Chapter 68: Unexpected Investigation
"Six years ago, Okkotsu Yuta and Orimoto Rika were in a car accident when they went out. Orimoto Rika died instantly and became a Special Grade Cursed Spirit.
Since then, Okkotsu Yuta has become the possessor of a Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit."
Gojo Satoru revealed the confidential information about Okkotsu Yuta, which had been locked down by the Sorcerer Association, while Hikigaya Hachiman was driving toward the Teikoku Institute of Technology Affiliated Hospital.
"That's terrifying. Everyone says love is the most twisted curse.
Hachiman, you popular bastard, you need to be careful."
Gojo Satoru remembered the car accident Okkotsu Yuta caused last week, and the parties involved were Hachiman and another girl. This was the first time Gojo Satoru had seen this girl, so he couldn't help but tease Hikigaya Hachiman.
"Careful?"
Hikigaya Hachiman just wanted to drive quietly, but why did this guy keep hinting at him?
"Well, it never hurts to be careful, right?"
Gojo Satoru just smiled and continued. "After this incident, Okkotsu Yuta separated from his parents and sister early on. He only came to the attention of the Sorcerer Association a month ago after he eliminated a small group of Curse Users."
This means Okkotsu Yuta and that Special Grade Cursed Spirit have lived together for at least six years, and nothing major happened during that period.
"That's truly a miracle."
It was more than a miracle. A Special Grade Cursed Spirit is not a domesticated cat or dog; it is the most terrifying manifestation of a curse originating from human malice.
This was why Gojo Satoru believed Okkotsu Yuta could fully control it. If there were truly any problems, they would have flared up six years ago. Yet, Okkotsu Yuta remained stable for six whole years. Otherwise, the Sorcerer Association wouldn't have known about such a prodigy among the common people. To be even more extreme, when an ordinary person gains strength beyond the norm, the "I won't eat beef" scenario should have already played out.
"Such a good kid is still being persecuted by the Sorcerer Association." Hikigaya Hachiman also shook his head.
This world is neither gentle nor correct. In this situation, the fact that Okkotsu Yuta could maintain his original composure and hadn't harmed others meant he was a good kid. Even so, did those guys from the Sorcerer Association want to push him to a dead end?
Suddenly, Gojo Satoru's expression changed.
"Damn it!"
This evil and extremely vast cursed energy—what else could it be but the Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit, Orimoto Rika?
"Those idiots."
Orimoto Rika's existence was unique. She was not born into a Sorcerer family, yet she possessed terrifying cursed power. "The more unknown something is, the more cautious one must be." The amount of cursed energy was so terrifying that even Gojo Satoru couldn't exorcise it. "Do they really think they are Special Grade?"
Gojo Satoru figured out their plan: use knockout gas to subdue Okkotsu Yuta, then use the Cursed Technique of one of the Sorcerers to transport him to the prison the Sorcerer Association had prepared in advance to hold Okkotsu Yuta.
The feasibility of the plan hinged on the belief that the Curse Queen, Orimoto Rika, would not appear as long as Okkotsu Yuta was not harmed or put in mortal danger. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been left to these few Sorcerers. They must have violated the initial set rules, causing the situation on site to turn out this way.
'Why are they in such a hurry? Rushing recklessly.'
Orimoto Rika has been released. Those damned bastards. Gojo Satoru's usually calm face became flustered because it was a hospital, and there could be casualties among ordinary people.
'Couldn't they even manage such a simple thing as recovering a brat?'
"Hachiman, I'm going ahead. Please contact the Sorcerer Association for me, thank you."
Gojo Satoru unlocked the door and jumped out while the car was still moving on the street, then flew up into the sky. He had to minimize the destruction Orimoto Rika would cause.
"I got it."
Hikigaya Hachiman, to be honest, wasn't that surprised that those guys from the Sorcerer Association would screw things up. In his stereotypical view, this was to be expected.
'But did those guys from the Sorcerer Association really do this?' This question popped into Hikigaya Hachiman's mind.
