The auxiliary supervisor couldn't provide much information.
This was because the investigators of the jujutsu world, known as "Windows," were people who possessed cursed energy and could see curses but did not have an innate cursed technique.
Once an investigation went a little deeper, the chances of encountering a curse would increase significantly. And jujutsu users without a born technique usually couldn't even handle a Grade 3 curse, so they typically only carried out basic investigations.
Since they only conducted basic investigations, the information they could gather was very limited.
In most cases, the jujutsu sorcerers designated to carry out the exorcism requests had to personally investigate the surroundings.
This rural town wasn't very big, with a population of only between one to two thousand people, but it would still take quite some time for just four people to investigate the whole town.
So, the four of them decided to split up, hoping to complete the assignment within the day.
"Did you guys find anything?"
"Nothing at all."
"The area I was responsible for only had some lingering cursed residue left behind by curses, but the trace is already very faint. I couldn't track it."
"I did find a Grade 3 curse, but it was the harmless kind, so it's probably not our target."
At sunset, the four of them regrouped at the meeting spot.
They reported their findings to one another, but clearly, an entire afternoon of effort didn't yield much progress.
"Sigh, I'm exhausted," Nobara Kugisaki said as she plopped down on a nearby rock without caring about her appearance, looking rather tired. "I ran from one end of the town to the other, visited dozens of residents, and in the end, all I did was waste a bunch of energy without gaining anything."
"Well, once we graduate, this will be something we'll face all the time," Megumi Fushiguro also looked a bit drained and said weakly, "I don't think we'll be able to finish this assignment today. We might need to spend the night here and continue the investigation tomorrow."
As jujutsu sorcerers, both their constitution and stamina were above that of normal people.
But both Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki were traditional jujutsu sorcerers—stronger than the average person, yes, but not by much.
Not to mention that in a small town like this, even Kento Nanami couldn't drive in, so they had to rely on walking the entire day.
"By the way, does this town even have an inn? I didn't see one while I was out."
"If there's really no other choice, we could spend a bit of money and stay at a villager's house. The school will reimburse us anyway."
"Oh, then let's go. I met a very kind old lady near a small store earlier—she'll probably let us stay the night."
Listening to Nobara and Fushiguro conversation, Yuji Itadori was momentarily stunned.
It wasn't until they were really getting ready to leave that he spoke up, somewhat belatedly.
"Wait, we're just calling it quits for today?"
Yuji checked the time, finding it hard to believe. "It's only six o'clock—there's still plenty of time to investigate, you know?"
"Not everyone has a monster-level body like you!" Nobara rolled her eyes. "Even jujutsu sorcerers have their limits. I've been walking non-stop the whole afternoon—my back and legs are killing me."
"Technically, we could keep investigating, but maintaining a good condition is more important," Fushiguro agreed. "The school gave us three days to solve this case. There's no need to rush."
"But... But Ijichi-sensei said someone's already gone missing!" Yuji said anxiously. "Every second we slack off here, they're more likely to die!"
"That's just a way to make it sound less harsh. Even though they're 'missing,' curses don't take hostages. In ninety-nine percent of cases, 'missing' means 'dead,'" Fushiguro replied calmly. "Besides, this exorcism request involves a quasi-Grade 1 curse. Ordinary people wouldn't stand a chance against that level of curse."
"I..."
Yuji wanted to argue but the words got stuck in his throat.
While he knew that Fushiguro was technically correct—and that any jujutsu sorcerer standing here would agree—he simply couldn't bring himself to give up so early.
The main reason he became a jujutsu sorcerer was to use his strength to help others.
What if this was the one-percent case?
In ninety-nine percent of cases, someone captured by a curse was as good as dead, but what if this time it wasn't?
Yuji didn't want to waste precious time resting—especially when he didn't even feel tired.
However, he also understood he couldn't force others to keep moving.
He wasn't tired, but his teammates clearly were.
