Cursed Child Incident (Signed, Extra Chapter)

Along a winding mountain road, a black sedan sped past with its high beams on.

Kiyotaka Ijichi was driving Xia Jie, Okkotsu, and Maki toward Gunma Prefecture at top speed. A vicious Cursed Spirit attack had occurred there not long ago.

"A Grade 1 Cursed Spirit codenamed 'Cursed Child' suddenly appeared at a children's amusement park in Gunma Prefecture. It summoned multiple child Vengeful Spirits and trapped over thirty people who were visiting the park."

"Jujutsu Sorcerers from the surrounding area went in to investigate, but after entering the amusement park, they also lost contact."

After relaying all the information he knew, Kiyotaka Ijichi discreetly observed Xia Jie and the others' reactions.

Okkotsu furrowed his brow slightly, concern visible on his face.

Xia Jie was holding a bucket of fried chicken in his arms, enthusiastically gnawing on a drumstick without a care in the world.

Maki, seated in the passenger seat, calmly stared out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

"How long have the people in the amusement park been trapped?" Okkotsu asked.

"Nearly two hours." Seeing his concern, Ijichi added, "So far, there have been no reports of casualties inside."

"Come to think of it, Okkotsu, wasn't the Cursed Spirit you exorcised with Mr. Nanami last time also codenamed 'Cursed Child'?" Xia Jie asked through a mouthful of fried chicken.

"That's right!" Okkotsu said thoughtfully. "The one Mr. Nanami and I exorcised was also called 'Cursed Child.' It could likewise summon child Vengeful Spirits. I don't know whether it has any connection to this Cursed Child..."

"They sound pretty similar! Come to think of it, can completely identical Cursed Spirits exist?" Xia Jie asked.

"That rarely happens. Cursed Spirits are born from humanity's negative emotions, and their forms vary wildly. Their abilities may occasionally be similar, but being completely identical is almost impossible," Okkotsu answered.

"What abilities did the Cursed Child you exorcised have exactly?" Xia Jie tossed aside the chicken bone in his hand and continued asking.

"Its greatest ability was summoning child Vengeful Spirits. Their crying and laughter could affect a person's mind, while also strengthening the child Vengeful Spirits!" Okkotsu replied. "I don't know whether this Cursed Child is the same as the one I faced!"

"It can fight and heal? No wonder it's such a pain..." Xia Jie muttered.

At first, he had wondered whether Jujutsu High was making too much of a fuss by sending Okkotsu, a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer, himself, a Semi-Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer, and Maki, a Grade 4 Jujutsu Sorcerer, to deal with a mere Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.

After all, under normal circumstances, a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer was fully capable of exorcising a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit. Okkotsu might have been able to handle the Cursed Child by himself, making Xia Jie and Maki's presence unnecessary.

But after hearing Okkotsu say that, Xia Jie felt that Jujutsu High's arrangement had its reasons. Being cautious was hardly a bad thing.

"By the way, the Jujutsu Sorcerer who went in to investigate... who was it, Mr. Ijichi?" Xia Jie turned to look at Ijichi.

"Semi-Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer Iizuna Noriyuki. He can control Pipe Foxes for gathering intelligence and combat. He's an exceptionally capable Jujutsu Sorcerer," Ijichi said directly, knowing what Xia Jie wanted to ask.

This was his second time working with Xia Jie. The first had been when he escorted Xia Jie and Toge Inumaki to exorcise the Semi-Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, One-Eyed Oni.

Though they had only interacted twice, Ijichi had already gained a rough understanding of Xia Jie's personality. He knew Xia Jie liked hearing crucial information.

It was a special skill of his as an assistant supervisor.

"Iizuna Noriyuki? A Semi-Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer?" Xia Jie was somewhat surprised.

It was not the unfamiliar name that surprised him. After all, apart from the characters in the original story, Japan's Jujutsu Society surely had other Jujutsu Sorcerers.

What surprised him was that, despite being a Semi-Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer, the man had failed to escape and relay any information.

Generally speaking, a Semi-Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer was not much weaker than a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. Facing a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit might not be effortless, but he should not have been trapped by one either.

