Late that night, Natsuki stood atop a rust-covered storage tank in an abandoned industrial district on the outskirts of Tokyo, his crimson eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
The two tomoe of his Sharingan revolved slowly, making every current of cursed energy visible.
The entire area seemed to churn like boiling water as black, mist-like energy poured in from every direction and converged on the center of the factory complex.
“There are more of them than I expected…”
In only three hours, Natsuki had already exorcised seventeen Cursed Spirits ranging from Grade 4 to Grade 2, all of them rushing toward the same location as though something were driving them into a frenzy.
He leaped from the storage tank and landed lightly on the ground, where distant roars and violent crashes echoed from deeper inside the factory.
The Cursed Spirits were fighting among themselves.
After passing through a collapsed section of wall, Natsuki reached an open yard and found two curses tearing into each other.
A Grade 2 mantis-like Cursed Spirit slashed with its bladed forelimbs while a centipede-shaped Grade 3 wrapped its segmented body around its opponent, cursed energy splashing through the air with every collision.
The mantis severed the centipede’s head in a single strike, spraying green blood across the ground.
It then threw back its head and shrieked as its body began to swell, its cursed energy rapidly climbing from Grade 2 toward Grade 1.
“I see…”
Natsuki finally understood.
The curse user planting those talismans was not simply trying to create chaos.
They were raising Cursed Spirits like poisonous insects in a jar, forcing them to devour one another until a stronger individual emerged.
As for the reason…
‘They might simply think it’s entertaining.’
There had always been deranged curse users who treated slaughter as a form of amusement.
It could also have been Kenjaku’s work, though Kenjaku was hardly any less addicted to causing trouble for his own entertainment.
After devouring its own kind, the mantis Cursed Spirit completed its evolution.
Its body grew to nearly five meters long as blood-red patterns spread across its shell, and its scythe-like limbs gleamed with a metallic sheen.
It turned toward Natsuki, its eyes filled with mindless violence.
“Perfect timing.”
Natsuki raised his right hand, and a black-bladed sword immediately formed from the balanced energy within him.
It was a projection of Megumi’s cursed tool—a simple weapon, but a useful one.
The Cursed Spirit shrieked and brought one bladed arm down with enough force to split the air.
Natsuki slipped aside as the scythe passed his shoulder and carved a deep trench through the ground, then surged forward with the fluid speed of a striking dragon.
Clang—!
Sparks flew as his sword struck the creature’s shell, which proved tougher than expected.
Natsuki smoothly turned his wrist, changed the angle of his attack, and slashed into the thinner joint instead.
Shhk—!
The Cursed Spirit’s left forelimb was severed cleanly.
It howled in pain and spat a stream of dark green venom, forcing Natsuki to retreat as the liquid struck the ground and burned a blackened scar into the concrete.
“So it has ranged attacks too…”
He raised an eyebrow as brilliant lightning surged across the black blade in his hand.
This was the Chidori Blade, a B-rank variation of the Chidori that infused a weapon with Lightning Release chakra to dramatically increase its cutting power.
It could slice through steel with ease—the pale blade born from the whispering song of thunder, capable of piercing anything in its path.
Natsuki effortlessly avoided another stream of venom, closed the distance, and unleashed a rapid series of lightning-coated slashes.
The mantis Cursed Spirit was torn apart and dissolved into black smoke.
His Sharingan’s visual power increased by another small amount.
The third tomoe was now only a step away.
Natsuki dismissed the blade and surveyed his surroundings.
The factory had temporarily fallen silent, but the concentration of cursed energy continued to rise.
He still had not found the source of the talismans.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the surrounding energy.
The Sharingan’s perception was already far beyond that of an ordinary person, and when combined with his own senses, it allowed him to clearly trace the flow of cursed energy toward the southeastern corner of the factory.
A three-story office building stood there.
Natsuki approached and pushed open its rusted metal door.
The corridor beyond smelled of mildew, with abandoned files and broken equipment scattered across the floor while graffiti covered the walls.
The traces of cursed energy were fresh.
Someone had passed through here very recently.
Natsuki climbed the stairs and reached a half-open door at the end of the second-floor corridor.
Weak candlelight slipped through the gap, and he silently approached before looking inside.
An elaborate jujutsu formation had been drawn across the center of the room.
Three black talismans—the same kind used to attract Cursed Spirits—had been placed at the key points of the array.
Beside it stood a tall, thin man in a black robe and a plague-doctor mask, recording something in an old notebook.
“Test subject two hundred and thirty-seven. Evolution success rate: sixty-three percent. Stability rate…”
His voice trembled with fanatic excitement.
“Still not enough. I need more samples…”
Natsuki pushed the door open with a friendly smile.
“Good evening.”
The robed man spun around.
“Who are you?!”
