The passage on the east side of the factory was wider than expected.
Satoru Gojo walked ahead, his white hair especially conspicuous in the darkness. He took long, brisk strides, looking less like he was exploring an abandoned factory that might harbor cursed spirits and more like he was strolling through his own backyard.
Wana followed him, her wary gaze sweeping their surroundings. Though she was always bickering with Satoru Gojo, she took actual missions seriously.
"Hey, slow down!" she called in a low voice. "What if there's something up ahead?"
Satoru Gojo didn't look back.
"Even better! I could use a little exercise!"
Wana rolled her eyes.
Honestly, this guy...
They continued onward, passing through one corridor after another. The pipes around them grew increasingly dense, and water occasionally dripped from overhead, each little patter ringing clearly through the empty space.
Satoru Gojo suddenly stopped.
Wana stopped with him.
"What is it?"
Satoru Gojo turned to look at her.
"Are you thirsty?"
Wana froze.
"...What?"
Satoru Gojo pointed to the cup in his hand.
"If you're thirsty, I've got water."
Wana stared at him, wide-eyed. Where had he pulled that cup from? Had he learned Brother Kamo's tricks?
Out on the perimeter, Xian Di sneezed, puzzled. Had he caught a cold? With his constitution, that shouldn't have happened.
Satoru Gojo was baffled by her stare.
"What? I just asked if you wanted some water."
Wana snapped out of it and quickly shook her head.
"No, I'm fine."
Satoru Gojo nodded and continued forward.
Wana followed him, but doubts began stirring in her mind.
What's going on? Why is he acting a little strange today?
She carefully reviewed everything that had happened since they entered the factory. Satoru Gojo was still as nonchalant as ever, but he really did seem... not to be deliberately annoying her the way he usually did.
No, wait.
He'd even asked if I wanted some water just now?
Wana shuddered.
Kind of gross.
How could I think he was considerate? It had to be my imagination!
I must be nervous today. I'm not thinking straight!
Satoru Gojo stopped again, this time crouching to inspect a puddle on the floor.
"It's not water. Some kind of chemical residue." He stood and looked at Wana. "Careful. Don't step in it."
Wana nodded and skirted the puddle.
But the tension inside her tightened another notch.
This guy... really isn't himself today.
She secretly studied Satoru Gojo's profile. In the darkness, she could make out only a vague outline and that shock of white hair, conspicuous even here.
He was focused on what lay ahead, his gaze alert and sharp.
He was completely different from his usual self.
It suddenly occurred to Wana that this was the first time she'd seen Satoru Gojo on a mission.
At school, he always lounged around, slumping in his chair and complaining about having too many classes, talking back to Teacher Yaga, or arguing with her over snacks. She had almost forgotten that he was also the Gojo Clan's heir, a genius jujutsu sorcerer with the Six Eyes.
In a place like this, he was different.
Serious, focused, alert.
Like a predator shedding its laziness and baring its true fangs.
(In reality, Wana was seeing him through rose-tinted glasses. Had she been hit by some special version of Unlimited Void?)
As Wana was thinking, Satoru Gojo suddenly turned.
Their eyes met in the darkness.
"What are you spacing out for?" Satoru Gojo raised an eyebrow. "Come on."
Wana came back to her senses and hurried after him.
But she couldn't shake that strange feeling.
After they had walked a little farther, she finally couldn't hold it in.
"Satoru Gojo."
Satoru Gojo didn't look back.
"What?"
Watching his back, Wana muttered quietly.
"You're so gross."
Satoru Gojo stopped dead.
He turned and stared at Wana with wide eyes, looking exactly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"What?!"
His stare made Wana feel guilty, but she forced herself to say it anyway.
"I said you're gross."
Satoru Gojo's mouth fell open in disbelief.
"What-what did I do? How am I gross now?"
Wana thought for a moment, trying to find a reasonable explanation.
"Just now... you asked if I was thirsty."
