I carefully observed something that had come out of the house.
The form was a white mannequin. The number was fifteen.
Such things not only moved but ran. Exactly towards us.
"Cursed Corpses."
Toji muttered, looking at the mannequins.
A Cursed Corpse is a doll infused with a curse. It's a self-sufficient inanimate object. In Fate terms, something like a Golem or Automaton?
Normal Cursed Corpses are objects that obey their master's commands. Despite being self-sufficient, their thoughts aren't free.
Of course, there are also Cursed Corpses that can think for themselves. Like Panda from Jujutsu Kaisen.
"Seeing them in person, they're similar to Automatons but also different."
Assassin and Foreigner muttered, looking down. I thought the same.
They are more grotesque, visible even to ordinary people. Their nature is different from ordinary Jujutsu.
"I'll handle those. Just guiding the way feels too much like freeloading."
Toji yawned, opening his mouth wide.
Soon, a spherical, coiled Cursed Spirit popped out of his mouth. It was Toji's cursed spirit armory, the caterpillar type.
The caterpillar opened its mouth and immediately spat out a weapon. It was a plain sword, not the Split Soul Katana.
Toji leaped, gripping his sword. He moved as if teleporting, descending to the first floor in an instant.
Clatter. The mannequin Cursed Corpses saw Toji and charged.
"Good timing."
Immediately after Toji's voice was faintly heard, his body vanished, and the Cursed Corpses began to be sliced apart.
Sliced horizontally, sliced vertically. Toji swung his sword, tearing off the Cursed Corpses' limbs.
Crack!
An eerie sound like bones being torn echoed all the way up to the third floor.
"It's over. Want me to clean up too?"
Toji, who had left, leaped, stepping off the building's exterior wall. He landed right beside me.
It took barely 10 seconds for all the Cursed Corpses to be completely destroyed. It was a massacre of the innocent.
"Foreigner, you handle the cleanup."
"Yes, Master."
Dark Koyanskaya, Foreigner, immediately leaped down. Foreigner is better for this kind of thing.
'It's all done.'
The current time was noon. The gunshots had also ceased, and there were no people walking on the roads.
*Whoosh.*
Thanks to this, Foreigner openly unleashed her beastly powers to clean up.
She had the shadow wolves gather the debris in one place. It was like burning them with Cerberus's flames.
"Let's go down too."
"Yes, Master."
"Alright."
I was carried in the arms of Light Koyanskaya, Assassin, as we descended. The sensation of floating and sinking. The rough wind blowing was exhilarating.
Toji also followed me down. He put his sword into the mouth of the caterpillar Cursed Spirit that wrapped around his body.
"Toji-san."
"Yeah. I'll take photos of the corpse and send them to the client. But, unfortunately, his head got blown off, so…."
"Ah…."
I sighed inadvertently and looked at Assassin.
"Oops. My apologies."
Assassin winked and stuck out her tongue slightly. I'll let it slide because she's cute.
"…Toji. Please check inside the house for an ID or something similar. Taking a picture with the corpse should work, right?"
"That would be the only hope. I'll give it a try."
Toji sighed and entered the house. The doorknob? If it was locked, he'd just tear it open by force.
"Let's wait."
I leaned against the outer wall and yawned. Searching the house would be over quickly.
"I'm back. I handled it as the boss said, and the commission fee should come in around tomorrow."
Toji, who had disappeared, returned. Did it take about 5 minutes?
"You worked hard. What about the corpse?"
"It's cold, so it won't rot right away, and the client will send someone tomorrow. He says he wants to see it himself."
"Because the grudge is deep?"
"Exactly. He might even kick and hit the corpse."
I straightened my posture while chatting. Now, time to go back to the lodging and sleep soundly.
Was it "koko-nenne"? Suddenly, a meme about regressing to infancy that was popular in the past came to mind.
"Master."
Immediately after taking a step, both Koyanskaya called out to me, perking up their ears.
