Geto strolled leisurely through the sewers with his hands in his pockets. He stopped at the scene of the battle, whistling at the sight before him.
Suddenly, the pile of rubble moved. "What?"
A worm-like figure emerged from underneath the rubble, morphing into the form of a man. It was Mahito, who laughed heartily. "Unlike his appearance, he's really reckless!"
Geto said, "You had a great fight."
Mahito grinned, "Geto! That guy was interesting. I've learned a lot."
"Heh…"
Mahito continued, "Even if I was crushed, I wouldn't die as long as I maintained the shape of my soul. Consuming cursed energy is also a type of self-sufficiency," he raised his index finger, which transformed into a sharp blade. "And no matter how much I change my soul, there's no risk at all. I'll try something even bolder next time. Geto, give me some clothes."
"No. Where's the Jujutsu Sorcerer who fought with you?"
"I have no idea. He said he was going to retreat for a while. Maybe he's still stuck under the rubble."
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"What? You're going to Yoshino Junpei's house? That's..." Ijichi's concern was palpable as he spoke to Izuku over the phone.
Izuku meanwhile didn't seem bothered by Ijichi's worry, responding calmly, "It's okay. I'm just going to have dinner."
"Dinner?!" Ijichi couldn't believe what he was hearing, "I'll come right away. If something feels wrong, please get out of there."
As Ijichi hung up the phone, he couldn't help but think to himself, 'Even if Junpei Yoshino was the perpetrator of this incident, there's no way the current Midoriya-kun will be taken down that easily.'
He let out a dramatic sigh, his frown deepening, 'But this is my negligence as his supervisor… Let's not talk about the carefree Gojo-san. If I get scolded by Nanami-san, the most mature man ever, I might cry!'
Feeling the pressure, Ijichi quickly started the car and exclaimed, "Let's hurry up! I don't want to cry in front of others at this age!"
Ijichi's phone vibrated suddenly, and he looked down to see that Nanami Kento was calling him.
"Aah! He called earlier than I expected!" Ijichi exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear. "I'm going to get scolded!"
He answered the call and said, "Yes, I'm sorry."
"Hm?" Nanami was leaning on the sink, his other hand holding a cloth to his waist to stop the bleeding. Two balls of used cloths lay on the sink, stained with blood.
"I sent you my location just now, please pick me up," Nanami said. "I'll go back to Jujutsu High School and find Ieiri-san for treatment."
"Treatment?" Ijichi asked with concern.
Nanami assured him, "I'm fine. It's not fatal."
"That's great," Ijichi gave a sigh of relief. "I'll meet up with Midpriya-kun first and find you after."
Nanami seemed surprised, "Aren't you two together?"
'I'm such a fool,' Ijichi realized he had given himself away, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
Nanami hung up the phone and leaned his body against the tiled wall, heaving a sigh. He couldn't help but recall his opponent's words, "I practiced it many times. Your body is perfect for experimentation. I'm so lucky."
Nanami took a moment to recall his memories and analyze the current situation. 'That Cursed Spirit is just a kid. It probably hasn't been long since he manifested. He grew up greedily and enjoyed it. The Special Grade Cursed Spirit that fought with Gojo-san has learned Domain Expansion. If that Cursed Spirit is still alive, it won't take long for him to be this strong. Furthermore, the number of victims is far beyond our expectations.'
Recalling the transfigured human who still had consciousness, calling out for help, he decided, 'We must exorcise him as soon as possible. Before it's too late.'
Laughter filled the room as everyone enjoyed Izuku's childhood story. "And then? And then?" Yoshino's mother laughed heartily, eager to hear what happened next.
With a wide smile, Izuku recounted the tale, "And then Takashi said confidently, 'This is an alien larva! It might be poisonous. Don't touch it, everyone!' But when I picked it up, it turned out to be just the konjac strip from our lunch!"
Yoshino's mother's face turned red from too much laughter and beer. She waved her hand, unable to stop giggling, "Did you hear that? It's just a konjac strip!"
"Mother, you've had too much to drink," Yoshino chided.
"Izuku-kun, you're hilarious!" Yoshino's mother continued to laugh. She handed a tray to Izuku. "Here, make a joke with this."
'This drunkard is horrible,' Yoshino thought.
Izuku simply took the tray and some green onions, improvising a new skit on the spot, "Wilson! Forgive me, Wilson!"
Yoshino spat out his drink, "That's from Cast Away, right?"
"Correct!" Izuku beamed, showing off the cartoon face cutout taped on the tray.
"I don't understand. Is it a movie joke?" Yoshino's mother asked in disappointment.
Izuku continued with another parody, using the green onions this time, which had Yoshino in stitches of laughter and brought a warm smile to Yoshino's mother's face.
As they finished their dinner, Yoshino draped a blanket over his mother, who had passed out on the table.
"Your mother is a good person," Izuku commented, admiringly.
