Inside the luxurious hall of a famous restaurant in Kyoto, several bottles of shochu stood quietly on a solid wood table. The table was covered with a dazzling array of signature dishes, yet at this moment, Utahime was in no mood to taste the food.
"I say... you two, is this really necessary?" Utahime propped her chin on her hands, looking at the two in front of her with a bored expression.
Renji was ravenously stuffing pieces of sashimi into his mouth, while Mei Mei, beside him, was letting her crows gently peck at the meat on the table.
[Ding! Host has witnessed Cursed Technique: Black Bird Manipulation for the first time.]
"Mei Mei-san, is this your Cursed Technique?" Renji asked while eating, looking at the crow in front of Mei Mei.
Mei Mei let out a soft chuckle, her expression still unreadable. She smiled as she replied, "Okkotsu-kun, obtaining information about a sorcerer's abilities costs money. My price isn't cheap."
"Fine, fine." Renji laughed, stuffing a piece of salmon into his mouth.
"By the way, Mei Mei-san, why are you here at Kyoto Jujutsu High?" Renji asked another question.
In front of this woman, only valuable things were worthy of a question. Speaking of which, Mei Mei was not her real name. It seemed that besides Masamichi, very few people knew her name. She had been sent by her family to learn Jujutsu. Incidentally, the current Mei Mei already owned several companies of her own.
Mei Mei smoothed a strand of hair stuck to her neck by sweat, then spoke calmly, "To make money, of course. The Kyoto side offered me a price I couldn't refuse. It's just some ordinary small matters anyway. For me, it's basically the same as picking up money off the ground."
"Stop. Why are you two chatting so happily?" Utahime crossed her arms.
She was the one paying for this meal, and now she couldn't even close the distance with Renji.
"If the chat isn't happy, why would we be chatting?" Renji blinked and looked at Utahime.
Utahime: ?
"In any case, Mei Mei, shouldn't you be going to work now?"
Veins popped on Utahime's forehead as she gritted her teeth. A dark aura could clearly be seen emanating from her.
Mei Mei folded her hands and propped up her chin. She looked at Utahime, then at Renji, an indescribable meaning flashing in her dark eyes.
"Fine, since it's your request, I'll comply. By the way, I have a very important piece of news. Do you want to..." Mei Mei smiled playfully.
"No!" Utahime spoke immediately.
"Are you sure? If you don't know, you might be mocked by others." Mei Mei covered her mouth and laughed.
"It's probably just some boring intel again... No." Utahime narrowed her eyes.
She had collaborated with Mei Mei many times and knew her personality all too well. She just wanted to scam her out of some money.
"Hmph. Don't blame me when you regret it tomorrow." Mei Mei stood up.
She took an interested look at Renji, then withdrew her crows and left the restaurant humming a song..
Utahime had used her 'money power' to book the entire large restaurant. With no one else around, the restaurant manager, hiding in the shadows, glanced at Utahime's side and immediately reacted, signaling his staff to turn on things like the romantic pink lights.
Click!
Renji, who was eating, paused.
Crap?
What's going on?
"Utahime-san, what is this for?" Renji looked up.
"You're going back to Tokyo tomorrow, right?" Utahime said, twirling her hair with her finger, sounding a bit dejected.
Isn't the progress too fast? We've only known each other for two days.
"Yeah, I guess the one coming for the next spar won't be me either." Renji said, putting a piece of tuna in his mouth.
This was true.
Next year, Satoru would be sixteen. Shortly after entering his second year at Jujutsu High, a mission that would change everyone's lives would appear.
Although he shouldn't interfere too much in the major events of the worldline, Renji still didn't want Suguru to end up like he did in the original story, unable to find peace even after death, with his body taken over by Kenjaku.
"Renji, thank you." Utahime suddenly said with a smile.
"What's wrong, senpai? Why the sudden thanks?"
Renji was a bit confused but continued eating. He had a huge appetite and ever since obtaining Heavenly Restriction, his body's energy felt like it had never been fully charged.
"Thank you for being my friend. Because of my Cursed Technique, I can't exorcise very strong Cursed Spirits, and ordinary Jujutsu Sorcerers don't want to form a team with me. If Principal Gakuganji hadn't found Mei Mei from Tokyo, I'm afraid I would have already quit the Jujutsu World by now."
Utahime looked out the window. The moon was bright and the stars few, and the streets were busy with traffic. Even though it was night, the city had not yet come to a rest.
[Ding! Iori Utahime regards you as a friend. Favorability +5]
[Current Favorability: 15]
Utahime and Renji's eyes met.
There seemed to be some kind of magic in Renji's golden eyes, making Utahime stare blankly for a moment. She reached out, her palm gently caressing Renji's cheek.
"Utahime-san?"
"..."
At this moment, Utahime's expression became a bit strange. The crimson on her cheeks became more prominent, and her not-so-meager peaks trembled as her breathing quickened. She lightly bit her lips, her eyes hazy.
She pulled away the sash at her waist, a snowy-white scene reflecting in Renji's eyes.
[Ding! Copy activated. Host has obtained Cursed Technique: Sakura Charm Curse (3/3)]
[Host has copied a Special Grade Cursed Spirit's ability for the first time. There is a very high probability of learning the ability this time.]
Special Grade Cursed Spirit?
"Renji... I... my body is so hot. You smell so good... Hehe."
Instantly, Renji covered Utahime's eyes with one hand, and the terrifying Cursed Energy surging from within him instantly dispersed the Cursed Spirit's aura inside Utahime's body.
"Eh... Why did I undo my clothes? Ah! Don't look!!!"
As a Second-Grade Sorcerer, Utahime's speed in regaining her senses wasn't slow.
The next second, Renji instantly drew the long sword from his back.
Shing!
A fleshy ball covered in eyes flew out from the darkness.
Renji and Utahime were forced out of the restaurant by the sudden attack, arriving at the open space in front of the restaurant.
The terrifying sound of the whistling wind transformed into the friction of a collision, and sparks erupted from the blade of Natsume.
"Senpai, are you okay?" Renji grabbed Utahime's hand.
He had almost been affected by that Cursed Energy just now. If Copy hadn't activated, he probably would have fallen for it.
(End of Chapter)
Read 50 Chapters ahead on
patreon.com/astralicity