“Hey, Minamoto, go join Panda and Toge’s group.
What are you doing crowding this group?” Gojo Satoru’s hidden agenda was as plain as day.
“My dear brother Yuta is going on his first field mission!
I’ll be damned if I miss it.
This is my brother from another mother—literally!” Minamoto, desperate to see Rika’s full power, followed along with thick-skinned persistence.
“Toge and I are both Grade 2 sorcerers; he doesn’t need ‘support.’ I have full faith in him,” Minamoto added, sounding remarkably righteous.
Maki was speechless.
Oh, so now you’re comfortable being the same grade?
Just a moment ago, he was the one looking down on everyone.
“We’re here, Gojo-sensei.
Stop nagging,” Minamoto said, looking like a man who knew he’d already won.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Gojo sighed.
“Fine.
This is an elementary school.
Children have gone missing on the premises.
Your mission is to exorcise the curse and rescue the two children.
If they’re already dead, recover the remains.” “Wait, just like that?” Yuta hadn’t expected things to be so blunt.
Seeing Maki about to speak, Minamoto immediately beat her to the punch, beginning his “stroll” as the resident explainer.
“Okkotsu-kun, curses pool in places where memories are heavy.
Schools and hospitals become emotional lightning rods; every time people think of them, negative energy accumulates, eventually manifesting into a curse like the one we’re dealing with.
Maki-san, anything to add?” Maki lowered the fist she had been preparing to use on Minamoto and gritted her teeth.
“Not a word, Minamoto-kun!” Seeing the explanation was complete, Gojo clapped his hands.
“Then let’s get to it!
The sooner you finish, the sooner we go home.
Go get ’em!” As Yuta started forward, Maki stopped him.
“Gojo-sensei, the Veil hasn’t been lowered yet.” Gojo tapped his forehead.
“Right, right.
I almost forgot again.” Just as he was about to cast it, Minamoto cut in.
This was his time to shine.
“Wait, wait!
let me do it!
How could I let Gojo-sensei do the heavy lifting?
Teacher, just tell me what kind of Veil you need!” Gojo truly didn’t enjoy casting Veils.
Back in his student days, he’d been chewed out by Principal Yaga multiple times for “forgetting” to put them up.
“Just a standard barrier to make the curse manifest,” Gojo instructed.
Minamoto nodded, reciting the incantation: “Emerge from darkness, blacker than black.
Purify that which is impure, and exorcise the filth.” A dome of black liquid-like energy slowly descended, shrouding the area.
Minamoto turned to the pair.
“Now the outsiders can’t see you.
Gojo-sensei and I will wait out here.” “Hmph!” Maki, still annoyed by his sycophantic display, turned away with a huff.
Gojo stepped outside the perimeter.
Just as the Veil sealed shut, he called out, “Be careful, you two.
Try not to die.” Minamoto gave them a little wave as well.
“Honestly, Gojo-sensei, stop scaring Yuta,” Minamoto complained once they were alone.
Gojo offered a half-hearted, insincere apology.
“Sorry, sorry.
I just can’t help it when I see that look on his face.” “So, what’s your real motive, Minamoto?
You wouldn’t follow me out here for no reason,” Gojo said, finally cutting to the chase.
Minamoto didn’t dodge the question.
“Aren’t we here for the same thing, Gojo-sensei?
Rika’s full power…
it’s such a unique case.
What sorcerer wouldn’t be interested?
Besides, Yuta only truly unleashes her when he’s face-to-face with death, right?” Gojo smiled but said nothing.
He was, in fact, the most curious of all.
He had driven them here himself because everyone else under his command had been sent out to investigate the past of Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto.
The mentor and student shared a look, a silent understanding passing between them.
They looked like a pair of scheming foxes.
“AAAGH!
SO NOISY!” The Veil was shattered in an instant!
A colossal Rika erupted from the mouth of the cursed spirit!
Until now, Rika had existed in a state of partial manifestation.
But now, the veil was truly stripped away.
The Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit revealed her form to the world—a vision of supreme malice, majesty, and terror!
Her massive frame stood nearly three stories tall.
No words could capture her dark, horrifying presence.
The giant cursed spirit that had swallowed the students was like a toy in her hands, easily torn asunder.
“Gah…
Who?!
Who is this?!” the curse shrieked in terror as Rika ripped her way out of its gullet.
Rika went into a frenzy, tearing the curse apart as blood coated her hands.
The school building couldn’t withstand her power; the walls crumbled like tofu under her assault.
“Rika likes red.” The sight of blood on her pale hands seemed to delight her.
Then came a relentless barrage of “Ora Ora” style punches, pummeling the wretched curse into the ground.
“Where is blue?!” Rika demanded, though it was unclear what part of the curse she expected to find blue in.
Gojo covered his face, finally seeing what he had come for.
He couldn’t suppress his grin.
“Incredible…
so this is the full form of the Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit, Rika Orimoto?
Women are terrifying!” Gojo had confirmed his suspicions.
Standing up to the Higher-ups for Yuta had been the right call.
One day, Yuta Okkotsu and the boy standing next to him, Minamoto, would become sorcerers who could stand by his side.
Minamoto, despite having “spoiler” knowledge of Rika’s power, felt a heavy sense of reality now that he was seeing it in person.
“Sensei, aren’t you going to stop her?
Regular people are going to notice.
The Principal is going to cry,” Minamoto said, feeling a twinge of sympathy for Yaga.
Gojo was in high spirits.
“Forget it, forget it.
Non-sorcerers can’t see curses anyway.
Let Rika play for a while.
She’s still just a child!” Minamoto sighed.
If the Strongest said so, there was nothing he could do.
At least the government would foot the repair bill.
“You’re going to spoil her, Sensei.” Eventually, Yuta emerged from the wreckage, carrying the two children and lugging a semi-conscious Maki on his back.
“We’re almost there, guys!” “Don’t collapse now, Yuta!
Didn’t you decide to change yourself here?!” “Go for it, Yuta!” An innocent voice whispered in his ear—Rika’s normal, human voice.
“Yeah, I’ll do my best!” At that moment, Gojo and Minamoto were leaning against the car, watching Yuta struggle toward them.
“Gojo-sensei, shouldn’t we help?
Yuta is literally wobbling,” Minamoto said, casually licking an ice cream cone he had acquired from who-knows-where.
Gojo was working on a strawberry-flavored one; he wasn’t a fan of the matcha flavor Minamoto had.
“It’s fine.
They’re rescued.
Never interrupt a man in the middle of a life-changing moment.” “Oh.” Minamoto didn’t really care either.
At worst, Yuta would just faceplant in the dirt.
But looking at Gojo, he couldn’t help but wonder—the man ate so much sugar and never gained a pound.
Minamoto had only finished one, and Gojo was already on his third.
As Yuta finally collapsed from exhaustion, the two “shameless” sorcerers didn’t move an inch to help.
“Welcome back.
You worked hard,” Gojo said around a mouthful of ice cream, looking not the least bit sentimental.
Minamoto stepped forward and picked up the two children, showing none of the “brotherly” affection he’d claimed earlier.
“Nice job.” He turned and walked toward the car, leaving the two “heavy” ones for Gojo to carry.
“Geto-sama, the Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit, Rika Orimoto, was fully manifested for 422 seconds.” “Understood.
I’ll go see for myself when I have the time.”