The curse nest had somehow become less of a battlefield—
and more of a disaster-themed snack exchange.
Cursed spirits kept pouring from the forest endlessly.
Shrieking.
Howling.
Attacking from every direction.
And in the middle of it—
Takeru and Geto were casually ranking flavors.
Another curse exploded apart in Takeru's hands.
An orb dropped into his palm.
He bit into it immediately.
Crunch.
His eyes widened.
"YO."
He snapped the orb cleanly in half and tossed one side to Geto.
"That was FIRE."
Geto caught it smoothly mid-combat and ate it without hesitation.
Crunch.
A pause.
"…Strawberry soda."
"RIGHT!?"
Another curse lunged toward Geto.
He absorbed it instantly.
Orb.
Crunch.
Then Geto tossed half toward Takeru.
"…Try this one."
Takeru caught it.
Ate it.
"…OH THAT'S LEMON."
The younger students stared in absolute disbelief.
"…They have become food critics," Megumi muttered.
Yuji pointed aggressively.
"THEY ARE REVIEWING CURSES."
Nobara looked horrified.
"How are they alive."
Meanwhile—
the two Special Grades kept fighting effortlessly while exchanging orb flavors.
Takeru dodged a massive cursed claw.
Black Flash.
Orb.
Crunch.
"…Orange cream."
Geto exorcised another curse with a swarm.
Orb.
Crunch.
"…Coffee."
Takeru suddenly pointed dramatically.
"WAIT."
Geto looked over while casually tearing apart another curse.
"What?"
"The blue ones are AMAZING."
Another orb appeared in Takeru's hand.
Bright blue cursed energy swirled inside it.
"Trade you brown for blue orbs, Geto."
A pause.
"Brown is coffee."
Geto nodded immediately.
"Deal."
They swapped orbs mid-fight like professional traders.
Meanwhile curses were still actively trying to kill them.
One cursed spirit leapt toward Takeru—
only for him to sidestep casually while drinking what was apparently now a "ramune-flavored" orb.
Another attacked Geto—
and got absorbed before it could even touch him.
Tiny Yuji watched in horror.
"…They optimized curse eating."
Tiny Takeru nodded solemnly.
"…This is evolution."
Hakari was barely standing from laughter now.
"I can't breathe anymore."
Kirara shook her head slowly.
"…They turned trauma into a snack bar."
Even Nanami looked spiritually exhausted.
"…I'm watching psychological adaptation happen in real time."
Sukuna crossed his arms from nearby, strangely amused.
"…Pathetic."
A beat.
"…But efficient."
Then Takeru suddenly gasped again.
"GETO."
"…What now."
"The red ones taste like fruit punch."
Silence.
Geto immediately killed another curse.
"…Find more."
And so—
while the others fought seriously—
while cursed spirits screamed through the forest—
while the younger students questioned reality itself—
Takeru and Geto casually snack-traded their way through an entire cursed infestation.
One curse at a time.
One flavor at a time.