Chương 33: The Cursed Womb
"Our window confirmed the existence of the Cursed Womb approximately three hours ago," Ijichi, the Jujutsu Assistant Director, began explaining. "When the evacuation rate reached 90%, we sealed off the facility upon evaluating the scene. Residents within a radius of meters have also been evacuated."
Yuji, curious about the terminology, asked, "I have a question, Mr. Ijichi. What is a 'window'?"
"A window is authorized combat personnel who can confirm curses by sight," Ijichi explained. "However, they are not Jujutsu Sorcerers but operate under the name Supernatural Bureau of Investigation, a branch of Jujutsu High for the Public's eye. Personnel who can see curses can use Curse Tools, specifically Cursed Firearms, to combat at least Grade 4 Curses, and at most Grade 3. This department wouldn't exist if it weren't for the Senju Clan and directly the work of our God of Sorcerers."
"Woah, God? Is he a Special Grade too, Fushiguro?" Yuji asked, turning to his companion.
"Yes, the strongest," Megumi stated matter-of-factly.
Ijichi continued, "Allow me to explain further. Inside the dorm of this detention center, there are five prisoners left with the Cursed Womb. If the Cursed Womb manages to mutate, we predict that it will transform into a Special Grade Cursed Spirit."
The gravity of the situation began to sink in for Nobara and Megumi. While Nobara wore a cautious expression, Megumi maintained his usual relaxed, cool demeanor. Yuji, still grappling with the rankings, looked puzzled but determined.
"Hey, I still don't really get all this 'Special Grade' stuff," Yuji said, confusion evident on his face.
Ijichi responded with a sigh, ready to simplify things. "Well then… Let me explain it so that fools can understand."
He began listing the grades and their corresponding threat levels:
"Grade 4: A wooden bat will suffice.
Grade 3: You're probably safe with a gun, given if it's a cursed firearm.
Grade 2: Curses you'll barely make it with a shotgun.
Grade 1: A military tank will not even suffice.
Special Grade: It can theoretically destroy a nation, one city at a time. You'd need a carpet bombing to have the chance of killing it."
"Woah, that's dangerous," Yuji said, realizing the severity. "So...where's Gojo-sensei?" he asked, hoping their powerful mentor might be around to handle this.
"He's on a business trip," Ijichi replied. "In the first place, someone of his caliber wasn't supposed to be wasting time in a high school. Unfortunately, we're always understaffed in this line of business. Sorcerers often have to manage tasks way beyond their capabilities. However, this is an emergency case."
He turned his gaze to Yuji and Nobara, emphasizing the importance of the mission. "However, Megumi is enough for this mission, but Gojo said that the two of you should realize firsthand the dangers of a Special Grade."
Ijichi, clearly concerned, gave the final instructions. "If you encounter a Special Grade Cursed Spirit, your only choices are to escape or to die. Please heed your fears. Don't forget that your mission is to confirm and rescue any survivors."
A woman's desperate voice interrupted them from a distance. "Excuse me, about Tadashi… You can't do this! Please stand back!" She cried out, her voice breaking with emotion. "Tadashi… Is my son, Tadashi, all right?" she asked.
Ijichi responded with a firm but compassionate tone, "Please go back. It is suspected that someone has spread poison within the facility. No further information can be disclosed for the time being."
The woman began to sob, overwhelmed by grief. "How could it be? Why? Why is this happening?"
Yuji, driven by compassion, turned to his teammates. "Fushiguro. Kugisaki. Let's rescue them."
"Of course," Nobara replied, determination in her voice. Megumi remained silent, his expression serious and focused.
"I'll bring down the Curtain," Ijichi said as he began chanting, watching the trio disappear into the barrier.
Inside the Curtain, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
"Woah, it's becoming night," Yuji marveled, looking around.
"Night makes curses more likely to appear. The Curtain masks our fight from the outside world," Megumi explained. He then put his hands together, summoning his shikigami. "Tiger: Totality-Merged Beast Qirin." From Megumi's shadow, a massive white tiger emerged and lay prone. Yuji and Nobara petted the tiger, their spirits lifted by its presence.
"Let's go," Megumi said, leading the way as they entered the building.
Inside, the dormitory had expanded in size, creating a labyrinthine space that disoriented Yuji and Nobara.
"Where's the exit? Where's the exit?" they asked in a comical nature.
