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Bro... broke it?
Saeko Busujima never imagined that the final, conclusive answer after all her negotiation would be this.
She had envisioned countless possible outcomes, including, but not limited to, it being lost, sold, lent to a friend, or even accidentally flushed down the toilet.
For this, Saeko Busujima had mentally prepared various emergency response plans.
But this... 'broke it'...
The girl held her breath, leaning in across the table to closely examine the dark brown solid, which had been reduced to a fine powder and a few small fragments, sealed inside the tiny plastic bag.
Undoubtedly, judging by the color and the shape of the fragments, this was clearly a Sukuna finger. Even though it was completely destroyed, it still emitted a lingering, wicked aura.
But how could this be possible?
Saeko Busujima couldn't understand. Although she hadn't been transferred to Tokyo Jujutsu High for long, barely a year so far, she had already achieved the rank of Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerer. Coupled with the social influence of the Busujima-Ryū style in Japan, she was privy to some of the inner secrets of the Jujutsu Association.
Especially regarding the secrets of Sukuna's fingers. In fact, the reason the current Jujutsu Association chose to continue sealing them instead of destroying them was not due to some unrealistic scheme, but simply because it was impossible.
They were utterly indestructible. Every possible method had been attempted. Even Gojō-sensei, heralded as the modern era's strongest Sorcerer, had tried to destroy them, but still failed.
Yet, they couldn't be ignored. If left uncontrolled, the mere existence of the fingers would continuously attract a massive influx of Cursed Spirits to gather and fight over them, like breeding vipers, eventually leading the situation to a completely uncontrollable state.
There was no solution. It was like humanity facing a super-virus far exceeding modern technology.
Sealing them was the best and only way. There was no other choice.
And now, she was being told that the finger had been destroyed?
Saeko Busujima's mouth slightly parted, utterly speechless for a moment.
"H-How did you do that?"
"Power trumps brick-tossing."
The young man's answer was quite simple and crude.
"Any claim of 'indestructibility' is merely because the power output of the attack hasn't reached the limit of the object's endurance. It's like saying you can't blow up the Earth with a small handgun—that's unrealistic—but if you have the Shinsten Star-Killer, that's a completely different matter."
"As an aside, let me reintroduce myself: Hanakain Reiji, the acting head of the Kyoto Hanakain family."
The term "acting head" (Daikō) might be unfamiliar to ordinary people, but Saeko Busujima came from a prestigious Kendo lineage herself, so she understood the weight of that title.
Being an acting head meant having the authority to make major decisions on behalf of the family head when the head was absent. Anyone who could hold this position required not only bloodline recognition but also enough power to command respect.
For example, Gojō-sensei was the acting head of the Gojō family, one of the modern Big Three Sorcerer Families.
But the statement remained: even Gojō-sensei, the modern era's strongest Sorcerer whose very existence had upset the balance between Sorcerers and Curses since birth, was helpless against the fingers left by Ryomen Sukuna. So then...
Buzz buzz~
A sudden vibration interrupted the girl's thoughts. Saeko Busujima sharply regained her focus, pulled her phone out of her uniform pocket, and, without pausing to check the caller ID, answered the call and brought the phone to her ear.
"Hello, this is Saeko Busujima, Tokyo Jujutsu High, Class 3-A. The work to retrieve Ryomen Sukuna's finger is proceeding smoothly..."
"Busujima-san, it's me, Ijichi! We have a huge problem!"
A somewhat timid male voice came from the other end of the line. Although he seemed to be desperately trying to steady his voice, an undeniable sense of panic slipped through.
"Listen to me, about an hour ago, I dropped off Fushiguro-kun, Itadori-kun, and Kugisaki-kun at the location where 'The Window' detected a Cursed Womb reaction. They lost contact with me after going inside, but just now, Fushiguro-kun came out, bringing the severely wounded Kugisaki-kun with him. I'm currently rushing Kugisaki-kun to the hospital..."
"What is the exact location?"
Ignoring the unfinished coffee, Saeko Busujima immediately grabbed her sword bag and stood up from the booth. Her tone completely changed from its former composure, becoming sharp and decisive.
Oho?
Noticing the shift in the girl's aura, Hanakain Reiji raised an eyebrow slightly.
"The location is..." Mr. Ijichi on the other end quickly stated the location, adding an extra detail.
"I honestly didn't want to make this call, but Gojō-sensei is currently not in Tokyo and can't return immediately. Right now, the only Grade 1 Sorcerer I can contact in the Tokyo area is you, Busujima-san."
"Understood. I'm heading there right now," Saeko Busujima confirmed.
"Just please be extremely careful. According to Fushiguro-kun, the situation inside the building is completely different from its normal state. It's highly likely that a Cursed Spirit has manifested an Innate Domain. In other words... a Special Grade Cursed Spirit."
"Got it, thank you."
Finishing her last sentence, the Kendo girl hung up the phone.
But just as she put her phone away, preparing to explain and leave, she turned and saw Hanakain Reiji already walking toward her from the cashier, having paid the bill. He even gave her a thumbs-up and pointed toward the door.
"I know you're in a hurry due to an urgent matter, so I've already paid the bill. Just remember to transfer half the money to me once things are settled. I'm tight on cash this month, and I have a hac-chimi to feed at home. I can't afford to casually treat girls to dinner... Let's go. Taking a taxi is too slow. I'll take you there directly."
Saeko Busujima: "..."
Did that mean he intended to go with her?
The Kendo girl couldn't help but hesitate. She was accustomed to the self-sufficient way of life, completing missions alone, and she also had her reasons for having to do so.
But it was true, just as Hanakain Reiji said, if she took a taxi, the situation would likely be beyond saving by the time she arrived.
Under these circumstances, she could only...
Saeko Busujima lightly bit her lower lip and nodded.
"Then let's go."
"Mhm."
The two, having settled the bill, exited the café one after the other. The sun on the distant horizon had already sunk a third below the line, and the residual light cast was growing increasingly red, like blood.
Saeko Busujima glanced around the student street, which was somewhat deserted since club activities hadn't ended yet: "So, how are we going to get there?"
She clearly remembered they had walked all the way from Kuoh Academy.
Then, the young man's composed voice came from beside her.
"Simple. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so we'll go in a straight line."
Huh?
Before the Kendo girl could comprehend what "a straight line" meant, Saeko Busujima was unexpectedly scooped up into a tight embrace, and the next moment, she was engulfed in fiercely burning golden spiritual pressure.
Hanakain Reiji grinned mischievously.
"Well then, let's go~"
With that, he pushed off the ground, leaping up with Saeko Busujima in his arms. They traced a perfect arc in mid-air, leaving a long, fiery golden trail as they shot straight toward their destination.
Like a white rainbow piercing the sky.
A dozen seconds later, the streak of light that had sliced through the sky plummeted with a crash toward a Juvenile Detention Center located in the remote suburbs of Tokyo, smashing through the ceiling and straight into the interior.
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