"She is," Yoshino nodded, a fond smile on his face, as he remembered a conversation they had had.
"School? Isn't it fine? Just don't go." His mother said.
"What?"
"Boys your age tend to overthink things. School is just a small aquarium. There are oceans and bigger aquariums out there. Choose what you like," she had continued, taking a puff on her cigarette. "Oh, I said something really profound. That's a great quote," she had said, admiring herself. "As expected of me!"
Yoshino had initially been baffled by his mother's words, but then smiled.
Yoshino turned to Izuku. "What kind of person is your mom?" he asked.
When Izuku heard...he just smiled fondly, "...She was...the greatest, kindness and most trustworthy woman I've ever met...when she told me about how we first met...she said that I was an angel to her, she was the only person who saw me for me...who was the only one to ever care for me, does that help?"
Izuku asked Yoshino who just nods his head, "Your mother sounds like a great person"
Just then, Izuku's phone vibrated, interrupting their conversation. "Sorry, I got a call," he said, picking up. "Hello, Ijichi-san? Yes, I'm okay. We're just watching a movie... I'll see you in two hours."
On the other end of the line, Ijichi exclaimed, "Two hours—"
Izuku cut him off, ending the call.
"You're a Jujutsu Sorcerer, right, Midoriya-kun?" Yoshino asked.
As soon as he was asked that, Izuku looked over towards Yoshino.
"What makes you say that?" Izuiu asked with Yoshino just smiling.
"Its fine if you don't want to answer but I just want to know...Have you… ever killed anyone?" Yoshino asked in a hushed tone.
All Izuku did was responded just as quietly, "No."
"But you'll have to fight other bad Jujutsu Sorcerers," Yoshino pointed out as he placed the disc in the player. "What will you do then?"
"Even so, I don't want to have to kill anyone," Izuku replied.
"Why not? They're bad people," Yoshino pressed, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"How should I put it… If I kill once, the option of killing will appear in my life," Izuku explained. "The value of life becomes ambiguous… I won't understand the value of someone important to me. I'm scared of that."
"'A human has no heart.' I was saved by this idea. He gave me strength," Yoshino pondered as he lay on his bed, lost in thought. "However, if my soul becomes stained because I took someone's life..." The image of his smiling mother flashed through his mind. "I can't… kill anyone."
In the dark dining room, Yoshino's mother stirred from her sleep. "Gosh, I fell asleep," she muttered groggily, her eyes scanning the dimly-lit surroundings. Suddenly, her eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, no, it's already so late!" she exclaimed. "I need to clean up."
As she rose from her seat to set about her chores, something caught her attention. "What's this? A finger?"
As she picked it up, something lurked in the darkness behind her, something grotesque and otherworldly. A horrific creature with multiple eyes and writhing appendages emerged from the shadows, closing in, ready to claim its prize…
While also a simply katana was seen giving off a faint glow.
〚After the incident at Satozakura High School, Yoshino Junpei found her mother, Nagi Yoshino's body, and Sukuna's left pinky finger at home.〛
〚It was believed that Nagi Yoshino was attacked by a Cursed Spirit that was attracted to the finger.〛
〚Part of her lower body was close to being severed. No bloodstains were found at the scene.〛
〚Nagi Yoshino's body was found lying in the bedroom. When the blanket was taken off, there were refrigerants and ice packs all over the body.〛
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"Do you think I'm holding you back, Nanamin?" Izuku questioned, his eyes full of concern. "You got hurt, and I wasn't there to help you. I can't let that happen again," he declared, his voice laced with determination.
He continued, his face set in resolve. "'My comrade died, but I wasn't there. Because I'm still a kid.' How can I say that?!"
"You're strong enough to save others." his mother's voice rang in his mind.
That it hurt, "I don't want to say that," Izuku declared, his tone firm and resolute.
"No," Nanami's voice was firm, leaving no room for argument as he spoke. "As you know, that Patch-face Cursed Spirit uses transfigured humans. There are hopeless people in the world. As long as you're doing this job, you'll encounter someone that must be killed someday. But now's not the time."
As Izuku listened, his mind flashed back to his conversation with Yoshino, his fear of killing and the weight it would bring.
"Even so, I don't want to kill anyone. I'm scared of that," he had said.
"Please understand," Nanami continued, his tone compassionate. "Being a child is never a sin."
Izuku hung his head, feeling a sense of defeat weighing upon him.
As Nanami turned to leave, he called back to Izuku. "Please, keep an eye on Yoshino Junpei," he said.
Izuku nods his head while also going through his mind about a certain information Ijichi gave to him.
'...I wonder if I'll be able to do that?'
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'I don't have black clothes, so I opened my mother's wardrobe and grabbed the first black pair of clothes I could find.'
'I breathed in the familiar morning air, and took the usual path to school.'
'Today…'
"This is Sukuna," Mahito held the terrified Yoshino close as he talked. "It's a cursed object that attracts curses."
