Facing two pairs of curious eyes…
Gojo Satoru thought for a moment before speaking.
“That girl…” “She’s incredibly lazy.” Yes.
Gojo referred to Ronova as a girl.
Not as a monster.
Not as a curse.
And certainly not as an enemy.
In Gojo’s mind, if he temporarily set aside the fact that Ronova was a Special Grade Cursed Spirit born from the fear of death…
She wasn’t all that different from a human.
“When I first saw her, I was actually surprised.” “She’s too perfect.” “Perfect enough that she doesn’t even look like a cursed spirit.” Gojo’s observation wasn’t without reason.
Cursed spirits generally possessed some feature that distinguished them from ordinary humans.
Take Mahito, for example.
Despite having a humanoid appearance and being one of the most human-like cursed spirits, the stitches running across his body were an unmistakable sign of his nature.
His appearance reflected the distorted concept from which he was born.
Ronova, by contrast…
Had no obvious physical abnormality.
Her appearance was indistinguishable from that of a beautiful human woman.
At least on the surface.
That alone was enough to demonstrate just how unusual she was.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons Gojo had been willing to give her a chance in the first place.
Hearing Gojo’s explanation…
Yuki Tsukumo thought back to their first encounter.
Then she nodded.
“That’s true.” “When I first saw her, I honestly wondered whether we’d identified the wrong person.” Ronova looked completely human.
It was difficult to reconcile that appearance with the idea of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
Of course…
That doubt disappeared the moment Ronova revealed her true form.
Yuki still remembered those enormous crimson eyes.
Even now…
Closing her eyes was enough to bring the image back.
The oppressive feeling.
The instinctive terror.
The overwhelming sense that something far beyond an ordinary cursed spirit was looking directly at her.
It was difficult to forget.
“Aside from looking too human…” “She’s also incredibly lazy.” Gojo continued.
“But she’s basically a brat.” “Her favorite hobbies seem to be doing nothing, playing games, and finding ways to annoy people.” “Still…” “She’s definitely not one of those mindless, bloodthirsty cursed spirits.” “She has her own principles.” “For example…” “Even knowing she’ll have to fight me in two months…” “She hasn’t started indiscriminately killing humans to increase her cursed energy.” “That’s one of the main reasons I was willing to let her go.” Gojo’s words left Yuki and Mei Mei thoughtful.
They both unconsciously imagined themselves in Ronova’s position.
Suppose they knew that in two months…
They would be fighting Gojo Satoru.
Suppose they also possessed a technique that grew stronger by witnessing death.
Would they really be able to resist the temptation to accelerate their growth through killing?
Neither woman could confidently say yes.
Yet Ronova had done exactly that.
Despite the enormous pressure…
She had continued following her own principles.
Yuki slowly exhaled.
After carefully considering Ronova’s actions since her birth…
She found it increasingly difficult to regard the girl as an ordinary cursed spirit.
Ronova had never gone out of her way to slaughter innocent civilians.
Even during the battle against the sorcerers…
She had warned them first.
They had chosen to continue.
She had fought back.
From Ronova’s perspective…
It had been self-defense.
And even when she had personally executed people…
They had been individuals she had determined were guilty of serious crimes.
That wasn’t to say she was innocent of everything.
She was still a cursed spirit.
She had still killed people.
But there was a clear difference between someone who killed indiscriminately…
And someone who acted according to a moral code.
Yuki couldn’t simply ignore that distinction.
Neither could Mei Mei.
By this point…
The two women had developed a rough understanding of Ronova’s personality.
She was almost like a game boss with very simple rules.
Don’t provoke her…
And she had little reason to attack you.
But deliberately challenge her…
And you had better be prepared to die.
For a Curse Spirit of Death…
That was actually a surprisingly manageable personality.
Of course…
That was only their personal assessment.
The rest of the jujutsu world might not be nearly as understanding.
Most sorcerers had been raised to regard cursed spirits as enemies.
A cursed spirit didn’t need to be malicious to be dangerous.
Its very existence was enough.
That was why conflict with Ronova was probably inevitable.
Still…
Knowing what kind of person she was made one thing slightly easier.
If nothing unexpected happened…
Ronova wasn’t the kind of curse that would randomly expand her attacks to unrelated people.
She would respond to those who came after her.
That distinction mattered.
After finishing his conversation with Yuki and Mei Mei…
Gojo didn’t leave Tokyo Jujutsu High immediately.
Instead…
He headed toward another part of the school.
The detention area.
Shoko Ieiri was being held there.
When Gojo entered…
Shoko glanced up at him.
Then immediately looked away.
Her gaze settled on the floor.
She appeared so bored that the floor itself had somehow become fascinating.
Seeing her like that…
Gojo became slightly concerned.
Still, he deliberately adopted his usual carefree tone.
“Huh?” “I thought they’d be torturing you.” “But you seem to be doing pretty well.” He paused.
Then grinned.
“Actually…” “Did you gain a little weight?” Gojo’s Six Eyes made him absolutely certain.
Shoko really had gained weight.
Shoko’s lips twitched.
For a moment…
She looked as though she might actually break down laughing.
Instead, she forced herself to remain expressionless.
She ignored the comment completely.
Gojo continued.
“I went to see Ronova afterward.” “She’s doing much better than you.” “She’s eating, drinking, playing games…” “She looks like someone who just escaped from prison.” Shoko finally turned toward him.
“Good.” Her answer was cold and immediate.
Gojo nearly laughed.
At this point…
He genuinely wondered whether Ronova’s innate technique had secretly evolved into some kind of charm ability.
Otherwise…
How had Shoko become this attached to her?
Even while being detained herself…
Shoko’s first concern was still Ronova.
And knowing that Ronova was safe seemed to make her happier than the possibility of being released.
Gojo could only sigh.
She’s really hopeless.
Then Gojo added casually, “Though…” “Ronova’s situation isn’t going to stay peaceful.” “Soon, I’ll find her.” “And we’ll settle this.” That finally broke Shoko’s composure.
She shot to her feet and rushed toward the bars.
“Gojo!” “You’d better not hurt her!” “What kind of teacher are you?!” Her anger erupted all at once.
For a moment…
It almost looked as though Shoko herself wanted to take Ronova’s place and fight Gojo.
Gojo stared at her.
“…Seriously?” He shook his head with a helpless smile.
“Looks like I’ve really lost you.” Shoko glared at him.
She didn’t deny it.