"What!"
Harada Jotaro cried out, the Cursed Energy of a Semi-First-Grade Sorcerer emanating from him uncontrollably, causing faint crystals to permeate the surrounding air.
"The situation isn't optimistic. That thing is a Cursed Spirit that learns very quickly, it will gradually adapt to its opponent's attacks. Moreover, it possesses self-awareness. Don't forget that time it used... Gulp..."
Naobito pondered for a moment before finally deciding to... finish his drink first, so as not to waste it.
Harada Jotaro ignored Naobito talking while drinking and spoke solemnly, "I need to see those two kids. They fought Fushoku, so they must have been hit by its corrosive Cursed Energy. The root of the corrosion syndrome will definitely settle deep within their bodies. If too much time passes, something bad will happen."
Harada Jotaro stood up to leave, but halfway there, he suddenly remembered something and returned to the bar to grab a cloth bundle. Then, he looked at Naobito, who was frantically sampling the alcohol.
"Tsk, stop f*cking drinking and let's go." Harada Jotaro grabbed Naobito by the collar and forcibly dragged him out of the room.
Back at the spot, beads of sweat dripped from Jinta's forehead.
Before coming here, Naobito had specifically instructed him that no matter what Harada Jotaro did, he should not interfere, even if the man started hitting him.
"This is why I say the world of old people is so hard to understand." Jinta sighed.
...
By the time Suguru and Renji returned to Suguru's house, it was already past ten at night. After reporting the situation, they were interrogated with a barrage of questions. Although it was tedious, they suppressed their impatience and answered everything, knowing it was ultimately to prevent Fushoku from harming more people.
The two of them returned home by jumping from the open space in the backyard to the second floor.
"Okkotsu, why do I feel so weak, like... like there's something inside my body?"
As soon as Suguru entered the hallway, his knees buckled. Beads of sweat hit the floor as he nearly collapsed onto the wooden boards. Fortunately, Renji was quick-witted and caught him.
Renji frowned.
This shouldn't be happening.
Reverse Cursed Technique hadn't been used too late, and he had summoned Shoko for treatment. How could there still be unhealed wounds?
It was common knowledge that a Cursed Spirit's direct attack always carried Cursed Energy. Reverse Cursed Technique converts negative, harmful Cursed Energy into positive, healing energy. Since Suguru had received treatment from Reverse Cursed Technique, the negative energy in his body should have been neutralized.
"Pfft!"
A sharp pain shot through Suguru's chest, and something surged up his throat as he spat out a spray of greenish-black blood.
Fortunately, Suguru's parents weren't home today. They said they needed to prepare for tomorrow's Fireworks Festival and were sleeping at the shop.
"What's going on?"
Seeing Suguru's face gradually turn ashen, Renji immediately pressed a palm against Suguru's back and used Reverse Cursed Technique.
The moment Renji's palm made contact, Suguru's expression visibly eased for a split second. But within a few seconds, he spat out another mouthful of black blood. This time, the blood was terrifyingly corrosive, and faint white smoke rose where it hit the floor.
"Okkotsu, stop using Cursed Energy." Shoko's voice suddenly rang out.
Renji looked back and saw that a slightly disheveled Shoko was looking seriously at the immobile Suguru.
"Shoko-san, you're awake."
"I woke up right after you guys left. I'll ask for details later. First, move Suguru to the bed. Do not let Cursed Energy touch his body."
Renji nodded, helped Suguru up and walked into the guest room.
Cold sweat continued to pour from Suguru's forehead. His hands had begun to turn an ashen blue. Judging by the current rate of spread, both of his arms would likely be completely blue within an hour.
"Reverse Cursed Technique is useless. Although there's an aura inside Suguru similar to Cursed Energy, it's not the kind we're familiar with. That power assimilates our Cursed Energy to strengthen itself, so..." Shoko lit a cigarette and lightly scratched a mark on her thigh.
"Renji, use your sword to slice Suguru's forearms. Bleed him. We need to delay the spread of that energy as much as possible."
Shoko smoked while contemplating a countermeasure. As a doctor within Jujutsu High, she had seen more than her fair share of patients and corpses. Complex symptoms and manners of death were her best textbooks.
"This disease... I've never seen it but I know something similar."
Just as Shoko was lost in thought—
Hum!
Two sources of Cursed Energy were moving toward them at high speed.
Renji looked up, holding his long sword diagonally across his chest. The blade still bore the blood from when he had just helped Shoko slice Suguru's arms.
Clap!
The next second, the window was thrown open.
"Old man, get in here quickly. This kid's corrosion syndrome has already spread."
Harada Jotaro ignored the smoking Shoko and the sword-wielding Renji, walking straight toward Suguru.
"Who are you?" Renji's gaze locked onto Harada Jotaro.
If the man made any suspicious move, Murasamemaru would take his head in the next second.
"Hahahaha. As expected of a Special Grade Sorcerer, your perception is sharp. But for now, relax. I am Zenin Naobito, and that man over there is a healer, Harada Jotaro. Geto has been cursed by a Cursed Spirit, resulting in corrosion syndrome." Naobito spoke, holding a wine gourd in one hand and stroking his beard with the other.
Zenin Naobito.
Renji naturally knew the twenty-sixth head of the Zenin clan. He was one of the few normal people in the Zenin clan. His potential successors were all eccentrics.
There was Naoya, that strength-obsessed freak who became a Cursed Spirit after death, and Ogi, who hated his daughters for robbing him of the chance to inherit the headship.
There were so many people to criticize that he didn't know where to start.
In short, this old man was one of the good ones.
Renji sheathed Murasamemaru.
"How did you find this place? What is your objective?" Renji's voice was cold.
"The Zenin clan's intelligence network is the most extensive among The Big Three Families. As for the objective... Heh heh, it is to exorcise a Cursed Spirit. Its name is... Fushoku." Naobito glanced over at Harada Jotaro.
Fushoku? They came for that Cursed Spirit?
"Explain in detail." Renji pulled out a chair, quietly waiting for the information.
Pop!
The stopper of the wine gourd was pulled out and Naobito took a swig of wine.
"That Cursed Spirit was born from rotting corpses. Thirty years ago, when Harada and I were both Second-Grade Sorcerers about to be promoted to Semi-Grade One, we saw that Cursed Spirit for the first time. Back then, the Japanese Jujutsu World had no Special Grade Sorcerers, so they could only send in First-Grade Sorcerers."
"In three days, over thirty First-Grade Sorcerers died. Even the barrier was on the verge of shattering. Finally, it took the strongest non-governmental Jujutsu Sorcerer and over ten newly arrived sorcerers attacking at once to finally exorcise it."
"And today, thirty years later, because of human corpses piling up under the garbage in the sewers, combined with human resentment, Fushoku has been resurrected. It has returned with its Cursed Energy from thirty years ago."