Satisfying

"Oh, and if you're attacked, Rika's curse might activate. Everyone, be careful!"

Satoru Gojo reminded them again, still uneasy, afraid they might recklessly throw their lives away.

"Got it!"

Maki Zenin was rather annoyed with Satoru Gojo. Why didn't you say so earlier? she grumbled inwardly.

Next, Satoru Gojo introduced the others to Yuta Okkotsu.

"All right, we now have five first-years. We'll have to change how we pair up for jujutsu practice!"

Hearing Satoru Gojo's words, Maki Zenin grew a little nervous.

She and Yuanfang were a perfect team, and she really didn't want them to be split up.

More importantly, she didn't particularly like this utterly boring guy.

Unfortunately, the very thing she feared happened.

"Panda and Toge will be one team, and Maki and Yuta will be the other!"

"Tch!"

Hearing Satoru Gojo's words, Maki looked thoroughly disgusted, which made Yuta Okkotsu feel awful.

"Yuanfang doesn't need to practice. Help supervise one of the teams!"

Satoru Gojo knew perfectly well that Yuanfang was exceptionally strong. Practice like this wouldn't do much for him.

Having him lead a team was therefore the best choice.

"Sure!"

Yuanfang had no objections. Those exercises really were useless to him, after all.

At this point, he was only attending the school for the sake of his future plans.

After they were dismissed, Maki Zenin scolded the timid Yuta Okkotsu in the hallway as though he were a child, just as she had in the original story.

This left Yuta Okkotsu bewildered and at a loss for what to do.

"She's just sharp-tongued but softhearted. Don't take it personally!

She's only saying that to get you to pull yourself together. Stop looking half-dead all the time!"

"Yes, I understand, Yuanfang!"

Although he said that, Yuta Okkotsu's mind was still in turmoil. What exactly should I do?

"Heh, good. Let's grab something to eat and get ready for practice!"

Yuanfang smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then led him toward the cafeteria.

That afternoon, Yuanfang led Maki Zenin and Yuta Okkotsu into an elementary school.

"What is this place?"

Looking at the elementary school, where there was no sign of a curse at all, Yuta Okkotsu looked puzzled.

"Some students have gone missing here. It's probably the work of a naturally formed curse."

"A curse abducted the children?"

Hearing Yuanfang say that, Yuta Okkotsu pictured a grotesque creature snatching away two children.

"Heh, exactly. Two children have already gone missing! Places that feature in lots of people's memories accumulate curses.

Schools and hospitals are places people remember over and over. Each time someone recalls them, they absorb negative emotions.

Once enough negative emotions accumulate, they give rise to curses, as happened here.

Our mission is to eliminate the curse and rescue the children. If the children are dead, we recover their bodies."

Hearing Yuanfang mention the word "dead" at the end, Yuta Okkotsu went pale with shock and grew terrified.

He hadn't expected to face something so difficult right after arriving at Jujutsu High, and he was immediately filled with regret.

Yuanfang, however, thought nothing of it and began reciting an incantation to raise a Curtain.

"What's this?"

Seeing what looked like something covering the sky overhead, Yuta Okkotsu was utterly confused.

"This is a [Curtain]. It's a barrier that keeps outsiders from seeing you and draws out curses. It can easily be dispelled from the inside."

Yuta Okkotsu had little experience with such things, so Yuanfang patiently explained without getting annoyed.

"Aren't you going outside?"

After Yuanfang finished explaining, he showed no intention of leaving, which puzzled Maki Zenin.

During their previous practice sessions, Satoru Gojo had always waited outside and let them handle things themselves, without worrying that anything might happen to them.

"It's safer if I stay here and keep an eye on you!"

"Tch, what a busybody!"

Rather than feeling happy that Yuanfang was concerned for their safety, Maki Zenin was a little angry. She felt he was looking down on her, assuming she couldn't deal with the curse inside.

Yuta Okkotsu, who had been worried beside her, felt much more at ease.

"Don't relax too much. I won't step in unless there's absolutely no other choice!"

Yuanfang merely smiled at Maki Zenin's attitude, not taking it to heart.

Instead, he gave Yuta Okkotsu a warning, not wanting his presence to keep him from making an effort.

"Hehe, all right!"

Hearing Yuanfang's words, Yuta Okkotsu rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Time to get serious, transfer student!"

After saying that, Maki Zenin unwrapped the cloth around her long blade and slashed forward.

Yuta Okkotsu followed her gaze and saw three grotesque Cursed Spirits charging toward them.

Maki Zenin rushed at them, while Yuta Okkotsu stumbled back several steps in fright.

He turned to look at Yuanfang, hoping for some reassurance.

Unfortunately, by the time he turned, Yuanfang was already gone.

"Slash... slash!"

Full

In no time at all, Maki Zenin easily dispatched the three Cursed Spirits, even remembering to explain things to Yuta Okkotsu.

With that, the two headed farther into the school.

What they didn't know was that Yuanfang had actually been beside them the whole time. They simply couldn't see him.

Recently, Yuanfang's domain had reached ten meters, and he had unlocked a new ability: Dual Domain.

There was a large domain and a small domain. The difference between them was that the small domain could conceal him.

Of course, if his opponent was too powerful, they could see through Yuanfang's concealment at a glance.

And so the two carried out their mission while Yuanfang watched with keen interest.

Although Yuanfang had joined them, the outcome was still exactly the same as in the original story.

In the end, Yuta still summoned Rika, who easily dispatched the Cursed Spirit that had swallowed them.

"Mmm, satisfying!"

Standing on the rooftop, Yuanfang watched Rika tear apart the Cursed Spirit nearby, a faint smile on his lips as though he were enjoying a feast for the eyes.

A Cursed Spirit this enormous really did provide more than Satoru Gojo. In just this short time, his domain had actually expanded by half a meter.

"Yuanfang!"

Carrying three people on his back, Yuta Okkotsu had already reached his physical limit and couldn't help calling softly into his surroundings.

He hoped Yuanfang would hear his plea and come out to help him!

Seeing that Rika was about to disappear, Yuanfang stopped hiding and leaped down from the rooftop.

"Thank goodness!"

The instant he saw Yuanfang, Yuta's taut nerves finally relaxed. Overwhelmed with relief, he immediately passed out.

"Well done!"

As he spoke, Yuanfang casually picked them all up and opened the Curtain, preparing to take them to the hospital.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Gojo?"

But Satoru Gojo suddenly appeared before him. Apparently, he had still been a little worried.

"I sensed an enormous amount of cursed energy and rushed over because I was afraid something had happened to you. Looks like I worried for nothing!"

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not capable of destroying her. She disappeared on her own!"

Although he couldn't see Satoru Gojo's eyes, Yuanfang could clearly sense that he seemed to think Yuanfang had subdued Rika.

"Oh, is that so? Looks like you're still not strong enough, Yuanfang. Haha..."

Satoru Gojo didn't mind having his thoughts seen through at all. He patted Yuanfang on the shoulder and began teasing him.