JUJUTSU KAISEN: the lost chapters (english version)

CHAPTER 7 ◇ The cursed ryokan (Part 3)

Location:
Yamagata Prefecture, ryokan in the mountains

Acting Persons:

Suguru Geto (Jujuzist 3rd rank 1st year)

Satoru Gojo (Jujuzist 3rd rank 1st year)

Shoko Ieiri (Jujuzist 3rd rank 1st year)

Sayuri (Curse Spirit)

Time:

03.12.20XX, evening

Sayuri sat on one of the chair-less chairs in her guest room and stared at the dark wood of the tabletop in front of her. The others were talking animatedly about what they had found out, but the curse girl was only listening with half an ear. The question of why she answered Suguru with 'Probably' when he asked her if she could wipe out an entire village single-handedly kept haunting her. Deep down, she suspected that she had told the truth. She would be able to wipe out an entire village single-handedly. But she had no idea how. She didn't remember how to use her powers. It was as if she had simply forgotten. "Wait here for me little Sayuri. One day I'll come and get you.". Master. Did her master have something to do with the fact that she couldn't remember so many things? The man's face also seemed to lie behind a milky veil. All she could still see clearly was the scarred plexus that stretched across his forehead. She shook her head to dispel these thoughts. It wasn't fair to think about someone else when her new master was around. Suguru was her new master now and her old master was no longer alive anyway.
"Did I say something wrong?". Suguru looked at her in surprise. "What?" asked Sayuri in confusion, brought back to the here and now by his question. "I just told you what the maid told us and you shook your head vehemently. Did I forget something?". "No. No, I was just thinking." She raised her hands defensively and tried to smile, but it turned out a little crooked.

So Suguru turned his attention back to the others. "So there are indeed potential victims for the curse tonight," he realised. They now tried to draw conclusions from the information they had gathered. However, Satoru didn't have much to contribute to their findings, apart from giving everyone a Tayaki and Suguru the shop assistant's mobile phone number. The latter, however, seemed unimpressed by both and left his tayaki to Sayuri, who eyed the packaging curiously. Suguru rubbed his eyes and sighed deeply. "What do we know?" he asked. "Well.", Shoko began and Satoru rolled his eyes, "It must have something to do with the mysterious disappearance of all those villagers.". "Yeah," Satoru said, stretching, "but I could have told you that. We didn't have to run halfway round the shop for that." Suguru ran his hand through his hair, a few strands coming loose from the topknot. "What kind of curse manages to devour all the villagers in just one night without the Jujuzists noticing?" he asked the leading question, "It can only be a level two or higher curse, can't it? And that would make this whole thing way too big for us first-year students! As Jujuzists, it's our job to protect the weak, but it doesn't help anyone if we expose ourselves to unnecessary danger. I'm in favour of waiting for the night and if nothing happens, we'll get in touch with the academy tomorrow and call for reinforcements." "It could have been a lot of low-ranking curses, though," Shoko noted and Sayuri nodded eagerly. "Neither would be good for us.". The black-haired teenager shook his head and now completely loosened his hair from the already sparse braid, "If there are many vengeful spirits, we are clearly outnumbered. All my curses are more or less designed for one-on-one combat and Satoru..." he looked at his friend, who was picking his nose in boredom, "...you've mastered wide-ranging attacks, but things still go wrong from time to time. We can't risk damaging the ryokan. And if the curse is at level two or higher, we generally have a problem. Shoko, you're on the outside of the fighting anyway. If we find the missing, you're primarily responsible for their care." Satoru snorted contemptuously and tore open the wrapper of his tayaki. Sayuri stared eagerly at the fish-shaped pastry. "We're the greatest! No one can touch us - not even a rank two curse, bro! If we fight together, I don't see any problems.". Suguru sighed. "I honour your optimism, bro, but..." he reached for one of the tayaki packets, opened it and handed the sweet to Sayuri, who began to nibble on it, "...we shouldn't overestimate ourselves. It won't help anyone and will only put us in unnecessary danger." Satoru stretched. "And what about her?" he asked, pointing unabashedly at Sayuri. Suguru looked at her, glancing back and forth between the boys. "I don't think so...Sayuri...if it gets dangerous, she should stay safe with Shoko or I'll send her to the other dimension if Shoko is too far away or there are no places to hide." Sayuri scratched her cheek, embarrassed. "But...well...I'm your curse so I thought...um...I could help you somehow...". Even if she still had no idea what that help would look like. But wasn't it said that necessity is the mother of invention? And she wanted to be useful at all costs. She owed it to her friends. Suguru now turned to her and gripped her shoulders. He looked at her seriously and insistently. "Listen to me! Going up against curses is no fun! Sayuri - it's dangerous and I won't let you put yourself in danger unnecessarily.". She looked at him somewhat defiantly. He just didn't understand how important it was to her. "But maybe I can help you...". He shook his head determinedly. "No way! That's the end of the matter.". He let go of her, stood up and began to walk up and down the room. Satoru rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling lamp. "Man Suguru..." he thought, giving his friend a sideways glance, "...stop trying to protect something that needs the least protection of all of us! You really are too good a bloke...". Because despite everything they experienced together - despite the laughter and the outings they went on, Sayuri remained what she was: a cursing spirit. And Satoru had the feeling that his best friend was about to forget this fact. Or didn't want to see it. He treated her more like a little sister or a helpless child who had to be protected. But Satoru had seen what she was that day. And Sayuri was anything but helpless. Her cursing power surpassed all the curses he had encountered before and that made him uncomfortable. Who knows what would happen if she followed her nature and switched sides? Suguru hadn't made much of an effort to learn to control Sayuri yet. What if it didn't work in an emergency? And Satoru didn't like the fact that he had to admit to himself that he would rather not have her as an opponent.