Young Fish and Reverse Punishment 2

"My technique forcibly creates a weak point in my opponent. Seven to three. When dividing the subject into tenths... If im able to strike that point it's a critical hit.

Im able to inflict damage on stronger adversaries. Against an opponent with weak cursed energy, I can cleave them even with this dull blade. Are you listening... Azure," Nanami said.

"Huh..? You were talking to me?" Azure said.

"is it okay to reveal all that?" He asked.

'I want to focus on the curse... but need to listen to him...' Azure said looking between the curse and Nanami.

"There are techniques that aren't affected if revealed to certain enemies. There's also the strategy of misleading by revealing. There is merit to revealing one's hand and the rules it initiates. You can make your technique even more effective. Like so!"

*VOOOOMMM

Nanami charged at the curse with lightning speed he hit the curse in multiple areas cutting off its limbs.

*SHWAKK

"Gah..!" The curse exclaimed as it fell to the ground.

"That's it from me," Nanami said sheathing his wrapped machete.

"Whoa..." Azure said in awe.

'Even though the blade is wrapped up... he still slices through it with the back of the blade,' Azure thought.

In the corner of Azure's eye while he was lost in thought he saw the curse charging at him.

Azure's reaction was immediate and almost reflexive. He stepped to the side with ease, dodging the curse attack as if it were nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

"Detergent..." the curse said.

"Not paying attention, huh?" Nanami said to Azure.

"You were talking to me..." Azure replied.

Azure unsheathed his sword in a smooth, fluid motion.

The blade cut through the curse effortlessly, its form dissolving into a shadowy mist that quickly dissipated.

'His swordsmanship is decent... And... he didn't use any of his cursed energy... Such potential... If he's able to go all out and combine his swordsmanship and cursed technique...' Nanami thought.

"I can see why Gojo took him on," He said to himself.

"Apologies. Time to end this," Nanami said getting closer to his curse and about to excorise it.

he looked at the arm of the curse to see a watch on it's wrist.

"It can't be..."

'Is this even possible?!' Nanami thought as he took a picture of the wrist.

"Azure..! Take a look..." Nanami said as he showed him his phone.

"Hmmm..." Azure voiced in confusion looking at the phone.

"I took a photo of my opponent."

"I thought curses don't show up..." Azure said.

"Please stay calm and listen. What we were fighting..." 

"They're humans...!!" Shoko said looking at the photo that Nanami had taken as she was over the phone talking to Nanami and Azure who were sitting in a private room

"Actually... More like ex-humans. The same as the three in the theater. their bodies were transmogrified using Jujutsu." Shoko said.

"If that was it I would've noticed. The two we fought possessed cursed energy like a curse," Nanami said.

"We're going to have to ask the murderer about that technique. However, it might be possible to give cursed energy to humans if you could manipulate their brains in such a way. the connection between the brain and curse energy is shrouded in mystery after all," Shoko explained.

"Ah, hey.. is Azure there?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Their cause of death was due to a lethal shock to the system because of cellular transmogrification. You didn't kill them. Don't you dare think otherwise?" She said to him.

"Right..." Azure said not confident in his answer.

Nanami hung the phone up.

"The residuals were a feint. They were meant to lure us out, They're filled. this matter won't be taken care of so easily," Nanami said getting up out of his seat.

"Let's do this."

"Right!" Azure said getting up.

********

*Location: Open area underground

"There are spirits known as special grade potential spirits. Cursed spirits are a culmination of cursed energy leaked from humans.

An image of fear shared by masses, even if not real... Can manifest as a powerful curse." Mahito explained to Junpei.

"An image of fear shared by the masses... like famous monsters or ghosts?" Junpei asked.

"Yup. Like Hanako or the nine-tailed fox. Jujutsu Sorcerers brand such entities as 'Special Grade Potential Spirits' and fear them... As much as powerful unidentified curses. The fact that they categorize them as suck shows their shallowness. But what people fear most aren't those fairy tales, right?" Mahito said.

"... Natural disasters?" Junpei said what he thought.

"Talking with you... is so easy," Mahito smiled.

"Huh? Really? Junpei blushed smiling a little.

"The earth, the forest, the sea. people have always feared them. The cursed energy directed at them was so massive that... Before they could take form, They gained consciousness and remained in hiding. I'm proud to call them my friends," Mahito told Junpei.

"Mahito... What are you born from?"

