The Voice of Demon Destruction (Countermeasure for Religious Solicitation)

Convincing the higher-ups to allow Index to assist Gojo was a significant hurdle.

"You want to take her? Don't be ridiculous. This isn't just an issue within the jujutsu world; it's a matter of national concern between Japan and the UK."

"But she doesn't want to go back, so what choice do we have?"

If it were a matter of killing curse users or curse spirits, the Japanese jujutsu world had an ace up its sleeve: they could unleash their full force without regard for civilian casualties. But capturing someone was different; they couldn't act recklessly. The higher-ups had to acknowledge that if even their prized Gojo Satoru failed, no one else stood a chance.

Those who resented or envied Gojo ridiculed his failure, suspecting he might have deliberately held back for personal reasons, which angered them further.

The fact that he proposed taking care of Index only fueled their suspicions.

"This is for your benefit. It's the best way to maintain the dignity of the Japanese jujutsu world while keeping this unknown danger, Index, under our watch."

Calling her a dangerous unknown factor felt wrong, but it was the kind of argument that resonated with those concerned with their reputation and self-preservation.

Failing to capture Index would mean admitting that the Japanese jujutsu world had been bested by a single practitioner from the UK's jujutsu society. That would be tantamount to proclaiming their inferiority.

Negotiating to keep her within their reach, instead of outright capturing her, would mitigate friction with the UK's jujutsu world and save face. Claiming it would be inhumane to violate her free will by forcibly returning her also made for a fitting political excuse.

"Hmm..."

The elder officials groaned. Gojo's words made sense, so they couldn't dismiss them outright. Even if they rejected it now, they might end up reaching the same conclusion later.

"If you insist, fine. But remember, if anything goes wrong, the responsibility falls on you."

Despite accepting his proposal, they disliked being outargued by Gojo and wanted to ensure he would take the blame if things went awry.

However, in case of an actual crisis, Gojo could shield them from domestic blame, but accusations from the UK would be unavoidable. Not having seen Index themselves, they underestimated her potential threat and importance, failing to foresee that she could be the catalyst for a major international conflict.

What would become of them after such a miscalculation? Only time would tell.

---

"We'll lower the curtain now. Good luck."

The man in the suit, who had parted his hair in the middle, introduced himself as Ijichi, our assistant supervisor, and sent us off.

The shuttered shopping district was enveloped in darkness.

"This would be useful if we could recreate it up to the star level."

"Huh?"

Okkotsu-kun, who seemed a bit timid, looked puzzled, not understanding the meaning of my statement.

It's a basic jujutsu technique that anyone can use to hide exorcism activities from the general public's eyes. 

It's similar to the "human repelling" technique but could be used for other purposes as well. If it can create a night-like space locally, it would be ideal for setting up astrology rituals. Though the output would be significantly lower, if we could light up stars on this black dome, we might be able to use magic that usually requires nighttime.

I lightly touched the curtain with my fingertip to check its texture, and the cursed energy crackled like static electricity from the wall.

"They say it's mainly to block the escape route of curse spirits, and it's almost impossible to break from the inside. I don't know much about it either, haha..."

Okkotsu-kun kindly explained, probably aware of my limited knowledge of jujutsu.

"Alright, I'll follow from a bit of a distance."

Leaving me behind, Okkotsu and Inumaki moved ahead. I was instructed to accompany them without intervening unless it was an emergency.

About ten meters ahead, they stopped. From a distance, I could see something like black swarms of insects or fish beginning to gather, blocking their path.

So, those are curse spirits. They look pretty grotesque, almost like something from a horror game.

With Inumaki's command of "explode," they blew up.

"Is that it?"

They were supposed to be low-grade curse spirits, so they were probably weak, but it was still surprisingly quick.

Looking back at the path we came from, the curtain was still down.

...I wonder if the people outside can see what's happening inside.

To lift the curtain, someone outside needs to confirm that the curse spirits have been exorcised. There's also a method to set a specific time for the curtain to be lifted, but Ijichi-san hadn't mentioned anything. Maybe it's common sense to lift it after 20 minutes, so he didn't bother to say.

Another possibility is that jujutsu sorcerers might have a way to lift the curtain from inside without destroying it. But since higher-grade curse spirits are intelligent, they might imitate and lift it, making that unlikely.

"Oh, I wonder if we can use a phone to get in touch."

Just because people and curse spirits can't pass through doesn't mean that signals can't. It's strange I didn't think of this sooner. Maybe this body is also getting my mechanical ineptitude?

Unfortunately, I don't have a phone, so I have to rely on the others. When I turned to ask, they were gone.

"Huh..."

Did I get separated from them?

I'm supposed to be their chaperone, even though I'm younger. I have to take responsibility and protect them if necessary. I can't afford a pay cut because of this. My food expenses depend on it.

Ijichi-san mentioned that this place was planned to be renovated into a large shopping mall. Given its size, they must have moved into some alley or building since I can't see them from the main street.

