JJK X FATE: Chapter 63/64

Chapter 63: Monster in the Convenience Store

"The High School is great in every way, except it's such a pain to buy things when it's in the mountains."

"Indeed, the vending machine doesn't have enough variety."

"No, no, that's because you, Saber, eat too much. Be careful not to get fat."

"Don't worry, I convert what I eat into Cursed Energy and store it, so I won't get fat."

"You're kidding, right? How do you do that? Teach me."

Hearing that Artoria possessed such an enviable ability, one countless girls dreamed of, Shoko, who had been listless a moment ago, suddenly perked up.

"I can only do it because I'm a Heroic Spirit, Shoko. I can't teach you."

Artoria's words made Shoko's expression fall in disappointment.

"I know, what a shame."

It was already 2 a.m. Halfway through her overtime shift, Shoko wanted to take a break, so she decided to go buy some snacks and coffee.

When she reached the vending machine, she remembered that Artoria had already bought all the snacks earlier.

So Shoko had no choice but to head out to a nearby convenience store. Fortunately, the Assistant Supervisor dispatched by Jujutsu Headquarters, someone she could order around was still present.

As a natural user of the Reverse Cursed Technique who could also apply it externally, Shoko was considered a rare treasure in the Jujutsu World. She was heavily protected.

Curse Users had even placed high bounties for her life on the black market.

Because of that, Shoko was never allowed to go out without an escort.

She had grown used to it, especially after surviving several assassination attempts.

Thankfully, one of her classmates was Artoria.

Beautiful, powerful, kind, and considerate—she was simply perfect.

As for the other three boys?

They were just trash.

How could anyone who got along so well with Gojo Satoru be a decent person?

"Speaking of which, Shoko," Artoria said, noticing the faint dark circles under her friend's eyes, "why are you working so late tonight?"

"It's because of the people from Jujutsu Headquarters. They sent me a strange Cursed Spirit today and told me to analyze it."

"I see."

Artoria nodded slightly.

"Saber, aren't you curious what kind of Cursed Spirit it is?"

"A little."

Artoria had seen plenty of demonic beasts in her lifetime, so she wasn't particularly intrigued by Shoko's mention of a strange Cursed Spirit. Still, since Shoko brought it up, she continued the conversation.

She could tell Shoko was tired, and if a bit of chatting helped her relax, she didn't mind.

"This time, they sent a Cursed Spirit suspected to have been cursed and transformed. Its appearance resembles the Western creature called the Mothman."

"Mothman?"

It was the first time Artoria had heard that name.

"Young Miss Ieiri, we've arrived."

Zen'in Shuji, who was driving, turned his head to interrupt their conversation.

He was the one who had delivered the Cursed Spirit to Shoko earlier that day.

Although the Cursed Spirit had been nearly dead, it was still sealed with several cursed tools before transport to ensure Shoko's safety.

"Alright, let's talk while we walk."

"Okay."

Artoria stepped out first, then walked around to open the door for Shoko.

The scene looked just like that of a butler escorting a young lady.

Incidentally, Artoria's school uniform wasn't a skirt but a modified version resembling a women's suit, Eichi's personal design request.

The two chatted as they entered the convenience store.

The moment they stepped inside, Artoria's ahoge shot upright.

"Watch out, Shoko!"

Artoria pushed Shoko behind her, her skirt armor materializing as she scanned the interior of the store with caution.

The instant she entered, her intuition had screamed a warning.

Zen'in Shuji, waiting in the car, sensed the sudden surge of Cursed Energy from inside. When he looked, he saw Artoria fully armed and ready to fight, and his expression changed.

He jumped out of the car, sprinting toward the store while forming hand seals.

"Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure."

The curtain descended.

"Shoko, get outside first," Zen'in Shuji ordered, taking over her protection.

From her perception, Artoria confirmed that the threat was limited to within the store.

She surveyed the surroundings carefully.

Toppled shelves, scattered merchandise, bloodstains in the center of the floor, and two people trembling as they covered their mouths while hiding.

Covering their mouths?

That meant sound attracted danger.

Artoria flicked her toe.

A metal can flew up, clanging against a shelf.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Wet, sticky footsteps echoed through the store that had been silent moments before.

