Chapter 36: Curse

Chapter 36: Curse

Yuta Okkotsu was found in a battle-scarred landscape, lying motionless on the ground, which startled a few people. After checking his condition, they realized he was merely in a deep sleep, similar to exhaustion.

After being roused, he opened his eyes to see several people surrounding him. His first concern was their injuries.

"Everyone... are you all right? And Hajime, you're back too..."

Kamihara Hajime helped him up. "Everyone's fine. Gojo and I came back together. We were delayed a bit because of something there."

Panda smiled from beside him. "Yuta, you did great! You alone repelled that Special Grade Curse Master."

Yuta Okkotsu looked at Panda's raised left arm, which was missing half, with fluffy cotton bursting from the gap. Yuta exclaimed, "Panda! Your arm..."

Panda shook his cotton arm. His chest also had similar bursting cotton, but he looked relaxed. "Yuta, don't worry! My arm is different from theirs. It can be dealt with in other ways later."

"Thank you for saving us."

"Salmon!"

Panda's serious words and Inumaki Toge's nodding made ripples in his eyes. Maki, perhaps with a new hairstyle, didn't look as sharp as usual. She said softly, "Congratulations, Yuta. Your wish has begun to come true."

Yuta Okkotsu, smiling from the heart, looked at his companions around him, feeling as if something filled his heart. Just then, a voice calling him sounded from behind them.

Turning around, it was Rika, who had changed somewhat. Her head, which was originally just a mouth full of fangs, now had a single vertical eye. Although she was calm now, her aura seemed even stronger.

Yuta Okkotsu paused, then stood up and walked towards Rika. Panda asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Yuta?"

Yuta Okkotsu's steps faltered, then he half-turned, not daring to look at them, and said, "Uh, well, I asked her to lend me her power, and in exchange, Rika and I agreed to leave this world together..."

"Huh? Aren't you seeking death? What are you thinking, you idiot!"

Maki, who had recovered some of her usual demeanor, immediately snapped at Yuta Okkotsu. He stammered, unsure what to say. Then, Kamihara Hajime suddenly waved his hand in front of Maki, causing her eyebrows to furrow. But then, at Kamihara Hajime's signal, she, Panda, and Inumaki Toge all froze at the sight.

The grotesque figure that was there had dispersed into black mist, flowing everywhere, replaced by a petite figure, a girl.

"Rika..."

"Clap, clap, clap." A clear round of applause sounded, and everyone looked over to see Gojo Satoru, without his blindfold, walking towards them. Then Maki and the others simultaneously asked, "Who are you?"

Gojo Satoru's smile stiffened. "I'm the handsome Gojo Satoru, your teacher."

Clearing his throat, Gojo Satoru continued, "Earlier, Yuta proposed a very interesting idea, so I had someone investigate your family backgrounds. Rika's was quickly completed with nothing special, but Yuta's took some time to figure out. I found out afterwards..."

"It turns out you are a descendant of Sugawara no Michizane, which means... although it's a bit distant, Yuta, you're my relative!" Looking at the somewhat childishly smiling Gojo Satoru, Yuta Okkotsu was a bit confused. "Who is Suga?"

It was Maki and Panda who enlightened him. This was one of the legendary Three Great Vengeful Spirits, and in the Jujutsu World, he seemed to have been a real Jujutsu Sorcerer, an ancestor of the Gojo Family. Kamihara Hajime only recalled some impression after hearing them speak.

"So, Yuta's idea is correct. It wasn't Rika who placed a Curse on you, but you who placed a Curse on Rika."

The deeply etched scene reappeared before Yuta Okkotsu's eyes: blood spilled on the road, the twisted figure collapsing before him, and his own young, almost broken self at the time...

"Don't die!"

Gojo Satoru looked at Rika, who was in the form of a cute little girl, and then leisurely said, "When the one who placed the Curse abolishes the master-servant restriction, and the one who was Cursed has no intention of punishment, the Curse is lifted, though it's clear from Rika's appearance."

Yuta Okkotsu felt as if something had gripped his heart. His legs gave way, and he fell to his knees on the ground, which was wet with his falling tears. "It was all my fault... I caused Rika to become like that, and all those who were hurt because of me, and being targeted by Suguru Geto, almost causing everyone to die... it was all me..."

Yuta Okkotsu, almost in tears, fell into deep self-reproach. It turned out that everything from Rika to what followed was caused by him. Even Panda, Maki, and Inumaki Toge, whom he considered friends, almost "died" today because of him.

And the one he felt most sorry for was Rika.

To be forced to stay by his side in that state must have been very painful...

"Yuta... thank you."

A pair of small hands rested on Yuta Okkotsu's head. Rika, in the form of a little girl, leaned in and hugged him, then softly said, "Thank you for giving me the chance to stay by your side, Yuta. These past six years, Rika has been happier than she was in life."

Yuta Okkotsu's eyes widened slightly, then tears streamed down again, though this time it wasn't entirely from self-reproach. The small figure hugged Yuta Okkotsu for a moment before letting go. Yuta, looking up, saw Rika smiling sweetly, her whole body seeming to emit a faint light.

Rika reached out and placed her hand on Yuta Okkotsu's face, wiping away his tears, then smiled and said, "Yuta, take care of yourself. Don't come looking for me too soon."

