Jujutsu Kaisen: I Can Manipulate Time.

"You're Yuji Itadori, right?"

After Kamihara Hajime and Megumi Fushiguro dealt with the Cursed Spirits at the school, they asked about Yuji Itadori. They learned that Itadori visited his grandfather at a nearby hospital every day after school around five o'clock, so they rushed there. Hajime had to use some charm to get this information.

There was no other way. Fushiguro's cold demeanor made him look intimidating, so Itadori's classmates wouldn't easily share information. They could have gone through official channels, but that would take too long and involve complicated procedures. So, Hajime pretended they were Itadori's middle school classmates, which was enough to get the address.

At the hospital, they saw Yuji Itadori handling some paperwork at the front desk. If Hajime remembered correctly, Itadori was likely dealing with matters following his grandfather's recent passing. Due to his grandfather's personality and the way he raised Itadori, sadness didn't show plainly on Itadori's face.

Hearing an unfamiliar voice call his name, Itadori turned just after signing the cremation consent form. Two teenagers, about his age, dressed in blue and black uniforms, stood before him. The one with spiky sea urchin-like hair was the one who called out.

Itadori scratched his head, trying to recall if he knew them. "Yeah, that's me. What do you need?"

Hajime walked over to the nurse at the front desk and smoothly started a conversation. The young, pretty nurse was immediately drawn away by his friendly smile.

Meanwhile, Megumi Fushiguro quickly approached Itadori, his face tense. "There isn't much time. I'm Fushiguro from Tokyo Jujutsu High. The Cursed Object you have is extremely dangerous. Please hand it over immediately."

Megumi showed a photo on his phone. "This. You should recognize it." The picture showed a small, elongated wooden box with talisman carvings on the lid. Inside was a strip-shaped object wrapped entirely in talisman paper.

After a moment of confusion, Itadori recognized the object. "Oh, I picked this up before. What's the problem? The seniors really liked it. And you're being so sudden—at least explain what's going on."

Fushiguro glanced at Hajime, who was distracted, playing a palm-reading game with the nurse, oblivious to the urgency. Fushiguro motioned for Itadori to follow him. They moved to a quiet corridor, where Fushiguro explained: "Every year, there are over ten thousand abnormal deaths and disappearances nationwide, mostly caused by Curses—manifestations born from humanity's negative emotions."

"A Curse?" Itadori asked skeptically. Though he'd joined the Occult Research Club, he never took such things seriously. When visiting haunted places, his seniors were terrified, but he never felt anything.

Fushiguro's expression hardened. "Whether you believe it or not, places like schools and hospitals accumulate a lot of negative emotions, which create Curses. To counteract them, special Cursed Objects are used. The one you picked up is one of those."

"It wards off evil, right? Like a sacred relic blessed by a monk?"

Fushiguro shook his head grimly. "No, it's worse than that. These 'wards' use even more sinister Cursed Objects to suppress Curses. It's a case of fighting poison with poison. Over time, the seals weaken, attracting more Curses."

"And what you have is classified as a Special Grade high-risk item. Understand? Hand it over before something happens."

Itadori pulled the small box from his pocket and tossed it to Fushiguro. "Fine, you can have it. I just picked it up. Sounds serious from what you say."

Fushiguro sighed in relief, ready to check the seal. But when he opened the box, his eyes went wide. The box was empty; the Special Grade Cursed Object—Ryomen Sukuna's finger—had vanished without a trace.

"So what we've been tracking is just residual Cursed Energy?"

"Where's the finger?" Fushiguro grabbed Itadori's collar, voice rising. If a dangerous Cursed Spirit had been created, it could turn into a disaster with so many people nearby.

Itadori was confused too. "You wanted the finger? Why didn't you say so? The seniors kept it because they were really interested."

"I already told you, it's with the seniors!" Itadori said defensively.

Fushiguro grew anxious. If the finger was still at school, they missed their chance to secure it. He quickly asked for the seniors' address.

"I'm not sure… I think it's in the Izumi district, but…" Itadori paused, recalling something. "They said they planned to unseal the talisman at school tonight…"

Seeing Fushiguro's grim expression, Itadori had a bad feeling. "Could things have gotten really bad?"

Fushiguro's breath tightened. "More than that—people will die."

Just as Fushiguro was about to call Hajime to hurry to the school, Hajime approached from the corridor. After a brief explanation, the two rushed out. Outside, a white wolf emerged from the shadows. The group hurried toward the school, Itadori worried for his seniors following closely.

Hajime knew the item was at school but refrained from interfering too much. It seemed Itadori's seniors weren't in mortal danger yet. This incident would serve as a hard lesson. Someone was there to resolve it this time. Without professional help, death might have been inevitable.

Besides, Sukuna residing inside Itadori's body was a sort of "cheat code"—not easy to use, but a lifeline. Later, when facing Mahito, Sukuna's power saved Itadori from serious harm. He still planned to eliminate Mahito when the chance came.

As Hajime pondered how to let Itadori swallow Sukuna's finger successfully, a sudden surge of Cursed Energy interrupted his thoughts. This was definitely Special Grade! Was it coming for him?

Fushiguro and Itadori also sensed the pressure. Although Itadori wasn't as sensitive, he still felt shaken. Even the white wolf tensed.

Hajime looked at the night sky and said, "You two go to the school first to retrieve the Cursed Object. I'll check this out and catch up."

After splitting up, Hajime followed the direction of the Cursed Energy but found only residual traces of Curses, no active ones. He frowned, searching further with his Technique but found no abnormalities, as if it were an illusion.

"Besides these, only one explanation remains: this isn't natural. Someone or something is deliberately luring me here."

Recalling special Cursed Spirits like Mahito, Hajime suspected them. Sensing danger, he turned back to head toward the school. If there was a hidden hand behind the scenes, Megumi's situation was uncertain. Hajime didn't believe the events were fixed and unchangeable.

Under the pale moonlight, two figures stood on a rooftop. One was barely human—a rough humanoid shape with a volcanic crater-shaped head, a large mouth, and a single huge vertical eye.

The other stood in the shadows, a normal human silhouette, hands clasped in sleeves, watching the sleeping city.

The crater-headed figure spoke impatiently, "Is all this necessary? That kid makes you so wary? Why don't I just take care of him myself?"

The shadowed figure smiled. "Don't underestimate him. You've seen the intel. He's independently eliminated Special Grade Cursed Spirits multiple times and handles Grade 1 and 2 missions effortlessly. He's a Special Grade Sorcerer at a young age. His Technique is unimaginable."

The crater-headed one scoffed, sparks flickering. "Intel doesn't prove invincibility. We'll see after the fight. That 'strongest' Gojo Satoru isn't invincible."

"You've seen this young man's methods before. You should understand. You'll learn about Gojo soon enough." The shadowed figure pushed off the wall. "Let's go. We've been discovered. The target is likely ready."

The crater-headed figure muttered, "Mahito is still new and hasn't mastered his power. It means nothing." They vanished into the darkness.

At Sugisawa Third High School, 9:23 PM, the seal on the Special Grade Cursed Object—Ryomen Sukuna's finger—broke. Curses were drawn to it.

Sasaki, terrified, hid in a corner, hearing monstrous murmurs. After she and Iguchi peeled off the talismans revealing the withered finger, strange things began.

She saw terrifying monsters—one bursting through the ceiling that chased them apart. Another roamed the hallway, repeating a phrase, scaring her into silence.

Ahead, a figure emerged from shadows. The familiar school uniform made her gasp. "Iguchi? Where did you go? I found you, you—"

Her words died as she saw Iguchi stagger forward, a basketball-sized monster covering his head, many eyes and tentacle-like hands.

"Help me…"

His faint plea froze Sasaki's blood.

Nearby, the monster chanting "What time is it now?" noticed the disturbance and approached.

Megumi Fushiguro, led by two Jade Hounds, found Sasaki and Iguchi bound and unconscious inside a massive flesh-like Cursed Spirit. The creature's body grew hand-like organs, dragging them inside.

"Damn it… Is it too late?"

Just as Megumi was about to cross his hands and use his Technique to summon a Shikigami, the glass window at the end of the corridor suddenly shattered, and a figure leapt inside. The force of the landing was astonishing, sending the Cursed Spirit crashing to the ground. That person immediately scooped up Sasaki and Iguchi, who had fallen, and jumped back.

"Is that… Yuji Itadori? How did he get here? This is the fourth floor!"

The newcomer was indeed Itadori, who had originally been left outside. Somehow, he had climbed to the fourth floor and kicked the Cursed Spirit over. A white wolf appeared on the stairs, looking at Megumi Fushiguro with an innocent expression. It was just a dog—how could it persuade Itadori to stop?

Megumi took the opportunity to stop summoning Shikigami and dashed toward the struggling Cursed Spirit. With an uppercut filled with Cursed Energy, he sent it flying, then followed with a straight kick that slammed it against the corridor wall. The window glass shattered completely, and Megumi pressed the attack until the Cursed Spirit was near death.

This Cursed Spirit was weak—probably only Grade 2 or 3. Itadori, who had rescued the two seniors, looked at the dying creature and then at the two large black-and-white dogs feasting on it.

"That's the Curse? I thought it would be more like a ghost, like Sadako. And those two dogs are…"

"You can see Curses and my Shikigami?" Megumi asked.

Itadori looked puzzled. Megumi explained, "Ordinary people can't see Curses, except in rare cases, like when they're near death."

Itadori nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. I've never seen any vengeful spirits before."

