The weather was gradually growing hotter.
The lingering chill of early spring had quietly slipped away from the corners of memory, replaced by the stifling heat of summer that made one feel as if they were trapped in a steamer.
It was now June.
It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that Fushiguro Megumi finally got out of bed, dragging his drowsy self into the bathroom.
Five minutes later, he emerged looking slightly more refreshed, with droplets of water still clinging to the bangs on his forehead.
Ding-ling~
His phone chimed with a notification.
Megumi picked it up and glanced at the screen.
"Come to the principal's office. There's a mission."
"Tch."
He let out a long sigh, his expression resigned but not resentful, as he got up to change.
It looked like peace and quiet would be out of the question for the next few days.
Fushiguro Megumi was a Grade 2 sorcerer.
Within the hierarchy of jujutsu sorcerers, this rank placed him squarely in the middle—neither outstanding nor lacking.
In Japan, jujutsu sorcerers were broadly categorized into five grades: Grade 4, Grade 3, Grade 2, Grade 1, and the highest, Special Grade.
However, there were also some special cases. For instance, between Grade 3 and Grade 2, there existed a "Semi-Grade 2" rank—sorcerers who had surpassed the level of Grade 3 but weren't quite strong enough to be considered full Grade 2. Hence, this intermediate rank was established.
Similarly, between Grade 2 and Grade 1, there was a "Semi-Grade 1."
There was no "Semi-Special Grade."
So, if one were to break it down meticulously, there were actually seven ranks in total.
Special Grade sorcerers represented the pinnacle of combat prowess. Each possessed terrifying power capable of effortlessly annihilating a small nation. Conventional weapons of war—tanks, fighter jets, and the like—couldn't so much as scratch them.
They were the pillars of the entire jujutsu world. Typically, only missions of Grade 1 or higher could draw their attention, and even then, some Special Grades outright refused to take on assignments.
But since they were Special Grade, there was nothing anyone could do about it.
Thus, in practical terms, Grade 1 sorcerers were the true backbone of the jujutsu world. Each had their own signature techniques, each commanded respect, and each served as a guiding light for the many newcomers in the field.
Grades 2 and 3, however, were the most common ranks among sorcerers.
The majority of sorcerers remained within these ranks, forming the most widespread group in the jujutsu world.
That said, this didn't mean Grade 2 or 3 sorcerers were pushovers. After all, a sorcerer's strength largely depended on their innate technique, and the techniques in this world were bizarre and unpredictable—limited only by imagination. Some techniques could even defy the expectations of Special Grades. A single misstep, and even a Grade 1 sorcerer might find themselves outmaneuvered by the strange abilities of a Grade 2 or 3 sorcerer.
Though Megumi was still a preparatory student at Jujutsu High, he had long since signed a contract with the higher-ups and was a full-fledged sorcerer, regularly carrying out assigned missions.
As a Grade 2 sorcerer, his capabilities were limited, and the missions he undertook were usually straightforward—exorcisms targeting Grade 2 or Semi-Grade 1 curses. Encounters with Grade 1 curses that had awakened innate techniques were rare, as such curses were beyond the scope of a Grade 2 sorcerer's abilities.
Tasks involving retrieval aren't as particular, so it's possible to be assigned missions to recover special-grade cursed objects. As long as one is careful and properly conceals the cursed object, these types of missions usually don't present major issues.
Megumi changed his clothes and was about to head out when his gaze suddenly landed on a framed photo on the table.
The photo showed three people.
One was himself, another was a black-haired girl with a ponytail, a year or two older than him.
The last was a young man with disheveled white hair, his eyes covered by a black blindfold.
Dressed in all-black casual wear, the young man wore a mischievous grin as he roughly ruffled Megumi's hair, while the black-haired girl beside them smiled warmly—the photo captured that exact moment.
It looked like a family portrait—an older brother with two siblings a decade younger.
In reality, that white-haired man was his legal guardian.
The photo was taken last year.
"Tsumiki..."
Fushiguro's gaze lingered on the black-haired girl, his eyes revealing an unreadable emotion—somewhere between concern and a faint, stinging melancholy.
As for the white-haired guy next to her...
He instinctively ignored him.
"But now that I think about it, it's been months since I last saw him..."
With the new school term about to start, was he still overseas on a mission?