Toji also drew the sword he had put away. He was relaxed, yet clearly on alert for his surroundings.
I wondered why, but the answer was in the sky. A black dome, obscuring even the twinkling stars, was the reason. A Veil. Sorcerers sometimes use it, but it's the trademark of Jujutsu Sorcerers that enveloped the area.
"Toji. You said there were no Jujutsu Sorcerers?"
"There weren't, but now there are."
Toji smiled awkwardly and drew his sword. It was absurd.
"That's absurd."
"No, I'm just as bewildered. What Jujutsu Sorcerer would come to a rural town without Cursed Spirits…"
"Was this Cursed User that famous?"
"The number killed over 10 years is 30. An average of 3 kills a year, that's not even enough for a Jujutsu Sorcerer to get involved."
No, the way he's talking…
While the blunt expression bothered me, it made sense. Three a year. That's not enough for a Jujutsu Sorcerer to bother with.
But why did he come? The answer came through the man approaching us.
"Are you Cursed Users?"
A beard, sunglasses. A robust physique built with muscle.
Seeing him in person, old memories vividly resurfaced. He was one of the minor characters from Jujutsu Kaisen.
"Yaga Masamichi?"
"Hmm? You know me? But… a child? Why a child?"
The man, Yaga Masamichi, furrowed his brow. My guess was correct.
"What? Is he someone you know?"
Toji tilted his head and asked. He looked curious and ambiguous.
"I know his name because he's a Jujutsu Sorcerer famous for Cursed Corpses."
I calmly replied with a lie. It was plausible because Yaga being famous for Cursed Corpses was true.
"To know even that… you must indeed be Cursed Users. Is the man and the two women with you also the same?"
Yaga's voice lowered slightly. He seemed tense.
"If I'm a Cursed User, then I am, but I have no intention of killing you. Nor do I want to."
I stepped three paces forward. It was an appeal that I was the leader of this group.
"You have no intention of killing me. But it sounds like you're saying you could kill me anytime… Did I understand that correctly?"
"You did."
"You have great confidence."
"It's not confidence, it's a fact. And it's not me, but these three here who are strong."
I put my hands in my pockets and sighed. It was an appeal that I genuinely didn't want to fight, but how would he take it?
'Just talk.'
Yaga Masamichi's screentime in the original work was minimal. Nevertheless, he left the impression of being a rather good teacher. That's why I couldn't kill him. To be precise, I didn't want to kill him.
"Hmm…"
Yaga groaned, looking at me. Even as he groaned, he seemed tense and began to sweat.
Why? I looked behind me and found the answer.
Assassin, Foreigner. It was because the two Koyanskaya were laughing like beasts, exerting pressure.
Toji just looked at me and smiled, completely at ease. Because the Double Koyanskaya would handle it.
'Should I make them work a little now?'
After a brief consideration, I turned my eyes forward.
"Both of you, stop."
First, I turned off the pressure the two Koyanskaya were emitting. Only then would he speak.
"Yes, Master."
Both simultaneously ceased the crushing pressure. Only then did Yaga's complexion lighten somewhat.
"It's not just the atmosphere, should I prove it further?"
"No. That's enough."
Yaga furrowed his brow and shook his head. Fortunately, he was open to dialogue.
I still didn't want to meet with the Jujutsu Sorcerer organization, but this was also fate. It didn't seem impossible to save him.
Fortunately, he was someone I knew. The fact that he was a trustworthy person was a big factor.
What if he was a Jujutsu Sorcerer I didn't know? Things would have gotten complicated.
"Then, let me ask first. Why did you come here?"
"I came because I heard there was a Cursed User who controlled Cursed Corpses. To deal with it while I was on vacation."
"I see. However, that Cursed User is dead. And the Cursed Corpses were burned."
"So it seems."
Yaga sighed as if dispirited. He seemed a little less tense.
"Now it's my turn to ask. Are the women behind you really human?"
