Inside Exchange No. 8.
Lynn stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting his newly tailored dark gray suit vest.
Now, after the modification by [Special Grade Constitution], his physique was tall and lean, his muscles defined but not exaggerated, brimming with explosive power.
Lynn pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose and looked toward the counter in front of him.
Lying there quietly was a weapon he had just "stocked" from the System Mall.
To buy it, Lynn had practically emptied all the liquid funds he had just earned from the baseball gambling pool and merchandise sales.
[Point Balance: 3,032]
[Special Grade Cursed Tool: golden law]
It looked just like an ordinary gentleman's cane.
It was about 95 cm long, and its entire body displayed a matte black color.
The body of the cane was entirely black, appearing heavy and indestructible.
The handle, cast in gold, was designed in a combination of "Scales" and a "Coiled Viper," with two crimson gems embedded in the snake's eyes.
[Cursed Tool Name: Special Grade Cursed Tool - golden law]
[Origin: Exchange No. 8]
[Type: Special Grade Cursed Tool]
[Cursed Tool Effect: 1. Accumulation: While sheathed, the Cursed Tool automatically absorbs and stores the kinetic energy and impact generated by every block and strike, converting it into "Kinetic Debt."
2. Settlement: The moment the blade is drawn, all accumulated "Kinetic Debt" will burst forth at once, attaching itself to the first slash, causing several times, or even dozens of times, the destructive power.]
[Price: 45,000 Points.]
[Note: Regarding negotiation, you can use an eloquent tongue, or you can use a 28.5-inch indestructible cane.]
Having sorted out his gear, Lynn picked up the cane named "golden law" and gently tapped it on the ground.
He was drawn to this sword-cane not only for its powerful effects but also, naturally, for its impressive swagger factor.
"Junpei, is the car ready?"
"Yes, Boss!"
Yoshino Junpei's energetic voice came from outside the door.
"Let's go."
...At the entrance of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Fushiguro Megumi, carrying his Cursed Tool bag, was preparing to leave the school gate with a heavy expression.
He had just received news about his sister Tsumiki's curse manifesting, and he was so anxious he hadn't even planned on calling Itadori or Kugisaki.
"Fushiguro!"
Itadori and Kugisaki chased after him, panting.
"You jerk! Where do you think you're going alone?!"
Kugisaki grabbed Fushiguro by the collar.
"We're accomplices, you know!"
"This time is different..." Fushiguro Megumi gritted his teeth, "It's too dangerous, and it's my personal business..."
"Screech—"
A black commercial van smoothly glided to a stop in front of the trio, blocking their path.
The car window slowly rolled down.
Revealing the meticulously dressed young man in the driver's seat, wearing a black suit and tie.
"Yoshino... Junpei?"
Itadori's eyes widened. "What's with the outfit? Are you going on a blind date?"
The current Junpei had shed his former gloom and awkwardness.
Wearing a pair of Tactical Sunglasses, he looked like a capable ace bodyguard.
"I'm here to drive."
Junpei adjusted his sunglasses and spoke in an extremely professional tone:
"Boss says this is called 'Corporate Image.'"
"Boss?"
Before the three could react, the back passenger door slid open automatically.
Lynn sat on the leather seat, hands crossed and resting on the black gentleman's cane, wearing an inscrutable smile.
"Get in, everyone."
"W-where are we going?" Fushiguro Megumi was stunned.
"Saitama Prefecture, Eighty-Eight Bridge."
Lynn lightly tapped the car floor with his cane.
"Don't look at me like that, Fushiguro-kun. I am the Tokyo Jujutsu High logistics consultant, and I have an obligation to ensure the school's 'high-value assets'—that is, you all—don't accidentally get decommissioned due to some impulsive personal reasons."
"Furthermore..."
Lynn glanced at Junpei in the passenger seat.
"This is also our new employee's first field training exercise."
Fushiguro Megumi was silent for two seconds, then finally pulled the car door open and got in.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Lynn pulled out a small notebook. "I'll make sure to charge the travel expenses and attendance fee to your account.
"..."
...Saitama Prefecture, Urami East Middle School.
The investigation process, just as Lynn had anticipated, was full of a certain adolescent awkward comedy.
When that group of delinquents with dyed hair, riding modified motorcycles, saw Fushiguro Megumi, they uniformly extinguished their cigarettes, bowed ninety degrees, and shouted, "Fushiguro-ge, thank you for your hard work!"
Itadori and Kugisaki were rolling on the ground laughing.
"Fushiguro-ge? Hahahaha! Is this really your persona?"
Fushiguro Megumi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot; he wished he could summon Mahoraga right then and there to silence the group.
"Splendid."
Lynn stood to the side, chuckling.
Holding his phone, the camera steadily recorded the scene.
"Junpei, make a note."
Lynn said to Junpei, who was holding a notebook beside him.
"If we sell this video to Maki-san or Gojo-sensei, the starting bid should be 50,000 Yen. If it's an exclusive buyout, we can raise it to 100,000 Yen."
"Yes, Boss! Noted, information is money!" Junpei took notes with a serious expression.
Fushiguro Megumi: "..."
...After the investigation.
When he learned that all the deceased had gone to the "Eighty-Eight Bridge" to play a test of courage, and Tsumiki had gone too, Fushiguro Megumi's face instantly turned pale.
"The curse's activation mechanism... is the Eighty-Eight Bridge."
Fushiguro Megumi's voice trembled.
If that was the case, then Tsumiki now... "Don't panic."
A gloved hand rested steadily on Fushiguro Megumi's shoulder.
Lynn stood behind him, leaning on his cane, his gaze behind the lenses calm and profound.
"Panic will only reduce your judgment, causing your sister to die faster."
"Let's go."
Lynn turned and looked at the long-abandoned bridge spanning the river in the distance.
Under the setting sun, the bridge looked exceptionally ominous.
"Let's go look at the site."
The group arrived beneath the bridge.
It was overgrown with weeds and permeated with a chilling aura.
Fushiguro Megumi was about to form a hand sign to summon the Divine Dogs to look for clues, but Lynn suddenly raised his cane and stopped him.
"No need to search."
Lynn walked to a spot beneath the bridge pier and lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his cane.
"Thump."
The sound was muffled, not like tapping on dirt, but rather like tapping on an invisible drum skin.
"This is the boundary."
Lynn narrowed his eyes.
In his Special Grade perception, the spatial structure here was highly unstable.
He turned his head and looked at Fushiguro Megumi.
"The entrance is right here. As long as you cross the boundary between life and death—that is, jump down from above—you can enter the barrier."
Lynn adjusted his glasses, and his tone became serious.
"Junpei."
"Here!" Junpei stood at attention.
"For this operation, stick close to me."
Lynn's gaze swept across the deep shadows beneath the bridge.
"I have a strangely bad feeling about this."