Found it.

Artoria instantly locked onto the enemy's position from the sound.

But there was nothing visible. An invisible enemy?

Her gaze darted through every shadow, yet she sensed no presence.

If not for the sound, no one would have believed there was a Cursed Spirit there.

Her eyes narrowed. She swung her sword.

A sharp blade of Sword Qi cut across the shelves, bursting several beverage bottles. The spilling liquids splattered, outlining the faint shape of a creature.

Having confirmed its form, Artoria charged forward and struck.

"Hiss!"

The Cursed Spirit screeched, its invisibility breaking.

It was a massive toad, slightly larger than a human.

If its skin were smoother, it might have passed for a real-life Tahm Kench.

The toad lashed out with its tongue.

Artoria tilted her head, dodging, then sliced the tongue off with a single strike.

The toad reeled in pain. Artoria didn't give it a chance to recover, closing the distance and cutting it nearly in half.

"Is it over?"

The voice came from Shoko, who cautiously peeked from the doorway.

Her words also drew the attention of the two ordinary people hiding inside.

Though they didn't know what had just happened, they had seen something die moments ago and were too terrified to move.

"It's over."

Artoria lowered her sword slightly, preparing to finish the Cursed Spirit off.

"Wait."

Shoko quickly stepped into the store and knelt beside the dying toad.

"This… it looks just like the Cursed Spirit the Jujutsu Headquarters sent me today."

She examined the creature closely while Artoria remained vigilant, ready to strike if it moved.

"Send this thing to my operating room immediately."

"Yes, I'll arrange it right away."

Zen'in Shuji nodded, pulling out his phone to make the necessary calls.

Shoko stood, grabbed a shopping basket, and began tossing cans of coffee into it.

"These, and a carton of those cigarettes."

"Huh?"

The cashier, who had just crawled out from under the counter, blinked in confusion.

The danger had only just passed, and she was already shopping?

Still, years of customer service instinct kicked in.

"For cigarettes, you must be of legal age to purchase. May I ask…"

Though Shoko was tall, her youthful face made her look far from an adult.

"Hello, the cigarettes are for me."

Zen'in Shuji, standing nearby, leaned slightly forward to explain.

Seeing the well-dressed man who looked like a professional, the cashier said nothing more.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 64: New Mission

The next day, at Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Yaga stood on the podium, distributing new assignments to several students.

"Jujutsu Headquarters has recently received multiple missing person reports suspected to be caused by Cursed Spirits. Later, after investigation by a Window, it was confirmed that these cases were indeed the work of Cursed Spirits."

A Window is someone who can perceive Cursed Spirits but is not a Jujutsu Sorcerer. They report what they see to Jujutsu Headquarters in exchange for rewards.

Yaga turned his laptop toward them.

"Uninhabited island Cursed Spirit sightings, sea monster Cursed Spirit sightings… Due to insufficient manpower, Jujutsu Headquarters had queued these as standard extermination missions. However, after a major civilian casualty incident two days ago, Headquarters decided to deploy more personnel."

Yaga tapped the keyboard, switching the display to another report.

It detailed a mission involving a Mothman-type Cursed Spirit that had killed numerous civilians before being captured by Jujutsu Sorcerers.

"Sensei, I don't think it's necessary to say all that. Just tell us where the mission is," said Satoru, raising his hand impatiently.

What greeted him was the classic teacher's secret technique: the chalk projectile.

"It's precisely because this mission is unusual that I need to explain it in detail. However, with your abilities, it shouldn't pose any problems."

Yaga turned to the side. "Now, Ieiri-san, it's your turn."

"Alright."

Shoko, with dark circles under her eyes, stretched lazily before walking up to the podium.

"These Cursed Spirits all share one common trait: they were born under the same type of curse."

"Curse?"

Eichi raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Someone's deliberately creating Cursed Spirits?"

"Most likely."

Shoko pulled out a report, displaying attached photos of a Mothman and a large toad.

The group sat close to the front, so they could clearly see the photos.

It showed a grotesque, distorted corpse. The head was missing, the torso bloated, and the arms looked like they were morphing into wings.

"Jujutsu Headquarters captured the Mothman Cursed Spirit for research and discovered this corpse nearby.

