Chapter 22: The Special Grade Cursed User (Part Three)

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“When did you start exploiting someone like picking wool off a sheep?” Chuuya Nakahara watched Osamu Dazai casually coordinating with that sorcerer from the Panxing Sect and guessed that Suguru Geto was being used again this time.

Dazai said, “You don’t need many nails, just enough.” Their current identities made it hard to blend in with the crowd, and the cursed spirit identity could never be trusted.

He shrugged it off lightly, “That’s their own fault.”

The Panxing Sect’s intelligence network was far easier to access than theirs.

Well, who asked Geto to provoke them? Chuuya’s heart wasn’t that generous; it was just that Dazai’s retaliation was harsher, which made him seem indifferent.

Though wanted criminals, Geto’s whereabouts were easier to track than Satoru Gojo’s. Since Geto had set his sights on Yuta Okkotsu, all they had to do was keep an eye on Geto.

“Does Gojo also have people working for Geto around him?” Chuuya asked from the rooftop, watching Gojo arrive at the school with two students.

Having someone from the higher-ups notice what tasks Gojo assigned his students would be a waste of talent.

“That’s normal. Anyone wanting to challenge the Jujutsu world would plant spies near Gojo,” Dazai explained, “Most missions come through ‘Window,’ which is filled with all sorts of people. Compared to the upper echelons, these guys attract far less attention.”

Gojo’s personality meant the enemy wouldn’t care about small fry, and even if trouble arose later, they wouldn’t be traced back to them.

Chuuya’s gaze swept over Gojo, landing on the two students beside him. “Is that boy Yuta Okkotsu?”

“Yeah.” Dazai introduced, “The girl is Maki Zenin, heir of the Zenin family’s Heavenly Restriction. She has no cursed energy herself and relies solely on cursed tools to exorcise cursed spirits.”

“Heavenly Restriction...” Chuuya muttered, “Sorcerers have so many subcategories—it’s such a hassle.”

“Those noble families are like that—rotting and repulsive from the inside out,” Dazai said with disdain. “The boy Gojo adopted is also from the Zenin family; his father was also Heavenly Restricted.”

“You mean the one we ran into last time?” Chuuya asked in surprise, “Does the Zenin family allow their children to be adopted by others? Those families are so concerned about their dignity.”

“Fushiguro Megumi’s father was kicked out before he was born,” Dazai explained, “And ever since Gojo came around, the Zenin family has been a step below the Gojo family.”

Chuuya’s expression turned complicated. After becoming a port Mafia officer, he had some dealings with such noble families but still struggled to accept a world ranked by strength.

“Does Gojo have a relationship with his father?” he asked.

Dazai nodded, “Yeah, after the father almost killed Gojo, Gojo killed him instead.”

Chuuya: ...

He looked at Dazai in confusion and muttered, “Huh?”

He hadn’t misheard, right? What kind of bizarre story was this about loving the thief?

Dazai said, “Yeah, raising a tiger to bring harm—that’s even worse than Chuuya!”

“I’ve never gone easy on an enemy,” Chuuya denied stubbornly. He always finished the job unless Mori and Dazai wanted to leave a loose end for bait.

“I thought they got along well!” Chuuya said.

It was obvious Megumi was well cared for; coming from the rough streets of Erabachi, Chuuya knew what it was like for kids with a hard life.

“They do get along,” Dazai said. When investigating Megumi, he uncovered his father’s shady identity. Following the trail, he found out about the infamous ‘Heavenly Tyrant’ and ‘Sorcerer Killer’ Toji Fushiguro from a decade ago.

It wasn’t a secret that Toji died at Gojo’s hands; he was hired by the Panxing Sect to take Gojo down, which was still noted in their internal intelligence.

As for Megumi and Gojo’s good relationship, isn’t it like Chuuya and Weillen’s?

Dazai smirked, realizing Chuuya was aware of how abnormal it was.

“Someone who almost killed Gojo got kicked out of the family?” Chuuya asked, puzzled. “Isn’t strength everything for sorcerers?”

“Chuuya, you said it yourself—‘sorcerer’,” Dazai said. “In their eyes, Heavenly Restricted don’t count as sorcerers.”

Chuuya twitched his mouth, incredulous, “Then why hasn’t the Zenin family been swallowed up?”

“Not everyone’s an idiot,” Dazai lifted his chin, “The Zenin head sent Maki to Gojo’s side.”

Chuuya glanced toward the school again. Gojo had already stepped out of the gates, and a black veil descended, enveloping the entire school and blocking all outside view.

“That’s the ‘Curtain’!” Chuuya said with admiration. “Pretty convenient.”

Perfect for killing, arson, robbery, or secret meetings—no need to worry about cameras or being discovered.

Dazai joked, “Chuuya, want to learn? Beg me, and I’ll teach you!”

Chuuya was surprised, “You can use it?”

“Yeah,” Dazai said, “Probably just a different way of manipulating cursed energy.”

Chuuya’s eyes lit up. “What about other barrier techniques?”

“Never tried,” Dazai admitted.

