Hands came in left and right, and each finger had a different shape. The Sukuna's Finger inside that creature looked particularly familiar.
Although Sukuna had four hands, two on each side, the differences in his fingers' lengths and shapes made it quite unlikely to encounter an identical one.
So, unless Aikawa Kaze was mistaken, this was probably an "old friend."
-That had to be the very same Sukuna's Finger that had stirred up trouble behind the Chinatown restaurant before he handed it over!
Using the Special Grade Cursed Object he had handed in against him? Well done, Jujutsu Higher-Ups!
Completely overlooking the fact that Satoru Gojo had taken all the blame when they submitted their final report, Aikawa Kaze gritted his teeth in fury at this despicable act.
What an absolute humiliation!
First he defeated a cursed spirit, then it suddenly powered up because of Sukuna's Finger, forcing him to fight the boss's second phase...
They said Saint Seiya never lost to the same move twice, yet here he was repeating the exact same mistake! How embarrassing!!!
Worse still, back then, Satoru Gojo's Curtain had trapped him inside, preventing him from letting Sakura escape first.
Now, unsure whether the shameless higher-ups had stationed anyone outside the Curtain to watch them, he once again dared not send Sakura out ahead of him.
After this ordeal, he finally understood just how shameless and utterly unscrupulous those Old Conservatives at the top of Jujutsu Society were. He absolutely could not underestimate how low they would stoop.
No, wait. He had companions now!
Aikawa Kaze looked toward Yuta Okkotsu.
With this Special Grade Sorcerer here, he could entrust Sakura to him without a worry!
There was little time left to waste. Although Aikawa Kaze still had the vague feeling that he had overlooked something, he had no chance to dwell on it now.
The monster, originally six stories tall, had swollen to the height of ten stories, dwarfing even Rika.
The only silver lining was that nothing humanoid resembling Sukuna had appeared this time. Apparently, this cursed spirit had successfully absorbed the power of Sukuna's Finger without bursting.
Fighting this sort of cursed spirit was still better than fighting Sukuna. Even one-twentieth of Sukuna would be far more troublesome.
"Yuta, I'm leaving Maki, Sakura, and these two children to you. Take them to get medical treatment."
"But..."
Yuta Okkotsu cast a worried glance at Rika, who was once again locked in combat with the cursed spirit.
He knew Rika was incredibly strong, but even she seemed unable to finish that cursed spirit off outright. Could someone with Aikawa Kaze's slight build really manage it?
Looking at Aikawa Kaze, who stood a full head shorter than him and was probably only about 160 centimeters tall, Yuta Okkotsu's eyes filled with deep concern.
"I'm still growing!"
Somehow reading Yuta Okkotsu's gaze, Aikawa Kaze spoke through gritted teeth.
He had no idea why, either. In the Detective World, he had been a long-legged 180 centimeters tall, yet he had inexplicably shrunk in this world.
He clearly remembered already being 170 centimeters tall in high school back in the Detective World!
"Stop dragging your feet. If you've got the energy to worry, use it to get them somewhere safe."
With Yuta Okkotsu here, Aikawa Kaze did not have to worry about Sakura being in danger.
"This is a pretty good opportunity, and I want to give it a try. Even if I fail, won't Rika be here to back me up?"
Aikawa Kaze's eyes flickered as he looked at the enormous creature before him.
He genuinely thought this was a good opportunity.
"If I succeed, it'll take a lot of pressure off Rika, too. At the very least, she'll get hurt less."
Seeing that Rika had also been injured, a flicker of pain crossed Yuta Okkotsu's eyes. Finally, he nodded.
"All right."
Come to think of it, what was Aikawa's Cursed Technique?
Yuta Okkotsu was a little curious, but this was no time to ask. He slowly retreated.
Fortunately, Sakura was barely injured and could walk on her own, so at least she did not add to his burden.
Too bad Gojo Sensei isn't here. Otherwise, I could go straight outside and ask for help. Now I'll have to leave the Barrier and call for assistance...
Wait, am I seeing things? Am I hallucinating because I want reinforcements to show up so badly?!
Yuta Okkotsu stared at the man before him in astonishment.
"G-Gojo Sensei?! Didn't you go to deal with a special grade cursed spirit?!"
"Shhh~~~ Keep your voice down, Yuta. Don't let them notice me!"
Satoru Gojo pressed his index finger to his lips.
"If everyone found out that their dependable Gojo Sensei had been outside all along, you wouldn't be able to push your limits and grow like you are now! This is your teacher's loving guidance~~~"
"..."
Yuta Okkotsu fell silent. The reasoning made sense, but why did hearing it make him so inexplicably angry?
Apparently incapable of showing any restraint, Satoru Gojo declared smugly, "Of course I knew what those Old Conservatives were planning, so I used a little cash power and hired someone else to handle it for me! As long as the mission gets done, they can't complain."
Having received an enormous fee, Mei Mei expressed her willingness to accept more commissions like this.
With Mei Mei's abilities, even if she could not fully exorcise that cursed spirit, she could still contain it and prevent it from hurting anyone else. Satoru Gojo had no worries at all.
