"Sensei, haven't you found Utahime and the others yet?" Shoko asked.
"No. This place is saturated with the scent of curses. I can't track their specific Cursed Energy at all. If Satoru or Ming were here, they might have found them by now," Masamichi Yaga said sternly. He was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the higher-ups.
Do they even value the lives of sorcerers? A Special Grade Cursed Womb could awaken at any moment. Even now, the residual pressure is at the level of a Semi-Special Grade.
While the two were searching, Kusakabe and Utahime Iori had already been cornered by a swarm of spirits.
"Kusakabe-san..." the timid Utahime whispered.
"Utahime, activate your technique first. I'll buy you time to escape," Kusakabe said, his brow furrowed.
Utahime knew that staying there would only drag Kusakabe down; escaping to find help was the better option.
"Understood. Solo Forbidden Zone!" Utahime activated her technique. Kusakabe immediately felt his Cursed Energy surge back to its peak.
"What an incredible technique. Not only does it restore energy, but it boosts output by this much..." Kusakabe couldn't help but look at the woman with newfound respect.
"Let's go, Shoko! There's a flare of Cursed Energy over there—it must be Utahime!" Yaga led Shoko, sprinting toward the source.
The path was crawling with Curses. Though they weren't particularly high-level, their numbers were overwhelming. Yaga released the Cursed Corpses he carried to clear the surroundings while he struck down those in his path with a wooden cursed tool. After ten minutes, they saw a blurred figure running toward them.
Shoko's sharp eyes recognized her instantly. "Utahime-senpai! Over here!"
A rare, faint smile appeared on Yaga's stern face. Seeing his student safe allowed him to show his softer side for a moment.
"Shoko! Shoko!" Utahime cried out, picking up her pace. Her eyes were brimming with tears.
"Senpai!" Utahime lunged forward and threw her arms around Shoko.
"Uh, Senpai, please... take it easy," Shoko said helplessly as she was squeezed tight.
"Utahime, are there any other survivors?" Yaga asked.
"Sensei! Right, Kusakabe-san! He's currently being besieged by the Curses!" Utahime said frantically. Just then, Kusakabe, wielding his long katana, caught up with them.
"Hello, Yaga-senpai. I'm Kusakabe." At this time, Kusakabe was only a Grade 2 sorcerer and naturally recognized the famous Masamichi Yaga.
"Hello. Thank you for looking after my student," Yaga said, bowing slightly. This was Yaga's way; he was like a father to his students, treating them as his own children. This was why even the fearless Satoru Gojo listened to him.
"You're too kind, Yaga-senpai. Iori-san helped a lot as well," Kusakabe said, feeling slightly overwhelmed. He wasn't lying; Utahime and Kusakabe were the types who possessed deep academic knowledge of Jujutsu.
"Alright, let's evacuate immediately. The Curses are multiplying, and the intensity is nearing Special Grade. If we stay, things will get ugly," Yaga warned. Kusakabe nodded; he knew how much trouble an awakened Cursed Womb would cause.
Shoko began providing medical treatment to the two. Kusakabe watched her in shock.
"Reverse Cursed Technique?"
"Yeah," Shoko said nonchalantly.
Kusakabe's eyes widened. In the entire Jujutsu world, those who could use Reverse Cursed Technique could be counted on one hand. He knew how difficult that level of energy manipulation was—and this girl could not only heal herself but others as well.
Shoko ignored his expression and followed Yaga, focused on leaving the area. Kusakabe didn't pry further, knowing now wasn't the time, but the spirits had other plans. Another wave surged around them.
"This is impossible. Even if the Cursed Womb attracts them, there are too many high-level spirits here," Kusakabe muttered, confused.
"I suspect this is a mental-interference type spirit. It's actively drawing them in," Yaga analyzed, drawing on his vast experience.
Yaga controlled his corpses to form a perimeter, with he and Kusakabe protecting the less combat-oriented Shoko and Utahime.
However, even the best defense has gaps. A hideous spirit suddenly manifested behind Utahime.
"Watch out, Senpai!" Shoko lunged forward, pushing Utahime out of the way. As the spirit's claws swung toward her, Shoko reflexively tried to activate her Reverse Cursed Technique to heal the coming wound. But the pain never came. The spirit passed right through her body as if she were made of mist.
"Shoko! Are you okay?" Yaga and Kusakabe shouted, having noticed too late. When they saw her unharmed, they breathed a collective sigh of relief. Yaga was stunned—Why does Shoko have Ming's ability?—but his primary concern was her safety. They quickly cleared the area and gathered around her.
"Shoko, your eye..." Utahime said, staring at Shoko's left eye in shock.
"My eye?" Shoko was confused.
"Hmm?" Yaga looked closer and narrowed his eyes. "Ming's Mangekyo Sharingan... Why can you use his power?"
"Ming's eye?" Shoko was stunned. Utahime hurriedly fumbled through her bag and handed Shoko a small mirror.
Shoko looked into the mirror and saw the Kamui Mangekyo, identical to Ming's. Memories of the "gift" Ming had given her flooded back. At the time, she felt nothing and thought he was just messing with her. So this was the gift?
"This... must be the gift Ming gave me. But I don't know the specifics," Shoko said.
"Don't worry about the 'how' for now. Regardless, this is good news," Yaga said, a hint of hope returning to his face.
"Sensei, I'm not sure if attracting even more spirits is good news," Shoko said, noticing that the flare of ocular power had drawn even more Curses toward them.
"No. If Ming set this up, it's definitely more than just a shield. If he feared you were in danger, he would have sealed a powerful technique in there. He will surely feel the activation. We just need to hold on a little longer," Yaga explained.
Shoko nodded, her heart finally steadying.
"Um, I have to ask..." Utahime said weakly. "Who exactly is Ming?"