Chapter 10: Even Among Special-Grade, There’s a Difference

Broken... broken?!

Saeko Busujima never anticipated that after all her effort to negotiate, this would be the outcome.

She had prepared herself for countless possibilities: the finger being lost, sold, lent to a friend, or even accidentally dropped into a sewer.

Saeko had mentally rehearsed various contingency plans for all these scenarios.

But "broken"...

The girl leaned closer to examine the dark brown substance in the small plastic bag, now reduced to fine powder with some fragments still intact.

Undoubtedly, from the color and the fragments' shape, this was undeniably Sukuna's finger. Even though it had been completely destroyed, it still emitted an ominous and lingering evil aura.

But how could this even be possible?

Saeko Busujima couldn't wrap her head around it. Though she had only transferred to Tokyo Jujutsu High a year ago, her skills had already reached the level of a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. With the influence of the Busujima swordsmanship school in Japanese society, she had some knowledge of the Jujutsu Society's secrets.

Especially regarding the mystery of Sukuna's fingers. The truth was, the Jujutsu Society chose to seal them rather than destroy them not out of some impractical ambition but simply because it was impossible to do so.

They were indestructible. All known methods had been tried, even by Gojo-sensei, the man hailed as the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer of modern times. Despite his efforts, he couldn't destroy them either.

At the same time, they couldn't just leave them unattended. The mere existence of the fingers would continually attract an endless stream of cursed spirits vying for them, like some kind of grotesque survival of the fittest. Ultimately, this would spiral out of control.

Sealing them was both the best and the only option.

And now she was being told that one of these fingers had been destroyed?

Saeko's lips parted slightly in shock, but no words came out.

"How… how did you manage that?" she finally asked.

"Simple brute force," replied the boy matter-of-factly.

"Anything deemed 'indestructible' is simply a matter of the destructive force not exceeding the target's durability threshold. It's like trying to blow up the Earth with a handgun—it's absurd. But if you have something like the Starbreaker Cannon, that's a different story."

He paused, then continued with a slight smile, "By the way, let me reintroduce myself. Keikain Fukuki, acting head of the Kyoto Keikain Onmyōji family."

Acting head.

To ordinary people, this term might seem unfamiliar. But as someone from a prestigious swordsmanship family, Saeko understood the weight it carried.

Being an acting head meant that in the absence of the current family head, this individual could make major decisions on their behalf. Holding such a position required not only a legitimate bloodline but also exceptional strength and competence.

For instance, Gojo-sensei was the acting head of the esteemed Gojo family, one of the three great Jujutsu clans.

But still… even the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, someone who disrupted the balance between sorcerers and curses merely by existing, couldn't destroy Sukuna's fingers. So how—

Bzzzt.

A sudden vibration interrupted her thoughts. Snapping back to reality, Saeko reached into her school uniform's pocket, retrieved her phone, and answered the call without checking the caller ID.

"Hello, this is Saeko Busujima from Tokyo Jujutsu High, third-year Class A. Regarding the recovery of Sukuna's finger, the process is progressing smoothly—"

"Busujima-san, it's me, Ijichi! We've got a major problem!"

The panicked voice on the other end belonged to a man who sounded slightly timid. Despite his efforts to stay calm, his tone was undeniably laced with urgency.

"Listen, about an hour ago, I escorted Fushiguro, Itadori, and Kugisaki to a location where a Cursed Womb was detected. Once they entered, I lost all contact with them. Just moments ago, Fushiguro came out with Kugisaki, who's severely injured. I'm currently rushing her to the hospital—"

"Where is the location?"

Saeko immediately stood up, grabbing her sword bag. Her once-calm voice now carried a sharp, decisive edge.

Oh?

Noticing the sudden shift in her demeanor, Fukuki raised an eyebrow slightly.

"It's at…"

Ijichi quickly explained the location and added, "Honestly, I didn't want to make this call, but Gojo-sensei isn't in Tokyo right now and can't return anytime soon. As it stands, you're the only Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer I can contact in the Tokyo area."

"Understood. I'm on my way," Saeko replied firmly.

"One last thing—please be cautious. Based on Fushiguro's report, the interior has undergone a complete transformation. It's likely the domain of a Special Grade Cursed Spirit."

"Got it. Thanks."

After a brief response, she ended the call.

As she was about to explain and leave, she turned around only to see Fukuki already returning from the cash register, receipt in hand. He gave her a thumbs-up and gestured toward the door.

"I figured you were in a hurry, so I went ahead and paid the bill. Make sure to transfer me half later—I'm running tight on funds this month. I still have to take care of cat at home, you know. I can't afford to treat girls to meals willy-nilly. Now, let's go. Taking a taxi will be too slow; I'll take you there myself."

Saeko: "..."

Wait—did he mean to tag along?

The swordswoman hesitated. She had grown accustomed to handling missions on her own—a survival strategy born of necessity and personal reasons.

But now, it was just as Keikain Fukuki said: taking a taxi would take too long. By the time she arrived, it might already be too late.

Faced with no better option, she bit her lower lip lightly and nodded.

"Alright, let's go."

"Mm-hmm."

With the bill settled, the two stepped outside one after the other. The sun was already a third of the way below the horizon, casting a deep crimson glow across the sky, like blood spreading over the distant cityscape.

Scanning the somewhat deserted student district, Saeko Busujima, still holding her sword bag, asked, "So, how exactly are we getting there?"

She vividly recalled that they had walked here from Kuoh Academy.

Then, the boy's calm and collected voice reached her ears.

"It's simple. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. So we'll take the straight line."

Huh?

Before Saeko could process what "straight line" meant in this context, she was suddenly swept into someone's arms. The next thing she knew, her entire body was enveloped in blazing golden spiritual energy.

Fukuki grinned mischievously.

"Alright then, let's go!"

With a powerful leap, he launched them both skyward. In the next moment, they became a streak of light, leaving a fiery trail as they soared directly toward their destination.

It was like a shooting star tearing across the sky.

Seconds later, the blazing streak of light plummeted into a juvenile detention center in the remote outskirts of Tokyo, smashing through the roof and crashing straight into its interior.