Chapter 26 – The Strongest Special Grade!
Slurp, slurp…
In a small ramen shop in Shibuya, Zen'in Shinsuke and Kusakabe Atsuya were hunched over steaming bowls of noodles.
"It's been three days already," Kusakabe muttered between bites. "Not a single trace. You think that cursed spirit already left?"
They had swept the area thoroughly—three whole days of patrolling. Forget a Special Grade, they hadn't even run into anything remotely challenging.
And from the reports, it wasn't like the other sectors were having any luck either.
"Relax," Shinsuke said casually, slurping his noodles with relish. "Just think of it as a few days of sightseeing on the school's tab. What's the rush?"
Kusakabe paused, then gave a wry smile. "Fair point. If this keeps up, the higher-ups will probably call off the mission anyway. Might as well enjoy the downtime while it lasts."
He leaned closer, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Oh, right—Shinsuke-sensei. I heard you've got a thing for strong cursed spirits. You must be dying to find this Special Grade, huh?"
It was a rumor Kusakabe had overheard back at Jujutsu High. The most striking impression everyone seemed to have of Zen'in Shinsuke was his obsession with exorcising powerful cursed spirits. Supposedly, it all came from the fact that he was born without cursed energy. That hunger to challenge strong opponents, to prove himself—that even without cursed energy, he was no less than any sorcerer.
Shinsuke shrugged. "Eh, it's not that deep. I'm just… curious how strong a Special Grade really is."
In truth, he knew of many Special Grades. But outside of Geto's Tamamo-no-Mae manifestation and the recent glimpse of Rika, he had never actually faced one head-on.
Before Kusakabe could press further, the intercom device on their table crackled to life:
"Hello? Can everyone hear me? I'm with Mei-san—we've located the Special Grade cursed spirit. We've set up camp and… ah! No—Mei-san! Watch out!—"
A deafening BOOM cut the transmission, followed by nothing but static.
"Utahime!" Kusakabe's face hardened. Just moments ago he'd been grumbling about the lack of progress, and now—this.
"Shinsuke-sensei, we've got to move! …Shinsuke-sensei?"
He turned—and froze.
The seat next to him was empty. Shinsuke was already gone.
"…You call that being 'a little curious'?" Kusakabe groaned, hastily throwing money on the counter before rushing out after him.
---
Meanwhile, in another part of Shibuya, Satoru Gojo also caught the transmission.
But unlike the others, he didn't immediately make a move.
Instead, his gaze lingered on the man standing across from him. A faint trace of nostalgia flickered in his eyes.
"Do you really plan to keep walking this dark path?" Gojo asked quietly. "It's not too late to turn back."
The man's lips curved into a familiar smile.
"Satoru, what are you talking about? This path I've chosen… it's the only one that leads to the light."
Suguru Geto's face carried a faint smile.
Ever since devoting himself fully to his cause, life had become almost effortless. Each day, his goal was clear:
expand his influence, expand his influence… and expand it further still.
Once he had gathered enough strength, he would wipe out every non-sorcerer in the world.
Only then would he truly realize his vision—a world where no cursed spirits could ever exist again.
And when that day came, he believed Satoru Gojo would eventually understand him.
"Enough chatting, Satoru. I'm going to absorb that cursed spirit now."
Geto had, of course, heard the message from Gojo's radio.
That spirit was his true target.
Special grade curses were rare, and one capable of rapid growth was rarer still. Securing it was crucial for his next steps.
"Geto… you think I'll just let you go?" Gojo blocked his path, his gaze unwavering.
Whatever their past bond, right now they stood on opposite sides.
Geto refused to turn back, and Gojo could not allow him to keep walking this path.
With a sharp snap of his fingers, several figures emerged around them—members of Geto's faction.
He had long expected Gojo to stand in his way, and his preparations were thorough.
"Just stall him."
With that, Geto's body blurred into motion, rushing toward the special grade's location.
Gojo's eyes hardened. He moved to give chase, but an attack intercepted him.
Geto's followers scattered, peppering him with long-range interference.
They didn't need to defeat him—they couldn't defeat him—they just needed to buy time.
For an instant, murderous intent flickered in Gojo's heart.
He considered going all out, erasing them in a flash, and catching up to Geto.
But the thought passed as quickly as it came.
Looking at their tense, desperate faces, his expression softened into a cold smile.
"Geto… so you even accounted for this. But that cursed spirit… you still won't get it."
Because Jujutsu High had more than just him.
—
Meanwhile, across Shibuya, a massive curtain sealed off an area. It barred civilians while preventing panic from spreading.
"BOOM—!!"
A violent explosion erupted inside. A burst of fire hurled Mei Mei back through the air.
She twisted mid-flight, landing in a controlled backflip.
"Mei Mei!"
Utahime's face was pale with worry as she rushed forward, desperate to check on her.
"Stay back! Everyone, fall back!" Mei Mei barked sharply.
Her grip tightened around her enormous axe, eyes locked on the looming silhouette emerging from the flames.
"You humans… are far too weak."
From the fire strode a humanoid curse at least three meters tall.
Its body was sheathed in black scales over corded muscle, seams glowing with molten-blue liquid that crackled with arcs of electricity.
A long tail dragged behind it, gouging the ground.
Where eyes should have been, two black, backward-curving horns jutted forward.
Its sheer presence radiated crushing strength.
"Even that man… is no match for me now."
It sneered at the assembled sorcerers, their auras insignificant in its perception.
Having already undergone one evolution, it no longer feared even the one who scarred it before.
On the contrary, it craved another fight with him—
to defeat him, and ascend again.
This was a special grade born with terrifying talent and an insatiable hunger for strength.
Mei Mei's lips pressed into a thin line. She seriously considered dropping the mission right there.
This thing was far beyond their ability to handle.
One first-grade sorcerer, a support-type semi-first grade, and a few grade twos?
They wouldn't last minutes.
She'd faced special grades before, but none as overwhelmingly powerful as this.
This level demanded a special grade sorcerer, at minimum.
"Utahime. Get ready to retreat."
Her decision was made: hold out for a few minutes.
If reinforcements didn't arrive, she'd abandon the payout.
Money could be earned again.
If she lost her life, who would spend it?
Utahime heard the weight in her voice and knew this enemy was beyond them.
She had already activated her Solo Forbidden Zone, boosting her allies' cursed energy and output.
And still, they were utterly outclassed.
Worse—she could feel it wasn't even serious yet.
It was toying with them.
"…Got it." Utahime nodded firmly.
If things went south, they had only one choice. Retreat.