One day earlier, Kyoto, Japan.
Utahime Iori was walking on the street, pondering the news she had received from Gojo Satoru.
It was during the exchange event. While the students were fighting to the death, Gojo Satoru found her during a break and, with a smile, told her:
There is a spy in either Tokyo or Kyoto Jujutsu High.
This was not a question, nor a possibility of a spy, but a definite statement—there absolutely was a spy. Gojo Satoru told her:
He would handle Tokyo, and he needed intelligence from Kyoto. So, he hoped to get Utahime Iori's help to investigate the mole in Kyoto.
Although she greatly disliked Gojo Satoru, Utahime, despite her words, dutifully accepted the mission. After all, this was a very serious matter, and she had no reason to refuse.
And she set her first target: Yoshinobu Gakuganji.
He was the principal of Kyoto Jujutsu High. Unlike ordinary schools, schools that train Jujutsu Sorcerers are nominally ordinary schools, even issuing graduation certificates. But in reality, this is a veritable military academy for supernatural abilities, and its principal is a Great Master in the Jujutsu World.
He is hailed as the leader of the Traditionalist Faction, and above him is the Chief Executive of Jujutsu.
Such a person should not be tempted by Cursed Spirits, but Yoshinobu Gakuganji had a decisive disadvantage that made him highly suspicious to Utahime Iori—he was too old.
Yoshinobu Gakuganji was an old man with a face full of wrinkles, drooping eyebrows, and a goatee that reached his chest. His hair had all fallen out, not even a trace of white hair remained. He was a stubborn old man, adhering to all rules that should have long been eliminated in modern times.
Do you think this kind of old man with real power would desire eternal life with no side effects? Utahime guessed he would.
Don't say naive things like his power had already reached its peak, so he wouldn't be tempted by Cursed Spirits. Utahime was Gojo Satoru's senior, only one year older than him. She truly experienced the era before Gojo Satoru swept the Jujutsu World. She knew very well how bottomless the lower limits of these bastards were.
Utahime Iori could even see the change in expression on the old man's face when he saw Kinji Hakari and the young dragon on Kinji Hakari's shoulder. She wasn't a master of micro-expressions and couldn't see through a person just by their expression, but she could discern such obvious wavering.
So Utahime Iori investigated him first!
...Unfortunately, she found nothing.
"So, was I wrong?" Utahime Iori muttered to herself. "Besides him, who else could it be? It couldn't be the students, could it? But... it shouldn't be?"
Eternal life is indeed powerful. After learning that Kinji Hakari already possessed eternal life, the students all showed incredible expressions, but none of them were swayed by it.
Utahime Iori could completely understand the students' thoughts. They were too young, still full of expectations for the future, and confident that they could overcome all obstacles. Time had not yet carved wounds into them. They were merely curious about eternal life, not yearning for it.
The students shouldn't be tempted, right?
No, there was indeed one more person.
As Utahime Iori was thinking, she suddenly sensed a ripple of Cursed Energy.
She subconsciously looked across the street. She remembered the terrain of this street; there was a children's park on the opposite side, often occupied by a few children, and the surrounding housewives would chat on the park benches, spending a leisurely day.
Right beside that children's park, a girl stood there, staring blankly.
She was dressed in light cherry blossom-colored clothes like a miko, with a dark reddish-purple obi adorned with a bow, and wore deerskin high-heeled boots. She had long light-colored hair, and a large bow tied behind her head as a ponytail decoration.
In her fair hands beneath the furisode, she held a long sword that was out of place for a girl. The scabbard had no decorations, and even the hilt had only a plain oval tsuba. This kind of sword would almost be considered cosplay, and with her entire outfit, that was probably why no patrol officers came to question her.
But Utahime Iori keenly noticed—
—this girl was not human.
A Cursed Spirit... but, "her humanization is too high."