Chuuya looked thoughtfully at the ‘Curtain,’ “Is this useful for you?”

“No need to find the caster; touching it can make it disappear.” Dazai had tested this with Hanami before. He wanted to see if he could use the ‘Curtain’ to protect the unborn Chuuya when he went out, making him invisible to others. But later, he realized it might make him more conspicuous to sorcerers, so he gave up.

Suddenly, Chuuya tensed, eyes fixed on the ‘Curtain.’ “They’re coming.”

The ‘Curtain’ blocked vision but couldn’t block the overwhelming aura. Unlike the earlier calm, a surging power radiated from within. Even without intelligence, the sensation was enough to draw their attention.

Dazai also felt the pressure. His gaze landed on Gojo standing at the gate. “Looks like Gojo is confident.”

Chuuya quipped, “He teaches like you—push them until they almost die, hit them until they can’t get up.”

“Or be a mother hen like you?” Dazai said coldly. “I heard you even manage Akutagawa’s baths. After I left, the port Mafia officers had to double as babysitters?”

“How do you know that?” Chuuya retorted. “You know Akutagawa’s quirks.”

Dazai was blunt, “Then let him solve it himself. How long can you keep managing everything for him before he grows up?”

Chuuya said, “We were just soaking in the hot springs. Didn’t you cook for Tiger then?”

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“Oh, was it Atsushi who told you? You sure talk a lot when you two meet by chance!” Dazai emphasized through clenched teeth.

“No, it was Akutagawa who heard it from Tiger,” Chuuya said calmly. “He didn’t believe your cooking was good and beat up Tiger.”

Dazai: ...

Feeling insulted, he stomped, “My cooking is excellent!”

Chuuya gloatingly said, “Who told you never to cook properly? You deserve the misunderstanding!”

Back when Dazai was in the port Mafia, Akutagawa once had to be rushed to the hospital to get his stomach pumped after eating Dazai’s food, so such misunderstandings were no surprise.

He tried to comfort, “After Akutagawa asked me to verify, I told him you could cook normal meals too.”

Dazai doubted, “Chuuya would be that kind-hearted? When has he ever said anything good about me?”

Chuuya’s eyes shifted guiltily, “But Akutagawa got mad after hearing that you treated them differently and beat up Tiger again.”

“Wasn’t Chuuya just getting his revenge?” Dazai said with a smirk, feigning innocence. “Does Atsushi know he got beaten because of Chuuya?”

“Wasn’t it because of you?” Chuuya asked. “Did he ever see your true colors?”

Dazai dodged, “Atsushi and Akutagawa fighting isn’t always my fault.”

He initially used himself to provoke Akutagawa to toughen Atsushi, but after they developed some understanding, he stopped.

He thought, We argue about everything too! Why blame me? I’m just the spark.

As for what happened after... Chuuya’s gone, so what’s the point?

Dazai didn’t say it aloud, but Chuuya understood. He wanted to ask when Dazai died, how the port Mafia fared afterward, but found it unnecessary.

The gravity of the port Mafia meant Chuuya was already dead; they had moved on to a new world. Dazai’s silence meant nothing major happened after his death.

Even if the port Mafia needed him, he couldn’t return. Why trouble himself?

Similarly, Dazai was now by his side. He could guess what had happened before; no need to ask. If Dazai wanted to say, he would.

“What are you thinking?” Dazai asked.

“Wondering how you have the nerve to say that,” Chuuya replied casually. “If it weren’t for you, Akutagawa and Atsushi’s relationship wouldn’t be this bad.”

Dazai retorted, “Why don’t you say it’s Mori who made Akutagawa hunt Atsushi?”

“That was Fitzgerald’s bounty,” Chuuya defended their old boss.

Dazai added, “Feodor sold the intel to the ‘Organization.’”

Chuuya nodded, “All the demons’ fault.”

“Exactly,” Dazai agreed.

They pinned the blame on Dostoevsky, reaching a friendly consensus.

Chuuya and Dazai chatted idly. “I thought the demons’ ideals were already ridiculous.”

“Geto’s ideals are even more absurd, right?” Dazai said. “Chuuya hasn’t seen enough perverts.”

Chuuya retorted sharply, “One of you is enough to torment me.”

Dazai said openly, “Yeah, so I took out all the other perverts wanting to get close to Chuuya.”

“...Am I supposed to thank you?” Chuuya said, exasperated. “Where do all these perverts even come from?!”

“Chuuya has zero self-awareness,” Dazai complained half in frustration, half in satisfaction. “If I weren’t here, you’d have been devoured by now!”

Chuuya shot back, “If it weren’t for you, there probably wouldn’t be so many perverts.”

Dazai was displeased. “What do you mean?!”

Chuuya said, “Birds of a feather flock together.”

Dazai laughed angrily, “So after all these years with me, you finally admit you’re a pervert?!”

“Only three years...” Chuuya said.

“Seven years!” Dazai interrupted forcefully.

Chuuya accepted it and said, “Seven years isn’t that long.”

Dazai sarcastically said, “Not long, but it’s half your life.”