If he insisted on continuing the investigation and they encountered a curse, given Fushiguro and Nobara's current state, it could be dangerous.
"You guys go rest. I'll continue investigating with Itadori."
Just as Yuji was struggling over what to do, Kurumi Tokisaki voice rang out.
"I'm not too tired. I still have plenty of stamina."
"Ah, I almost forgot you and Itadori are in the same category," Nobara said, looking at Kurumi—who didn't look even the slightest bit winded—and finally remembered that her physical strength was also monstrous.
"Alright, if it's the two of you together, there shouldn't be a problem."
Fushiguro thought for a moment and didn't stop them. He nodded in agreement with the suggestion.
After all, in their team, the two with the highest combat power were Kurumi Tokisaki and Yuji Itadori.
Either one of them alone could handle a quasi-Grade 1 curse without much trouble—let alone the two of them together.
"Then we'll go find a place to rest. Once we do, we'll send you guys a message," Fushiguro said. "If you do discover any solid leads, don't act on your own—send us a message. Four people are always better than two."
"Of course."
After a brief conversation, they divided up the work and split into two groups, heading off in different directions.
The countryside was nothing like the city—once the sun went down, signs of activity quickly disappeared.
There were no colorful neon lights—just the faint silver light of the moon.
"The countryside night sky really is different from the city's," Yuji said, looking up at the star-filled sky. "I think it's because of light pollution or something? You don't see this many stars in the city."
"But no matter how many stars there are, they still can't light the path ahead," Kurumi replied calmly. "Now that the sun's fully set, can you still see your surroundings?"
"Yeah, I've got super good vision. When I had my eyes tested, I could see the smallest row of symbols," Yuji answered. "What about you, Tokisaki?"
"I can see just fine too."
"Good to hear," Yuji breathed a sigh of relief. "By the way, thanks for stepping up earlier and agreeing to investigate with me."
"No need to thank me," Kurumi smiled. "After all, if you'd wanted to go alone, Fushiguro definitely wouldn't have allowed it."
"Haha, true," Yuji chuckled. "You really are kind, Tokisaki."
"Don't think Fushiguro too strict—he's just worried about you."
"Of course."
After a bit of small talk, Yuji straightened his expression. "Right, do you have any leads for the investigation?"
"No. The area I investigated was the farmland section—didn't find anything unusual," Kurumi replied. "What about you?"
"The area I investigated was the one where the cattle are raised," Yuji Itadori replied. "There, I found some residual cursed energy, but it was very faint, probably left behind several days ago."
"Residual cursed energy, huh..."
Tokisaki Kurumi nodded slightly and suggested, "Take me to have a look."
"Sure, alright."
Yuji Itadori didn't refuse and led Tokisaki Kurumi to the location where the residual cursed energy lingered.
Although he hadn't noticed anything significant, that didn't mean others wouldn't either.
His sensitivity to cursed energy wasn't particularly high—in fact, he had only learned how to detect residual cursed energy just a few days ago. It was entirely possible that he had missed some crucial clues.
Among the four of them, Tokisaki Kurumi was undoubtedly the most sensitive to cursed energy—her ability could even rival the shikigami controlled by Megumi Fushiguro.
The two of them jogged along, and it only took a few minutes to reach their destination.
"It's definitely very faint now..."
Tokisaki Kurumi squinted her eyes, feeling the lingering traces of the curse that had passed through this area.
Had they come even a day later, these traces would have completely faded away.
Fortunately, although the residual cursed energy was already weak, Tokisaki Kurumi could still just barely discern some clues.
For example—the direction in which the cursed spirit had traveled.
Stopping and walking intermittently, and confirming repeatedly, Tokisaki Kurumi followed the lingering energy, with Yuji Itadori by her side, until they arrived at a nearby forest.
"There are traces of blood."
Tokisaki Kurumi noticed faint bloodstains on the tree bark.
