Megumi Fushiguro never expected to encounter the missing Kiyotaka Ijichi here, and, most importantly, that Ijichi had actually become a Cursed Spirit.
At that moment, Megumi remembered what Satoru Gojo had once told him:
"If you fight a Curse User and the battle must end in their death, you must remember to use a Cursed Technique to finish them off."
At the time, Megumi hadn't understood and had asked Gojo,
"Why? Is it to completely eradicate evil?"
Gojo had shaken his head and explained to him:
"No. If you don't, and a Jujutsu Sorcerer dies from non-Cursed Energy causes—like blood loss or severe injury—they will transform into a Cursed Spirit after death."
The memory ended there. Megumi was shocked. Senior Ijichi was only an assistant officer; he wasn't a full Jujutsu Sorcerer. This rule shouldn't have applied to him, right? Could there be another way to turn a human into a Cursed Spirit?
It was because Megumi had been momentarily distracted during the fight that the strike from Playful Cloud failed to eliminate Cursed Spirit Ijichi directly. While he was dazed, Ijichi's mouth began chanting rapidly again. Gritting his teeth, Megumi enhanced his strength with Cursed Energy and severed Cursed Spirit Ijichi's head completely with a single swing of his staff.
"Sorry..."
Because Kiyotaka Ijichi's talent was limited, even after becoming a Cursed Spirit, he hadn't developed strong self-awareness or gained a massive power boost like Naoya did in the original story. He had merely adapted the Veil he was skilled at into a Cursed Technique, becoming a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit capable of using techniques.
Megumi looked at Ijichi's corpse with a complicated expression. Like other Cursed Spirits, it was gradually vanishing from the world. This was solid proof that Ijichi was no longer human.
At that moment, Nobara rushed into the room.
"I finally made it! When I first reached the door, something seemed to be blocking me. Only you and the Divine Dog got in. I tried for a long time but couldn't break that invisible barrier. I even felt fluctuations of Cursed Energy—I almost thought you'd been Spirited Away too."
Holding her hammer in one hand and three nails in the other, Nobara cautiously scanned the surroundings while explaining what had just happened.
But Megumi hadn't yet shaken off the heavy feeling that weighed on him, even though no trace of Kiyotaka Ijichi remained on the floor. He had known Ijichi for a long time. Before joining Jujutsu High, when Gojo took him on missions, Ijichi often acted as their contact.
The image of Ijichi's burned, twisted face overlapped in Megumi's mind with the kind senior he had known, stirring a deep sense of guilt and sin.
Ultimately, Megumi decided not to tell Akira Nitta or Nobara about Ijichi—not only because the matter was too heavy, but also because there was a lingering sense of conspiracy in the situation.
Seeing Megumi ignore her, Nobara raised her voice in annoyance.
"Hey! Why aren't you saying anything? Your soul hasn't been snatched away by some 'Spirited Away' event, has it?"
"You're noisy. Don't shout during a mission; it could cause unnecessary trouble," Megumi replied sharply.
Hearing this, Nobara realized the mission wasn't over yet and immediately became alert again. Megumi, lifting the still-unconscious hostage onto his shoulder, explained,
"It's already over. The opponent was likely a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit capable of using barriers. I've dealt with it."
Nobara stomped her foot in frustration.
"Damn it, I didn't even get a chance to show off!"
Megumi recalled the incident with Ijichi and said with displeasure,
"Do you think I wanted this kind of opportunity?"
Nobara was stunned. It was the first time she'd heard Megumi speak in such a tone, and she wondered if she'd said something wrong.
Later, Gojo walked out of the room where Yuji Itadori was confined and addressed Megumi, who had been waiting nearby.
"Let's go. We'll talk in my office."
"Yeah," Megumi replied, glancing once more at the talisman-covered door that confined Yuji. He asked,
"Is it really okay to lock Itadori up like that?"
"I don't agree with the old Higher-Ups' methods, but given the current complex situation, it's better for Itadori to stay quiet for a while," Gojo replied.
As Gojo spoke, memories of recent events flashed through his mind, centering on Nanami's body, which still couldn't be fully pieced together.
After entering Gojo's office and closing the door, Gojo asked seriously,
"You didn't tell anyone else about this, right?"
Megumi shook his head.
"I didn't inform Akira Nitta or Nobara of the details. They only know that I handled a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit capable of using Barrier Techniques."
Gojo sat back, staring at the ceiling with a deep breath. Ijichi had gone missing, become a Cursed Spirit, and was exorcised by Megumi? The absurdity of the situation was even more troublesome than finding Ijichi's corpse.
From Gojo's perspective, Ijichi wasn't a sorcerer, so the usual rule about a Jujutsu Sorcerer's death leading to Cursed Spirit transformation shouldn't apply. Excluding that possibility left only one conclusion: there must be another method—either a Cursed Technique or something else—that could turn a human into a Cursed Spirit. This realization was world-shattering.
There was also the question of identity. If such a transformation preserved self-awareness, would the individual remain human or become a Cursed Spirit?
The room fell silent for a minute before Gojo straightened in his chair and asked Megumi seriously,
"I know I've asked this before, but I need to confirm: are you certain the Cursed Spirit you saw was Kiyotaka Ijichi, and not an illusion caused by fatigue or a Cursed Technique?"
Megumi answered seriously,
"Although I wish it weren't Senior Ijichi, I'm certain. That was him."
Gojo let out a long sigh and said firmly,
"I understand. Leave this matter to me. For the mission report, write it according to what you told Nobara and Akira Nitta."
"Understood," Megumi replied. Seeing Gojo's exhaustion, he left the room silently.
Gojo remained seated for a long time, realizing he might not find the answer alone, but also knowing the truth couldn't be spread, as it would cause unnecessary panic. He then took out his phone and dialed a number.
A woman's voice answered:
"How rare. You're actually taking the initiative to contact me."
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