Chapter 87: Kabukichō
As the sky gradually darkened, the light and shadow of a white fox, three meters in length, galloped through the sea of clouds before finally descending upon a mountain peak.
When the dust cleared, one could see that the figure transformed from the white fox was Yukinoshita Yukino, though her entire body was wrapped in a white haori.
The technique used just now for travel was [White Fox Racing to the Moon]. This place was already nearly 200 kilometers away from Tokyo.
In the distance stood a large, pentagonal building made of layers upon layers of reinforced concrete nestled in the mountains. This was a secret stronghold of the Jujutsu Association, used to secretly detain high-profile criminals who had betrayed the Association or caused major casualties.
Most of the people here were heinous villains whose hands were stained with the blood of ordinary people. Challenging these one hundred curse users and demonstrating power and glory in battle was the most suitable location for challenging the strong that Yukinoshita Yukino could find through the Ghost Post Office's intelligence network.
Who could have guessed that the locations of those eerie areas investigated by the Ghost Post Office were all reported by cursed spirits that appeared mindless in the air? Only through them could such a hidden location be identified.
"If you're going to act, switch with me quickly."
A phoenix eye and a vivid, delicate vermillion mouth appeared on Yukinoshita Yukino's face.
Forcing her way into a prison belonging to the Jujutsu Association to kill 100 curse users—no matter how she thought about it, it was simply impossible for Yukinoshita Yukino to do it herself. This could only be accomplished by this Special Grade Vengeful Spirit.
"How unpleasant," Hagoromo Gitsune clicked her tongue in annoyance.
She was, after all, the overlord of cursed spirits from a thousand years ago, the great [Lord of the Frosty Moon]. Now, she had actually been reduced to being someone else's thug.
But despite her annoyance, the current situation could no longer be changed. The fates of Hagoromo Gitsune and this little girl had long been linked and could not be separated.
"Or is it that even now, you little brat, you still can't bring yourself to strike?"
Hagoromo Gitsune didn't know what Yukinoshita Yukino was hesitating about. It was merely the heads of 100 strangers; was there really a need to consider it for so long?
But for Yukinoshita Yukino, let alone killing 100 people, she had never even been in a fight with anyone else, much less committed murder.
"Oh, I see. You're thinking about that little man of yours, aren't you?"
The expression on Hagoromo Gitsune's face immediately became playful.
This little brat was unexpectedly easy to read.
Previously, that brat with terrifying strength had suddenly walked in, nearly scaring Hagoromo Gitsune to death.
She just hadn't expected that his relationship with this cheap host was actually quite good. She should have been told sooner; it had caused her so much trepidation.
Hagoromo Gitsune had even discovered that her host seemed to harbor a sliver of special affection for that handsome little man.
Furthermore, Hagoromo Gitsune had instantly discovered the special technique that the man of terrifying strength had placed on Yukinoshita Yukino. That jujutsu had no destructive power; it was purely a tracking function. As long as he activated the technique on his end, he could sense Yukinoshita's exact position.
In Hagoromo Gitsune's view, this was a point that could be exploited.
As for Yukinoshita Yukino, she was filled with lingering fear upon learning from Hagoromo Gitsune that Hikigaya-kun was actually a very powerful jujutsu sorcerer.
Hagoromo Gitsune and the Ghost Post Office were Yukinoshita's biggest secrets; once exposed, it would lead to the elimination of both herself and anyone involved.
Fortunately, it hadn't been exposed despite Hagoromo Gitsune being on the surface of her body. Yukinoshita Yukino sighed with a complex expression. Comparing oneself to others really was infuriating; not only were his grades good, but his strength as a jujutsu sorcerer was also quite formidable.
Hikigaya-kun had placed a detection-type technique on her, which was clearly an act of concern because he couldn't stop worrying about her.
"Sigh."
Thus, Yukinoshita Yukino felt quite troubled.
The final solution was for Hagoromo Gitsune to directly strip the detection technique from Yukinoshita's body and turn it into something similar to a GPS tracker. It was now placed on a low-level cursed spirit that could be controlled, and the command given to it was to wander randomly within various districts of Tokyo to confuse any pursuit.
There was no other way; Yukinoshita Yukino could not expose her location and identity. To avoid exposure, she could only resort to this kind of deception.
This made Yukinoshita, who always believed in being upright, feel a wave of discomfort in her heart. Therefore, even when she heard Hagoromo Gitsune's teasing, she had no interest in responding.
"Let's begin."
