Hayashi's heart sank to its lowest point. Ever since arriving in this world, he had never felt so powerless. In someone else's domain, he felt like an ant being toyed with.
At this moment, Hayashi was filled with hatred and anger. He hated himself for being too careless, for being smug just because he had gained some abilities.
He was also furious at the purple curse spirit, which seemed to be enjoying this twisted game, playing with him.
The hideous, terrifying face of the curse spirit was one Hayashi would never forget for the rest of his life. He swore that if he ever made it out, he would kill this creature.
But how was he supposed to escape?
Trapped in this domain, no sound could escape, and the entire space—ground, sky, surroundings—was controlled by the curse spirit. Steel beams crisscrossed everywhere, locking off all routes.
Azure Black Flash was indeed powerful, but inside someone else's domain, even if every punch was a Azure Black Flash, what good would it do? He couldn't even reach his opponent's body.
Swish!
Thud!
A sharp steel beam pierced through Hayashi's cursed armor and suddenly stabbed into his calf, pinning him to the steel floor. Steel beams slithered like snakes, wrapping around Hayashi's body.
Before long, his hands, feet, and waist were all entangled in steel beams, with one coiling around his neck as well.
"Is this the end?" Hayashi gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain, as he stared at the curse spirit in front of him. It was so close, yet completely out of reach.
The cursed energy armor was still covering Hayashi, but it couldn't stop the relentless steel beams from constricting him, making every inch of his body ache.
"Now, you're just like those office workers working overtime—bodies exhausted, yet still pushing beyond their limits," the curse spirit said.
"Shut up!" Hayashi growled through clenched teeth. "Isn't it you who's forcing them to work overtime? Are they doing this willingly? Ha! A curse like you, trying to preach about humanity just because you've attached yourself to a workplace for a while?"
The purple curse spirit wasn't in a hurry to kill Hayashi. Instead, it spoke in a calm, almost philosophical tone: "I was born from this very phenomenon. In the past, this company had a good work environment, and overtime was rare. But a year ago, when the CEO handed the company over to his son, everything changed."
"The temptation of overtime pay led people to try working late hours. After tasting the benefits, more and more employees started staying late. One person did it, then two, then more and more followed."
"Over time, overtime became the norm, and the older employees' health deteriorated. Some fell ill, but they couldn't refuse the extra pay. It became a vicious cycle."
"By the time many realized something was wrong, it was already too late. Leaving work on time became abnormal, and many were 'willingly' forced into overtime."
As Hayashi listened, he began to understand. According to the curse, it wasn't exactly the curse itself that caused this madness, but the toxic environment and system of this workplace. The true culprits weren't just the son who took over the company.
Although the new CEO established this system of 'voluntary overtime' and provided generous compensation, the real issue was human nature—greed, never being satisfied.
Some might say this is ambition or hard work, but behind this so-called 'pursuit,' people were sacrificing their health for income, which was completely backward.
The purple curse spirit continued, "As time passed, the resentment and grudges accumulated more and more, until one day, the CEO brought a special-grade cursed object into the company, and I was born."
Hayashi had already guessed what the curse meant. The 'he' it mentioned was the current CEO of the company. Hayashi didn't need the curse to explain further; he knew the outcome.
It was obvious that the CEO had been cursed and turned into a puppet, controlling this massive corporation while the employees became more and more abnormal.
The curse seemed to finish reminiscing and, though it had no eyes, focused on Hayashi. "There were four jujutsu sorcerers before you, making you the fifth. One of them had the power to pose a threat to me, but I managed to evade them. Now, there's nothing left for me to fear."
While the curse was talking, Hayashi was desperately using his cursed energy armor to absorb the cursed energy from the steel beams, hoping to gather enough power to make a move.
But unfortunately, the curse spirit had finished its speech and was ready to end Hayashi's life.
The steel beams tightened around Hayashi, and his breathing grew labored. His body instinctively tried to break free, but he had no strength left to do so. His vision darkened.
Crash!
At the very last moment, just as Hayashi lost consciousness, he heard a shattering sound. Light appeared in the darkness, but by then, he had already passed out.
"Oh dear, looks like I didn't come too late~"
This was the last sound Hayashi heard before everything went black.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but when Hayashi finally opened his eyes, he found himself back at home.
His entire body ached as if he had been torn apart.
"You're awake?"
A calm voice reached his ears, and as Hayashi's vision cleared, he saw Gojo Satoru sitting nearby.
"What happened?" Hayashi muttered in confusion, and then memories of what happened before he passed out flooded back, causing cold sweat to drip down his face.
Gojo rubbed his chin, looking at Hayashi with amusement. "We haven't known each other long, and yet you've already got the guts to provoke a special-grade curse?"
Hayashi felt embarrassed and could hardly speak. He hadn't provoked the curse—he had basically walked into his own death.
"What happened to that special-grade curse?" Hayashi asked, concerned about the powerful curse.
"It ran away," Gojo answered with a smile, though his expression was hard to read.
"Ran away?" Hayashi looked at Gojo in disbelief. With Gojo's strength, how could the curse have escaped?
"The curse you encountered has already grown strong. It somehow managed to merge with the building," Gojo explained.
Hayashi didn't need Gojo to explain further. He understood. With so many employees in the building, if Gojo had tried to eliminate the curse at all costs, a lot of people would have died.
Jujutsu sorcerers don't have the right to kill, especially when it comes to innocent people already suffering. In such cases, there was nothing they could do.
"I swear, I'll destroy that special-grade curse one day," Hayashi gritted his teeth. This experience had taught him that there was always someone stronger, and he needed to pace himself, not be too reckless.
If Gojo hadn't shown up, he would have been dead for sure.
"By the way, Gojo-sensei, how did you end up saving me?" Hayashi asked curiously. Was Gojo always nearby, even at midnight?