Even if those Sorcerers were given ten times the guts, they probably wouldn't dare to defy the orders issued by the Sorcerer Association. The association's command is absolutely final and would never be changed temporarily. The Cursed Spirit on Okkotsu Yuta is the Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit, the only one of its kind currently discovered in the world, whose power is above Special Grade. If it rampages, it could destroy the entire Sorcerer Association. Even Gojo Satoru said that completely exorcising the curse on Okkotsu Yuta was utterly impossible.
It could be said that the cursed energy Orimoto Rika embodies alone is equivalent to the combined cursed energy of at least ten thousand Grade 1 Cursed Spirits.
In this situation, they probably wouldn't dare to do anything to Okkotsu Yuta that would trigger the Curse Queen, even if they were given ten times the courage. Aside from those from Sorcerer families, none of the civilian Sorcerers who become Grade 1 or Grade 2 are idiots. There must be another hidden reason.
But why is there such a troublesome entity? Hikigaya Hachiman was most annoyed by those guys hiding in the dark. Can't they just jump out for a real-life showdown?
Hikigaya Hachiman immediately dialed the number he used to contact the Sorcerer Association from his car's contacts. Before long, Togawa Sakiko's clear and gentle voice came over the phone.
"Hello, this is Sakiko, customer service for the Sorcerer Association, at your service."
Customer service Sakiko was as professional as ever, answering almost without delay.
"Sakiko, it's me."
Since Hikigaya Hachiman and Togawa Sakiko had already exchanged identities last time, he didn't refer to himself as "No. 001" this time but called her by name directly.
"Sensei."
Togawa Sakiko was very surprised, followed by a blush on her face. This was the first time she and Hachiman-sensei had spoken since they revealed their identities to each other in person.
"But if Sensei is calling, does that mean there's another mission?"
Thinking of this, Togawa Sakiko quickly adjusted her state and returned to work mode. Not bringing personal emotions into work was her first rule as customer service. This was a work number, and the fact that the Sensei called meant a Cursed Spirit attack must have occurred, and it was at least a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit.
'Is the Sensei working this hard even on a weeknight?'
"Yes.
Help me evacuate all civilians within a one-kilometer radius of the Teikoku Institute of Technology Affiliated Hospital—no, make that a five-kilometer radius."
Orimoto Rika's destructive power was enormous. One hospital might not be enough for her to tear down. Gojo Satoru's destructive power was also the same; most of his Cursed Techniques pursue extreme destruction. In this case, five kilometers could only be considered a conservative estimate.
"What! I understand!"
Togawa Sakiko was very surprised that they needed to evacuate civilians within a full five-kilometer radius this time. This meant the Cursed Spirit attack was unusual—the most serious one she had dealt with since starting this part-time job!
"I will immediately contact all Sorcerers of Semi-Grade 1 and above who are currently on vacation or on standby to go and provide support." Based on the training Togawa Sakiko had received, such a large-scale, high-grade Cursed Spirit incident, just like the last time, required summoning all Sorcerers on vacation.
"No, there's no need." Hikigaya Hachiman shook his head, refusing the Sorcerer Association's support.
"Gojo Satoru and I are enough this time.
Anyone without Special Grade Sorcerer strength will die in the upcoming battle."
Those without Special Grade power were not qualified to join this fight. Grade 1 Sorcerers would only become cannon fodder on this battlefield.
"Also, tell the Sorcerer Association that their people messed up." Hikigaya Hachiman said to Togawa Sakiko. "Don't worry, they will understand."
This was an unexpected incident, an unplanned job. Those guys from the Sorcerer Association shouldn't even think about pinning this mistake on someone else.
"Okay, I will relay the Sensei's request to the Sorcerer Association as quickly as possible."
"Thank you, comrade."
Hearing the last sentence transmitted through the phone, a smile appeared on Togawa Sakiko's face. She held the phone with both hands and nodded seriously.
"Mm."
Hikigaya Hachiman parked the car one kilometer away from the main battlefield. After all, he paid for this car himself. What if it was destroyed by the residual effects of the battlefield?
Hikigaya Hachiman picked up the photo of himself and Yukinoshita, looked at it briefly, put it into his ring, and got out of the car.
Gojo Satoru, who had already arrived at the battlefield, was floating in the air using the Limitless Cursed Technique.
"Well, well."
He removed the bandage wrapped around his face, revealing the Six Eyes twinkling with blue light.
"That amount of cursed energy is truly astonishing."
