A Bizarre Adventure That Begins in Jujutsu Kaisen

On their third day in India, the group of five flew to Mumbai.

Their destination was Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus—although the official name has long been changed, locals still habitually call it Victoria terminus (the advantage of fewer words).

This magnificent building, which blends Gothic pointed arches, traditional Indian carvings, and stained glass, is much more than just a train station.

It is a living specimen of colonial history, and a melting pot of life that handles more than two million people every day.

After briefly exploring the main hall of the station and casually subduing more than twenty low-level cursed spirits that had sprung up in the corners of anxiety, Theo stopped at the majestic stone lion statue at the entrance.

His brow furrowed slightly, not because of the oppressive feeling of the building itself, but because of some more intangible, more viscous "weight".

The density of curses here is unusually high.

Not only him, but even ordinary passengers passing by seemed to be experiencing a kind of physiological "discomfort".

A palpable sense of collective anxiety permeated the station.

People hurried along, almost staggering, and impatient shouts frequently erupted from the ticket windows.

Even the flock of pigeons perched on the towering vaulted ceiling seemed unusually restless, flapping their wings endlessly among the beams, shedding a few scattered gray and white feathers.

"Negative emotions accumulate here."

Xia Youjie's analysis was very logical and reasonable.

Fear of missing the bus, rushing, commuting fatigue, aversion to crowds...

The daily stress of millions of people settles and ferments here.

It's practically the perfect breeding ground for cursed spirits.

"It sounds like a place that would appeal to some kind of 'aggregator of office worker grievances'," Manami sighed softly, gazing at the endless stream of people.

"Who says otherwise? Let's go see that local sorcerer and hear what they know."

The contact person for "Garuda's Eye" was a young, dark-haired man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a well-tailored suit who called himself Amit.

He made a reservation at a noisy local restaurant on the second floor of the station to meet the five men.

"Hello, I am Amit." He adjusted his glasses, his gaze cautiously shifting between Xia Youjie and Dio. "Japan's strongest warriors have come from afar. May I ask what brings you to our country?"

"You know we're top-tier," Xia Youjie said with a smile, "yet you still dare to speak to us like that?"

"But behind me is—"

"Does your organization have any top-tier sorcerers?" Theo interrupted him before he could finish. He didn't even need to listen to know what nonsensical thing Theo was about to say.

Amit choked up, his face stiffening slightly.

Laru cut open the spiced roasted chicken in front of him and slowly replied:

"Twelve years ago, I met a few Indian curse masters in Hong Kong. Their skill level was mediocre, and they didn't have any top-notch combat power."

You usually rely on ancestral or captured top-tier cursed spirits as a deterrent, right?

Amit's expression changed slightly. He listened to the instructions through his earpiece for a moment before speaking again:

"Let's get straight to the point. The organization is willing to provide you with the intelligence you need, but please refrain from committing further atrocities in Mumbai."

"Do you commit too many killings? Your speech is rather flowery." Miki Riku muttered.

"We'll leave once we capture Ganesha," Theo leaned back in his chair. "We have no interest in interfering in your local affairs right now."

Amit breathed a sigh of relief and began to explain:

In Chinese mythology, Ganesha is the god of wisdom and the removal of obstacles.

It has been roaming throughout India for over a thousand years, and it is possible that it has undergone a "generation change" during that time.

But our organization's history isn't that long; records only date back to the last few decades.

He pulled up the data on the tablet: "The first record is from 1947 during the partition of India and Pakistan—it appeared to remove obstacles blocking the flow of refugees. Due to the passage of time, the specific details are no longer available."

The second instance was during the Bangladesh Independence War in 1971. A cholera outbreak occurred in a refugee camp in Kolkata, and conventional medicines proved ineffective.

Witnesses claimed to have seen "Ganesha gently touch the forehead of a patient with the tip of his trunk." Subsequently, the epidemic suddenly subsided without a medical cause being found.

Then, over the decades, it appeared several more times, each time related to 'removing obstacles' or 'resolving deadlocks'.

The last confirmed case was six weeks ago, right here – Victoria Terminus.

It seems to have "given" the conceptual attribute of a delayed train "running more smoothly and faster".

In conclusion, we speculate that "Ganesh who removes obstacles" seems to respond to a large-scale, high-intensity collective desire for "the need to remove obstacles".

This is not some mission that must be fulfilled or a binding contract, but rather more like a game that it plays on a whim.

Therefore, it doesn't always respond, and the timing and manner of its response are completely unpredictable.

Xia Youjie pondered: "Indian culture views death as part of the cycle of reincarnation, rather than the end."

Therefore, the cursed spirits here may not be filled with despair and resentment like those in other places, but rather carry a kind of 'unfinished' obsession, continuously interfering with the phenomena that trigger that obsession.

“Station is a place where people ‘move’,” Manami continued, “and Ganesh is the god who governs ‘obstacles’.”

Its presence here is likely due to the sheer number of prayers here for "obstacles to be removed." This is indeed a very important clue.

Theo dipped a scones in spinach and cheese sauce and asked the key question:

"Do you have its combat records?"

How exactly is its ability to 'give concepts' manifested?

