Chapter 4: The Most Evil Cursed User in This Era (Double Length Chapter)

Nightmare.

Neither Nobara Kugisaki nor Yuji Itadori had ever heard that name before.

Kurumi Tokisaki was momentarily stunned when her codename was spoken from Megumi Fushiguro mouth. But she quickly regained her composure.

It wasn't all that surprising that Fushiguro knew about Nightmare.

Although he usually seemed indifferent toward most things, as a descendant of the Zenin Clan, one of the three great sorcerer families in the Japanese jujutsu world—even though he had inherited a different surname and had little connection to the main family—he still knew quite a bit about the world of jujutsu.

And Kurumi Tokisaki other identity as the most malevolent cursed user of the current era was infamous throughout the jujutsu world.

"The most malevolent cursed user of the current era, huh..."

Nobara narrowed her eyes slightly and asked curiously, "What grade is this person?"

"If even Gojo-sensei considers her a formidable opponent, she's naturally a special grade."

"A special grade cursed user?"

Nobara involuntarily took a sharp breath.

Although her understanding of the jujutsu world wasn't deep—most of her knowledge and information had come from her grandmother, who was also a jujutsu sorcerer—she was still familiar with the grade classifications among sorcerers.

Her grandmother had spent her whole youth training tirelessly, but even by the time she had to retire due to old age, she was still just an ordinary Grade 2 sorcerer.

Above Grade 2 were Grade 1 sorcerers—already considered extremely powerful and part of the high-level combat force within the jujutsu world.

Even among the other two great clans besides the Gojo family—the Kamo and Zenin families—the number of Grade 1 sorcerers they possessed didn't exceed ten. Across the entire nation of Japan, there were only about twenty to thirty Grade 1 sorcerers.

And special grade sorcerers—those above even Grade 1—were exceedingly rare.

In modern Japan, there were only three special grade jujutsu sorcerers in total.

While Satoru Gojo was undeniably the strongest among them, the other two had also reached heights that defied common logic in one way or another.

And now they were being told that even cursed users, who stood in opposition to jujutsu sorcerers, could reach special grade?

"Nightmare is only classified as special grade out of caution—you don't need to be overly concerned."

Seeing the worry in Nobara's expression, Fushiguro added, "So far, Nightmare hasn't fought any special grade sorcerer. But several Grade 1 sorcerers who were dispatched to eliminate her have vanished—this includes elite Grade 1 sorcerers from the three great clans. That's why she's been labeled special grade."

"So, what exactly did this cursed user named 'Nightmare' do to earn the title of the most Evil of our era?"

Yuji picked up the thread of the conversation, his face turning serious. "Did she do something especially heinous?"

"Heinous?"

Fushiguro shook his head when he heard that word.

Using "heinous" to describe her actions was far too mild.

Honestly, if it weren't for Noritoshi Kamo having committed multiple taboo human experiments, Fushiguro would've believed that Nightmare deserved to be called the most evil cursed user in history.

"Do you know how many people go missing in Japan each year?"

"Around ten thousand?"

"That's right. But the number of people who've died at Nightmare hands has already exceeded that."

Yuji and Nobara's eyes widened in disbelief at that figure—they initially thought Fushiguro was joking.

Over ten thousand people?

In modern society?

In an era like this, a serial killer who murdered more than ten people would already send shockwaves through the entire country. And this person had killed over ten thousand?

"That number only includes the confirmed victims—the ones we have evidence were killed by Nightmare."

Fushiguro took a deep breath and said heavily, "If we include the unconfirmed deaths she's likely responsible for behind the scenes, the real number is probably far greater than ten thousand."

At that moment, Yuji and Nobara finally understood why Satoru Gojo had appeared so urgent earlier.

Perhaps it wasn't just because he had found a worthy opponent to go all out against.

There was likely a sense of righteous urgency to destroy evil mixed in as well.

"Even though we don't know the exact situation, if Nightmare has truly reappeared, there's a chance we'll encounter her."

Fushiguro looked at the three of them and said seriously, "If you really do run into her, my advice is—don't even think about running. Call Gojo-sensei immediately and pray he picks up the phone."

"What an interesting woman."

Before any of them could respond, Yuji cheek suddenly split open.

What had appeared to be normal skin suddenly grew teeth and a tongue—as though a second mouth had appeared on his face.

And the voice came from that grotesque mouth.

"You again?"

Yuji slapped his own cheek, trying to swat the second mouth like a fly.

But it was all in vain. He only ended up hurting his own face.

"I originally thought that, thanks to that blue-eyed brat, this world only had dull and boring people left. But I didn't expect there to still be such an interesting woman out there."

The King of Curses sealed within Yuji body—Ryomen Sukuna—spoke with a tone tinged with admiration:

"If I ever meet her, brat, I wouldn't mind fighting her for you. If I like her, once I take over your body, I'll bring her under my command."

"In your dreams."

"Heh."

After voluntarily offering his assistance, Sukuna didn't bother arguing with a kid. He chuckled softly and vanished.

Fushiguro gaze flickered with a trace of wariness as he looked at the disappearing second mouth on Yuji face. He couldn't explain it, but an ominous feeling surged within his heart.

Ever since the birth of the Six Eyes holder and Limitless Technique user, Satoru Gojo, the jujutsu world had enjoyed a long period of peace.

But now, Ryomen Sukuna had been resurrected in the modern era, and even the special grade cursed user Nightmare had reemerged. Curses were growing stronger at a speed everyone could feel.

All these factors gave Fushiguro the unsettling feeling that a storm was coming.

But he quickly buried that anxiety deep within himself.

It was too early to worry about all that now.

The only thing he could do was to become as strong as possible before danger arrived.

