It was raining hard as the four first-years met with Utahime, who called out, "This way."
They walked over as Utahime asked, "You've heard from Gojo about the person leaking intel, right?"
They nodded, saying, "Yes."
"There are probably two or more people in contact with the Curse Users. One would be a higher-up, well above the principal. I won't be able to do anything about that one. The other would be someone passing the information up to that higher-up. That one is our current target."
Utahime said this with a sad expression before continuing, "They're only a suspect at this point, so we'll capture and then interrogate them."
Nobara then asked, "So, who from Kyoto is it?"
"The mole is Mechamaru."
Nobara's eyes widened, asking, "The robot?!"
Junpei looked confused, asking, "Robot?"
Megumi sighed, saying, "One of the participants of the Exchange Event. His robot body was damaged, so he couldn't attend any events after the end of the first day."
Junpei looked horrified, saying, "You meant there was a robot at the school and I missed out on seeing it?!!"
"Yes."
"This is the worst!!!"
Utahime sighed, saying, "Let's go."
She led them to a bunch of stairs, saying, "Mechamaru's real body, Kokichi Muta, is in the basement here. Now, it's not like he's suspicious. It's more that everyone else wasn't. So the process of elimination leaves us with Mechamaru."
They walked towards the door as Utahime continued saying, "Mechamaru's Cursed Technique is Puppet Manipulation. Though thanks to his Heavenly Pact, the range he can manipulate puppets extends throughout all of Japan. If he has any unregistered puppets, then he could do the work of a mole as much as he wanted."
They arrived at a door as Utahime pointed at it, saying, "We're here."
They opened the door to find no one inside. Just a chair.
Kiyotaka stared thinking, 'A Heavenly Pact. One to increase something to do with Cursed Energy. It would likely trade away his physique, but this place doesn't have the equipment to support someone in such a condition. He was never here.'
Utahime sweated, saying, "He got us."
Megumi looked forward, saying, "On the other hand..."
Nobara finished for him, saying, "Now we're certain it's Mechamaru."
Kiyotaka sighed, saying, "Well, this is troublesome", while thinking, 'If I had gotten a chance to talk with him, would I have been able to figure this out earlier? No. There is no expression to read off of him or a proper tone. The only thing I'd be able to rely on to get a read on him would be his words.'
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"Geto" smiled, thinking, 'They killed Hanami, which is unfortunate. After all, Jogo, Mahito, Dagon and Choso might not be enough to hold down Gojo long enough. In the end... it'll all come down to how well they fight.'
Just after 7 PM, on October 31st, 2018, a roughly 400-meter radius veil was lowered, centred around Tokyo Department Store's Toyoko Outlet.
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Nobara, Maki, Junpei, Nitta and Naobito stood together at the Restaurant Avenue Entrance in Shibuya Mark City.
Nobara asked, "No one's here? Here at the scramble crossing in front of the station? This is Shibuya on Halloween!"
She said this in shock at the unusually quiet night.
Nitta nodded, saying, " It would seem something strange has happened there. Everyone who came running up to the edge of the veil to escape cried the same thing: [Bring Gojo Satoru!]"
Naobito smiled, saying, "There's no way any non-sorcerers know his name," as he fixed his moustache, saying, "They're being forced to say that."
He let go of his moustache and asked, "We can't break the veil?"
"We're having a hard time with that. The veil isn't preventing sorcerers from entering or leaving. We can't just break it by force. It'll be much faster to find the Curse User who lowered it and beat them up."
Nitta said this as Junpei asked, "Is there actually a guarantee that that would break the veil?"
Jujutsu Sorcerer: Junpei Yoshino
School: Tokyo
Year: First Year
Grade: Unevaluated (Pending Semi-Grade 1 Evaluation)
Nitta smiled, saying, "You're right, but they won't just abandon the veils. Even if they use a binding vow to increase the effectiveness of the barrier by abandoning it, it wouldn't be worth risking the veil being destroyed."
