Ch.23 The Curse in the Abandoned Building

"So, let me announce our destination," Gojo Satoru's words immediately quieted the two, and they perked up their ears to listen.

"Roppongi!"

When Hayashi heard the name, he knew right away where they were going. This wasn't going to be a sightseeing trip...

Itadori Yuji and Nobara Kugisaki were happy at first, but when they arrived at the destination, their faces darkened. In front of them stood a dilapidated building, emanating a thick, cursed aura that was easy to sense.

"Liar! This is more like Roppongi Cemetery!"

"How dare you deceive the locals!"

Yuji and Nobara grumbled in frustration.

"There's a large cemetery nearby, and combined with this abandoned building, it's created curses," Gojo explained.

"It should be more common near cemeteries, right?" Yuji calmed down for a moment, starting to analyze the situation, while Nobara remained sulking, still upset over being tricked.

"The problem isn't the cemetery itself, but the fear in people's hearts that 'cemeteries = spooky places,'" Fushiguro Megumi explained, looking at Yuji.

"Oh, it's like what happened at the school," Yuji nodded.

"Wait, does this guy really not know even that?" Nobara asked incredulously. As a jujutsu sorcerer, wasn't this basic knowledge?

"That's right," Fushiguro quickly explained what had happened at the school, including Yuji swallowing the finger of Ryomen Sukuna, the Special Grade Curse.

"What? He ate a Special Grade Cursed Object?" Nobara was shocked. A normal person would've died immediately, right? "Gross! That's disgusting! Your hygiene is horrible, just awful!"

"What are you talking about?" Yuji looked at Nobara, confused.

"I agree with her on this," Fushiguro added.

At this point, Gojo interrupted, "I want to see what you're capable of. Consider this a field test. Nobara, Yuji, you two will go into the building and exorcise the curses. As for Hayashi, he won't need to go."

"Why doesn't he have to go?" Nobara pointed at Hayashi, looking at Gojo. "Does this guy get special treatment, or is he just too weak for this job, so it's up to us?"

Gojo smiled and said, "Him? He wouldn't find it interesting to deal with curses of this level, so I'm letting him sit this one out."

"Sensei, are you saying…" Nobara looked at Hayashi in surprise. "He's stronger than me?"

"Hahaha, no, that's not what I meant," Gojo laughed, glancing at Nobara. "Hayashi here? He's even fought a Special Grade Curse. Do you really think these kinds of curses would faze him?"

"A Special Grade Curse? Him?" Nobara couldn't believe it. The first time they'd met, Hayashi looked as weak as a chicken. How could he possibly have tangled with a Special Grade Curse?

Hayashi awkwardly coughed, embarrassed. Gojo sure was hyping him up.

Gojo laughed again, "Though he did almost die there—if it weren't for me, that is."

"Tch, so he got beat up by a Special Grade Curse? Well, serves him right for being reckless. I'll take care of the curses in this building," Nobara said, finally understanding that Gojo wasn't praising Hayashi, but mocking him.

Hayashi also understood what Gojo meant. It was the truth, though. If Gojo hadn't shown up back then, he'd definitely have been a goner.

"Wait, Hayashi should be really strong, right?" Yuji said, remembering seeing Hayashi's cursed energy armor. That alone should've been enough to fend off most curses, right?

"And you know this how?" Nobara gave Yuji a sideways glance. Why did everyone seem to want to praise Hayashi? Why wasn't anyone praising her, the beautiful sorcerer?

"Well, Hayashi—"

"Alright, you two head in," Gojo interrupted Yuji, urging them to get moving.

"Wait a second," Hayashi spoke up. "Gojo-sensei, I'd like to go too."

This was a good opportunity to earn some points. How could he pass that up? Even if the points from these low-level curses weren't much, they still added up. He needed only a few more points to claim his next reward.

The sooner he earned the reward, the sooner he could start researching, and the stronger he would become.

Gojo looked at Hayashi for a moment, then said, "Alright, all three of you, head in."

"Hey, kid, don't hold me back," Nobara shot Hayashi a glance. She knew him best since they'd been neighbors for almost a month. But she loved to mess with Hayashi.

"Oh yeah, curses can only be exorcised by other curses, right? I can't use jujutsu," Yuji remembered this issue. Both Hayashi and Nobara could exorcise curses, but he couldn't.

"You're already halfway to being a curse yourself. Your body contains cursed energy, but controlling it isn't something you can just do right away. Use this," Gojo said, handing Yuji a wrapped-up blade.

"This is the cursed tool Slaughter Demon. It's imbued with cursed energy, so it'll work against curses."

"That's so lame," Nobara scoffed and headed toward the abandoned building.

Yuji and Hayashi followed after her, with Gojo calling out from behind, "And don't let Sukuna out. If you do, he'll instantly wipe out the curses here—and also any nearby humans."

"I got it. I won't let Sukuna out," Yuji nodded.

Hayashi smiled. With him around, he could take care of these curses in an instant. Who needed Sukuna for that? The outcome would be the same either way.

"Hurry up! What are you dawdling for?" Nobara snapped, annoyed that the two guys were taking so long.

Yuji lifted the metal shutter, and Nobara walked straight in. Though it was a bit dim inside, it was still easy enough to see.

Hayashi followed, glancing at Nobara ahead of him. "You don't have to bother with this. I'll handle it."

"Huh?" Nobara turned around, looking at Hayashi as if he'd lost his mind. "Did a Special Grade Curse knock some screws loose in your head?"

Hayashi didn't know how to explain to Nobara that these curses were useful to him. For others, killing them was just that—killing them, with no real benefit. But for him, killing them mattered.

"Let's just go, Hayashi," Yuji patted Hayashi's shoulder. He knew this woman was difficult to deal with—definitely more trouble than the average person.

The three of them began searching the building. Hayashi headed upstairs immediately, where the cursed energy felt the strongest. The lower floors, on the other hand, had only faint traces of curses.