"Hey, how about we go to Eighty-Eight Bridge for a test of courage tonight?"
"Eighty-Eight Bridge? You mean that famous haunted spot, Eighty-Eight Bridge?"
"Exactly, that's the place."
In the school clubroom, several girls were excitedly discussing their club activity for the evening.
"We really shouldn't go to such a dangerous place."
Tsumiki immediately spoke up to stop her classmates when she heard them suddenly planning to explore a haunted location.
"It's fine, we'll just take a look and come right back, right, Fujinuma?"
Tsumiki's friend, Yukimura, leaned over and hugged her junior, Fujinuma's arm.
"Yes, urban legends are probably all made up by people. The curse legend of Eighty-Eight Bridge has existed for so long. If there were really any problems, it would have been sealed off a long time ago. So don't worry, Fushiguro-senpai."
Fujinuma, who was suddenly hugged by Yukimura, was also a little tempted.
"Huh? But..."
The gentle and kind Tsumiki was still trying to dissuade her two classmates, but her words were cut short before she could finish.
"Tsumiki, if you're scared, you don't have to come. Fujinuma and I can go by ourselves."
Yukimura was clearly getting a bit impatient.
Seeing this, Tsumiki did not say anything more, only feeling a bit worried about their safety.
After all, her younger brother, Megumi, was a Jujutsu Sorcerer, and she herself had often gone to the research institute with her good friend Mai to study in recent years.
She knew that this famous haunted spot was most likely real.
Even if it was not real, if a haunted spot became too famous, it would likely give birth to hypothetical Cursed Spirits due to the accumulation of people's negative imaginations.
That was why Tsumiki wanted to stop the two from their reckless behavior.
But she could not say it outright, because in the worldview of ordinary people, gods, ghosts, and demons were all fabrications.
Cursed Spirits were obviously included in that.
So even if she told them, they probably would not believe her and would instead think she was scared and making excuses.
Moreover, the Jujutsu World also had a secrecy principle. To prevent social panic from leading to a large proliferation of Cursed Spirits, the Jujutsu World placed great importance on keeping information about Cursed Spirits confidential.
Seeing that she really could not stop the two from going to Eighty-Eight Bridge for a test of courage, the worried Tsumiki could only go along with them.
In her opinion, if something really happened, having someone who understood the situation like herself there could at least ensure their safety.
So Tsumiki found an excuse to go home, dug out a cursed tool that Toji had discarded from the storage room, put on glasses that allowed her to see Cursed Spirits, and then rushed to Eighty-Eight Bridge to meet up with the two.
"You're so slow, senpai."
Fujinuma was clearly a bit impatient from waiting.
"Why are you wearing glasses?"
Yukimura looked curiously at the glasses on Tsumiki's nose.
"They're plain lenses, to prevent sand from blowing into my eyes," Tsumiki explained awkwardly.
"Is that so?"
The two did not think much of it, each taking one of Tsumiki's hands and heading down toward the bridge.
They had already discussed it. They were going to give Tsumiki a good scare for making them wait so long.
After all, in their eyes, Tsumiki's constant stalling meant she was scared.
A test of courage game was meant to test one's bravery, so they naturally would not miss this opportunity to prank Tsumiki.
This was not malicious, but rather the usual playful banter between good friends.
Tap, tap, tap.
Small leather shoes made clear sounds on the gravel path, startling an evil presence hidden in the shadows.
"Ah, it's a river."
Fujinuma pointed to a tiny stream ahead of them that was almost disappearing.
"It's so small."
Yukimura could not help but comment.
Although things in Japan were generally smaller compared to the neighboring large country, a stream so thin that one could cross it in a single step would not even be considered a creek next door.
"How boring. Urban legends really are fake."
Yukimura idly kicked at a stone by her foot.
Let alone a test of courage, she did not even get a chance to prank her good friend Tsumiki.
"Alright, alright, since there's nothing here, let's go back. It's getting very late."
Tsumiki smiled, comforting the two in their disappointment.
In her opinion, it was best if nothing happened.
"Indeed, let's go back."
Fujinuma looked at the moon in the sky and felt that Tsumiki had a point.
It was completely dark, and it was indeed a bit dangerous for girls to be out at this hour.
The group complained about the unreliability of urban legends.
They crossed the small river in front of them, preparing to get onto the bridge nearby and leave.
The next second, a sudden change occurred.
Tsumiki found that the surroundings had changed. The originally eerie bridge underpass had disappeared, and they seemed to have entered a cave.
'The environment suddenly changed. Is this a Domain Expansion?!'
Tsumiki's heart pounded violently, and she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
'Calm down, calm down. Observe the surroundings carefully.'
Tsumiki forced herself to calm down, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
'Are those moles? The situation here doesn't seem like the Domain Expansion that the teachers talked about. It's more like an Innate Domain constructed by a Cursed Spirit.'
As a well-behaved student with excellent grades, Tsumiki had a strong grasp of theoretical knowledge.
'If it's an Innate Domain, there's a chance. Turn back immediately.'
Tsumiki pulled the two and quickly retreated, but an accident occurred.
The two she was holding by the hands directly fell to the ground.
"Yukimura? Fujinuma?"
Tsumiki immediately knelt down to check on their condition.
"They're alive, just unconscious. I can't leave them here like this."
Tsumiki gritted her teeth, forcefully propped up their bodies, and began to try walking out.
Bang.
Just as she turned around, Tsumiki felt herself bump into someone's embrace.
"You are..."
Before she could clearly see the person in front of her, Tsumiki's consciousness grew heavier and heavier, eventually falling into a coma.
"This girl isn't bad."
Kenjaku squatted down, pinching Tsumiki's chin with one hand and lifting it to examine her carefully.
"Her compatibility with Yorozu is quite good."
After studying her for a while, Kenjaku came to a conclusion.
Kenjaku was here to hide one of Sukuna's fingers.
After Sukuna was vertically split into one-sided Sukuna, Kenjaku only managed to snatch half, while the other half fell into Eichi's hands.
In desperation, Kenjaku could only seize the opportunity while the body was still warm to create a cursed object with the one-sided Sukuna he had.
Any later, once it cooled down, it would be too late.
Finally, Kenjaku successfully recovered eight of Sukuna's fingers.
This also gave Kenjaku a huge headache, because he knew that Eichi and Satoru would not use Sukuna's body to create Sukuna's fingers.
This meant that even if Kenjaku found the remaining four fingers, the Sukuna that could be reincarnated next time would only be at twelve-finger level.
A sixteen-finger Sukuna had lost, so was there any hope for a twelve-finger one?
Impossible, it was unthinkable.
But Kenjaku still did not give up on Sukuna, as a twelve-finger Sukuna was still a very strong combat force.
So after creating Sukuna's fingers, Kenjaku once again scattered and hid the fingers.
!
He just did not expect an unexpected bonus, a suitable vessel had delivered herself to him.
Kenjaku smiled and rummaged for a while, taking out a cursed tool that resembled an insect shell and placing it inside Tsumiki's body.
(To be continued.)