Akira explained the current state of the girl Rika Orimoto and her relationship with Cursed Spirit Rika. Cursed Spirit Rika was the dream of the girl Rika Orimoto, and the process of Curse Removal could also be understood as waking a sleeping soul.
This was not the original method of Curse Removal from the old storyline, but that approach was far too extreme. Yuta Okkotsu clearly had not been pushed to the point of total disregard for his own life. There was no need to go that far when a steadier method existed, and if it truly failed, the last option could still be taken later.
After listening, Yuta Okkotsu was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. "I want to go. Please, Akira, and Darkrai too." As he spoke, he bowed deeply to Akira and to Darkrai within the shadow.
"Mm."
Darkrai appeared in response and waved a claw to show agreement. Akira translated, "He says we leave now."
Tonight was the new moon, when the power of nightmares was weakest and the best time to wake the sleeping. Unfortunately, Akira did not have a New Moon Feather, or it would have been even easier to awaken Rika Orimoto. Yuta Okkotsu was full of energy, unable to hide his eagerness after being troubled by this matter for so many years.
"Before I come back, I'll leave Cursed Spirit Rika here to you."
"OK." Akira had planned the same.
He was curious about the nightmare that could shape a ceiling-level Cursed Spirit, but that was a private matter between the couple. More importantly, someone had to stay in the real world. "Go, Darkrai."
With the master's permission, Darkrai crossed its claws and formed a dark sphere like a bottomless abyss. It was a passage leading into a dream. Yuta Okkotsu jumped in without hesitation, and Darkrai followed right after.
Only a few seconds passed, and the passage had not even closed yet when one human and one Pokémon came rushing back out. Compared to their confident entry, Darkrai now looked dim-eyed, and Yuta Okkotsu was worse, cold sweat pouring down and soaking his clothes.
The sharp drop in his mental state left Akira completely confused. Was this not supposed to be a reunion of childhood sweethearts? How did it turn out like this?
"What happened?"
"It failed." Yuta Okkotsu hung his head. "There are so many monsters in Rika Orimoto's dream. I couldn't get through. I need support."
Akira glanced at Darkrai and received confirmation, which only deepened his curiosity. You came out too fast, I did not even get a chance to jinx it. Still, it was a nightmare, so monsters were not strange.
What was strange was that under Satoru Gojo's guidance, Yuta Okkotsu had grown much stronger. Even without Cursed Spirit Rika by his side, his combat ability was not weak. Combined with a level 20 Darkrai, that was worthy of the Curse Queen's power source.
Testing the waters, Akira asked, "How about I go in with Little Sha to take a look?"
Leaving Rika Orimoto aside, Akira had no pressure fighting Yuta Okkotsu. After all, he was a man who had landed a Black Flash. Yuta Okkotsu immediately agreed, not even thinking about privacy anymore.
"That would be great."
"Alright, Little Sha, let's go."
Akira beckoned to Gardevoir and drew his black sword from the Cursed Tools. Since it was a dangerous dream, it was better to be cautious. First scout the path and understand the situation.
If it did not work once, try again. This was like clearing a dungeon, and even with full combat control, no one cleared it in one run. He took a deep breath, standing with Gardevoir on one side and Darkrai on the other, and stepped into Rika Orimoto's dream.
As one of the most reliable combinations at Tokyo Jujutsu High, Akira performed much better than Yuta, at least not popping in and out instantly. When the passage closed, Yuta Okkotsu finally let out a long breath and slid down the wall to sit on the floor, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Yuta, what's wrong?" Cursed Spirit Rika asked with concern.
"It's nothing. I just never knew you suffered so much." Yuta Okkotsu held Cursed Spirit Rika's hand and spoke softly. "I will definitely free you. I swear. I hope Akira goes smoothly. He's so strong, it'll be fine."
Unfortunately, things did not go as hoped.
Before the sweat on his clothes had even dried, the passage linking dream and reality opened again. Akira burst out, face pale and drenched in sweat, shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Quick, go get Gojo Satoru!"
Gojo Satoru was always easy to talk to, and he almost never refused a student request, though his personality made most students reluctant to ask him for help. As soon as Akira made the call, Satoru Gojo rushed over at top speed and smashed through a dorm door and two walls on the way. The damage was still settling when he strode inside.
He spread his arms wide like he was going in for a hug and deliberately lowered his voice. "My adorable students, are you all safe? Your invincible Satoru Gojo teacher has arrived."
Akira saw through it at a glance. "You are addicted to that Whitebeard Meme, aren't you?"
"I knew you would get it." Satoru Gojo looked pleased with himself and somehow even more annoying.
"I already regret calling him," Maki Zenin said, losing patience first.
"Salmon." Toge Inumaki followed up calmly.
"There is no denying his strength, at least," Panda said quickly, cutting off the praise before it could start. "That was not a compliment."
It did nothing, and Satoru Gojo still slipped into full self-satisfaction. Panda tried the ultimate move and shut the door while releasing Pancham. It still did not work.
Pancham had been fooling around every day but never neglected training, and it could already touch Satoru Gojo's Infinity Barrier. It was promptly grabbed by the back of the neck and lifted into the air. Satoru Gojo smiled as if this proved his point.
"When you meet an enemy you cannot handle, just rely on the perfect lifeform, Satoru Gojo teacher," he said. As he spoke, he even struck a pose straight out of Kars.
Akira almost blurted out a spoiler on the spot and barely held it back. He took a breath and shut the nonsense down. "Enough fooling around."
He shifted into a serious instructor mode and pressed down the fake teacher energy. "This time, it involves Rika Orimoto and Curse Removal."
"Oh? You already…" Satoru Gojo paused, then laughed. "Ari, you did well, really well."
Akira ignored the jokes and explained the plan for Rika Orimoto's Curse Removal in a steady voice, along with the three failed attempts. He described the first entry led by Yuta Okkotsu and the second led by himself. After calling for Gojo Satoru, they went to the cafeteria to eat and calm down, only to be caught by Maki Zenin, and soon the whole dorm knew.
Curiosity got the better of everyone, and the entire group entered the Dream Dungeon once more. The result was a third failure.
After hearing all this, Satoru Gojo crossed his arms and made a dramatic Araki Face. "So it is a nightmare-level dungeon, like Dark Souls. Is that a fair comparison?"