Satoru Gojo blinked.
"So what? Can't I look out for my teammate?"
"And you told me to be careful not to step in that liquid."
"That's looking out for my teammate too!"
"And you slowed down to wait for me."
"That's because I didn't want you getting lost!"
Wana looked at him with a conflicted expression.
"So, see? You've been looking out for me all day."
Satoru Gojo froze.
He thought it over carefully. It seemed... she was right?
But wasn't that normal? Weren't you supposed to look out for your teammates on a mission?
He opened his mouth to argue, only to discover he couldn't.
Seeing his blank expression made the strange feeling inside Wana grow even stronger.
"That's why I said you're gross."
Satoru Gojo finally snapped out of it.
He exploded.
"I look out for you, and you call me gross?! Do you have any sense at all?!"
Wana was utterly unapologetic.
"Because you're acting weird! You're not usually like this! There's definitely something wrong with you today!"
Satoru Gojo practically hopped with anger.
"What's wrong with me?! I'm being nice and looking out for you, and you actually call me gross?!"
Wana nodded.
"Yep. Gross."
Satoru Gojo: "..."
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"Fine. You win. From now on, I'm not looking out for you. Don't come to me if you're dying of thirst, don't come to me if you step in poison, and don't come to me if you get lost!"
Wana blinked.
"Okay."
Looking at her, Satoru Gojo suddenly felt as though he'd punched a pillow.
He turned away and continued forward.
Wana followed him, but she couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting.
Though she had called him gross, for some reason...
It didn't actually feel that unpleasant.
Meanwhile, at the basement entrance on the factory's west side.
Zhiyan and Suguru Geto stepped onto the stairs leading underground.
The rusty iron stairs creaked beneath their feet. With each step, the sound echoed through the empty space, like a warning-or a summons.
The staircase was long.
So long that they began to wonder whether it led to the center of the earth.
They walked for about a minute before finally reaching solid ground.
It was a vast underground space, much larger than they had imagined. Rough concrete walls surrounded them, dense tangles of pipes ran overhead, and thick dust covered the cement floor. An even heavier smell of decay hung in the air, along with an indescribable... foul, bloody stench.
Zhiyan stopped and scanned their surroundings.
Divine Dogs: Black and Divine Dog: White stayed beside him, their nostrils twitching as they gave low barks.
Suguru Geto stopped too. Cursed energy stirred, and several cursed spirits appeared around him.
The two had only just steadied themselves.
They hadn't even had time to speak.
Suddenly, a whistling rush came from the darkness.
The sound was shrill and piercing, like a creature tearing through the air at high speed. It moved astonishingly fast, closing in on them in the blink of an eye.
Two dark shapes burst from the shadows and lunged straight at them.
They were two cursed spirits.
Each was the size of three adults, resembling some twisted beast and radiating powerful waves of cursed energy. Their eyes glowed red in the darkness, their gaping mouths bristled with fangs, and their foul stench hit the two head-on.
Grade 2 cursed spirits.
Two of them at once.
They were too fast and too close. There was almost no time to react.
Just as the two cursed spirits were about to reach them, a black vortex beside Suguru Geto suddenly expanded.
An enormous insect-like cursed spirit burst out of it.
It was larger than the two Grade 2 cursed spirits combined, its body covered in jet-black armor. Huge mandibles jutted from its head, and six compound eyes gleamed dimly in the darkness.
It slammed into the two cursed spirits at an even greater speed.
Bam-!
The tremendous crash exploded through the underground space.
The insect-like cursed spirit sent both Grade 2 cursed spirits flying backward into the concrete wall. Cracks instantly spread across it, and fragments of stone rained down, raising a cloud of dust.
The entire space seemed to shudder.
Embedded in the wall, the two cursed spirits struggled to rise, but the insect-like cursed spirit pinned them firmly in place.
Suguru Geto walked forward.
His steps were steady and unhurried.