After Yukinoshita Yukino let out a sigh, she proactively released control of her body. Hagoromo Gitsune wanted to say more teasing words, but suddenly she felt herself possessing control of the body and immediately stopped talking.
"What an awkward girl."
As Hagoromo Gitsune's power surged, Yukinoshita Yukino's body was reshaped by the cursed energy that was as vast as a river. Red cursed seals appeared on Yukinoshita's face, slowly covering half of it. Her jet-black eyes instantly turned into golden slitted pupils.
Under the influence of Hagoromo Gitsune's cursed energy, her silk-like black hair turned into a white as pure as moonlight, and a very small, curved crescent moon appeared on her forehead.
Yukinoshita Yukino's face was already very delicate, but now, being modified by cursed energy, it added colors of mystery and enchantment. Every movement she made possessed an indescribable charm.
Most importantly, Hagoromo Gitsune had a very good figure, and Yukinoshita's shortcoming was her "flatness"—this would not be an issue in the future. Hagoromo Gitsune's cursed energy would improve Yukinoshita's shortcoming; the flat areas would become "magnificent."
From behind the white haori wrapped around the girl, the phantom shadows of nine massive tails emerged. The whole person looked to have an enchanting posture like white moonlight. Hagoromo Gitsune raised her hand, and a flash of excitement couldn't help but appear on Yukinoshita's dignified face.
"This is the taste of freedom."
If only this body belonged completely to her, that would be great. Unfortunately, this was merely a temporary "trial card."
Of course, Hagoromo Gitsune did not forget to cover Yukinoshita's face with a complete mask made of cursed energy. This white mask had no features; it was a blank expanse of pure white, as bright as moonlight.
"Next, let's make a big scene."
As soon as Hagoromo Gitsune's voice fell, a faint, nearly invisible white ripple completely covered the night sky. This was a special "Curtain." The jujutsu sorcerers below did not detect any abnormalities; they only felt that the moon in the sky seemed even whiter.
Being indirect was never Hagoromo Gitsune's interest. A direct frontal breakthrough was the way to display absolute strength! Hagoromo Gitsune wanted to tell the world with great fanfare that the former [Lord of the Frosty Moon] had descended upon the world once again.
When the cursed energy of this Special Grade Over-Curse Imaginary Vengeful Spirit erupted, the mountain where Yukinoshita Yukino stood was almost instantly transformed from lush greenery into a glittering world of ice and snow covered in ice blocks. And it continued to spread from this mountain to the surroundings.
Boom!
A massive iceberg condensed by Hagoromo Gitsune shattered.
Since she needed to challenge eighty-eight strong experts, she couldn't use large-scale destructive techniques; she had to leave the bodies intact and then cut off the heads.
Countless silver-white spirit foxes, looking like souls, drifted and floated around Yukinoshita Yukino. As the avalanche formed by the shattered iceberg targeted the giant prison below, the scene visible to the jujutsu sorcerers in the curse user prison was a nearby mountain mysteriously turning into an iceberg. Furthermore, nearly a hundred unknown ice-colored foxes, visible to the naked eye, were spreading down toward them along with the fragments of that massive iceberg—a scene like the end of the world.
"Enemy attack!!!"
Yukinoshita Yukino, who was in the midst of it, followed that waterfall of ice and snow. She elegantly stepped on the ice crystal fragments of the fracture zone, descending with the avalanche as gracefully as if she were skiing.
At Yukinoshita's side, those hundred fierce white foxes baring their fangs were enough to tear apart the prison's great barrier.
"The slaughter has begun!"
This area was sealed by an ultra-large "Curtain," so what was happening was unknown to the outside world.
The technique originally intended to detect Yukinoshita's location gave Hikigaya Hachiman feedback that Yukinoshita Yukino was currently active in Shibuya.
Meanwhile, Hikigaya Hachiman and the obedient Wakaba Mutsumi were walking together on the streets of Shinjuku, which was considered one of the dirtier and more chaotic areas of Tokyo.
"Mutsumi, I was going to pick you up. Why did you come so early?"
When Hikigaya Hachiman met Wakaba Mutsumi, she happened to be at the school gate, causing a small commotion. Because Mutsumi was so cute, people were wondering whose sister she was. Mutsumi's appearance was exceptionally outstanding, not losing to any of the beautiful girls at Shuchiin; it was just that her expression was a bit cold.
Hikigaya Hachiman reached out and rubbed the shivering little bird. Who could have thought that the sharp longsword from last time had been transformed from this little bird, which wasn't even the size of a fist?
