"The Rank of this mission is unknown. According to the requirements from above, your primary objective is to investigate the situation within the village.
If the situation is critical, you may abandon the mission. Please be extremely careful."
Nitta Akari warned solemnly.
It was already the next day, but they had not received any contact from the Windows.
They couldn't even contact the Windows in the village anymore.
Therefore, fearing that the situation in the village was complex and might lead to casualties among these Young Man, who were still young and inexperienced students,
Nitta Akari submitted an application to Jujutsu Headquarters to dispatch more experienced Jujutsu Sorcerers to carry out the mission.
However, Jujutsu Headquarters rejected it, citing insufficient manpower and an unknown situation.
In desperation, Nitta Akari repeatedly reminded these three Jujutsu Sorcerers, whom she still considered children, to retreat immediately if things became unmanageable.
"I understand. So, what happened to that Window? Is he still alive?"
Maki, sitting in the front seat with Nitta Akari, asked.
"There has been no news of that Window's death yet, so there's a possibility he's still alive."
Nitta Akari, who was driving, checked the road conditions, then reached for a piece of paper from the documents clipped to the sun visor.
The paper had lines of neat handwriting.
"This is the information I investigated from Jujutsu Headquarters after we couldn't contact him this morning."
Hearing this, Inumaki Toge and Panda, who were sitting in the back, also leaned forward.
"You two, that's dangerous. Sit properly."
Hearing Nitta Akari's words, Panda and Inumaki Toge awkwardly sat back down, waiting for Maki to finish reading before they looked.
Inoue Hao, a university student.
Due to his love for adventure, he often traveled all over the island nation.
During an adventure at a popular online supernatural spot, he encountered a newly born Cursed Spirit.
He was coincidentally rescued by a Jujutsu Sorcerer who came to exorcise the Cursed Spirit.
Since then, he became one of those who could see and joined the Windows.
When Inoue Hao discovered Cursed Spirits during his adventures, he would report the situation to the local Jujutsu department's operator. If the information was confirmed to be true,
the local Jujutsu department would also give Inoue Hao a reward.
This time, Inoue Hao went on an adventure in the mountains and passed through a closed-off and backward village on the way.
In the village, Inoue Hao discovered what appeared to be a Cursed Spirit.
Because the reported information was too vague, for example, information such as the Cursed Spirit's Rank could not be determined at all.
Therefore, the local Jujutsu department stated that Inoue Hao must provide detailed, confirmable information before a reward could be issued.
The result was that Inoue Hao lost contact.
Maki frowned as she looked at the contents of the A4 paper.
Tentacles, octopus, eyes… how was it so similar to the thing they encountered yesterday?
"Are there any results regarding that thing from yesterday?"
Maki handed the paper to Panda and Inumaki Toge, who were waiting in the back.
"Not yet."
Nitta Akari shook her head.
It wasn't just Jujutsu Sorcerers who became busy as the number of Cursed Spirits increased.
Doctors too.
Shoko Ieiri's workload had also surged recently.
"Is that so?"
Maki didn't say anything more after hearing this.
"So, our primary mission this time is to investigate the situation within the village and search for this Window member, right?"
Panda summarized.
"Exactly. According to police records, this village has also recently experienced unexplained disappearances, so the probability of Cursed Spirits being present in the village is very high."
"Don't worry, we're very strong."
Maki said with a confident smile… Tap, tap.
In the backward village, Maki walked along a country path, carrying her Thousand Machine Umbrella on her back.
What met her eyes were abandoned houses, overgrown courtyards, and old people with numb expressions.
After walking around the village for half an hour, Maki hadn't seen a single Young Man.
Let alone Inoue Hao, one of their mission objectives.
The village wasn't large, and the few who separated to search quickly finished checking the village and then returned to the village entrance to gather.
"Did you find anything on your side?"
Maki spoke first.
"Bonito flakes."
Inumaki Toge shook his head, indicating he hadn't found anything.
"Is that so? What about you?"
Maki looked at Panda.
"I didn't see any Cursed Spirits, but there's a lot of residual Qi."
"Residual Qi, so that means there are indeed Cursed Spirits here."
"Yes, but those residual Qi make me feel very uncomfortable."
Panda nodded, confirming Maki's statement.
"Like the one in the sewer yesterday?"
Maki suddenly asked.
"Exactly, like that.
The residual Qi here feels more distorted than ordinary residual Qi. Also, the people in this village don't feel quite right to me either."
After speaking, the three looked towards the village.
The village in the sunlight didn't give off a sense of warmth; it showed no hint of that desirable idyllic scenery.
Trees bent in strange directions.
Branches twisted like deformed human hands reaching towards the sky.
Roads that, despite people moving about, were filled with a sense of dead silence.
It felt as if merely entering the village had dimmed the world's colors by a shade.
"I always feel like the people in this village are more like Cursed Corpses than I, a Cursed Corpse, am."
Hearing Panda's words, Maki also recalled the old people she had seen earlier.
Faces full of wrinkles.
Withered bodies.
Hollow eyes.
And faces devoid of any Life Qi.
"Seriously, what exactly is going on with this village?"
Maki sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
For some reason, even the bold and meticulous Maki felt a chill rise from her heart when she carefully observed this village.
"What should we do? Should we leave the village first?"
Panda seemed to have noticed Maki's irritation.
"No, we haven't completed any of our mission objectives yet. While it's still not dark, let's go back in and check again."
After speaking, Maki was the first to walk into the village.
Panda and Inumaki Toge exchanged glances and immediately followed.
The few first carefully studied the areas where residual Qi was dense.
The result was that these residual Qi were not only large in area but also lacked any directionality.
It was like puddles left behind after the tide receded.
The few couldn't accurately pinpoint the location of the Cursed Spirit that left the residual Qi based on these traces.
Just like that, the sun gradually set.
Maki and the two found a relatively intact house and temporarily settled in.
Among the many abandoned houses, this one was one of the most complete.
Even the utilities hadn't been cut off.
Judging by the thin layer of dust on the tables, chairs, and cabinets, the house had probably been abandoned for less than a month.
After confirming that this house was indeed abandoned, the few decided to stay for the night.
Inumaki Toge and Maki rested after eating some high-energy food they carried and wild fruits picked from the roadside.
Panda, a Cursed Corpse who didn't need sleep, voluntarily took on the task of keeping watch.
Panda also had the objective of observing whether Cursed Spirits would appear at night.
A starless night arrived.
The entire village was quickly enveloped in pitch-black darkness.
In the unknown darkness of the night, distorted figures silently crept out from unseen corners.
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