"Very well, since Kenjaku-sensei also says the theory is sound, all that remains is what we should do. Kenjaku-sensei, in your hands..."
"...do you have any Curse Users related to 'creation'? I really need one."
Kenjaku thought for a moment and suddenly smiled.
"There actually is," he said.
Jogo, who was most obsessed with becoming stronger, immediately cast a burning gaze toward Kenjaku, his single eye filled with eagerness.
Kenjaku rubbed his chin and smiled.
"Among sorcerers, there is a famous dark artisan named Juzo Kumiya. If I remember correctly, his Innate Technique is Construction, which can create tools that do not exist in this world."
Mahito revealed a bright smile and asked,
"Then, Kenjaku-sensei, can you bring him before me?"
Kenjaku exhaled slowly, revealing his usual smile.
"As you wish, Mahito."
June 2018.
Sugisawa Third High School, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture. Night.
"Ryomen Sukuna's finger, what is that?" Miyuki asked.
Honestly, having to go on a mission after only about two weeks of contact made her want to complain, but looking at the fact that there were only two first-year high school students in the entire Tokyo Jujutsu High, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
She deeply understood how scarce Jujutsu Sorcerers were in Japanese society.
It was said that there were only two schools in all of Japan, with a total of about ten students, including her.
With the current frequency of curse-related disasters, it was no wonder even first-year students had to go on missions.
"It's probably the most famous Special Grade cursed object. First-years probably haven't learned about it yet?"
Fushiguro Megumi walked forward with a frown.
Fushiguro Megumi was Miyuki's only classmate.
He wore the black uniform of Tokyo Jujutsu High, with buttons engraved with the jujutsu emblem.
He had black hair, but because it was very coarse, it flared out uncontrollably, making him look like he had a hedgehog on his head.
On the surface, he looked like a cool upperclassman, and he did indeed always wear a keep away face, but Miyuki knew he was a very kind person.
Whenever she couldn't find a teacher, as long as he was around, he would always patiently answer her questions about jujutsu.
For example, right now, he explained quite patiently:
"Cursed objects generally refer to indestructible curses. These types of curses have physical forms and can even be observed with the naked eye by non-sorcerers. They are usually imbued with powerful, toxic Cursed Energy, which is why they disperse weaker curses—needless to say, this is a dangerous practice."
Miyuki responded thoughtfully:
"Using a powerful curse to disperse weaker ones is indeed an effective method, but it also exposes the location of the powerful curse. Some powerful Cursed Spirits might be attracted to it, or the cursed object might break through the seal if it isn't maintained in time..."
Fushiguro Megumi nodded slightly.
"Exactly. Among these cursed objects, Ryomen Sukuna's fingers are considered the highest grade. Never mind the seal being broken; even if the seal is perfectly maintained, the curse emitted by Ryomen Sukuna's finger will constantly erode the outside world. In short, these Special Grade cursed objects must be handled properly as soon as they are discovered."
"That's also why we're here," Fushiguro Megumi concluded.
Miyuki nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, I understand!"
Fushiguro Megumi exhaled slowly and comforted her.
"But don't worry, this finger of Ryomen Sukuna should be in a well-sealed state, as long as we're on time..."
Fushiguro Megumi's words trailed off.
He opened the sealing location of Ryomen Sukuna's finger, his pupils dilating.
"Are you kidding me?" he whispered.
Miyuki craned her neck to look at the sealing location—it was the school's Stevenson screen.
Usually, a Stevenson screen is a radiation-shielded device used by meteorological stations to house instruments for measuring air temperature, but here it was actually being used to house a Special Grade cursed object.
Honestly, it was a bit of a dark joke.
What was even more of a dark joke was—
Miyuki swallowed hard.
"Fushiguro-kun, if a Special Grade cursed object is lost, that's a pretty serious matter, right?"
—It was empty inside.
"Serious beyond imagination," Fushiguro Megumi replied, immediately taking out his phone.
Miyuki suddenly felt a cold wind.
She looked around like a startled fawn.
If it were before she joined Jujutsu High, she definitely wouldn't have noticed, but now she could observe traces of Cursed Energy with the naked eye.
Shifting her visual focus, she saw the state of her surroundings clearly.
She swallowed again.
