Juvenile detention center.
Araki Itsuki, Yuji Itadori, and the other two stood at the entrance. Beside them was Kiyotaka Ijichi, wearing glasses and a sharp suit.
He was an assistant supervisor at Jujutsu High and was on good terms with Satoru Gojo.
"Our lookout confirmed the appearance of a cursed womb approximately three hours ago. When evacuation was ninety percent complete, we sealed off the entire shelter based on conditions at the scene."
"Five inmates from the second dormitory are still trapped inside the building with the cursed womb."
At that, Kiyotaka Ijichi adjusted his glasses.
"If this cursed womb is the type that can undergo a complete metamorphosis, it may develop into a special grade cursed spirit."
But when Ijichi turned to look at them, he found all four wearing perfectly calm expressions.
"Hey, hey, hey! We're talking about a special grade cursed spirit! Take this seriously!"
Yuji Itadori waved a hand dismissively. "Gojo-sensei said that if things get dangerous, all we have to do is yell for Araki to save us."
Fushiguro nodded. "I'd like to take this seriously, but with Araki Itsuki here, I really can't work up any fighting spirit."
Araki Itsuki, meanwhile, grumbled, "Shouldn't Gojo-sensei be handling this? I haven't even been officially classified as special grade yet. I'm doing the work without getting the pay."
"This sucks."
Fushiguro looked resigned. "Normally, they should send a sorcerer of the same grade as the cursed spirit to carry out the mission, but Gojo-sensei is away on business."
"Someone like him can't stay cooped up at Jujutsu High."
Ijichi adjusted his glasses, looking a little guilty. "We're often short-staffed in this line of work. Taking missions beyond our abilities is practically routine."
"But this situation is both urgent and unusual, so we have no choice but to leave it to you."
Yuji Itadori asked, "What does special grade mean?"
"Huh?!"
Only then did Nobara Kugisaki remember that Yuji Itadori was a complete beginner.
Araki Itsuki explained, "Special grade means an enemy that might survive even carpet bombing with cluster bombs."
"Its strength is roughly on par with the pressure I released that day."
Araki Itsuki patted Yuji Itadori on the shoulder.
"If you get so scared you can't move, Itadori, you'll be helpless."
Unpleasant memories surfaced for all three. Araki Itsuki had completely frozen them in place with nothing more than simulated cursed energy fluctuations.
Seeing their expressions turn serious, Ijichi warned them, "Do not fight under any circumstances. If you three encounter a special grade cursed spirit, your only options are to run or die."
"Listen to the fear inside you. Your only mission is to rescue any survivors who might still be there."
Once Ijichi finished, Araki Itsuki waved a hand and led the three toward the detention center.
"Itadori, Fushiguro."
The two followed, looking at Araki Itsuki curiously. "What is it, Araki?"
"You two go take out the special grade cursed spirit."
Fushiguro's face stiffened. You're all talk and no bite! How the hell are we supposed to take out a special grade cursed spirit?!
Seeing their dumbfounded expressions, Araki Itsuki smiled. "Have some confidence. Both of you have limitless power hidden inside you."
"It's just a newly born special grade cursed spirit."
Neither of them said a word.
As the four went inside, Ijichi brought his fingers together. "I'm lowering the curtain."
"Emerge from darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify all that is impure."
Filthy black sludge suddenly began flowing across the sky, gradually spreading downward.
The churning sludge covered the sky in every direction.
The inside was completely sealed off from the outside, and the juvenile detention center vanished from view.
Yuji Itadori exclaimed, "It got dark!"
Araki Itsuki nodded. "This is a curtain. Ordinary people can't see it."
"But right now, you two should be thinking about how to deal with that special grade cursed spirit."
After listening all this time, Nobara Kugisaki still hadn't heard anything about her assignment.
"What about me? What about me?"
"Kugisaki, just clear out the ordinary cursed spirits wandering nearby."
"Okay."
Only then did Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro realize that Araki Itsuki was serious. He really intended to have the two of them exorcise the special grade cursed spirit.
Seeing their nervous expressions, Araki Itsuki reassured them. "It'll only get interesting if Fushiguro gets serious. Besides, your abilities go far beyond what you imagine."
"Your Ten Shadows Technique is one of the hereditary cursed techniques of the Zenin Clan, one of Jujutsu Society's Three Great Families."
"The shadow shikigami summoned by the Ten Shadows Technique are stronger than ordinary shikigami. And when a shikigami is destroyed, its remaining cursed technique and power are inherited by the others.
"You can even combine two shikigami into one through an extension of the technique."
