Chapter 0-2

Blacker and Blacker (くく) is the second chapter of Gege Akutami's Jujutsu Kaisen 0: Jujutsu High.

Summary
The jujutsu higher-ups are upset by Rika's complete manifestation. In order to teach Yuta about channeling cursed energy, Satoru Gojo giving him a katana, and assigns him a mission with Toge Inumaki to learn about unique cursed techniques. Behind the scenes, Suguru Geto, the worst curse user begins to move.

Plot Details
In a meeting with all of the jujutsu higher-ups, Satoru is reprimanded for allowing the Special Grade cursed spirit Rika to fully manifest. They claim Yuta was placed under his care to prevent Rika from being released. Satoru assures them he would've stopped any potential rampage and says they need to learn from Rika. He asks them to let them be so he can continue trial and error hoping to understand Rika before they can control her. They remind Satoru that Yuta's execution has only been postponed and Satoru replies that if it comes to that, he's still going to take Yuta's side.

Satoru leaves and applies his bandages over his eyes while stating he has no interesting in become senile old sorcerers like the higher-ups. He refuses to allow them to take away the best years of Yuta's youth regardless of who they are. He meets with his students shortly after. Yuta is training with a wooden sword against Maki. He gets distracted for a moment, allowing her to smack him across the face with it, demanding he pay attention. She asks if he's gonna be able to score a hit on her and he enthusiastically assures her so.

Previously, Satoru told Yuta it's virtually impossible to exorcise a curse as powerful as Rika. However, they can unravel the curse binding her soul by analyzing and untying the millions of knots of cursed energy. The first step to controlling cursed energy for Yuta is imbuing it inside an object. Satoru gave him a katana and told him to channel Rika's power through it like he did to their ring. Gojo assured Yuta that a bright future would be ahead for them but adds at the last second that Yuta is going to need to learn to swordfight as well.

Back in the sparring match, Yuta shows considerable skill for someone who just became a sorcerer recently. He's still no match for Maki however, as her physical skills surprise Yuta one after another until he's subdued. Despite suffering an actual hit to his forehead, Yuta asks to continue training. As Panda, Toge, and Gojo sensei watch, they discuss how its been three months since Yuta enrolled at the school. Panda notices that Maki has been happier lately too and insinuates a potential romance between the two, irritating Maki.

Satoru tells Toge he's a received a mission to take out a curse he's best suited to exorcise. He reveals to Yuta that Toge is the lone Grade 2 sorcerer among the first-years, even getting assigned solo missions. Yuta is asked to support Toge so he can learn about different ways to exorcise curses. Toge's cursed speech is a good example of a unique technique. Before they leave, Toge attempts to high five Yuta but the latter is too afraid to realize it. Satoru tells Yuta not to let Yuta out no matter what or it's over for the both of them. After taking the students to the location and explaining the situation, Assistant Manager Kiyotaka Ijichi casts the curtain.

Yuta is taken off guard with a swarm of fish-like curses suddenly reveal themselves. Toge walks up to them and makes the swarm of curses explode with a single command of his cursed speech. Toge's technique allows him to imbue cursed energy into his words, forcing those he commands to obey. Yuta notices Toge's voice is hoarse afterward, but he bought some cough syrup from the shopping center.

As someone watching expresses a sinister smile, Toge and Yuta realize they've been trapped by another curtain. Suddenly, a much more powerful curse appears behind them. With a single command, the curse creates a flash of light that breaks a hole in the ground. Toge notices first and pushes Yuta out of harms way, but his finger gets broken from being hit. He acts quickly to counterattack, commanding the curse to twist. However, only the cursed spirit's arm twists and Toge coughs from the recoil of his technique.

Yuta saves him from being crushed and flees to a higher floor. Even he can realize this curse is even more powerful than the one from the elementary school, meaning it's clearly wasn't the intended target for the mission. As Toge attempts to fix his finger, Yuta notices the curse isn't chasing them and realizes that they have to exorcise it if the curse if they want the curtain to lift.

Toge suddenly gets up to fight the curse on his own but Yuta is concerned. Toge tells Yuta to stop but Yuta refuses. He thanks Toge for his concern but Yuta wants them to fight together. Yuta confronts the curse who didn't show much emotion before, but Rika's presence aggravates it. Yuta channels Rika's power into his katana and successfully coats the blade with cursed energy. Using an acrobatic cartwheels and flips, Yuta avoids the curse's crushing technique several times.

Now that he's actually spent time with Toge, Yuta realizes he had no reason to be scared of him. Toge is quiet and mysterious but he's kind at heart. He speaks using harmless rice ball ingredients to avoid cursing others. Toge saved Yuta earlier and the high-five earlier was just a way for Toge to help Yuta calm down before the mission. Inspired by Toge's kindness, Yuta closes the distance between him and the curse and successfully lands an upward slash. However, it's too shallow a cut and only slices the curses hand. Yuta notes that the curse's skin is too tough and gets slightly wounded by it's technique.

Yuta knows he's no match for this curse as his face bleeds. This doesn't matter because the plan was never for him to fight alone. Yuta slides under the curse and grabs the cough syrup Toge had dropped earlier. Toge jumps down from the floor just above the curse and catches the medicine once Yuta throws it. While the curse's focus is still on Yuta, Toge drinks the medicine and commands the enemy to get crushed, killing it instantly.

Toge runs to check on Yuta's who's head is still bleeding profusely. He offers another high-five and this time Yuta passionately reciprocates the notion, celebrating their victory and cementing to beginning of their friendship. Yuta believes he won't be a sorcerer anymore after he saves Rika, but he still wants to be useful to Jujutsu High till then.

Another sorcerer watches them from above, having claimed Yuta's ID and confirming his interest as another special grade sorcerer. After returning to school, Yuta learns that Toge was born with his family sigil, meaning he's never been able to speak normally and has accidentally cursed people in the past. Panda says he's just very misunderstood and asks Yuta to be nice to him. Maki interrupts their conversation to continue training and he asks her how to channel his cursed energy into his blade better. However, Maki reveals she can't help him with anything regarding cursed energy, confusing him.

At the same time, Ijichi meets with Gojo to apologize for allowing someone else to cast another curtain on top of his barrier. This is what trapped the students inside with an unidentified semi-grade 1 curse that wasn't apart of the original mission. Gojo doesn't blame Ijichi because their enemy is strong. He is one of the four special grade sorcerers and the very worst of all curse users: Suguru Geto.

Locations

 * Tokyo Jujutsu High
 * Hapina Shopping District

Battles & Events

 * Yuta Okkotsu & Toge Inumaki vs. Cursed Spirits

Jujutsu
Toge Inumaki's Techniques
 * Cursed Speech