JJK: Chapter 16/18

Chapter 16: The Figure Falling from the Rooftop

When people are busy, they often fail to notice the passage of time. The few days of leave Toji had pretended to request as a parent quickly passed, and Eichi had no choice but to return to school.

"What were you doing these past few days?"

On the school rooftop, Suguru and Eichi sat leaning against a wall, holding convenience store bread in their hands.

One had to admit, yakisoba bread was truly a strange food, carbs wrapped around more carbs.

"I went to tame Shikigami."

After finishing the last few bites of bread, Eichi opened a bottle of green tea and took a long drink.

"Oh? How many have you tamed?"

Suguru's interest was piqued. He was a true genius among commoners. After interacting with Eichi and Satoru, he had learned much about the Jujutsu world and understood the status of the Ten Shadows Technique and the Six Eyes.

However, he was confident that his Cursed Spirit Manipulation would not be inferior. After all, the Ten Shadows Technique only had ten Shikigami. Couldn't he overwhelm it with ten, or even a hundred times as many Cursed Spirits?

The only one to be wary of was Mahoraga, the strongest Shikigami.

Satoru had once said that when he and Eichi first met a few years ago, Eichi had exorcised a Special Grade Cursed Spirit using Mahoraga.

But that didn't matter. Once Suguru became strong enough, he would find a way to deal with it by capturing more Special Grade Cursed Spirits.

Actually, this was because Suguru lacked information about Mahoraga. Otherwise, he would have known that a Maximum: Uzumaki could destroy Mahoraga the moment it appeared.

"Nine."

"Which one's left?"

"Mahoraga."

"Huh?"

Suguru froze.

Hadn't Satoru said that Eichi had already tamed Mahoraga before?

"I haven't tamed Mahoraga, I only temporarily controlled it through special means."

Seeing Suguru's confusion, Eichi didn't bother to hide the truth.

"However, during this taming ritual, I figured out its strength. It won't be long before I can fully subdue it."

After speaking, Eichi glanced at the Command Seal on the back of his hand.

The anime Fate/stay night hadn't aired yet, but the preparations were complete.

Promotional posters had already begun circulating. It wouldn't be long before he could gather enough Illusion Power to start summoning Heroic Spirits.

Then, he would begin the taming ritual and shove a Noble Phantasm straight into Mahoraga's mouth to see if it would yield.

"How about you? How have things been recently?"

"I'm going to quit the club."

"Why?"

Eichi looked at Suguru with mild surprise.

"I want to use this power to help more people, to protect them from Cursed Spirits."

"Do you want to become a savior?"

Eichi tilted his head and looked at him.

Suguru's heart skipped a beat at those words, but he didn't admit it aloud.

"I don't have such grand ideals. It's just that only Jujutsu Sorcerers can exorcise Cursed Spirits, right?"

He looked up at the sky.

"Then, as someone strong enough to exorcise them, I have a responsibility to protect those who can't."

How arrogant.

Eichi glanced at Suguru's profile.

"Non-sorcerers aren't necessarily weak, nor are they all worth protecting."

That was also the reason why Suguru would abandon his so-called righteous path in the future.

Long-term exposure to twisted Cursed Spirits, coupled with the nausea of consuming them, gradually took its toll.

He had always been under immense pressure, and constantly spoke of righteousness to convince himself that swallowing those repulsive Cursed Spirits had meaning.

But human nature was never purely good.

Especially in this island nation, where countless bullying incidents occurred even at such a young, innocent age.

"Suguru, you have the aptitude to become a Devil King."

"Huh? What I just said sounds more like a hero, doesn't it?"

He was still a middle schooler after all. No matter how composed he acted, his true self surfaced whenever he was caught off guard.

"No, people like you, who believe in righteousness and care for the world, are more likely to become Devil Kings."

"Hey, hey, that can't be right. If anything, Satoru is the Devil King, isn't he?"

"No, Satoru will become a brave warrior."

A warrior who would one day challenge the Devil King Sukuna, trying to save Megumi.

Eichi recalled how, in his previous life, the Jujutsu Kaisen anime often focused on Megumi's long eyelashes, melancholy eyes, and slender waist.

Combined with his adorable Shikigami, he looked almost like a Disney runaway princess.

"Are you out of your mind? Satoru, with that lawless attitude, a brave warrior?"

Suguru looked disbelieving.

"Yes, Satoru might be lawless, but he can uphold his beliefs and never waver."

"I can do that too."

Suguru grew indignant, and the two began to argue back and forth.

"Hey, Suguru!"

Just as neither could convince the other, something unexpected happened.

The school they attended originally only had a High School Division, a private academy for the elite.