When he reached the two cursed spirits, he raised a hand.
Cursed energy surged.
The two cursed spirits struggled more violently, but some invisible force seemed to bind them, gradually robbing them of the strength to resist.
A dim light glowed in Suguru Geto's palm.
Cursed Spirit Manipulation-activated.
The two cursed spirits' bodies twisted and shrank, finally becoming two fist-sized black orbs that floated above his palm.
Suguru Geto opened his mouth.
He swallowed both orbs.
Zhiyan stood nearby, watching the entire process.
Swallow them.
So subduing cursed spirits meant... eating them?
Once Suguru Geto was finished, he turned and met Zhiyan's gaze.
"Do you think... it's pretty strange?"
Zhiyan was silent for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"A little."
Suguru Geto spread his hands helplessly. "Can't help it. That's how the cursed technique works. You get used to it."
Zhiyan nodded and didn't press any further.
Everyone had their own unique Cursed Technique, their own unique path. Suguru Geto's Cursed Spirit Manipulation was a little more unusual. Well, he was quite the seasoned eater.
Best to respect that.
Suguru Geto looked into the darkness ahead.
"Let's go. Keep heading in. There's still a big one waiting."
Zhiyan nodded.
The two continued forward, deeper into the underground space.
The insect-shaped cursed spirit behind them dissipated. The two absorbed Grade 2 Cursed Spirits had already become part of his power.
Ahead, the cold, sinister presence grew stronger.
After about five minutes of walking, the scene before them suddenly changed.
The space opened up into what looked like a vast underground hall. Cracks covered the surrounding walls, and the pipes overhead grew denser, forming a vast net over the entire space.
But the most striking sight was the fire.
Clusters of blue flames burned quietly all around them.
They floated in the air, clung to the walls, and dotted the floor, illuminating the once-dark space as brightly as daylight. Their eerie blue glow held a strange beauty, along with a sense of... danger that put them instinctively on guard.
And at the center of those flames stood an enormous figure.
It was the size of a small hill.
Zhiyan stopped, his gaze settling on the figure.
It was massive, with thick limbs and dark armored scales covering its entire body. Most striking was its head-three eyes on each side, six in total, every one glowing an eerie blue. That light matched the surrounding flames, glaring in the darkness.
Its enormous head joined directly to its thick body, like a giant lizard without a neck. Its mouth hung open, revealing rows of fangs, and a foul stench poured from it. Six thick legs supported its body, its claws leaving deep marks in the concrete floor.
A Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.
The cursed spirit seemed to sense their arrival. All six eerie blue eyes turned at once, locking onto them.
Then it opened its mouth.
A roar exploded through the space.
The sound was deafening, carrying intense fluctuations of cursed energy as it swept toward them like a gale.
The foul wind sent their clothes snapping.
Immediately afterward, the surrounding blue flames all trembled.
In the next instant, as though pulled by some force, the flames shot toward the two from every direction. They became streaks of blue fire, filling their field of vision and moving so fast that there was nowhere to dodge.
Zhiyan raised his hand.
He gave it a gentle wave.
A curtain of water appeared out of thin air, spreading out before him and Suguru Geto. Though thin, it was incredibly resilient, blocking every incoming flame.
The blue flames struck the water with a sizzling hiss, turning into white steam that spread through the space.
The sight enraged the cursed spirit further.
It roared again, flames gathering inside its mouth. The fire grew denser and brighter, condensing into a huge fireball that radiated a terrifying heat.
Yet Zhiyan remained composed as he watched.
He looked at Suguru Geto.
"Geto, are there any requirements for subduing a cursed spirit?"
Suguru Geto waved a hand.
"As long as it doesn't die."
Zhiyan nodded.
He looked back at the Grade 1 Cursed Spirit gathering flames in its mouth.
The cursed spirit seemed to sense his gaze. Its six eerie blue eyes widened, and the fireball in its mouth grew larger and brighter.
