章 7: Chapter 7: Not Enough Cursed Spirits? Then Bring Sorcerers
[T/N: 🎉 Shoutout to Tobias Sinkewicius for joining our patreon. Thank you.]
August, 2007.
The scorching sun, the incessant hum of cicadas.
[Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.]
Since Gojo Satoru's life-or-death battle with Toji, his ascent to becoming one of the strongest sorcerers had sparked terrifying changes in the evolution of cursed spirits.
Gojo Satoru, Suguru Geto, and Shoko Ieiri.
It was rare for the three classmates to sit down together these days.
Gojo Satoru and Suguru Geto were either exorcising cursed spirits or constantly rushing between missions to do so.
As for Shoko, being cherished by the higher-ups of the school meant she was spared from the bloody battles. Her unparalleled talent in utilizing Reverse Cursed Technique to heal others was something even Gojo himself couldn't achieve.
"Hey, aren't you the least bit curious about the Zen'in clan's ten-year-old head?"
"That little guy's bounty on the black market is already several times higher than yours."
Shoko asked, her voice muffled as she sucked on a lollipop, glancing at the figure floating cross-legged in mid-air.
"Hmm?"
Gojo blinked, momentarily surprised by Shoko's sudden curiosity, then replied truthfully, "Curious? A little, I guess."
"It's just that the kid's been holed up in the Zen'in clan and hasn't shown his face outside."
"As for his massive bounty..."
Gojo spun the straw in his drink, a playful tone creeping into his voice.
"A full billion yen. There's definitely another clan pulling the strings behind that."
"But..."
He turned to Shoko with a dramatic expression, "Why are you suddenly so interested in that kid? Don't tell me... you've developed a weird fetish?"
"Are you serious?"
"That brat's only eleven!"
Gojo exaggeratedly raised his hands in mock horror, pointing at Shoko with an over-the-top expression.
Gojo rubbed his chin thoughtfully and nodded as if solving a mystery. "No wonder you never confessed to the two handsome guys always around you. Turns out, Shoko, you're into... younger boys~?"
Shoko rolled her eyes dramatically and spat out two cold words, "You scum."
Gojo, the self-proclaimed scum, continued focusing on his meticulous control of cursed energy. Suguru Geto, on the other hand, grew more silent and withdrawn with each passing day, the dark circles under his eyes deepening.
As the peacemaker between the two strongest sorcerers, Shoko had noticed this change in Geto, which was why she had brought up a random topic to break the tension.
After all, the time the three of them spent together was becoming more and more rare...
The ten-year-old head of the Zen'in family, Zen'in Mirai, had been a hot topic in the jujutsu world for the past six months, with the buzz showing no signs of fading.
Whether it was his age or the steadily rising bounty on the black market, he was always at the center of attention.
"Geto, have you lost too much weight recently?"
Having teased Shoko enough, Gojo was about to express some concern for his other close friend.
But the sudden ringing of his phone interrupted their conversation.
"Moshi moshi~"
After ending the call, Gojo waved to his two friends with a mischievous grin, "Got a mission. Let's catch up next time~"
With that, he pushed up his sunglasses and turned away, leaving behind a carefree silhouette.
Leaning against the wall of the school building, hiding from the sun, Suguru Geto slowly lifted his head from the shadows.
Cursed spirits, like maggots, were endless.
Exorcise, absorb, exorcise... absorb.
Over and over again.
The taste of cursed spirits was akin to a rag that had wiped vomit—revolting, hard to swallow.
Watching Gojo walk away, the complexity on Geto's face flickered briefly.
'We used to be the "strongest." Now...'
'It's just him.'
The confusion in Suguru Geto's heart deepened.
———
At the entrance of the Zen'in family's Forbidden Vault.
Zen'in Maki and her younger sister, Mai, each carried a bento box as they stepped into the darkness beyond the doors.
Hearing the roars echoing from the depths, Mai timidly pressed against her sister's back.
"It's been over six months, and you still haven't gotten used to this?" Maki asked, slightly exasperated, turning her head to look at her tightly clinging sister.
For the past six months, Mirai, the nominal head of the Zen'in family, had spent almost all his time deep within the Forbidden Vault.
The task of delivering his meals had been forcibly assigned to the two sisters by their mother.
Having grown up in the Zen'in family, the sisters were mature for their age and understood their mother's intentions.
So, whenever Mirai became fully immersed in whatever he was doing, they made sure to time their deliveries precisely.
"A Grade 2 sorcerer, and you only managed to capture one Grade 2 cursed spirit?"
"I didn't expect you to capture something above your rank, but you couldn't even bring in a few more of the same grade?"
As the two sisters stepped into the underground chamber where cursed spirits were sealed, a cold voice drifted up from below.
"Family head, I—"
A voice, trembling with fear and panic, had barely started before it was abruptly cut off.
Realizing that there were outsiders present, the two girls froze for a moment, then cautiously lightened their steps and crept down the stairs.
Besides their mother, there was also their half-brother...
None of the other Zen'in family members treated them well.
After a few moments of walking through the darkness, the two girls finally took in the full scene of the basement. Their eyes widened in shock.
In Maki's line of sight, the Zen'in clan's elite sorcerer team, Hei, stood in formation.
Each of them held their hands behind their backs, their heads lowered, looking both respectful and slightly terrified.
At that moment, they no longer carried the arrogant air they typically displayed within the family. They seemed no different from servants who had committed a grave error.
Then there was the bisected corpse lying in a pool of blood. Maki had seen him before—it was one of the family's Grade 2 sorcerers.
Staring at the expressionless Mirai, who stood in the blood, Maki's mind flashed back to that fateful night six months ago.
Feeling a tug from behind, Maki turned to see her sister trembling, head lowered, her pale hand clutching Maki's clothing tightly.
Maki thought of something, gently set down the bento boxes, and pulled her frightened sister into her arms.
It wasn't Mai's fault for being scared. After all, she could see things that Maki couldn't—the room full of cursed spirits.
Brains, intestines, arms, legs. Grotesque, disfigured body parts of cursed spirits were piled up in every corner of the basement.
In Mai's view, the vast basement was unbearably crowded, resembling the depths of hell!
The sorcerers standing in line, hands behind their backs, saw the same terrifying scene in their minds.
None of them felt a shred of injustice for their colleague lying in the pool of blood. Over the past six months, they had come to understand their new family head's temperament.
Fail the task? Death.
In a bad mood? Maimed.
Resist or flee? A fate worse than death.
The void beside Mirai's shoulder opened up, and withered, tree-like hands gathered the cursed spirits scattered across the floor, pulling them into the darkness.
Moments later, the dried-up fingers pierced through the void once again, impaling the sorcerer's corpse at Mirai's feet and dragging it away.
The eerie chewing sounds that echoed from beside Mirai were unbearably loud in the empty basement!
Even a grown sorcerer would shudder at that terrifying noise, let alone a little girl like Mai.
Though Maki couldn't hear the sounds, she saw the body disappear into thin air.
"My pet doesn't just enjoy cursed spirits. It's also quite fond of sorcerers with strong cursed energy."
Mirai's cold gaze swept across the group of sorcerers. "Next time, if the numbers are lacking, I can always use your bodies to make up the difference."
Among the sorcerers were some ranked as Grade 1, but none dared to meet the boy's emotionless eyes. One by one, their faces twisted in fear as they lowered their heads, not daring to protest.
"Get out."
"A bunch of worthless fools. Don't disturb my meal."
To their ears, Mirai's cold reprimand sounded like the voice of an angel.
Suppressing the relief welling up inside them, the sorcerers carefully retreated, as if walking on thin ice.
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