Only then could he protect the people he wanted to protect.

Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College – Principal's Office

The moment after he vanished before the students using a teleportation-like technique, he appeared directly in front of Masamichi Yaga.

"How many times have I told you—not to teleport directly into school facilities!"

Not at all surprised by Satoru Gojo sudden arrival, Masamichi Yaga immediately shouted angrily as he glanced at the cracked floor and the scattered documents flying everywhere.

He was a middle-aged man with bronzed skin, wearing sunglasses even indoors. At first glance, he gave off the impression of a muscular brute.

However, the dolls placed beside him—clearly toys for children and completely out of place with his rough exterior—added a peculiar and subtle charm to his otherwise tough appearance.

Gojo clearly was used to being scolded, as he casually dug at his ear and said, "Didn't you say it was urgent? Wouldn't teleporting straight to you be the most time-saving method?"

"…Forget it."

Having known Gojo for quite a long time, Masamichi Yaga was very familiar with his personality. He knew that no matter what he said, the guy wouldn't listen.

Moreover, this incident was indeed quite urgent.

So urgent, in fact, that even someone like him—generally not favored by the upper echelons of the jujutsu world—had been contacted directly by those old geezers whose noses were usually held high in the air.

"Let's not waste time on pointless talk. Let's get straight to the point," Gojo said, revealing an excited grin. "Every second we waste here increases the chance of Nightmare escaping. I don't know exactly how strong she is, but her ability to hide and flee is top-class."

As the strongest jujutsu sorcerer of the modern era, Gojo usual duties didn't just involve exorcising curses across Japan and teaching students—he also bore the responsibility of eliminating Nightmare.

From the moment he was classified as Special Grade, that task had been his.

He had been tracking this mysterious and elusive Nightmare for years, but no matter how strong he was, if he couldn't find his target, it was meaningless.

Failing to complete the Nightmare extermination mission for so long was a stain on Gojo otherwise flawless record. It was a humiliation for someone who had rarely known failure since birth.

He had even begun to develop something of an obsession with Nightmare.

And now, that shadowy figure had finally revealed herself again. How could he not be excited?

However, in the next moment, Yaga dumped a bucket of cold water over his enthusiasm.

"You seem to have misunderstood something."

Yaga paused for a moment, then said with a slightly helpless expression, "Nightmare appeared last night. The eyewitness report came in early this morning. I only just received orders from the Top Brass. Even if you go to the scene now, you won't find her."

Gojo grin froze on his face upon hearing that.

Then his expression gradually turned to frustration.

"Those old geezers in the jujutsu world need to be cleaned out."

Rubbing his temples, Gojo flopped onto the sofa, his earlier excitement completely gone. "The Top Brass are rotten. Something this important, and it took them half a day to pass the information to me? What's the point of their existence?"

"Say that kind of stuff only in front of me, okay? Don't say it in front of outsiders."

Yaga coughed twice and, from an objective point of view, said, "Actually, you can't entirely blame them for this. You know one of Nightmare abilities is forced unconsciousness, and the less cursed energy a person has, the more effective it is. The investigator who witnessed her couldn't even stay conscious long enough to send the message."

Not only that, even after the investigator submitted the report, it had to go through an approval process.

Retrieving nearby surveillance footage, dispatching teams for on-site investigation—all of it took time.

The news of Nightmare reappearance was like a bombshell to the jujutsu world.

Especially for those older veterans in the upper ranks—it brought back memories of the fear she instilled and the humiliation of hiding like rats.

To the jujutsu world of Japan, if the current era belonged to Satoru Gojo, then the era before Gojo rose to prominence belonged entirely to Nightmare.

No one targeted by her had ever seen the sun the next day.

Every victim was dragged into utter darkness, completely vanishing from the human world.

Therefore, the reappearance of this individual forced the jujutsu Top Brass to give their full attention—200% seriousness.

This current investigation operation was arguably the most efficient one in recent years.

"This is all the information the Top Brass gave me. Go ahead and take a look."

Gojo took the file folder and looked at its contents.

Inside were summaries and reports regarding the Nightmare Reappearance Incident, along with several surveillance stills used as evidence.

Normally, Gojo had zero interest in such dry and boring long-winded documents. But this time, he read them carefully.

"What is that Nightmare woman… trying to do?"

After reading, Gojo narrowed his eyes and asked, "She didn't kill anyone. She just showed up at several places in Tokyo, as if her only goal was to announce her return…"

"That Special Grade Cursed User has always been mysterious. Ever since she made her name known in the jujutsu world, no one has ever understood what she really wants."

Yaga gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Forget understanding her goals. Other than her gender and a few abilities, we know nothing about her real name, appearance, or background."

In this era of information technology, investigating a person is easier than ever.

Unless they were a wild person who had never contacted human society, there would be traces left behind.

But Nightmare was different. It was as if she appeared out of thin air—suddenly emerging into the jujutsu world's field of view.

Those who had seen her rarely lived to tell the tale.

And the few lucky ones who somehow escaped her grasp couldn't describe her appearance either, since she always wore a mask.

The only useful information they provided was: black hair, height, body type, and the heterochromatic eyes—one gold, one red—hidden behind the mask.

"But well, no matter what she's planning, the fact that she showed herself again is a good thing."

Setting down the documents, Gojo tone returned to being relaxed. "After all these years, I've been looking for her. Now that the target is stepping out of the shadows on her own, her intentions don't matter. It doesn't change what I'm going to do."

"Don't be careless, Gojo. I think she must be confident in something if she's chosen to show up again."

"Hmm… well…"

Gojo thought for a moment, but still spoke lightly, "If she really has been secretly getting stronger all these years, then yeah, it might get a bit tricky."

"Will you lose?"

"I'd win"