Curse Return: Infinity

Day Three of the Mission.

It's 2 PM.

Everyone exited the aquarium, laughter filling the air. Riko Amanai pulled out her itinerary and scribbled out the last item: "Watch the Whales."

What's next…?

They had already visited the beach, gone boating, and explored the aquarium—everything on the recommendation list.

She hesitated, unsure.

Looking at Kuroi Misato, then at Sōjun Minamoto and the others, she thought, This might be it.

Sōjun Minamoto pulled out his phone, raising it slightly for everyone to see. "The bounty has been lifted."

The announcement had come at 11 AM—a seemingly good piece of news, but it cast a somber silence over the group. Three hours had passed. All that was left was to escort Riko Amanai back to Jujutsu High.

"Let's head back," Minamoto said again.

It was unavoidable—whether she chose assimilation or something else entirely.

"Thank you all for humoring me these past two days. I had so much fun causing trouble with you!" Riko exclaimed cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood.

At the foot of Mt. Ten'ya.

The group returned around 4 PM.

The March wind was still cold, carrying a sharp chill. The sky in the distance glowed amber, caught in the transition from the setting sun to the rising full moon.

Tomorrow promised clear weather.

This time, the path back to Jujutsu High was different.

They approached a vermilion torii gate, behind which stretched a winding pathway lined with countless gates, leading deep into the mountain. The seemingly endless line of torii marked the way to the temple's main hall at the summit.

Without a word, they climbed layer after layer of stone steps. Passing through the final torii, they reached the temple's worship hall, officially entering Jujutsu High's barrier.

"We're within the school's protective barrier now," Suguru Geto said, breaking the tense silence.

"Finally, we can breathe easy!" Riko Amanai exclaimed, pumping her fist with a grin.

"..."

"Don't ever ask me to babysit brats like this again," Satoru Gojo grumbled, glancing away.

"What did you just say?!" Riko shot back, hands on her hips, clearly annoyed.

Before anyone could react, Minamoto shoved Gojo aside. He wasn't fast enough—a powerful blade pierced him, narrowly missing a fatal spot.

The assailant was too quick.

How is this possible?!

We're inside the school's barrier!

Everyone turned in shock toward the attacker.

The man wore a smirk on his nonchalant face, a vertical scar running down the corner of his mouth, adding a cold edge to his demeanor.

They rely too much on cursed energy… and trust this place too much.

Minamoto was the first to react, pushing Gojo aside and shielding Riko and Kuroi. Suguru Geto summoned a worm-like curse spirit in response.

"Have we met before?" Gojo asked, sweat on his brow but a cocky smile on his lips. Lowering his sunglasses, he scanned the man, fragments of memory surfacing.

"Don't bother. I'm just as bad at remembering the names of other men," the intruder quipped, his smirk widening into a mocking grin.

Toji Fushiguro—a man feared as the Sorcerer Killer.

He possessed a rare Heavenly Restriction, a congenital binding that granted him zero cursed energy in exchange for superhuman physical abilities and unparalleled athletic prowess.

This unique condition allowed him to bypass Jujutsu High's barriers undetected.

"I've been waiting for this moment," Toji drawled, resting a long, serpent-like curse spirit with a grotesque human face on his shoulder.

Although Toji couldn't see curses, his heightened senses allowed him to perceive their presence without relying on sight. Coupled with his cursed tools, he had the power to subjugate curses through sheer physical might.

With a single strike, Toji retreated half a step. Tossing aside his blade, the curse spirit on his shoulder opened its grotesque mouth, spitting out another weapon's hilt. Toji grabbed it, pulling out a new, gleaming blade.

A storage curse spirit?!

"Years ago, that Six Eyes brat from the Gojo family triggered a domino effect across the jujutsu world. I couldn't help but take a peek back then—it's the only time someone ever noticed me standing behind them," Toji said, casting a fleeting glance at Minamoto before returning his gaze to Gojo.

"Which is why I planned to dull your senses and weaken you."

Toji had been the mastermind behind this mission.

First, he issued a high bounty to draw in waves of sorcerers, exhausting and confusing Gojo's group. Then, just before the mission concluded, he canceled the bounty, lulling them into complacency. He had arrived at Jujutsu High ahead of time, releasing curses to distract the remaining sorcerers before ambushing the group upon their return.

Now, as the group let their guard down, he made his move.

And it worked.

The strongest among them was already injured.

Suguru stepped forward to stand beside Gojo, but the latter held up a hand. "I'm fine. You guys go ahead to Master Tengen."

"But…"

Toji didn't give them a chance to argue. In an instant, he closed the distance to the worm curse spirit, slicing it in half with a single strike. Blood and gore splattered across his figure before quickly dissipating into cursed energy.

Suguru felt the curse spirit's soul extinguish in that fleeting moment.

A special-grade cursed tool—one capable of harming souls. The Soul Liberator Blade?!

Special-grade cursed tools like this, with unique effects and immense power, were exceptionally rare, each meticulously cataloged. Anyone who studied jujutsu thoroughly would recognize them at a glance.

Toji slid the Soul Liberator Blade back into the curse spirit's mouth, pulling out another odd, jagged blade.

The Inverted Spear of Heaven—a tool that nullifies cursed techniques.

In mere moments, Toji had assessed the battlefield.

The Star Plasma Vessel…

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