Chapter 122: Kaori and Yuki

Judging from its strength, this curse should be Grade 1.

Satoshi looked at the cursed spirit blocking his path, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly.

The fact that a Grade 1 curse had appeared here, and with such clear intent, was quite interesting to him.

Shoso had attacked him under Kamo Shin's orders. So then, why was this Grade 1 cursed spirit attacking him now?

At the Grade 1 level, curses already possessed a certain degree of intelligence. Perhaps he could capture it and extract some answers.

When Toji raised his fist, preparing to eliminate the obstruction, Satoshi reached out and stopped him.

This Grade 1 curse was the perfect opportunity to test something. He wanted to try fighting it himself, to see if Ryūjin Jakka would react to combat and activate its compatibility with him.

After all, it was said to be the most powerful Zanpakutō in terms of raw offense. Surely it would be interested in a fight.

"Toji, leave this curse to me. I want to try out Ryūjin Jakka."

Hearing Satoshi's request, Toji nodded and stepped aside.

He knew Satoshi's strength well. A Grade 1 cursed spirit was nothing to be concerned about. Even if this particular one had a hidden trump card, he was confident he could crush it before it had a chance to act.

"Ryūjin Jakka, please fight alongside me this time."

Satoshi gripped Ryūjin Jakka and stepped forward to face the cursed spirit.

From a distance, unnoticed by the others, Itadori Kaori observed silently. Her gaze was locked on Satoshi as he engaged the curse, carefully analyzing the abilities of the Zanpakutō in his hand.

This Grade 1 cursed spirit posed no real threat to Satoshi.

However, Kaori also noticed something, an undeniable helplessness in the way Satoshi wielded his sword during the battle.

The curse was defeated by Satoshi and his Zanpakutō, but at no point did the fire-type Zanpakutō display any of its techniques.

A faint smile appeared on Kaori's lips.

As expected, such a powerful Zanpakutō hasn't been fully mastered. With Satoshi's current strength, he still can't draw out the true power of that sword.

If that's the case, then things might be easier than I thought.

She murmured to herself and turned away. The curse had served its purpose, it had already provided all the information she needed.

...

"This is too much! Way too much!"

"You're a Zanpakutō, after all! How is this performance any different from an ordinary katana?"

"The opponent was a cursed spirit! Couldn't you at least act like a proper Zanpakutō? Even just a flicker of flame to burn it to death would've been something!"

Gojo Satoshi held the now-warm Ryūjin Jakka and stared at the cursed spirit he had just slashed into pieces, looking utterly dejected.

Even though Ryūjin Jakka was said to be the strongest offensive Zanpakutō, in his hands right now, it was no better than a glorified stick.

"So, the Shikai I activated... was just superficial?"

After saying the incantation, the sword transformed into Ryūjin Jakka, but functionally it's no different from an Asauchi?

Toji caught Satoshi's muttered complaints, the corners of his mouth rising slightly.

Compared to Ryūjin Jakka's lack of cooperation, his own Katen Kyōkotsu could almost be described as overly cooperative.

As for Bankai's temporary refusal to awaken... so be it. He wouldn't force the matter.

After all, Katen Kyōkotsu was a cool and aloof one. If Bankai came too easily, it would ruin her character.

"Let's go, Satoshi. Or do you want another half hour to talk things over with Ryūjin Jakka?"

Toji's teasing made Satoshi's face drop instantly.

"Let's go. Hurry up and get to the Yorozuya."

...

Kaori turned to leave, but the next moment, her body froze.

A blonde girl had appeared beside her without warning.

"Huh, the view from here's really good."

"You came to observe Gojo Satoshi too?"

Yuki looked at the beautiful woman beside her, her large eyes filled with curiosity.

The woman had short hair just like her, but carried herself with a much more unrestrained air.

Yuki couldn't help but admire her presence.

Very cool, but also a little tragic. There are surgical sutures along her forehead... Did she just have a craniotomy?

Which sorcerer family is she from? Even in this condition, she's out here gathering intel?

Facing Yuki, Kaori was silent for a few seconds. Then a bright, pleasant smile spread across her face.

"Yeah. Gojo Satoshi is the hottest name in the Jujutsu world right now. Of course, we've got to keep an eye on him."

This girl looks like she's still in her teens, but her Cursed Energy is overflowing. How have I never heard of her? Blonde, young, and completely unpredictable.

And it looks like she's also interested in Gojo Satoshi. I wonder what she's after? Better to just wait and see.

Kaori gave a slight nod toward Yuki.

"Are you keeping an eye on Gojo Satoshi too? But you shouldn't get too close, or Zenin Toji will definitely notice."

"Even without any Cursed Energy, he's still the undisputed strongest member of the Zenin Clan now."

Kaori's warning made Yuki's eyes shine.

She'd heard the rumors, Zenin Toji had once defeated two Grade 1 sorcerers from the Zenin Clan at the same time, using only his physical prowess and his Zanpakutō.

More importantly, both Zenin Toji and Gojo Satoshi were carriers of Heavenly Restriction, completely without Cursed Energy.

Wasn't this perfect?

The two people she was most interested in had somehow come together. It was as if fate itself had brought her here.

Everything lined up, her arrival from the Tombs of the Star, this exact moment, it all felt orchestrated by some divine hand.

Maybe, through Gojo Satoshi and Zenin Toji, she could finally uncover the true reason behind the phenomenon of zero Cursed Energy and Binding Vows.

Hopefully, they'd be willing to cooperate with her.

Of course, if they refused, she didn't mind using her own methods to make them comply.

"Well, thank you for the reminder."

Yuki turned her gaze from Satoshi and Toji, ready to thank the woman beside her... only to realize that she had already vanished.

"Do I want to know her name?"

"With such strong cursed energy and such distinct features, I should be able to find out if I ask around."

"I just don't get why she's so focused on Satoshi. Eh... forget it, it's too much trouble. The Jujutsu world is always chaotic and annoying."

Yuki shook her short blonde hair and sighed.

"If Gojo Satoshi were ranked like a normal sorcerer, and could exorcise a Grade 1 curse with just a katana, what level would he be?"

"Well, exorcising a Grade 1 curse without using Cursed Energy... then adding the abilities from Sode no Shirayuki, he'd definitely qualify as Grade 1."

Yuki said softly and followed them from a distance to the Yorozuya entrance.

(To be continued.)

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