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Chapter 91 - Chapter 91: [Bonus] The Curse in the Well.

After Hajime effortlessly dealt with Sadako, her cursed body was torn apart and slowly dissipated into nothingness. The audience, still riding the high of victory, erupted in cheers. But even as Hajime remained composed, another sinister figure began crawling out from the dry well's depths.

The crowd watching the broadcast fell into a collective silence. A cold dread crawled up their spines, freezing their breath. Thankfully, the appearance of a Curse wasn't contagious. The viral nature of the video had nothing to do with its visuals—it was the curse embedded in the footage itself. Even if it played something harmless like Makka Pakka, the Curse would still trigger.

Sadako, however, seemed to lack sentience. She followed a programmed pattern—mechanical, predictable, and incapable of deception.

Standing beside Hajime, Asano Ichiki still hadn't come to his senses. His mind replayed that horrifying face and the intense pain that had pierced his chest moments ago.

"I should be dead... so what the hell is happening now?"

Then, his dazed eyes landed on the person next to him—someone unfamiliar yet instantly recognizable. It only took a glance for him to realize: it was Kamihara Hajime, the Special Grade Sorcerer whose name had been buzzing nonstop during the livestream.

"Thank—"

Asano's gratitude was cut short by the reappearance of the nightmare. A figure began crawling out of the dry well again, and the memory of his own death surged back violently.

"Stay back with her," Hajime said calmly.

Naoxu reacted instantly, grabbing Asano and pulling him to safety.

The new Sadako glared at Hajime, a venomous look in her one exposed eye. Her cursed aura and energy signature were identical to the previous one that had just been exorcised.

It was clear now—this wasn't resurrection. If anything, it meant her core body hadn't been destroyed. The others had been extensions.

Verification was simple: eliminate her again.

"Time Arrow—pierce."

Cursed Energy flared at Hajime's fingertips. Sadako extended a pale, skeletal arm from beneath her tattered sleeve, but before she could move further, a radiant flash erupted, instantly dispelling the surrounding darkness.

Now clearly visible to both the bystanders and countless viewers, Sadako's upper half—and the tunnel behind her—was completely vaporized into a blank void.

Her shredded body fell limply to the ground. Yet, the cursed well stood unchanged, its mouth dark and lightless.

Then, under Hajime's gaze, a pale hand reached up once more, skeletal fingers gripping the well's edge. That chilling eye, obscured by long black hair, followed.

She crawled out—jerky, insect-like, inhuman.

And then another arm emerged. Then another.

In just seconds, three identical Sadakos stood side by side on the moss-covered ground. Including the two he had already destroyed, Hajime had now faced five in total.

Their cursed energy signatures were still exact matches.

All three raised their pale arms in eerie synchronization. Hajime didn't stop them. He wanted to observe.

Once raised, their cursed attack struck.

From ten meters away, Hajime felt a brief sharp pain in his heart, which vanished immediately under the effects of his Technique Reversal.

But behind him, there was a thud—then another. Turning, he saw both Asano and Naoxu collapsed, faces twisted in lingering fear.

Time Wheel – Reverse.

They gasped back to consciousness, trembling. Realizing they were still alive, they both looked at Hajime with the same awe-filled expression.

"Their technique is basic," Hajime muttered. "One form of attack. But there's a clear anomaly."

He adjusted his grip on Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, and without another word, the Sadakos crumbled like faulty puppets.

With a flick of his hand, Hajime sealed Asano and Naoxu into protective Amber, then stepped into Time Null State and moved toward the cursed well. It hadn't vanished yet—its brief permanence was its weakness.

Drawing both Totsuka-no-Tsurugi and Onikiri, he dove in.

Darkness swallowed him, but he landed seconds later on solid ground. The dim light barely revealed his surroundings.

It looked like the surface—withered trees, a forest—and in the distance, yet another identical dry well. But Hajime knew better. This was no illusion or time loop.

The aura here was dense, suffocating. Something primordial.

A strange gurgling echoed nearby.

Hajime dispelled his Technique and stepped toward the new well, peering inside.

This time, no darkness blocked his view.

Instead, he saw pulsing, writhing flesh. Deep purple and dark red. Twisting, breathing, and glowing from within.

Before he could study it further, five Sadakos lunged from the shadows, interrupting him. Their attacks targeted his heart directly again—but they were useless against Hajime's Technique Reversal.

