Chapter 62 – The Cursed Womb
"Let's go!"
With a toothpick in his mouth, Zen'in Shinsuke strolled out with Yuki Tsukumo, carefree as ever—no hint of paying for their massive feast.
Toji's lips twitched violently. He still had to stand at the door and see them off, which only made him feel more bitter.
As their figures disappeared, his mood calmed.
"Yuki Tsukumo…? No wonder the name sounded familiar. A special-grade sorcerer, huh?"
He finally recalled the eccentric special grade from Jujutsu High—the one who never took missions and had a rocky relationship with the higher-ups.
"…Actually, she's kind of perfect for him."
Thinking about his brother's impossible personality, Toji figured the two would surprisingly get along. At least he no longer had to worry about his brother's "lifelong prospects." In a way, that was good news.
---
Meanwhile, Shinsuke revved his bike, glancing at the sky. It was still early—plenty of time to show Yuki around.
"Where to next?"
"Hmm… I'm stuffed. Let's just go home and sleep!" Yuki spread her arms wide, savoring the night wind.
"Not even a little walk?"
"Home. Beauty sleep comes first!"
Shinsuke's face twitched. If he didn't know her so well, he might've actually believed that. Still, he said nothing more—home it was.
Back at the Zen'in family compound, the place was spotless despite his long absence. Clearly, someone had been ordered to clean it regularly. Probably the old man's doing, since the family's "treasured heir" was his nephew now.
"Feels good to be home," Yuki said as she collapsed onto the sofa, her whole body sinking into relaxation. She never thought she'd actually have a place to call home.
"Let's get our marriage license tomorrow," she said suddenly, serious for once.
"…What brought that up?" Shinsuke blinked in surprise. Paperwork like that hardly mattered to people like them, didn't it?
"What? You don't want to?" Yuki raised her fist, threatening. "Whether you do or not—we're going."
"Whatever you say…" Shinsuke sighed. "I'm going to shower."
"I'm coming too!" She bounced up, shoving him toward the bathroom with a mischievous grin.
---
For the next ten days, the two practically disappeared into each other—until a call from Jujutsu High cut their bliss short.
Ring ring ring…
"Hello?"
"Zen'in-sensei, it's me—Ijichi."
"Oh, Ijichi. What is it?" Shinsuke straightened immediately.
"A cursed womb was discovered three hours ago. Five victims are trapped inside with it. Based on predictions, if it matures, it will evolve into a special grade."
Ijichi quickly laid out the situation. "The first-years have already gone in to confirm survivors. I'm worried it'll transform early, so…"
"You want the first-years to face a special grade?"
"This mission was supposed to be Gojo-sensei's, but you know he can't stay at the school long-term. Right now, only the first-years are available…"
Ordinary sorcerers facing a special grade only had two options: flee—or die.
"Got it. Send me the location."
Shinsuke wasted no time. He changed clothes and grabbed his gear. A special grade curse was worth killing—he wouldn't let Sukuna steal the spotlight.
"Mission?" Yuki asked, watching him head for the door.
"Mm. Just a small one."
"Then I'm coming too. We've been slacking long enough—I need to do some real work."
Shinsuke only nodded. For all her carefree talk, he knew Yuki carried a strong sense of duty.
He grabbed a cursed spear, and together they set out.
As they mounted their bikes, Yuki called out with a teasing smile:
"Next time we come back, let's make a baby, yeah?"
Shinsuke froze for half a beat, then nodded. "If you say so."
"Deal." She grinned, fastening her helmet before riding off.
Her original plan had been to rid the world of curses before thinking about marriage or children. But curses had been around for thousands of years, and even if she'd found some leads, there was no guarantee she could end them completely.
So why not build a family first—and then save the world?
Shinsuke twirled his spear twice, watching her ride away, then turned and sped toward the cursed womb's location.
---
At the same time, the first-year trio had already entered the building. Their mission: confirm and rescue any survivors.
"Special grade… can we really handle this?" Nobara Kugisaki whispered, shivering as the crimson glow of the warped building pressed down on her.
Barely a few weeks into school, and they were already thrown into a nightmare-level mission.
"No choice. This job is always short on manpower. With Gojo-sensei gone, it's on us," Megumi said, keeping calm. "Don't panic. The Divine Dogs will warn us of danger."
"…Wait, didn't the entrance just disappear?" Itadori blinked.
Sure enough, the way they'd entered was sealed off by twisting pipes of metal.
"What the hell…?"
Megumi's face hardened. The entire building was now a barrier domain—a living, breathing construct of cursed energy. Since becoming a sorcerer, this was the first time he'd seen one on this scale.
"I swear this is where we came in… So what now? Are we stuck?" Nobara asked nervously.
"Relax. The Divine Dogs can follow the scent. They'll get us out."
"Good boy! You hear that? You're amazing!" Nobara and Itadori immediately knelt to rub the white dog's head, promising treats.
"…Focus, you idiots," Megumi groaned, exasperated. This is a special grade's lair. Can't they take this seriously for once?!
The three pressed on, eventually reaching a wide, empty chamber.
Inside—one of the victims. Already dead.
"…This is—!"
Yuji's pupils shrank as he spotted the name tag on the corpse's uniform.
"It's that lady's son… the one waiting outside."
"Then we should bring him back."
Yuji bent down, preparing to lift the body onto his back. At the very least, the grieving mother deserved closure.
But Megumi stopped him.
"We still need to confirm the status of the others. Leave the body here."
"If we don't carry him out now, the exit might vanish," Yuji argued firmly. "Then we won't be able to bring him back at all."
"I never said we'd come back. I meant to leave the corpse here." Megumi's frown deepened. "He was never meant to be saved. I had no intention of bringing his body out."
Yuji froze, then his brows knitted in anger.
"What do you mean never meant to be saved?"
The two clashed head-to-head, their voices sharp, the argument escalating—on the brink of a fight.
"Quit it, you idiots!"
Nobara rolled up her sleeves, her face twisted into fury. "Can't you see where we are? This isn't the damn time!"
But the moment she stepped forward—
Shuuup!
The ground beneath her writhed, a mass of black cursed energy surging upward. It coiled around her legs and yanked her down into the floor.
"Huh?!"
"No—impossible?!"
Megumi's eyes went wide. His Divine Dog hadn't given the slightest warning.
He turned—and his heart sank.
The white dog had already been fused into the wall, its head grotesquely jutting out, lifeless and stiff. Dead.
"Run! Now! We'll find Nobara later!" Megumi shouted, his face pale.
Because in that instant—
The cursed womb had fully transformed.