With a pendulum and map, I could dowse for them, but it's not that big of an area. I should be able to find them by calling out while walking around.

"Hey."

As soon as I started to walk, a man dressed like a priest, but not bald, appeared before me.

"I've heard rumors that Gojo picked you up."

Since he's inside the curtain, he must be a jujutsu sorcerer. His appearance is already suspicious.

"Seeing you in person, you have an intriguing constitution. Are you a monkey? Or a jujutsu sorcerer?"

Does he refer to humans as monkeys? What an amusing perspective.

By constitution, he must mean the presence of Telesma. When not in public view, I keep it suppressed within my body. Until now, Gojo Satoru was the only one who could recognize it in this state. Some people can locate others using their cursed energy alone, so this must be an application of that. He is undoubtedly a more skilled jujutsu sorcerer than any of the students.

"A magician."

"In here, they might call you a 'sorcerer.' It can certainly be translated as magician."

Hmm... having both a nun and a monk makes for an odd mix of clergy.

The mysterious man introduced himself as Suguru Geto and suddenly took out a curse spirit from his pocket. I was momentarily on guard, but it seemed to be trained like a pet.

"My technique is called 'Cursed Spirit Manipulation.' As you can see, I can turn defeated curse spirits into allies."

The defeated curse spirit got up and looked at us, wanting to join our party!

...Joking aside, if I were to analyze it seriously, it's akin to the 'Legion of the Dead' Einherjar or the 'Kokkuri-san-like thing' of Inari. Subjugating defeated aberrations is common in mythologies and folklore worldwide, and drawing from that, I could probably construct a more similar technique.

"What kind of technique do you use?"

"Thank you for asking!!"

Let me introduce my favorite magic.

'First, there's the 'Holy Right,' a normal attack that is guaranteed to hit and kill in one strike, dealing 100% damage at the start. Customers, please refrain from slamming the table.

Next, there's the 'Northern Throne Frigg's Chair,' which kills you with incomprehensible power.

The wildcard slot is contested by 'Infinite Recursion Spiritual Weapon Archetype Processor' and 'Shell without Pneuma.'

The first in the 'I Quit Being Human' series is the 'Spiritual Tripping.' Simple in theory, but impossible to replicate, making it unmanageable. You can't express an aviation support-style big bang bomb with pantomime, enough is enough!!

The second in the 'I Quit Being Human' series is the 'RosicrucianTechnique.' It's fascinating, but the theory is complex and the applications are too broad to master. Like a game with over a million customization options that neglects other aspects and fails to sell (harsh).

"Alright, alright, I get it."

I tried to promote 'A Certain Magical Index' like a preacher, but he stopped me midway.

Hmm, it seems like he doesn't trust me at all. He's looking at me like I'm a delusional middle schooler spouting fantasies. Fine, then I'll demonstrate.

Even though he might know a way out, I'll push forward with the initial plan.

I extend a third arm from my shoulder. Just by swinging the red-black arm horizontally, it exerts enough force to 'defeat' the curtain.

A stream of light from the arm pierced the dark canopy, causing it to collapse instantly. Judging by the output, its durability wasn't that high.

"Despite exerting such power, I can't sense any cursed energy... I'll tentatively call you an 'alien.'"

I'm a magician (this is the second time today).

"By the way, why are you here, Mr. Geto?"

I receive a side-eye that suggests he did that on purpose. I don't understand Japanese.

"Sorry, but I'm here for Okkotsu-kun. Your presence was unexpected, but it's only polite to greet you."

"Are you from the Jujutsu High School?"

"I'm a former student."

He seems to know Gojo and Okkotsu-kun, so maybe he's a jujutsu sorcerer who came to support us. Gojo could have just said so. Was he monitoring if I was doing my job as a chaperone?

"I don't know why you work under Satoru, but Jujutsu High must be stifling. Why not join us?"

A faction struggle, perhaps?

I've been through plenty of these invitations in the UK and recognize it. It's like those who try to boost their influence within the organization by rallying around me. It seems Japanese jujutsu sorcerers have factions too. Flaunting my magic instinctively might have been a mistake.

"Oh, it looks like they've returned sooner than expected. Let's continue this conversation another time."

Leaving only those words, he disappeared into the alley. A person impossible to grasp.

As he said, I soon reunited with the two injured ones.

According to Gojo, Suguru Geto is a notorious curse user in the jujutsu world. His contact with me was likely a distraction. I was fooled by his amiable personality. His conversational skill that left no room for critical questions proves it. He's definitely a con artist.

"He's been spoken of poorly, but he's actually my old friend."

Birds of a feather flock together, huh...

"Whatever he told you, don't listen to him."

"I think he tried to recruit me. Do Buddhist jujutsu sorcerers try to convert someone in a nun's habit?"

"That's amusing, let's leave it as is."