Transfigured Humans

A movie theater in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. 10:30 a.m. Moderate rain.

A black sedan pulled up not far from the theater.

The driver's door opened. After checking the documents in his hands, Ijichi held his umbrella outside and turned to say, "Wait in the car for a bit. I'll go speak with the police and forensic team."

"Thanks for your hard work," Kento Nanami said flatly.

"Haha, it's no trouble. It's my job, after all." Ijichi shut the door and walked toward the police tape.

Chiyo Shin turned to look through the rear window and saw Ijichi talking with the people at the scene.

Having to work out in the rain really was rough.

Before long, Ijichi returned to the car. As he put the documents away and pressed the trunk release, he said, "Everything's sorted out. They'll clear the scene for us shortly.

"It's raining pretty hard out there, too. The umbrellas are in the trunk, so remember to take one when you get out."

"You're so reliable, Mr. Ijichi." Yuji Itadori gave him a thumbs-up.

"Thank you for the compliment. Once you hear the siren, you can get out and head inside."

They didn't have to wait long. Two blasts of a police siren signaled that the scene had been cleared.

"It's ready. May you all have good fortune in battle and return safe and sound." Ijichi offered his heartfelt wishes as they got out.

Chiyo Shin took out his Bone-Binding Umbrella and opened it against the rain. "Here's hoping, Mr. Ijichi."

The three of them quickly entered the theater, hurried down the corridor, and arrived in the auditorium where the incident had occurred.

The forensic team had removed the bodies, leaving only the bloodstained seats.

Kento Nanami pointed out the cursed residue trailing across the floor to the other two. "Can you see it? The cursed residue on the floor."

"Yes." Chiyo Shin had noticed the cursed residue all over the floor as soon as he entered.

Yuji Itadori stared wide-eyed at the spot Kento Nanami indicated. "There's nothing there."

Kento Nanami looked at Itadori and explained, "That's because you aren't looking carefully. Normally, we take being able to see curses for granted.

"But cursed residue is the trace left behind when a cursed technique is used. It's fainter than a cursed spirit. Now look closely."

Yuji Itadori held his hands beside his eyes and focused intently. "Oh, I see it! I see it!"

A clear trail of cursed residue appeared in Yuji Itadori's vision.

"Don't celebrate yet. Merely seeing it is nothing special. You'll only have succeeded when you can sense its presence before you see it." Kento Nanami stated the facts without mercy.

Kento Nanami's words immediately extinguished Yuji Itadori's joy.

Yuji Itadori gave an embarrassed smile. "Couldn't you encourage me a little more?"

Kento Nanami straightened the hem of his jacket. "I'm not singling you out. I simply follow the principles of being conscientious, responsible, and factual.

"That's enough idle chatter. Let's follow the cursed residue."

"All right! I'll give this mission everything I've got!" Yuji Itadori's enthusiasm flared up again.

"No. If you can handle it casually, then do so." Kento Nanami cut the hot-blooded boy short again.

Watching Yuji Itadori's misery, Chiyo Shin couldn't help remembering Satoru Gojo's assessment of Kento Nanami: "A very reliable junior."

There was no denying that Kento Nanami was extremely reliable professionally.

But personally, Chiyo Shin preferred someone with Satoru Gojo's cheeky personality.

There was less pressure when spending time with him.

The three stopped chatting.

They followed the trail of cursed residue to the rooftop.

As soon as they arrived, all three spotted a cursed spirit beside a bench.

Yuji Itadori tossed his umbrella aside and was about to charge in and exorcise it.

But Kento Nanami stopped him.

"Leave this one to me. Itadori, take care of the other one." Kento Nanami closed his umbrella as he walked toward the cursed spirit by the bench.

"And Chiyo, stay to the side and don't cause trouble."

"Do I look like that kind of person?" Chiyo Shin pointed at himself and protested loudly.

"Let's just listen to Mr. Nanami." Yuji Itadori patted Chiyo Shin on the back.

"Itadori, don't tell me you think I'd cause trouble, too." Chiyo Shin slowly drew the short blade from his Bone-Binding Umbrella.

The short blade gleamed silver in Chiyo Shin's hand. Yuji Itadori backed away several steps and pointed at him. "And you say you wouldn't!"

Chiyo Shin reversed the blade, offering its hilt to Yuji Itadori with an ominously friendly look. "I'm joking, Itadori. I just wanted to lend it to you."

