After the initial uproar caused by Satoru Gojo's reappearance, the excitement gradually died down over the following days.
During those two peaceful days, Gojo spent nearly all his time dragging Betty around Tokyo, taking her sightseeing and introducing her to every interesting place he could think of.
Naturally, Suguru Geto and Shoko Ieiri got dragged along as well.
The focus was simple.
Have fun.
Of course, there was one small complication.
Geto still had Cursed Spirit extermination missions to complete.
Fortunately, that gave Gojo the perfect opportunity to let Betty see what Cursed Spirits actually looked like.
"So this is a Cursed Spirit?"
At an abandoned building somewhere in Tokyo, Betty stared wide-eyed at the hideous creature that had just emerged through a wall.
"Yep."
Gojo grinned.
"That's a Cursed Spirit. Well? What do you think?"
"If I remember correctly..."
Betty slowly turned toward him.
"You once said I was a Cursed Spirit too."
The look in her eyes immediately became dangerous.
Back when she didn't know what Cursed Spirits were, she hadn't cared much.
Now she did.
And unfortunately, they looked exactly like this.
Grotesque.
Ugly.
Mindless.
Looking at the creature in front of her, Betty felt that every unpleasant adjective she knew could be applied to it.
The thought that people in this world might consider her the same kind of existence as this thing instantly ruined her mood.
"No, no, no."
Gojo immediately raised both hands in surrender.
"Don't misunderstand."
"I knew you were a Great Spirit long before I taught you to use Cursed Energy."
"You're completely different from a Cursed Spirit."
"The similarities are only superficial."
Then he pointed directly at Geto and Shoko.
"The people who thought that were them, not me."
"Oh?"
Shoko reacted instantly.
"Not me."
She smiled warmly at Betty.
"You're way too cute to be mistaken for a Cursed Spirit."
Geto's reaction was noticeably slower.
Unlike Shoko, his sense for incoming danger clearly wasn't nearly as refined.
Faced with Betty's stare, he scratched his head awkwardly.
"I mean..."
"There are still some differences."
"Even if they're not very big..."
A vein immediately appeared on Betty's forehead.
Then...
"El Shamak."
Dark smoke burst from her body like a startled squid releasing ink.
In an instant, it swallowed the completely unprepared Geto.
Gojo had already seen this coming and jumped aside beforehand.
As for Shoko, she had quietly retreated to Gojo's side the moment Geto started talking.
While her combat strength couldn't compare to theirs, her survival instincts were excellent.
"El Shamak?"
Shoko looked at the black mist with amusement.
"So that's a magic spell? The chant sounds kind of strange."
"Yep."
Gojo sat back and enjoyed the show.
"This is a power completely different from Cursed Energy."
"Now do you understand the difference between Betty and a Cursed Spirit?"
As he spoke, he casually grabbed a nearby Cursed Spirit that had been trying to attack them but lacked the courage to commit.
Using the Limitless Cursed Technique, he forced the struggling creature to the ground.
Then he sat on it like it was a chair.
The poor Cursed Spirit immediately realized escape was no longer an option.
Fortunately for it, the suffering didn't last long.
The dark smoke soon dissipated.
When Betty and Geto emerged once again, both Gojo and Shoko burst out laughing.
Although Betty could be incredibly stubborn, she wasn't the type to abuse her power or attack someone over a minor disagreement.
That's why she'd chosen a different form of revenge.
After trapping Geto inside El Shamak and stripping away both his ability to think and control his body, he'd been little more than a mannequin.
So Betty had simply taken a leftover packet of ketchup from her pocket and smeared it all over his face.
The result was spectacular.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Gojo nearly doubled over.
"Geto, I never realized makeup suited you so well."
"This look is amazing."
Only then did Geto realize something felt wrong.
He touched his face, sniffed his fingers, and immediately understood.
His expression became one of pure resignation.
"See, Geto?"
Shoko grinned mischievously.
"Now you understand the difference between Betty and a Cursed Spirit."
"This is magic."
"Yeah, yeah."
Geto raised both hands in surrender.
"I get it."
"I take back what I said."
"Sorry, Betty."
"Hmph."
Betty snorted and accepted the apology.
"Alright."
Gojo stood up.
"We should get moving."
"More importantly, we need to decide what we're eating tonight."
"What about kaiseki cuisine?"
Shoko immediately brightened.
"I bet Betty would love it!"
"Whether Betty likes it or not, you're definitely interested."
Gojo instantly saw through her.
"Hehe."
Shoko grinned.
"Geto would be interested too, right?"
"If Gojo's paying, then absolutely."
Geto answered without hesitation.
"I'm broke."
"Do I look that stingy?"
Gojo rolled his eyes.
"Actually, let's invite Kento and Yu too."
"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen them since I got back."
As he spoke, he pulled out his phone.
"There are plenty of Cursed Spirits around, but people still need breaks."
"Tch."
Shoko folded her arms.
"You're already skipping missions, and now you want Kento and Yu to do the same."
"Be careful. Yaga-sensei might lecture you."
"It's only for a little while."
Gojo waved dismissively.
"Even if they're working, surely they can spare enough time to eat."
Then he dialed a number.
"Hello, hello. Is this little Kento~?"
"Yep, it's your handsome and powerful senior."
"No reason in particular."
"I just haven't seen my juniors in a while."
"Thought I'd check in and maybe grab a meal together."
"Oh, by the way."
"It's kaiseki cuisine."