Holding onto this thought—though not particularly concerned—Fushiguro left the dormitory, passing through Jujutsu High's many buildings and forests before arriving at the principal's office.
"Here's your mission."
Yaga Masamichi handed him a file, his expression as stoic as ever.
"A high school in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, has been storing a special-grade cursed object. Its seal is about to expire—go retrieve it. The reinforcement of the seal will be handled by Jujutsu High personnel."
A special-grade cursed object retrieval mission, huh?
Megumi took the file, skimming through it briefly before nodding to himself.
These kinds of missions were relatively rare. Among all the assignments he'd taken, exorcising cursed spirits was far more common, though retrieval missions weren't unheard of.
While retrieval missions didn't always involve combat, they couldn't be taken lightly. In fact, they demanded even more vigilance than exorcisms—one had to remain on high alert, ensuring the cursed object stayed concealed at all costs. If its cursed energy leaked, it could attract swarms of powerful cursed spirits.
Not only would that put him in danger, but it could also endanger nearby civilians, leading to massive casualties.
"Go prepare. Depart when you're ready."
"Understood."
Megumi nodded.
Cursed spirits are born from the negative emotions of humans.
Places like hospitals, graveyards, and schools are hotspots for such emotions.
To prevent cursed spirits from spawning in these locations, the jujutsu world employs a countermeasure—placing powerful cursed objects there to neutralize the negativity, thereby protecting the surrounding civilians.
These cursed objects were, of course, in a sealed state. However, seals weaken over time. Once the seal completely loses its effect, not only would it fail to suppress the cursed spirits, but it might also attract a swarm of them. That would be disastrous.
Therefore, Jujutsu High would dispatch sorcerers to retrieve those cursed objects whose seals were nearing expiration, bring them back to the school, reinforce the seals, and then return them to their original locations.
At this point, Megumi hesitated for a moment before speaking up.
"Principal, when will Gojo-sensei be back? If he doesn't return and something goes wrong with this mission, who should I contact?"
"..."
Yaga suddenly fell silent.
The look in his eyes behind his sunglasses grew several shades darker, and his brows furrowed tightly together.
Even Megumi could vaguely sense that the atmosphere around him was extremely off.
"Principal?"
"...Satoru is very busy lately and won't be back for a while."
"Huh?"
"The first-year homeroom teacher will be temporarily replaced by Roy-sensei. He's currently at the school. If you have any issues, you can contact him."
"...I understand."
Staring at Principal Yaga, who seemed to have mustered great resolve before speaking, Megumi stood frozen for a long moment before nodding and exiting the office.
After leaving the office, Megumi fell into deep thought.
Gojo Satoru wouldn't be back for a while?
Was he held up by a mission?
What kind of mission could possibly trouble him?
For a moment, Megumi found it hard to believe.
Thinking back carefully, it had actually been over two months—nearly three—since he'd last seen Gojo.
Gojo was his guardian, a teacher at Jujutsu High, and his future homeroom teacher. Though they often missed each other due to missions, it had never been this long before. Even overseas missions only took Gojo a week or so to complete.
"He must have run into some troublesome situation."
With that thought, Megumi ultimately didn't find anything particularly amiss.
It wasn't that he couldn't imagine it.
But Gojo's invincible image was so deeply ingrained that it was impossible to conceive of anything in this world capable of killing him.
Even if he were thrown into the depths of a volcano or the Japan Trench, he'd emerge unscathed, laughing triumphantly and boasting about adding another achievement to brag about for the rest of his life.
That was the impression Gojo gave.
Megumi simply couldn't picture Gojo being defeated by anyone, nor could he imagine him being killed. The only explanation was that he must have been delayed by some troublesome matter.
"If he can't make it back, then there's nothing to be done. I already have Roy-sensei's number, so I should prepare to head out."
With that in mind, Megumi returned to his dorm to pack his things before boarding the assistant manager's car and leaving Jujutsu High.
For the past month or so, Roy had mostly stayed at the school, rarely going anywhere. There were even times when he didn't leave his room at all.
At one point, Maki found it so bizarre that she wondered if he'd died in there.
Under normal circumstances, aside from missions, Roy could only be seen during morning training sessions.
Sometimes, if Megumi woke up early enough, he'd also head to the training grounds to exercise.
After all, he was a jujutsu sorcerer. Although he specialized in commanding shikigami in battle, he personally preferred tactics that involved fighting alongside them, so he also trained his close combat skills.
