Iwate Prefecture, Fireworks Festival Day, 9:30 AM
Jinta handed an investigation report to Naobito, who was looking at the scenery outside the floor-to-ceiling window on the 19th floor of the hotel with a cup of coffee.
"Clan head, five hours ago, Jun Ozawa, a water deliveryman who regularly delivers water to nearby villages, found a village he often visits completely empty. As a result, when he walked into a house at the entrance of the village, he found a family of three about to be corroded into Cursed Undeads."
"So he ran back to his truck to call the police. Before the police arrived, the Zenin clan had already cordoned off the area. We have already negotiated with the local government. All matters regarding that Cursed Spirit will be handled entirely by the Zenin clan, and there is also..."
"Out of the 34 people in the village, 107 have turned into Grade 2 Cursed Undeads. The rest have been eaten beyond recognition. Their blood has become a highly corrosive liquid, and the bodies have decomposed significantly in a very short time. According to our investigation, that Cursed Spirit followed the sewers to the edge of this village after fighting Okkotsu and Geto."
"Then, this Cursed Spirit brutally slaughtered the entire village. Now, a secret squad from the Zenin clan's Hei unit has set up a Curtain within a three-kilometer radius. Our preliminary speculation is that the Cursed Spirit might be hiding in the village's underground drainage system to recover its strength."
Jinta finished in one breath, took a heavy gasp, and then looked at Naobito solemnly.
Naobito took a sip of his coffee. "Have you notified Jotaro?"
Jinta said with his head bowed, "Reporting to Clan Head, it has been the rule for a hundred years to deliver all news to the Clan head first."
"Tell Jotaro, and also send word to Okkotsu and Geto. Just say... what should I say? Ah, right, Hahaha! Just say if they don't handle it well, the Fireworks Festival will be canceled." Naobito laughed, revealing his stark white teeth.
Fifteen minutes later.
In front of Suguru's house.
Renji fell into deep thought while holding a letter delivered by a secret sorcerer from the Zenin clan.
As expected of obe of the Big Three Families. Though their people are eccentrics, their intelligence gathering is actually quite decent.
"Is it someone from the Zenin clan?"
Suguru walked to the entrance, supported by Shoko. His condition wasn't too bad, but he was no longer capable of high-precision combat. He would need at least a month of rest to fully recover.
Renji nodded. "Yes. The intelligence says that Fushoku has slaughtered a village near Iwate Prefecture. A large number of Cursed Undeads have been created in that area. We are to meet outside the Curtain in one hour for the exorcism."
Renji tossed the opened envelope to Shoko.
"Let me see." Shoko reached out and caught the envelope.
Thud!
Left without support, Suguru's body fell straight to the ground.
(Suguru: Guys, I need this. My body's kinda dying.)
"Oh! So that's how it is. Do you want me to go with you?" Shoko stroked her chin and looked at Renji.
"That Cursed Spirit is very dangerous. If it's not handled properly, people will die, so..." Renji explained after a moment of silence.
"Um... someone help me u—" Suguru, lying on the ground, called out to the two in a weak voice, trying to appeal to their conscience.
Shoko patted Renji's shoulder. "Renji, you're looking down on me again. Ordinary Cursed Techniques can't hurt me. But since you are so worried about my safety, I won't go."
"Shoko-san, just wait at home for the Fireworks Festival tonight." Renji put on his boots and showed a confident smile.
"Um... I... am I even human to you guys..." Suguru's voice trembled slightly as his wounds pressed against the cold floor, causing him pain.
Shoko asked with a smile, "Will you win?"
Renji showed an extremely confident smile. "I'll win."
...
One hour later.
Renji, carrying Murasamemaru on his back, stepped out of a black car.
Not far away were Naobito, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, and Jotaro, who was laughing excitedly while watching his favorite Vtuber stream.
"You're here." Naobito said with a smile as he looked at Renji.
"So, what's the situation now?"
Renji covered his entire body with Cursed Energy. This time he had learned his lesson. Every attack from that damn rat-head would cause corrosion syndrome, so he had to be well-protected.
Naobito stroked his beard and glanced at Jotaro before speaking, "The situation isn't optimistic. There are too many Cursed Undeads. The Zenin clan sorcerers have only cleared the outskirts of the entire village. There are still about seventy or eighty Cursed Undeads hiding in the buildings."
Renji rubbed his chin.
Jotaro appeared by his side at some point, tying up his multicolored hair. "Furthermore, those Cursed Undeads cannot be easily detonated. Otherwise, the corrosive power will explode, and anyone who comes into contact will become infected with corrosion syndrome. It'll be a real mess then."
Renji asked with some doubt, "I see. By the way, are you two going inside as well?"
"Of course. How could we let a young person like you risk going in alone to exorcise the Cursed Spirit? We two old geezers will be waiting right at the entrance." Jotaro said, forming a seal with one hand.
Crystal Wall Stripping!
The next second, the surfaces of Naobito's and Renji's bodies shimmered as if covered by a layer of transparent crystals.
"This is a special effect from an extension of my Cursed Technique. It adds a crystal defense to the target, which can resist the acid corrsosion of Fushoku."
Jotaro coughed a few times. His Cursed Energy had instantly decreased by a third, it seemed that using the technique on two people at once was quite taxing.
However, logically speaking, when a Special Grade Cursed Spirit that appeared thirty years ago resurfaces, shouldn't the higher-ups of the Jujutsu World send experienced people to re-seal and exorcise it?
Yet, the only ones here to exorcise the Cursed Spirit were Naobito and Jotaro. According to them, exorcising Fushoku thirty years ago took more than thirty First-Grade Sorcerers.
Renji asked, "By the way, Zenin-san, why don't I see any other sorcerers? Since this happened thirty years ago, how could the higher-ups of the Jujutsu World only send two people to exorcise the Cursed Spirit?"
Naobito chuckled. "No, you're mistaken, kid. The higher-ups of the Jujutsu World don't even know Fushoku has been reborn. Or rather, even if they did, they wouldn't move to exorcise it immediately. They're too busy dealing with their own petty, trivial matters."
Naobito's tone was cold, clearly showing his lack of trust in those sanctimonious fellows.