Megumi, however, was prepared for such tricks. "A domain," he thought, recognizing the signs of an incomplete Domain like his own. "An incomplete Domain like mine. That's good, that means this Cursed Spirit isn't that strong."
"Don't worry about the exit," Megumi said confidently as Qirin swiped its claws, revealing a hidden door. "It's just there."
"What a good boy! We'll be counting on you," Yuji said, petting the massive tiger.
"Give me all the jerkies here!" Nobara exclaimed, delighted at Qirin's assistance.
"Come on! Be serious!" Megumi scolded them lightly.
"Fushiguro, you're so reliable!" Yuji said. "With your help, we can save the survivors as well as ourselves!"
As they entered what seemed to be the main room, a complex of pipes and a pool surrounded them. There, they found the bodies of the former survivors. Yuji looked at the name on one of them, recognizing it instantly. "Tadashi Okazaki."
"I'm taking this body back," Yuji declared.
"What?" Megumi responded, surprised.
"He is that woman's son. His face is still recognizable. Telling her that he's dead without showing the body… of course, his mother couldn't accept it."
"We have to confirm the status of the remaining two people, so leave that body here," Megumi insisted.
"You're kidding! The path we came from disappeared! There's no chance of coming back later!"
"I'm not saying we're coming back! I'm saying we're leaving him here! I have no intention of bringing back a corpse of someone I never intended to save!"
Yuji was taken aback. "You didn't intend to save them? What do you mean?"
"This is a juvenile detention center. Jujutsu Sorcerers receive information on the crime scene in advance. Tadashi Okazaki… He was driving without a license and hit a young girl who was on her way home from school. And this is his second offense."
Yuji, incensed, responded, "You've always wanted to save civilians and point them to the right death. But what if the person you saved takes someone else's life later? Then why did you save me?"
"Stop it already! Jeez! What are you two doing? Are you fools? Consider the time and occasion--" Nobara's exasperated outburst was abruptly cut off as she was sucked into a portal.
"Kugisaki?" Yuji shouted, watching in horror as Nobara vanished.
Immediately, Qirin engaged in a fierce brawl with a four-eyed creature, exuding powerful Special Grade Cursed Energy. Yuji felt paralyzed by its intensity, but Megumi, accustomed to the formidable energies of his mentors, quickly shrugged it off and helped Yuji regain his bearings.
"Go find Kugisaki. I'll take it from here," Megumi instructed with calm authority.
Yuji hesitated. "What about you?"
"I'll be fine. This one's toast," Megumi assured, exuding confidence as he watched Qirin tear into the Finger Bearer.
Megumi summoned another shikigami, "Nue: Totality-Merged Beast Raiju." Small rabbits emitting lightning scattered in all directions. "Follow them. They will lead you to Kugisaki," Megumi directed. Yuji nodded and sprinted away, following the lightning rabbits into the corridors.
As Yuji disappeared, Megumi turned his focus back to the Finger Bearer, now missing several limbs and sporting a variety of severe injuries inflicted by Qirin. "Four eyes and not a shred of Cursed Technique," Megumi observed, noting how the creature relied solely on brute cursed energy.
"It's a Finger Bearer, a cursed spirit that managed to ingest Ryomen Sukuna's finger," Megumi mused as he watched the ongoing battle. The Finger Bearer struggled, but it was clear that it was no match for Qirin.
"Totality-Merged Beast Qirin can wrestle with the Divine General. It's Impossible to lose to such a low-quality Special Grade Cursed Spirit" Megumi thought, reassured by Qirin's dominance.
The Finger Bearer made a desperate attempt to launch a counterattack, but Qirin, with its superior strength and agility, easily outmaneuvered the cursed spirit. In a final, decisive move, Qirin clamped its powerful jaws around the Finger Bearer's neck, tearing it apart and ending the fight swiftly.
Megumi retrieved the Finger that revealed itself in the Corpse of the Cursed Spirit.
Megumi looked around and realized the domain hadn't fallen. "That's odd, the domain should dissipate...unless this wasn't the only Finger Bearer."
He called Qirin back to his side, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of another threat. His mind raced as he considered the implications. "If there's another Finger Bearer, we might be dealing with something more dangerous than we initially thought."