"People. Thanks to the hatred spewed between people... I was born."

"Junpei... Do you think people have 'heart'" Mahito asked.

"Huh? Don't they?" Junpei said confused.

"No. they have souls... but that's different from 'heart'."

"So, you mean I..."

"In this world, I only understand the soul's composition. I can even transmogrify living beings. Emotions come from the soul. it's too simplistic to call it 'heart'.

People overthink the things they can't see. I can see the soul, so for me, it's nothing special, it's practically the same as the human body. it just exists.

Do you understand? Life has no weight or particular value. Just like how water flows through the earth... Life simply flows. For you, me and everyone else––

It's the same. without meaning, without value. That's why you can do whatever you want. live the way you want. Don't limit yourself to just being indifferent. There's no reason to live by such a restricting philosophy.

If you're hungry, eat. If you hate, kill. I support... everything you represent, Junpei," Mahito smiled.

Junpei looked at him in awe of his speech,

********

*Strategy room

"Recent disappearances and deaths by disfiguration. Thanks to intel based on the windows' encounter with the residuals... we can locate the killer's hideout," Nanami said to Azure with Ijichi in the room as well.

"Alright. Where should we go?" Azure asked.

"Not so fast. this is just an approximation. We need to gather more information. you'll be doing something else. The boy at the movie theater... Junpei Yoshino. Apparently, he is the victim's classmate.

the only cameras were located in the theater's hallway. Based on the way he carried himself, there is no reason to believe he's a curse user. However, the connection to the victims must be investigated.," Nanami said.

"Curse user?" Azure asked.

"A Jujutsu Sorcerer with evil intent" Nanami answered.

"I'm leaving things to ijichi... So please work together to investigate Yoshino."

"Okay, let's go Ijichi," Azure said as he walked out of the room.

Ijichi stayed back wanting to talk to Nanami for a second.

"It's not just an approximation is it? You know the exact location," Ijichi said.

"of course. If they wanted to, they would've been able to leave the crime scene without leaving residuals behind. It was an invitation to... 

Either come alone or risk bringing Azure with me. I chose the former, nothing more. He's still a child, after all," Nanami said closing his eyes.

Azure walked back into the room telling Ijichi to come on and wanting to say one last thing to Nanami.

"Nanami sensei... be careful," Azure said before leaving the room.

Ijichi smiled as he heard what Azure said.

"Azure... I'm not a teacher, so please don't call me Sensei."

"Okay... Nanamin," Azure said.

"I'm going to smack you!"

*********

*In the car with Ijichi and Azure.

"There he is," Ijichi said as the two looked at the boy who was walking across the street.

"He's not in uniform," Azure noticed.

"it seems that he hasn't been to school in a while," Ijichi responded.

"So what're we gonna do?" Azure asked.

"we'll use these."

Ijichi said as he took out a cage.

"Cursed spirits?" Azure asked looking at the small curses in the cage,

"Fly heads. They're small-time curses that aren't even grade four. When there's no one around, I'm gonna have them go after him," Ijichi said.

"huh.." Azure questioned.

"if he's an ordinary person who can't see curses... please rescue him. If he can see them but doesn't have a means of fighting back... Again, please rescue him. we shall proceed to question him

If he fights back with Jujutsu... arrest him immediately..."

"Alright," Azure said listening to Ichiji.

"However... If Junpei Yoshino seems to be at a grade two sorcerer skill level or higher... retreat and meet up with Nanami," Ijichi said.

"if he's grade two, I'd be able to manage though..." Azure said.

"If he were a curse, perhaps. Do you remember what Megumi said? Sorcerers are typically assigned to missions involving curses of the same level.

A grade two sorcerer is supposed to win against a grade two spirit. A grade two sorcerer is close to the skill level of a grade one curse," Ijichi explained.

"Why haven't I been filled in about important details like that.." Azure said more to himself.

'Because Gojo is your mentor...' Ijichi thought sighing.

"We're walking from here," he said.

******

*Underground In sewers.

"Show yourself already. Even if they are disfigured and lost causes... Killing humans leaves a bad taste in my mouth," Nanami said as he just finished killing two human curses looking for his actual opponent.

"Oh, Good, Good," Mahito said walking up to Nanami.

"it'd be a problem if Satoru Gojo showed up. but someone too weak wouldn't be worth experimenting on," Mahito smiled.

"I don't like working overtime... So let's finish this quickly."