Later, due to its success, an affiliated Middle School Division was built next to it. After graduation, students could advance directly into the high school.

The two divisions were separated only by a wall.

At that moment, Eichi and Suguru noticed several people surrounding someone on the rooftop of the High School Division.

In anime, rooftops often appeared open, a place for friends and couples to grow closer.

In reality, school rooftops were locked, rarely accessible.

Eichi and Suguru could freely go there only because of their enhanced physique as Jujutsu Sorcerers.

But the situation across the wall clearly looked wrong.

"Is that bullying?" Suguru asked.

"Not sure, let's watch."

If it were bullying, the victim would usually look frightened and panicked, sitting on the ground and hiding their head.

But here, the larger group looked panicked, waving their arms frantically.

And the lone person remained calm throughout.

Though her face wasn't visible, her uniform showed she was a girl.

A girl being cornered on a rooftop and staying calm was definitely unusual.

The next moment, the situation escalated.

A boy suddenly grabbed the girl and pushed her toward the railing at the edge.

"Nue."

An owl with a bony mask emerged from Eichi's shadow and flew toward the opposite rooftop.

But it was too late. The girl had already been pushed off the roof.

"Quick, save her."

Even Suguru couldn't stay still. Both of them leaped off the rooftop. Suguru summoned a flying Cursed Spirit shaped like a manta ray to cushion his descent, while Eichi used the wind manipulation of Tiger Funeral to land steadily.

They sprinted toward the High School Division.

But as they ran, Eichi's doubts deepened.

Why did the supposed aggressors seem more terrified than the victim?

Why didn't the girl resist at all when she was pushed?

If she had resisted for even a few seconds, Nue could have saved her.

And why were the people on the rooftop cheering and dancing after she fell?

Everything about it reeked of something sinister.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 17: Please Help Me Find My Body

"That uniform looks like it's from the Middle School Division. Why are they here?"

"Shh, they'll hear us."

"It's fine, why are you so scared?"

"You don't know anything, do you? Those two are delinquents. I heard the strongest delinquent here was defeated by them in one move."

"No way?"

Similar conversations kept popping up after the two entered the High School Division building.

Neither Eichi nor Suguru liked excessive socializing, so during breaks they usually stuck together or went off on their own.

After school, they often went to exorcise Cursed Spirits, rarely interacting with other classmates.

So the biggest impression both divisions had of them was that they teamed up to subdue all the delinquents.

It was said those delinquents later brought in many so-called seniors from outside, but the two racked up a hundred-man beatdown against them.

In short, the rumors sounded as terrifying as possible.

Eichi had no intention of explaining anything. He understood a principle in his previous life.

No matter when, if you try to prove yourself according to others' demands, you have already lost, regardless of the outcome.

"Suguru."

Eichi signaled with his eyes.

Suguru nodded.

A slit silently opened in the shadow beside them.

Several Fly Heads crawled out. Some perched on students' heads, others clung to their feet, hindering them without causing harm.

Soon, the two broke free from the crowd and reached the rooftop.

"It really wasn't an illusion."

Right after arriving at the High School Division, they first went to check where the girl had fallen, but found nothing.

The girl's body had disappeared.

Now, looking at the messy footprints on the ground, Eichi was sure what they saw had really happened.

"I found those people from earlier, they're in the infirmary."

"The infirmary? Did they take that girl for treatment?"

Eichi was a bit surprised. If so, it would just be a false alarm.

"No, the Cursed Spirits didn't see anyone injured, only those bullies from before."

As he spoke, Suguru clenched his fists, his eyes cold.

Eichi knew he must be furious.

Eichi was also angry, but with more experience, he stayed a bit calmer.

"Let's go take a look. We will find out what happened. If it is bullying…"

Eichi did not elaborate, but Suguru understood, they would teach them a lesson and make sure they were punished.

"Rabbit Escape."

Following behind Suguru, Eichi silently summoned Rabbit Escape, starting a thorough search of the entire High School Division.

He did this because a strong sense of unease would not leave him.

That feeling had been there ever since entering the High School Division. The strange unease, together with the vanished body, made Eichi extremely wary.

They had seen the girl fall with their own eyes. On the way over, their attention had stayed fixed on the spot where she fell.

Yet the body was gone, and even the Nue in the sky had noticed nothing.

Nue only saw a few people come down from the rooftop, then the body disappeared. Taking away a body in just a few seconds was clearly beyond what a human could do.

Led by Suguru, they quickly arrived at the infirmary door.

Bang.

Suguru yanked the door open. It slammed against the frame with a loud crash.

The noise clearly startled the people inside.