"Fushiguro-kun, I think we're surrounded."
Fushiguro Megumi glanced out of the corner of his eye and said casually,
"Ignore them."
Just as Miyuki said, there were an unexpected number of Cursed Spirits in this school, and quite a few powerful ones too.
They had likely gathered because of Ryomen Sukuna's finger, but due to the seal, they could only sense its presence without finding it.
Thus, they were just aimlessly loitering here, unwilling to leave for a long time.
Because a powerful source of curses was drawing them, they wouldn't attack people until they found it—unless, of course, someone deliberately attacked them to get their attention.
Fushiguro Megumi knew what he was doing.
Right now, the target wasn't these small fries.
Once Ryomen Sukuna's finger was dealt with, these spirits would naturally disperse.
Even if they didn't disperse, it wouldn't be too late to deal with them then.
"Megumi, how's the mission going?"
Suddenly, the phone rang, and Gojo Satoru's voice came through.
"It's terrible."
Fushiguro Megumi had no intention of making small talk and immediately reported the situation.
"The Special Grade cursed object was already gone when we arrived. The Stevenson screen is empty."
"Huh? Really? A Special Grade cursed object disappeared? That's hilarious, ahahaha."
"I'm going to punch you."
"Don't come back until you've recovered it," Gojo Satoru said heartlessly.
I'm really going to punch him next time, Fushiguro Megumi thought seriously.
"M-Megumi-kun," Miyuki said tremulously.
"A student at the school probably took it without knowing any better," Gojo Satoru mused. "Aren't kids these days all like that? They like weird things and chase urban legends. Go check if there's an Occult Research Club or some student group like that. If there is, it's probably them."
Fushiguro Megumi nodded to himself.
In fact, that was his thought as well.
Unlike in the past, when elders passed down taboos from generation to generation and both youths and children listened to them—though old-fashioned and impersonal, it effectively reduced the occurrence of curses in a society with actual supernatural abilities.
But would today's youth listen to such things?
The pursuit of excitement was deeply ingrained in children's hearts.
They were willing to engage with these dangerous urban legends to show off their uniqueness and courage.
"M-Megumi-kun," Miyuki's voice was shrill, like the prelude to a scream.
"Can I seek help from the school's administration?" Fushiguro Megumi pondered with a frown. "Maybe I can just go to the school during the day to find someone—"
"You're not allowed to reveal the existence of the jujutsu world. Other than that, do as you wish," Gojo Satoru said dismissively.
"Are you joking? Do you think I can just walk into the principal's office, make up a random reason, and have them cooperate?"
Fushiguro Megumi's anger burned quietly.
"I need at least one plausible reason to give. With just empty words, I won't even get past the school's security guard!"
"If you want to complain, talk to the old geezers at the top," Gojo Satoru said, once again showing the coldness of an adult as he exploited Fushiguro Megumi. "You know the rules. It doesn't matter to me, but if it's you, they won't show any mercy. You wouldn't want your sister to be unable to afford her hospital stay, would you?"
"Enough!"
Fushiguro Megumi really wanted to hang up.
"M-Megumi-kun!"
At this point, Miyuki's voice finally cracked.
She kept backing away until her back hit Fushiguro Megumi's.
He looked at Miyuki impatiently, but suddenly his impatient expression froze, like a statue in a gallery.
On the other end of the phone, Gojo Satoru said as if he had just remembered,
"Oh right, if the Special Grade object is gone, you'll need to be careful. Miyuki-chan's body is a bit special—she's the type that easily attracts the attention of spirits. If they can't find the cursed object as a source, they might use Miyuki-chan as a substitute."
Fushiguro Megumi roared,
"You're too late!"
At this moment, the shadowy Cursed Spirits had already surrounded Fushiguro Megumi and Miyuki.
Cold sweat poured down Miyuki's forehead.
She raised her fists, unsure of what stance to take to face the enemy.
This was her first actual combat; nervousness made her emotions fluctuate, and anxiety and dread almost swallowed her whole in an instant, especially with so many Cursed Spirits staring at her with greedy eyes.
Fushiguro Megumi hung up the phone and formed a hand sign with his shadows.
He said calmly,
"Perfect timing. Miyuki, your practical combat lesson has arrived."
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