𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 // 𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐮 𝐆𝐨𝐣𝐨 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

39

CHAPTER 39 — BELOW THE VALLEY

Tsumiki is still...

❝LET'S PLAY A GAME OF LION V.S. ZEBRA.❞

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

"Why were you talking to Ijichi?" Nobara asked.

"Is your sister okay?" Yuji chimed in.

"She's fine." Megumi replied, acting like nothing happened. "More importantly, the mission's danger level just shot up. Other sorcerers will be taking over this case. You guys can go home."

Nobara and Yuji stood there, not moving an inch for a few minutes so Megumi took this chance to start dragging them both to the car.

"Hey!" Yuji yelped.

"Let go of me!" Nobara huffed.

In a second's worth of time, he then arrived to the car, finding Nitta already inside it. Nobara got pushed in, and it was soon Yuji's turn, though he was restraining a bit.

"Hey, why are you forcing me in?! Just us? What about you and Y/N-sensei?" He asked.

"I'll be right back after I see Mr. Takeda." Megumi said. "Y/N-sensei will drive me back. Now go!"

With one final push, he was able to get Yuji inside the car. He closed the door shut and Nitta immediately drove away, giving Megumi the chance to let out a sigh and turn to you.

"So.." you started, "I don't have my car with me. But! I can teleport!.."

"It's okay." He reassured you. "We could walk there."

You let out a hum and smiled as you nodded, patting his head before starting to walk towards the direction of the bridge.

────˚₊·✧·₊˚────

The shining sun was replaced by the luminescent moon by the time you and Megumi arrived to the bridge.

Megumi dialled Nitta's phone number. "Good evening, am I speaking to Nitta-san? There's something I would like to ask you."

"The procedure, right?" Nitta said from the other line. "Fujinuma didn't go over the bridge itself. The test of courage actually happened under the bridge."

"Itadori went under it as well, though." Megumi replied.

"You probably can't get in by jumping from the top," Nitta continued, "Since the curse is within a barrier, the order is gonna be important. You go at night, from underneath."

"Right. Thank you, Nitta-san."

With that, he hung up, looking at you. You let out a hum, looking at some sort of tunnel that would lead under the bridge.

"You tell us too little about yourself." Nobara said nonchalantly.

"I know, right?" Yuji agreed.

Megumi heard their voices and let out a groan, lowering his head in defeat.

"I knew they'd come out at one point," you chuckled. "They were following us the whole time, 'Gumi. Did you not sense them?"

"You must seriously be at your wits' end if you didn't notice us until now." Nobara muttered.

"We're not saying you have to tell us everything, but at least rely on us." Yuji argued. "We're friends, after all, aren't we?"

Megumi looking up and paused. "Tsumiki is..."

"..Still bedridden." He continued after a few seconds. "The curse of Yasohachi Bridge only appears before its victims. And since she can't give us any information, I have no idea when she could be killed. That's why I want to exorcise it right away. But the mission's danger level really has gone up, though—"

"Yeah, yeah," Nobara sighed with a smile, cutting him off, "We get it!"

"You should've told us from the start!" Yuji grinned as he and Nobara turned to walk towards the entrance that lead below the bridge.

"Nitta hasn't specified from where to enter when you called her, Megumi," you stated. "At the bottom of the valley, there might be a river. Crossing a river or a border would be an act that symbolizes crossing to the afterlife— an act that hold great meaning in Jujutsu Sorcery."

"Let's make haste," Megumi said, earning a nod from all of you.

────˚₊·✧·₊˚────

After climbing a few small and short hills, you finally arrived to the bottom of the valley. There was a small, visible river that separated a part of the area. The four of you marched towards it, crossing it with a single step— causing a light to gleam from underneath your feet. It was the initiation of the curse; it looked like a mole as it popped out from a small bump that was on the ceiling of the area which looked like a cave.

"There it is," Yuji said.

"This one will be rewarding to exorcise." Nobara huffed confidently.

You formed a quick barrier around you and your students as you heard a scream erupt from behind you. It was another curse that was about to lunge toward you in attempt of an attack, but thanks to your quick reaction, you were able to get away unharmed. It ended up crashing into the wall, making a huge dent in it.

"What the—?!" Megumi uttered.

"Oh?" It said, slowly turning around and itching its eye. "What's this? Someone beat me here?"

"Huh?!" Nobara uttered.

You let out a curious hum as you let go of the barrier that protected you and your students. You turned on your Vision of Light to analyze it, an amused smile tainting your face in the process.

"Y/N-sensei, this one's a different case, right?" Yuji asked.

"Yes," you replied, looking unfazed as you stared condescendingly at the curse. "Probably a semi-first grade. Or maybe a Special Grade. Either way, it's weak."

"Then please focus on that other one." Yuji said, channeling cursed energy into his fists. "This one's mine!"

"Yuji," you hummed, "There's no need, You will only get hurt in the process, and I don't want to experience a Juvenile Detention Center incident again. Just stay back and watch, alright?"

"What?" The curse hummed. "You're going to play with me?"

"Play?" You echoed. "Ah. Right."

A taunting and eerie smile crept up to your face as you brought out a few swords from your technique. The atmosphere of the room darkened as you relaxed your body a bit, letting a small portion of your pure cursed energy flow throughout your body, creating an aura that felt almost suffocating.

"Let's play a game of Lion V.S. Zebra."