Meanwhile, Yuji reached Nobara, who was being held upside down by a grotesque Cursed Spirit. Her fierce eyes locked onto the spirit, her voice dripping with defiance. "I remember your face. I will curse you!" she spat.
Yuji's grip on his blade tightened. "Hang on, Nobara!" He charged forward, his blade gleaming with intent.
The Cursed Spirit, sensing the danger, shifted its grip on Nobara, ready to use her as a shield. But Yuji was faster. With a swift, calculated move, he severed the spirit's arm, freeing Nobara.
Nobara dropped to the ground, quickly regaining her footing. "Took you long enough, Itadori," she said, grabbing her hammer and nails.
Megumi scanned the area but found no signs of the second Finger Bearer. He cursed under his breath, "Shit, Kugisaki and Itadori!" He bolted towards the location of Raiju, his second summoned Shikigami.
Nobara and Yuji were clearing the cursed spirits with the help of Raiju, whose lightning easily exorcised them. However, the moment the last cursed spirit was exorcised, the multiple Raijus in the area were obliterated.
Since Raiju was one of only two merged beasts and significantly weaker than Qirin, which was designed for brawling, its sole use was reconnaissance.
Yuji and Nobara were frozen in fear. "Fushiguro should've been fighting that one...Move...Move...MOVE," Yuji thought as he struggled.
Nobara, too, was struggling to move. Yuji managed to retrieve the last Raiju that had hidden in his sleeve. "Kugisaki, run! This will lead you to Fushiguro. I'll hold it off," he said.
Without hesitation, Nobara grabbed Raiju and ran.
"There's no escaping anymore, since I'm this close. Hey, Sukuna, you'll die if I die, right? Help me if you don't want that!" Yuji thought to Sukuna inside him.
"I refuse. Even if I die in your body, I still have souls left. But what makes me angry is that I can't control this body. Feel free to swap if you want to, but... Instead of killing the cursed spirits, I'll kill that woman first. She's full of spirit, so I think I'll have fun with her. Next, I'll kill that kid," Sukuna threatened.
"I won't let you do that," Yuji replied.
"Guessed so. But if you keep talking to me, you will die," Sukuna said.
The Finger Bearer slingshotted cursed energy from its hands toward Yuji. Although Yuji managed to dodge it, his hand holding the blade was severed, and the blade was destroyed at the same time.
Yuji grabbed his belt and immediately used it as a tourniquet.
As Yuji attempted to attack, the Finger Bearer pummeled him across the room.
As his life flashed before his eyes, Yuji thought, "This seriously hurts. It feels terrible. Why would I… If I hadn't picked up the finger… If I hadn't eaten it… Back then… Stop! Don't think about it! No. I want to run away. I don't want to die. Even if I die here, is it considered a justified death? Stop thinking about it! Save others. Was I… really this weak? I overestimated myself. I thought I was strong enough to choose my own death. But in reality, I'm not. I'm too weak! I don't want to die! I don't want to! But… I still have to die. It's not about having a justified death."
"Don't be naive! No Jujutsu Sorcerer can die without remorse," Masamichi Yaga's words echoed in his mind. "Even so, you have to convince yourself that it's justified. Curses emerge from the negative emotions of human beings. If so, I'll use this hatred, fear, and regret. I'll release them all… into this fist of mine!" Yuji exclaimed as he focused his cursed energy into his fist and punched the Finger Bearer, who caught it but also hit him so hard that it rattled his world and knocked him out. "I'm sorry....Fushiguro."
At that moment, Yuji switched with Sukuna to save his life.
"This brat is really getting on my nerves," Sukuna said.
The moment he switched with Sukuna, the Finger Bearer felt the King of Curses' energy and trembled.
In the corridors, Megumi ran into Nobara.
"Kugisaki! Where's Yuji?" Megumi asked, looking at Nobara Kugisaki's varying injuries.
Megumi placed his hand on Nobara's shoulder and ran his Reverse Cursed Technique, easily healing her. "Thanks," Nobara said gratefully.
"If it's Yuji fighting alone, chances are Sukuna is going to come out," Megumi thought as he looked at Nobara. "Let's get you out of here. I'll rescue Yuji once you're safe."
Nobara nodded as Qirin slashed the space in front of them, and the exit materialized.
Outside, Megumi explained to Ijichi, "Please take Nobara back to Jujutsu High and expand the evacuation zone to 10 kilometers. If you plan to come back, if possible, bring one of my senseis."
