[36]: Curse

Yuta Okkotsu was found lying unconscious in the aftermath of a battlefield, its surface destroyed by the fierce waves of battle. His unmoving form initially startled the group, but upon closer inspection, they realized that he was simply in a state of exhaustion, a deep sleep brought on by overexertion.

Once they shook him awake, Yuta opened his eyes to see his companions gathered around him. His first instinct was to check on their well-being.

"Is everyone… okay? Shin, you're back too."

Shin helped Yuta sit up, reassuring him, "Everyone's fine. I came back with Gojo-sensei. We were delayed by a few things."

Panda, with his usual cheerful tone, added, "You did great, Yuta! You managed to defeat that special grade curse user all by yourself."

Yuta looked at Panda's left arm, which was missing half of its limb, with fluffy cotton spilling from the open wound. Alarmed, Yuta cried out, "Panda! Your arm—"

Panda waved his fluffy hand dismissively, his chest similarly torn open but his attitude lighthearted. "Don't worry, Yuta! My arm's not like theirs; I'll be able to get it fixed in no time."

"Thank you for saving us."

"Salmon."

Panda's serious gratitude and Toge's nodding agreement brought a wave of emotion to Yuta's eyes. Maki, who had her hair down no longer appeared as sharp as usual as she spoke softly, "Congratulations, Yuta. Your wish has started to come true."

Yuta smiled genuinely, his heart filling with warmth as he looked at his companions. At that moment, a voice called his name from behind them.

Turning around, Yuta saw Rika approaching, her appearance slightly changed. Her once terrifying face, filled with fangs, now had an additional vertical eye. Though calm for now, her presence felt stronger, more powerful.

Yuta froze for a moment, then stood and began to walk toward Rika. Panda, puzzled, asked, "What's going on, Yuta?"

Yuta hesitated in his steps, turning slightly but unable to meet their gaze. "Uh… I asked her for power, and in exchange, I promised Rika that we would leave this world together."

"What?! Are you insane? What the hell are you thinking, idiot!" Maki, now more like her usual self, scolded him sharply. Yuta fumbled with his words, unsure of how to respond. Then, Shin suddenly waved his hand in front of Maki's face, drawing a glare from her, but as he gestured for her and the others to look, they all froze in shock.

The once monstrous form of Rika had dissolved into black mist, and in her place stood the small figure of a girl.

"Rika…"

A soft clap echoed through the air, and they all turned to see Gojo Satoru approaching, his blindfold absent. Maki and the others, confused, asked in unison, "Who are you?"

Gojo's smile faltered slightly, "I'm the incredibly handsome Gojo Satoru, your teacher!"

Clearing his throat, Gojo continued, "Before this battle, Yuta had an interesting theory, so I did some digging into your family backgrounds. Rika's history was easy to investigate—nothing particularly unusual. But Yuta's… well, that took a little longer."

"Turns out, Yuta, you're a descendant of Sugawara Michizane. In other words… you're related to me, though the connection is a bit distant."

Yuta blinked in confusion, "Who's Sugawara?"

Maki and Panda quickly explained that Sugawara no Michizane was one of the three legendary vengeful spirits in history, a prominent figure in Jujutsu sorcery, and an ancestor of the Gojo family. Shin, hearing this, finally recalled some faint details.

"So, Yuta's theory was right. It wasn't Rika who cursed you, Yuta—it was you who cursed Rika."

The painful memory flashed vividly in Yuta's mind once more. The blood spilled on the road, Rika's twisted body as she fell, and his younger self on the verge of collapse.

[Don't die!]

Gojo, looking at the now small, innocent form of Rika, spoke softly, "When the one who cast the curse lifts the master-servant bond, and if the cursed party holds no grudge, the curse is broken. And it's clear from Rika's appearance that this is what happened."

Yuta's heart felt like it was being squeezed. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, tears dripping onto the dirt below. "It's all my fault… Rika became that monster because of me. And everyone—because of me, Geto came after all of you, and you almost died. It's all my fault…"

Yuta's tears flowed freely, consumed by guilt and self-blame. Everything, from Rika's transformation to the danger his friends had faced, stemmed from his actions. He had even put the people he had come to call friends—Panda, Maki, and Toge—at risk of death today.

And worst of all, he had hurt Rika.

Forcing her to stay by his side in that monstrous form must have caused her so much pain...

"Yuta… thank you."

Small hands rested gently on Yuta's head. The childlike form of Rika leaned in and hugged him softly. "Thank you for giving me the chance to stay by your side. These past six years have been happier than when I was alive." (A/N: Bro did not just say that she was happy as a murder monster, lol)

Yuta's eyes widened, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks, though this time they weren't purely from guilt. The little figure held him for a moment longer before pulling away. When Yuta lifted his gaze, he saw Rika smiling sweetly at him, her entire form glowing faintly.

Rika reached out and wiped the tears from Yuta's face, her smile radiant. "Take care of yourself, Yuta. Don't come to find me too soon, okay?"

