Special Grade Cursed Object

The next day, Aikawa Kaze tried dividing his cursed energy into ten equal portions and doing a ten-pull summon.

With a peculiar expression, he took stock of his haul.

4 weapons: Black Keys ×3 (increased attack), Jewel Sword ×1 (faster cursed energy recovery)

3 pieces of equipment: Rin's Pendant ×1 (increased critical damage against weak points), Book of False Vassals ×1 (increased resistance), Dragon Vein ×1 (continuous cursed energy recovery)

3 consumable items: magecraft ore ×1 (replenished cursed energy), Rune Stone ×1 (increased resistance), Mapo Tofu ×1 (replenished stamina)

What could he say? He still hadn't pulled the Heroic Spirit Servant he wanted most. Back in the early days, he had dismissed all this stuff as trash, but in his current circumstances, it actually looked pretty useful.

Still, since he'd only just had mapo tofu over rice yesterday, he quietly stuffed the tofu into the fridge. He had no idea whether summoned items associated with Heroic Spirits had expiration dates, so this was as good a chance as any to test it.

After all, the couple next door had to work overtime again this weekend, and they weren't comfortable leaving their elementary-school daughter home alone, so they'd asked him to look after Sakura today.

Except there was nothing in his fridge now besides a plate of mapo tofu.

Going out to buy groceries and washing the vegetables afterward would be too much trouble, so Aikawa Kaze decided to take Sakura out to eat.

They'd already agreed yesterday that he would take Sakura around Chinatown, then visit a Chinese restaurant that had recently become popular.

"Knock, knock~"

"Aikawa, I'm here to bother you again today!"

The little girl's lively voice came from outside. Aikawa Kaze opened the door to find her looking up at him, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Just a moment. I'm almost ready."

Aikawa Kaze had actually packed everything he needed last night, but now he had to add a few things. This world was dangerous, after all.

Aside from the mapo tofu, which wasn't convenient to carry, the consumables were all small enough to slip straight into his pockets.

Naturally, he had to put on the equipment too. At a time like this, he couldn't worry about the ruby necklace looking a little feminine. Aikawa Kaze put it straight on. Even if he didn't run into a cursed spirit, it might come in handy against some thugs, right?

The Book of False Vassals increased mental resistance, so he had to bring that as well. To carry it, Aikawa Kaze even went so far as to wear a long coat in the middle of summer and tuck the book into its inner compartment.

Sakura sat obediently nearby, waiting for her older neighbor to finish getting ready. She didn't understand what he was doing, but she was deeply impressed.

It was so hot that she'd put on a light little dress, but Aikawa was still wearing a long coat. Amazing!

And he even remembered to bring a book when he went out. What dedication to studying! No wonder Mom and Dad always told her to learn from him!

Finally, Sakura watched Aikawa sling a... guitar case over his back?

"Huh? You can play the guitar too, Aikawa?" Sakura tilted her head in surprise. "I've never heard you play!"

"Nope. I actually bought it just for show," Aikawa Kaze bluffed with a smile. "There's nothing inside! But carrying it makes me look like an artsy young guy, doesn't it?"

"Huh?"

"I heard the people in Chinatown are all really artistic. If I dress like this, maybe they'll give me a discount, and then we can use the money we save to buy more tasty things."

"Oh, I see! That's Aikawa for you! You even know things like that!"

"It's nothing special."

Faced with Sakura's big, innocent eyes full of admiration, Aikawa Kaze felt a rare twinge of guilt over fooling such a trusting little girl.

What he actually had in his guitar case was the Jewel Sword. The Black Keys were too thin, long, and sharp; not only were they difficult to fit inside, but he could easily hurt himself with them. Still, going without a weapon made him feel unsafe, so he'd chosen to carry one this way.

Of course, he didn't really think he would definitely need it. It was just a precaution.

It was like taking a bus on a trip: even if you didn't think you'd get motion sickness, you might still bring a sick bag just in case.

"Yay! Treats! Treats!"

"Are we going straight to buy treats?"

"You don't understand, Aikawa! If we don't get to a viral shop early, the treats will definitely sell out! This is a limited-time Summer Special. Last time, Dad got there too late and missed out..."

"Oh, I see. The restaurant sells takeout too!"

After Sakura's reminder, Aikawa Kaze took a closer look at the shop's description and found that it did indeed.

Loads of people in the reviews complained that the Summer Special treats were hard to get and that the line took forever...

"Come on, let's go! I brought all the allowance I've saved up."

Sakura patted her crossbody bag, then waved a little clenched fist.

"I'm definitely getting the Summer Special this time!"

Aikawa Kaze had encountered far too many "viral products" in his previous life to feel anything special about them anymore. Still, since Sakura wanted them so badly, there was no harm in buying treats first.

