The factory interior was even darker than he had imagined.
Thick dust and broken windows filtered the sunlight into faint, slender beams that slanted into the darkness, revealing countless motes dancing in the air. Those beams fell across the rubble covering the floor like silent sighs.
Rusted pipes crisscrossed overhead and all around them, coiling like the veins of some enormous beast. Some had snapped, their dangling sections swaying in the darkness and occasionally creaking. Broken instruments and unidentified waste littered the floor-glass shards, scraps of iron, rusty tools, all piled together in disarray. Every footstep produced a faint crunch that echoed through the empty factory.
An indescribable stench of decay hung in the air, mingled with rust and lingering traces of chemicals, making their throats tighten. Occasionally, a gust blew in through some unknown hole, carrying the chill from outside, yet failing to dispel the cold gloom within.
Zhiyan stopped and surveyed his surroundings.
The darkness posed no obstacle to him-perception enhanced by cursed energy was more reliable than sight. He could sense faint traces of cursed energy permeating the space, like the marks left by some creature, barely tangible yet everywhere. They were so faint as to be almost imperceptible, but they were there, like an invisible hand gently brushing every inch of the darkness.
He raised a hand, cursed energy surging at his fingertips.
"Divine Dogs."
Two dark shapes sprang from his shadow and landed silently on the floor. One black, one white: Divine Dogs: Black and Divine Dog: White. Their eyes glowed eerily in the darkness like burning coals. Their nostrils twitched, catching every trace of scent in the air. Soon, they fixed on a direction and dashed off.
Suguru Geto stood beside him and raised his hand as well.
As cursed energy surged, several cursed spirits of different shapes emerged behind him. They were all spirits he had subdued, each carrying its own distinct fluctuations of cursed energy. One resembled a moth, its wings glowing faintly in the darkness; another looked like a slender snake, gliding silently through the air. A slightly larger one, resembling some kind of canine, crouched at his feet with watchful eyes.
"Go," Suguru Geto said softly.
The cursed spirits dispersed without a sound, vanishing into the darkness. Their movements were as light as shadows, making almost no noise before they disappeared among the tangled pipes.
The two remained where they were and waited a moment.
It was quiet enough to hear their own breathing. The occasional drip of water sounded in the distance, leaking from some damaged pipe. Wind moaned through the broken windows, like a low, muffled sob.
"They'll find it," Suguru Geto said, his tone gentle and certain, as though stating a simple fact. "Cursed spirits are sensitive to the presence of their own kind. No matter how deeply it hides, they'll track it down."
Zhiyan nodded without saying anything more.
They began walking, following the direction the Divine Dogs and cursed spirits had scouted, heading deeper into the factory one step at a time.
The path grew darker, the beams overhead fewer, until nothing remained but pure darkness.
Zhiyan's steps were steady, each landing on solid ground and avoiding the scattered obstacles. He could sense the Divine Dogs running ahead and perceive everything they saw through their cursed energy connection-the pipes in the darkness, the dust-covered corners, the crevices hidden from sight.
Suguru Geto walked beside him, his steps equally steady. His cursed spirits were spread around them like an invisible net, constantly relaying information about the entire space.
Neither spoke. They simply walked in silence.
Their surroundings kept changing in the darkness. Sometimes they passed through open spaces that seemed to have once been workshops, empty except for a few machines rusted solid. Sometimes they entered narrow passages piled with debris on both sides, forcing them to squeeze through sideways. Sometimes there were stairs, their rust-speckled iron railings teetering precariously and creaking above the ground.
The stench of decay in the air grew stronger.
After about ten minutes, Suguru Geto suddenly spoke.
"Zenin."
Zhiyan looked at him.
"Hm?"
Suguru Geto paused, seemingly gathering his words. His profile was indistinct in the darkness, but something flickered in his gentle eyes.
"Can I ask you something?"
Zhiyan nodded.
"Of course."