Because Cursed Spirits are manifestations of Curses, it is almost impossible for a Cursed Spirit to be completely human-shaped. Even if there is one, it must be a part of the Cursed Spirit used to tempt humans.
Some Cursed Spirits can even imitate human speech and utter words that people want to hear, but the Cursed Spirit itself does not possess the wisdom to use them; it just mechanically tempts.
But this girl was different. Utahime Iori could keenly sense it... she could even call her "she."
And she was a physical entity; others could see her.
"..." Utahime Iori had to admit, she was startled.
A "highly humanized" and physically embodied Cursed Spirit—she knew of only one. The Lord of Curses, Mahito.
But something was wrong. Mahito was said to have a male appearance, so who was this girl?
Suddenly, the girl turned her head, and her originally blank eyes suddenly revealed a sharp, eagle-like gaze, meeting Utahime Iori's.
Utahime Iori's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately prepared for battle. She really didn't want to fight here; it was rush hour, with pedestrians everywhere. If a battle broke out here, who knew how many innocent people would be sacrificed?
Of course, she wasn't the kind of Jujutsu Sorcerer who would hold back because of innocent people, but if she could reduce casualties, she would never deliberately provoke a Cursed Spirit.
Unexpectedly, the girl merely looked at her for a moment, then turned her head back to stare blankly at the children's park.
Utahime Iori followed the girl's gaze to the children's park. The scene there was still ordinary; a few housewives chatted quietly by the benches, occasionally letting out soft laughs, and a few children played inside the park, building sandcastles or sitting on the swings.
Did she intend to harm someone?
Utahime Iori tried hard to think of it in terms of Curses, but as long as she saw the girl's blank expression, she found it hard to imagine such a scenario.
Utahime Iori immediately realized—
—this was a newly emerged Intelligent Cursed Spirit.
She looked at the girl, her heart pounding.
She wanted to approach her because it was truly rare. The entire Jujutsu World was currently searching for Mahito's whereabouts, and now, a clue was directly laid out before her eyes. If she retreated now due to safety concerns, she didn't know if such a good opportunity would arise again.
Of course, she wasn't acting recklessly. She immediately picked up her phone to send a text message.
To whom?
Gojo Satoru, of course!
Should she send it to her direct superior, Yoshinobu Gakuganji?
Heh, that old man's suspicion hadn't been cleared yet.
Then she discovered that she couldn't send the text message.
—Run!
Utahime Iori made a decisive decision and immediately left. Before leaving, she glanced at the girl again and found that she was still staring blankly at the children's park, which made her wonder:
Could this not be a trap to lure me in?
Then why was her phone signal blocked?
Or rather, was this just a means of self-protection? Because these newly born Intelligent Cursed Spirits also worry about being discovered by the Jujutsu World, so their appearance must be accompanied by the disappearance of electronic signals?
This... was really possible.
Utahime Iori had walked about twenty meters. She took out her phone again and found that it still had no signal. She looked back and saw that the girl had withdrawn her gaze from the children's park and was turning to leave.
—Passing by?
Utahime Iori froze.
It seemed her guess was correct; shielding electronic signals must be a necessary measure for these Intelligent Cursed Spirits when they travel.
This is not difficult to understand. It is now 2018, and Curse Users have been mostly eliminated by Gojo Satoru. The number of Jujutsu Sorcerers patrolling the streets is actually much smaller than in the past.
Intelligent Cursed Spirits probably aren't worried about encountering Jujutsu Sorcerers by chance; they're worried about occasionally being photographed and then having their whereabouts tracked by Jujutsu Sorcerers.
Utahime Iori's breathing quickened.
She knew that if she really didn't bother with the girl now and continued to move away, she would most likely be fine. Then, as soon as the electronic signal returned, she could immediately call Gojo Satoru, and everything would be handed over to him. This was the safest approach.
But if she did that, by the time Gojo Satoru arrived, the girl would have run off to who knows where.