"No. But they aren't Cursed Spirits either. You know by feeling, right?"
Yaga was one of the practical top-tier Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers. There was no way he wouldn't know the feeling of a Cursed Spirit.
However, he still looked suspicious.
"They're really not Cursed Spirits? Then what are they?"
"That's a secret."
"God damn."
Yaga's common catchphrase came out of his mouth. Hearing it in person was interesting.
"Anyway, I don't want to kill you, so please just make a Binding Vow and leave."
"A Binding Vow?"
"That you won't tell anyone about us, except for the people present here. With a Binding Vow like that."
"You intend to just gag me and let me go?"
"Yes. Did you think my words about not wanting hostility were a lie?"
When I tilted my head, Yaga sighed once more. It seemed his prediction was wrong.
"If those are the only conditions… fine. I'll make the Binding Vow."
"Yes. You're wise."
"Jujutsu Sorcerers die easily. But there's no reason to die a dog's death against a benevolent opponent."
That's true. There was no room for argument.
Yaga immediately formed the Binding Vow according to the conditions I presented and released the Veil. The dark night sky became visible again.
"Oh, right. What are you going to do about the Cursed User?"
"Since I came for a vacation, not a formal mission, I'll just bury it. There won't be any problems."
"Good. Then, please give me your phone number."
"Phone number? You want to contact me? A Cursed User and a Jujutsu Sorcerer?"
Yaga asked, frowning. He looked wary, bristling like a hedgehog.
"Since you're a Jujutsu Sorcerer, you have a lot of information about Cursed Spirits, right? I want to know about them."
"You're going to hunt Cursed Spirits?"
Suddenly, Yaga's eyes widened. He probably didn't expect this.
"Yes."
"If you're going to hunt Cursed Spirits, then you should become a Jujutsu… No. I don't know if you're really a child, but I shouldn't have said that. My apologies."
Yaga stopped mid-sentence and apologized.
Being a Jujutsu Sorcerer is a crappy job. The thought that he felt uncomfortable pushing such a path onto a child like me was heartwarming.
"I won't become a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Their organization is too corrupt, and it's inconvenient for a comfortable life."
"That makes sense. I'll leave my number for now. What about your contact information?"
"Toji-san."
When I called his name, Toji emerged from behind me. His face was full of annoyance.
"Can't be helped. Wouldn't it be good for the boss to get a cell phone too?"
"Once the system is a bit more organized."
"Alright."
Toji approached Yaga. He took out his phone.
"Hey. Take out your phone."
"Hmm."
Yaga also took out his phone from his pants pocket.
The sight of two grown men standing face to face, entering phone numbers. It was subtly amusing and heartwarming.
"That's that. But you, your cursed energy…?"
"Me? Just let it go. It must be a mistake."
Toji cut him off impatiently and turned back. Better than dragging it out.
"Then, we'll be going now. Yaga-san, please be careful on your way back."
"…Alright. Thank you."
I smiled, and Yaga parted with a reluctant expression. It ended well, so that was good.
"Why do I feel like my number is being sold everywhere?"
On the way to the lodging, Toji muttered in a dispirited voice.
"Because you have a cell phone, Toji-san."
"Tch. Can't argue with that."
"It's not too inconvenient yet, so please bear with it a little longer."
Even without a flip phone, I didn't feel much inconvenience, so I didn't see the value. If it were a smartphone, I would've bought it right away.
Still, I should buy a phone. It's convenient to have one.
*Buzz.*
Just then, Toji's pants pocket vibrated.
"Tch."
Toji clicked his tongue and took out his phone. It seemed he had a call.
"Who is it?"
"That Zenin brat I met last time."
Zenin brat? Ah, Zenin Naoya.
'It's true his favorability went up a bit.'
Given Toji's personality, he would have called him "kid" or "brute," but "brat"? This is a sign of favor.
"Hello?"
*Click.* Toji opened his phone with an unenthusiastic expression.