Suguru Geto looked at him with sincere curiosity. There was no scrutiny or probing in it, only a simple desire to understand another person.
"Why did you... want to become a jujutsu sorcerer?"
Zhiyan fell silent for a moment.
He had never seriously considered that question.
For as long as he could remember, he had grown up behind the Zenin Clan's high walls. Everything there revolved around jujutsu-cultivating cursed energy, the family's legacy, awakening cursed techniques. No one had ever asked whether he wanted it, because it was not something he could choose.
It was as unquestionable as the sun rising every day.
"I never considered any other option," he said evenly, as though stating the most ordinary fact in the world.
Suguru Geto blinked.
"You never considered it?"
"No."
Zhiyan paused, looking into the darkness ahead. Something awaited them there, but none of that mattered right now.
"Children in the Zenin Clan know from an early age that they have to become jujutsu sorcerers. Or rather, it's the same for everyone in the Three Great Families. No one thinks about choosing anything else."
His tone remained even, but something stirred faintly in his dark eyes.
"This path was decided the day I was born."
Suguru Geto nodded thoughtfully.
"I see."
He was silent for a while, as though digesting that information.
Zhiyan suddenly spoke.
"Geto."
Suguru Geto looked at him.
"Hm?"
Zhiyan paused.
"What about you?"
Suguru Geto blinked.
"Me?"
Zhiyan nodded.
"Why did you want to become a jujutsu sorcerer?"
Suguru Geto froze for a moment.
He looked at Zhiyan, a flicker of surprise crossing his gentle eyes-as though he had not expected the question to be turned back on him.
Then he smiled.
That smile was warmer and more sincere than before.
"That question..."
He thought for a moment, gazing into the darkness ahead as though looking somewhere far, far away.
"Because once I'd seen it, I couldn't pretend I hadn't."
His voice was soft, echoing through the empty factory like a sigh, yet also like a vow.
"Before I awakened, I was like any ordinary person. I couldn't see anything."
His gaze grew more distant, as though piercing the darkness to find his former self.
"Life was simple back then. Going to school, making friends, thinking about what kind of job I'd have and what kind of life I'd lead. Playing games with classmates after school, going on outings with my family on weekends, swimming at the beach during summer vacation. Like everyone else my age, I had all kinds of dreams about the future, but I never knew there was another side to this world."
He paused.
"Pretty ordinary, right?"
Zhiyan said nothing.
But he was listening.
Suguru Geto continued.
"Then I awakened and started seeing those things. At first, I was terrified. I didn't know what they were or why I was the only one who could see them. Walking down the street, everyone else acted as though nothing was wrong, while I could see those strangely shaped creatures writhing in the corners. Some clung to rooftops, some hid in shadows, and some stood right in the middle of crowds, watching passersby with those empty eyes."
His tone remained calm, but something rippled faintly in his eyes.
"I asked my parents, but they couldn't see them. I asked my friends, and they couldn't either. I went to a doctor, who said there was nothing wrong with my eyes. For a while, I genuinely thought I'd gone mad."
He smiled, a little bitterness and a little relief in his expression.
"Do you know what that feels like? You clearly see something, but everyone around you insists there's nothing there. Something is crawling right in front of you, yet everyone else walks past as though nothing's wrong. You start doubting yourself, your eyes, your mind, wondering whether something's wrong with you."
Zhiyan looked at him.
"What happened next?"
Suguru Geto thought for a moment.
"Then I met someone. A jujutsu sorcerer."
He recalled what had happened that day.
"It was one evening, on my way home from school. A cursed spirit was perched on a utility pole by the road. I pretended not to see it and kept walking with my head down. Then that person suddenly appeared in front of me and asked, 'Can you see it?'"
He paused.
"In that moment, I really... didn't know what to say. For the first time, someone was asking, 'Can you see it?' instead of, 'Are you sure you didn't imagine it?' It felt like suddenly finding a piece of driftwood while drowning."