Itadori picked up a withered finger that had fallen near the two seniors he had rescued and examined it. "Is this the Special Grade Cursed Object you mentioned?"

Megumi's eyes widened. "Quick, give it to me. It's very dangerous."

"Oh."

As Itadori handed over the finger, Megumi noticed the ceiling above rippling like disturbed water. With no time to react, he pushed Itadori back and had the Jade Hounds carry Itadori, Sasaki, and the unconscious Iguchi away.

"Run!"

Dust from the falling ceiling clouded the corridor. Itadori scrambled to his feet, shouting anxiously, "Fushiguro!"

When the dust settled, Megumi was trapped in the hand of a massive Cursed Spirit nearly filling the corridor. The creature resembled a large fleshy worm with six enormous hands as limbs. Its uneven black eyes scanned the area, making one's heart tremble.

Megumi struggled under the crushing grip, forming a hand sign to summon "Nue." The Cursed Spirit sensed this, locked onto Megumi's hand, and grabbed it, pulling with such force that an afterimage was left behind. Megumi was thrown into the wall, which cracked like a spiderweb, and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The Jade Hounds, about to attack, melted into shadows and vanished as Megumi's injury worsened.

"Damn it…"

Under the relentless assault, the corridor wall shattered. Megumi was thrown out onto the roof of a nearby building, lying there in pain as if his body was breaking apart. The Cursed Spirit leapt through the gap, landing nearby and preparing to attack.

Just as it lunged to devour Megumi, a sudden force struck its head, causing it to stumble and hit the ground. Megumi's eyelids twitched. Itadori had arrived, delivering a kick from above and tripping the beast.

But the Cursed Spirit was not so easily defeated. Itadori would die here.

Megumi struggled to stand, watching as Itadori fought. After a few dodges, Itadori was knocked to the ground but wasn't incapacitated thanks to his exceptional physical condition.

"Only Curses can deal with Curses. You don't have Cursed Energy, so you can't hurt it effectively."

Despite his injuries, Megumi activated his own Cursed Energy. "Didn't I tell you to run? There are still two people to rescue. It's pointless for you to stay without Cursed Energy."

Itadori wiped blood from his mouth and asked, "Why are they after this finger?"

"To absorb it and gain stronger Cursed Energy," Megumi replied without hesitation.

Understanding dawned on Itadori. Without hesitation, he put the finger in his mouth and swallowed it. "If that's the case, then if I eat it, I'll gain the Cursed Energy too, right?"

Megumi's injuries prevented him from stopping the fool. That was no candy or cure; it was a Special Grade Cursed Object filled with evil and poison.

He barely had time to react before Itadori finished swallowing. Fear gripped Megumi as he considered the worst.

Itadori, who had swallowed Sukuna's finger, stood. A strange atmosphere enveloped the area. The Cursed Spirit hesitated, and Itadori did not die. Instead, he stood motionless until the Cursed Spirit rushed at him.

Just as its claws neared Itadori, he sprang from stillness to fierce motion. His raised right hand sliced an afterimage through the air, sending the Cursed Spirit flying.

"Yuji Itadori," he said, like swatting a fly, his nails grown longer. Lines had appeared on his face. Then, he opened his eyes, revealing a surge of ecstasy and brutality.

He tore open his clothes, revealing bizarre patterns on his muscular body. Sukuna spread his arms, looking pleased. "As expected, only a true physical body can feel the light."

"It's incredible!"

He stood at the rooftop's edge, staring at the city below. "Women, children... the taste of Cursed Spirits is bland. Fresh flesh is the best!"

Megumi watched in despair. Hajime hadn't returned yet, and now the worst had happened—the Special Grade Cursed Object had taken over a physical body. The legendary Curse had been resurrected.

"Should I use that move?"

Megumi had made up his mind, but before he could act, Sukuna, standing at the edge, raised his hand as if to block. Suddenly, Megumi's body trembled and his left shoulder exploded in a bloody hole. A light blue, almost transparent Cursed Energy trail appeared and dissipated.

"Hajime!"

Hajime appeared beside Megumi, placing a hand on his shoulder and using Reverse Cursed Technique. A warm current spread through Megumi's body, healing his injuries significantly. He tried to speak but was cut off.

"I know. Leave it to me. It's complicated. Someone deliberately lured me away earlier. We'll talk later."

Sukuna, lowering his head to examine the wound, then looked up at Hajime with interest. "What was that attack just now? A long-range Cursed Energy technique, but incredibly fast—I only defended because I sensed killing intent. I couldn't see it."

Sukuna's wound healed instantly. He eyed Hajime like a predator. "You're good. I want to taste you."

Hajime smiled lightly, watching Sukuna heal with Reverse Cursed Technique. "Coincidentally, I want to see if the legendary Ryomen Sukuna lives up to his name. You who are called a demon god—do you truly possess that power?"

"Besides, you've noticed your own abnormality too, haven't you?"

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