corpse—cannon fodder destined to be wiped out in his plan.

However, his attitude seemed to be an issue.

Being highly sensitive to negative emotions—especially with Mahito among them, a Cursed Spirit born from humans’ fear of other humans—it was hard for Kenjaku to hide his malice toward them. This caused the spirits to harbor considerable enmity and distrust toward him.

Of course, Kenjaku was, to some extent, doing this on purpose. A pleasure seeker like him naturally looks for amusement at every moment. This is likely why Kenjaku would later resonate with Takaba Fumihiko, who had a background as a comedian.

So, the bait of Sukuna’s finger wasn’t enough. Kenjaku needed to add more stakes to Jogo’s desperate battle.

”By the way, do you know of the [Prison Realm]?” Kenjaku said, maintaining his smile.

”...!?”

Jogo, who had been acting disdainful, instantly changed his expression upon hearing those three words. Even the glass filled with a drink he had been leisurely holding dropped from his hand, shattering on the sand. He looked at Kenjaku with a face full of horror.

”[Prison Realm]? The [Prison Realm]?! You know where that forbidden thing is? Or rather... is it actually with you?!”

Following the horror came a face of pure excitement. Jogo looked at Kenjaku with such fervor that he looked ready to snatch it from him at the slightest disagreement.

”Yes, that’s right, it’s with me.” As if not noticing Jogo’s abnormality, Kenjaku admitted frankly: ”After all, it’s something I prepared specifically to deal with Gojo Satoru.

So, while keeping tabs on Gojo Satoru, I discovered that a certain sorcerer by his side possesses a Cursed Tool that is not inferior to the [Prison Realm].”

Read ahead (100 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting