JJK: Wheel of Time

In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed, and the weather had gradually turned colder, with everyone starting to wear scarves. Shin occasionally went out on missions, but there were no more attacks from cursed users targeting him.

The Dojigiri sword had proven extremely useful during his missions. With it, there wasn't a defense Shin couldn't cut through. Truthfully, he was eager to test it against a special-grade cursed spirit to see if it could break through their defenses. Unfortunately, while special-grade curses weren't as rare as they used to be, they weren't something one encountered casually.

During this time, Nao had been steadily working on refining her technique, which was now temporarily named "Soul Curse Technique." The simplest manifestation of it was what she had once described as "soul projection."

Ordinary jujutsu sorcerers didn't have a clear understanding of the soul because it was invisible, and most people couldn't touch their own soul's existence. However, cursed energy served as a medium for this. Even though they couldn't directly sense their souls, some jujutsu sorcerers would protect their souls along with their bodies when cloaking themselves in cursed energy.

Nao had demonstrated her technique to the others. Interestingly, the soul wasn't the transparent, human-like shape people imagined. Under normal circumstances, it was invisible, but Nao could make it observable to them in certain ways.

At this, Panda had exclaimed, "There's a ghost!" only to be punched by Maki. It wasn't entirely his fault, though—seeing a faint, smoke-like human figure could make anyone feel like they were encountering a supernatural event.

According to Nao, in her perspective, the soul had no definitive shape and couldn't be described using simple visual cues. She could only use symbolic imagery to try and explain it.

"Gojo-sensei is like a mountain—a very tall mountain with snow on its peak, bathed in sunlight…"

"And me? What about me?" Panda asked excitedly.

Nao hesitated before replying, "Uh... You're kind of like... a three-flavored ice cream cone?"

"And Maki?"

"Hmm... Maki-senpai feels like a tree."

Nao wasn't always able to describe everyone's soul as clearly. For example, she struggled to describe Toge and Yuta, giving only vague and uncertain imagery.

As for Shin, she described his soul as "a perfectly still lake." It looked serene and beautiful, but for some reason, it gave her an eerie feeling.

In addition, Nao's technique proved useful in battle. When she advanced her technique further, her cursed energy would take on the properties of her ability, allowing her to directly attack the enemy's soul.

This was discovered during a mission that Gojo had assigned to her as a test, if she recalled correctly. That mission was led by Nanami Kento.

With Nanami, a first-grade jujutsu sorcerer, overseeing things, the cursed spirit they encountered had met a truly grim fate. Nao, whose attacks carried soul-damaging effects, swiftly exorcised it. It was said that Nanami had given her high praise for her performance.

This technique reminded Shin of a certain villain—was his name Mahito? His technique also dealt with souls. As Shin's hazy memories surfaced, he recalled the villain's stitched-up face. That one was also a special-grade curse, and its regenerative abilities were quite powerful. If he encountered it in the future, he'd have to be ready to land multiple strikes before it died.

"You're eating ice cream in this cold weather, Shin?" a voice came from behind him.

Shin, who had just retrieved a carton of ice cream from a vending machine, turned around and saw Gojo approaching. He grabbed another one and handed it to his teacher. "Isn't there something nice about eating ice cream in the cold? It's a feeling you can't get when it's hot."

Gojo, with his usual light smile, accepted the ice cream and started to open it. Meanwhile, Shin glanced at the unfamiliar man standing behind Gojo. "Sensei, who's this? I haven't seen him before."

Gojo replied nonchalantly, "You don't need to worry about him. He's from the Management Department, here for the Dojigiri."

The man bowed and said, "I am Iwai Sabu, here to collect this special-grade cursed object. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances that might result in the resurrection of the imaginary vengeful spirit Shuten-dōji, we request that you hand over this cursed object to the Management Department for safekeeping and purification."

