Jujutsu Kaisen: I Can Manipulate Time.

Although Rareru escaped, the mission was considered complete under the circumstances. The unknown entity and the Cursed Spirit were documented. Based on Kamihara Hajime's description, after specialists identified the Cursed Spirit's origins and prototypes, it was determined this Cursed Spirit might be a hypothetical one, with abilities linked to the mythological Dream Eater.

This was another Special Grade Cursed Spirit that had never been recorded, drawing some attention. However, it had nothing to do with Hajime, who had already finished his mission; others would have to deal with the headache.

Missions involving Curse Masters remained rare. Most of these entities had been hiding for over twenty years, lurking in dark sewers. Occasional encounters were extremely rare compared to the number of other Curses.

It was nearly summer, and with the growing unrest among people, the number of Curses had increased significantly. Fortunately, Special Grades were still few; most were around Grade 2 in strength. Everyone at Jujutsu High was very busy, and it had been a while since they had all gathered.

Ginza, a high-end office building.

Recently, two fatal incidents had occurred here, both apparent suicides by jumping. A third person had fallen from a lower floor but survived. After regaining consciousness, he described feeling as if someone was controlling his thoughts, and already emotionally unstable, he vaguely broke the window and jumped.

After the 'Window' observed traces of a Curse here, the task was handed to Kamihara Hajime, who was free at Jujutsu High. In a bustling city, the mission needed to be handled discreetly and quickly—even Hajime himself felt it was a perfect fit.

He arrived as the building's occupants had been temporarily evacuated, and reporters were blocked off by police cordons. The victims were all employees of a major branch of a large corporation, naturally attracting quick-to-respond reporters.

Though the matter was not huge, it was important and needed swift resolution. When Hajime arrived, he saw the police annoyed by the barrage of questions from reporters carrying cameras and microphones, all repeating the same lines.

Takahoshi Aika's smile was almost frozen; she couldn't get any breaking news from the police officer standing at the cordon. Those cold-faced officers were like stone, revealing no information regardless of her tone.

Thinking about the editor's wrath waiting back at the office, she was frustrated. That lecherous old man grated on her nerves, but there was nothing she could do. Feeling discouraged, she even considered adjusting her collar to seem more approachable.

Just then, her photographer called out: "Takahoshi Aika, look! A young man is coming with that police officer. Is he going into the building?"

Takahoshi looked up. A young man in black clothes and sunglasses was walking alongside the usually stern officer toward the building. The officer's face, normally as hard as marble, unexpectedly showed a smile as he spoke to the man.

That young man must have a scoop! Takahoshi's sharp eyes noted this person would definitely be photogenic. Even celebrities without makeup might not look as good. He was clearly connected to the police and this case. If she could get even a sentence or two, it would definitely attract a lot of attention.

Energized, Takahoshi told her photographer to follow her, clicking her heels as she headed toward them. Other media outlets also noticed the situation and swarmed like sharks smelling blood.

Fortunately, Takahoshi had mastered crowd navigation on the subway and stayed ahead of the pack, successfully pushing through. She quickly tidied her hair and handed over the microphone: "Excuse me! Are you with the police, or a special person invited by them? There are rumors the building is haunted. What do you think?"

Kamihara Hajime looked at the female reporter who had broken through the sweating police cordon and the throng of reporters behind her. He already felt a headache coming on. He'd rather face a group of Curses directly. Now he felt like fresh meat eyed by zombies beyond a barbed-wire fence, microphones reaching out like grabbing hands.

Officer Otani's smile vanished instantly. He ordered his subordinates to block the reporters. They arrived faster than the police at incidents but only cared about scoops, ignoring the consequences.

Takahoshi and the other reporters only managed a few front and back photos before police dispersed them. They stopped once Hajime and the officer were out of sight.

"Quick! Check if the photos are clear. Today's mission depends on this. With some good packaging, it might even go viral. People online love this kind of thing now," Takahoshi urged the photographer.

But the photographer's panicked response sent her blood pressure soaring: "What? No shot? How did you mess up? You said you took them, but they're gone? It's not like the ghost deleted the photos, right?"

Meanwhile, Kamihara Hajime entered the building and removed his sunglasses. Officer Otani had escorted him in and then returned. White Wolf trotted through the sealed side door, excited, and followed Hajime inside.

Thirteenth floor.

Hajime chatted with everyone in the group chat on his phone. In front of him, the much-larger White Wolf chased a faceless humanoid Cursed Spirit darting around. The Cursed Spirit tried to escape but was cut off by Hajime blocking the doorway. Just by displaying condensed Cursed Energy, he scared it off.

He sent photos of White Wolf to the group. Since he couldn't capture an image of the Cursed Spirit, there was only the sight of White Wolf foolishly pouncing on empty air, unaware he had become the subject of idle conversation.

Bang.

Cornered and with no escape, the Cursed Spirit smashed the thick floor-to-ceiling window, attempting to flee.

