Rebirth In The Days When Curse Gao Was The Boss Chapter 20

The Twentieth Day of Crossing Over

The conversation on the day of the first snow was like a tiny fissure, allowing a sliver of different light to penetrate Xue Yang’s sealed heart. Although he was still the prickly and erratic Xue Yang everyone knew, the people at Jujutsu High, especially his classmates Itadori Yuji, Fushiguro Megumi, and Kugisaki Nobara, could vaguely sense that the layer of ice seemed to be slowly melting.

The turning point occurred during a joint mission. The location was a commercial street near Tokyo that had been abandoned for years. Recent reports indicated frequent disappearances, and observations by the Curses revealed that multiple Grade 2 Curses had gathered there, possibly with a Grade 1 equivalent lurking among them. Considering the number of Curses and their potential for coordination, Principal Yaga decided to send the four first-years as a team, with Gojo Satoru providing backup from a distance.

“Listen up. This mission is primarily for reconnaissance and exorcising confirmed Grade 2 Curses. If you find the Grade 1 equivalent, retreat immediately and report back. I’ll handle it,” Gojo Satoru instructed, his tone unusually serious. “Especially you, Xue Yang, don’t get ahead of yourself. Stick to the plan.”

Xue Yang was inspecting his specially made, poison-dipped short blades (Gojo Satoru had ultimately not completely forbidden him from using “dangerous items,” only limiting the type and usage). Hearing the instruction, he simply hummed without lifting his head, acknowledging the order.

The abandoned commercial street reeked of decay and despair. Broken display windows, like hollow eyes, peered at the intruders. The four followed the plan: Fushiguro Megumi’s Divine Dog led the way, Kugisaki and Itadori guarded the flanks, and Xue Yang took a relatively free position, responsible for support and reconnaissance.

The battle erupted quickly. Several Grade 2 Curses of various forms lunged from the shadows. They seemed to understand simple coordination, attacking with a degree of strategy. Itadori’s fists and Kugisaki’s hammer met the enemy head-on, Fushiguro Megumi’s Shikigami provided flexible distraction, while Xue Yang moved like a phantom along the edges of the battlefield.

He no longer focused solely on his own enjoyment of the kill, as he had before. Instead, he began observing his teammates’ fighting rhythms. When a Curse skilled in sneak attacks tried to strike Kugisaki from behind while she was dealing with a frontal enemy, Xue Yang’s short blade shot out like a viper, precisely piercing the Curse’s core. When Itadori was entangled by two Curses and couldn’t break free, Xue Yang manipulated a low-level Curse he had temporarily “persuaded” (using a slight influence from the Stygian Tiger Seal) to violently crash into one of them, creating a moment of respite for Itadori.

His movements were still ruthless and tricky, but they carried a clear purpose: coordination.

“Thanks, Xue Yang!” Itadori shouted, smashing the Curse in front of him.

Xue Yang ignored him, his gaze sharply sweeping the surroundings. “Don’t lose focus. There’s another one behind the counter, front-left.”

Fushiguro Megumi glanced at Xue Yang and, with unspoken understanding, commanded Nue to release an electric shock, sealing off that direction.

As they delved deeper into the cleanup, they finally encountered the Grade 1 equivalent Curse—a massive monster stitched together from countless discarded plastic mannequin limbs. It made a grating, teeth-aching sound when it moved, radiating intense resentment and mental pollution.

“Retreat!” Fushiguro Megumi decided instantly.

However, the Curse seemed capable of manipulating space; the path they had taken was blocked by twisted walls.

“Tch, trouble,” Kugisaki gripped her hammer tighter.

Itadori took a deep breath, a determined look flashing in his eyes. “Looks like we have to fight!”

Just then, the Curse’s massive body suddenly scattered, and countless plastic arms shot toward the four like arrows, covering an extremely wide area!

“Crimson Blood Manipulation: Piercing Blood!” Itadori tried to intercept the attack with his blood, but the sheer number was overwhelming.

“Buru-be!” Fushiguro Megumi summoned the Great Serpent, but it could only protect a portion of the area.

Kugisaki poured Cursed Energy into the ground, attempting to alter the terrain for defense, but she couldn’t keep up with the speed of the attack.

In the nick of time, a fierce light flashed in Xue Yang’s eyes. He stopped holding back, fully activating the power of the Stygian Tiger Seal. An invisible pressure, carrying the weight of absolute command, suddenly spread out from him!

The moment the incoming plastic arms encountered this pressure, their movements violently stalled, as if stuck in quicksand, drastically slowing down! Although he couldn’t completely control this Grade 1 equivalent Curse, a brief interference was enough!

“Now!” Xue Yang yelled.

Without needing further instruction, Itadori, Fushiguro, and Kugisaki seized the fleeting opportunity! Itadori’s fist, wrapped in massive Cursed Energy, slammed into the Curse’s core torso; Fushiguro Megumi’s Shikigami launched fierce attacks from all sides; and Kugisaki’s hammer, imbued with power to ward off evil, struck heavily!