Junpei nodded as he understood, and Maki smiled and said, "Not a bad head you got on your shoulders though."
Maki turned to Nitta, asking, "So our job is to take down the one who cast the veil, right?"
Nitta sweated, saying, "No. You all are to wait here on standby!"
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At 8:31 PM, Gojo Satoru Arrives.
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Kiyotaka stood in Aoyama Cemetery, his assigned position with Mei Mei and Ui Ui as he thought, 'They really are making Gojo do this on his own, aren't they?'
Kiyotaka was given Mei Mei's axe to hold for a second as Ui Ui cleaned a spot for Mei Mei to sit as she said, "We'll be heading to Shibuya as backup for Gojo."
She sat down as Ui Ui walked over, saying, "Give it back", as he took back the axe and laid it next to Mei Mei.
Ui Ui sighed, saying, "I can't believe they're actually forcing my Elder Sister to be his backup. That Gojo Satoru. Thinks he's some kind of big shot."
Kiyotaka deadpanned at this, thinking, 'He's serious? He's really not joking?'
Mei Mei smiled, saying, "He is a big shot, so you shouldn't just treat him like he's an ordinary guy."
Ui Ui then says, "You know, you're not like any ordinary woman yourself, Elder Sister."
She put her hand on his shoulder, saying, "Ah Ui Ui, you're truly adorable, and that's why I love you."
Ui Ui sighed, saying, "Here you go, saying stuff you don't believe cause you don't really love your family members, isn't that right? You just love that I'm helping you out with your work right now."
Mei Mei chuckled, saying, "You really do get me. That's the part of you I love the best."
Ui Ui smiled, saying, "Oh boy!"
Kiyotaka looked at the two, thinking, 'What kind of familial relationship is this?'
That's when Mei Mei got a call saying, "Hello, Mei Mei here. Oh?"
She looked to Kiyotaka and said, "Ayanokoji. We have a change in plans."
They began walking as she said, "Another veil like the one over Shibuya over Meiji Shrine Station. We're heading to that one instead."
She turned around and said, "We're running there, so try to keep up."
Kiyotaka nodded.
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Kiyotaka stood there as a window reports, "There's a veil to keep ordinary people inside, covering the entire underground subway station. And within that veil, there's another veil centred around the platform on level B5 that prevents sorcerers from entering. We believe the Cursed Spirit or Curse User that lowered these veils is located somewhere between these two."
Mei Mei then asked, "Between them? Not on the platform they're centred around?"
Kiyotaka then said, "It makes sense. They'd take on a risk any time they exited the barrier, so it's the best way to keep the barrier strong."
Mei Mei looked to Kiyotaka, asking, "Oh? Have you started studying Barrier techniques?"
Kiyotaka nodded, saying, "I have thanks to the special permit card Gojo gave me, though I'm not certain about some things."
The window hesitated before saying, "Between the barriers... it's not confirmed, so maybe I shouldn't say it..."
Kiyotaka and Mei Mei at the same time said, "It's fine. Say it anyway. It might be helpful."
She sweated before saying, "There are Transfigured Humans between the barriers."
"Junpei is with Kugisaki and Nitta-san, right?"
Kiyotaka asked this as the window nodded.
"Tell him."
"But..."
"Do it."
She nodded, calling Junpei and saying, "There may be transfigured humans, so Mahito might be here."
"I see."
Kiyotaka could hear the hatred in Junpei's voice.
Kiyotaka held out his hand, motioning for the phone to be given to him as he then said, "Stay with Kugisaki. If you encounter him, feel free to engage him after reporting his location to me."
"Alright."
"Keep him busy until I get there. Do not let him touch you or Kugisaki. Understood?"
"Got it."
Kiyotaka said this, thinking, 'There's no point in hiding it from him. It'll only make things worse if I do. It's better to tell him and have faith in his self-control.'
Mei Mei began sharing her perception with a crow as it flew through the station, only for it to be killed as she turned to Kiyotaka, asking, "Ayanokoji. Which would you prefer? Killing lots of weak transfigured humans or exorcising one powerful Cursed Spirit?"
She showed her phone, saying, "The Transfigured Humans are milling around and attacking normal people on B4. The majority of the normal people are probably on the train platform at B5."
"What brought you to that conclusion?"
"The crows I use are imbued with Cursed Energy. They can't enter B5. They're likely herding the normal people towards B5."
She zoomed in on B2, saying, "My crows got hunted down here in B2. This is likely where the Cursed Spirit or Curse User who lowered the veil is hiding. Maybe they're planning to hunt down any humans that come back up to B4. Maybe it has to do with the veil's conditions. It's not clear to me yet. Why choose this positioning and why choose B5?"
"B5 is the train station... transportation."
Mei Mei looked to him and asked, "Transportation?"
Kiyotaka nodded, saying, "They have something planned. Moving the people to Shibuya Station would cause more trouble for Gojo-Sensei."
Mei Mei nodded, saying, "I see. Well, that would be problematic. We can't contact Gojo, so we need to stop it from happening."
Kiyotaka sighed and said, "I'll deal with the one who created the veil."
Mei Mei nodded, saying, "Alright then. Ui Ui and I will take exit 7 to B4. We'll rescue the civilians still on that level. Focus on breaking the veil, okay? We need to get to B5 quickly."
Kiyotaka nodded, saying, "I'll see you then", before running off.
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Kiyotaka arrived where the Curse was, as he saw it. It looked similar to a grasshopper as it was eating a person, blood dripping from its lips as it asked, "Well? Are you going to stop staring while I eat?"
Kiyotaka's eyes focused as the Curse then realised and said, "Oh wait. You're one of those... Jijit... no... jojojigenie no that's not it. Jujutsu Sorcerer, right? Jujutsu Sorcerer, am I right? Yeah, I'm right. I'm pretty clever."
Kiyotaka sighed and asked, "Have you seen Mahito? You're clever, so you probably know where he is."
The Curse smiled, saying, "Yes, I am clever. He's down below. He told me to stay up here and protect the veil.
Kiyotaka looked past the Curse, seeing a nail, thinking, 'That's it. If I destroy it, then the veil goes down.'
Kiyotaka rushed towards the Curse, slamming his fist into it and propelling it backwards before raising his hand towards the nail and chanting, "Manifest" as a spike propelled itself, smashing into the nail and breaking it.
The Curse glared, shouting, "You destroyed it? You jerk! How could you do this to someone as clever as me?!!"
The Curse then looked towards him, asking, "You don't even know what Curse I am, do you?"
"You're a Locust Curse."
The Curse looked shocked before thinking, 'This guy... is clever!'
The Curse charged towards Kiyotaka, snapping its jaws at him as Kiyotaka thinks, 'Its speed and jumping are good.'
Kiyotaka dodged another snap of its mouth as the Curse bit through a metal sign, making Kiyotaka think, 'Its bite force is impressive as well.'
It rushed in, throwing a punch as Kiyotaka dodged to the side, avoiding it with ease as the attack demolished a wall. Kiyotaka slammed his leg into the Curse's side, putting him through the wall, creating another hole as Kiyotaka walked through it.
The Curse groaned as it got up, saying, "My side...!"
There was a puncture mark on his side as Kiyotaka walked over, saying, "You're likely a Semi-Grade 1 Curse."
Kiyotaka got into a stance, chanting, "Manifest", as the Curse rushed in, flying using its wings. Just as it landed on the floor, it felt itself lose its balance as there is a liquid substance on the floor.
Kiyotaka slammed his fist into the Curse only to feel resistance as he thought, 'It's got tough armour, so...'
Kiyotaka proceeded to form a chopping hand as he stabbed into the Curse's underbelly, attacking the sternite plates, penetrating the Curse's defences.
The Curse gargled up blood, saying, "But... I'm clever."
Kiyotaka then chanted, "Shift", as a staff formed in that hand, sticking through the Curse's head and out of its side, killing it as its eyes dulled and its body slumped.
The Curse evaporated as Kiyotaka spun his staff, getting rid of the blood and leaning it on his shoulder, taking out his phone with his free hand and calling Mei Mei.
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Kiyotaka ran with Mei Mei, who said, "To be honest with you, I thought you'd struggle a bit more."
Kiyotaka shook his head, saying, "If that was Mahito, then the battle might have ended up going either way."
Ui Ui glared, saying, "My elder sister is praising you. Just accept it with grace."
Kiyotaka sighed, saying, "Thank you for the praise."
They arrived at B5 to see it empty, as Kiyotaka thought, 'Whatever this is about. This is not good.'
Mei Mei sighed, saying, "Guess we're too late."
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Q: What do you Think Of Satoru Gojo?
Junpei sweated a little before saying, "He's... kinda scary sometimes. He doesn't sugarcoat things, so sometimes it feels like he's making fun of me, but... then he tries to help me fix my bad habits or compensate for my weaknesses. In short, he's one of the only teachers I can actually respect. Oh, and he's..."
Kiyotaka sighed as he looked into the camera and said, "He's one of the first adults I've ever met who has been responsible in regards to me. I would have preferred to meet him much earlier in my life. Perhaps that desire is a bit selfish, but it's the truth. When you first meet him, he'll seem arrogant, but after a while, you'll realise that he always keeps his word. When Satoru Gojo says he'll do something, he definitely will. Perhaps he's able to always keep his word because he's..."
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Gojo floated down into the tunnel as he stood before Jogo, Choso and Dagon, asking, "I see that you're all fully prepared."
Jogo looked to him, saying, "You really came."
Gojo pointed at him and smiled, saying, "You won't have any excuses left when you lose this time."
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Kiyotaka walked towards a lone woman curled up near the seats and asked, "Are you alright?"
She stared with a dead expression on her face, saying, "Everyone got turned into monsters... and got on the train. I... I was told I wasn't needed because the train was full!"
Her body began to change, turning slightly blue as her form shifted, turning into a transfigured human as she died, and Kiyotaka thought, 'Mahito was here.'
Kiyotaka's eyes widened as he said, "We've been had. They're planning to flood the crowd of civilians at Shibuya with Transfigured Humans. Gojo-Sensei can kill anyone all by himself, but not even he can kill them all without massive casualties."
Mei Mei's eyes widened in realisation at this as Kiyotaka thought, 'But that's not even enough to damage Gojo-Sensei, let alone kill him. What are they planning? Why does it feel like every move they're making is trying to get him on edge?'
Kiyotaka's eyes widened at the possibility, saying, "Are they trying to make Gojo use his domain so they can capitalise on the burnout of his technique? Mahito will be there, meaning that..."
"Depending on the strength of Gojo's soul, he might take irreparable damage."
Mei Mei finished for him as she sighed, saying, "The situation is far more serious than I thought."
Kiyotaka sighed, thinking, 'But that doesn't feel right. Would they really gamble everything on that chance? Even if a Technique is burned out, it can still be used. Burnout doesn't prevent the use of a technique. It only prevents it from being used to its full capacity. Would they really gamble on Infinity being part of that full capacity?'
Kiyotaka ran with Mei Mei, thinking, 'Something is wrong. I can feel it.'
That's when something appeared on Kiyotaka's ear, asking in Mechamaru's voice, "Can you hear me, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka?"
Kiyotaka looked at the earpiece and said, "Yes, I can."
He then said, "There's no time. Listen and understand it the first time. Satoru Gojo... has been sealed."
Kiyotaka sighed, saying, "This is the absolute worst kind of outcome."
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Chapter?
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