Shibuya Incident

October 31, 2018, 7:00 p.m.

Shibuya, Tokyo.

A massive Veil with a radius of roughly 400 meters suddenly appeared, centered on the Tokyu Department Store Toyoko Store.

At around 8:15 p.m. that same evening, the first teams of jujutsu sorcerers to arrive near the Curtain were in position.

[Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer: Kento Nanami]

[Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer: Takuma Ino (under review for promotion)]

[Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer: Megumi Fushiguro (under review for promotion)]

[Grade 3 Jujutsu Sorcerer: Junpei Yoshino]

The Nanami Group, led by Grade 1 Sorcerer Kento Nanami, leaned against the railing of a pedestrian overpass, listening to Assistant Supervisor Ijichi's briefing.

The massive Veil that had suddenly appeared was completely different from those Jujutsu High normally used to isolate cursed spirits. This black Veil targeted only [ordinary people].

Assistant supervisors, sorcerers, and even cursed spirits could enter and leave the Veil freely.

Signals were blocked, information cut off...

Without a doubt, this Curtain had been erected specifically to trap the ordinary people gathered in Shibuya for a night out...

"Where's Gojo-sensei?"

At the same time, outside a restaurant near the edge of the Shibuya Veil, someone asked the same question as Fushiguro.

[Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer: Naobito Zenin]

[Grade 4 Sorcerer: Maki Zenin (under review for promotion)]

[Grade 3 Jujutsu Sorcerer: Nobara Kugisaki (under review for promotion)]

Unlike the Nanami Group, the Zenin Group, led by Naobito Zenin, had no clear operational assignment.

Since the team's overall grade was relatively low, the assistant supervisor had only instructed them to [stand by].

"They used an advanced barrier technique to demand that Satoru Gojo come alone. Probably the same people who attacked the Goodwill Event."

The man who spoke was tall and lean, dressed in a brown trench coat.

Though past middle age, his neatly groomed short black hair stood upright. Thick eyebrows hung low over his angular face, and his gaze was as sharp as a blade.

With one hand in his pocket and a lollipop in the other, his casual posture hardly suited a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. Yet the katana at his waist, polished to a gleam, hinted at formidable strength that could not be underestimated.

[Atsuya Kusakabe: Grade 1 Sorcerer, second-year homeroom teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High]

"Sending Gojo-sensei in alone... aren't the higher-ups taking too much of a risk?"

"And when they say they're keeping casualties to a minimum, they mean sorcerer casualties, don't they? Not ordinary people-"

The portly Panda plopped down by the roadside. Accompanying Kusakabe, he had received the same general order as the Zenin Group, the Nanami Group, and Grade 1 Sorcerer Mei Mei: "Stand by outside."

Apart from Nanami's team, who had additional duties such as investigating, the others were supposedly there to help Gojo "cover any gaps." In reality, however, there had been no reports from inside the Curtain of cursed spirits or curse users indiscriminately killing people...

Still, according to Kusakabe's reconnaissance, unless something unexpected had happened, a large number of cursed spirits were probably waiting for orders beneath Hikarie, the large complex in central Shibuya...

Unless absolutely necessary, Kusakabe had no desire to go in a second time.

"Excuse me, coming through."

A noisy crowd had gathered along the Curtain's inner edge. These ordinary people, unaware of what was happening, shouted Satoru Gojo's name, hoping it would earn them a chance to escape.

And when the minute hand of the mechanical watch reached thirty-one, the long-awaited figure finally passed through the Veil...

"Tch, they've put up a Veil restricting ordinary people down below too?"

"All right, I think I've got the picture..."

"Come on, then. Let's see what tricks you've got."

"As for over there... I'll leave it to you..."

Satoru Gojo looked up toward the distance, hidden behind the buildings. To guard against anything going wrong on his end, Jujutsu High had specifically prepared a backup team when drawing up the plan.

[Grade 1 Sorcerer: Mei Mei]

[Mei Mei's attendant: Yuyu]

And...

[Sukuna's vessel: Yuji Itadori (under review for promotion)]

[Grade 3 Jujutsu Sorcerer: Yunyi (under review for promotion)]

"Meiji Shrine? I thought it'd be some kind of palace, but it's a subway station?"

The four assembled team members arrived at the subway entrance. Mei Mei was concentrating on her cursed technique, controlling crows to steal a glimpse of the underground area and gather intelligence.

Beside her, Hajime Kashimo stood shoulder to shoulder with Itadori, an iron staff cursed tool resting on his shoulder, waiting for Mei Mei's orders.

"Let's just fight our way down. Seems pretty simple."

Hajime Kashimo waved the iron staff in his hand. He couldn't be bothered to scout the enemy's exact location the way Mei Mei did.

Strength was what gave someone the right to throw their weight around.

And right now, he had precisely that.

"It would be simple, yes. But all the ordinary people would die too."

"Itadori, if you had to choose between killing a group of transfigured humans and killing one powerful cursed spirit, which would you pick?"

Mei Mei turned to Yuji Itadori. There was really no need to ask; everyone present knew the answer-

Itadori would choose the latter.

Mei Mei's crows carried cursed energy. Based on where they had been killed and the information they had gathered, she deduced that most of the ordinary people fleeing the transfigured humans had congregated on the fifth basement level.

Meanwhile, her crows had been killed almost immediately between the first and second basement levels. The cursed spirit or curse user who had erected the Curtain was likely stationed there, serving as the "anchor" that kept the fifth level sealed off.

That made their plan clear.

Kashimo and Itadori would head straight down through the subway station, kick any cursed spirit they encountered to death, and dispel the Curtain.

Mei Mei and Yuyu would take the elevator directly to the fourth level to clear out the transfigured humans Mahito had released, gathering intelligence as they rescued ordinary people.

Once Itadori and Kashimo eliminated the obstacle and dispelled the Curtain, they would immediately head down to the fourth level to reunite with Mei Mei's team, then proceed to the fifth level...

Though this would divide their fighting strength, it was the best option for minimizing civilian casualties.

"So that cursed spirit with the stitched face... is down there too?"

Itadori's voice was cold. Whenever Mahito was involved, his attitude always turned serious.

To his disappointment, however, Mei Mei shook her head.

Her crows hadn't spotted Mahito. He might not be here at all, or he might be somewhere she couldn't scout, such as the fifth basement level.

But since there were transfigured humans here, he was most likely here as well.

"All right, all right, let's go."

"We'll head down and kick every cursed spirit we see to death. Sooner or later, we'll find the one you're after."

Hajime Kashimo waved the iron staff in his hand and took the lead, walking out in front.

Today, starting now.

Things were about to get interesting...