Chapter 93 (Patreon)

Junpei Yoshino stared at him, unable to hide the confusion in his voice.

“What are you talking about?”

Ragnar Kagenou glanced at the cursed object lying on the table.

“The only good Cursed Spirits are the ones that never show themselves in front of humans.” His voice was calm, almost indifferent. “The moment they do, there’s always a reason.”

He reached out and picked up Sukuna’s finger.

“I’ll be taking this back.”

Junpei’s eyes trembled slightly.

“Wait…”

Ragnar turned his gaze toward him.

“If you want to stay alive, don’t go near him again.”

“Him?”

Ragnar looked at Junpei for a moment, as if the answer should have been obvious.

“Do I really need to say it?”

Junpei fell silent.

“You already know who I’m talking about.”

After leaving those words behind, Ragnar walked out of the Yoshino household without looking back.

A short while later, Junpei lowered his gaze.

The Cursed Spirit that had been hiding in the room was slowly melting into the floor, vanishing without a sound.

“Itadori…?”

He immediately shook his head.

“No. That’s impossible.”

Then there was only one person left.

Only one name came to mind.

“Mahito-san…”

The moment he whispered that name, a voice came from behind him.

“Did you call?”

Junpei froze.

Mahito stood there with a light smile on his face.

“What do you need me for, Junpei?”

His smile gradually widened. The corners of his mouth stretched unnaturally, almost reaching his ears.

Outside, Ragnar walked through the neon-lit streets with Sukuna’s finger in his hand.

The lights of the city reflected faintly in his eyes.

“Kenjaku…”

His voice was low.

“You really do live up to your reputation. You wouldn’t even risk coming here yourself just to place Sukuna’s finger.”

That was right.

The finger on the Yoshino family’s table had not been placed there by Kenjaku directly.

A Cursed Spirit had brought it.

Kenjaku was cautious by nature. Especially when dealing with someone stronger than himself, he would never leave an opening unless he was certain it could not be traced back to him.

Ragnar had waited for quite some time.

But in the end, Kenjaku never appeared.

He had only sent a Cursed Spirit in his place.

“It’s fine.”

Ragnar closed his fingers around the cursed object.

“I didn’t catch you this time.”

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“But you’ll show yourself eventually.”

Back inside the Yoshino household, Mahito leaned close to Junpei’s ear.

“Hey, Junpei.”

His voice was soft, almost playful.

“Don’t you want to know what it feels like to kill someone?”

Junpei’s heart skipped a beat.

“What… do you mean?”

Mahito’s smile twisted.

“You’re smart, Junpei. That’s why this is a little cruel.” He tilted his head. “If you had stayed ignorant, maybe you could have gone on pretending things were normal for a little longer.”

As he spoke, Mahito’s arm slowly stretched.

Junpei’s eyes widened.

Before he could react, Mahito’s elongated arm wrapped around Nagi Yoshino and covered her mouth.

“Mom!”

Junpei’s voice cracked.

“What are you doing? Let her go!”

Mahito raised a finger to his lips.

“Shh.”

His tone remained light.

“Don’t make too much noise. If my hand slips, your mother might turn into something ugly.”

Junpei’s face went pale.

“No… stop. Please, don’t…”

His voice shook.

“Why are you doing this, Mahito-san?”

Junpei lowered his head, his pupils trembling as if he still could not accept what he was seeing.

Mahito smiled gently.

“Relax. No need to look so scared.”

He bent down slightly, bringing his face closer to Junpei’s.

“If you want your mother to stay human…”

His smile deepened.

“Go kill Yuji Itadori.”

Thump.

Thump.

The moment he heard that name, Junpei’s heart pounded heavily in his chest.

“Itadori…”

His lips trembled.

“But… he’s my friend.”

Mahito pressed his cheek close to Junpei’s face and whispered.

“And your mother?”

Junpei went still.

“Which one matters more?”

Mahito’s voice slid into his ear like poison.

“Think carefully, Junpei.”

His hand tightened slightly around Nagi.

“Don’t make a choice you’ll regret for the rest of your life.”

Junpei remained silent for a long time.

The light in his eyes slowly faded.

Finally, he spoke in a hollow voice.

“I’ll…”

His fingers clenched.

“I’ll do it.”

Mahito’s expression brightened.

“That’s it.”

He smiled with satisfaction.

“You made the right choice.”

A moment later, Mahito knocked Nagi Yoshino unconscious and gently placed her down.

Then he turned back to Junpei.

“I’m coming in, Junpei.”

Junpei did not answer.

Not long after, he changed into black clothes and opened the door.

His thin figure stepped out into the night and disappeared into the darkness.

At the same time, Yuji Itadori and Kento Nanami were arguing in the hallway.

Yuji wanted to go with Nanami to exorcise the transfigured humans.

Nanami refused.

Those things had once been people.

Even if they had been twisted into monsters, Yuji was still too young to carry that weight.

