Chapter 9 – Special Grade Cursed Vengeful Spirit: Rika Orimoto
"…The exit is closing,"
The young boy's voice echoed in the cramped space.
Tatsuro cursed under his breath. When he turned back to try reopening the hole he'd carved, he found the flesh walls had hardened. Even with his system-enhanced strength, he couldn't break through.
"…Shit. I shouldn't have tried to show off. Now I'm stuck too."
He looked at Yuta and the others, gave a helpless shrug, then stabbed the naginata into the ground. "We're not getting out. Guess we wait for rescue."
"…You just locked yourself in…" everyone thought silently.
The would-be savior was now trapped too. That ruined any hopes they had.
"Yuta, what's your dream? Why did you come to Jujutsu High?" Tatsuro suddenly asked. "Mine's simple—survive, then help others."
Yuta looked down, his voice soft. "I… don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I tried isolating myself, even wanted to disappear. But when someone told me I'd be missed… I didn't know what to say. I want to connect with people. I want to feel like I deserve to live."
"That's not so different from mine."
Tatsuro smiled faintly. He grabbed the naginata, his Sharingan glowing fiercely. "Then fight with me. Didn't you say you want to be needed? Well, we need you. Help us get out. I need your power."
Yuta looked from Tatsuro to the unconscious Maki on the floor. His hesitation turned into resolve. He slowly removed the ring on his left hand and whispered, "Rika."
What is it? came a gentle voice in his head.
"Please lend me your strength. I want to protect them."
Of course—anything for you.
Everything was going exactly as Tatsuro had hoped. He needed Yuta strong. He'd worked hard to max out that favorability bar. Sometimes, you grind. Sometimes, you coast. The system quest was done—there was no reason for him to burn energy on a boss fight he couldn't win.
A surge of cursed energy erupted.
From the ring, Rika manifested in full.
Massive arms, razor fangs, hair like knotted cables, raw power radiating from every inch—Rika's true form emerged.
As a Special Grade vengeful spirit, her overwhelming presence crushed the air around them. She punched clean through the cursed spirit's belly and crawled outside.
"Let's go," Tatsuro said, canceling his Sharingan. His eyes throbbed with fatigue—hot tears ran down his cheeks.
His entire body ached. He wanted to sleep. But if he collapsed now, Yuta would have to carry everyone. And Rika… was not exactly in a "gentle" state right now.
"Are you alright?" Yuta asked, carrying the unconscious Maki and holding the rescued child in his arms.
"I'm fine. Let's move."
Tatsuro leapt out of the curse's gut and landed steadily on a balcony. He dropped the naginata and held out his arms.
"Toss them down. I'll catch them."
"…Okay."
Yuta looked down at him—his face was cut, red streaks down his cheeks, blood leaking from his eyes—but his expression was calm, even casual.
He's at his limit… and still thinking about others. What an idiot…
Yuta bit his lip, eyes glistening with tears.
I'm not alone anymore.
"Hurry up!" Tatsuro urged, watching Rika go berserk just below. Her shrieks and curse-slaughtering laughter echoed off the walls.
"I'm coming!"
But instead of tossing them down, Yuta jumped down himself, keeping both people in his arms. He landed heavily, knees buckling.
Still, he didn't collapse.
Tatsuro raised a brow. "Not bad. Let's get going before Rika realizes we're missing."
"Yeah."
Yuta glanced up at the monstrous form of Rika tearing through curses like paper, and quickly turned away.
Tatsuro picked up the naginata again. His body was trembling from exhaustion, but he forced himself onward.
Step by step, the two of them carried the unconscious toward safety.
Behind them, Rika's wild laughter filled the halls:
"Rika loves red! Where's the blue?!"
---
Outside the school gate, Gojo Satoru waited, arms crossed. His grin widened.
"Hehehe… How impressive. So that's the full form of the Special Grade Cursed Vengeful Spirit, Rika Orimoto? What a terrifying woman."
But then his expression shifted to serious.
He recalled Tatsuro earlier—swinging Maki's naginata. It was clearly his first time using such a weapon, yet his strikes were sharp and clean.
That wasn't normal. Was it those eyes?
If that power was from those eyes, then this kid…
He might actually catch up to me someday.
As Gojo pondered, Tatsuro and Yuta broke through the veil's barrier and collapsed at his feet.
Gojo knelt beside them, smiling.
"Welcome back. You both did great. Leave the rest to me."
Tatsuro, barely conscious, cracked one eye open and muttered:
"You better pay me at least 500,000 yen for this…"
"…"
Gojo sighed.
Greedy little punk. But hey, that's not a bad thing.
Greedy people tend to value their lives. They're cautious. But Tatsuro… he was more than that.
He chose to come back, knowing the risk. He pushed his broken body until the end.
With resolve like that—and those strange eyes—this kid's future is limitless.
Gojo patched their wounds with simple cursed techniques, then casually called someone on his phone.
Whistling, he strolled into the building, smiling like it was just another ordinary day.
---