The awkward silence from earlier was still hanging in the air like smoke.
Nobody had recovered from that moment yet.
Takeru stood near the arcade entrance, still a little off balance emotionally.
Then he exhaled.
"…Let's see for anymore?"
Yuji immediately tensed.
"…NO."
Megumi narrowed his eyes.
"…Don't."
Hakari pointed.
"…STOP SAYING IT LIKE THAT."
But Takeru was already looking past them.
Scanning.
Then—
he saw it.
A second cursed object.
Leaning against a wall near a vending machine like it had been casually discarded.
It pulsed.
Slow.
Heavy.
Familiar.
Takeru's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…Found one."
Sukuna immediately reacted inside him.
Ryomen Sukuna
"…You are not doing this again."
Takeru ignored him.
A smirk appeared.
Small.
Confident.
"…Bet."
Yuji's face went pale.
"…WAIT—"
Megumi reached forward.
"…DON'T—"
Hakari stepped in.
"…BRO—"
Too late.
Takeru dashed.
Not even hesitation.
Just straight acceleration.
He reached the object in a blink.
Grabbed it.
No inspection this time.
And immediately—
CHOMP.
Silence.
The entire arcade seemed to stop at once.
Machines froze mid-animation.
Even background music glitched slightly.
Yuji whispered:
"…He's doing it AGAIN."
Megumi's voice was flat.
"…This is becoming a pattern."
Hakari looked horrified.
"…WHY DOES HE KEEP EATING THEM?!"
Then—
Takeru stopped.
His body jerked slightly.
And again—
that half-second shift.
His posture changed.
His head tilted.
Something else briefly surfaced.
A voice came out.
Low.
Amused.
"…Ah."
Then—
snap.
Takeru snapped back.
"…Okay no."
He blinked rapidly.
"…That one was worse."
Yuji pointed.
"…WORSE?!"
Megumi sighed.
"…We are going to die here."
Fred slowly raised a sign near the arcade door:
"Warning: cursed object buffet."
Takeru rubbed his neck.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…Let's not do that again."
Sukuna muttered internally:
Ryomen Sukuna
"…Finally, some self-preservation."
Takeru turned around.
"…Probably."