Suguru strode in, legs apart, collar and cuffs unbuttoned, his anger practically overflowing.

"Hey, everyone be careful."

The two males and two females in the infirmary immediately took a guarded stance.

"Ah, what's wrong, Ise-kun?"

Asuka, suddenly pulled behind Ise Takahiro, was flustered and a little shy.

"This guy is not easy to deal with."

Although not a delinquent, Ise, with his excellent physical abilities, had handled delinquents before and had personally witnessed Suguru beat up more than a dozen on his own.

Seeing Suguru's angry expression and the posture like he might attack, Ise instinctively pulled Asuka behind him to protect her.

"What did you just do?"

To Ise's surprise, Suguru did not attack immediately.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

Uranishi Shota, a well-dressed honor student wearing glasses, spoke from the side.

Suguru's gaze shifted, fixing on Uranishi.

"You were the one who made a move, weren't you?"

"Huh?"

Made a move? What move? Could it be… As if realizing something, Uranishi hurried to explain.

"No, people who don't know anything shouldn't be here…"

Hearing Uranishi still trying to argue, Suguru lost patience and threw a punch at him.

"Wait a minute."

Ise stepped forward, crossing his arms to block the strike.

Even without Cursed Energy, Suguru's punch still sent Ise flying.

Ise crashed into Uranishi behind him, and both fell.

"Ise-kun."

Ignoring her companion's attempt to stop her, Asuka ran to Ise's side. Suguru, about to follow with a kick, had to stop.

"My name is Azuma Eichi. What's your name?"

Seeing that Suguru still had some restraint, Eichi did not step in. Instead, he walked over to a girl who was trembling with fear.

"Rie, my name is Rie."

The girl's eyes were wet, her face pale, clearly terrified.

It was Suguru who made a move, so why are you scared of me?

Eichi scratched his head helplessly, then noticed Rie was not looking at him. She was staring behind him.

Is there something at the door?

Puzzled, Eichi turned around, and a disheveled figure came into view.

A girl stood there. Her uniform was messy and torn, her neck seemingly broken, tilted toward her shoulder.

When did she appear?

Eichi had not noticed her at all. He glanced at Rabbit Escape. It shook its head. Eichi understood.

She appeared suddenly.

"Do you need treatment?"

As he asked, he shifted his stance, ready to form hand seals with both hands.

The girl was too strange. Her skin was deathly pale. Judging by the damage to her clothes, she should have suffered immense trauma, yet apart from her broken neck, there was not a single visible wound.

Her eyes were lifeless, nothing like a normal person.

Seeing this, Suguru stopped pressing the other three and moved to Eichi's side, warily watching this unknown.

"Is she a Jujutsu Sorcerer?"

"Doesn't look like it."

As they spoke in low voices, the corpse-like girl finally opened her mouth.

"Please help me find my body."

"Huh?"

"What did you say?"

Eichi and Suguru stared at her in confusion.

The girl did not answer. After saying that, she turned and left.

A strange feeling rose from the depths of Eichi's heart.

"Hey, Suguru."

"What's wrong?"

Suguru, who was about to chase her, stopped.

"It seems we have been cursed."

"What?"

At that moment, new developments occurred inside the infirmary.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 18: The Curse Where No One Dies?

"Why is she still alive? Didn't she fall from the rooftop? I pushed her myself!"

Behind Eichi and Suguru, Uranishi, dressed like an honor student, was curled up in a corner, hugging his knees tightly.

"Why isn't she dead? If she's not dead, then won't we still be killed by the Crimson Being tonight? Damn it."

Of the four in the room, some looked desperate, some resigned, and others clung to each other with worry on their faces.

Eichi and Suguru exchanged glances, their eyes solemn.

"Tell us what happened. Maybe we can help."

Suguru stepped forward and spoke softly.

"Haha, you can solve it? Do you even know what that is? That's an evil spirit. I know you two, the strongest delinquents in the Middle School Division. Do you plan to punch an evil spirit?"

"Shota, stop."

Among them, Ise, the calmest and most capable fighter, restrained the already distraught Uranishi.

"You two come in and sit down too. We might have to be teammates now."

As he spoke, Ise gestured for them to enter. Asuka immediately helped set up the fallen chairs around a bed.

Eichi and Suguru did not refuse and walked over to sit.

"I'm Ise Takahiro, second-year in the High School Division. These are Uranishi Shota, Morisaki Asuka, and Rie. What about you two?"

Ise, who seemed to lead the group, introduced the others to Eichi and Suguru.

"Azuma Eichi, second-year in the Middle School Division."

"Suguru Geto, second-year in the Middle School Division."

Ise nodded politely, then continued.