"Why did this thing appear at my house?" Yoshino asked, his voice broken and weak.
"There are many Curse Users who earn money by cursing people," Mahito said, "I guess they did it. You can kill someone with a curse as long as you have the way and money. Does someone come to mind? A person that hates you and your mother. Or a shady person who's rich and free."
〖Certificate of Recommendation. 〗
〖The top prize in the National Book Report Competition goes to… 〗
〖Ito Shota.〗
Ito smiled as he received the certificate. He turned to the crowd of cheering girls, waving his hands in acknowledgement. "This is making me embarrassed," he said.
〖I'm glad that our student can receive such an honorable award.〗
As Ito descended the stage, he tapped his classmate on the leg with the rolled-up certificate, with a smile on his face. "What are you doing?" he asked. "Didn't I tell you to write casually? And yet it still won the best award." Then, with a hint of warning in his voice, he said, "Want to die?"
"I'm sorry," the boy said with fear.
As the students whispered among themselves about Ito's coolness, they suddenly noticed something strange outside the window. "What's that black thing?" one of them asked, pointing towards the ominously dark shape on the horizon.
"Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure," Mahito chanted.
Suddenly, the entire school was enveloped in a dark barrier, obscuring the outside world from view. "It's a success," Mahito proclaimed.
"I'm sorry, Mahito," said Geto. "I can't leave any residuals behind. What's the use of the veil?"
"It prevents anyone within the area from leaving. But it's limited to humans with weak cursed energy," Mahito responded.
"It's an unannounced Veil that appears in the residential area. The windows will report it soon," Geto said. "I hope the situation you wish for comes true."
"It should work out," Mahito said confidently. "The moment Junpei met Sukuna's vessel, luck was already on our side. Let them fight. Then I'll force Izuku Midoriya into a Binding Vow, which will assert Sukuna's superiority over him."
"If only Jogo was as levelheaded as you…"
"His straightforward personality is quite cute," Mahito grinned. Then he asked, "In any case, is it really okay? Isn't the finger precious?"
"It's okay. The finger in the detention center was quickly absorbed by Izuku Midoriya. I want Jujutsu High School to take the one left in Yoshino Junpei's house," Geto explained.
"Heh… Is that a conspiracy?"
"I guess you can say that," Geto replied, turning away. "Well then, I'll get going."
"What? You're leaving?" Mahito asked with disappointment. "You should watch too, Geto." He sat down, crossing his arms and grinning. "It will definitely be fun… watching the demise of foolish children."
"Hey! What's wrong, everyone?" Sotomura tried to shake one of the unconscious students in the gymnasium, but they remained unresponsive. "Pull yourself together. Are you okay?" he called out, feeling a growing sense of unease.
Yoshino suddenly appeared beside him and spoke with a strange calmness, "They won't die."
"Yoshino? Why?" Sotomura was taken aback. "No. Do you know what's happening?"
"Sensei… Take a closer look," Yoshino pushed aside his bangs to reveal a forehead covered in cigarette burns.
"You… Those scars…" Sotomura stared in horror at the scars on Yoshino's forehead. "That's…"
Yoshino approached Ito, who was still standing in shock. "The things that have happened so far, and the things that will happen..." he began.
"Yoshino…" Ito took a step back, unnerved by Yoshino's demeanor.
Yoshino's expression was dark. "I have something to ask you," he said, his anger palpable. "Did you put that thing in my house?"
Suddenly, Ito was stung by a mysterious force. Purple marks appeared all over his arm, and then spread rapidly to his face, causing intense pain.
"What's going on? What did you do?" Ito yelled as the pain engulfed him. Yoshino stood by, seemingly unaffected, as Ito writhed in agony.
"This isn't getting anywhere," he said. Without warning, he delivered a punch to Ito's face.
"Do you think you can answer questions with questions?" Yoshino asked, his patience wearing thin. He kicked Ito repeatedly, his anger boiling over. "You're going to die regardless of your answer."
Yoshino continued to lash out at Ito, fueled by his deep-seated rage towards him. "I can't tell if you're lying, and besides, you're guilty for what you've done to me!"
He raised his hand, causing Ito to float in the air. "Let me see your sincerity at your last moment," Yoshino demanded.
"I'm sorry..." Ito murmured in pain, pleading for mercy.
"And then?" Yoshino shot back, his eyes filled with a cold, unfeeling rage. "So?"
The door of the gymnasium slid open, revealing Izuku. His eyes widened in shock at the scene before him. "What the hell are you doing, Junpei?!" he yelled.
Behind Yoshino, jellyfish-like creature appeared. "Step aside, Jujutsu Sorcerer."
Izuku's eyes narrowed as he went for his weapon...when he remembered he left it back at Yoshino's house.
'....well...guess it's back to just fist...Sukuna please don't hate me'
'Why would I....!! Oh YOU MOTHERFU-"