"Have a seat."
Hearing that, Gojo Satoru did not stand on ceremony and immediately sat down in the chair across from An Xiu.
"Since I never expected guests, I did not prepare any tea for entertaining them. If there is anything lacking in my hospitality, please endure it yourself."
"Hey, hey, that is not something you should say to a guest, is it?"
Hearing that he would not even get a sip of water, Gojo Satoru's mouth twitched slightly. But thinking of the important matter, he pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Can you tell me what happened after I lost consciousness?"
"What else could have happened? After you were defeated, Seele healed you, then threw you onto the construction site until you woke up. Then that was it."
An Xiu, sitting across from him, spoke indifferently, but Gojo Satoru was clearly dissatisfied with that answer.
"That obviously is not the important part. If I did not see wrong, the curse residing in Miss Seele's body had clearly emerged. Can you tell me what happened afterward? How did you seal the curse back inside?"
Gojo Satoru's expression was unusually serious as he asked this, yet An Xiu only looked at him as though he were an idiot.
"Didn't I already tell you? After you were defeated, Seele came back out and healed you. Seal it? What seal? After defeating you, the other Seele went back on her own."
No seal?
She had voluntarily gone back after defeating him?
"Wait, are you saying that the curse residing in Miss Seele's body returned her body to her after taking control of it and defeating me? It did not try to seize the body for itself, and you did not place any restrictions on her?"
"What else? If you want, I can let her come out right now."
An Xiu answered.
"My other self is not a curse. She is Seele's family."
Meanwhile, Seele, who had somehow come to stand behind An Xiu, spoke as well.
"You bastard, if you dare speak disrespectfully in front of me again, do not blame me for getting rough!"
Finally, black-red cursed energy surged forth. Black Seele, who had manifested separately from Seele's body, appeared in the living room as well. She floated behind An Xiu, her eyes fixed on Gojo Satoru with undisguised malice.
Even a clay figurine had its limits, much less Black Seele, who was not known for her good temper. Having been targeted repeatedly by him, she was thoroughly displeased and was already struggling to restrain herself from teaching him another lesson.
Feeling that familiar black-red cursed energy that had brought about his defeat once more, Gojo Satoru took a deep breath.
"Fine. It seems I misunderstood. Your relationship is far closer than an outsider like me imagined."
Seeing that Black Seele could even manifest independently from Seele's body as a Cursed Spirit, Gojo Satoru knew his previous assumptions had probably been wrong.
The relationship between the curse before him and the girl was not the usual relationship between a curse and its Incarnation, but something somewhat similar to what his former student Okkotsu Yuta had once experienced.
The only difference was that, compared to the girl and the curse before him, Okkotsu Yuta and the Cursed Spirit by his side lacked the layer of Incarnation.
Hmm... there was some difference in strength as well.
Faced with this situation, Gojo Satoru simply gave up on investigating Black Seele's identity as a curse any further.
First, from his observations, the relationship between this curse and Seele did not seem fake. Second... forget it, there was no need to say more.
"Then let us change the subject. Are you interested in joining the Jujutsu World?"
"Do not rush to refuse. If An Xiu and Miss Seele are willing to join the Jujutsu World, I can personally arrange for Miss Seele to take the Special Grade sorcerer assessment. An Xiu can apply for the Grade 1 sorcerer assessment as well."
Although Seele and Black Seele were clearly stronger, Gojo Satoru seemed to have noticed that both Seele and the curse subtly deferred to An Xiu's wishes. Thus, he had directed most of his words at An Xiu.
Gojo Satoru was actually still somewhat puzzled by the relationship among the three. Seele was understandable enough. He could tell at a glance that she was the obedient sort of girl. Even if someone with that personality possessed great strength, it was hardly surprising for her to listen to those around her.
But what was going on with that curse? She clearly was not good-tempered. It was barely understandable for her to listen to Seele, but why would she listen to An Xiu and even take his opinion as her lead?
It could not be that she liked him, could it? A curse liking a human...
Actually, that did not seem impossible?
After carefully examining the relationship among the three, Gojo Satoru realized that this idea could indeed barely serve as an explanation. It just sounded a little unbelievable.