"Goodbye..."

The light on Rika's body grew brighter, and her body began to partially turn illusory. As Yuta Okkotsu managed a smiling nod, Rika's figure instantly transformed into countless shimmering particles that floated into the sky.

Everyone looked up at the beautiful sight, perhaps captivated by the scenery or moved by the story between the two. Watching the faint rainbow light reflected in the sky, they fell silent for a moment.

Yuta Okkotsu, now standing, gazed at the traces fading into the horizon, his face still tear-stained, revealing his most genuine smile.

On the other side, Kamihara Hajime asked Gojo Satoru, "Teacher, is love truly a Curse? Yuta unintentionally Cursed Rika because of love, but in the end, they were also saved by love. Does this mean these things need to be viewed dialectically..."

Kamihara Hajime stopped speaking at this point, then changed the subject. "Oh, I forgot... Teacher, you don't seem to have a girlfriend or anything, do you? So naturally, you wouldn't know much about this topic. It's understandable."

The smiling Gojo Satoru couldn't maintain his composure. "Huh? You little brat!"

The war was over, and naturally, various aftermath tasks followed.

The damaged buildings in Shinjuku, Kyoto, and Jujutsu High had already begun to be repaired. Casualties here were not significant. Suguru Geto, the primary culprit, had been eliminated, and his remaining followers retreated quickly from the battlefield. Most of the deaths were among the Cursed Spirits.

After Shuten-dōji was exorcised, Minamoto Naine's body, which had been possessed, was carefully taken into custody by Jujutsu High. The healed body appeared to have returned to its original state, but Minamoto Naine could not immediately return to her body.

Logically, it shouldn't be difficult for her Technique to return to her body; she had experience with "out-of-body" and returning. However, according to her in her soul state, her body seemed to have undergone some changes, making her return difficult.

This aspect also piqued Ieiri Shoko's interest. Under her and Gojo Satoru's arrangements, research was underway on this situation. Many cursed tools, barriers, and talismans were used to stabilize Minamoto Naine in her soul state. Although it was unclear if they were effective, it was a precautionary measure.

Based on the current situation, Minamoto Naine's return to her body was only a matter of time, so it was left to Ieiri Shoko.

Maki and the others recovered quickly with Yuta Okkotsu's treatment. Panda returned to Principal Yaga to have his body repaired. Later, upon hearing about Kamihara Hajime's achievements on the battlefield, learning that he had exorcised another Special Grade Cursed Spirit, the legendary Shuten-dōji, and that the opponent could even use Domain Expansion...

Everyone had a strange expression. On one side, Yuta had single-handedly repelled and severely wounded the Special Grade Curse Master Suguru Geto. On the other side, Kamihara Hajime had slain a Special Grade Cursed Spirit within a Domain Expansion. Just thinking about it put so much pressure on them.

"No, we can't let them leave us far behind. Panda, Toge, let's go train together."

Maki dragged them both towards the training ground. Kamihara Hajime looked at Gojo Satoru after he finished talking with Yuta Okkotsu. The latter handed Yuta his lost student ID.

"I didn't pick it up. It was my best friend, my only best friend..."

Gojo Satoru, wrapped in bandages, couldn't reveal the expression in his eyes. Yuta Okkotsu was unaware of the full story, but Kamihara Hajime generally understood the meaning, and Gojo's best friend...

Kamihara Hajime wasn't someone who was good at comforting others. In fact, Kamihara Hajime felt that Gojo Satoru didn't need anyone to comfort him. Some things and emotions could only be enjoyed and endured alone.

The saying that people's joys and sorrows are not interconnected is sometimes more than just a joke. Emotions arising from empathy for another's situation are usually superficial. Even with the same event, different people can have different emotional depths.

Perhaps your self-perceived empathy is not even one-ten-thousandth of what the person involved feels in their heart. And these things can probably only be left to time. What time cannot erase will eventually be buried, as long as a gust of wind doesn't blow away the sand, leaving you bleeding again.

"By the way, Hajime, your Grade 1 approval has been granted. From now on, you are a Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer."

Hearing Gojo Satoru's words, Kamihara Hajime showed no excitement. Instead, he casually asked, "By the way, Teacher. Have those corrupt old men interfered with Ieiri Shoko's handling of Minamoto Naine's matter?"

Gojo Satoru, enveloped in the chill from the surrounding snowy landscape, said faintly, "No, I personally sent the people. Nanami is also there."

His gaze, like Kamihara Hajime's, fell on the three curse swords at the latter's waist. After removing the Curses attached to them, the three curse swords, besides their ancient aura, also revealed their clear, autumn-water-like blades. Even if they weren't cursed tools, they were probably rare and precious swords.

"Since they lost this sword, it should be my spoils of war now." Kamihara Hajime, walking behind, showed a cold expression. Thinking of the so-called strict protection that quickly failed, leading to the loss of Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, which caused Shuten-dōji to reappear in the world and was also the reason for Minamoto Naine's current situation, Kamihara Hajime couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.

Gojo Satoru, however, showed no particular expression. He agreed with Kamihara Hajime's statement and said that he would handle the subsequent matters. More would have to wait until Minamoto Naine, the main person involved, woke up. This matter wouldn't end so quickly, and there was also the issue with Hakari and the others... it seemed those old men needed some "repairs."

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