What Aikawa Kaze didn't know was that shortly after he entered Chinatown with Sakura, two troublesome figures arrived there at the same time.

Tch. This sucks. The stench of monkeys is everywhere.

With his hair tied in a bun, a lock hanging over the left side of his forehead, and a monk's robe on his body, Suguru Geto threaded through the crowd, looking languid but inwardly disgusted.

If Nanako and Mimiko hadn't said they wanted treats from a shop here that had recently gone viral, he would never have come somewhere that reeked so strongly of monkeys!

Suguru Geto felt an urge to turn around and leave, but then he remembered how disappointed Mimiko and Nanako had looked last time when they hadn't managed to get that Summer Special treat or whatever it was...

Suguru Geto, who doted on the two children as his own daughters, immediately abandoned the thought of leaving and consulted the map on his phone to find the restaurant.

What else could he do? They were his daughters. He'd just have to keep spoiling them!

As he followed the digital map closer to his destination, he suddenly jolted. He sensed a familiar presence, and it definitely wasn't his imagination, because at the same time, he heard that person's voice.

"Yeah, yeah~ I know, I know. You're getting more long-winded by the day, Ijichi. Didn't I tell you I'd go once I finished buying treats?"

Suguru Geto looked up and immediately spotted the conspicuous figure in the line.

Standing over six foot three, with those long legs, he towered over everyone else. On top of that, he was wearing sunglasses and had white hair that reflected the sunlight so brightly it hurt to look at.

"All right, that's enough. I've got something else to deal with here."

Just as Suguru Geto noticed him, Satoru Gojo clearly sensed his old friend's arrival too. He immediately ended the call and turned to see that familiar figure.

As their eyes met, it felt as though only a day had passed since they last saw each other. For a moment, neither knew what to say.

Their standoff lasted long enough that the person behind Satoru Gojo in line spoke up.

"Hey, the line's moving. If you want to chat with your friend, do it after you've bought your stuff!"

"Oh."

Satoru Gojo nodded. Suddenly no longer in the mood to buy treats, he stepped out of the line and looked at Suguru Geto.

Clearly, Suguru Geto had no intention of joining the line either. Without a word, they both turned into a quiet, empty alley off to the side.

"You've always hated sweets. You even used to complain about my taste."

"What can I do if my family likes them?"

"..."

"..."

"Tch. Look at you, acting so fearless. It's like you're sure I won't do anything to you."

"You didn't do anything that day, so naturally, you won't now either."

Suguru Geto looked utterly unconcerned. The corners of his mouth lifted into a malicious smile.

"I'd be more than happy to fight here. We're surrounded by monkeys anyway."

"You-"

Satoru Gojo's fists itched, but he had to suppress the urge to punch him. No matter how willful he was, he wasn't going to fight Geto somewhere this densely populated.

After all, the two of them had practically demolished Jujutsu High countless times back in the day. If they really started fighting here...

Never mind the financial damage-the casualties among the ordinary people here would be horrific.

"You really have changed quite a bit, Satoru."

Seeing that Satoru Gojo had learned restraint, Suguru Geto couldn't help remarking on it.

Even Satoru Gojo, so self-centered and headstrong, so convinced that he alone reigned supreme throughout heaven and earth, had matured considerably over the years.

Back in the day, he might well have thrown a punch first and only realized he shouldn't fight in a place like this after he'd gotten it out of his system.

For some reason, it felt a little like watching his dumbass son finally grow up and learn some sense!

So this was growing up!

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be behind that cursed object's seal coming loose, would you?"

"Thanks, Satoru. You've just given me some interesting information!"

"Tch. Whatever. I'm the strongest anyway. No matter what you try, I can handle it without breaking a sweat!"

Seeing Suguru Geto's reaction, Satoru Gojo naturally realized that the loosening seal Ijichi had just mentioned had nothing to do with him.

He'd leaked information, but he didn't care.

Just as he'd said, he was confident he could resolve any problem.

He had only bothered asking Suguru Geto partly to have something to say, and partly because the object whose seal was apparently leaking here was a Special Grade Cursed Object.

Special Grade Cursed Objects readily attracted cursed spirits, and this was a crowded area. If someone deliberately unsealed one without warning, Window definitely wouldn't have time to evacuate everyone. That would be a real pain.

Satoru Gojo hated trouble, and he hated feeling constrained.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

They seemed to have so much they wanted to say, yet neither seemed able to say anything at all.

Suddenly, Satoru Gojo looked up toward the alley's entrance. Sensing a dense surge of cursed energy, he clicked his tongue.

"Tch. What idiot unsealed a cursed object in broad daylight?!"