In the next instant, it would unleash that fireball.
But Zhiyan moved.
He raised his right hand.
Palm facing up.
A tiny white flame suddenly sprang from his palm.
It was small, so small it was almost negligible. Yet the moment it appeared, the temperature around them seemed to change. It did not rise, but rather... grew gentler.
The flame danced softly in Zhiyan's palm, like a flower bud just beginning to bloom.
Then it began to grow.
It swelled in the wind.
In the blink of an eye, that tiny white flame became a flower.
A white gardenia.
Its overlapping petals were as white as jade, appearing especially pure in the eerie blue firelight. It hovered quietly above Zhiyan's palm, as though it truly were a flower plucked from some garden.
As Suguru Geto watched, a thought suddenly came to him.
A gardenia?
Huh. Who knew Zenin had such a... girlish side?
The corner of his mouth twitched, but he quickly suppressed his amusement.
He did not dare laugh, afraid he might get burned along with it.
Zhiyan looked at the White Gardenia in his palm, his gaze still calm.
Then he gave it a gentle push.
The flower drifted up from his palm and floated toward the Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.
It moved slowly, as slowly as a fallen leaf drifting through the breeze.
As the cursed spirit watched the little white flower floating toward it, a flicker of confusion crossed its six eyes.
What was this?
It had lived for so many years and seen all kinds of attacks, but never... a flower?
The flower drifted so slowly that it had plenty of time to dodge.
But it did not.
Because it sensed no danger from that flower.
It was only a flower.
It opened its mouth, preparing to swallow the flower in one bite.
Then-
The flower landed on its body.
Softly, ever so softly.
Like a feather settling on its rough armored scales.
In the next instant.
White flames erupted.
The flames burned from the spot where the flower had landed, spreading faster than the eye could follow and instantly engulfing the cursed spirit's entire body. White fire surged upward, illuminating the underground space more brightly than daylight.
The cursed spirit's roar cut off abruptly.
Before it could even struggle or scream, the white flames swallowed it completely.
The fire burned only briefly.
But to that cursed spirit, it seemed longer than a century.
By the time the white flames gradually died out, the cursed spirit had collapsed on the ground.
Its enormous body lay sprawled there, all six eerie blue eyes closed, smoke still rising from its mouth. It was not dead-if it died, its cursed energy would dissipate, making absorption impossible-but it had completely lost the strength to resist.
A few white flames still lingered on its body, dancing softly across its dark armored scales like tiny points of starlight.
If he could not still sense those faint fluctuations of cursed energy, Suguru Geto would almost have thought it was dead.
He looked at the cursed spirit collapsed on the ground, then at Zhiyan.
Zhiyan still stood where he had been, as though he had merely done something insignificant.
Suguru Geto fell silent. What a monster.
"Zenin, that move of yours..."
He paused, seemingly searching for the right word.
"...was seriously frea... impressive."
Zhiyan looked at him. Had he been about to say "freakish"? Or had he misheard?
Suguru Geto said no more and walked toward the cursed spirit.
He stopped before it and raised his hand.
Cursed energy surged once more.
The collapsed cursed spirit began to distort and shrink, finally becoming a fist-sized black sphere hovering above his palm.
It was larger and darker than the previous two, and its fluctuations of cursed energy were more intense.
Suguru Geto opened his mouth.
He swallowed the sphere.
He closed his eyes, feeling the new cursed energy merge into his body. That power flowed through him, intertwining with his previous cursed spirits and becoming part of his strength.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes.
He looked at Zhiyan.
"Let's go. Time to head back."
Zhiyan nodded.
The two turned and headed back the way they had come.
Behind them, the vast underground space fell into darkness again.
Only the claw marks left on the floor and the cracked walls bore witness to the battle that had just taken place.
But none of that mattered anymore.
What mattered was that the mission was complete.
And neither of them was hurt.
Yep, a one-life speedrun. Perfect.
Before you continue