Yuji Itadori looked at Chiyo Shin's expression, then at the blade being offered, before turning and running toward the cursed spirit in the corner.

He filled his hands with cursed energy as he ran. "No thanks, Chiyo. I haven't practiced using cursed tools yet. My fists are enough for these cursed spirits."

Watching Yuji Itadori sprint away, Chiyo Shin murmured, "I only imitated half of how Gojo-sensei treats Ijichi, and Itadori already couldn't take it. He's so innocent and easy to fool."

Kento Nanami watched their exchange as he casually sidestepped the cursed spirit's lunge. "They really are children."

He kicked the cursed spirit beside him away.

Kento Nanami drew a Blunt Blade wrapped in black-patterned cloth from behind his waist and raised his voice slightly. "My cursed technique forcibly creates a weak point on my opponent, regardless of who they are.

"It divides any length of their body at a ratio of seven to three. Hitting that dividing point delivers a critical hit.

"It will injure an opponent stronger than me. If they're weaker, even a blunt blade can cut them apart.

"Itadori, did you hear that?"

Hearing Kento Nanami call him, Yuji Itadori took two quick steps back, escaping the cursed spirit's range. "Are you talking to me?"

Keeping his eyes on the cursed spirit, Yuji Itadori asked in confusion, "Is it really okay to reveal something that important?"

"There are benefits to doing so. First, you can mislead the enemy with false information. Second, revealing your cursed technique as a binding vow can greatly increase its power." As he explained, Kento Nanami swung his Blunt Blade at the cursed spirit. "Like this."

"Mr. Nanami, wait!"

Kento Nanami forced his blade to a halt. With too much forward momentum to stop outright, he spun around to dissipate it, then punched the cursed spirit away.

"What is it?" Kento Nanami looked at Chiyo Shin in confusion.

Chiyo Shin slid the short blade back into his umbrella and said slowly, "Mr. Nanami, this cursed spirit's watch is still making noise."

Kento Nanami's expression turned grave. He took out his phone and photographed the cursed spirit in front of him.

"It really showed up in the photo." Kento Nanami stared at the picture on his phone, his face dark.

Meanwhile, Yuji Itadori landed an uppercut that left his opponent wide open. Seizing the chance, he surged cursed energy into both fists, ready to finish the cursed spirit with Divergent Fist.

"Itadori, stop! These aren't cursed spirits, they're..." Chiyo Shin hurriedly shouted to stop him.

Jujutsu High.

"How could they be human?" Veins bulged on Yuji Itadori's hands as he clenched the report, unable to hold back his curse. "That bastard who toys with human beings."

"Calm down first, Itadori. Chiyo is still with Shoko. Those two should still have a chance of surviving," Kento Nanami reassured him.

Click.

As the two talked, Chiyo Shin pushed the door open, carrying a stack of books.

"How are those two doing?" Itadori asked as soon as he saw Chiyo.

"Haah." Chiyo Shin sighed and set the stack of books on the coffee table.

"Their bodies are back to normal, but they just won't wake up.

"Shoko said I might not have fully repaired their brains during the process, or that their brains were permanently damaged.

"If they can't be repaired, they'll never wake up. They're in a vegetative state."

"Damn it!" Yuji Itadori clenched both fists.

"Hold on, I haven't finished. Shoko told me to study more books on the human body. There might still be a chance to restore them." Chiyo Shin patted the books on the coffee table.

"Really?" Yuji Itadori's face brightened.

"Hah, what do you mean, 'really'? Shoko herself called me a genius at Reverse Cursed Technique. With my Cursed Technique Reversal, Golden Repair, on top of that, I can definitely fix them." Chiyo Shin picked up a book and tapped Yuji Itadori on the head with it.

"Haha, that's great, then." Yuji Itadori relaxed and leaned back against the sofa.

Watching the two interact, Kento Nanami fell into a daze. Images flashed through his mind, as though those familiar people were still beside him.

His thoughts returned to the present.

Kento Nanami rubbed the space between his brows and rose from the sofa. "The cursed residue along the way was deliberately left to lure us there, so we'd see the masterpieces he'd created.

"We can't underestimate this enemy. We need to be fully prepared."

"Of course!" Chiyo Shin looked at Kento Nanami and answered with conviction.

"Yes!" Yuji Itadori clenched his fists, his expression resolute.