We rewind to the day before Yuta Okkotsu's mission.
"Come on, step inside."
"Yes, sir."
As Satoru Gojo flipped the light switch, Yuta was greeted by row upon row of weapon racks. Katanas, spears, halberds, axes—cursed tools of every conceivable shape and size were displayed everywhere.
"Exorcising a curse as massive as Rika Orimoto is difficult—at least, for someone at your current level." Gojo walked along the wall, scanning the racks for a tool suited to the high-potential boy. "But if we're talking about unraveling it, that's a different story."
"Observing the millions of connections within the cursed energy and untying them one by one... the only person capable of that is you, the one who is cursed." Reaching out, Gojo grabbed a katana wrapped in bandages and tossed it over. "Use this."
"A sword?" Yuta caught it, finding it slightly heavy. He had always been physically frail, but thanks to his recent training, he quietly channeled a bit of cursed energy to reinforce his body and gave the blade a test swing. "It feels... pretty good."
"Curses are at their most stable when attached to an object." Gojo watched the boy reinforce his body just to hold a sword and sighed, rubbing his forehead. "You really need to work on your physical conditioning."
"Understood. I'll work hard."
"That's not the point. You can connect with Rika through that ring, right?"
Gojo had only read about the boy's story on paper, but his sharp intuition had immediately picked up on something abnormal. "To unravel the curse, you need to accept Rika's power. Pour it into the blade, control it, repeat the process, and gradually increase the output. One day, you'll be able to fold all that power into your own hands. Then, you'll finally be free."
It was a beautiful lie told to a child. The reason Rika Orimoto had become a curse wasn't because she had cursed Yuta; it was Yuta who had cursed her. Yuta himself was oblivious to this, so no matter how much cursed energy he mastered, he was merely reclaiming energy he had released in the first place. It wouldn't help "break" the curse at all.
Having realized that Yuta was also a descendant of Sugawara no Michizane, Gojo had naturally deduced the truth. However, a situation like Yuta and Rika's was rare even in the jujutsu world. Gojo wasn't entirely sure how to break the curse either, but he was certain the boy had the potential to become a powerhouse.
Given Yuta's personality, telling him the truth now might destroy his motivation to be a sorcerer. It was better to help him control that massive pool of energy first. As Yuta grew stronger, he would eventually realize the truth on his own. As for how to actually break the curse—Yuta could find that answer himself.
"Besides, you'll need to learn how to actually use a sword," Gojo added. "Because currently, you're incredibly weak."
"Um..." Yuta said the words he would soon come to regret: "I know a little bit about swords. I've been practicing with Maki-san lately."
"Oh~?" Suppressing a smirk, Gojo clapped his hands with mock seriousness. This kid was far too honest. "Is that so? Then let's go on a mission today. Let teacher see just how good your swordsmanship has become."
"Wait, what?"
Ever since her high heel was severed by Yuta's blade, Chisa-chan had evolved from a turtle into Sonic. Her movement speed had increased exponentially. Even the remarkably fast Seishe Tanaka was someone she could have caught in the blink of an eye.
Yet, she chose not to kill him instantly. Like a cat playing with a mouse, she toyed with him, blocking his escape routes and herding him toward the rooftop step by step.
She couldn't explain why, but tormenting this man brought her joy.
The only thing that frustrated her was that the man's expression never changed. That listless, sleepy look made it seem like he was looking down on her.
"Looks like I'm done for," Tanaka muttered. Standing at the edge of the rooftop, he was actually busy weighing his options for how to die. He glanced down at the drop. "Turns out I'm afraid of heights. But dying at the hands of that thing sounds worse. I'll just jump."
As the curse closed in, Yuta—who was downstairs—finally stood up. The sound of footsteps above acted like a blade, peeling back his fragile outer shell to reveal the kind-hearted essence within.
A roar of catharsis erupted from the lower floor, startling even the cursed spirit into a momentary halt.
"RIKA!"
Yuta's face was a mess of tears and snot, but his resolve was finally set.
Summoning Rika meant facing the threat of execution, but he absolutely could not let Tanaka die before him.
Following the roar was a soft, whispered plea. He tore the necklace from his throat and slid the engagement ring—his promise to Rika—onto his ring finger.
"Lend me your strength."
...
"YUTA!"
The Queen of Glitch-Hop, Rika Orimoto, answered the call. Her voice was a layered, piercing shriek of distorted feminine tones that echoed alongside the sound of cracking concrete.
"I LOVE YOU!"
A massive white claw burst through the floor, snatching Chisa-chan's mangled form directly into its palm.
"You made Yuta sad... DIE!" As a Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit, Rika's power was absurd. The Grade 1 Chisa-chan felt like a soft marshmallow in her grip. With a slight squeeze, the curse's entire body burst into a puddle of sickening fluid. Only her head fell to the ground with a thud, already beginning to dissolve into smoke.