In the original story, every shikigami Ryomen Sukuna summoned while controlling his body had the strength of a special grade cursed spirit.
Even a simple Nue had been enormous, blotting out the sky and covering an entire building.
With that, he gave Megumi Fushiguro an encouraging look. "Cut loose. Let me see what you're really capable of."
"As for you, Yuji Itadori, you'll have to learn to control cursed energy in actual combat."
Fushiguro nodded solemnly, then remembered something and asked Araki Itsuki curiously, "What are you trying to accomplish by doing this, Araki?"
Araki Itsuki chuckled. "I'm very interested in Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga."
"Its legendary power can supposedly adapt to anything. I wonder whether it can adapt to my Death Omen Star's power to devour everything."
"So hurry up and grow stronger, Fushiguro. Give me a good time."
As they talked, the scene before the four suddenly changed.
Yuji Itadori shouted, "What the hell?! Wasn't this a two-story dormitory?"
"What's going on?"
Araki Itsuki wore a mocking expression. "It's just an innate domain opened with cursed energy. It hasn't had a cursed technique imbued into it yet."
"Although this is still Domain Expansion, it's only spending a huge amount of cursed energy on a barrier that gives the battlefield a home-ground makeover.
"It lacks the very core of Domain Expansion: a cursed technique's sure-hit effect."
Nobara Kugisaki's vision nearly went black. What do you mean, 'just Domain Expansion'?!
That's the legendary Domain Expansion, a sorcerer's strongest weapon!
How can Araki Itsuki be so calm?!
"All right, enough talking. Go, go, go!"
Several cursed spirits foolish enough to approach came charging at them, chittering away. Araki Itsuki curled his lip in boredom and raised his right hand.
Snap.
The crisp snap of his fingers echoed through the empty, eerie room.
Purple-black flames suddenly erupted over the cursed spirits, swallowing them all in an instant.
Yuji Itadori awkwardly put away his holed kitchen knife. Before he could praise Araki Itsuki, he spotted several corpses in the corner.
"How awful."
Remembering the woman pleading outside, Yuji Itadori said gravely:
"I'm taking this body outside. He's that woman's son."
Megumi Fushiguro grabbed him, his expression cold.
"Leave the body for now. We need to determine whether the other two are alive."
"I wasn't particularly interested in saving these people to begin with. If they're dead, I care even less."
Yuji Itadori looked confused. "What do you mean?"
With a cold expression, Megumi Fushiguro explained the crimes these people had committed. They had only escaped severe sentences because of their age.
"What if the person you save goes on to hurt someone else?"
"Then why did you save me back then?!"
The two launched into a heated argument over this philosophical question.
Suddenly-
"Hey, hey, hey. If you're going to argue, at least pay attention to where and when you're doing it."
"Haven't you noticed Kugisaki is gone?"
Hearing Araki Itsuki's voice, the two hurriedly released each other's collars.
"Kugisaki!"
A black hole had opened in the floor. Kugisaki had disappeared.
"Impossible! The Divine Dogs were keeping watch!"
Fushiguro quickly turned around, searching for the Divine Dogs.
But a bloodied, mangled dog's head was embedded deep in the shattered wall.
A strange cursed spirit had appeared beside the three without them noticing. It was as tall as a person, with the same long black fingers as Ryomen Sukuna, black fingernail-like markings on its head, and eyes.
Merely standing there, it pinned Megumi Fushiguro and Yuji Itadori in place with its terrifying cursed energy.
Sweat dripped from Megumi Fushiguro's forehead.
I can't move...
Inside, Yuji Itadori screamed frantically.
Move, move, move, move!
Just then-
Araki Itsuki suddenly struck, driving an iron fist into the finger cursed spirit's chest like a falling meteor.
Bam!
Blood burst outward. The finger cursed spirit's mocking expression twisted into confusion and anger. It hadn't expected the toys beneath it to fight back!
"Don't stand so damn close to me!"
Araki Itsuki snapped irritably, then reached out and grasped at empty air.
A monstrous scythe instantly appeared in his hand. Its terrifying single eye opened, locking firmly onto the finger cursed spirit.
A savage demon's roar echoed across the battlefield.
"Submit to the great one!"
Undisguised malice and dark shadows swept over it. The finger cursed spirit's face took on a distinctly human expression of fear.
Its freshly repaired chest began to ache again.
"You two get used to the pressure of a special grade cursed spirit first. I'm going to stretch my legs."
Araki Itsuki turned to give them that instruction, then bent his knees and leaned forward. Countless cracks burst through the tiles beneath his feet.
With a deafening sonic boom, he shot toward the special grade cursed spirit.
Before you continue