"He told me I hadn't gone mad. I'd awakened. He told me those things were called cursed spirits, formed from the accumulation of human negative emotions. He told me there were people in this world called jujutsu sorcerers, whose job was to exorcise cursed spirits and protect ordinary people."
He paused.
"He asked whether I wanted to become a jujutsu sorcerer."
Zhiyan looked at him.
"What did you say?"
Suguru Geto smiled.
"I said yes."
He looked at Zhiyan, his gaze gentle and candid.
"Once I knew, I couldn't pretend I hadn't seen them. Every time I walked down the street and saw ordinary people passing cursed spirits without a care, I'd wonder-if they knew what was there, would they still be so calm? If they knew those things could hurt them at any moment, would they still act as though nothing was wrong?"
He paused.
"Since I had this gift, I ought to use it to do something. Those people who can't see cursed spirits live in danger without knowing it. So protecting them is only right."
"That's why I wanted to become a jujutsu sorcerer."
Zhiyan looked at him without speaking.
But something seemed to stir faintly inside him.
He had met many jujutsu sorcerers.
Having grown up behind the Zenin Clan's high walls for as long as he could remember, he had encountered sorcerers of every kind-those who chased authority, those who craved status, those obsessed with strength, and those who would do anything for money and gain.
Every one of them had a reason.
Every one of them claimed their path was right.
But no one had ever been like Suguru Geto.
Not because of his birth, not because of duty, not because he was forced.
Simply because-
"Once I'd seen it, I couldn't pretend I hadn't."
"Since I had this gift, I ought to do something."
So simple.
So pure.
So... self-evident.
No, that's not right. There's Shoko, too. Zhiyan suddenly remembered the day he had first met Shoko seven years ago.
The sunlight had been lovely that day. She had sat by the dessert shop's window, holding a daifuku. She had taken a careful bite, chewed thoughtfully, then said, "It's still sweet, but it's a little better than I expected."
He had asked why she had come to buy dessert, and she had said, "I just wanted to see whether it would be different."
Back then, he had thought this girl was special.
Now, he thought Suguru Geto was special, too.
So there really were people like this in the world.
Not for any particular gain, but simply because "it's only right."
Simply because they "want to."
Zhiyan remained silent for a long time.
Long enough that Suguru Geto glanced at him with some uncertainty.
"Zenin?"
Zhiyan came back to himself and looked at him.
"It's nothing."
He paused.
"I just didn't expect it."
Suguru Geto tilted his head.
"Didn't expect what?"
Zhiyan thought for a moment, seemingly gathering his words.
"I didn't expect you to think this way. You're a lot like Shoko."
His tone remained even, but something indefinable had entered his eyes.
"I've met many jujutsu sorcerers. They pursue authority, status, strength, and gain. Everyone has a reason. Everyone believes the path they're taking is right."
He looked at Suguru Geto.
"But neither of you does."
Suguru Geto froze for a moment.
Then he rubbed his head and laughed.
His smile held a little more embarrassment than before.
"Zenin, you're going to embarrass me, saying things like that."
"I'm only telling the truth."
They continued walking.
Darkness still surged around them, yet the atmosphere between them had somehow grown warmer. That warmth came not from their surroundings, but from within-from understanding and accepting one another.
After they had walked for a while, Suguru Geto spoke again.
"Zenin."
"Hm?"
"Those things you mentioned... authority, status, strength, gain. Do you not care about any of them?"
Zhiyan fell silent for a moment.
"I used to."
Suguru Geto watched him, waiting for him to continue.
Zhiyan gazed into the darkness ahead, as though looking at something from long ago.
"When I was little, I wanted to become stronger. As the family heir, I didn't want anyone telling me what to do, and I couldn't stand the scheming among my uncles and elders."
He paused.
"Later, I realized none of that mattered."
Suguru Geto tilted his head slightly.
"Why?"
Zhiyan thought for a moment.
"Because I found something more important."
Suguru Geto watched him, a hint of understanding in his eyes.