...
"Am I dead?" Although only a head remained, a flicker of consciousness lingered. Chisa Inoue briefly regained her sanity. "Right... I've been dead for a long time."
She looked across at the terrifying, massive curse. The two giant claws were curved in a protective embrace around Yuta. Yuta, in turn, was gently stroking Rika's monstrous, inhuman form. "Thank you, Rika."
"Yuta... is the best..."
"Heh." A smile touched Chisa Inoue's face. In her eyes, she didn't see a human and a curse; she saw a boy and a girl in a tight embrace.
"I curse you."
"I curse you both to love each other for a lifetime... and to never be parted."
...
"Go back, Rika."
As the saying goes, 'once the deed is done, the heart grows cold.' Seeing the enemy curse fade into the wind, Yuta seemed to hit a switch, instantly entering a detached "Sage Mode."
One moment he was all "lovey-dovey" with Rika, and the next he was dismissing her for fear she'd interfere with his movements.
"Yuta..." Rika-chan, after all, was in a platonic, devoted relationship. Though she didn't understand why her lover had turned cold so quickly, she chose to forgive him immediately and vanished back into the shadows.
"Okkotsu-kun?" Seishe Tanaka began to wonder if he'd been scammed. He thought the first curse was invincible, but in the blink of an eye, a much scarier one appeared and crushed the first like a grape.
What he found even more ridiculous was that Yuta seemed like such a serious kid, yet he was essentially "riding the coattails" of a powerful curse. If you had such a terrifying girlfriend, why did we spend all that time running? He didn't dare mention it, though, fearing Yuta might silence him. He stuck to the safe topics: "Thank you for saving me."
"It was nothing." Yuta smiled at Tanaka, making no mention of his potential execution. "I'm a professional, after all."
Jogo sat submerged in a hot spring, a pink towel draped over his head in a surprisingly girlish fashion. However, the words coming out of his mouth were entirely at odds with the scene. "Hasegumo and Satoru Gojo... if we work together, can we kill them?"
"Forget Hasegumo. I sneaked into Jujutsu High to watch his fight with Satoru; the man is ridiculously strong. From what I've gathered, if anyone can kill him, it's only Sukuna."
"And Gojo?"
"He might escape easily, but it's more likely you'd all be exorcised." Kenjaku toyed with his white hair, then looked toward a cocktail glass in the distance. "Come here," he whispered.
The glass rose into the air and flew directly into his hand. "However, rather than 'killing,' I suggest 'sealing.' Satoru's defensive capabilities are too high, and he's mastered advanced Reverse Cursed Technique. It would be nearly impossible for us to kill him."
"Sealing?" Jogo's large eye narrowed as he looked at Kenjaku. "With what?"
Kenjaku took a sip of his drink, a smile playing on his lips. "The Special Grade Cursed Object: Prison Realm."
"Prison Realm?!" Hearing this, Jogo—who had lived for hundreds of years—nearly had his eye pop out in shock. The volcano on his head began to erupt with flames. "You have that forbidden object in your possession?"
"Jogo, calm down." Kenjaku watched the spring water around them begin to evaporate. "It's getting hot."
"Inumaki, tell me... how many of Sukuna's fingers is my current strength worth?"
To Kenjaku, who had lived for a millennium, names were just labels. However, he was quite fond of the name "Noritoshi." Noritoshi Inumaki was the new name he had given himself after switching into this specific body.
"To be polite, I'd say about eight or nine," Kenjaku said. He used the word "polite," but he was being quite blunt in his assessment of Jogo's strength.
"That's enough. Give me the Prison Realm; I'll add it to my collection." A chilling expression appeared on Jogo's face. "In exchange, I'll be the one to kill Satoru Gojo."
"Don't be ridiculous." Kenjaku shot down the suggestion immediately. "Our forces are already at a disadvantage. If any accident happens and you die at Satoru's hands, our plan for curses to rule the world dies with you."
"I can't kill either of them? Then what do you want me to do?" Jogo wasn't entirely convinced. He didn't just look down on Satoru; he didn't respect Hasegumo either. If they actually met, he wouldn't mind trying to take them out. But since Kenjaku had invoked the "future of curses," Jogo knew he wasn't the type for long-term planning, so he begrudgingly listened.
As the oldest and strongest of the three disasters, Jogo was undoubtedly the backbone of the group. He just wasn't particularly bright—the "one-track mind" type that was easily manipulated into joining Kenjaku's cause. Beside him, Hanami and Dagon weren't the intellectual types either; they simply listened in silence, rarely offering their own opinions.
"Build our strength. Find allies." Kenjaku stood up and shook himself dry, water droplets scattering on the floor. He looked up toward a cursed womb that had yet to fully form. "As long as you follow my arrangements, everything will go exactly as you wish."
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