Since the Intelligent Cursed Spirit had even accounted for electronic signals, she probably also considered Gojo Satoru's Six Eyes...
No! The whole world really knows about your Six Eyes! It's impossible to hide it! Gojo Satoru's pride is really going to kill people!
A dangerous thought flashed through Utahime Iori's mind:
I must contact the girl!
Moreover, she had other trump cards. She was currently considered Gojo Satoru's spy, and she had agreed with Gojo Satoru to contact him every three days. After all, the target of the investigation might very well involve the Jujutsu Higher-Ups. If the Jujutsu Higher-Ups made a move against her, Gojo Satoru would at least know she had been harmed.
When she agreed to Gojo Satoru's request to investigate the Kyoto Jujutsu Sorcerers, she had actually already come to terms with the possibility of death. Her death would certainly provoke Gojo Satoru's revenge.
Although Gojo Satoru was an unprincipled bastard in her eyes... at least on this point, Utahime Iori truly trusted Gojo Satoru.
Having figured everything out, Utahime Iori took two or three deep breaths and started typing a message quickly. She typed some secret, confidential text into a draft, then threw her phone onto the ground without hesitation and followed the girl.
The phone was equipped with a tracker and necessary Cursed Energy protection. The time limit was set to three days. Utahime Iori believed that even if she died, this time would be enough for Gojo Satoru to find her phone using his Six Eyes.
If she returned safely, there was no need for further discussion, but if not, Gojo Satoru would surely obtain sufficient intelligence from the information inside the phone.
As for what would happen if an innocent passerby picked it up, sold it, or took out the SIM card to use it? Utahime Iori sneered. If Gojo Satoru couldn't track a phone protected by Cursed Energy and equipped with a tracker, then he shouldn't bother thinking about reforming the Jujutsu World; he should just go become some petty tyrant!
It's just my life, isn't it?
Utahime Iori braced herself. Since she dared to investigate Principal Yoshinobu Gakuganji and the others, how could a mere Cursed Spirit make her retreat?
Confirming everything, she immediately followed the girl.
She didn't hide herself, so the girl naturally noticed her.
The girl stopped, stood by the roadside holding a long sword, and quietly watched her. Only then did Utahime Iori clearly see the girl's face. Her face was flawless, her forehead covered by bangs, and her youthful appearance, no older than fifteen, conveyed purity and beauty.
Utahime Iori prepared herself.
"Hello, I am—"
"I won't become an idol," the girl said quietly. "I won't participate in variety shows, I don't sing, nor do I intend to study vocal music. My family isn't here right now. If you want to meet my family, just give me your business card. If my family is interested in having me participate in your activities, they will contact you proactively."
Her voice was clear and clean, like spring water flowing through mountains.
Utahime Iori froze.
Did she think I was a talent scout?
Moreover, judging by her practiced response, she must have been approached by talent scouts more than once.
Suddenly, Utahime Iori realized that this seemed to be true. Because she had immediately recognized the girl's identity as a Cursed Spirit, she hadn't observed her closely, but in reality, the girl's appearance and temperament were both very unique. Especially when she stood quietly by the roadside, her elegance and tranquility were striking—she was a perfect candidate for an idol!
Utahime Iori's mouth twitched, but she immediately realized this was a good opportunity. Since the girl didn't suspect her at all, it meant she could easily obtain the necessary intelligence from her.
Isn't this situation going incredibly smoothly?!
Utahime Iori could barely suppress the smile on her face.
Excellent, this is great! Now, I just need to rely on my silver tongue...!
"We can start by being friends... Do you have a phone? We can exchange email addresses."
She subconsciously reached into her bag to pull out her phone, but before her hand was even inside, her fingers froze.
Shimatta! I threw my phone away!
The girl watched her quietly, then suddenly sighed.
She muttered to herself, "I see, I've been recognized."