"The whole thing started three days ago. We were still on our lunch break when the girl you just saw walked up behind me and asked me to help her find her body."

"At first, I thought I misheard. Just as I was about to ask what she meant, the girl suddenly disappeared, just like now."

Eichi and Suguru understood. Just now, when Eichi hesitated about following her, the girl's body had dissipated into the air like mist.

"That night, the four of us suddenly appeared at school, and then a Crimson Being covered in blood chased us."

As he spoke, Ise raised a hand to cover one of his eyes.

It seemed like a very unpleasant memory, Eichi thought.

"At first I thought I had been killed, but when I woke up the next day, I was at home without a single scratch."

"Was it the same for them?"

Eichi looked over the others.

"Right. When we compared notes yesterday, we found that each of us had been asked by that girl to find a corpse."

"We also exchanged details. Rie found a coffin in the auditorium with a human-shaped void inside, meant to hold body parts. Asuka found an arm in a classroom. I think the body we need to find might be those parts."

After speaking, Ise looked up at Eichi and Suguru.

"Now you two have also been asked, so you might also get dragged into this search for a body, this curse, tonight."

After a pause, Ise decided that calling it a curse fit better than calling it a game.

"Of course, it is also possible that the scope of this curse only exists in the High School Division, so you Middle School students might be fine."

Perhaps afraid the two would be scared off, Ise tried to reassure them.

He had been very displeased when they rushed in and attacked, but after learning they had misunderstood the situation and had come from the Middle School Division to help, his displeasure vanished.

"What do you think?"

Eichi looked at Suguru.

"It's a type I haven't seen before. What about you?"

"It's my first time too. Normally, Cursed Spirits have relatively simple behavior patterns. It is rare to see one with such complex actions, and the most important thing is that this Cursed Spirit did not kill you."

Most Cursed Spirits have low intelligence. They act like beasts, instinctively seeking out and killing humans.

But according to Ise, they had been killed more than once, yet always came back to life in the morning.

Could the experience of being killed have been a dream?

"Why do you call that Cursed Spirit the Crimson Being?"

"Oh, because that's what the broadcast called it."

"Broadcast?"

Eichi looked up at Ise.

"Yes. The school's broadcast room irregularly announces the location of the Crimson Being."

This made it even stranger. Constantly broadcasting the location of a Cursed Spirit would only make it easier for people to avoid it.

"Um, I keep hearing you say Cursed Spirits. What exactly are Cursed Spirits?"

Asuka, standing nearby, caught the key point.

"Cursed Spirits are monsters formed from accumulated negative human emotions. They curse and kill people."

Suguru gave a simple, easy-to-understand explanation.

"Then what are you two? Onmyoji?"

Hearing that, Asuka looked excited. Uranishi, who had been on the verge of a breakdown, also looked up, his face full of hope.

"We are Jujutsu Sorcerers. We use Cursed Energy to exorcise Cursed Spirits. It is different from Onmyoji."

Jujutsu Sorcerers, Cursed Spirits.

A new concept took root in their minds.

"Excuse me, can you remove the curse on us?"

Ise asked nervously.

"Yes. According to what you said, we will also be drawn into the curse tonight. When that happens, we will be responsible for exorcising the Cursed Spirit."

Eichi nodded.

"Really? Thank you so much."

Upon hearing this, Ise stood and gave a perfect ninety-degree bow.

Eichi and Suguru were used to it.

They often encountered similar situations while exorcising Cursed Spirits.

"No need to thank us. It is what we should do."

Suguru smiled slightly and helped Ise up.

"Tell us everything you know, so we can protect you better tonight."

"Understood."

Seeing hope for lifting the curse, the group immediately spoke up, sharing everything they knew.

Eichi took out his notepad, which he used to jot down novel ideas, and summarized their information, finally forming a picture of the Cursed Spirit.

The Cursed Spirit appeared as a small girl, likely junior high age, wearing a blood-stained dress and holding a dirty doll.

She was very strong, capable of easily tearing a person in half. Her movement speed was not fast, about the same as a normal high school student running. With corners, it was easy to create distance.

She seemed to possess a teleportation Technique that required certain conditions to activate.

According to Asuka, once when she turned around, the Crimson Being that had been far away suddenly appeared in front of her.

Additionally, after being caught by the Crimson Being, they were usually not killed immediately. She would hug them tightly and only kill after singing a song.

Eichi asked what song she sang, thinking the lyrics might reveal her identity or Technique.

Ise and the others thought it over and finally pieced together the lyrics:

Please give me red clothes,
Dye all the white clothes red,
Dye them blood red, blood red,
Dye hands and faces all red...

(To be continued.)