Every time he arrived at the training grounds, Maki was already sparring with Roy.
Roy was incredibly strong.
Not just as a Special Grade sorcerer—his hand-to-hand combat skills were terrifyingly advanced.
From what he had observed, Maki often switched between different weapons when sparring with Roy, including but not limited to naginatas, three-section staffs, tachi swords, spears, and more.
Yet without exception, Roy would defeat her within twenty moves using the same weapon.
Maki had never won even once.
If not for the fact that Maki was a student and these were just morning sparring sessions, Megumi suspected Roy could defeat her in just three to five moves.
Their skill levels weren't even on the same plane. Even if only considering hand-to-hand combat, Roy's strength seemed to exist on an entirely different dimension.
Thanks to this, Maki's abilities were visibly improving, to the point where even Megumi felt a sense of urgency. He found himself waking up an hour or two earlier to join the morning training sessions.
One person training or two—it made no difference to Roy, who readily agreed to Megumi joining them.
After a while, Megumi became quite familiar with Roy.
They even exchanged contact information.
Megumi had seen Gojo in action and knew his close combat skills were inhumanly strong.
He subconsciously compared the two Special Grade sorcerers in his mind.
But forgive his limited insight—he couldn't tell who was stronger.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that Roy's movements seemed more effortless, more natural.
Especially compared to Gojo, he appeared far more composed.
"With Roy-sensei here, things should be fine," Megumi thought as he boarded the Shinkansen.
Megumi held great respect for Roy.
Compared to the flashy and playful Gojo, he believed Roy was far more suited to being a teacher.
The morning sparring sessions were less about actual sparring and more about Roy personally instructing him and Maki. Unlike Gojo, who often slacked off, Roy was meticulous and patient in his teaching.
Both were Special Grades.
How could the gap between people be so vast?
...
Miyagi Prefecture, Sendai City, Sugisawa Third High School.
"..."
Megumi stared at the empty instrument shelter, his face darkening.
The shelter was completely vacant—there was nothing inside.
Tap tap tap!
Fushiguro immediately pulled out his phone and furiously typed a message.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Roy-sensei, it's me, Fushiguro. Something terrible has happened—the Special Grade cursed object from this mission has disappeared!"
"Huh? What are you talking about out of nowhere?"
"Here's what happened..."
Snapping back to reality, Megumi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly explained the situation in detail.
"Wait, you're saying you went to Miyagi to retrieve a Special Grade cursed object?"
"That's right!"
"...The cursed object you were supposed to retrieve—it wouldn't happen to be one of Sukuna's fingers, would it?"
"Eh? You knew about it?"
"Mmm... for various reasons, there's no way I wouldn't know~"
"It's great that you know, sensei. In any case, the Special Grade Cursed Object is extremely important. If it were accidentally discovered by someone, especially a curse user or cursed spirit, it would be disastrous. I'll start investigating immediately. Are you free right now, Roy-sensei? Could you come support me?"
If it had been Gojo on the other end, Megumi would never have said something like "Could you come support me?"
But if Roy happened to have taken on another mission today, that would be troublesome.
"I'm free. I'll head over right now."
"That's great!"
After hanging up, Megumi immediately began his investigation.
He tracked the residual cursed energy left by the Special Grade Cursed Object.
But Special Grade Cursed Objects were unique.
Their presence was either extremely concealed or overwhelmingly obvious—there was almost no middle ground.
Naturally, those with concealed presence were incredibly difficult to locate. As for those with overwhelming presence, their energy was so dense it blanketed the entire surrounding area, making tracking them akin to asking a dog to find feces in a toilet—equally frustrating to trace.
...
"I didn't realize it was already this time."
Back at Jujutsu High, after hanging up, Roy wore an expression as if he'd just woken from a dream.
"Lately, I've been completely absorbed in researching cursed techniques, but the results have been very promising... Still, I should handle Megumi's issue too. Guess I'll make the trip!"
However.
It was strange.
Megumi hadn't contacted Gojo—instead, he'd reached out to him?
Come to think of it, he'd been at Jujutsu High for two months now and hadn't even seen Gojo once.
Given Gojo's personality, if a new Special Grade had appeared, he should've been the first to come check it out, right?
Roy glanced at his phone and suddenly noticed another message.
It was from Masamichi Yaga.