"Good luck, Fushiguro," Ijichi said as he left in a hurry.
Megumi stood in the rain, Qirin lying prone on the floor, yawning, with the dragon in the sky as thunder rumbled.
Then it happened. "The Domain disappeared. That means the curse has died."
Instantly, Sukuna appeared in front of Megumi. In the original scenario, Sukuna would appear behind Megumi, but the existence of Qirin made it impossible. The moment Sukuna appeared, Qirin was already locked on, eyes never leaving the King of Curses.
"Too bad he's not coming back," Sukuna said as he eyed Qirin lying prone and the dragon in the sky.
"I'm in a good mood right now, so let's chat. This must be the price he's paying for using me without any restraint. He seems to be having some trouble switching back. But, well… It is only a matter of time. So… I thought about what I could do now," Sukuna said as he tore his shirt apart.
Then Sukuna took his heart out. "I'm going to take him hostage."
"Hostage?" Megumi asked.
"That's right. I can still live without this, but not the brat. If he switches with me, he'll die. And also… I'm doing this to make doubly sure," Sukuna said as he ate his second finger.
"Okay, I'm finally free. You can start to panic. I'm going to kill you," Sukuna threatened, but instead of fear, Megumi showed excitement.
"Not afraid, huh? You look like one of the numerous challengers I've had. Sadly, they too were dead," Sukuna said.
*BOOM!* A loud crash of thunder hit Sukuna's position.
*RRROAAR!* Qirin roared as it unleashed a torrential flood.
Megumi distanced himself, his eyes on Sukuna, the Dharma Wheel behind him.
"King of Curses, for the record, you aren't at your full strength, and from the words of my mentor, you don't want this smoke," Megumi said as he watched Sukuna fighting with Qirin, with parts of his skin slightly charred.
"Tsk, I must be rusty," Sukuna thought as he misjudged the power of the sorcerer in front of him.
"Cleave," Sukuna casted as Qirin was cut, but not enough to kill it. Qirin bit Sukuna by the shoulder as it threw him upwards towards the falling bolt of lightning sent down by Dragon.
Sukuna dodged it and immediately dashed towards Megumi, directly engaging him in combat, thinking that as a Sorcerer who specializes in Shikigami, Megumi must be less skilled at hand to hand combat.
Megumi threw a punch as Sukuna dodged it. "Dismantle," Sukuna sent a slash towards Megumi, hitting him, but he healed it using Reverse Cursed Technique.
Megumi grabbed Sukuna by the arm and slammed the King of Curses onto the ground.
He then stomped on Sukuna, sending him downwards.
Qirin, who arrived, directly entered the building and attacked. Sukuna caught Qirin by the jaws and directly cut the shikigami to cubes.
Thunder crashed onto the building as Sukuna dodged. He was about to attack Dragon up above, but Megumi attacked.
Megumi gave him a three-piece combo: a left, right, and uppercut.
Sukuna absorbed it and gave Megumi a headbutt, then grabbed his palm and delivered a backhand.
Megumi crashed into a building as Sukuna gave chase, knocking Megumi into multiple buildings. As Sukuna entered the building, a beam of energy greeted him. "Cero!" Megumi fired.
The fight between Sukuna and Megumi decimated a few buildings. For five minutes, Megumi held his own and had the upper hand.
"Show me what you're made of, Megumi Fushiguro!" Sukuna exclaimed, wiping off his cheek from Megumi's earlier punch.
But suddenly, Sukuna went silent. Megumi then said, "Just to make it clear… I didn't have a logical reason to save you back then. Even if it's dangerous, I didn't want to see a good person like you die. I had my doubts, but I eventually heeded my selfish emotions. But that's all right. I'm no hero. I'm a Jujutsu Sorcerer. So I've never regretted saving you."
"Is that so? You are really smart, Fushiguro. You probably think way more than I do. I think that what you believe in is right, but I don't think I'm wrong either. Oh, man. Sorry, but it's almost time. You, Kugisaki, and Mr. Gojo… I guess I don't need to worry about you guys. Live a long life, you hear me?"
Megumi caught Yuji and began to use Reverse Cursed Technique. "DRAGON!" Megumi shouted as he hopped on and sped towards Jujutsu High, keeping Yuji alive.
A/N: Gojo is back peeps
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