"Miss Ieiri?"
Zhiyan nodded earnestly, his tone more solemn than ever. "Yes. Shoko, Wanwan, my mother... they matter far more than any of that."
Suguru Geto smiled.
"That's wonderful."
He paused.
"It really is wonderful to meet someone who matters more to you than yourself."
Zhiyan looked at him.
"You haven't?"
Suguru Geto thought for a moment.
"Apart from my parents, not yet. But..."
He gazed into the darkness ahead, his eyes gentle yet resolute.
"Maybe I will someday."
Neither of them spoke again.
Darkness swirled around them, but the path beneath their feet grew clearer and clearer.
Just then, Suguru Geto abruptly stopped.
He closed his eyes, his brow furrowing slightly.
Zhiyan stopped as well and watched him.
Suguru Geto held that pose in silence for several seconds.
Then he opened his eyes, his gaze sharpening with focus.
"I've got a response."
Zhiyan said nothing, simply watching him.
Suguru Geto looked in a particular direction-to the east, deeper inside the factory.
"It's my cursed spirits. They've found traces of cursed spirits."
He paused, his brow shifting slightly.
"More than one. At least three, all Grade 2."
Zhiyan nodded.
Grade 2 cursed spirits weren't particularly difficult to handle with their strength. Even three appearing at once wouldn't be a problem.
Suguru Geto continued.
"Their location... there's a basement entrance deep in the eastern side of the factory. That's where the cursed spirits' presence is coming from."
He looked at Zhiyan.
"Should we go in?"
Zhiyan didn't answer immediately.
He raised his hand, cursed energy surging.
Divine Dogs: Black and Divine Dog: White ran back out of the darkness and stopped beside him. Their eyes still glowed faintly, their nostrils twitching. They had clearly sensed something too.
Zhiyan looked down at them and gave a slight nod.
Divine Dogs: Black let out a low bark, then turned and ran toward that spot.
Divine Dog: White stayed where he was, guarding them.
"Let's go," Zhiyan said.
Suguru Geto nodded.
They quickened their pace, following the direction indicated by the cursed spirits deeper into the factory.
Their surroundings kept changing. The pipes grew denser, and the light overhead had vanished entirely, leaving only darkness swirling around them. The ground became increasingly difficult to navigate, littered with more debris and occasional puddles that splashed beneath their feet.
The stench of decay grew stronger.
It wasn't just decay. There was also a sort of... chilling presence.
That chill didn't come from the temperature, but from something deeper. It was as though something were watching them from the shadows, its cold gaze sweeping over their bodies again and again.
"Do you feel it?" Suguru Geto asked quietly.
Zhiyan nodded.
"The presence of cursed spirits."
They exchanged a glance without another word.
But their steps grew faster.
At last, they spotted an entrance a short distance ahead.
It was a rust-covered iron staircase leading underground. The stairs descended into darkness, their end hidden from sight. Debris was piled on either side of the entrance, as though someone had deliberately placed it there to form a barrier.
That chilling presence was coming from below.
Zhiyan and Suguru Geto stopped at the entrance.
Divine Dogs: Black stood at its edge, barking softly down into the depths. His voice echoed through the empty space, carrying a note of wariness.
Anything that drew a reaction from the Divine Dogs was definitely more than a Grade 2 cursed spirit.
Zhiyan closed his eyes and sensed his surroundings for a moment.
Then he opened them and looked at Suguru Geto.
"There's something down there."
His voice remained calm, but his eyes had grown more grave.
"Stronger than Grade 2."
Suguru Geto nodded.
Zhiyan stared at the dark entrance in silence for several seconds.
Then he spoke.
"Shall we go in?"
Suguru Geto considered it.
"We're already here."
"All right."
They exchanged a glance, then stepped forward together toward the dark entrance.
Behind them, the darkness closed in, as though no one had ever been there.
But the lingering traces of cursed energy in the air grew stronger and stronger.
Before you continue