Half a year later.
December ushered in winter, and beautiful snowflakes drifted down from the azure sky, blanketing every corner of the Jujutsu High grounds in white.
In the first-year classroom, the four students sat in fearful silence. Masamichi Yaga stood at the lectern, his face as grim as the bitter wind howling outside.
After a long silence, Masamichi Yaga swept an expressionless gaze over all four faces before finally settling on Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, who were doing their best to look obedient.
Both stiffened slightly and gave Masamichi Yaga sheepish smiles. He answered with a heavy snort and played a video on his Windows XP computer.
It was a local Tokyo news report about a Gas Pipeline explosion in the Sendai district that had damaged Sugawara Shrine.
Masamichi Yaga closed the computer and asked flatly, "You two, explain why you didn't lower a curtain for this exorcism."
"Sir, Satoru and I had clearly divided our duties. The curtain was..." Suguru Geto narrowed his eyes in an embarrassed smile, inwardly itching to strangle that willful brat.
He had reminded Satoru again and again to lower the curtain, but Satoru had only nodded carelessly. The moment he spotted their target, he had dragged Geto straight into the fray.
"Since the curtain wasn't Geto's responsibility, let's hear your explanation, Satoru."
Masamichi Yaga turned to Satoru Gojo, struggling to contain his anger. At first, Satoru sat there looking perfectly obedient, then began glancing around mischievously.
When he spotted his best friend staring blankly out the window, a sly gleam flashed in the Six Eyes behind his sunglasses. He raised his hand with absolute confidence. "Sir, Tsukasa didn't lower the curtain."
"Still shifting the blame? Clearly, you're the culprit!" A vein bulged on Masamichi Yaga's forehead. Looking thoroughly exasperated, he rewarded Satoru Gojo with a loving fist of instruction.
With a large bump on his head, Satoru Gojo muttered miserably, "Ordinary people can't see jujutsu or cursed spirits anyway. It doesn't matter whether we put up a curtain..."
The other three in the room possessed cursed energy and naturally heard him clearly. Masamichi Yaga, whose anger had begun to subside, frowned and delivered another punch.
He had explained the purpose of curtains on their second day of school half a year ago. Why did Satoru still refuse to take it seriously? He was even more willful than Tsukumo.
Keeping people's minds at ease was the best way to prevent curses from forming. That was why they had to lower a curtain during exorcisms, concealing dangers ordinary people couldn't see.
After two consecutive punches, Masamichi Yaga was in a much better mood. A faint smile touched his lips as he turned an amiable gaze toward the distracted Tsukasa Hatayama.
"Tsukasa, I have an exorcism mission for you. Take it if you're free. If not, I'll give it to Geto and Satoru."
Tsukasa Hatayama came back to his senses. After a brief silence, he nodded. "I'll take it, sir. It'll give those two a chance to rest."
"That's probably for the best. This mission is somewhat unusual. Even if I sent Geto and Satoru, I wouldn't feel entirely at ease."
As Masamichi Yaga voiced his concerns, his pleasant expression gradually grew serious. He handed Tsukasa Hatayama the file he had prepared on the desk.
"Before you took over, this mission belonged to Kyoto Jujutsu High. The two Grade 1 Sorcerers and the Assistant Supervisor they sent have all gone missing."
"The Higher-Ups had no other choice but to turn to you, one of our only two Special Grade Sorcerers."
"Given how serious the situation is, I suspect we're dealing with a special grade cursed spirit."
At the mention of a special grade cursed spirit, the normally carefree Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto immediately grew solemn. Both raised their hands and proposed going together.
Before the Six Eyes were born, special grade cursed spirits had been exceedingly rare in Jujutsu Society. To exaggerate a little, even two or three in a century would have been considered a lot.
And special grade cursed spirits varied widely in strength. If you were lucky, you'd encounter one that couldn't deploy a domain. If you weren't, it would have a domain waiting for you.
"No, you two should rest. You must be tired after spending all last night exorcising curses. This mission will give me a chance to stretch my legs."
Tsukasa Hatayama politely refused. Ever since Geto and Satoru had been allowed to take missions, they had accepted them like madmen, passing up nothing from Grade 1 down to Grade 4.
Their frantic work ethic meant he and Mei Mei rarely went on missions anymore. Instead, he often stayed at Jujutsu High with her, watching and feeding crows.
Though those days were peaceful and pleasant, Mei Mei was suffering terribly, tormented by having no money to put into savings.
Because of that, Mei Mei often complained that the two of them were taking things too far.