Chuuya thought about it; his life started at eight years old. “Thinking that way, it’s a real grudge—being tangled up with someone like you half a lifetime.”

Dazai boasted, “You’ll never get rid of me. Might as well accept it.”

“Tsk!” Chuuya clicked his tongue, unwilling to argue.

Dazai felt great, the sky bluer like Chuuya’s eyes, the clouds whiter like his skin; even the odd black veil over the buildings wasn’t so intrusive.

Cheerfully, he said, “Chuuya, they’re out!”

“Wow!” Chuuya watched Yuta Okkotsu collapse after stepping out of the ‘Curtain,’ puzzled. “I thought with Yuta’s power, dealing with a cursed spirit wouldn’t be so hard?”

Otherwise, why would Gojo and Geto, both special grade sorcerers, treat him differently?

“No matter how strong, you have to be able to control it,” Dazai observed Yuta’s state, focusing on the wounds on him and Maki Zenin.

Chuuya thought about his own state after activating ‘Corruption’ and understood Yuta’s situation perfectly. But Yuta had Dazai; he must have his own control methods.

Chuuya looked at Geto appearing after Gojo and the others left the school and asked, “Will Geto confront Gojo for him?”

“Someday,” Dazai’s gaze followed Chuuya’s, wind blowing his bangs to reveal dark, hawk-like eyes. “But not now.”

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“Not now?” Chuuya nodded, watching Geto deliberately avoid Gojo.

Dazai suddenly asked, “Who do you think is stronger—Geto or Gojo?”

“When I fought Geto, I wasn’t conscious...” Chuuya pondered, then answered, “Gojo.”

Dazai said indifferently, “Geto knows that better than you.” That’s why he won’t act rashly without sufficient strength and has been hiding for years.

Geto has been gathering powerful cursed spirits because he knows he’s weaker, but to complete his goal, Gojo is an obstacle that must be dealt with.

Chuuya, Dazai, and Yuta’s ‘Rika’ are all the same in Geto’s eyes—chips needed to take on Gojo.

Losing to Chuuya was a blow to Geto but not critical; now that he’s targeting ‘Rika,’ once he obtains her, he’ll come after them again.

“Geto...” Dazai narrowed his eyes, watching Geto’s expression.

Chuuya asked, “Are we going over?”

Dazai evaded, “Geto’s smarter than I expected.”

Chuuya smirked, “It’s rare hearing you say that!”

Dazai looked at him displeased. “This place was arranged by him to test ‘Rika’s’ strength.”

Chuuya raised his eyebrows. “The Panxing Sect really has power in the Jujutsu world?”

“Maybe he just knows what kind of missions Gojo would pick,” Dazai said. “There probably aren’t many tasks suitable for students to practice on.”

Chuuya nodded and looked down at the hand gripping his wrist. “You can let go now, right?”

Dazai released Chuuya’s wrist and countered, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“I thought you wanted to be cautious,” Chuuya gave an innocent look. “Wasn’t that it?”

Dazai grumbled, “I should let the big sister see this, so they stop blaming me for corrupting Chuuya.”

Chuuya was noncommittal. “Near black ink, one gets stained.”

Dazai decided, “It’s all Mori’s fault.”

Chuuya nodded, “The boss did teach me a lot.”

Dazai frowned—it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. He mocked, “You didn’t pick up Mori’s bad habits, right? Being a lolicon is totally uncouth!”

Chuuya glanced at him. “So your narcissism came from Mori?”

Dazai protested indignantly, “When was I ever narcissistic?!”

Chuuya argued, “You act super narcissistic every time you brag!”

“Like you never brag!”

“My bragging isn’t as annoying as yours!”

“You’re annoying no matter what you do!”

“Then don’t pay me any mind!”

“That just makes it look like I’m scared of you!”

“Childish!”

“Petty!”

“Damn mackerel!”

“Stupid slug!”

“Am I stupid?!”

“Everywhere!”

They bickered down the stairs, blending into the crowd like water merging into the sea.

This was another joint experiment. Gojo’s Six Eyes were like cheating, but Dazai’s ‘No Longer Human’ was equally absurd. When Dazai touched Chuuya, their cursed energy residue wouldn’t catch the attention of sorcerers.

If Gojo noticed, they’d just blame Geto—he was definitely there.

What a perfect scapegoat, in every way.

“What’s next?” Chuuya asked.

Dazai walked beside the lively Chuuya, long legs keeping pace. “Next, we keep probing. Testing Yuta Okkotsu isn’t going to end so simply.”

“I meant us,” Chuuya clarified.

“I meant us too,” Dazai smiled with interest. “Don’t you find their symbiotic relationship fascinating?”

“Not interested in where you find it interesting,” Chuuya muttered. “How do you plan to test? Follow Geto?”

“That’s too passive,” Dazai said. “As soon as Geto makes a move, we’ll go on the offense.”

Gojo recognizes their cursed energy residue, so what? Just catch another cursed spirit. Geto has plenty that Gojo doesn’t know about.

Like I said, Geto is the perfect scapegoat, no matter how you look at it.