However, the blood had clearly been left a while ago—only a professional forensics expert or someone with experience might be able to estimate how long ago.
All she could do was vaguely guess that the darkened bloodstains had been there for at least a whole day.
"Now that we're here, I can feel more residual cursed energy too," Yuji Itadori said, his gaze turning toward the depths of the forest. "Up ahead must be where the cursed spirit has been most active. Should we contact Fushiguro and the others?"
"It hasn't even been that long. Fushiguro and the others probably haven't even found a place to rest yet." Tokisaki Kurumi shook her head. "Let's wait until we find concrete evidence—then we can call them over."
"Good point."
Since Tokisaki Kurumi said so, Yuji Itadori had no objections.
With a clearer direction for their investigation, the two of them picked up their pace and ran deeper into the forest.
Before long, they faintly saw the outline of a dilapidated structure ahead.
In the remote tranquility of the deep mountains and old forest, a long-abandoned temple stood atop moss-covered stone steps.
Time and weather had eroded the temple's exterior; the murals on the walls were in ruins, as if telling tales of the ages long past.
Inside the wide-open gates, the temple's former serenity and sanctity had long been devoured by the years, leaving behind only desolation.
The remaining Buddhist statues within the hall were worn and broken from wind and rain. Covered in patches of moss, they seemed to silently speak of their former glory. Dust lay thick in the corners, and weeds had stubbornly sprouted through the gaps in the stone floor.
Deep mountains, ancient forest, nighttime, and an abandoned temple...
Those words combined painted a picture terrifying enough to make any ordinary person turn back.
However, Yuji Itadori and Tokisaki Kurumi weren't easily frightened. Instead, they raised their vigilance and cautiously stepped into the temple.
"There's a strong concentration of residual energy... no, it's not just residual energy. I can actually feel the presence of cursed energy now," Yuji Itadori said, already adopting a defensive stance. "Looks like this is the cursed spirit's lair. Should we notify Fushiguro and the others?"
"Wait."
Tokisaki Kurumi sensed the aura around them and said hesitantly, "The cursed spirit here... seems to have already been exorcised."
"Already exorcised?"
"Yes." Tokisaki Kurumi nodded. "I can only feel pure cursed energy, but no hostility. That means either the cursed spirit here was harmless to humans... or it was exorcised before we arrived."
A cursed spirit that's harmless to humans?
That kind of thing shouldn't even exist.
Cursed spirits are born from hatred and fear. They are inherently hostile toward humans.
Even someone like Yuji Itadori, who was still a novice in the world of jujutsu, knew that.
"Boom————!"
Just as the two continued exploring the temple, the sound of battle suddenly came from the distance.
And it wasn't a small commotion either!
Yuji Itadori instantly went on alert, leaping to the top of the temple in just a few steps to get a better view.
Although the moonlight was faint, he could still see several kilometers away where dust and smoke billowed into the air.
"Looks like a jujutsu sorcerer is fighting over there," Yuji Itadori said, leaping back down. "Let's go help!"
"Then it must've been that sorcerer who exorcised the cursed spirit here," Tokisaki Kurumi said with a nod. "Alright, let's go check it out."
Given the urgency of the situation, neither of them thought about contacting their teammates—they immediately rushed toward the source of the battle.
They were already far from the town, and it would take Megumi Fushiguro and Kugisaki Nobara at least two hours to get here.
In two hours, the whole situation would be long over.
Staying alert and cautious, they quickly approached the scene of the battle.
"This is brutal..."
Looking at the destroyed trees around them, the cracked earth, and the scorched vegetation as if a massive explosion had occurred, Yuji Itadori furrowed his brows.
This level of destruction couldn't have been caused by a second- or third-grade sorcerer.
At the very least, it had to be a first-grade sorcerer.
Or perhaps... even a special-grade.
"Help... someone, help me..."
From amidst the devastated forest, a weak cry for help came from one direction.
"Someone... please help me..."