In the hotel room, the TV screen was brightly lit.
Displayed on the screen was the scene of Yuji, Kento Nanami, Megumi, and Junpei walking through the gates of the high school.
Hajime Kashimo sat on the bed, wearing a bathrobe, his back leaning against the headboard. He held a large bucket of popcorn in both hands and wore a pair of sunglasses on his face—looking exactly like an audience member here to watch a blockbuster movie premiere.
Kenjaku sat in the chair next to him, arms crossed, staring at Hajime Kashimo for a while...
Was this guy the biggest glutton from four hundred years ago!
From just now until this very moment, he had already eaten over a dozen pieces of fried chicken, countless hamburgers, and numerous snacks including potato chips and chocolate bars. Now he was eating popcorn.
If he was allowed to keep eating like this for a few months, he could easily eat through an entire family's fortune.
"Food like this was very rare four hundred years ago. Furthermore, this incarnated body hasn't eaten anything in twenty years. Can't I replenish myself a little?"
Hajime Kashimo noticed Kenjaku's gaze.
"Hehe. Back to the main topic. Kenjaku—I am somewhat curious. Why didn't you send me to meet that Sukuna's vessel this time?"
Hajime Kashimo raised an eyebrow.
"Instead, you released a cursed spirit?"
"The effect of that cursed spirit is very special. Its abilities have been subjugated and enhanced by my Cursed Spirit Manipulation, and then secondarily strengthened by Shanmei's innate technique. It is absolutely not a simple Yin-Yang Reversal."
"Originally, the strength of this curse was very weak, so it could rarely be used in critical situations. But after the secondary enhancement, its strength has risen by several tiers."
"As for Kento Nanami and the other two sorcerers—they will be blocked by the Death Painting Wombs."
"Although your strength, Hajime Kashimo, is greater than Yuji Itadori's—if you were to go, Sukuna might be released. And that is not my goal."
Kenjaku believed that during the battle with Jogo, Sukuna must have formed some kind of Binding Vow with Yuji. Allowing Sukuna to gain more control over the body was indeed a good thing, but Kenjaku did not want Sukuna to fully resurrect right now. In his plan, Sukuna had to resurrect during the Culling Game to provide cursed energy for the barriers.
It was just that Kenjaku never expected...
Sukuna had only traded for the right to control the body for two hours at night to play video games.
"Hehe. So pretentious."
Hajime Kashimo commented while wearing his sunglasses.
"What we need to do is not to beat Yuji Itadori to the ground, but to make him defect to our side. After all, leaving a combat asset like him at Jujutsu High is too troublesome."
Furthermore, a combat asset like Hajime Kashimo shouldn't easily show his face at Jujutsu High—otherwise it would affect his plan to seal Satoru Gojo.
"Just wait and see."
Kenjaku said with a smile.
"You're just spouting nonsense. That's not the main point at all."
Hajime Kashimo rolled his eyes at him.
If Sukuna could be resurrected, everything else would be easy to handle.
But for some reason, Kenjaku didn't want to do this immediately.
Yuji's group arrived at the school gate. The pink-haired boy's gaze fell on a stretcher being loaded into an ambulance nearby.
The young jujutsu sorcerer on the stretcher had his eyes tightly closed. His face was pale, as if his soul had been sucked away by something. Occasionally he let out incoherent mumbles.
"This is the fifth one. Ijichi just reported to me that their symptoms are all identical: complete loss of consciousness and chaotic cursed energy within the body, but absolutely no physical trauma."
"It's almost as if the connection between their soul and body was forcibly severed by something."
Kento Nanami adjusted his glasses, his expression solemn.
"The intensity of this battle might far exceed any previous ones. Fushiguro-kun, Yoshino-kun—you two try to stay close to me."
As for Yuji, given his strength, Kento Nanami would probably be the one receiving his protection instead.
Yuji nodded, his expression serious.
Although the money-giving boy Kenjaku had dropped a Sukuna finger on the campus—meaning he would get another power boost after eating it—the pink-haired boy was still very concerned about the safety of the ordinary civilians.
"Let's go."
Kiyotaka Ijichi in the rear had already set up the Curtain. Kento Nanami led the group through the wide main gate. Ahead was a giant flowerbed, flanked by massive school buildings.
Wherever they looked, the figures of several low-level curses could already be seen.
"Such a dense cursed aura..."
Megumi walked at the very back, his hands in his pockets, his sea-urchin hair motionless in the night breeze.
"And there's also the aura of Sukuna's finger."
Yuji took a deep breath. "I can feel it. There's at least one... no, maybe more."
"...Can you sense the exact location, Itadori-kun?"
"No. The residual cursed energy nearby is too chaotic."
"Then we'll follow the path and clear out all the low-level curses first, and then figure out a way to deal with that Special Grade curse whose location is unknown."
"But before that—"
Kento Nanami turned his head and looked at Junpei, whose face was covered in cold sweat.
"Yoshino-kun, are you alright?"
