It was one of the entrances to the jujutsu world's black market, a place teeming with shady deals and cursed tools of unknown origin.
Yoru, dressed in a black trench coat and a baseball cap, moved discreetly through the narrow alleyway.
His primary objective right now was to find a weapon capable of withstanding the extreme heat of Sun Breathing.
Satoru Gojo had originally suggested picking one from the Jujutsu High armory.
But after taking a look, Yoru was disappointed to find that even the Semi-Special Grade cursed tools in their collection lacked the material quality to meet his requirements.
The power of a cursed tool usually stemmed from its internal technique and cursed energy.
What Yoru needed, however, was pure physical durability and thermal conductivity.
He needed a special metal that, like a Nichirin Sword, could perfectly conduct a breath as scorching as sunlight while remaining sharp under extreme temperatures.
"Scarlet Ore..."
Yoru recalled the information Masamichi Yaga had given him.
Deep within an ancient, abandoned mine somewhere in Japan, there was reportedly a special material known as Scarlet Ore.
Having absorbed the fire-attribute energy of the earth's veins for years, this ore was incredibly hard and possessed an uncanny affinity for heat—making it the perfect material for crafting top-tier fire-attribute cursed tools.
However, because the mine was so remote and rumored to be inhabited by an extremely powerful evil spirit, no one had dared to mine it for decades.
"Boss, do you have any news on Scarlet Ore?"
Yoru stepped into a dim cursed tool shop and slapped several ten-thousand-yen bills onto the counter.
The greedy boss, who had been dozing off, immediately perked up at the sight of the cash. But when he heard the words "Scarlet Ore," his expression shifted instantly.
He pushed the money back as if he had been electrocuted.
"No, no! That stuff is cursed. Even if I had some, I wouldn't dare touch it!"
The boss lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously.
"Young man, you look like a new face, so let me give you some advice: don't even think about that mine."
"They say what's lurking there isn't your average cursed spirit. It's a monster born from the grudges of miners who died in a collapse hundreds of years ago!"
"Even the Grade 1 jujutsu sorcerers sent by the General Headquarters to investigate never made it back alive!"
Yoru raised an eyebrow, unfazed by the warning.
Instead, a spark of excitement flashed in his eyes.
'A powerful grudge?'
'High-temperature ore?'
'Isn't this the perfect whetstone for my Sun Breathing?'
"Tell me the exact location of that mine."
Yoru slapped down several more thick stacks of cash (money he had shaken down from a few curse users earlier in the black market).
"You don't need to worry about anything else."
Half a day later.
In a remote mountain range in Gunma Prefecture, rarely visited by people.
Following the map from the black market boss, Yoru arrived at a massive mine entrance hidden by dense vegetation.
The air was thick with the scent of sulfur and the sickening residual dregs of cursed energy.
Even standing at the entrance, waves of heat surged from the abyss as if it were connected to the furnaces of hell.
"This must be the place."
Yoru took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing rhythm, and stepped into the dark mine.
As he ventured deeper, the temperature continued to climb, and dark red, glowing crystals began to appear on the rock walls.
Just as Yoru was about to reach out and dig out a crystal to check its quality—
"ROAR!"
A shrill, violent roar suddenly erupted from the depths of the cave, shaking the cavern and sending rocks tumbling down!
Immediately after, an immense, venomous, and maddening surge of cursed energy swept through like a volcanic eruption!
This aura was so powerful it was several times more terrifying than the Grade 1 cursed spirit he had encountered in Shizuoka!
It was already on the verge of becoming a Special Grade cursed spirit!
"As expected, there's a big guy guarding this place."
Yoru's gaze turned cold. Instead of retreating, he picked up his pace and charged toward the source of the aura.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto had already met up with the Star Plasma Vessel, Riko Amanai, and her maid, Misato Kuroi.
The two boys in their Jujutsu High uniforms walked through the bustling streets of Tokyo, followed by a chattering middle school girl who was curious about everything.
"Hey, Whitey! Can't you walk any slower?"
"I am the one who will become Master Tengen's Star Plasma Vessel! You should treat me like a princess!"
Riko Amanai stood with her hands on her hips, shouting at the Gojo walking ahead of her.
"Huh? Princess?"
Gojo turned around, lowered his sunglasses, and looked at her like she was an idiot.
"Kid, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about your situation? Right now, you're the most wanted prize for every curse user in Japan!"
"If I weren't here protecting you, you'd have been sliced into pieces and traded for a bounty long ago!"
"You! You're so arrogant!" Riko stomped her feet in anger.
Suguru Geto sighed helplessly, acting as the peacemaker.
"Alright Satoru, stop bullying Riko. Our mission is to ensure she reaches the Tombs of the Star Corridor safely."
"Tsk, how boring," Gojo pouted.
"Instructor Yoru said he was going to get a new weapon. I wonder how that's going."
"It feels a bit dull doing this mission without him around to talk trash."
Geto also glanced at the sky.
For some reason, ever since they accepted the mission, a faint sense of unease had been lingering in his heart.
What exactly did Instructor Yoru mean by that "variable" before he left?
At that moment, on the roof of an office building several blocks away.
Toji Fushiguro sat on a folding chair, leisurely wiping a short blade.
It was the Special Grade Cursed Tool—the Inverted Spear of Heaven.
Capable of forcing the nullification of any active technique, it was the absolute counter to Satoru Gojo's Limitless.
"Target has appeared. Only Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto are guarding her."
Shiu Kong's voice came through the earpiece.
"That off-the-books instructor, Yoru, isn't there?"
Toji raised an eyebrow.
"No. Intel says he went to an abandoned mine in Gunma Prefecture. Looks like he's searching for some materials."
Upon hearing this, a dangerously cold smirk curled on Toji's lips.
"Searching for materials in the mountains? What a naive kid."
"But this works out for the best."
Toji stood up and sheathed the Inverted Spear of Heaven at his waist, looking down at Gojo and the others moving like ants on the street below.
"Without that most troublesome variable..."
"Hunting these two greenhouse geniuses will be as easy as crushing bugs."
"Well then..."
Toji's figure vanished from the rooftop in an instant, leaving only his cold words to scatter in the wind.
"Let the hunt begin!"
The trajectory of fate completely diverged at this moment.
On one side was Yoru, in a dark mine, facing an unknown horror in a fight to the death to forge a peerless weapon.
On the other side were Satoru Gojo and Suguru Geto, about to face the most brutal and desperate bloodbath of their lives without any warning!
The Star Plasma Vessel escort mission has officially begun!
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