One could clearly see a column of purple cursed energy almost soaring into the sky from the cracked surface of the hospital.
The astonishing malice contained in its existence was enough to make even a Grade 1 Sorcerer lose the will to fight.
The surface of the entire building near the Emergency Department already had a huge hole, as if three floors had been forcefully bitten off from the outside, completely vaporized. Exposed rebar and concrete were everywhere, and the wires had short-circuited. But for Gojo Satoru, who possessed the Six Eyes, this was not a problem.
Inside, a pale Cursed Spirit, at least three meters tall, with an extremely robust torso but a snake-like lower body, was carefully wrapped around an unconscious boy.
That must be the Special Grade Vengeful Cursed Spirit, and the boy being protected was Okkotsu Yuta. Rika was truly protecting her loved one well.
The Cursed Spirit's hands were covered in blood, which must be the blood of the three unfortunate Sorcerers from earlier. Meeting the Curse Queen in her enraged state, Gojo Satoru figured they were probably in big trouble.
' But they deserve it.'
In the vicinity of this area, in a place Gojo Satoru hadn't even noticed, only a single eyeball floated inconspicuously, constantly monitoring what was happening in this area.
"Six Eyes, always ruining my plans."
About ten kilometers away from this area, the man with the stitched band on his forehead, who had appeared last time at no Yoshifusa's grave to clear the tomb, showed up. Through his own investigation, he learned that Gojo Satoru had appeared in that area, so he wanted to confirm if the person who stole the Prison Realm from the grave was him.
After all, Gojo Satoru was the only one in the Sorcerer Association who could have killed that old monster of the Fujiwara family, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa.
He pressed his hand on his left eye, his other eye wide open. This was a long-range observation technique. Even ten kilometers away, he could clearly see most of the area where Orimoto Rika was located.
"Especially this generation's Six Eyes, they are particularly difficult to deal with."
Listening to this foolish man's self-talk, he seemed very familiar with the Six Eyes possessed by Gojo Satoru, and this was not the first time they had clashed.
This man had historically killed several ancestors of the Gojo family who possessed the Six Eyes (assassinating them in infancy), but new Six Eyes would always be born.
The Six Eyes could not be completely killed. If one died, a new "Six Eyes" would immediately be born—they could never be killed off entirely.
Therefore, he considered the Prison Realm among Fujiwara Yoshihisa's burial objects to be the best way to deal with the current Six Eyes user.
No need to kill; mere sealing would completely bypass the bug.
One of the three Sorcerers dispatched by the Sorcerer Association was completely controlled by him and used as a tool to provoke the Curse Queen.
"Will No. 001 make an appearance?"
Through his insider connection within the Sorcerer Association, this man detected that more than one Gojo Satoru had been present at the grave site—a special Sorcerer codenamed "No. 001" was also there.
This Sorcerer was top secret within the Sorcerer Association, with no information available about him. But his strength was also extremely formidable! To be safe, he positioned himself ten kilometers away from the area.
"Hmm?"
But as the man thought this, a sudden, indistinguishable noise reached his ear.
"What is that?"
Closely following was severe pain. A large amount of blood gushed out of his right eye socket.
"Are you kidding me!" His Cursed Technique was supposed to be exceptionally stealthy. Yet, without even feeling detected, it was crushed directly.
"What is this?"
Hikigaya Hachiman looked at the crushed eyeball in his hand, his face expressionless.
"A detection technique?
Sure enough. The person who angered that Cursed Spirit lady really is someone else."
Hikigaya Hachiman had already anticipated this possibility, so he regarded all cursed energy reactions within a five-kilometer radius of the area as enemies. This led him to notice the abnormally weak cursed energy reaction, but he didn't expect it to be a simple large eyeball. Hikigaya Hachiman crushed it directly, destroying the detection technique.
"So cautious?"
Hikigaya Hachiman shook his head. He originally wanted to use the extended signal of this cursed energy reaction to deduce the location of the person casting the technique, but it was conservatively estimated to be nine kilometers away. "Looks like someone who is quite afraid of death."
However, what Hikigaya Hachiman was curious about was the familiar cursed energy fluctuation he felt inside the hospital.
Ordinary people also have cursed energy fluctuations, just much weaker.
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