Hayashi stared into the eyes of the red-clad figure, noticing that its pupils were vertical slits, much like a snake's. Though Hayashi sensed some danger from its presence, it wasn't overwhelmingly strong.
The red-clad figure spoke with confidence, but Hayashi wasn't someone who would easily trust anyone, especially not a humanoid curse spirit.
This figure had just killed two humans without hesitation, showing that it was ruthless. However, it had spent quite a bit of time talking to Hayashi without attacking, either because it feared his strength or had no intention of fighting.
"I'll give you the item right now," the red-clad figure said, tossing a pitch-black bead toward Hayashi. "Whether you want to trade is up to you. The choice is yours."
Hayashi caught the black bead and examined it. It was indeed a special-grade cursed object, on par with the red gourd.
Still, something felt off. Hayashi sensed an uncomfortable and strange feeling but couldn't detect any killing intent from the figure, which continued to speak politely.
After a brief moment of thought, Hayashi made his decision. He pulled out the small red gourd.
The moment Hayashi took out the gourd, the red-clad figure's eyes lit up with excitement but quickly returned to their calm state.
Hayashi tossed the gourd over. "We can make the trade. After all, they're both special-grade cursed objects. There's no need to fuss over it," Hayashi said. "But can I meet your master?"
The red-clad figure, now holding the gourd, looked even more pleased. It quickly stored the gourd and responded, "You can meet my master, but only after he revives."
"What do you mean? Is your master currently sealed or something?" Hayashi started to feel like he was being tricked.
"Hahaha, that's right. He hasn't revived yet, and this item you've given me is the key to his revival," the red-clad figure laughed, its expression finally showing emotion for the first time. "Don't worry, I keep my word. Once my master is revived, you'll meet him, and perhaps even cooperate with him. But for now, I have other matters to attend to."
"Wait!" Hayashi stepped forward. "How will I find you when the time comes?"
"Kumamoto, Mount Dokko," the red-clad figure said before disappearing at lightning speed, like a red shadow, vanishing from Hayashi's sight.
"Kumamoto?" Hayashi muttered to himself. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had been deceived. But the figure's attitude didn't seem like it was lying. Could it be that in the future, they could work together?
Could they really be on the side of humanity?
Hayashi found it hard to believe, but having an ally was better than making more enemies. After all, not every curse spirit had the same goal. Everyone had their own needs.
The figure had mentioned that Hayashi would face many troubles in the future. Perhaps it wasn't only referring to Mahito and his group. There could be other enemies as well.
Regardless of what the future held, Hayashi would take responsibility for his actions today. Even if that special-grade curse's master revived, so what? If they dared to deceive him, Hayashi wouldn't show any mercy.
If that curse and its master could help him in the upcoming battle against other curse spirits, it might not be such a bad thing. As long as both sides reached an understanding, there shouldn't be any issues.
Once the chaotic war between curses was over, Hayashi could reconsider dealing with that special-grade curse. If it behaved, he might even let it live for further observation.
Regarding his future strength, Hayashi was confident. After all, he had the mirror world, an incredible training ground where he could turn the impossible into the possible.
Thinking of the mirror world, Hayashi had an idea. He immediately opened the mirror world and stepped inside.
Once inside, he adjusted time to just a few seconds after the red-clad figure left. He used his curse energy projection to track the figure's every move. As it neared the 300-meter edge of his vision, Hayashi used his teleportation technique to follow closely behind.
This tracking went on for quite a while until Hayashi finally followed the figure to Mount Dokko in Kumamoto City.
It was an amusing sight. The red-clad figure had traveled such a long distance on foot. Why so cautious? Was the red gourd truly that important?
Hayashi watched as the figure approached an old, massive mansion at the base of the mountain. The red-clad figure dashed inside.
"Did you retrieve it?" A woman in a black robe asked from inside the mansion. She didn't seem particularly hopeful, though the excitement on the red-clad figure's face suggested something significant had changed.
"I got it! Now we can revive our master!" The red-clad figure, whose name was Zen'nan, was beyond thrilled. However, it suddenly couldn't recall exactly who it had retrieved the gourd from.
"Are you serious?!" The woman in black, Zen'nan's counterpart, Zen'nyo, rushed over. She had almost given up hope, but seeing the excitement in Zen'nan, she felt a surge of renewed energy.
"Why would I lie? Look!" Zen'nan quickly pulled out the red gourd, inscribed with the character for "swallow." The aura emanating from it was unmistakable—there was no doubt it was genuine.
"It's real!" Zen'nyo laughed, her joy palpable. "In these times, even Ryomen Sukuna needed a vessel to revive. It's time for our master to return as well! We can't waste any more time—let's begin!"
"Right away!" Zen'nan stepped forward. Before them lay a sunken altar, intricately carved with complex patterns and symbols. From his vantage point outside, Hayashi could clearly observe their every move.
"Zen'nyo, bring the sake," Zen'nan ordered, and Zen'nyo, already prepared, used her curse energy to float a jug of sake over, pouring it into the altar's basin.
Zen'nan placed the red gourd into the sake-filled basin, and the two exchanged a glance, nodding to each other.
Suddenly, both of them moved to opposite sides of the altar, placing their hands on the carved runes. They quickly released their curse energy, which flowed into the patterns, racing toward the basin filled with sake.
In an instant, the sake turned blood-red, swirling with curse energy as it was absorbed into the red gourd. The two figures' eyes gleamed with anticipation, and they intensified their output of curse energy.
Hayashi had a growing sense of unease. He felt that something truly dangerous was about to emerge. Was helping them the right choice? What if the being they revived was on par with Ryomen Sukuna? That would be a disaster.
Hayashi was fully aware of his current limits. He couldn't even defeat Jogo, and Jogo was significantly weaker than Ryomen Sukuna.
But the decision was made, and Hayashi wasn't one to regret his actions. What was there to fear?
There was nothing to be afraid of. Hayashi's goal was to have the master of the gourd help him fight other curse spirits. If they refused, Hayashi had other ways to force cooperation.
For now, he would continue to observe. He was eager to see who the master of the gourd truly was.