Yuji clenched his fists.

“But I can fight. I can help.”

“That is not the issue.”

Nanami adjusted his glasses.

“Taking a life, even in that form, is not something you should rush toward.”

Yuji gritted his teeth, unable to argue back properly.

Just then, Rika Orimoto spoke up from the side.

“What are you two even arguing about?”

Yuji looked over.

“Rika-senpai…”

Rika crossed her arms and looked at him.

“Itadori, you keep watching Junpei Yoshino.”

Yuji blinked.

“But…”

“No buts.”

Her tone left no room for argument.

“You think that’s just some boring errand? The Special Grade Cursed Spirit is very likely connected to Junpei Yoshino.”

Yuji opened his mouth.

“Senpai, I…”

Rika cut him off immediately.

“What?”

Yuji stopped.

Rika’s gaze sharpened.

“Go.”

After a brief silence, Yuji lowered his shoulders.

“Fine…”

Against Rika’s firm attitude, he did not dare push back any further. He could only leave, visibly dejected, to carry out the mission.

Nanami watched him go and let out a small sigh.

“Young people really do listen faster when another young person says it.”

Rika glanced at him.

“Who else here is supposed to act like his senior?”

Then she looked in the direction Yuji had gone.

“That kid is too straightforward. Does he seriously think the area around Junpei Yoshino is safe?”

She turned to leave.

“I’ll keep an eye on him too.”

Nanami stopped her.

“Ms. Orimoto.”

Rika looked back.

“As a Special Grade, you don’t need to move personally yet. It would be better for you to intervene once the Special Grade Cursed Spirit appears.”

Rika paused.

After considering it, she found his words reasonable.

“Fine.”

She looked at Nanami.

“Then I’ll leave it to you, Nanami-senpai.”

Nanami gave a small nod.

“Of course. It’s part of the job.”

That day, Junpei Yoshino left the house earlier than usual.

Under Mahito’s instructions, he arrived at his school, Satozakura High.

In the next instant, Mahito lowered a Curtain over the school, isolating it from the outside world.

From the moment Junpei had chosen to befriend Yuji Itadori, his fate had already fallen into Mahito’s hands.

Inside the school gymnasium, the students giving speeches suddenly collapsed without warning.

Junpei sat alone on the stage, waiting for Yuji to arrive.

Mahito’s voice echoed inside his mind.

“Kill the person in front of you.”

Junpei froze.

Then, slowly, he stood up and walked toward Shota Sato.

“Do it.”

Junpei took a deep breath.

His shikigami began to manifest.

He was about to use it to kill Shota.

Clatter!

The doors of the gymnasium were kicked open.

Yuji Itadori stood at the entrance, breathing hard.

“Junpei!”

His eyes widened as he saw the scene before him.

“What are you doing?”

Junpei turned his head.

His face was pale, but his eyes were strangely empty.

“You finally came, Itadori.”

At that same time, Kento Nanami and Takuma Ino were in the middle of exorcising the Cursed Spirits Mahito had created.

Then Nanami received a call from Yuji.

Yuji said he was going to force his way into the Curtain at Satozakura High.

No matter how Nanami tried to stop him, Yuji would not listen.

In the end, Nanami had no choice.

The Cursed Spirits here had to be left to Ino.

“Ino.”

Nanami turned toward him.

“I’ll leave this place to you.”

Ino’s expression stiffened.

“Huh?”

“Is there a problem?”

Ino looked at the number of Cursed Spirits still crawling around them.

“Well, uh…”

His face twitched slightly.

“Isn’t this number kind of… a lot?”

Nanami answered without changing expression.

“When this is over, I’ll recommend you for promotion to Grade 1.”

Ino immediately rolled up his sleeves.

“As Jujutsu Sorcerers, this is our duty.”

His eyes suddenly burned with motivation.

“No matter how many there are, I’ll exorcise every last one.”

Nanami did not comment on the sudden change in attitude.

As he left, he called Rika Orimoto.

The call connected quickly.

“Hello?”

“Ms. Orimoto,” Nanami said. “The Special Grade Cursed Spirit’s target may be Yuji Itadori. The location is Satozakura High.”

“I understand.”

“I’m heading there as well.”

“No problem.”

After hanging up, Nanami and Rika both moved toward Yuji’s location.

Meanwhile, inside Satozakura High, Junpei’s shikigami had fully emerged.

Moon Dregs.

A jellyfish-like shikigami with paralytic poison.

Its translucent body floated in the air, swaying eerily as it drifted toward Yuji.

Fortunately, Yuji Itadori was abnormally tough.

Yuji clenched his fists and stepped forward without hesitation.

He had no shikigami, neither any Cursed Technique.

But that hardly mattered.

If Junpei was going to hide behind a technique, then Yuji’s answer was simple.

He lowered his stance.

His technique was making the enemy catch these hands.

Then he rushed straight in.