“Just a curious citizen passing through.” Natsuki stepped into the room and glanced at the formation. “Were you the one who planted all those talismans?”
“A jujutsu sorcerer?”
The man narrowed his eyes.
The entire factory was surrounded by Cursed Spirits driven mad by constant slaughter, so how had this boy reached the room without making a sound?
Natsuki raised an eyebrow.
“Answer the question.”
“And what if I was?” The man sneered. “I’m conducting groundbreaking research into the evolution of Cursed Spirits. A brat like you couldn’t possibly understand its significance!”
“Research?”
Natsuki glanced dismissively at the formation.
“Forcing Cursed Spirits to tear each other apart is hardly research.”
“You understand nothing!” the man shouted. “Cursed Spirits are crystallizations of cursed energy, and consuming others to evolve is part of their nature! I’ve merely accelerated the process!”
“For fun?”
“Fun?”
The man burst into laughter.
“Of course not! I’m creating an entirely new existence—something that surpasses even Special Grade!”
He spread his arms, his posture wild with madness.
“Once I succeed, I’ll control the ultimate power and become the god of a new age!”
Natsuki stared at him without expression.
‘He’s just another lunatic.’
“Are you finished?”
“What?”
“If you’re done talking, it’s time for you to go.”
Natsuki vanished.
The man’s pupils contracted as he instinctively leaped back, but Natsuki was faster, and the black sword was already at his throat.
Clang—!
A sharp metallic crash rang through the room as a short blade snapped from the man’s sleeve just in time to block.
“Your close combat isn’t bad,” Natsuki remarked.
“Die!”
The man counterattacked with a ruthless and unpredictable knife style, every strike aimed at a vital point.
His ability was probably around that of a Grade 1 curse user, but that was nowhere near enough to threaten Natsuki.
Natsuki dismantled his offense with ease, and after ten exchanges, his blade cut deep into the man’s left shoulder.
“Gah!”
The curse user stumbled back, clutching the wound.
“Who the hell are you?”
“I already told you. A curious citizen.”
Natsuki stepped forward as his sword flashed like lightning.
The man gritted his teeth and crushed a talisman hidden inside his robe. Black mist erupted around him, releasing dozens of small Cursed Spirits that swarmed toward Natsuki.
‘This is the problem with not having Cursed Spirit Manipulation. If he were Geto Suguru, he could throw an army of thousands at me—or simply use Maximum: Uzumaki.’
“Cheap tricks.”
Endless lightning burst from Natsuki’s body.
“Chidori Current!”
The electrical surge spread in every direction, annihilating every Cursed Spirit the moment it touched them.
Using the distraction, the man turned and fled, but Natsuki had already predicted his move. A bow formed in his hand, and three arrows streaked through the room.
The curse user spun around and shattered the first two with his knife, only for the third to punch through his right leg.
“AAAAH!”
He collapsed with a scream.
Natsuki walked over and pressed the tip of his sword against the man’s throat.
“Any last words?”
“W-Wait! I can tell you about the organization’s plans! We—”
The blade swept across his throat, cutting his voice off completely.
Natsuki flicked the blood from his weapon and dismissed the projection of Kanshou and Bakuya.
‘Villains die because they talk too much. I’m not making that mistake.’
He crouched beside the body and searched the black robe, retrieving the old notebook along with several unused talismans.
The notebook contained detailed records of the “jar experiment,” including data on the conditions required for Cursed Spirit evolution, projected success rates, and the likelihood of losing control.
The final pages contained something far more important.
July 15: Received instructions from “that person” to distribute talismans across multiple locations in Tokyo and create widespread disorder.
Objective: Test the feasibility of large-scale Cursed Spirit evolution and gather data for the “final plan.”
Who exactly was “that person”?
And what exactly was the final plan?
Natsuki frowned.
The curse-user organization was clearly far more structured than he had expected.
He put the notebook away, planning to ask Megumi to investigate it later.
Just as he stood, an intense heat suddenly spread through his eyes.
The power of his Sharingan began rising rapidly.
The numerous Cursed Spirits he had exorcised, combined with the Grade 1 curse user he had just defeated, had finally pushed the accumulated growth past its threshold.
Natsuki closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, a third tomoe had appeared in each crimson iris.
The three-tomoe Sharingan.
His vision became several times sharper as his dynamic sight, perception, and resistance to illusions all improved at once. He could even see individual particles of cursed energy flowing through the air.
“Finally…”
Natsuki slowly clenched his hand.
His strength had risen another level, bringing him one step closer to the Mangekyō.
He used his newly evolved Sharingan to examine the room again.
The structure of the jujutsu formation separated and reconstructed itself within his vision, revealing every detail of its cursed-energy flow.
“So that’s how it works.”
The array used the talismans as nodes to create a magnetic field of cursed energy, drawing in Cursed Spirits from the surrounding area while intensifying their aggression.
