In short, dealing with Junpei's situation couldn't be rushed, but for now, it seemed to be the only solution.
Hayashi would also search for ways to prevent curses from invading Junpei's home, ideally something that could block lower-grade curses, and even better, something that could block higher-grade ones.
A day later, after obtaining the enhanced [Azure Black Flash], Hayashi realized that this pass-like system was truly a scam, a complete rip-off.
It wasn't like you could accumulate points and then just claim the next reward. Instead, every time you claimed a reward, the points for the next one would start from scratch again.
In other words, after claiming the Azure Black Flash for 600 points, he originally only needed 900 more points to claim the 1500-point Sun and Moon Armor.
But now, after claiming the Azure Black Flash, he needed to accumulate another 1500 points to get the next reward.
This deluxe version was already such a rip-off—what about the ultimate version? Would it be even worse?
This system worked just like in video games, where players, hoping to get something they wanted by spending a small amount, often got trapped into spending more once they'd already started.
When Hayashi first activated the deluxe version, he hadn't noticed anything off, but now, after claiming the Azure Black Flash, he realized just how much of a scam it was.
It meant he'd need to hunt even more curses to get what he wanted, requiring much more time and effort.
Fortunately, the existence of the mirror world was like a cheat. Without it, Hayashi would never be able to complete such daunting tasks for points in the real world.
While exorcising curses in the real world granted more points, there simply weren't enough curses around to kill—it wasn't like it was a hundred ghosts' night parade.
However, given the uncertain future ahead, Hayashi believed there were many curses and curse users out there, biding their time. Perhaps the exchange event would be the key moment.
At that time, the powerful curses might make their move.
But Hayashi wasn't worried. The more that came, the better—it would give him an opportunity to act.
He wouldn't be the only one at the exchange event, so there was no need to worry about being overwhelmed by a horde of special-grade curses.
What Hayashi needed to do was gather more points and find additional jujutsu techniques to learn. Relying solely on the rewards from the pass wasn't enough, as they all required large amounts of points, and Hayashi didn't have enough techniques. If he encountered a curse that countered his abilities, it would be very troublesome.
He had been cautious about this ever since his encounter with Hanami. With Hanami's strange, alluring flowers, Hayashi couldn't yet resist such techniques. If he were distracted or confused, even his strength wouldn't save him.
So, finding a jujutsu technique to protect against such abilities was his top priority. Who knew what kinds of curses or strange techniques the special grades recruited by Mahito might have?
Hayashi's body was protected by his Crimson Armor, but his mind had no such protection. If his enemies attacked his spirit or mind, he would be at a severe disadvantage.
With this in mind, Hayashi wasted no time in taking action. However, there was only one day left of his three-day stay in the mirror world, so he decided not to venture far. After exiting the mirror world and returning later, he planned to head directly to China.
Initially, Hayashi had thought about using Yuji Itadori as a decoy, but now it seemed the situation had reversed. Hayashi had become the prime target.
In the eyes of the enemy, Hayashi was the top priority to be eliminated. Compared to targeting Yuji Itadori or others, it was Hayashi who made the curses and curse users gnash their teeth in hatred.
Things were getting more and more interesting. Hayashi was sure something earth-shattering would happen soon. If even a legendary figure like Shuten Doji could be revived, what about the other ancient hypothetical curses?
Could they be revived too?
The answer was likely yes, but they would need the right opportunity, and that opportunity was the cursed objects.
Hayashi still had an iron plate, which he had obtained after exorcising Shingo. Although he didn't know its origins, being a special-grade cursed object meant it couldn't be simple.
Not every cursed object would automatically trigger a revival when the right conditions were met—this was unpredictable. Shuten Doji's case was unique and quite complex.
In any case, Hayashi didn't fully understand the principles behind it. Aside from the silver iron plate, he also had a black bead, which he had received from his exchange with Yosho. It probably wasn't very valuable and could just be broken down into points later.
Lastly, there was Sukuna's finger. Hayashi estimated that just one of Sukuna's fingers would be worth over 300 points.
It was terrifying to think about. While other special-grade curses only gave a bit over 100 points, one of Sukuna's fingers could be worth 300. What if Sukuna absorbed all twenty fingers?
That could be worth thousands of points, and against curses like the Cursed Womb: Death Painting or Shingo, it would be an instant kill.
Thus, reaching the level of a special-grade curse wasn't the endpoint, nor did it make one the strongest. Even within the realm of special grades, there were vast differences in power.
The same applied to jujutsu sorcerers. Becoming a special-grade sorcerer was not the end—it was just the beginning.
Gojo Satoru and Sukuna stood far above the rest in their respective fields of jujutsu sorcerer and curse, but that simply meant they had traveled further along their paths than most.
The majority, nearly 99%, couldn't reach their level.
"Below special-grade, everyone is an ant," Hayashi murmured as he finished his latest point grind, slicing a third-grade curse clean in half. By this time, his stay in the mirror world was almost up.
Returning to the real world, Hayashi instantly disappeared from where he stood and headed to the airport.
Meanwhile, on a distant hill, a blue-haired man with a telescope was watching Hayashi. The moment Hayashi disappeared, the man gasped in confusion.
Hayashi's movements had already been exposed. The curse users were all looking for him, knowing that this man, who could one day be more dangerous than Gojo Satoru, had to be eliminated first.
This blue-haired man was the first to find Hayashi, and he had been stalking him recently, trying to figure out what secrets Hayashi held.
The more he followed Hayashi, the more shocked he became. Hayashi indeed seemed to have many secrets. Just moments ago, while observing through his telescope, the man had felt something strange.
It seemed as though Hayashi had disappeared for one second, only to reappear with a slightly different posture, as if that single second had contained countless events.
It was truly bizarre. So far, though, the man hadn't discovered why Hayashi made the curse users so wary. Teleportation was indeed a powerful ability, but it wasn't invincible. True powerhouses wouldn't fear teleportation alone.
Perhaps he hadn't been following Hayashi for long enough. He'd need to continue observing.
Even though Hayashi had disappeared, that didn't deter him. His technique ensured that once he locked onto someone, he wouldn't lose track of them. No matter where Hayashi went, he would find him.