"Left early. Afraid Hachiman would wait for me."
In fact, there was supposed to be a ballet class tonight, but Wakaba Mutsumi chose to skip it directly. Furthermore, Nagasaki Soyo had invited Mutsumi to see her new band.
Actually, Wakaba Mutsumi was quite curious about the band with a "good atmosphere" that Nagasaki Soyo had described, but Mutsumi did not agree. Because she already had an appointment with Hikigaya Hachiman, she said directly to Nagasaki Soyo:
"Made plans with a friend."
Wakaba Mutsumi remembered that when she walked out of the school quite early, she could actually see two girls wearing the Haneoka Girls' High School uniform at the gate of "Tsukinomori Academy." Just how early had they arrived?
One of them Wakaba Mutsumi recognized but didn't have much interaction with—a fellow band member, the vocalist Takamatsu Tomori. The other was a pink-haired girl she didn't know.
Wakaba Mutsumi knew those two were originally forming a band with Nagasaki Soyo. Unfortunately, Soyo quit.
Takamatsu Tomori, looking haggard and even having dark circles under her eyes, was very excited when she saw Wakaba Mutsumi and even suggested that Mutsumi help her call out Nagasaki Soyo.
"Soyo won't see you."
Wakaba Mutsumi simply shook her head and rejected Takamatsu Tomori's request.
"I won't be a messenger pigeon."
After saying that, Mutsumi left. She didn't even forget to send a short message to Nagasaki Soyo, saying her former band members were blocking her at the gate.
"What's wrong? Your expression has turned bad again."
"I'm fine."
Hearing Hachiman's words, Wakaba Mutsumi shook her head.
"Just remembered some unpleasant things."
"Don't think about things while walking," Hikigaya Hachiman reminded her.
"Stay close to me, don't get separated. There are a lot of people here."
If a beautiful girl like her got lost here, she would definitely encounter some very unpleasant things.
Because the place Hikigaya Hachiman and Wakaba Mutsumi had come to was the most famous area of Shinjuku. Not for any other reason, but because there was a Kabukichō of nearly 100,000 square meters here—the most famous red-light district in all of Asia.
Walking on the street, one could see gaudily dressed girls everywhere. This small area was packed with over a thousand nightclubs and KTVs. These small shops might look simple and unadorned, but after they lure you in, they won't let you leave without stabbing your wallet twice.
This was not a good place. It was a world filled with rampant material desires and the glitz and glamour of neon lights, looking so dazzling. But in reality, beneath this world, dark undercurrents were surging with a great deal of darkness.
Many people meant many negative emotions, and given that this was Kabukichō, human desires were directly magnified.
It was an area where both "hosts" and "prostitutes" were present. If one wanted an area where a large number of low-level cursed spirits congregated, it could only be here.
It would take some time for Nanami Kento to arrive, so it was just the right time for Hikigaya Hachiman to help Wakaba Mutsumi with the "eye-opening" ceremony.
Wakaba Mutsumi could not see cursed spirits. Although she had awakened her own technique and the degree of that awakening was quite high, she simply could not see cursed spirits. What Hikigaya Hachiman wanted to do was help Mutsumi awaken further to the point where she could see them. Therefore, Hikigaya Hachiman had not taken Mutsumi to dinner.
That was because Hikigaya Hachiman was afraid that Wakaba Mutsumi would vomit when she saw those hideous cursed spirits later, as their appearances were all extremely ugly. Some were simply unwatchable, and they were quite bloody and disgusting. If her stomach was full then, it would only be uncomfortable; it was better not to eat anything and keep an empty stomach.
"Mutsumi, it's not too late to turn back now." "After all, this is a lifelong matter." "Once you enter the jujutsu world, there is no chance to look back."
Wakaba Mutsumi simply shook her head calmly and said:
"Hachiman won't harm me."
Furthermore, having experienced loss twice, Wakaba Mutsumi had already realized her own weakness. This time, no matter what, she could not look back at her former weak self. She absolutely had to become strong.
"I understand."
Hikigaya Hachiman had Mutsumi close her eyes while he moved behind her. He covered her eyes directly with his hands.
"Relax. Imagine yourself in a vast, empty world."
Hikigaya Hachiman was using his cursed energy to activate the cursed energy within Wakaba Mutsumi's body. When this cursed energy fully awakened, even with her eyes closed, Wakaba Mutsumi would be able to sense the cursed spirits in the air.
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