Chapter 29 – The Curse Within the Ring
As soon as he stepped through the door, there was no elegant greeting, no morning breeze ruffling a beauty's hair.
Instead, a grotesque curse spirit bared its jagged teeth at him. Its form was shrouded in mist, and right beside it, Haruka Gardenia (the maid) passed through its body without noticing anything.
Creepy...
Was this some special cursed form?
Tatsuro only glanced at it briefly before averting his eyes. He even walked straight through the misty curse. This wasn't the place for a fight—there were two normal people here. He had to suppress his cursed energy fluctuations.
Besides…
He might not even be able to win.
"You're here. This is our second time meeting, isn't it?" said Yuto Mi, her tone light and pleasant.
"Yeah." Tatsuro looked at her, surrounded by the misty curse. "Didn't expect that little alley encounter to end with me becoming your personal bodyguard. Nice to officially meet you—Tatsuro, at your service."
"Haha, such a smooth talker."
But her laughter was short-lived.
As if provoked, the curse suddenly swelled. Like a fog thickening, it engulfed the entire room. Oppressive cursed energy rushed at Tatsuro like a tidal wave.
He collapsed to his knees under the pressure. Damn it!
But he still didn't fight back. If he unleashed any attacks, the two non-sorcerers here might die instantly.
He had to stay calm.
There were plenty of people in this house. None of them had been hurt yet, which meant the curse probably wasn't violent. He had to bet on that.
A voice hissed from all directions:
> "Don't get close to my daughter... Kill... no... Can't kill... If I kill, she'll be afraid... I can't let her be afraid..."
As the whisper faded, the pressure lifted.
"Tatsuro, are you okay?" asked Gardenia, reaching out her hand in concern.
"I'm... I'm fine. The floor was dirty, so I'm just wiping it..."
Tatsuro awkwardly rubbed at the floor, using his sleeve, while staring at his reflection in the polished surface—pale as a ghost.
This was bad.
Really bad.
That curse... I need to report it to Gojo-sensei. That thing's at least semi-grade 1. I'm not equipped to deal with that.
Just then, the system chimed:
> [Mission: Exorcise the Curse Within the Ring, Alone.]
[Reward: +15 Points, +100 Permanent Cursed Energy.]
"...Your mother's doing well, I hope, system?"
He stared at the screen, expression dark.
A semi-grade 1 curse? You want me to exorcise it? Alone?!
Tatsuro slowly stood up and forced a smile. "I think my blood pressure's acting up. Mind if I step out for some fresh air?"
"Of course," said Yuto Mi, concerned. "Your face is pale—maybe see a doctor?"
"No need. Just need a moment."
He stepped out, the heavy wooden door creaking shut behind him. The cursed energy faded as he walked down the corridor.
He looked out the window at the guards patrolling the grounds.
Complicated emotions...
From what he'd observed, the curse wasn't hostile—at least, not around Yuto Mi. The system called it a "Curse Within the Ring," which meant it was probably sealed inside a ring—similar to Rika's case.
But how does a curse that strong even get sealed into a ring?
Better call Gojo-sensei.
The phone rang, and a sluggish voice answered.
"Hey, Tatsuro. You left so early... I didn't even get to eat your breakfast. I'm a little heartbroken."
"Uh... I didn't cook..."
Thank god I left early, Tatsuro thought. If he stuck around, they definitely would've roped him into cooking for everyone.
"What's up?"
"I encountered a powerful curse. Luckily, it seems bound—it won't hurt anyone. But the tricky part is... It's Yuto Mi's mother."
"I haven't confirmed it, but the curse itself said so. Based on its behavior—it won't attack in front of her—I have a plan..."
"Stop right there."
Gojo's voice cut in. "If you've got a plan, why are you calling me? Go do it."
"I…"
Tatsuro stared at his reflection in the glass. He looked miserable.
Yeah. He was scared.
This wasn't something he could handle.
But the system had thrown it at him anyway. Alone.
A solo exorcism of a semi-grade 1 curse... Seriously?
"Scared?" Gojo asked casually. "Tell you what—if you're that scared, just give me your ten million yen reward. I'll go handle it. I'll only need a single finger to finish the job."
"No thanks," Tatsuro replied stiffly. "Just wanted to chat a bit, sensei. That's all. I'll go implement my plan now."
He hung up.
Talk therapy my ass.
So what if Gojo could exorcise it with one finger? One day, he'd draw a powerful ninja technique from his system and burn that smug smile right off his face!
Let's go find that ring.
---
Meanwhile, at Jujutsu High—
"Sensei, are you okay?" asked Fushiguro Megumi, eyeing Gojo's unsettling grin.
"Hmm? Oh, it's nothing. I'm just going on a little trip. About ten days or so. You'll be training with Maki-chan."
"..."
You're seriously just skipping town?
Megumi stared at him blankly.
If he reported this to Principal Yaga, nothing would happen anyway. He sighed.
"Fine. I'll go train with Maki-senpai."
"Bai~!"
Gojo waved cheerfully.
His mind wandered back to Tatsuro's call.
The boy stayed calm. He didn't run, didn't panic. He analyzed the situation instead of charging in blindly.
Courage? Maybe. Or madness.
One wrong move and he'd be dead.
Gojo smiled coldly, removing his blindfold to reveal piercing azure eyes. He slipped on his old-man shades and stood up.
"A lunatic like that… how could I let him die now?"
"He's my student, after all. The future of the jujutsu world."
Let's see how far this 'madman' can go.
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