After all, even his former student Okkotsu Yuta had shared intimate feelings with Rika before she became a Cursed Spirit, while the situation with the curse before him was clearly different.
She did not seem like a curse transformed from a human. She seemed more like an innate Cursed Spirit born from the girl named Seele.
Even a curse born from malice could be won over. Gojo Satoru could only click his tongue inwardly.
Had he gotten old? Why did the new generation of sorcerers seem increasingly incomprehensible these past few years?
Unaware of what Gojo Satoru sitting across from him had imagined, An Xiu was currently pretending to deliberate.
Joining the Jujutsu World and using its intelligence network had long been part of the plan. But he could not agree too easily; he could squeeze out a few more benefits first.
"Joining the Jujutsu World is not out of the question, but let us make this clear beforehand. We will not accept any orders from the Jujutsu World, and the Jujutsu World must provide us with information on Cursed Spirits whenever we need it."
"So, free sorcerers with higher authority? Sure. I can make the decision to agree to such a minor matter myself. Any other requests?"
"Yes. I also want detailed information about the Jujutsu World, such as the personnel arrangements of the higher-ups and the families behind them..."
An Xiu went on to make a string of demands, and those demands made Gojo Satoru feel rather surprised.
Why did he want information on the Jujutsu World's higher-ups and the families behind them for no reason? Was he checking household registrations?
Although he did not know why An Xiu had made such a condition, Gojo Satoru, with the mindset of screwing over those higher-ups, directly told him all the information he knew about them.
The Jujutsu World Higher-Ups' Great Earthquake
Night fell over Tokyo Jujutsu High School.
Inside the principal's office, Gakuganji Yaga held a needle and thread, his expression grave and focused as he mended a plush doll before him that clashed completely with his own imposing demeanor.
Under the faint candlelight, the needle and thread moved back and forth. It was hard to imagine that this burly middle-aged man was so skilled at such delicate work.
At last, apparently having finished sewing the doll in his hands, Gakuganji Yaga carefully placed it on the table beside him before turning to look behind him.
"Satoru, you are back."
The door to the principal's office opened at just the right moment, and Gojo Satoru pushed it open and walked in with light steps.
"Yeah, I'm back. This time, I really came across quite a surprise."
However, Gakuganji Yaga frowned tightly as he watched Gojo Satoru enter.
"Satoru, what happened to leave you in such a sorry state?"
It was no wonder Gakuganji Yaga asked. Gojo Satoru's current appearance was practically unrecognizable compared to usual.
His clothes looked as though they had gone through some terrifying battle, tattered and torn, with openings everywhere as if ripped apart by a sharp weapon. His normally meticulously groomed hair was now a complete mess. He looked like a down-and-out beggar.
Gakuganji Yaga found it hard to imagine what Gojo Satoru, who possessed the Infinity technique, could have experienced to end up like this.
He remembered that Gojo Satoru had gone to investigate intelligence regarding a suspected Special Grade appearance today, had he not?
"It was nothing much. I directly found the target while investigating the information, then we fought. I lost."
"What did you say?!!"
Gakuganji Yaga wondered whether he had misheard.
Gojo Satoru had just said that he fought the suspected Special Grade entity and then lost? Gojo Satoru, the strongest, had actually lost?!!
"Satoru, do you know what you are saying? Are you sure you did not misspeak?"
"I am sure. A loss is a loss. I will win it back next time."
As the person involved, Gojo Satoru was far more open-minded about his defeat as the strongest than Gakuganji Yaga standing before him.
"Who exactly was the opponent? What kind of technique did she possess that even you were no match for her?"
"That is what I was about to say. The opponent was a girl possessed through Incarnation by a curse."
Gojo Satoru waved a hand as he spoke.
"Let us go to the Director's Office. I will explain there."
Because Gojo Satoru had not deliberately concealed it—in fact, he had even actively pushed it to some extent—the news of Gojo Satoru's defeat, and that the person who defeated him was a girl harboring a curse, rapidly spread among the Jujutsu World's higher-ups despite it already being evening.
Outside the gates of Tokyo Jujutsu High School, Assistant Supervisor Ijichi, who had been specially called over to drive them, was covered in cold sweat as he drove Gojo Satoru and Gakuganji Yaga toward the Director's Office.