Shin glanced at Gojo, who shrugged. Then, Shin tried another angle. "But this belongs to the Gen family…"

Iwai maintained a polite smile. "The Minamoto or now known as Gen family has already discussed this matter with the Management Department. The head of the family has agreed to our request. So, officially, the Dojigiri now belongs to the department."

With no more to say, Shin simply tossed the Dojigiri over to Iwai, who carefully caught it and immediately wrapped the sword in several paper seals. After another polite bow, he took his leave.

Watching him walk away, Shin lamented, "It was so handy, though."

Gojo casually tossed his empty ice cream cup into a nearby trash bin and began walking. "No worries. Once the curse is completely removed, you can apply to use it again. It's not purely a cursed object, after all. It's just that a curse is attached to the blade, and it's possible to cleanse it completely."

"Anyway, the real reason I came to find you is that there's a special mission. You'll be working with Nanami on this one."

Shin's curiosity piqued. If Gojo called it a special mission, it must be something serious. Gojo continued to explain, "There's a criminal organization that somehow spawned a curse, and it's formed a bizarre symbiotic relationship with them. We can't simply wipe out the group."

"So, we'll be working with the police. Our job is to exorcise the curse, and then we hand the criminals over to the authorities."

Shin rubbed his temples in mild frustration. "So we can't just take out the criminals? We have to deal with the curse in front of them, and we have to avoid making too much noise... I see why you came to me."

This mission seemed tailor-made for Shin. With his technique, he could handle everything in a short time—so fast, in fact, that the criminals wouldn't even know what hit them. But why was Nanami joining?

"Because, based on our investigations, this curse was likely triggered by a special-grade cursed object. It's incredibly dangerous, meaning there are variables. That's why Nanami will be there as backup."

"Got it. I'll take the mission. By the way, Sensei, what about my grade-one evaluation?"

Gojo turned to him with a grin. "This is it. If you do well, Shin, you'll get it."

"Nanami-senpai."

Nanami Kento looked at the polite bowing Shin with approval. Although Shin was Gojo's student, he didn't carry the same air of recklessness. The only unusual thing was Shin's dark red hair, which didn't seem to fit his personality. Nanami recalled that Shin hadn't had this hair color the last time he saw him.

Noticing Nanami's gaze, Shin chuckled and explained, "I dyed it during my time off for a cosplay event. I was going for Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin."

Nanami nodded without further comment, then gestured for Shin to follow him into the car, which Ijichi was driving. On the way to the mission site, Nanami sat in the backseat, his golden hair neatly combed back, wearing a nose-clip-style pair of glasses and a beige suit. He looked every bit the refined professional, while Shin's casual attire created a sharp contrast.

"I'll call you Shin. Have you been briefed on the mission?" Nanami asked calmly.

After Shin summarized the mission's key details, Nanami spoke in a steady tone. "This is your evaluation mission. Given the difficulty and circumstances, if you perform well, this might be the only evaluation needed. I'll try not to interfere unless absolutely necessary, so proceed with caution."

Before long, they arrived at the mission site—a large, walled compound in the countryside. The towering walls were topped with barbed wire, resembling a giant iron hand gripping a cage.

In the nearby woods overlooking the compound, a group of fully armed police officers stood ready. After Nanami got out of the car and showed them his credentials, a leading officer approached them.

"I'm Kobashi Nobuhide, in charge of coordinating with you two. I've been briefed on the situation. Once you complete the exorcism, please notify us via this radio. We'll handle the rest. If you encounter resistance from the criminals, please avoid lethal force," Kobashi explained as he handed them the radio.

After receiving the radio, Nanami and Shin headed toward the compound. Shin asked the question that had been on his mind. "Nanami-senpai, do all these officers know about the jujutsu world?"

Nanami walked forward, his gaze steady. "No. Only Kobashi knows. He's one of the rare few among regular people who can see cursed spirits, though he lacks the cursed energy to exorcise them. He often acts as a liaison between the jujutsu world and law enforcement."

