Cursed Energy is a power system that relies entirely on negative emotions, which makes it a formless type of spiritual energy.
The Modern Era’s understanding of Cursed Energy was flawed, and so was Sukuna’s in his past life.
He grew up in a Shrine – where they adopted him after his mother abandoned him – which means that their teachings of Cursed Energy was very rudimentary, once they sensed the enormous amount hidden within Sukuna.
They believed Cursed Energy to be a test from Buddha of some sorts, which was also wrong, since Sukuna’s control over his own Cursed Energy did not come from believing in a man who sat down and achieved inner peace.
No, the very basic understanding of Cursed Energy itself contradicts that flawed theory.
His later understanding, coming from when he had grown up and already became the defacto ruler of the Heian Era, was that Cursed Energy worked like fire.
The more he fed it his hatred, the hotter and more powerful it grew.
That understanding had some truth to it, but it was also extremely flawed.
The Modern Era’s understanding of Cursed Energy was also no less flawed than his flame-theory, since they compared the power system to Electricity of all things.
Sukuna knew that this was what the Modern Era’s downfall was, ironically enough.
Despite all their superior knowledge, they couldn’t imagine themselves to be masters of Cursed Energy as he had, since no human in the Modern Era could control Electricity in itself.
Their imagination was what they were lacking, and by already making comparisons of their power to Electricity, they have already doomed themselves to become grade 2 or 1 at best.
Cursed Energy, over his understanding in this new life, grew from a hot furnace that he used to destroy his enemies, to a tool.
A tool that he could wield to obliterate anybody who stood in his way.
The simpler you thought, the more you gained.
It was truly amusing, Sukuna thought, as he sat down in his own room, a string of Cursed Energy floating from his finger.
He shaped the string into a tiny ball, then a stick, and finally turned it into an arrow.
Once he was done with his experiments, Sukuna stood up, walking outside of his room and being greeted by the sight of Inko about to knock on his door.
Her face looked pale and sweaty, making Sukuna raise an eyebrow in confusion.
“Mother, what’s wrong?” He’d ask, to which Inko replied in a quiet and stressed voice: “Your results, Sukuna..
They came in the mail today..
I was gonna hand it to you, but you just came out of your room on your own.” She explained, handing him a letter.
Sukuna looked down at it, before he mulled over for a bit.
‘Does she think I’m stressed?’ He thought, amused by his mother’s worry.
“Why don’t we both watch the hologram, mother?
Izuku can stay asleep in his own room for a bit.” He spoke, Inko nodded at him with a gulp, before entering Sukuna’s bedroom.
Once they were both settled in, Sukuna took out the hologram inside of the letter, placing it on his desk, as he wasted no time in opening the fascinating piece of technology this era produced.
Soon, a hologram of a mix-up between a rat and a bear appeared on top of the desk, sipping at some tea.
“Midoriya Sukuna, we are formally glad to accept you into our own school.
And I am firmly glad to assure you that you, no doubt, broke All Might’s previous record.
Topping off All Mights’s previous 200-point record, your results end at 350!
Hah, apologies for my excitement.
It’s just truly been too long since I’ve seen a case like yours.
Oh, and I hope you haven’t forgotten what we talked about after the exam, have you?
Disregarding that question, I myself welcome you into your hero academia!” And with that, the hologram disintegrated.
Sukuna blinked in surprise, since he didn’t know that technology could do that.
Were there truly no sorcerers in this new reality as well?
Shaking his head, Sukuna cleared his thought, as he looked to his side and saw his mother, Inko, absolutely beaming at him with a smile so bright that it nearly lit up his entire room.
She tackled him in a hug so tight that Sukuna swore his ribs cracked, which was an impressive feat from his mother.
“My boy, all grown up and about to become a hero!” Inko shouted, her tears of relief sticking to Sukuna’s shirt.
He himself smiled, looking at his mother with affection.
“Did you have any doubt?
I mean, IT is me after all.” Inko chuckled at his words, wiping her tears with her hands, as she slapped him playfully on his arm.
“Yeah, I guess that I was so worried that I forgot how strong my own son was.
I’m gonna go and make Katsudon now, since our very own hero deserves a reward.” Inko gave him a softer smile this time, getting up and leaving for the kitchen.
Once she left, Sukuna sighed, remembering how his conversation with his future teachers went…
______________________ Sukuna, annoyed at being called out by the teachers, wanted nothing to do but go home.
Too bad, he was already being guided to the observation room by the perpetually tired hobo.
“Shota Aizawa, I’m gonna be your teacher for your first year.” The hobo suddenly spoke, looking at Sukuna with crimson eyes that matched his own in intensity.
Sukuna blinked, looking back at him.
“You’re a hero?
I guess that makes sense.” A tick mark formed on his future teachers forehead, before he sighed and let it go.
Once they arrived at the observation room, Sukuna studied the many heroes around, and the only heroine, who looked at him with a gaze that reminded him of a certain Yorozu..
Sukuna quickly looked away from Midnight, his thoughts already full of panic.
‘God damn it, not another one!’ Nezu, clearing his throat, clapped his hands and looked at Sukuna with eyes that gleamed in the dark.
“Midoriya Sukuna, yes?
We would like to question you about one thing only.
Your quirk registry file only stated that you could enhance yourself with Cursed Energy.
Where did the flames and the slashes come from?” He asked in a cheerful tone, although if one looked deeper into it, the tone hid a deep suspicion.
“It’s simple.
Those are a byproduct of my Cursed Techniques.” Sukuna spoke, making the rat-bear thing blink in confusion.
Seeing similar expressions on his future teachers’ faces, Sukuna continued to explain further with a bored tone.
“Cursed Energy is a quirk formed from negative emotions, Cursed Techniques are a byproduct of Cursed Energy, in which one can rely on luck to get one at all.
There can be a person born only with Cursed Energy, while another person can be born with it and a Cursed Technique.
A Cursed Technique is like a pseudo-quirk in its own, mine in particular allowing me to cut anything I want and control flames once I fulfill a set of conditions.” His explanation was met by silence, mostly stunned silence, as the rat-bear thing was the only one who was mulling it over.
“So,” ‘He’ began to speak slowly.
“You have multiple quirks, basically?” He asked, looking at Sukuna, no longer with faked cheerfulness nor hidden suspicion, only fascination was left in its eyes.
“In essence, yes.” Was Sukuna’s reply.
The rat-bear thing chuckled, before he spoke again.
“Alright, thank you for the clear up.
You may go now.” And that was how Sukuna left the observation room, not caring about the reactions of anybody around him.
____________________ Lights flickered above, as a deep, raspy and powerful voice spoke.
“Doctor Garaki?
To what do I owe the pleasure of having you visit?” The room they were in kept flickering, as the image of a man sitting down in a chair came into view.
His head was clearly disfigured, having no eyes nor hair, yet a special set of equipment rested nearby, helping him breathe audibly.
“I’ve brought you the latest footage from the U.A entrance exam, you might find a suitable canditate to steal a quirk from if you watch.” The doctor grinned, showcasing the footage of a certain dark-haired boy with four eyes.
All for One, the proclaimed “dead” demon lord, leaned forward in his seat, anticipation flashing on his features, as he rested a hand on his chin.