Boom—!

Amidst the violent explosion, the Grade 1 equivalent Curse let out an unwilling shriek. Its massive body completely shattered, dissipating into pure cursed energy.

The battle was over. The four were more or less injured, breathing heavily. The suffocating pressure within the commercial street vanished.

Kugisaki plopped onto the ground, looking at Xue Yang with complex eyes. “Just now… thanks.” She knew that if Xue Yang’s strange control ability hadn’t interfered with the Curse, they wouldn’t have escaped so easily, and there might even have been casualties.

Itadori scratched his head, smiling brightly. “Xue Yang, you’re amazing! What was that just now? A new Cursed Technique?”

Although Fushiguro Megumi didn’t speak, he gave Xue Yang a look of affirmation.

Xue Yang stood still, regulating the slightly disordered Spiritual Energy caused by fully activating the Stygian Tiger Seal. He looked at the three “companions” before him—who had just fought alongside him and were now showing him gratitude and recognition—and a strange feeling welled up in his heart. It wasn’t manipulation, nor calculation, but… a feeling of being needed, of being acknowledged?

He uncomfortably turned his face away, his tone still stiff. “Stop talking nonsense. The mission is done, let’s go. It stinks in here.”

But this time, no one thought his attitude was bad. Itadori and Kugisaki exchanged smiles, and the corner of Fushiguro Megumi’s mouth curved up almost imperceptibly.

The atmosphere on the way back was noticeably lighter. Itadori and Kugisaki chattered about the battle, occasionally pulling Xue Yang into the conversation. Although Xue Yang’s answers were brief, and he sometimes threw in a sarcastic remark, he at least didn’t ignore them.

Gojo Satoru was waiting for them at the rendezvous point. Seeing that the four were injured but in good spirits, especially Xue Yang’s awkward expression of “I’m the best in the world, but I grudgingly admit you guys are okay,” he knew the mission had been highly effective.

“Well done, little ones~” Gojo Satoru greeted them with a grin. “Especially Xue Yang, learning teamwork! You deserve praise! Dessert is doubled as a reward!”

Xue Yang snorted but didn’t object.

Since that mission, Xue Yang’s relationship with his Jujutsu High classmates had indeed taken a significant step forward. He still used dirty tricks during their physical training (calling it increasing real combat experience), but he would also toss them highly effective ointments or medicinal pills when they were injured. He still mocked Itadori for being simple-minded, Kugisaki for being hot-tempered, and Fushiguro for being too rigid, but he would also offer advice in his unique, sharp manner when they encountered training bottlenecks or tactical confusion. He was even occasionally dragged by Panda and Itadori to play video games online. Although he complained about their poor skills, he would subtly cover for them during the game.

One evening, the first-years gathered in the common room for a late-night snack—bought by Xue Yang using the “pocket money” Gojo Satoru gave him: a pile of high-calorie pizza, fried chicken, and cola.

“Speaking of which, Xue Yang, what exactly is that ability of yours to control Curses?” Kugisaki asked curiously while gnawing on a chicken leg. “It feels completely different from Inumaki-senpai’s Cursed Speech.”

Xue Yang was focused on a slice of pizza covered in cheese. He mumbled, “Nothing much. I’m just very ‘familiar’ with them.”

“Familiar?” Itadori’s eyes widened. “How familiar? Do you chat often?”

Xue Yang choked on his own thought process. He snapped, “We ‘chat’ with fists.”

Fushiguro Megumi looked thoughtful. “Is it a Cursed Technique similar to mental domination or forced contract?”

Xue Yang glanced at him, neither confirming nor denying, only saying, “Something like that. Anyway, the obedient ones I keep using. The disobedient ones…” He made a throat-slitting gesture. Paired with his baby face and innocent expression, it was particularly jarring.

Everyone: “…” Well, that was very Xue Yang.

Although Xue Yang still hadn’t explained his ability in detail, this level of sharing made Itadori and the others quite happy. At least, Xue Yang was no longer completely isolating himself as he had in the beginning.

Panda even commented, “I feel like things have gotten much livelier (or rather, chaotic) since Xue Yang arrived!”

Inumaki Toge nodded beside him. “Salmon, salmon!” (Agreed!)

Xue Yang looked at the noisy group before him—a bunch of people with different minds who, surprisingly, he didn’t dislike—and then looked at the quiet night outside the window. He took a large bite of pizza.

This feeling… of being surrounded, noisy but not lonely, seemed, perhaps, not bad.

He licked the grease from the corner of his mouth, thinking: Maybe staying here for a while, occasionally going on missions with them, and passing the time is quite interesting. As for the future… that can wait.

He hadn’t completely lowered his guard, nor had he changed his inherent malicious nature, but he was beginning to try to find a slightly more comfortable, temporary place for himself in this strange world. And these “classmates” at Jujutsu High, along with that strongest but most unreliable teacher, were gradually becoming part of that temporary haven.