Kento Nanami asked.
"Ah? I—I'm fine!"
Junpei quickly puffed out his chest, trying hard to squeeze out a smile.
"It's just... this is my first time encountering a mission of this level. I'm a bit nervous..."
"That's completely normal. Just stay close to Itadori-kun later."
Kento Nanami nodded and didn't say anything more.
Yuji raised his hand and patted Junpei's shoulder.
"It's okay. I'm here."
Junpei looked up into Yuji's amber eyes. Those clear eyes of the boy always revealed a reassuring feeling.
"...Yeah."
Junpei took a deep breath.
"I feel a bit better."
"That's good."
Yuji turned his head. Unlike the incident at the juvenile detention center, this campus not only had the Special Grade curse dropped by Kenjaku, but also his eldest brother Choso and the other brothers—and even Sukuna's fingers.
In other words, in the worst-case scenario, they would have to face attacks from more than five Special Grade curses.
Kento Nanami walked at the very front of the formation to clear the path, the blonde man holding his bandage-wrapped blunt sword in his right hand.
Several low-level bug curses lunged at them as they advanced, but these low-level curses clearly couldn't do anything to the group.
SLASH—
A reptile-like curse was cleaved in half down the middle by Kento Nanami. The black bodily fluids splashed onto the ground, making a sizzling corrosive sound.
Megumi's Divine Dog and Junpei's Moon Dregs also provided cover for the blonde man on both flanks. The two shikigami completely cleared out the curses attempting sneak attacks.
Yuji followed behind Kento Nanami, his gaze constantly scanning the surroundings. Junpei walked in the middle, while Megumi brought up the rear.
About ten minutes had passed. So far, everything was perfectly normal, but the chaotic residual cursed energy affected their judgment, so that Special Grade curse still hadn't been found.
"There's a corner ahead. Be careful."
Kento Nanami warned.
The four arrived at the corridor of a school building. At the end of the corridor was a window, moonlight spilling in through it. On both sides were rows of classroom doors with signs reading "Class 1-A," "Class 1-B," and the like. To the side was a corner leading to the stairs going up and down.
"Understood."
The moment Yuji nodded in agreement, Kento Nanami stepped into the corner first—briefly disappearing from the sight of the other three.
Yuji followed.
But just as he reached the stairwell and looked ahead, he suddenly realized that both the stairs leading up and the stairs leading down were completely empty.
Kento Nanami had disappeared.
"Nanami-san?"
"Hey, Nanami-san!"
Yuji called out. His voice echoed in the empty corridor, but there was no response.
Yuji's pupils shrank violently. He turned around and looked at Junpei and Megumi behind him.
Shock was written all over their faces as well.
"How is that possible?"
Could it be that the residual cursed energy around here affected my judgment? How could Nanami-san be taken away right before my eyes for no reason?
Yuji was rich in combat experience. He narrowed his eyes and quickly calmed down.
Nanami-san is a very strong Grade 1 sorcerer. Although he's temporarily been taken away, he definitely won't be in danger in the short term.
He thought of those jujutsu sorcerers who were carried away on stretchers at the school gate.
It's impossible for a curse to take a person away right from under his nose. Yuji deduced that the phenomenon just now might be the effect of that Special Grade curse's innate technique.
It wasn't just the Yin-Yang Reversal that Mechamaru mentioned. The technique of this curse very likely combined mental suggestion, binding, and teleportation.
Otherwise, with Kento Nanami's strength, if he wasn't bound by something, it would be impossible to take him away silently.
Unlike the attacks from Mahito, Hanami, and Jogo—the cursed spirit Kenjaku dropped this time was a Special Grade specifically targeting their four-man group. The opponent clearly came prepared.
You've got some skills, Kenjaku.
Yuji's gaze sharpened. It seemed that if he wanted to eat Sukuna's fingers inside the school this time, it wouldn't be as easy as before.
I accept this challenge.
In a corner of the school.
Behind the bushes, a golden figure was crouching on the ground. The hem of his black haori dragged in the dirt. His face was still wrapped in bandages.
Naoya Zenin.
The genius of the Zenin Clan! The rising star! The next head of the Zenin Clan! The user of Projection Sorcery! The legendary massage master! Top ten Grade 1 jujutsu sorcerers of 2008! Toji Fushiguro's most steadfast supporter! The man who dreamed of standing shoulder to shoulder with Satoru Gojo!
At this moment, despite his severe injuries not yet healed, he not only ignored the doctor's orders but actively came here after hearing about Yuji's mission.
The blonde man gritted his teeth, staring at that retreating back through the gaps in the bushes. The flames of humiliation and anger burned in his eyes.
Yuji Itadori...
He gnashed his teeth as he recited this name in his heart.
You made me pee my pants in front of everyone. Making me, Naoya Zenin, lose all my face...
I will definitely take revenge for this.
Wait until I find an opportunity. Wait until you fall into my hands...
I will let you know what it means to wish for death!
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