Two fingers. Two goddamn Sukuna fingers. That smug bastard Kenjaku was escalating things faster than I anticipated. He was playing a dangerous game, and we were caught right in the middle of it.
"Miu, Nobara," I spoke, "we're changing plans. We're going to find Mahito and ruin his day."
Miu's eyes lit up, a smile spreading across her face. "I'll follow you anywhere, Zack," she chirped. "Let's make that twisted freak regret ever being born."
Nobara nodded, a sadistic smirk on her face. "Sounds like a plan, just tell me who the hell Mahito is before we off him okay?"
I realized that Megumi and Yuji would only get in the way at their current strength. Using my speed that eclipsed theirs, I quickly wrote a note and shoved it in Megumi's pockets.
"You're too weak for what's coming," the note read. "Fucking focus on training instead of lazing around. You have the potential, stop wasting it."
We turned our backs on the detention center, leaving the chaos and confusion behind us. There was no way we were going to return to Tokyo Jujutsu tech with the things at stake.
The city sprawled before us, a concrete jungle teeming with hidden dangers and secrets. As we walked, my senses were on high alert, searching for any trace of cursed energy that might lead us to Mahito.
"So," Nobara spoke up, her voice laced with curiosity, "who is this Mahito dude, and why are we so keen on turning him into dust?"
I explained the depths of Mahito's depravity, detailing his twisted experiments and his sadistic enjoyment of human suffering. By the time I finished, Nobara's smirk had transformed into a grimace of disgust.
"That's just messed up," she muttered, her hand instinctively reaching for her straw doll, only to stop herself.
We continued our search, combing through the city's underbelly, following faint traces of cursed energy that ultimately led to dead ends and false leads. Frustration gnawed at me, the knowledge of Kenjaku's escalating plans weighing heavily on my mind.
As the hours stretched into the night, exhaustion began to set in.
We found ourselves in a quiet, nondescript part of the city, the neon lights and bustling crowds of the central districts a distant memory.
"We need to rest," Miu said, her voice laced with fatigue. "We won't accomplish anything if we're running on fumes."
I nodded in agreement, my body aching from the constant exertion. We found a small, unassuming hotel and booked a room for Miu and I for the night. I even paid for Nobara's room. I took a shower and ended up collapsing onto the bed, I closed my eyes, the events of the day replaying in my mind. I barely noticed when miu cuddled up next to me to sleep.
I indeed, slept like a rock.
July 28th, Tokyo hotel lobby.
July 28th dawned with a sense of renewed purpose. We descended the elevator and entered the lobby to see Nobara was waiting for us this time reading a technology magazine. Not commenting on it, we checked out.
We emerged from the hotel, the morning sun casting long shadows across the city streets.
"Let's try those abandoned warehouses near the docks," Miu suggested, her eyes gleaming intelligently. "Cursed spirits tend to congregate in places with negative energy."
We set off once more, our search continuing as the city slowly awakened around us.
Hours passed, the sun moved into the afternoon and a nearby clock read 1:55 PM. We wore our tojo pins and I wore my best suit( and dresses for the ladies) so that people wouldn't bother us.
Moving down the street, I sensed something strange.
a faint pulse of cursed energy emanating from a nondescript building tucked away in a dimly lit side street. A weathered sign above the entrance read "Divination Resources," the letters barely visible in the fading light.
"This is it," I announced. "If Mahito isn't here, something certainly is."
We approached the door and pushed it open, stepping into a dimly lit space filled with the scent of incense and exotic spices.
Shelves lined with strange trinkets, exquisite scrolls, and bizarre ingredients stretched into the shadows.
Behind the counter stood a man with a cheerful smile and piercing eyes. His voice, carrying a distinct middle-eastern lilt,
greeted us warmly, "Welcome, welcome! Come in, come in! I am Kasimir, and you have stumbled upon a treasure trove of wonders!"
My eyes scanned the immaculate shelves, everything sorted into its proper place. I looked for anything that might aid us in our hunt. "Looking for something specific?" he asked, a greedy glint entering his eyes.
I nodded, "We need something to track a cursed spirit," I explained. "Something powerful, something that can pierce any hiding spot."
Kasimir chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Ah, a quest for the elusive! A challenge worthy of the greatest hunters! Worry not, my friends, for I, the almighty merchant Kasimir, have just the thing!"
He reached behind the counter, retrieving a small, ornately carved box.
