Satoru Gojo had originally expected to witness something unexpected.
For example, that Nightmare came here with an ulterior motive.
Or that Kurumi Tokisaki had sensed his suspicion toward her and therefore brought Nightmare along to stage a performance to gain his trust.
In reality, something unexpected indeed occurred.
Nightmare actually did nothing at all—she genuinely seemed to be here just to hunt the Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Once the matter was resolved, she had no reason to stay any longer.
"I'll be right back."
Leaving behind just those words, Satoru Gojo disappeared from the surveillance room.
"Wait—!"
Gakuganji Yoshin was about to speak up to stop him.
But, as always, Satoru Gojo never listened to his commands. He always acted on his own whims.
Just as the old principal had barely begun to speak, Gojo vanished from the monitoring room, leaving Gakuganji both furious and helpless.
"Nightmare already about to leave. What the hell is he trying to do at this point?"
Gakuganji let out a long sigh and sat back down powerlessly. "I hope that brat isn't going to pick a fight with her."
When Nightmare first appeared, he did indeed want Satoru Gojo to eliminate her.
Not only because there were nearly ten students present at the time, but also because Nightmare movements were erratic and unpredictable—it was rare to encounter her.
However, now that Nightmare had exorcised the Special Grade Cursed Spirit and was preparing to leave without attacking any students—and since Gojo had admitted he couldn't keep her permanently—Gakuganji had given up the idea of subjugating her.
In his mind, the best scenario now would be for everyone to go their separate ways, pretending nothing happened today.
Yet just as Nightmare was about to leave, Gojo moved.
"Though Gojo can be a bit willful at times, he still has a sense of priorities."
Yaga Masamichi, who knew Gojo better, coughed and spoke in his defense. "I don't think he would try to fight Nightmare at a time like this."
"Let's hope so."
While Gakuganji was feeling worried, Satoru Gojo had already arrived outside the venue of the Exchange Event.
As expected, there was some kind of barrier preventing him from using instantaneous movement.
Looking at the massive domain in front of him, which covered several mountain ranges, Gojo narrowed his eyes. His Six Eyes began analyzing the structure of the barrier.
"There's no way I can break this in a short time… As expected, the person who set up this barrier is pretty skilled."
Gojo placed both hands on the barrier, feeling its repulsive force against him, and was quite surprised.
Of course, he could break it.
But that wasn't his goal. He didn't come here to destroy the barrier—he just wanted to have a word with Nightmare.
Even if he broke it, Nightmare would probably have already left.
"Tch, who the hell set up this thing?"
Just as Gojo was starting to feel annoyed, he sensed something and turned his gaze behind him.
Not far behind, from within a squirming shadow, Nightmare figure slowly emerged.
"You didn't leave directly?" Gojo asked with some surprise.
"I was planning to," Nightmare replied in a friendly tone, "but after sensing your presence, I thought I'd come over and say goodbye."
"Just to say goodbye?"
"Of course not." Nightmare smiled. "Have you forgotten about the deal between us, Gojo-san?"
At those words, Gojo heart tightened.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten.
But truth be told, he hadn't taken it seriously either.
He had already found the person Nightmare was looking for, but he had no intention of handing Kurumi Tokisaki over.
So, subconsciously, he felt that their deal had been fulfilled in a sense, and there was no urgency.
However, that clearly wasn't how Nightmare saw it.
She was still waiting on updates from his side.
It seemed that was her reason for showing up today.
"Of course I haven't forgotten. In fact, whenever I have free time, I go out to search for someone with cursed energy similar to yours."
Gojo quickly composed himself and lied without blinking. "But you know, finding a single person among the vast sea of people isn't easy, right?"
"Quite true." Nightmare nodded thoughtfully. "I've also spent a long time searching for that child, but I still have no leads."
"So I'm really sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer."
"I understand."
Nightmare showed no sign of disappointment, simply nodded slightly to say goodbye. "In that case, I'll be taking my leave. I hope that next time we meet, you'll have good news, Gojo-san."
"Wait. There's something I want to ask you."
Just as Nightmare was about to leave, Gojo spoke up to stop her.
"What is it?"
"It's about that black-and-white Special Grade Cursed Spirit that appeared at the Exchange Event," Gojo said, tapping on the barrier beside him. "And the forces behind it."
Now that he thought about it, Gojo had seen that bizarre black-and-white Cursed Spirit before.
Not long ago, a Special Grade Cursed Spirit capable of manipulating fire had appeared out of nowhere to challenge him.
Naturally, the result was one-sided. He effortlessly defeated it.
But just as he was about to finish the exorcism, the same black-and-white Cursed Spirit that appeared at the Exchange Event had silently shown up and rescued the fire-controlling one.
These two Special Grade Cursed Spirits not only possessed human-level intelligence but had even formed an alliance.
This was something Gojo had never heard of before.
Most Cursed Spirits were beings that acted purely on negative emotions, lacking true intelligence—driven by instinct.
Even Special Grades usually only possessed partial intellect and awareness. Cooperation was unheard of. They were more likely to cannibalize each other to become stronger.
Yet these two had formed an alliance—and might even be colluding with a high-level Cursed User, perhaps even a Grand Barrier Master among them. There might already be an organization forming behind the scenes...
A few scattered cursed spirits and users weren't a threat.
Even if they formed an organization, Gojo wouldn't be afraid.
But not everyone was like him. An organized group of cursed spirits and users was essentially a ticking time bomb for the entire jujutsu world.
Gojo desperately wanted information about this organization.
"You know something about them, don't you?"
Looking at the mysterious and unreadable woman before him, Gojo asked seriously, "About that cursed spirit, and the forces behind it."