"Iizuna Noriyuki?" Unlike Xia Jie, Okkotsu and Maki were far more sensitive to that name.

The moment they heard it, both their expressions changed.

"What? You know him?" Xia Jie asked in surprise.

Okkotsu nodded gravely. "He's a third-year senior. We've met a few times before!"

Xia Jie: (Σ(°△°|||)︴???

What the hell? Iizuna Noriyuki was actually a third-year at Jujutsu High? Okkotsu and the others even knew him? I'd just assumed he was some random background Jujutsu Sorcerer who popped up out of nowhere...

"It's normal that you don't know him!" Maki explained. "We only met Iizuna Noriyuki once at last year's Goodwill Event. You hadn't enrolled yet back then!"

Xia Jie gave an "Mm" and said nothing.

Okkotsu and the others knowing Iizuna Noriyuki was certainly surprising, but what concerned Xia Jie more was that the appearance of this little butterfly—himself—had likely caused many changes among the characters of Jujutsu Kaisen.

Since someone like Iizuna Noriyuki, who had never appeared in the original story, was showing up now, more people like him could emerge in the future.

For the moment, Xia Jie could not tell whether that was good or bad. Other than letting things take their course, he had no better option.

No one spoke for the rest of the journey.

Ijichi pushed his modified car to its limit. What had originally been a two-and-a-half-hour trip from Tokyo to Gunma Prefecture was forcibly shortened by a full hour.

It was only because Xia Jie, Okkotsu, and Maki possessed physiques far beyond ordinary people that they did not throw up the moment they got out of the car.

Still... while Xia Jie had not vomited, his complexion was much worse than Okkotsu's and Maki's.

That was because he had eaten too much in the car... Although the Parasite Spirit helped him absorb all the energy in his food, the food still had to be digested. That process would not disappear just because Xia Jie absorbed energy quickly.

Leaning against Ijichi's shoulder, Xia Jie asked pale-faced, "Mr. Ijichi, do you happen to know a bald, muscular guy named Dominic?"

Ijichi looked utterly confused. "...Who?"

"Never mind, please ignore what I just said!" Xia Jie took several deep breaths and finally felt much better.

"Idiot! Who told you to keep stuffing your face on the way here?" Maki said discontentedly from the side. "And what's gotten into you lately? Why did you suddenly turn into such a glutton?"

"You don't understand! I'm growing! I need more nutrition!" Xia Jie explained weakly.

Maki shot Xia Jie a sideways glance. "I can't be bothered with you! Just don't hold us back later!"

"Don't worry!" Xia Jie summoned Shadow Maru and pointed at it. "With Shadow Maru here, how could I possibly hold anyone back?"

Maki glanced at Shadow Maru and silently tightened her grip on the red spear in her hand.

Having gotten nowhere with Maki, Xia Jie looked up at the Curtain hanging over the amusement park.

A Curtain was a barrier cast to prevent ordinary people from noticing abnormal situations. Experienced Jujutsu Sorcerers could use cursed "nails" to cast Curtains with various additional Binding Vows. But the Curtain here had clearly been put up by an assistant supervisor and only possessed the most basic effect of obscuring sight.

Normally, a Curtain of this level could not block a Jujutsu Sorcerer's vision. Yet when Xia Jie looked inside, all he could see was a gray haze, with nothing clearly visible.

Just as Xia Jie found it strange and was about to ask a question, he saw a young man in a Jujutsu High uniform hurry over.

"Senior Ijichi!" Takano Shinichi deeply bowed to Ijichi, Xia Jie, and the others. "I'm terribly sorry to trouble you and the others into coming here so late at night!"

Ijichi looked back at Xia Jie and the others. Seeing them all look to him, he took the initiative to reply, "It's nothing! Shinichi, how are things inside?"

"I don't know! Not long after I put up the Curtain, I could no longer see anything inside!" Takano Shinichi wore a bitter expression. "But one thing is certain: Mr. Iizuna must be locked in a difficult battle! Otherwise, with his abilities, he would never have been unable to send out even a single piece of information!"