Jujutsu Kaisen: Nozomi no Sora

The two rushed out of the training hall and stopped at the main gate of the college.

Outside the door, Kiyotaka Ijichi had already parked the car steadily on the side of the road and was standing silently next to the driver's seat, appearing extremely humble.

Xuan Yi, supporting his knees and catching his breath, couldn't help but speak:

"The teacher said there was an urgent mission... Could it be just to avoid Maki-senpai?"

"That's definitely part of the reason!"

Gojo Satoru waved his hand, answering without any psychological burden.

"The magical artifact she lent me, I lent it to Hisahito!"

Xuan glanced at him.

"...Did you break it?"

"It's so bad that not even a trace is left."

Gojo Satoru spread his hands with a wry smile, his expression even revealing a hint of innocence.

"There's no other way, we'll just have to let her ask Hisahito for it then!"

Genichi was silent for a moment. The teacher probably didn't know that Itajō would kick the ball back later...

"Let's not talk about that!" Completely oblivious to the complex emotions in Gen's eyes, Gojo Satoru clapped his hands and lightly returned to the main topic, "Actually, we do have a mission today!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of somewhat dragging footsteps came from behind him.

Xuan Yi turned around and looked back. He was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up.

"Mr. Nishimiya!"

The visitor was none other than Nishimiya Sōsuke.

He was still dressed in a suit and tie, looking tired and listless, as if he had been forcibly conscripted from somewhere. He exuded a sense of lethargy. But when he heard Xuan Yi's voice, his gaze clearly paused, and the laziness on his face eased a bit.

"It's Xuan Yi!"

He looked Xuan Yi up and down, his gaze lingering on his uniform, and his brows immediately furrowed.

"What are you wearing? It's so ugly."

That was clearly a lie.

Genichi had looked in the mirror himself. Genichi Nishio's body was naturally handsome and clean-cut. Although he couldn't compare to the cool and direct handsomeness of someone like Megumi Fushiguro, he had a youthful vibe and good bone structure.

The uniform that Yuta used to wear actually suited him quite well.

So, faced with this comment, Xuan Yi could only give an awkward smile.

However, at the same time, another question couldn't help but pop into his mind—

What kind of weird school uniform would it look like if Gojo Satoru had tailored it to himself based on his aesthetic sense?

Just to be on the safe side, I hope it's the original model! The original model is already pretty good!

"Mr. Gojo, what is today's task?"

Xuan steered the conversation back on track.

"Actually, all new students have to undergo a spirit exorcism mission," Gojo Satoru said with a grin, hands in his pockets. "Hisahito should have already told you, right?"

That's true.

Last night on my way back to the college, I ran into Hisahito Itadori, a fellow student my age. He was in high spirits and recounted almost everything he had experienced since enrolling. From the juvenile academy to training to missions, he talked about whatever came to mind, his enthusiasm was simply unstoppable.

Xuan Yi, whose body houses the soul of a thirty-something-year-old corporate slave, could only accompany Qian Xiao and agree with him all the way.

Ultimately, the age difference is too great, and they really don't have much in common.

"Originally, as your mentor, I was definitely going to be there in person—" Gojo Satoru said, deliberately drawing out his words, then patted Genichi on the shoulder, "but I'm very busy! So this afternoon, Mr. Nishimiya will have to do it for me!"

Upon hearing this, Nishimiya Sousuke's face immediately showed a clear displeasure.

"I was planning to go back to Kyoto today."

"Don't worry about Kyoto for now." Gojo Satoru smiled brightly, clasping his hands together, but his tone was completely insincere. "I'm asking you for a favor now, so please, please~ when you advance to Level 2 Mage, I can write you a letter of recommendation!"

Nishimiya Sousuke's expression froze, and even his posture became somewhat unnatural.

"Well, there's really nothing I can do about it." He coughed lightly, then looked away, feigning composure. "Since you've put it that way... I can't very well refuse if there's something you need."

Xuan Yi stood to the side, silently watching this scene.

So Mr. Nishimiya has this kind of personality?

"Then it's decided!" Gojo Satoru snapped his fingers contentedly. "I'm off now, I might not be back for a couple of days. Genichi, if you come back early today, remember to water the flowers for me. You can also catch up with Megumi while you're at it, but if you can't find him, that's fine too! See you then!"

Before she could finish speaking, the man in front of her vanished without warning, like a gust of wind.

Xuan Yi stared at the empty seat and remained silent for a moment.

He pondered quietly, considering the current point in time according to the original timeline.

It should be close to the time of the exchange meeting between the two schools.

In other words, Itadori is probably investigating the cursed incident with Nanami right now.

Thinking of this, Xuan Yi's heart suddenly clenched, as if he had been stabbed by an electric current.

Shunping.

Yoshino Junpei.

The boy who was tormented by school bullying and ended up dying in front of Itadori, manipulated and played by a real person.

Xuan Yi's breathing became erratic for a moment.

