Chapter 122: The Desperate Halloween!

Chapter 122: The Desperate Halloween!

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On October 31, 2018, Halloween arrived.

The streets of Tokyo were bustling with a chaotic and decadent crowd, a mix of cigarettes, alcohol, women, and children trick-or-treating. Everyone was painted in camouflage or wearing masks, creatively transforming themselves into monstrous and exaggerated forms, a dazzling array of costumes that left people in awe.

Because of this, no one noticed the impending disaster until the very moment it began.

---

"Idiot!"

Receiving a call from Tiger, Yoruichi Natsuki couldn't help but curse.

"Did you forget how we beat Kiyotaka? In the world of curse users, hair is considered part of the body and carries symbolic significance. And he ran away as soon as he saw you, which means he's definitely up to something!"

Natsuki was about to explode with anger. "When did you catch Mechanical Pill stealing Gojo's hair?"

"Um... around noon yesterday," Tiger replied weakly, clearly a bit intimidated.

"Damn it!"

You found out yesterday noon and only reported it at almost seven in the evening today?

Considering Tiger's often oblivious nature, Natsuki barely managed to suppress her urge to punch him and instead delivered a stern warning.

"Don't worry too much. The damage from a curse is determined by the importance of the body part. Hair is insignificant, and with Gojo's strength, even the most powerful curse user couldn't cause much harm with just a few strands."

In the fight against Kiyotaka, Natsuki's curse mainly aimed to disrupt his spellcasting, while the bulk of the damage was dealt by Tiger's Black Flash. Additionally, Gojo could reverse his curses and heal himself.

Thinking about this, Natsuki felt a bit more at ease. After a moment of frantic footsteps, she heard Luk's reassuring voice.

"It's fine, leave it to me."

Natsuki sighed in relief. As the strongest curse user, even more powerful than Gojo, no one could defeat him. As long as Luk was aware of the situation, everything would be fine.

---

"It's fine, leave it to me."

"Everyone, head back to Kyoto. Something might happen outside soon. Wait until Gojo and I return before you go out."

After saying this, Luk hung up the phone and frowned. Nothing major had happened in the past couple of months, and he had become a bit complacent. He just realized it was Halloween, the day of the Shibuya Incident, when Gojo was sealed in the original story.

In front of him, Tiger hung his head in guilt, clearly blaming himself for his carelessness.

"It's not your fault."

Comforting the protagonist without much enthusiasm, Luk put his feet on the table and began to think. He had specifically checked Mechanical Pill, knowing he was the traitor in the original story. But finding no abnormalities and with the theft of the Six-Fingered Hand and the Nine Elephants Diagram happening earlier, he thought the butterfly effect had changed the traitor.

Ding dong! Gojo's call brought news.

"Confirmed. Mechanical Pill, a second-year student from Kyoto, had dealings with the cursed spirits and has been killed."

"So what if he's dead, but why did he need your hair?"

Luk had no sympathy for traitors and even thought it would have been better to eliminate all the villains in the original story early on.

"I don't understand it either, but curses have no effect on me," Gojo replied confidently. Even if he wasn't the strongest, he was second only to Luk.

"Be careful today, stay alert."

Remembering the aftermath of Gojo's sealing, Luk decided to tell him the truth.

"That fake Jogo is called Kusanagi. He's a curse user from a thousand years ago who can swap brains and steal others' bodies."

"You mean Jogo's body was desecrated by that thing called Kusanagi?"

Gojo quickly grasped the situation, his voice filled with murderous intent. He couldn't tolerate his friend's body being used as a tool by others.

"He's a very cunning character. Over a thousand years, he signed contracts with countless curse users, turning their bodies into cursed objects after death. Even Two-Faced Sukuna's fingers were preserved because of him."

Luk glanced at his watch; it was almost seven, the time of the incident in the original story. He gave a final warning.

"Don't lose focus. They have the Prison Gate Seal to imprison you, and don't be overconfident. Be cautious and avoid all attacks until the enemy is completely dead."

"Understood, I'll be careful."

With that, Gojo hung up the phone. As soon as the call ended, the phone rang again. Luk looked at the caller ID—it was Shizuka Hoshino.

"Senior, come have cake. We had a date."

Shizuka's voice sounded hoarser than before, and it was faint and intermittent.

This time, the abnormality was obvious.

Luk pursed his lips. "Who are you? Come out and speak."

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a warm and powerful male voice.

"Ah, you’re a bit too hasty, aren’t you?"

It was the very same binding rope that Luk had warned Gojo Satoru about just moments ago.