"Goodbye."

Rika's glow became increasingly radiant, and parts of her body had already begun to fade into a translucent form. As Yuta Okkotsu nodded with a forced smile, trying to hold back his emotions, Rika's form dissolved into countless shimmering orbs, ascending into the sky.

Everyone looked up, mesmerized by the beautiful sight. It was unclear whether they were captivated by the scene or lost in thought by the story that had just unfolded between Yuta and Rika. The faint rainbow-like light reflecting in the sky left everyone in quiet reflection.

Yuta, now standing, gazed at the distant sky where Rika had vanished, his face still stained with tears. Yet, for the first time, a truly genuine smile appeared on his face.

On the other side, Shin asked Gojo Satoru, "Sensei, is love really a curse? Yuta accidentally cursed Rika out of love, but in the end, they both found salvation through that same love. So, does that mean these things have to be looked at dialectically?"

Shin paused, then shifted his tone with a teasing smile, "Oh, right... Sensei, you don't have a girlfriend or anything, do you? So, naturally, you wouldn't understand this kind of topic. It's understandable."

Gojo, who had been smiling, couldn't hold back anymore. "Huh? You brat!"

With the war now over, it was time for the aftermath to be handled.

Repairs began for the damaged buildings in Shinjuku, Kyoto, and the Jujutsu High campus. Thankfully, there were not many casualties. Suguru Geto, the main instigator, had been eliminated, and his remaining followers fled the battlefield quickly, leaving mostly the cursed spirits to perish.

As for after Shuten-doji was exorcised, the body that had been taken over—belonging to Minamoto Nao—was carefully recovered by Jujutsu High. While her body had been restored to its original form, Nao hadn't yet returned to it.

In theory, with her technique, it shouldn't have been too difficult for Nao to return to her own body. She had experience with "astral projection" and returning to her body afterward, but this time it seemed her body had undergone some changes, making it difficult for her to re-enter.

This development piqued the interest of Ieiri Shoko, who, under Gojo's arrangement, began researching Nao's condition, using various cursed tools, barriers, and talismans to stabilize her soul state. Whether these measures were effective remained to be seen, but it was better to be cautious.

Based on current observations, it seemed that Nao would eventually be able to return to her body—it was just a matter of time. For now, Shoko took charge of the situation.

As for Maki and the others, Yuta's healing ensured their swift recovery. Panda returned to Principal Yaga to have his body repaired. When they heard about Shin's battle achievements—that he had exorcised another special-grade cursed spirit, Shuten-doji, who had even used a Domain Expansion—everyone was left with mixed feelings.

Yuta had fought and severely injured the special-grade curse user, Geto Suguru, while Shin had slain a special-grade curse spirit in the midst of a Domain Expansion. The pressure on the others was immense.

"We can't let them leave us in the dust. Panda, Toge, let's hit the training field."

Maki dragged them off to train, while Shin looked over at Gojo, who had just finished talking with Yuta. Gojo handed Yuta his lost student ID.

"It wasn't me who found this—it was my best friend. My only friend…"

Gojo's bandaged face hid his eyes, and Yuta didn't fully grasp the significance of his words. But Shin, understanding the implications, knew whom Gojo was referring to—his best friend.

Shin wasn't someone who was great at offering comfort, nor did he believe Gojo needed it. Some things, some emotions, could only be carried alone.

The saying, "People don't truly share in each other's joys and sorrows," wasn't just a joke. Empathy often only scratches the surface. Even in the same circumstances, different people experience vastly different depths of emotion.

Perhaps what you believe to be shared grief doesn't even come close to the weight the person involved carries. And in the end, it's only time that can either erase or bury such feelings—so long as no sudden gust of wind uncovers the scars and causes fresh pain to bleed once more.

"Oh, right, Shin," Gojo said, snapping Shin out of his thoughts. "Your promotion to Grade 1 has been approved. From today, you're officially a Grade 1 Jujutsu sorcerer."

Hearing Gojo's words, Shin didn't show much excitement. Instead, he casually asked, "By the way, Sensei, is anyone from the higher-ups interfering with Shoko-sensei's work on Nao's situation?"

Wrapped in the cold air of the surrounding snow, Gojo replied flatly, "No, I've personally assigned people there. Nanami is overseeing things as well."

Gojo's gaze, like Shin's, fell on the three cursed blades now hanging at Shin's waist. After removing the curses attached to them, the swords' ancient, yet pristine, forms gleamed with a sharpness akin to autumn waters. Even without their status as cursed tools, they were extraordinary blades.

"These swords—they lost them, so now they're my spoils of war, right?" Shin, walking slightly behind, said with a cold look. Just thinking about how the supposedly "well-guarded" cursed tool, the famed blade "Dojigiri," had been stolen, allowing Shuten-doji to re-emerge and causing Nao's current predicament, filled him with anger.

Gojo didn't seem particularly bothered, agreeing with Shin's statement and adding that he'd handle the rest of the situation.

°°°

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