The deceased was afflicted by an unknown curse before death. Their body mutated, and after dying, they transformed into the Mothman Cursed Spirit."

Her explanation immediately caught everyone's attention.

"Is it a Curse User?"

Such an event strongly suggested human experimentation.

"I'm not sure. That's still under investigation."

Shoko's response came quickly.

"How can you not know anything?" Satoru complained.

"I'm not omniscient and omnipotent," she replied, glaring at him.

"In short, these strange Cursed Spirits were artificially created. After turning into Cursed Spirits, they devour humans to accumulate more Cursed Energy.

The most troublesome part is that this curse can spread secondarily through infection. One of the Jujutsu Sorcerers who fought the Mothman was injured and later infected. He's currently being treated at Headquarters."

Realizing the others weren't particularly interested in detailed scientific explanations, Shoko sped up.

"Ieiri-sensei, if these Cursed Spirits devour humans to build up Cursed Energy, what happens once they've accumulated enough?"

Eichi, seated near the front, raised his hand to ask.

"In response to that, Jujutsu Headquarters is currently conducting tests. They've captured one of these transformed Cursed Spirits and are continuously feeding it Cursed Energy to observe what it does once fully charged."

"So, what's our role in all this?"

"Of course, to exorcise these Cursed Spirits and determine the purpose behind their Cursed Energy accumulation."

Yaga tapped the laptop screen.

"These are the confirmed mission sites reported by Windows and verified by Assistant Supervisors."

"Gojo, with your Limitless Technique, you don't have to worry about being injured or cursed. Both of you," Yaga said, nodding to Eichi and Suguru, "have powerful Shikigami, so you're also well suited for this mission. You're the best candidates for this operation."

After finishing, Yaga crouched slightly, clenched his left fist, and pointed forward with his right hand in a dramatic pose.

To prevent public panic, the group split up.

Satoru was dispatched to an uninhabited island where a sea monster Cursed Spirit had been reported.

Suguru was sent to a coastal area, as his Cursed Spirits were best suited for underwater combat if necessary.

Eichi's destination was a school. According to reports, a massive fish-type Cursed Spirit capable of causing tremors during its attacks had struck there.

It targeted movement on the ground, tracking victims through vibrations. Teachers had quickly noticed this and led students to higher structures like flagpoles and gymnastic bars, staying still to avoid detection.

"Why does that sound exactly like the old movie Tremors?"

Eichi muttered as he looked out the car window.

After passing through this tunnel, they should almost be there.

But just a few seconds after entering, something unexpected happened.

Inside Eichi's shadow, Mahoraga's wheel quietly rotated, sending a pulse of new adaptation data.

Illusion.

Eichi immediately turned his head. Behind the car, a broken pipe was spewing out gas laced with Cursed Energy.

He looked forward again—and froze.

The tunnel still appeared normal, but its walls now felt… organic. Like flesh disguised as concrete.

"Stop the car!" Eichi shouted to Zen'in Shuji, who was driving.

Had the target moved? Or was this another Cursed Spirit?

Before they could react further, over a dozen large, flea-like Grade 3 Cursed Spirits appeared around them.

"Divine Dogs."

Forming a hand sign, Eichi summoned the Black Divine Dog. With swift, clean strikes, it tore through the swarm, exorcising them one by one.

As each Cursed Spirit was destroyed, their residual energy dissipated into the tunnel air.

"Drive back. Let's get out of the tunnel first."

"Yes, Young Master Eichi."

Shuji nodded and immediately reversed the car, while the Black Divine Dog guarded them.

Rumble.

As the flea Cursed Spirits vanished, the tunnel itself began to move, and the light from the entrance dimmed until it disappeared completely.

Eichi canceled the Divine Dog's summoning, then formed another set of hand signs.

"Qiongqi."

The beast appeared instantly, charging straight toward where the tunnel exit had just vanished.

Bang!

If there was no way out, then make one.

Qiongqi did its job perfectly.

Shuji maneuvered the car through the newly made opening, bursting out into the daylight.

Once outside, the two finally saw the tunnel's true form.

It was a massive, fish-shaped Cursed Spirit. But instead of a normal tail fin, it had a massive pincer, like a crustacean's claw.

(To be continued.)