The appearance of the black-and-white Special Grade at the Exchange Event clearly wasn't a coincidence. It had to be a premeditated attack.
But what the goal of that attack was—Gojo didn't yet know.
At least, not for now.
But just because he didn't know, didn't mean others didn't.
The cursed spirit had arrived at the scene of the Exchange Event—and Nightmare appeared right after to hunt it down. That clearly meant this woman knew something.
"You want to know about them?"
In response to Gojo inquiry, Nightmare didn't seem surprised. Instead, she gave a meaningful smile.
That smile made Gojo feel a faint sense of unease.
"Yes."
Satoru Gojo still nodded resolutely.
"I want you to tell me everything you know."
"Please stop, don't be in such a hurry."
Tokisaki Kurumi gently raised both hands as if to calm him down. Her tone was flat.
"Mr. Gojo, you seem a little too casual in front of me. Have you forgotten that we're not friends?"
"Of course I know that."
Satoru Gojo also realized he had been a bit reckless just now and coughed twice to cover his embarrassment.
"I won't ask you to tell me such important information for free. I can offer equivalent intelligence in exchange."
"If there's something I want to know, I'll investigate it myself. I only hope that Mr. Gojo can be more attentive to the task of finding the person I'm looking for."
"I promise I will—so long as you tell me the information I want to know."
"Hmm... is that so…"
Nightmare gently tapped her chin with a slender index finger, falling into thought.
Soon, as if she had thought of something interesting, the smile on her face widened a bit.
"How about this," Nightmare said. "When you bring the person I'm looking for in front of me, I'll tell you everything I know."
"But I really need that information right now."
"And I really need to find that child."
The shadow under Nightmare feet began to squirm again, gradually engulfing her.
"You've already obtained one of Sukuna fingers, and now you want even more information from me. Yet I haven't gotten anything, Mr. Gojo. This hardly seems like a fair trade."
"But I really, really need that information," Satoru Gojo clasped his hands together. "Please, Miss Nightmare, I'm begging you. Please~"
Amused by Satoru Gojo overly humble and pitiful demeanor, Nightmare let out a pleasant laugh.
"Since you're begging me, this kind-hearted Miss Nightmare will give you a tiny hint, then."
Just before she disappeared, Nightmare—smiling strangely—left him with one last sentence.
"When was the last time you visited your friend's grave?"
Sunlight spilled across the golden beach, illuminating each crystal-clear grain of sand and making them glisten faintly.
The waves gently crashed against the shore, producing a crisp and pleasant sound, as if welcoming every traveler who arrived.
The ocean shimmered under the sunlight, the deep blue water stretching to the horizon where it met the azure sky. In the distance, sea and sky seemed to blend into one, like a breathtaking painting.
On this beautiful beach were several reclining chairs. Two people were resting beneath the shade of a parasol, eyes closed, enjoying the wonders of nature.
"Oh, finally back, huh?"
Wearing a Hawaiian-style shirt, Jogo raised his sunglasses and looked toward the source of a familiar aura.
On the beach, a wooden door appeared abruptly.
As the door opened, a man walked out—his body covered in scars and patches, as if every piece of skin had been stripped from someone else and sewn onto him.
"Looks like the mission was a success."
This cursed spirit, born from humanity's hatred and fear of itself, was none other than Mahito. Carrying a large bag, he strolled forward.
Hanami's assault on the Jujutsu High students was never about slaughtering them all. The true purpose was simply to create a distraction so that Mahito could infiltrate the school.
While all the top sorcerers were focused on Hanami, Mahito was able to sneak into the vault containing numerous forbidden items and steal them.
All of Sukuna fingers that Jujutsu High had in storage.
As well as the first three of the Cursed Womb: Death Paintings—special-grade cursed objects.
These were the very items that made this operation so important to them.
"Where's Hanami?"
Just as Jogo was about to ask about the cursed items Mahito brought back, he noticed that someone was missing and frowned.
He hadn't taken part in this mission due to the injuries he sustained from challenging Satoru Gojo last time.
Only Hanami and Mahito had carried out the plan.
They had departed together.
But now, only Mahito had returned.
"Hanami..."
Mahito face was grim, as if he didn't know how to speak.
Seeing this, Jogo became anxious. The volcano-like structure on his head even began spewing flames, a sign of extreme emotional agitation.
"What happened to Hanami? Speak!"
"...He might've been killed."
Upon hearing this, Jogo was stunned for a moment.
But seeing that Mahito wasn't joking, his expression twisted in anger. Large flames erupted from the top of his head and ears, like a volcano about to explode.
"Who? Who killed Hanami!?" he shouted furiously. "Was it that bastard Satoru Gojo? I'll kill him! I swear I'll kill him!"
"Calm down, calm down…"
Almost roasted alive, Geto Suguru (possessed by Kenjaku) quickly tried to soothe him.
These special-grade cursed spirits were his collaborators.
But to him, they were nothing more than pawns. He felt no sadness or anger over Hanami's possible death.
He was simply confused.
"What exactly happened?" Geto muttered. "Even with all the backup strategies, Hanami should've had enough strength to escape."
Hanami's only task was to create a diversion. He wasn't supposed to fight Gojo at all. That had been made very clear before the operation.
Not to mention, a special barrier had been created to block Gojo, which should've kept him tied up for a while.
Even if that barrier was eventually broken, Hanami specialized in escape and concealment. He shouldn't have been exorcised so easily.
"I don't know. I was inside the school, far from Hanami's location."
Mahito pressed his lips together and shook his head.
"I only know that his presence vanished. He didn't show up at the meeting point, so it's highly likely he was killed."
"There must've been an unexpected variable…"
Geto expression turned thoughtful as he spoke.
"I'll go investigate what happened. You two stay here."