It was one thing to gobble up all the meat, but they weren't even leaving a bowl of broth. If missions weren't restricted by school, she might have jumped ship long ago.
When their best friend thoughtfully refused their company, Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto opened their mouths, worry weighing on them. In the end, they reluctantly stopped insisting.
They only wanted to accompany him because they were worried about his safety. If the special grade cursed spirit could deploy a domain, its guaranteed-hit, guaranteed-kill effect would be far too troublesome.
Even though their friend possessed Kitetsu, a Special Grade Cursed Tool capable of destroying barriers, they didn't need many reasons to worry about someone.
Kyoto City Hospital.
At the hospital entrance, the glow of the setting sun behind them outlined two figures whose contrasting heights somehow made them a perfect match.
As the two slowly passed through the hospital gates, an enormous black, spherical curtain began descending from the sky, blotting out the sun.
Once the curtain enveloped the hospital, three heart-shaped cursed spirits with slender little legs suddenly appeared. Their pulsing, three-meter bodies blocked the pair's path.
"Heart... dis... ease..."
Mei Mei frowned and remarked to her partner, "My young junior, these three grade 3 cursed spirits look... rather distinctive. This is the first time I've seen walking hearts."
"Yes. If I'm not mistaken, the cursed spirit hiding inside the hospital is probably a special grade Specific Disease Cursed Spirit."
Tsukasa Hatayama frowned as he analyzed them. Countless tiny vessels wriggled over their beating heart-shaped bodies, making them deeply unpleasant to look at.
"A special grade Specific Disease Cursed Spirit? Then I'll have to squeeze Jujutsu Headquarters for everything they're worth. This is a disease curse, after all."
Her expression solemn, Mei Mei took the Cursed Axe out of its case and elegantly twirled it with both hands.
A moment later, the wind whistled sharply. She darted before the three cursed spirits and cleaved them in half with her cursed-energy-infused axe.
The spray of purple blood brought a radiant smile to Mei Mei's face.
Watching that brutal display, Tsukasa Hatayama inexplicably broke into a cold sweat. Whoever marries Mei Mei someday is going to suffer.
As that thought crossed his mind, a scarlet figure suddenly appeared like a gust of wind, standing behind Mei Mei like a crimson specter.
Mei Mei's lovely smile froze. Her expression turned grave as she tightened her grip on the Cursed Axe, quietly guarding against the scarlet figure that had appeared behind her.
Ten meters away, Tsukasa Hatayama slowly grasped Kitetsu's hilt, warily studying the two-meter-tall cursed spirit with scarlet skin.
Mei Mei gave Tsukasa Hatayama a meaningful look, and he nodded slightly. After a year as partners, they might not have shared a telepathic bond, but they certainly understood each other's intentions.
Noticing that little nod, the scarlet cursed spirit struck first. It clenched its fist and drove it straight toward her slender back.
Rather than resisting, Mei Mei covered her ears and let the fist approach. At the last possible instant before it landed, a disorienting ultrasonic wave rang out.
The scarlet cursed spirit's eardrums burst, and all three semicircular canals shattered under the sonic assault. Forced to withdraw its fist, it clamped its hands over its bleeding ears.
Taking advantage of that opening, Mei Mei leaped up and kicked the cursed spirit in the chest, using the force to spring elegantly back to Tsukasa Hatayama's side.
The instant she landed, the sonic waves produced by Kitetsu scraping into its sheath stopped. The two watched the cursed spirit ahead, ready for battle.
This cursed spirit looked exceedingly strange. Hearts grew on both its arms and at its navel-three exposed hearts, all beating vigorously.
Mei Mei probed it with cursed energy. The vitality she sensed astonished her. Such vigor could only mean life.
She looked at Tsukasa Hatayama with a wry smile. "My young junior, all three hearts seem to have signs of life. Do you think it has three lives?"
Tsukasa Hatayama remained silent for several seconds before nodding, sounding slightly impressed. "It does have three lives. That's enough to make it a little troublesome."
That humblebrag drew an indignant response from Mei Mei. "A little troublesome? It's extremely, extremely troublesome."
Despite her words, there wasn't a trace of panic or fear on her face. Instead, she gripped her enormous axe with eager anticipation.
In the past, if she had encountered a monstrous cursed spirit like this, she would have abandoned the mission without hesitation and rushed back to school for reinforcements.
But things were different now. The ultimate application of her cursed technique and the partner beside her gave her the confidence to fight above her grade. She was no longer who she once was.