Shin looked up at the rusted iron gate in front of them. "So, are we just walking in like this?"

Nanami had already drawn his short, cursed blade, which was wrapped in paper seals. As he set up a barrier, he explained, "According to the intel, these criminals are posing as a religious group to carry out fraud and other crimes. It would be ideal to sneak in unnoticed, but given their nature, they're likely on high alert."

Nanami nodded toward the surveillance cameras, their red lights blinking in the shadows. Shin unsheathed his sword. "So, they've probably spotted us already. Well, no point in waiting. Nanami-senpai, I'm starting the operation."

Shin infused his sword with cursed energy, and with a flash of radiant blade light, the heavy iron gate fell with a resounding crash. He stepped inside, and immediately, the main building's doors burst open, revealing a dozen or so thugs wielding handguns, their faces twisted in malice.

"Oh, they even have guns," Shin remarked with genuine amusement.

He was about to show off some swordplay by slicing through the bullets but remembered the mission's restrictions. Instead, feeling slightly disappointed, he activated his technique, transforming into a temporal ghost. Within an instant, he disarmed the men, knocking their guns to the ground and rendering them unconscious.

Nanami, watching as Shin and the enemies seemed to disappear in a blink, mentally noted, "These young sorcerers today…" With a sigh, he stepped over the sprawled bodies and followed Shin inside.

Despite carrying a sword, Shin hadn't needed to use it much. The criminals who rushed out to attack him found themselves unconscious before they could even react.

As Shin continued deeper into the building, he encountered a group of people who weren't criminals. These individuals, their eyes dull and lifeless, knelt on the ground with their hands behind their heads, offering no resistance. The dim, grimy room they were in was filled with computers tangled in messy wiring, suggesting they had been working on some kind of cyber fraud scheme.

Curious, Shin glanced at the monitors, reading names marked with "follower xxx" or actual names in chat boxes. "Ah, it's a scam... with a dash of cult activity."

Ignoring them, Shin moved on, walking past the security cameras with a casual wave and a grin.

Meanwhile, on the top floor—unlike the grimy lower levels—the setting was lavish, resembling a luxurious hotel more than a den of criminals. Inside a grand room, a group of sharply dressed men sat tensely around a table, their eyes glued to surveillance screens.

Upon seeing the red-haired youth waving at them on the monitors, a middle-aged man puffing on a cigar slammed his hand onto the table, causing the ashtray to bounce. "Where the hell did this punk come from? Where's Ryuji? How have they not dealt with him yet? We can't let some brat do as he pleases here!"

Despite his furious, lion-like outburst, his fear was palpable beneath the surface. The thugs they had sent out had all been taken down without even knowing what hit them. The man's bravado couldn't mask his terror.

If it weren't for the presence of the "god" they worshipped, they would have already fled.

After the man's tirade, the leader seated at the head of the table remained calm, his sharp gaze slicing through the room.

"Stop panicking," he said coldly. "The 'god' hasn't made its move yet. No matter who this brat is, the god will tear him apart."

With gritted teeth, the leader turned to a man whose body was covered in intricate tattoos that crawled up his neck. "Go get five sacrifices. We'll offer them to the god."

The tattooed man nodded and swiftly left the room. As he did, the tension among the remaining men began to ease, some of them even smiling with newfound confidence. One poured himself a glass of wine, as if the situation were already under control.

But as Shin neared the source of the thick cursed energy, his expression darkened. Earlier, he had passed through a dimly lit hall filled with iron cages. These cages, typically used to house large dogs or other beasts, were instead holding living people—most of them young or even children, primarily girls.

Their faces were blank, filled with fear, their bodies covered in scars. The floor beneath the cages was stained dark red. The sight made Shin turn away after a quick glance. He didn't release them immediately; the criminals and the curse hadn't been dealt with yet. This wasn't the time.

At that moment, Shin heard several blood-curdling screams. The sound came from somewhere nearby, on the same floor!

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