Could it be?
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo suddenly recalled his sudden, inexplicable power boost yesterday, that strange feeling of the entire world's ceiling being raised.
A ridiculous yet exciting thought popped into his head: Could it be because I've become too strong? So strong that I can no longer accurately perceive such 'faint' cursed energy? Like humans can't see the full picture of bacteria, only know they exist?
Yes! It must be!
The more Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and the happier he became.
Indeed, how lonely it is to be invincible, even my perception has become so picky!
He couldn't help but curl his lips, his mood becoming even more joyful, even letting out a soft laugh.
"Gojo-sensei, what's wrong?" Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori heard the laugh and poked his head out, asking curiously.
"Nothing, nothing~" Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo waved his hand, his tone light, "Just thought of something happy."
He completely cast the matter of Allen's abnormal cursed energy to the back of his mind, fully immersed in the joy of becoming stronger again.
He didn't know, however, that the truth was quite the opposite.
It wasn't that he was too strong to perceive faint cursed energy, but rather that Allen's very existence, the essence and level of his power, far exceeded the scope that the current world's rules could bear.
Like an ant, even standing at the foot of a mountain, it cannot see the full picture of the entire mountain, only feel the texture of the soil before it.
Allen had merely restrained himself more thoroughly, allowing him to integrate more perfectly into this world's rules.
And Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo, along with all other sorcerers, were like that ant at this moment; they could feel Allen's presence, but couldn't glimpse a single bit of his true depth... The taxi finally stopped in a secluded neighborhood, far removed from the bustling fashion of Roppongi.
Before them was an abandoned office building, its walls mottled, windows shattered, surrounded by caution tape, with a cold, damp, ominous atmosphere lingering in the air.
"We're here~ Tokyo's famous tourist spot, the haunted abandoned building!" Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo was the first to get out, spreading his arms and announcing in a cheerful tone as if introducing Disneyland.
Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori and Nobara Kugisaki's excitement instantly froze, then shattered.
"Eh—?!" The two shrieked in unison, utterly disbelieving.
"What about the luxurious gourmet street?! What about the tall, fashionable shops?!" Nobara pointed at the ominous building, her voice trembling with anger, "This is clearly a scam! Gojo-sensei, you're a big liar!"
Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori's face also fell, disappointment evident: "Gojo-sensei, this isn't at all like the Tokyo sightseeing I imagined!"
Fushiguro Megumi / Megumi Fushiguro wore an "I knew it" expression, sighing helplessly.
Allen calmly got out of the car, his gaze sweeping over the building, clearly perceiving the distorted and impure energy fluctuations entrenched within, as well as a relatively weaker curse's aura, which, to him, was as faint as dust.
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo completely ignored his two students' protests, grinning as he walked to the caution tape and easily lifted it: "This is a rare practical lesson, you know. As students of Jujutsu High, exorcising curses is your real job!"
"And the view here is not bad, it barely counts as a high-altitude landscape."
"Barely counts as a high-altitude landscape?!" Nobara Kugisaki's voice suddenly rose, almost piercing their eardrums, "How is this dilapidated building a high-altitude landscape at all?! Gojo-sensei, you're definitely doing this on purpose!"
Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori also slumped his shoulders, weakly echoing: "Yeah, this is totally different from what was promised..."
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo completely ignored their wails, grinning as he bent down and ducked under the caution tape, walking towards the entrance of the abandoned building, explaining casually as he went: "Alright, alright, no more complaining."
"A curse has recently appeared in this building, causing quite a stir, so it's perfect as a practical test for you three first-years. Fushiguro Megumi / Megumi Fushiguro already has experience, so he'll be observing and recording this time."
He turned around, raised a finger, his gaze sweeping between Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori, Nobara Kugisaki, and Allen: "Mission objective: Exorcise the curse inside the building."
"Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori, you have Sukuna inside you. Although you don't have a cursed technique and can't control cursed energy very well, you're half a curse yourself, and your physical abilities far exceed ordinary people's. You'll be responsible for frontal diversion. Nobara Kugisaki, you're an experienced sorcerer, so you need to keep a good eye on your two teammates."
"As for Allen..."
Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo's gaze fell on Allen, pausing for a moment. In his perception, Allen's cursed energy was still so faint it was almost nonexistent, but that unusual presence was persistent.
He recalled the simple note in the enrollment data, "Cursed technique effect is active self-enhancement of physique," and then spoke: "Your cursed technique seems to lean towards self-enhancement? Then, depending on the situation, assist Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori in diversion, or follow Nobara Kugisaki's command, adapt flexibly, understood?"
"Understood!" Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori immediately responded loudly. Although disappointed, with the mission at hand, he quickly perked up.
Nobara Kugisaki pouted, but still pulled out a hammer and a few long nails from her tool pouch at her waist, her eyes sharpening: "Got it. Let's finish this quickly and then go to a real sightseeing spot!"
"Mm." Allen nodded.
"Excellent~ Then let's go!" Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo clapped his hands, pointing at the dark corridor entrance, "Fushiguro Megumi / Megumi Fushiguro and I will be waiting outside for your good news. Remember, curses usually gather in places with negative energy, like basements and such~"
The three watched Gojo Satoru / Satoru Gojo and Fushiguro Megumi / Megumi Fushiguro retreat beyond the caution tape, then turned to face the cold-emitting entrance of the building.
Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori took a deep breath and was the first to walk in: "Let's go! Let's get this done quickly!"
Nobara Kugisaki gripped her hammer and nails, following closely. Allen followed unhurriedly at the very end.
The interior of the building was even more dilapidated than it looked from the outside. The air was thick with dust and mold, and the light was dim, with only scattered natural light filtering through broken windows.
The hallway was piled with discarded junk and construction debris, and large areas of paint had peeled off the walls, revealing black mold stains underneath.
"Such a strong smell." Itadori Yuji / Yuji Itadori wrinkled his nose. His senses were sharper than ordinary people's, allowing him to detect a deeper, ominous aura.
"That's what curses smell like, disgusting." Nobara Kugisaki was clearly more experienced. She vigilantly scanned her surroundings, "Be careful, there might be more than one."
Allen's perception had already enveloped the entire building. Aside from the slightly more prominent curse source in the basement, there were also some weaker, more scattered remnants, posing no threat to the two.
He didn't speak up to warn them, simply followed silently.
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