For example, could we give an ordinary knife the attribute of "guaranteed hit"? Or could we give a barrier the concept of "insurmountable"?

Amit shook his head:

"That kind of absolute concept won't work."

The three types of concepts observed so far are: 'change in properties', 'intensity of magnitude', and 'deepening of concepts'.

In theory, it can be used in many applications, but the cost is also enormous—the stronger the concept it is given, the heavier the magical power consumed and the 'burden' it bears.

Therefore, the intervals between Ganesha's appearances are often very long.

"Thank you for the information." Theo put down the half-eaten biscuit in his hand, took out another rupee coin, and gently tossed it into the air.

The coin flips several times in the air and lands heads up in your palm.

He put the coins away, looked at Amit, and asked the crux of the matter: "So, why did you proactively contact us and share this information?"

Amit paused for a moment, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the edge of the tablet, his gaze behind his glasses flickering slightly.

Finally, he sighed, as if he had made up his mind:

"...You are inquiring about Ganesha in Delhi, and the Indian sorcery community is not entirely unaware of this."

Rather than waiting for you to continue your in-depth investigation, which may attract unnecessary attention or conflict, we would like to proactively offer an opportunity for... "cooperation".

"And here we happen to have another cursed spirit that also requires a master sorcerer to handle."

"Oh?" Xia Youjie's eyes lit up.

This was an unexpected surprise—we originally came just to find traces of Ganesha, but we didn't expect to receive a "bonus"?

There were two holders of "Spirit Manipulation Technique" in the team. He had already prepared himself that this trip to India might only allow him to subdue some level one and level two "scraps" as a supplement.

Could it be... that he also has a chance to capture a top-tier cursed spirit that Dio wouldn't be interested in?

He subtly adjusted his posture, his tone remaining calm: "Tell me about it."

"Two of our level three sorcerers went missing while stalking Ganesha. The divination results of the missing persons ritual indicate that they were attacked by 'rats'."

Amit's voice lowered.

"Afterwards, the leader personally led a team to clear out the enemy, but returned severely wounded, and more than half of the men he brought were lost."

We were already considering hiring overseas sorcerers, or guiding Ganesha to create a situation where one force can devour another… and you've arrived just in time.”

He listened for another two or three seconds while pressing the headset, then took a deep breath and said, "Hmm... we can pay ten million US dollars as a commission—that's the maximum foreign exchange reserves the organization can draw upon."

"Why not abandon Mumbai and find another base?" Miki Riku interjected. "I thought that a curse society like yours would have a very 'flexible' moral bottom line."

"This gentleman is unaware of something."

Amit gave a bitter smile that was a mixture of helplessness and self-deprecation.

"Mumbai is the largest city in our country, and our 'Garuda's Eye' is the largest curse society in the country."

If we are forced to withdraw from Mumbai because we cannot deal with the super-grade cursed spirits on our own territory...

Those sworn enemies in New Delhi who are openly and covertly fighting against us—the "Eight Heavenly Dragons" society—will surely seize this opportunity to spread their propaganda and take advantage of our misfortune.

This is not merely a matter of territory, but also a matter of maintaining a certain "decency" that one has to uphold.

Laru, standing to the side, nodded slightly in confirmation:

"I've heard about the long-standing power struggle between Mumbai and New Delhi over the status of the capital."

Even though New Delhi eventually won the title of capital, Mumbai’s actual influence has never diminished.

For the associations rooted in this, taking a step back could mean utter ruin.

"In that case, we'll accept this commission," Theo readily agreed.

"Huh?" Amit was stunned and looked at Xia Youjie. "Isn't the Special Grade Xia Youjie the leader?"

"That was true before, but not anymore," Xia You said with a lighthearted self-deprecating laugh.

"Could you be... the legendary 'strongest in modern times,' Gojo Satoru?" Amit began to break out in a cold sweat.

"No, that's not it. Mr. Theo is a new Grandmaster," Xia Youjie added.

Amit gasped, then slid off his chair and knelt down in a dogeza (a traditional Chinese kneeling posture): "I'm so sorry! I was so blind!"

His exaggerated actions immediately drew the attention of the surrounding diners—this is also a survival strategy for ordinary people.

When an opponent is too powerful to contend with, publicly showing weakness can actually create invisible protection through public opinion.

"No need for that," Theo waved his hand. "I'm not so easily angered by a mere probing question. Tell me the specifics of that cursed spirit."

Amit wiped his sweat and got up:

"That cursed spirit can control a massive swarm of rats and enhance the combat power of individual rats by injecting cursed power. We call it—the 'Rat King'."

Furthermore, the leader seemed to have forgotten many things, so he suspected that the "Rat King" possessed the ability to cause victims to lose their memories.

"OK, lead the way. When capturing the top-tier cursed spirit, Xia You and I are enough. It'll prevent it from unleashing its domain and having to find a way to protect you," Dio instructed.

Xia Youjie looked at the three cadres and added, "You stay at the hotel and wait for us to return. Don't wander off."

"Received." Riju gave an exaggerated salute.

"Don't worry." Manami smiled.

As Theo left the restaurant, he took one last look at the massive dome in the center of the station. Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting dappled colors on the crowds moving through the station.