Curse Returns, a gamble from the start, I awaken dual spells

A hot spring hotel in the mountains.

Night fog rose from the depths of the valley, mingling with the sulfurous smell of water vapor and enveloping the hot spring pool.

"I mean, this water is way too hot!"

The real person pulled their feet out of the hot spring, the backs of their feet steaming hot.

He squinted at Louhu, who was also soaking in the pool in the distance, with black smoke rising from its head, and frowned.

Louhu ignored him.

He leaned back against the rock by the pool, his hands resting on either side, like an old monk sitting in meditation, and let out a contented sigh.

It looks perfectly harmonious.

"What is Rihito-chan doing right now?"

The man put his feet back into the water, this time being wiser and keeping them far away from the leaking coral.

"The human you modified?" Louhu opened his eyes.

"Hmm." The corners of Zhenren's mouth twitched upwards, as if he'd thought of something amusing. "He almost killed me!"

"Master, you've expended quite a bit this time." Louhu closed his eyes again, a wisp of black smoke rising from his head. "Be careful not to overdo it!"

"Oh? You found out!" The real man turned his face, the mist drifting in front of his eyes, and an exaggerated smile appeared on his face covered with stitches.

"But don't you think it's fun? Watching your beloved toy grow stronger little by little, and then finally destroying it with your own hands... that feeling is just amazing!"

But the next second, Zhenren's tone changed, becoming somewhat disappointed: "Unfortunately, Su Nuo's vessel ruined things; he restrained me too much."

"What are you planning to do?"

The sound came from the other end of the hot spring, mixed with the sulfurous smell of steam.

Juan Suo leaned against a mist-dampened rock, half her face hidden in shadow, a strand of wet hair hanging over her forehead.

Moisture wafted past him, blurring his features, leaving only the suture line on his forehead clearly visible.

The real person turned around, and the distorted smile reappeared.

"So... I made another toy, and I plan to play with it with Rito-chan."

"In any case, let's carry out my plan first. Sukuna is worth it," Juan Su suddenly said, speaking slowly and deliberately.

Collect all the fingers and offer them to Sukuna?

Upon hearing this, the water clock couldn't help but think.

Then, a sinister smile spread across his face. "That's settled then. Even if we're all wiped out in the end, it doesn't matter."

"It doesn't have to be me laughing in the wilderness a hundred years from now. As long as Su Nuo is there, and as long as the curse can usurp humanity's place, then everything will be fine!"

"Oh? You're quite sensible." The real person got dressed and came out of the hot spring.

"Then, the first thing we need to do is get Su Nuo's six fingers from the high school," Juan Suo said.

"Is it necessary? The sorcerers keep Yuujin Haddori as a pet so that he'll eat his fingers, right? Even if we leave him alone, he'll still eat them eventually!" Louhu asked doubtfully.

"The higher-ups at the vocational high school are also worried. What if Hisahito Itadori loses control when he swallows the fingers? So it's better to collect all the fingers and have him swallow them all at once!"

As he spoke, Juan Su paused, as if he had remembered something, "Except for Gojo Satoru."

"If we get even a finger, Gojo Satoru will have Itadori Yuujin eat it right away. We can't wait that long."

"If things get to the worst, Hisahito Itadori could very well be eliminated by the higher-ups at the university, which would be terrible."

"I understand, so what should I do?" the water clock asked.

Juan Suo smiled and did not answer the water clock's question.

He slowly turned around, his gaze piercing through the thick mist, looking in the direction of the college.

......

The High School of Spellcasting, on the playground.

Liren zipped his school uniform all the way up and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

The bruises Maki left during training a few days ago have almost completely faded and are barely noticeable.

He stretched his shoulders, and after feeling fine, he headed towards the school gate.

At the school gate, Kugizaki and Fushiguro were already waiting there.

Kugizaki was carrying a bulging bag and looking down at his phone.

Fuhei stood to the side, his hands in his pockets, his expression the same as always.

Upon seeing Rito appear, Kugizaki shoved his phone into his pocket.

"Rito, you're so slow." She glanced at Rito from head to toe, her gaze settling on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"fine."

"Okay." Kugizaki withdrew his gaze.

She had witnessed Rito being specially trained by Maki these past two days, and at first she didn't think much of it, because everyone had gone through that.

But soon, her opinion changed.

Rito was really pushing himself too hard; after being defeated by Maki, he never rested for more than five minutes.

He would only give up temporarily if he really couldn't stand up anymore; otherwise, he would only say "Let's try again" and then rush towards Maki again.

However, his appearance is quite to Maki-senpai's liking.

Beside him, Fukuro pulled his hand out of his pocket and threw something at Rito.

The person caught it; it was a tube of pain-relieving spray, with instructions for use and expiration date printed on the packaging.

"Spray it on before you go, it works really well."

Rito looked down at the spray bottle in his hand and paused for a moment.

"……Um."

Just then, clear footsteps came from the school gate.

It is Nanami Kento.

He was wearing a dark gray suit, a light blue shirt, and a tightly pulled-back tie. He was carrying a black equipment case in his right hand and had his left hand in his trouser pocket.

After standing still, his gaze swept across the three people's faces one by one.

"Have you read all the mission information?"

"Yes, it's a cyborg incident," Kugizaki said. "At an abandoned steel plant on the outskirts of Kawasaki City, the same one that Itadori found last time."

Nanami nodded.

"I've already investigated that abandoned steel mill. It's been abandoned for a long time, making it easy for cursed spirits to emerge from there."

"Moreover, the terrain is complex and there may be unknown dangers. Our main task this time is to investigate and, incidentally, eliminate any remaining cyborgs."

"If you run into that guy, remember, the first thing you do when you see him is to turn around and run away immediately without hesitation."

Rito certainly knew who the guy Nanami was talking about was.

Real person!

Fushiguro and Kugizaki may not be fully aware of the terrifying nature of that cursed spirit.

Given their current strength, if they were to encounter a real person inside, even with Nanami leading the team, they would likely face total annihilation.

Nanami should know about this...

Just as Rito was pondering, Nanami provided the answer.

"Since this mission has been assigned to you, the danger must be within a controllable range."

"Besides, it's been a while since the cyborgs were discovered, and that place has been under surveillance during that time, so there's no need to worry too much."

Just then, the sound of a car engine came from the school gate.

Nanami raised her wrist, checked the time, and turned to walk towards the school gate.

"Let's go! It's time."

The group nodded, exchanged glances, and then followed.