Anime Collector: Starting With the Malevolent Shrine

The renowned Jujutsu Sorcerer master, Satoru Gojo, once declared: "Nearly 80% of a Jujutsu Sorcerer's strength is determined by their Innate Technique.".

An Innate Technique is a power one is born with. Unlike ordinary techniques, it cannot be acquired later in life. This inborn talent can only be passed down through bloodlines.

However, even blood descendants may not necessarily awaken the Innate Technique of the previous generation. Among all Jujutsu Sorcerers, only Kenjaku can use others' techniques — and that's due to his Brain Transplant technique.

Yet Daiki obtained a Innate Domain simply by collecting Sukuna's Finger, along with his Innate Cursed Technique Shrine, thus gaining the two fundamental Innate Techniques for constructing the domain: Dismantle and Cleave.

He had essentially won the lottery.

"Seventeen years — a full seventeen years! If you had come any later, you might have been attending a funeral instead."

Daiki never imagined that the everyday world he had lived in for so long, which seemed peaceful on the surface, could actually be so turbulent underneath.

"I used to think news about frequent gas explosions was far-fetched, but now it seems they were just covering up disasters caused by cursed spirits. I wonder if it's only the cursed spirit world that's merged, or if various worlds have partially combined. After all, there's an unusually high number of these news stories."

Scrolling through his phone, Daiki encountered an endless stream of bizarre news. He had never investigated it seriously before, but now he realized there was no end to it. The information bubble had severely affected his perception of the world.

There was nothing he could do about it now. His previous life had been so stable that he hadn't given it much thought.

"Well, I hardly ever left the house, so it's no wonder I didn't encounter anything strange." Daiki mused, putting away his phone with a wry smile.

As the last rays of sunset faded and night enveloped the sky, he felt the surging Special-Grade Cursed Energy nourishing his body, causing changes in his flesh and cells.

Suddenly, he sensed the presence of unknown life forms in the air.

"Cursed spirits? No, cursed spirits can interfere with the real world. The unknown life I sense is more ethereal. Could it be evil spirits?"

Daiki's thoughts drifted to his classmate Miko Yotsuya from Class 2-C.

He had known — or rather, guessed — about the existence of evil spirits when he met Miko at this year's opening ceremony. But without the Spiritual Sight to see Evil Spirits, they naturally couldn't harm him.

At the time, Daiki had been focused on strengthening his relationship with Miku, so he hadn't paid much attention to the matter of Evil Spirits. Looking back now, he realized he should have guessed then that this world wasn't so simple.

"Cursed spirits, evil spirits... who knows what else exists out there?"

The comfort of the gentle breeze made him narrow his eyes. In the past, he might have panicked, but now he felt oddly indifferent.

"Sukuna's Fingers... Yuji Itadori's school should have one too... What was that school called again? I can't remember." He scratched his head, realizing he had never paid attention to these things before, "Ah, never mind. I'll grab something to eat and head home. After that, I'll gather information and collect more valuable items."

Having made up his mind, Daiki began exploring the unfamiliar area. This part of town was far from his residential district, and he was visiting for the first time.

After turning a few corners, he stumbled upon a shopping street. Compared to the one he used to stroll with Miku, this street had fewer people and a more limited variety of snacks. Here and there, he spotted land developers negotiating with shop owners about selling conditions.

As his gaze swept down the street, one particularly bustling restaurant caught his eye.

"Restaurant Yukihira? Huh? Yukihira?" Daiki's expression froze in surprise.

An old man walking behind him noticed Daiki staring at the signboard.

"Haha, don't let the sign fool you! Let me tell you, the food at this restaurant is the best on the entire shopping street! Even some fancy hotels can't match the deliciousness of their cuisine. If it weren't for the out-of-the-way location, this place would be even more packed!"

Daiki snapped back to reality and followed the old man into the restaurant.

At the kitchen stove stood a red-haired young man with a scar on his left eyebrow, expertly tossing ingredients in a wok. The explosive aroma of his cooking permeated the entire restaurant.

Behind the red-haired youth was a man with a burly build and strong arms. His expression seemed gentle, yet there was a hidden sharpness to it.

"Boss, the usual for me. And I've brought a new customer — don't let me down, alright?" The old man announced cheerfully as he entered.

"No problem, I'll make sure to satisfy the customer! The menu's right here, feel free to order anything you like." Joichiro Yukihira glanced over quickly, then turned back with a hearty laugh.

Soma Yukihira eyed Daiki confidently. When it came to culinary skills, he'd yet to meet anyone his age who could match him.

This self-assurance came naturally to him.

"I'll have a bowl of egg fried rice and a plate of grilled squid." Daiki said, glancing at the menu.

"Coming right up!" Soma finished the order he was working on and immediately started on the egg fried rice.

Though Daiki knew little about cooking, the sight before him was captivating. He watched as Soma skillfully cracked eggs, their golden yolks cascading over plump rice grains, dancing in the flames.

Soma then grabbed his kitchen knife and began finely chopping ingredients. His knife work was precise and powerful, the blade's rhythm against the chopping board creating a beautiful melody.

Clang!

Suddenly, the kitchen knife's handle broke. The rhythmic chopping ceased abruptly.

"Ah, damn..." Soma muttered, momentarily stunned. He turned to his father and said, "Old man, My knife broke."

"You've been using it since you were little. It's done well to last this long" Joichiro replied, "Pay attention, you brat! Are you trying to ruin my reputation?"

He swiftly took over, finishing the egg fried rice.

Soma scratched his head helplessly, at a loss for what to do next.

"Why don't you give it to me?"

The sudden voice startled him.

Looking up, he realized Daiki was standing beside him, though he hadn't noticed his approach.

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