Luk couldn’t help but smirk, understanding what the binding rope was planning. It didn’t intend to seal Gojo; instead, it had set its sights on sealing him.

"You’ve got some nerve, trying anything and everything."

"You flatter me. I merely wanted to see what a world dominated by Cursed Spirits would look like. What’s wrong with that?" The binding rope’s voice remained calm.

"My nerve is indeed great. How about you? Do you dare to accept my challenge and come over?"

"Senior, cake, cake..."

Shizuka’s dazed voice echoed again, carrying an unspoken threat.

Luk chuckled and replied nonchalantly, "You’ve got the wrong person. Shizuka and I were just colleagues back then, barely acquaintances."

"I trust my own strength, but knowingly walking into a trap to save someone insignificant isn’t worth it."

There was a moment of silence before the binding rope spoke again, a statement that made Luk lose his composure.

"Do you remember the first time you encountered a Cursed Spirit?"

"At the time, a Cursed Spirit attacked the car you and your parents were in, leading to their deaths and leaving you gravely injured. In other words, that Cursed Spirit is your enemy, isn’t it?"

Luk put his legs down from the table, his face growing cold. "What are you getting at?"

"If you don’t come within ten minutes, I’ll send that Cursed Spirit to a place you’ll never find, and Shizuka will die."

...

Hanging up the phone, Nailsaki looked at the long line of fans waiting to shake her hand, and with a headache, she announced:

"I’m truly sorry, but I have to leave for an emergency. Those who haven’t had the chance to shake my hand, please return your tickets in an orderly manner. I’ll organize a free handshake event as compensation later."

"Aww, I’ve been waiting in line for so long!"

"Nailsaki-sama, please don’t go!"

"You’re just getting famous and already doing this? You’ll ruin your career!"

Protests rose from the crowd, but it was Halloween, and the streets were filled with other fun and interesting events. With the staff’s help, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Nailsaki suppressed her frustration, bowing and apologizing repeatedly.

Being an idol wasn’t easy. While it brought joy, it also brought endless troubles, making her question whether her request to Teacher Luk was the right decision.

Once the crowd dispersed, Nailsaki prepared to return to Kyoto but noticed a woman still standing outside the handshake event venue, watching her.

Probably a die-hard fan who refused to leave?

Nailsaki approached, intending to ask the woman to leave, but she froze, her surprise overwhelming all other emotions.

"Sachiko!"

The woman in front of her was around twenty-five or twenty-six, very beautiful, wearing a white dress. She looked exactly the same as Nailsaki remembered, the gentle older sister who had been her childhood idol—Sachiko.

"I thought it might be you."

Sachiko’s voice was as gentle and sweet as Nailsaki remembered, with a hint of surprise. "I never imagined the little girl from back then would grow up to be so beautiful and become an idol, Nailsaki."

"It’s really you, Sachiko."

Nailsaki, overwhelmed with joy, grabbed Sachiko’s hand and couldn’t help but hug her tightly. "I missed you so much. I never thought I’d see you again. Being an idol is partly because of you."

Sachiko, flustered by such a warm welcome, allowed Nailsaki to hold her tightly for a while before letting go.

"I saw your handshake event poster on my way home from work, so I came to check it out."

Sachiko patted Nailsaki’s head, smiling gently. "You’ve grown so tall. Since we’re meeting, how about we go for dinner?"

"Sure..."

Nailsaki’s response was hesitant. She thought about what Luk had said, and the words on the tip of her tongue changed.

"Sachiko, will you come with me to the school I attend?"

"Eh?" Sachiko was confused. A school wasn’t a typical place for an old friend to meet.

"It’s still early. Why don’t we walk around outside a bit?"

Sachiko checked the time.

18:59:49

"Please, come with me first. I’ll explain everything later."

Nailsaki, a bit anxious, clasped her hands together. With the betrayal of the mechanical pill, it was clear that the Cursed Spirits were planning a major move. She needed to bring Sachiko back to the school for protection until Teacher Luk dealt with the threat.

"Alright..." Sachiko hesitated but nodded.

"Then let’s tour your..."

The last two words never left her lips.

Sachiko suddenly felt something deep within her soul burst forth. Her vision blurred, and she felt intense pain throughout her body. It felt as if her form was being twisted into something else, the discomfort making her want to scream, but no sound came out.

In her last moment of consciousness, she saw the desperate and incredulous look on Nailsaki’s face.

"Sachiko!!!"

On October 31, 2018, at 19:00, the "Inert Transformation" was activated.

Approximately 36,000 people in Tokyo were transformed by the ritual into monstrous, inhuman beings.

Chaos reigned!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end