In the distance, the Heart God lowered its hands from its ears and used cursed energy to repair its shattered eardrums.
It glared viciously at the two conversing humans. "To repay you for the injuries you've inflicted on me, I'll make sure to savor you properly."
Mei Mei couldn't be bothered with it. "A cursed spirit that can speak. It should be the special grade cursed spirit Mr. Yaga mentioned."
"Good. That saves us the trouble of going inside to find it." Tsukasa Hatayama spoke slowly as he unhurriedly drew Kitetsu.
The gleaming blade released tangible, blood-red killing intent before their very eyes, making the Heart God's three hearts pound violently.
It sneered. "Humans, you're always saying we cursed spirits slaughter people. But what about you? The killing intent pouring from your sword is thicker than any cursed spirit's."
It openly stuck out its tongue and pulled a mocking face. "Humans are disgusting. Always acting one way to people's faces and another behind their backs. Absolutely sickening!"
Tsukasa Hatayama couldn't be bothered to respond. He bent low, gathered his strength, and darted behind the cursed spirit. While it was still sticking out its tongue, he struck with his sword arm's elbow and blasted it toward Mei Mei.
His longtime partner understood immediately. Mei Mei buried her axe in the cursed spirit's chest, then spun with an elegant smile, forcibly hurling it into the air.
Tsukasa Hatayama leaped after it, pouring the positive energy of Reverse Cursed Technique into Kitetsu. A scarlet slash severed the cursed spirit's head in midair.
He followed with a heavy whip kick, launching its body into the hospital like a bowling ball, its fate unknown.
Mei Mei stepped on the cursed spirit's head and asked doubtfully, "Is this really a special grade cursed spirit? Why does it feel weaker than a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit?"
Tsukasa Hatayama shook his head, equally puzzled. This special grade cursed spirit was indeed weak. Its reactions were so poor that it hadn't even noticed him getting behind it.
Was I so fast that it couldn't react in time?
"Heh heh heh..."
The head beneath her foot suddenly gave an undisguised sneer. Its eyes widened like brass bells. "I'm not weak. Domains are simply my specialty."
"Domain Expansion: Heart Pacemaker."
Their surroundings abruptly transformed. A Barrier Technique formed beneath their feet, and a moment later, they found themselves in a world of nothing but scarlet.
Taking advantage of Mei Mei's distraction over the domain, the head struggled free from beneath her foot and flew toward the headless body at the barrier's center, sneering all the way.
But before it had flown more than a few meters, several cold flashes blossomed. Purple blood sprayed as Tsukasa Hatayama diced the head into cubes.
The headless body flew into a humiliated rage, but without a mouth, it couldn't speak. It could only angrily clap its hands together three times and activate the domain's ability.
Tsukasa Hatayama's heart jolted. There was no defending against it-he felt his heart shatter from within, and staggered before collapsing onto the barrier's surface.
"My young junior..."
Mei Mei caught him from behind in alarm. All elegance vanished from her face, leaving only worry as she cradled his cooling body and called to him again and again, her feelings laid bare.
Amid her repeated calls, Tsukasa Hatayama suddenly opened his eyes, as though experiencing a final rally before death. The cursed spirit in the distance jolted in fright.
It clapped its hands three more times, fearfully activating its domain's ability again, desperate to shatter the heart of the monster before it. He was terrifying.
Yet somehow, perhaps because awakening from the brink of death had granted him immunity, the domain couldn't harm him. It couldn't even reach inside him.
Leaning against his senior's fragrant shoulder, Tsukasa Hatayama gave the distant cursed spirit a long look. It seemed to be questioning its very existence as it frantically activated its ability over and over.
Unfortunately for it, no matter how many times it clapped, the domain beneath his feet could no longer hurt him. He had evolved and become immune.
How powerful the Hōgyoku was.
The cursed spirit had only itself to blame for bringing him to the brink of death. That had prompted the Hōgyoku to help him evolve until he was completely immune to this domain.
Tsukasa Hatayama withdrew his gaze and shyly patted Mei Mei's arm. "Mei Mei, I'm fine now. You don't have to keep calling..."
Hearing that familiar, bashful voice, Mei Mei first pulled back in delighted surprise, then anxiously examined him from his feet to the top of his head.
Seeing that the young man was unharmed, Mei Mei let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. When she had watched him stagger and collapse, her mind had gone completely blank.
What followed had been disbelief. She couldn't believe Jujutsu High's strongest would die. Then... her heart had ached with the same anguish as watching money burn.
Before you continue