"Huh?"
"You're on a mission?"
"That's no problem."
"Just send me your location."
"Your amazing seniors will come help."
A few moments later, Gojo hung up.
"They're on a mission."
He slipped the phone back into his pocket.
"Let's go find them."
"Otherwise they'll take forever to finish."
"Think of it as showing some love to our juniors."
"Where are they?"
Shoko checked the time.
"It's noon. Traffic's probably terrible right now."
"No problem."
Gojo stood up and dusted off his pants.
"I have another way."
The Cursed Spirit beneath him immediately tried to flee the moment it regained freedom.
Even though it was a Grade 1 Cursed Spirit, the people standing before it were simply too terrifying.
"Fine, fine."
Geto waved a hand.
"Whatever you say."
He activated his Cursed Technique.
Several Cursed Spirits appeared around him and immediately charged the fleeing target.
Moments later, the weakened spirit was beaten into submission and absorbed through Cursed Spirit Manipulation.
"Your Cursed Technique is pretty interesting."
Betty watched with genuine curiosity.
"It's decent."
Geto laughed.
"But if we're talking ridiculous abilities, that title belongs to this guy."
He hooked an arm around Gojo's neck.
"Give me a break."
Gojo rolled his eyes.
"Your ability is the one with no real limit."
"If you gather enough Cursed Spirits..."
He clicked his tongue.
"The potential is insane."
"Sure."
Geto laughed.
"But I'd die of exhaustion long before collecting that many."
As they chatted, Gojo's phone vibrated.
A new message had arrived.
Kento Nanami had sent their location.
"Alright."
Gojo glanced at the map.
"I know where they are now."
"Let's go."
"How exactly are we getting there?"
Shoko narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Don't tell me you're planning to have Geto carry us with Cursed Spirits or fly us there yourself."
"If we actually did that, we might as well become Curse Users."
"Yaga-sensei would kill us afterward."
"Of course not."
Gojo looked offended.
"What kind of idiot do you think I am?"
Then he grabbed Betty's hand and grinned.
"Betty."
"Come on."
"Show them what magic can do."
Though she still wore her usual tsundere expression, Betty cooperated without complaint.
She lifted a hand and lightly sliced through the air.
The previously calm space suddenly rippled.
Then reality split open.
A dark purple void appeared beyond the tear.
"What..."
Shoko stared blankly.
"What is that?"
"Magic."
Gojo spread his hands dramatically.
"Teleportation magic."
"It can take us wherever we want to go."
"Convenient, right?"
"But Betty isn't familiar with the city."
Geto looked confused.
"How can she know where to teleport?"
"Just because she isn't familiar with it doesn't mean she's dumb."
Gojo waved his phone.
The map application was clearly displayed on the screen.
After checking the location, he pointed in a direction.
"About three thousand meters that way."
"Got it."
Betty immediately stepped into the opening while dragging Gojo behind her.
Shoko and Geto exchanged a glance.
Then they hurried after them.
The strange purple-black space barely gave them time to observe it.
A moment later, light appeared ahead.
Everything flashed.
The scenery changed instantly.
When they emerged again, they found themselves standing in a deserted alleyway.
No one had noticed their arrival.
"This should be close enough, right?"
"Hmm..."
Gojo checked his map.
"Perfect."
"Right on target."
"As expected of you, Betty!"
With that, he immediately started walking.
Shoko and Geto, still processing what had just happened, hurried after him.
"Come on, come on."
"Stop standing around."
"I'm starving."
Only then did Shoko finally snap back to reality.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"So that's teleportation magic?"
"That's incredible."
"We traveled that far almost instantly."
"It's way more practical than your teleportation."
Strictly speaking, Gojo's teleportation wasn't true teleportation.
He used attraction to force movement at extraordinary speed.
The biggest flaw was obvious.
Obstacles could interfere with it.
That was why he usually traveled through the air.
Betty's teleportation magic was completely different.
The two abilities weren't even comparable.
"Of course."
Gojo puffed out his chest proudly.
"That's because it's my beloved Betty."
Shoko had complimented Betty.
Yet Gojo looked happier than if she'd praised him personally.
"Can you use magic too, Gojo?"
After experiencing it firsthand, Geto had become interested as well.
"Yep."
Gojo nodded.
"Betty and I even share the same magical affinity."
"That's why we're so compatible."
"Yin Attribute?"
"Exactly."
"So there are multiple attributes?"
"Sure."
"Fire Attribute, Earth Attribute, Wind Attribute, Yang Attribute..."
As they talked, they arrived at the location Kento Nanami had sent.
It was a remote area surrounding a shrine.
At the bottom of a long staircase stood two first-year students from Jujutsu High.
Kento Nanami and Yu Haibara.
"Senpai!"
"Over here!"
Yu Haibara waved enthusiastically the moment he spotted them.
Dressed in a white T-shirt and a short jacket, the bright-eyed boy radiated energy and friendliness.
"Long time no see, Yu."
Gojo laughed.
"You're still as energetic as ever."
He immediately turned toward Nanami.
"Kento, you should learn from him."
"That's how juniors earn more love and attention from their seniors."
Spreading his arms wide, Gojo lunged toward the tall, thin boy standing nearby in his Jujutsu High uniform.
"As if I care about that."
Nanami resisted the urge to dodge.
In the end, he reluctantly allowed Gojo to hug him.
He knew perfectly well that if he avoided it now, Gojo would never stop bothering him afterward.