He sliced them down effortlessly.

But more Sadakos were forming out of thin air. Some already transparent.

"There's no end to them... fine. Come at me."

Clutching both blades, Hajime stood ready as monochrome hues bled into the world around him. Countless eyes emerged from the dark, watching him, judging him.

Another wave of Sadakos attacked. The pain was worse this time—strong enough to crack his skin. His body even showed the first signs of decay.

But it was all reversed—immediately. His Technique Reversal triggered automatically with the slightest damage to vital organs.

They had only one chance to strike together.

Now it was Hajime's turn.

He re-entered Time Null State and unleashed hell. Totsuka-no-Tsurugi and Onikiri became extensions of a storm, slicing through the curse-born monstrosities.

By the time his technique was dispelled, 286 Sadakos had been erased. None survived.

Hajime reappeared by the well, Cursed Energy glowing in his hand.

"Time Arrow."

The explosion of power wiped away the cursed flesh within the well completely. It wasn't the main body—just the Cursed Womb.

Sadako Yamamura had yet to truly emerge.

The shadows before had all been her proxies—simple, fragile, and short-lived. But she was nearing her true birth. If she fully manifested, the devastation wouldn't be limited to just one city.

After destroying the fleshy mass, the well's stone walls became visible again. But the anomaly didn't fade.

Suddenly, Hajime leaped back as black water surged from the well.

From it, a new Sadako emerged—one unlike the others.

Her movements were more refined. Her head lifted, revealing a face half-rotten, skull visible beneath the skin. From the jagged opening of her mouth, broken sounds began to emerge.

The first word was a shriek, impossible to make out. But the next…

"Domain Expansion!"

Everything went black. So dark that Hajime couldn't even see his hand. The only light shone from directly above.

Looking up, he saw the opening of the well.

Blue bricks, familiar stone—this was the original cursed well.

Before he could react, a giant shadow began sliding across the circular opening above. Hajime recognized it—a heavy stone lid, grinding into place.

Once it closed, he'd be sealed inside. Killed by the domain.

But Hajime wasn't going to follow her rules.

He forced the Time Wheel to halt—forward and reverse colliding at once.

It only lasted a fraction of a second, imperceptible to most.

But it was enough.

The Domain collapsed—unable to complete itself. Hajime returned to the forest as the cursed technique unraveled.

Sadako, still mid-air, was ripped apart, her Domain breaking into fragments around her.

She had no defense left.

Hajime's blade struck, impaling her completely. Her twisted body struggled for only a second before turning to dust.

This time, it was over.

With the true Sadako destroyed, the cursed well finally collapsed. The strange forest vanished, replaced by familiar scenery.

Asano, Naoxu, and the massive audience remained frozen in shock.

The black orb that had enclosed them shattered within seconds, followed by the cursed well dissolving into mist.

And then Hajime stepped into view.

He sheathed his swords. It was done.

The Curse known as Sadako Yamamura, a hypothetical Special Grade Cursed Spirit, had been exorcised.

---

Scene Change – Shibuya, Tokyo

Following the public Curse incident, underground jujutsu matches—especially those organized by Kinji Hakari—skyrocketed in popularity. Once secretive, they were now massive events, drawing huge crowds and betting pools.

But today, Hakari was approached by some unexpected visitors.

"You're telling me to abandon what I love and go back to those passionless duties?" Hakari muttered, lounging on a couch. Kirara Hoshi, dressed like a gyaru, sat beside him.

Opposite them sat Panda from the second year, and Megumi Fushiguro, a serious first-year from Tokyo Jujutsu High.

"You know this isn't allowed, right?" Megumi said, firm. "And with the rise in Cursed Spirits lately, Hajime said you can't just sit this out."

"I get it," Megumi added. "You've been through a lot. But what happened before—it won't happen again. Jujutsu High, and honestly, all of Japan, needs your strength."

"Gojo-sensei and the others are holding things down, but we can't keep up with the rate of Curse births. We need you, Senpai."

Hakari leaned forward, silent at first. Then his eyes sharpened.

"What about you, Megumi Fushiguro?"

Megumi blinked. "What?"

Hakari's voice cracked with sudden passion.

"Where's your drive? You say you care about all this? Then show me!"

He stood, energized.

"Let's fight—here and now. Convince me with action. Let me feel your conviction. Show me…"

"Your heart."

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