Hajime looked up and saw the Cursed Spirit leap out the thirteenth floor window. He wondered what would happen if it fell. The noise caught the attention of reporters downstairs who hadn't yet dispersed, but when they looked up, they saw nothing.

Time Wheel, Reverse.

The shattered glass became an illusion, and the Cursed Spirit reappeared in the room, staring blankly at the intact glass. Its incomplete intelligence couldn't comprehend what it saw. Before it could move, its vision spun upside down and then vanished.

Hajime put Totsuka-no-Tsurugi away, shaking his phone at White Wolf: "Emergency mission, let's go."

West Tokyo City, Eishu Juvenile Detention Center.

"Three hours ago, the 'Window' detected a Cursed Womb. After 90% evacuation, the facility was sealed. Five inmates in the second dormitory remain with the Cursed Womb," Ieiri said, pushing up his glasses, serious.

"If the target undergoes abnormal growth, it might generate a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. Gojo Satoru is on a business trip and can't come. The second-year student Kamihara Hajime has been notified. This line of work is often understaffed, and missions beyond capabilities are common, but this situation is urgent and abnormal."

"Before Hajime arrives, confirm if there are survivors. Rescue as many as possible. Absolutely no fighting! If you encounter a Special Grade, run or die. Reinforcements are on their way."

Yuji Itadori listened, then asked, "How are Cursed Spirits graded? I don't understand what Special Grade means."

After a brief explanation, Yuji's face showed realization: "Oh! So the second-year senior is very strong?"

Megumi Fushiguro calmly added, "Jujutsu High has only three Special Grade Sorcerers: Gojo Satoru, Yuta Okkotsu who is abroad, and Kamihara Hajime."

Nobara didn't expect the second-year senior she'd met was a Special Grade Sorcerer. Unlike Yuji, she had some understanding of the Jujutsu World from her grandmother.

Ieiri continued, "Hajime has experience exorcising Special Grades alone. This mission likely won't be a problem for him. However, the incident happened suddenly, and he is currently on another mission, so it will take time to arrive. Please be extra careful."

"No problem! We'll do our best!" Yuji said enthusiastically. Megumi and Nobara were less optimistic. Nobara silently thought, Special Grades aren't like low-grade Curses. This mission is extremely dangerous, even just searching for survivors.

"Masao… is my son alright?" a woman frantically pushed past the blockade, her face etched with worry.

Ieiri explained, "Unknown individuals may have released toxic gas inside. We are organizing rescue teams."

Yuji's expression hardened. "We must rescue everyone. Fushiguro, Kugisaki…"

"Got it."

The three entered the building.

Megumi summoned his Jade Hounds to scout ahead. The interior was not a two-story dormitory but an apartment-style building with five or six floors. The entrance they came through was gone, replaced by a wall of pipes.

"This is a domain created with Cursed Energy. It's the first time I've seen one this large," Megumi said, feeling a bad premonition.

Yuji and Nobara were flustered at the lost entrance, worrying about evacuation. Megumi reassured them, "The Jade Hounds remember the entrance scent. After we find survivors, follow them to evacuate."

"Good dogs!" Yuji praised, petting the Shikigami.

Megumi's expression was unreadable.

Further inside, they found a tragic scene.

Three bodies: two were twisted, barely human-shaped, with tattered clothes. One was half a person leaning against the wall, mostly intact except some blood around the mouth and nose.

Yuji silently approached the intact body, reading the name—Okazaki Masao. This was the woman's son.

"I'm taking his body out."

Megumi grabbed Yuji's collar and pulled him back. "We need to confirm if the others are alive. Don't focus on the body now."

"But if we turn back now…"

Megumi said firmly, "It's not about coming back, it's about forgetting. These aren't people we particularly wanted to save. If they're dead, there's less reason to waste energy."

Yuji clenched his fists. Megumi continued, "This is a juvenile detention center. Okazaki Masao drove without a license, hit and killed a schoolgirl, and this was his second offense."

"Are you going to save everyone? What if the person you save kills someone later?"

Nobara interrupted, "Pick the right time and place to argue!"

They followed Nobara's direction and saw the Jade Hounds, dead and sealed inside the wall, with only its head exposed. Megumi's heart sank; he hadn't detected their death.

At that moment, a black hole appeared beneath Nobara's feet. Unprepared, she fell in.

Megumi shouted to Yuji, "Run! We'll find her later."

Before they could react, a terrifying aura enveloped them.

Something powerful had descended.

Behind them stood a massive humanoid monster with a gaping lipless mouth and eyes on strip-like protrusions. Its presence pressed down on them, almost paralyzing them.

"No mistake, it's definitely Special Grade! Is this the pressure of a Special Grade?"

Yuji, eyes wide with fury, struggled against the aura and raised the cursed tool Slaughter Demon, given by Gojo Satoru, and struck the Cursed Spirit.

But his hand felt light, and the Slaughter Demon split in two and fell.

A familiar hand still held the hilt.

"Wasn't that my own hand? When did it…"

__

Just a quick heads-up, I'll be changing the update time to 7AM–9AM (WAT).

Want more chapters? Send Powerstones.