Even a Cursed Spirit like Jogo, who wasn't exactly well-versed in human nature, knew he had reached the most desperate of situations.
Hanami's death had shaken him deeply, especially since he had walked into certain doom following his decision.
He truly believed that even if they were to die, it would be all worth it as long as Cursed Spirits were the ones laughing triumphantly over the wildlands a century from now.
But this? This kind of meaningless death was something he simply couldn't accept.
Both he and Geto Suguru had severely misjudged the power of the curse residing within Seele Vollerei.
They had initially thought it was, at best, on par with Hanami's level.
They'd even planned to use this chance to recruit the spirit within Seele as an ally, baiting it with the promise of freedom in exchange for cooperation. But reality?
Not only did this cursed spirit show no awareness of being enslaved, it had outright turned on them.
Their plan to teach it a lesson first before reasoning with it had backfired spectacularly. They were effortlessly crushed, without even a chance to fight back.
Jogo gritted his teeth hard. Though his trust in Geto wasn't absolute—their alliance was one of mere convenience—he now had no choice but to pin his hopes on Geto's scheme succeeding.
"Heh heh heh…"
At this thought, a mocking expression crept back onto Jogo's face. He suppressed the regret and despair in his tone, leaving only a veneer of smug certainty.
"Give it up. I won't tell you anything. The only thing I can leave you with is… my pity."
"You're in no position to talk about pity," Gojo Satoru retorted, increasing the pressure of his foot on Jogo's head. "Why not worry about yourself? If you don't start talking clearly, we'll have to exorcise you."
"You fools have no idea what you're up against," Jogo laughed, utterly dismissive of the threat.
His attitude cast a palpable shadow over everyone present. They had all personally experienced this curse's power.
Even Gojo, who hadn't fought him directly, could gauge his strength from the residual curse energy. If a being of this caliber was claiming to be just an appetizer, then whatever stood behind him must be an even greater terror.
Amber was inwardly stunned. Jogo is supposed to be the strongest of the Disaster Curses! What does he mean by that? Have my actions altered the story this much?
"Vessel girl," Jogo's voice cut through her thoughts, his malicious gaze fixed on Amber, a vicious smile twisting his features.
"You care about what happened at the orphanage, don't you? Sukuna's fingers attract curses. Both the Special Grade you exorcised and the one that killed those humans at the orphanage were drawn there because of the fingers."
"What?" Amber frowned.
"You thought it was all an accident? Ha! As if!?" Jogo sneered. "You, a vessel burdened with a curse, it's only natural that those around you suffer for it."
He continued, "Sorcerers cannot resist Curses, just as humans cannot withstand natural disasters. When you face the Celestial Curse, you will understand what true power really is."
"Under the guidance of the Celestial Curse, we will seize the very ground humanity stands upon. Every sacrifice is but a milestone on our glorious path."
"You're just spouting nonsense now." The killing intent in Gojo's eyes was barely contained.
But he couldn't kill this curse yet. While he lacked the means for interrogation, the Higher-Ups at Jujutsu HQ did. If it refused to talk here, he'd just hand it over to them.
He kicked Jogo's head up like a soccer ball and caught it in one hand. Turning to the others, especially Amber, he flashed a bright smile.
"Well, since all the intruding curses have been exorcised, this exchange event is unfortunately cut short. Everyone, let's head back to Jujutsu High."
Todo Aoi felt a bit regretful; this was his last exchange event, and ending it so abruptly was unsatisfying.
But then he thought of gaining Itadori Yuji as a best friend and witnessing a Special Grade battle firsthand—it wasn't a bad experience overall. Sighing, he tried to console his disappointed heart.
The others agreed that some proper rest was in order.
The life-or-death crisis had left them mentally drained. While jujutsu sorcerers constantly dealt with danger and death, hadn't things been a bit too frequent lately?
Just a week ago, it was the Juvenile Detention Center. Now, two Special Grade Curses at once.
Especially for Fushiguro Megumi and Kugisaki Nobara. Their careers as sorcerers had been relatively smooth sailing for years. Why did everything go downhill the moment they met Itadori?
As for Amber, they subconsciously overlooked her. Whenever Amber was around, she turned the tide. But with Itadori, they were either getting beaten up or running for their lives. It was downright absurd.
Unaware of their shifting perceptions, Itadori simply chuckled, relieved to have survived yet again. His attitude towards Amber grew even friendlier.
He outright declared that if Amber ever needed anything, he'd do it, no questions asked. After all, she'd saved his life twice now.
Come to think of it, his death sentence hadn't been carried out immediately precisely because Amber's case had set a precedent. By that count, she'd saved him three times.
Meanwhile, Amber filed away the name 'Celestial Curse' that Jogo had mentioned.
There was no such thing as a 'Celestial Curse' in the original story.
According to Jogo, not only was this Celestial Curse stronger than him, seemingly acting as the leader of the Curses, but it was also likely the mastermind behind the tragedy at her orphanage in her backstory.
Jogo's unexpected presence in this attack was probably also this entity's doing.
The thought that this 'Celestial Curse' might have emerged because of the additions to her own background story only sharpened Amber's focus on it.
If she didn't have the authority of the Herrscher of Life and Death, Kugisaki and the others would genuinely have died in this ambush.
Weighed down by these factors, Amber was now on high alert, her killing intent towards this 'Celestial Curse' burning at full force.
Gojo noticed the change in his prized student's expression and knew Jogo's words had gotten to her.
He tightened his grip on the head in his hand, but his face remained cheerful as he theatrically pulled out his phone, gleefully taking embarrassing photos of the two unconscious male students who were only covered by jackets.
Fushiguro and Kugisaki looked on with utter disdain, criticizing his lack of teacherly ethics.
Itadori joined in, but to their shock, he voiced his approval of Gojo's actions, earning himself a share of their scornful glares.
Amidst the four's banter and horseplay, the atmosphere gradually lightened. Finally, Amber cracked a smile, much to everyone's relief.
Led by Gojo, the group made their way back to Jujutsu High, all the while reflecting on the chaotic events they'd just survived.
On the other side, after successfully securing all of Jujutsu HQ's fingers, the three Special Grade Cursed Spirits, now possessing physical forms nearly identical to humans, made their exit.
After all, compared to the jujutsu society, their combat power was severely lacking. Even with these three Special Grade Cursed Spirits as reinforcements, they would still struggle in a direct conflict. There was simply no other way.
They could only hope Jogo managed his part, successfully stirring conflict between Seele Vollerei and the Celestial Curse.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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