If it were just because I'd read the original work that I felt regret, it wouldn't be so intense. But the fact that Junpei's experiences are so similar to the past of the original owner, Genichi Nishio!

It's the same as long-term repression.

They were both treated as oddballs by those around them.

They were all forced into silence and retreat, eventually sliding step by step into despair.

Perhaps that's why that emotion seemed to have been drawn out from the depths of his soul, making it difficult for Xuan Yi to remain unmoved.

if you can……

He genuinely wanted to save the child.

However, this kind of thing, which is almost like "predicting the future," is so outrageous that it's impossible to tell anyone else about it, let alone just think about it yourself.

Should we directly tell Nanami or Itadori, "You will encounter a boy named Yoshino Junpei who will be used by the real person and die, so please go and save him right now"?

No matter how you look at it, people will assume you have mental problems first!

Since that's the case—

Xuan Yi slowly exhaled, suppressing those surging thoughts.

At the very least, let's finish the task at hand first.

Anyway, Gojo Satoru isn't here right now.

The teacher didn't seem to care at all about what he had said last night about "things he needed to explain"!

If we're fast enough, maybe... we still have time.

After getting into the car, Nishimiya Sousuke picked up a tablet from the passenger seat, opened a news article, and handed it to Genichi.

"Take a look at this first."

On the screen is a news report about a social issue in which the police have intervened:

[Social News]

A mysterious disappearance has occurred at a nursing home in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, with several elderly residents missing. Police have launched an investigation.

[Tokyo] Recently, several elderly people have gone missing at a private nursing home in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, drawing widespread attention from local residents.

According to police reports, since the beginning of this month, three residents over the age of 80 have gone missing at night at the nursing home. The nursing home initially launched an internal search, citing "memory impairment among elderly residents as the reason for their disappearance," but as of now, the individuals have not been found.

According to nearby residents, after the disappearance, there were several unusual noises coming from the nursing home at night, and some staff members on duty also said that they "felt the atmosphere inside the building was cold and oppressive," but no clear evidence of a criminal case has been found yet.

The Metropolitan Police Department stated that this incident is currently a key focus of their investigation, and they are conducting further investigations using CCTV footage, entry and exit records, and evidence from the scene. The hospital responded that it will fully cooperate with the police investigation and has suspended accepting new residents.

This station will continue to follow up on the developments...

After Xuan finished reading, he returned the tablet.

Sousuke Nishimiya leaned back in his chair and said in a calm tone:

"We've gathered enough evidence over at 'the window' to basically confirm it's a curse incident. But don't worry too much; according to the high school's tradition, the tasks assigned to freshmen won't be too dangerous."

He paused, then added:

"At most, it's a level two curse."

Gen nodded, then, as if suddenly remembering something, turned to look at Nishimiya Sōsuke.

"By the way, Mr. Nishimiya."

"Um?"

"When you first introduced yourself, didn't you say you were a level two sorcerer?" Xuan Yi asked, somewhat confused. "But just now the teacher said that he could write you a letter of recommendation when you advance to level two... What's going on?"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the car became subtly quiet for a moment.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Ijichi adjusted his glasses, his tone as gentle and earnest as ever: "Because Mr. Nishimiya used to be a member of 'The Window'."

"Well……"

"'Window' is mainly an intelligence gathering organization, not a formal combat unit," Iji explained while driving. "Even if someone has the qualifications of a sorcerer, they won't be registered as a sorcerer if they don't join a formal combat group. Like Mr. Nishimiya, if he were later transferred back to Kyoto and joined a combat group—theoretically, he would have to start from the third-level sorcerer level."

Nishimiya Sousuke's expression visibly stiffened, and he coughed dryly, turning his gaze to the window.

"...That's about it."

Xuan Yi blinked.

Oh.

So it turns out I was just trying to look cool back then...

As the car approached the mission location, it was already getting dark.

It was a somewhat old-fashioned nursing home building. The gray-white walls were covered with fine cracks from the erosion of time, and most of the windows had curtains drawn. From the outside, the whole building seemed dull and quiet, as if it had lost its human presence.

However, what truly made Xuan Yi's expression change was not the building itself.

It was the aura that kept seeping out from deep within the building.

Cold, sticky, and putrid.

It felt as if countless invisible, damp, cold hands were slowly reaching out from the cracks in the wall and clinging to one's skin. The air seemed to be mixed with a faint smell of mildew and disinfectant, as well as something even more nauseating, like the stench of stagnant sewage fermenting with corpses.

Xuan Yi's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

So this is where the curse resides...

Compared to the low-level cursed spirits I occasionally encountered before, the feeling here is no longer as simple as "seeing something dirty".

Rather, it's a creepy feeling that causes instinctive physical discomfort.

Ijichi stood beside the car and raised her hand to unleash a barrier.

"Born of darkness, darkness within darkness. All filth and defilement are cleansed."

As the "tent" slowly descended, the entire nursing home building seemed to be completely isolated from the outside world by an invisible curtain.

Genichi took a deep breath and walked in side by side with Nishimiya Sōsuke.