Placing it on the polished wooden wooden surface of the counter, he proclaimed, "This is a Compass of Souls. It can track any being, living or dead, across any plane of existence. A valuable tool for those who seek what or who is hidden, wouldn't you agree?"
I reached for my wallet, beginning to pull out a few bills, only to be stopped by Kasimir's raised hand.
His smile turned apologetic as he explained, "Alas, my friends, paper holds no value in the grand bazaar of the multiverse. Only the gleam of precious metals- gold, silver, or platinum- can unlock the secrets within a special store like this."
I stared into the distance, the weight of our situation settling upon me. "I'll be back," I stated. "I have what you need."
"To enter again, simply clap 4 times, say my name, and then clap twice more in front of any stores that purport to sell anything magical. It doesn't matter how fake or unrealistic."
I nodded while I stepped back onto the bustling street, I pulled out my phone and dialed a familiar number as Nobara and Miu followed behind me. "Majima," I said when he answered, "I need a favor."
"Yeah kid?" he answered, "You need something?"
I began to speak. "I need some places that sell gold, silver, and platinum coins in bulk for a good price."
He pauses for a moment. "I won't ask why you would need gold and silver because platinum gives me a clue." He chuckles."Alright, I got a place."
He gave me an address, and before i Hung up, he told me something interesting. "I got a sapphire pin for the Nobara girl. I like her gumption and I'm sure she'd like the privileges of the vice-executive position. The metalsmith will have it ready for you when you enter his store."
I relayed what Majima said to Nobara, she smirked with pride evident on her face for some reason. Ignoring that, I finished the call. "Later, Majima."
I hung up and we began moving towards the metalsmith.
We arrived at the metalsmith's shop, a small, unassuming storefront nestled amongst the towering skyscrapers of the financial district. The windows were dark, obscuring the interior from prying eyes. I pushed open the door, a small bell tinkling softly as we entered.
The shop was dimly lit, the air thick with the scent of molten metal and oil.
Tools and equipment lined the walls, their surfaces worn smooth from years of use.
Behind a cluttered workbench stood a burly man with thick forearms and a bushy beard, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he worked on a delicate piece of jewelry.
He looked up as we entered, his gaze sweeping over us with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "Can I help you?" he asked gruffly, his voice rough like sandpaper.
"Majima sent us," I explained simply.
The man's expression softened slightly, a hint of recognition flickering in his eyes. "Ah, Tojo head Majima," he grunted. "What can I do for his associates?"
"We need gold, silver, and platinum," I stated, getting straight to the point. "A lot of it. And we need it in coin form, ounces."
The metalsmith raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on our pins. He then tossed a sapphire colored pin to Nobara. "Majima said you'd be coming."
He nodded, turning back to his workbench. "I can get you what you need," he said, his voice businesslike. "But it won't be cheap. The spot price for precious metals has been fluctuating lately."
He pulled out a calculator, his fingers flying across the keys as he inputted figures.
"Gold is currently trading at around 148,500 yen per ounce, silver at 1,892 yen per ounce, and platinum at 96,600 yen per ounce," he announced after a moment. "That's with a 10% markup on the spot price, and I'll add another 5% for minting them into coins. Craftsmanship is on the house, courtesy of Majima."
I winced internally, doing the mental math. Even with the millions of yen I had acquired through my less-than-legal activities, this was going to make a serious dent in my funds.
"We'll take it," I said, my voice firm despite the financial blow. "Just tell us how much we need for. let's say, 1000 ounces of each."
He nodded confidently, "307,000,000 yen for your bulk order. I rounded up due to such an immense order. I hope you don't mind."
I shrugged. After this, I still had 504,000,000 from the 'business activities' Miu and I had perpetrated.
"How long will it be?" I asked.
He smirked, "You're just about draining my current stock. I actually have all of it here, but I wasn't expecting it to sell so quickly. I'll have to shut down the store for a while to make more."
He led me to the back where there were boxes of metal of all kinds.
We passed by the bars, and he led us to the coins.
A relatively large box containing what we needed sat in front of us.
Using my hammer space, I grabbed exactly what we paid for.
1000 silver, 1000 gold, and 1000 platinum coins of one ounce each.
I saw that there were 50ish of the platinum left in the platinum box, and slightly over 100 gold.
Looking at the massive crate of silver, it still seemed mostly full.
I shook his hand. "Good doing business with you."
We left the metalsmith's workshop and luckily enough there was a new-age crap store.
I stood in front of the door, clapped 4 times, said "Kasimir." and clapped twice more.
The door in front of us melted and then reappeared.
I walked into the familiar scent of incense.