After reporting the situation to Headquarters and requesting close surveillance of the foreign Spellcasters, Kamihara Hajime contacted Gojo Satoru on his way back. In Japan, most Jujutsu Sorcerers are officially registered with Headquarters. Even the freelance ones remain within its awareness. The rest are usually Curse Users.
But why would Mahito's side deliberately lure foreign sorcerers into Japan? And that video… The strange figure recorded in it showed unnatural physical features, something even a regular camera could capture.
That detail was especially concerning—because if a standard device could record it, then anyone could view the footage. Not just people within the underground "Shadow Web," but ordinary civilians too. That was a problem.
The Jujutsu world has always hidden itself from public knowledge. Most civilians can't perceive Cursed Spirits or the phenomena created by Cursed Energy. The veil of secrecy remained intact because of this. Even so-called "insiders" usually only understood a fraction of the truth.
But that video… it was like opening Pandora's Box.
Initially, people might dismiss it. After all, monster videos were nothing new online. But someone would eventually take it seriously—test its contents, verify its claims—and when they did, they'd find the truth. Kamihara Hajime had no doubt that if needed, whoever released that footage would also leak additional "proof" to back it up.
If he were in a civilian's shoes, he'd see it as the discovery of a new kind of "resource"—something with limitless potential. Whether or not the alleged drug actually extended life, just the promise of power was enough to spark global chaos.
After all, if you could turn someone into a monster that could shred livestock with their bare hands, what government wouldn't be interested?
People wouldn't hesitate to test this theory—through experimentation, surveillance, or abduction. And if that happened, it wouldn't just be a handful of Sorcerers sneaking in. Jujutsu Sorcerers, especially those without techniques like Gojo's, are still human. Most can't survive conventional military force.
And with the Jujutsu world already strained by Mahito's actions, another crisis could collapse everything.
But then… why only publish that video on the Shadow Web instead of a public platform?
Kamihara Hajime frowned as he muttered, "Things are starting to spiral. Everyone needs to be careful."
---
The Next Day
Reading a message on his phone, Kamihara Hajime paused and gestured for Ieiri to hold off. He made a quick call.
"Megumi, handle the investigation for now. I've got something to deal with here. I'll head your way once I'm done."
He hung up, nodded at Ijichi, and allowed him to continue.
Ijichi quickly explained the issue—foreign Spellcasters again. While some had quietly withdrawn after their last encounter, others remained. A few acted alone and were harder to track.
"One of them made contact with an ordinary civilian and disappeared from our surveillance for a while," Ijichi reported. "When our team engaged, he injured them easily and fled. The civilian has no curse potential, but he was marked by some kind of Jujutsu."
All local transport had been secured. The Spellcaster hadn't escaped yet.
"Got it. Let's go," Hajime said as he stood. "Where's Gojo-sensei? I haven't seen him recently."
Ijichi, starting the car, paused as Hajime waved him off and continued, "Recently, we've received repeated false alarms—like the ones at Sugisawa Third High and the prison. Weak Curses, nothing dangerous. But because of what happened last time, Gojo has been responding personally to each case. And we've diverted a lot of our manpower to track these foreign Spellcasters and contain the fallout from that Shadow Web leak."
Kamihara Hajime confirmed the target's location on his map. "I'll handle it myself. You stay at Jujutsu High and keep watch."
With that, he activated his Technique and vanished.
Though not a teleportation ability, Hajime's Technique accelerated his time, letting him "move" at extreme speeds. It still required foot travel, and using it too long meant pushing his limits. Even so, it was ideal for situations like this.
---
88 Bridge
"Tsumiki went there once too..." Hajime thought as he neared the area Megumi was investigating. Could that Curse have triggered her coma?
Probably not. According to Megumi's data, the victims struck by the Curse didn't die at once, nor did they exhibit similar symptoms. Still, that Curse needed to be dealt with.
Then Hajime received new intel.
Good news: they had located the rogue Spellcaster. Bad news: he had lost control. Several people were dead. A local team had arrived to contain him, but the situation was dire.
---
Train Station Interior
The station was eerily empty. Just minutes ago, the rogue had tried to escape via Shinkansen, but went berserk, killing several civilians before being intercepted by patrol sorcerers.
"He's catching up!"
Chisong Lingmei, the lone woman in the team, reported breathlessly. Her Technique, Real Game, recreated real-world environments in her mind and mirrored enemy movement like a live battle simulator.
However, its combat predictions were grim.
Twenty-one simulations. All of them ended in their deaths.
The enemy's strength exceeded all projections.
"He's adapting too fast," Lingmei muttered, beads of sweat dripping from her forehead.
Ishizaka Kazuo, calm and methodical, created jagged air-solidified barriers behind them while generating stairs that led up and away.
Tachikawa Hiroshi, their power-type brawler, smashed through the ceiling and helped them escape to the next floor.
"He's getting stronger," Hiroshi reported grimly. "Every second we run, he evolves."
The enemy was no longer human—its body mutated with bone spikes and disproportionate muscles. It now resembled a grotesque monster nearly three meters tall.
"We have to draw him deeper into the station. If he gets outside, civilians will die."
Lingmei grit her teeth. All escape routes were damaged. Their only option was to die stalling him.
"Let's lead him underground," she said. "Even if we die, someone will avenge us—"
But just then, footsteps echoed from behind.
Calm, confident, unfazed.
"Looks like I'm not too late..."
---
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