The design was remarkably sophisticated.
Natsuki walked to the center and pulled out all three talismans.
The formation immediately dimmed, and the cursed-energy field surrounding the factory began to disperse.
“That takes care of it.”
He turned and left the building, only to stop as soon as he stepped outside.
A woman stood in the open yard ahead.
She was tall and wore a tight black outfit that emphasized every curve of her flawless figure.
Her silver-white hair had been tied into two long braids, while the hair in front fell over her eyes.
A massive axe rested in her hand, its blade gleaming coldly beneath the moonlight.
“Good evening, handsome~”
The woman greeted him in a lazy, seductive voice.
Natsuki recognized her immediately.
Mei Mei.
A Grade 1 jujutsu sorcerer whose innate technique, Black Bird Manipulation, allowed her to control crows for reconnaissance and attacks.
She was also famously obsessed with money and always placed profit above everything else.
“Good evening, Mei Mei-senpai.”
Natsuki greeted her with a nod.
He was friends with Megumi, and they were roughly the same age. Within jujutsu society, Mei Mei was indeed his senior.
Besides, beautiful women had always been entitled to certain privileges.
“Oh? You know me?”
Mei Mei tilted her head and swept aside the hair covering her eyes, revealing both her gaze and her beautiful, mature features as her lips curved into a smile.
“It seems I’m more famous than I thought.”
“Did you need something?” Natsuki asked.
“Mm-hm~”
She rested the axe across her shoulder and walked toward him.
“I heard quite a commotion. I happened to be working nearby, so I came to investigate.”
Her gaze settled on his eyes, where the three tomoe gave the Sharingan an eerie beauty.
“Those eyes… What an interesting technique.”
“You’re too kind.”
“There’s no need to be modest.” Mei Mei smiled. “You cleared this entire area by yourself and killed a Grade 1 curse user. That puts you at Grade 1 at the very least.”
She paused briefly.
“Are you interested in taking private work?”
“Private work?”
“That’s right.”
Mei Mei took out a business card and offered it to him.
“I’m an independent jujutsu sorcerer, so I frequently accept high-paying commissions. I have a rather interesting job coming up, and I’m currently missing a partner.”
Natsuki accepted the card.
It was entirely black, with the name “Mei Mei” and a telephone number printed in gold.
“What’s the job?”
“Investigating a base operated by a group of curse users.” Mei Mei winked. “The reward is… this much.”
She held up five fingers.
“Five million yen?”
“Fifty million.”
“…”
Natsuki raised an eyebrow.
That price was absurdly high!
“How dangerous is it?”
“Quite dangerous,” Mei Mei admitted without hesitation. “The base is in Hokkaido. We suspect a Special Grade Cursed Spirit is guarding it, along with several Grade 1 curse users.”
“Why ask me?”
“Because you’re strong, handsome.”
She stepped closer, bringing the faint scent of her perfume with her.
“I watched the records of your battle in Sendai. Very few people can fight Sukuna head-on, even when he has only one finger’s worth of power.”
Natsuki considered the offer for several seconds.
“I’ll need some time to think.”
“Of course.”
Mei Mei stepped back.
“Contact me whenever you decide. The mission isn’t until next month, so there’s no rush.”
She took a checkbook from her coat, wrote down an amount, and tore out the check.
“This is a one-million-yen deposit. Consider it a gift for our first meeting.”
Natsuki accepted it.
“That’s unusually generous.”
Mei Mei was infamous for loving money—and even more infamous for hating to let any of it leave her possession.
“Think of it as an investment.” Mei Mei gave him a charming smile. “I believe you’re worth the price.”
She waved and turned away, only to glance back after walking several steps.
“By the way, I’ll handle the curse user’s body for you. No need to thank me.”
With that, she disappeared into the darkness.
Natsuki looked down at the business card and check in his hands.
Mei Mei might care almost exclusively about money, but her reputation was excellent. Once she accepted an agreement, she always fulfilled her side of it.
Fifty million yen was extremely tempting.
And more importantly…
“Hokkaido…”
Natsuki remembered the “final plan” mentioned in the notebook.
The mission might give him an opportunity to follow the trail and discover what the group was truly planning.
He put everything away and checked the time.
It was already two in the morning.
He needed to get home.
His phone vibrated as he left the factory district.
A message from Megumi had arrived.
[Megumi: We identified the talisman. It was produced by the curse-user organization known as the Time Vessel Association. Similar talismans have recently appeared in several regions, and the higher-ups are taking the situation seriously.]
The Time Vessel Association…
The religious organization that Geto Suguru had taken over after defecting from Jujutsu High and becoming a Special Grade curse user.
Natsuki’s eyes narrowed slightly.
‘So Kenjaku really is involved.’
[Natsuki: Understood. We’ll discuss it tomorrow.]
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