Because he had been specifically summoned, Ijichi had fortunately learned some inside information, such as why Gojo Satoru and Gakuganji Yaga were heading to the Director's Office.
But at this moment, Ijichi wished he knew nothing at all.
The strongest had been defeated. The girl and curse who defeated the strongest...
Damn it! Was this really something a minor character like him was supposed to hear? Would he end up getting shot eight times and committing suicide at home after work today?
Director's Office, conference room.
Gojo Satoru, having changed into a fresh outfit and tidied himself up again, slowly walked into the dark room.
As the doors closed, faint flames lit up one after another, illuminating the dozens of screens standing around the room.
Through their connections with shikigami, the many higher-ups participating in the meeting stared at Gojo Satoru in the center and impatiently began questioning him.
"Gojo Satoru, as the head of the Gojo family, you must take responsibility for your words. Is the information that you were defeated by an unknown Special Grade actually true?"
"Is the information about the girl harboring a curse true? Is it also true that she possessed the strength to defeat you?"
"Do you understand how significant this matter is to the Jujutsu World? Gojo Satoru, think carefully before answering!"
Faced with the barrage of questions around him, Gojo Satoru calmly picked at his ear.
"I am certain. It is indeed true that she defeated me."
"Although I was unable to use my Domain, neither did she. And I could tell that even when she defeated me, she still did not seem to be going all out."
Upon hearing Gojo Satoru's definite answer, the previously noisy conference room fell into rare silence.
Although nearly every higher-up in the Jujutsu World hated Gojo Satoru, that did not mean they failed to recognize his strength.
Otherwise, they would not have tolerated his various actions time and again.
Gojo Satoru was unquestionably worthy of the title of strongest in the Jujutsu World.
But now, Gojo Satoru had actually said that he lost—to a girl whose name they had never even heard before, one who also harbored a curse.
"Is that curse truly so powerful?"
Rarely, the higher-ups' questions did not sound aggressive this time. Instead, they were somewhat cautious.
Seeing the way these people bullied the weak and feared the strong, Gojo Satoru's face twisted into a mocking smile.
That was how these people were. When no one opposed them, they abused their authority to persecute others and openly amassed benefits for themselves.
Yet when facing someone like Gojo Satoru, whom they could not oppress, they did not dare confront him directly and could only pull disgraceful little tricks in secret.
And now that they had heard of an unknown existence beyond their control, one with strength they could not possibly resist, they had been frightened out of their wits. Even their voices lacked confidence.
"I need to correct one thing. It was not merely the curse that was powerful. Although I was indeed ultimately defeated by her, the girl being possessed also had strength no less than my own."
"So there is no need to worry about the curse going out of control. I believe that girl can keep her under control, and after speaking with them, they have agreed to join the Jujutsu World."
Before the higher-ups who heard this could show delight, Gojo Satoru continued.
"However, as a condition of joining, they will not accept any orders from the Jujutsu World. At the same time, they require the Jujutsu World to provide information on the locations of Cursed Spirits. They can help the Jujutsu World clear out Cursed Spirits, but payment must still be made."
"Also, there is the application for Special Grade sorcerer status. Remember to approve that while you are at it."
At once, the faces of the many higher-ups listening through their shikigami darkened again.
"This is far too presumptuous! Joining the Jujutsu World while refusing to obey the higher-ups' orders, and demanding that the Jujutsu World unconditionally provide information!"
"Such disregard for rank and propriety is utterly absurd!"
Gojo Satoru silently watched the Jujutsu World's higher-ups continue spouting nonsense. After listening for a while and growing bored, he spoke again.
"Would you like me to repeat every word of your answer to them?"
In an instant, the entire conference room fell silent again. A moment later, the higher-ups began speaking again as though nothing had happened.
"We approve the application for the new Special Grade sorcerer."
"The Jujutsu World can provide information support regarding Cursed Spirits, but only that."
Fallen An Xiu, Choso's Grave Blade
And so, with Gojo Satoru's assistance, An Xiu and Seele officially joined the Jujutsu World.
Of course, in the eyes of the uninformed Jujutsu World higher-ups, An Xiu was more like an extra. The truly important one was Seele, who had defeated Gojo Satoru.
Before you continue