"All right! I've already seen what Yuta is capable of. Now it's Kaze's turn to perform!"
"Sensei, Maki and the others' injuries..."
"Got it. Leave them to me~ Yaaawn~~"
Shoko Ieiri stepped out from behind Satoru Gojo, stretching as she sighed.
"Well, that special grade vengeful cursed spirit certainly is impressive, but it's not as if I can dissect her..."
"Don't say that. Staying cooped up at school all the time gets boring, right? I brought you out so you could get some fresh air."
"Hmph."
Shoko Ieiri snorted but did not argue. After casually healing the children, she looked thoughtfully in Aikawa Kaze's direction.
"You've never brought me along as 'insurance' for a student before. You must have high hopes for him."
"Well, rather than having high hopes for him, I'd say I have high hopes for a new possibility he told me about. Until I get to the bottom of it, I don't want anything happening to him."
Satoru Gojo maintained that he was unlike those rotten, hidebound Old Conservatives. He was deeply curious about and receptive to new things, and he looked forward to change and innovation.
Already fiercely protective and accepting of his students, Satoru Gojo naturally paid even greater attention to Aikawa Kaze and took greater care to protect him because of those expectations.
And so, Aikawa Kaze still had no idea that, within just two short days, he had repeated his previous experience once again.
-Fighting for his life inside a Curtain against a cursed spirit that had swallowed Sukuna's Finger, convinced he had no backup whatsoever.
Unlike the last time, when he had been driven into a desperate corner, Aikawa Kaze had come thoroughly prepared.
After forming a contract with Red Archer, he could enter the Heroic Spirit's mental space to train and study whenever Red Archer had free time and agreed to it.
Fortunately, the sole nameless Heroic Spirit who had answered him was helpful and easy to get along with, and had given him a great deal of assistance.
However, with limited time available, his first priority had been to learn about Heroic Spirit Summoning.
According to Aikawa Kaze's conclusions, the most important factor in improving the efficiency of summoning Heroic Spirits was having a benefit or special talent that appealed to them and caught their interest.
Heroic Spirits like Red Archer, who answered others without asking anything in return, did exist, but they were exceedingly rare. In most cases, the "Holy Grail" they fought to obtain served as an omnipotent wish-granting device, their "reward."
However, the world Aikawa Kaze currently inhabited had no Holy Grail capable of granting every wish. He therefore had to pinpoint certain Heroic Spirits' preferences or goals and offer something of "value" that would make them answer.
Other considerations included compatible temperaments, favorable timing and circumstances, and using blood ties or Holy Relics to strengthen the connection and the summons...
All of these had an effect, but the most important thing was still "mutual benefit."
Once he realized this, Aikawa Kaze drew on his recollections to shortlist some Heroic Spirits who might answer him, deciding to attempt summoning them according to the circumstances.
As Red Archer explained it, ordinary Heroic Spirit Summoning was like a job seeker sending out résumés indiscriminately. Recruiters picked them up and read them according to their interests or timing, then decided whether to enter a contract.
Without a special summoning incantation, a Holy Relic, or something else to attract attention, it all came down to chance.
Thus, narrowing down a target and directing his efforts toward them would improve his odds of success.
It was like no longer sending résumés blindly, but instead choosing a particular company, tailoring his résumé to its interests and preferences, then paying extra or pulling strings to put it directly in front of the boss.
The results of the two approaches were entirely different.
The moment he saw the enormous creature towering twenty or thirty meters high, Aikawa Kaze immediately settled on a candidate.
Without hesitation, he took out his Summoning Circle, deftly cut himself with his sword, and soaked the circle in his blood.
He had written this summoning incantation himself, based on his memories and analysis.
Unfortunately, some parts of his memory were hazy. He could only include as much as he remembered and improvise certain details to suit the situation.
After all, the Heroic Spirit being summoned could perceive the summoner's circumstances.
"I declare-let thy body be under my command, and my fate entrusted to thy sword."
Aikawa Kaze kept his gaze fixed on the enormous cursed spirit battling Rika. Beside it, even Rika's originally massive form looked rather small.
As he remembered it, unlike the Female Shopkeeper King Arthur, who was obsessed with restoring her kingdom, a certain male King Arthur known as Prototype Saber had been pursuing an evil entity and possessed an ability especially effective against "giant creatures."
He should be a perfect match for this cursed spirit.
Aikawa Kaze did not know exactly what the "entity" he pursued was, but judging from his special advantage and attributes, it ought to be some sort of enormous, evil thing.
Wasn't there a cursed spirit right in front of him that fit the bill and would draw his hostility?
"Here I swear-"
"This is a battle for survival, a battle for salvation, a battle for justice, a battle for honor!"
"This is a battle against the strong, a battle that upholds humanity!"
"This is not a battle against elementals, not a battle for evil, not a battle against the good, not a battle for selfish desire!"
"This is a battle to seek truth, to fight alongside the brave, to pursue calamity, and to drive out evil!"
"If thou wouldst honor this will and this cause, then answer!"
"Star's Holy Sword Wielder! Knight of Silver and Blue!"
Before you continue