"All done!"
Before long, the ever-cheerful Kasumi Miwa came jogging back. She walked ahead of the other two, leading them quickly toward the main gate of the mission school.
"Thank you for your hard work."
After lowering the Curtain, Assistant Supervisor Tanabe bowed to the three students, looking at them with open admiration.
These girls were Jujutsu Sorcerers, destined for the front lines, forced to confront the darkest negative emotions born from human hearts.
Even he, an assistant supervisor who didn't fight directly, had to stay on edge at all times. How much greater must the pressure be for these students, who weren't even adults yet?
"Yay! Let's hurry back for some oden! And we can grab some batteries for Mechamaru as snacks too~"
"?"
Momo Nishimiya tilted her head, confused by Kasumi Miwa's comment.
Mai explained,
"Kasumi's been playing house with a cute shop clerk~~"
"Huh~? You can't say it like that!"
Kasumi Miwa put her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks in exaggerated protest.
As the three of them bantered and prepared to head back the way they came, Assistant Supervisor Tanabe suddenly spoke from the side.
"Ahem. It may be ill-timed to bring this up, but I must ask—if you're planning to return to Kyoto Station's Hachijo Exit… please go straight back to the school."
Mai's expression turned serious.
"Did something happen?"
"A Grade 2 incident has just occurred there. According to the 'Window,' it's suspected to be the same Cursed Spirit that first appeared this March. However, because the previous victims' bodies were too badly mutilated, no useful information could be obtained. Each time someone discovers the scene, all traces of it have already disappeared…"
"Then isn't that perfect!"
Kasumi Miwa cut in excitedly.
"Aren't we Jujutsu Sorcerers? It's so close—let's go exorcise the Cursed Spirit!"
"It's not that simple…"
Tanabe immediately rejected her suggestion.
"The directive from above is to gather reports on casualties caused by the Cursed Spirit and analyze its movement patterns. Exorcism will be carried out once a Grade 1 sorcerer is available."
Momo Nishimiya frowned and cut him off. For once, the usually playful girl looked genuinely angry.
"Gather casualty reports? Those aren't just numbers. They're human lives!"
"Please try to understand. There are already too few Jujutsu Sorcerers. You've just finished a mission and aren't in peak condition. If a sorcerer is killed, that's a loss we simply cannot afford…"
"So you're just reducing lives to a calculation?"
Momo Nishimiya knew Tanabe was only carrying out orders. Arguing with him would accomplish nothing. She turned to Mai Zenin.
"Mai, what do you think…?"
Mai fell silent, thinking it through.
The enemy had managed to escape repeatedly under the surveillance of the 'Window.' Even among Grade 2 Cursed Spirits, it was considered top-tier. She herself was only an ordinary Grade 3 sorcerer.
Even with Momo, who was Grade 2…
But although Momo had reached Grade 2, the main reason was her tactical value. In a one-on-one fight, she might not be able to consistently suppress a Cursed Spirit of the same rank.
Walking away now would be the most rational choice.
No one would blame them. In fact, returning to the school immediately was the most appropriate decision given the circumstances.
And yet, something didn't sit right with her. A dull frustration lingered in her chest.
Suddenly, a memory from childhood surfaced. Her sister's figure appeared before her eyes—Maki reaching out, pulling her away from those grotesque Cursed Spirits.
Back then, she had only understood two things—
Cursed Spirits were terrifying.
But as long as someone was by your side, you felt safe.
And besides—
"Once we've made a promise, we have to keep it, right?"
"Got it!"
"Count me in!"
The three of them walked past Assistant Supervisor Tanabe, who stood there with his head lowered in silence.
Seeing how alone he looked, Kasumi Miwa couldn't help but turn back.
"Aren't you going to stop us?"
Tanabe clenched his fists and shook his head. He felt torn by his own helplessness. If he were a Jujutsu Sorcerer, there was no way he would let children take such a risk.
"My job is to save people, not to complete missions… Just a reminder— even if this succeeds, there won't be any credit or compensation."
"No pay does sting… but reducing the casualties comes first…"
"I understand. Then I'm counting on you!!"
His voice came out almost like a shout, as if he were forcing something out of his chest.
"Yeah!"
After answering, Kasumi Miwa steadied herself and hurried to catch up with the other two.
Tanabe bowed deeply toward their backs. Nothing might happen. But if something did, the price would be their lives.
Young sprouts shouldn't be crushed before they've had the chance to grow. This time, even if he had to throw away his pride, he would do everything he could to request a Grade 1 Sorcerer.
Momo Nishimiya rose into the air as usual, ready to provide support at any moment.
Mai drew her pistol from its holster, her coat hanging loosely over her shoulders like a half-draped cape.
Kasumi Miwa followed close behind Mai, advancing carefully.
Sure enough, the area felt completely different from the afternoon. The dense Cursed Energy carried a sharp, acrid stench, stripping away the warmth it once had. It felt less like a busy street and more like a ghostly realm meant for the dead.
When the three of them pushed open the convenience store door, bracing for the worst, the sight inside was even more chaotic than they had imagined.
The shelves had all collapsed. Merchandise was scattered everywhere. In the center of the store stood a creature nearly a story tall. Its skin looked charred, and from every joint extended a thin, spindly arm. On its spherical head, seven vertical eyes were scattered unevenly across the surface.
It opened its lipless mouth. Rib-like structures functioned as fangs, grinding against each other and producing a nauseating scraping sound.
The clerk from earlier that evening was clutched in several of the Cursed Spirit's hands. It forced her into its own body, stuffing her inside. Then, as if dissatisfied, it pulled her back out and shoved her into a different spot.
Thankfully, perhaps because the Cursed Spirit was treating it like some twisted game, the clerk was still faintly breathing.
But her face was bruised, her eyes swollen nearly shut. Red blotches covered her body where the Cursed Spirit's corruption had spread, and within those blotches countless tiny eyes blinked. Her limbs were bent at unnatural angles, nearly reversed. Wounds exposing bone covered her entire body. The curse caused sickly scabs to form quickly, preventing heavy bleeding, but it was clear she wasn't far from her final breath.
Kasumi Miwa covered her mouth with both hands, trying desperately not to cry. Just this evening, that same clerk had waved at them with a smile. Now she had been reduced to this by a Cursed Spirit.
"Kasumi… even if you joined later, you have to fully step into your role as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Otherwise, you won't be able to endure this. People you know can disappear from your life at any time. This is what Cursed Spirits do to humans. They're monsters."