After Nanami had mostly recovered, he noticed something strange: the corpses of the three 'Curses' he had killed had not disappeared. This immediately gave him a very bad feeling.
Nanami picked up a piece of the high school uniform left on the ground and muttered uneasily, 'It couldn't be...'
Nanami had a vague sense of the truth. He decisively took out his phone to take pictures, hoping to confirm his suspicion.
The result was exactly as Nanami had guessed. The phone screen clearly showed the scene of devastation: traces of splattered blood and the skeletal remains left after the three Transfigured Humans had exploded.
Although Yuji was worried about Nanami's injuries given that he was covered in blood, he couldn't help but lean over to look at Nanami's phone screen as well.
'What's wrong? Are you documenting the scene?' Yuji asked, somewhat confused.
'Cursed Spirits can't be photographed. These three things aren't Cursed Spirits.'
As Nanami Kento spoke, he dialed Seto Izumo's number, instructing him to arrange personnel to handle the aftermath and immediately send the remaining intact tissue samples back to Jujutsu High for Shoko to examine in detail.
He himself needed to go home. Even though he judged himself capable of continuing the mission, his current blood-soaked appearance, which could be seen by ordinary people, made it impossible to proceed with the next task.
About an hour or so later, the Transfigured Human samples had been delivered to Jujutsu High, and Shoko had preliminary test results.
Nanami had already taken a simple shower, changed into clean clothes, and with Seto's help, had treated the superficial wounds on his back.
The three of them took a brief rest at Nanami's home, waiting for Shoko's results.
'They are undoubtedly human. Or rather, they *were* human.'
Shoko's voice came from the phone placed on the table, set to speakerphone.
'What we can confirm now is that their bodies were transformed into their current state by the effect of some kind of Cursed Technique. The brain, in particular, was the most severely deformed part, compressed to the size of a walnut. But not only that, it also showed signs of abnormal aging.'
'...' Yuji, sitting nearby, was still processing the information Shoko had just relayed.
'So that's how it is. However, during the fight with them, I could clearly sense Cursed Energy. And judging from the surveillance footage, these three seemed to be just ordinary high school students. Could they really have unleashed that level of Cursed Energy?'
Nanami muttered as if asking Shoko, but the content of the question seemed more directed at himself. After all, he and Yuji were the ones who faced the three Transfigured Humans directly; Shoko naturally couldn't have gleaned that information from the corpse fragments.
Shoko's reply echoed this sentiment, as she spoke with great concern.
'I don't know what level of Cursed Energy you felt at the time, but there's one very troubling point. Although it's unclear what kind of sorcery the other party used to achieve this, the fact that they can perform this act repeatedly is already a very alarming discovery.'
'Understood. The next step is our work here,' Nanami said, hanging up the phone. He put his phone away and directed Yuji and Seto, 'The sole survivor from the theater, Yoshino Junpei, appears to be a student at the same high school and in the same grade as the three. Even though he doesn't look much like a Curse User on the surface, such a close connection makes it hard to rule out. So, the two of you will investigate that boy. The specific methods and procedures are up to you to decide, Seto.'
Seto nodded to show he understood. After all, this wasn't the first time he had worked with Nanami. He was familiar with Nanami's style of protecting his juniors and completing tasks with just the right amount of effort.
Combining these two points, Seto deduced that Nanami probably intended to deal with the true culprit of the incident himself.
The choice of Seto as a replacement for Ijichi Kiyotaka was also a decision made by Principal Yaga and Gojo Satoru, considering his familiarity with Nanami and his reliability. After all, the fact that Itadori Yuji was still alive was, in theory, a secret.
Only after Nanami watched Yuji, who passionately declared 'I won't hold Nanamin back!', leave with Seto did he feel slightly relieved.
Seto was capable of understanding his true intentions. Investigating an ordinary truant high school student shouldn't pose much danger. This way, Nanami could rest assured and go hunt down the mastermind himself.
Nanami took out the map marked with the Cursed Residue symbols discovered in this city by the 'Window' and began heading towards the target location for the rendezvous.
He called it a 'rendezvous' because, from the Cursed Residue at the movie theater and the Transfigured Humans that could be activated by Cursed Energy effects, Nanami could sense that given the opponent's strength, they could have done better. With their powerful concealment ability, they were fully capable of leaving no Cursed Residue at all.
Yet now, they left behind traces that even the 'Window' could detect. Excluding the possibility of other companions, this could only be a deliberate provocation on their part.
Nanami also recalled that Gojo Satoru had mentioned the appearance of a Special Grade-level Cursed Spirit with extremely high intelligence on the night Ijichi Kiyotaka disappeared.
To achieve this level, it should at least be a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit. If it's Special Grade, I'll probably have to work overtime today, won't I?
After all, given Mahito's terrifying ability, there was absolutely no reason to leave him unchecked.
Thinking this, Nanami followed the trail of Cursed Residue that Mahito had deliberately left, arriving at the entrance of the small sewer where the battle had originally erupted.
Squinting his eyes, Nanami looked through his goggles into the dim sewer and immediately spotted Mahito, who had been waiting for a long time.
Nanami cautiously observed Mahito, this strange Cursed Spirit who, apart from his heterochromatic eyes and the bizarre stitches covering his body, appeared no different from a human on the surface.
'You really came alone. I knew that by showing a certain level of danger, you would have no reason to leave me unchecked. And by targeting that vessel of Sukuna a little more, given your mindset of protecting your juniors, you would definitely come to meet me alone, Nanami Kento.'
Mahito smiled as he spoke, using a tone as if catching up with an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time, while gently clapping his hands to welcome Nanami's arrival.
The not-too-loud clapping echoed softly in the spacious sewer environment. Nanami's expression darkened.
Could a Cursed Spirit converse this fluently?
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Nanami would have had a hard time imagining the existence Gojo Satoru described in his report about encountering Jogo.
But what shocked Nanami the most was how this Mahito before him had obtained such precise information about his own psychology and details...
...
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