It wailed as it lost its balance, falling like a kite with its string cut. Hayashi En stomped on its chest, sending it crashing toward the ground like a meteor.
BOOM!
Another massive crater was formed.
[SYSTEM: Subjugation successful.]
As the third shikigami returned to its place, En felt that the cooldown for the next subjugation was as long as twelve hours.
"Looks like this is the limit for today."
En rubbed his temples, abandoning the idea of challenging Max Elephant for now.
Though a bit regrettable, he nodded in satisfaction as he watched the four powerful shadows fade into the darkness behind him.
Divine Dogs, Toad, Great Serpent, and Nue.
These four shikigami covered ground reconnaissance, single-target crowd control, physical bursts, and aerial suppression.
For someone who had obtained a technique less than 24 hours ago, this progress was enough to drive the jujutsu world to despair.
"That's a wrap. Back to the shop."
En snapped his fingers, and the terrifying beasts behind him instantly turned into dark shadows, flowing back into the shadow at his feet like rivers returning to the sea.
Junpei hurried over and handed him a handkerchief, his eyes filled with adoration.
"Boss, that thing... the one flying in the sky just now, was that a shikigami too? It was so cool!"
"That's Nue. If the power goes out in the summer, we can use it to generate electricity. It'll save us a lot on the utility bills."
En took the handkerchief and wiped his hands, cracking a casual joke before sliding into the car.
"Let's go, Junpei. Let's head back and see if there's any new business. My savings took a massive hit for these big guys; I need to find a way to make some of that money back."
...
Exchange No. 8.
It was already afternoon by the time they returned to the mysterious shop.
En slumped into the leather sofa, sipping freshly brewed black tea while browsing the system mall.
Even with tens of thousands of points on hand, it was far from enough to prepare for the upcoming Shibuya Incident.
He needed more 'goods'.
Whether it was cursed tools, cursed objects, or the curse users with high bounties on the wanted list, they were all walking points in his eyes.
Just then, Junpei, who was organizing intelligence behind the counter, suddenly cried out in surprise.
"Boss! I found it!"
Junpei rushed over with a laptop. The screen displayed a dark red web interface filled with distorted characters and an unsettling background image.
"What's this? The deep web?" En raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. This is an account left behind by that curse user we took out. I just cracked his encrypted email and found a new invitation."
For the system, exchanging points for a non-jujutsu computer talent required very few points.
So En hadn't thought much of it and simply bought it for Junpei to put him to work.
Junpei pointed at a blood-red headline on the screen.
An Invitation: The 17th Gokurakukan Underground Treasure Auction
"Gokurakukan?" En took a sip of tea, the name unfamiliar to him.
"It's a very famous underground black market in the curse user community," Junpei explained quickly. "It's said to be jointly organized by several fugitive Grade 1 curse users. They specialize in trading dangerous items strictly forbidden by Jujutsu High. Cursed human organs, Special Grade cursed tools intended for murder, and even... live people."
Hearing this, En set down his teacup, his gaze turning a bit more serious.
"Sounds like a decent source for stock. But that's not enough to get you this excited, Junpei."
"The highlight is the auction item! Boss, look at this!"
Junpei scrolled with the mouse, pulling up a blurry image.
It was an object sealed in a glass jar—what looked like a piece of withered facial skin emitting an eerie purple light.
"According to the info, this is the grand finale of the auction—the Special Grade Cursed Object: Soul-Reversing Face. It's said to contain an immense amount of cursed energy. The starting bid is fifty million yen!"
"A Special Grade cursed object..."
En's eyes lit up instantly.
An illegal gathering like this was practically an all-you-can-eat buffet.
"Interesting."
En picked up his black trench coat from the rack, draped it over his shoulders, and grabbed his black cane.
"Junpei, get ready. We're going to a banquet tonight."
Junpei blinked in surprise. "Are we going to steal that cursed object?"
"Steal? No, no, no. We are legitimate businessmen."
En adjusted his tie and elegantly pushed open the shop's door.
"We're simply going to... maintain the market's fairness and justice."
...
Minato Ward, Tokyo. An entrance to an abandoned subway station.
This was one of the entrances to the Gokurakukan.
The night was deep, and several black sedans parked silently by the roadside.
En and Junpei stepped out of the car.
Tonight, he had specifically changed into a custom-made suit that screamed 'don't mess with me.' He allowed a faint pressure of cursed energy to radiate from him—the best passport one could have.
"Remember, keep your mouth shut once we're inside."
En instructed in a low voice.
"Don't show any weakness."
Junpei swallowed nervously, nodded, and followed closely behind En.
The two traversed the dark tunnel and pushed open a heavy iron door.
The sounds of rowdiness, decadent music, and the thick stench of blood and cursed energy hit them instantly.
The massive underground space was brightly lit.
Countless curse users in masks and eccentric outfits, along with underworld buyers, were gathered there, waiting for the auction to begin.
Up in the second-floor VIP boxes, several figures dressed in traditional kimonos watched the crowd below with haughty expressions.
Sensing something, En looked up and saw those figures.
Although their faces weren't clear, he could tell that this group was one of the most dangerous factions in the room.
Noticing En's gaze, they didn't look away; instead, they intensified their stare.
En felt a bit baffled. He frowned, wondering what they were playing at.
'Is this a staring contest?'
En didn't play along with their little game and simply swept his gaze across the hall nonchalantly.
The place was filled with a nauseating atmosphere of revelry.
On the edge of the dance floor, low-level curses were even chained up like pets, greedily feasting on the malice and desire emanating from the guests.
"Boss, the concentration of curses here is so high..." Junpei whispered, his face pale as his hand instinctively went to the pocket containing his cursed tool.
"Relax. For curse users, this is paradise; but for us, it's just a hunting ground."
En chuckled, his black cane tapping rhythmically against the ground.
He withdrew his gaze, ignoring the strange group on the second floor.
Leading Junpei through the crowded masses, he headed straight for the stairs to the second-floor VIP area.
"Since we're here to restock, we naturally need the seats with the best view."
En stepped onto the stairs.
Those gazes from above remained stuck to his back like leeches.
'Truly strange. Do they recognize me?'
En was puzzled. He was usually so low-profile; how could he have been identified here?
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]