Utahime Iori immediately felt a shiver run down her spine, as if all the malice in the world were wrapping around her. The girl stood there seemingly doing nothing, yet countless razor-sharp long swords seemed to be aimed at her, and a faint wave of Cursed Energy had completely enveloped her.
She had a feeling that if the girl wanted to, she would die instantly.
Utahime Iori said with difficulty, "This is the secret art of the New Shadow Style, Simple Domain... Why do you possess it?"
"My master is Ashiya Sadatsuna," the girl said calmly.
Wasn't that the legendary sword master who founded the New Shadow Style a thousand years ago?
Utahime Iori regulated her breathing to regain her composure. She didn't consider resisting; facing a swordsman capable of using Simple Domain at such close range, she had no chance of escape.
Moreover, she had already prepared herself for death.
The only thing she hadn't expected was—
"How did you suddenly see through me?" Utahime Iori couldn't help but ask.
"You didn't immediately take out a business card; instead, you asked for my phone number," the girl said calmly. "Every talent scout I've met immediately takes out a business card. Only frivolous pickup artists would directly ask for a phone number and email... And you are not a pickup artist."
It wasn't accumulated knowledge, but simply experiential logic!
Utahime Iori was dumbfounded.
Utahime Iori sighed. "Fine, I admit defeat. What are you going to do now? Are you going to kill me?"
This was just self-mockery; in reality, she was already prepared for her head to separate from her neck.
But unexpectedly, the girl said blankly, "I... I don't know."
Utahime Iori was stunned.
"You don't know?"
"I have never been discovered by a Jujutsu Sorcerer before. My master once said that the aura on us is not much different from humans, and only extremely excellent Jujutsu Sorcerers might be able to detect us," the girl said honestly. "That's also why I didn't immediately identify you as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, because encountering an excellent Jujutsu Sorcerer by chance is a rare occurrence."
It was indeed difficult, as the main force patrolling now were actually Grade 3 and Grade 4 Jujutsu Sorcerers, and in some areas, they simply sent Assistant Supervisors, not even Jujutsu Sorcerers.
On one hand, Sorcerer manpower truly was strained. On the other hand, the significant decrease in Curse Users had genuinely made Jujutsu Sorcerers more lax than in the past.
Most Cursed Spirit disaster incidents now were actually not discovered by patrolling Jujutsu Sorcerers or Assistant Supervisors, but by the police. When the police confirmed it was a Cursed Spirit disaster incident, they proactively contacted the Jujutsu Higher-Ups, and only after the Jujutsu Higher-Ups assigned a mission did the Jujutsu Sorcerers go.
Against this backdrop, even if someone saw the girl, it would likely be impossible for anyone to recognize her identity as a Cursed Spirit, which is why her contingency plans didn't include running into a Sorcerer by chance.
Realizing this, Utahime Iori felt not relief at being alive, but terror.
She stared into the girl's eyes and asked seriously, "Why didn't you kill me immediately?"
The girl asked curiously, "Do you really wish to die?"
"I don't wish to die," Utahime Iori said earnestly. "But you are a Curse. You should have immediately generated intense malice upon being discovered by me and killed me to prevent future trouble. Yet you hesitated; you didn't have the immediate thought of killing. This is suspicious."
The girl didn't answer immediately, but instead asked hesitantly, "Are you trying to extract information from me?"
Yes, I am!
Utahime Iori couldn't keep a straight face.
How could there be such a blockhead?!
She felt a sense of guilt, like she was bullying someone slow-witted.
"Should I... should I answer your question?" the girl asked, still hesitating.
You have to ask me that too?
The guilt in Utahime Iori's heart deepened.
But... what is guilt compared to important information?!
Utahime Iori immediately replied, "You can't possibly just let me go, right? If that's the case, even if you kill me in the end, let me be a ghost who understands why. This is the most basic respect a warrior shows to the person they are about to kill."
This was a lie; warriors didn't have such a rule at all.
But Utahime Iori was certain this blockhead girl would believe it.
The girl believed it, as expected. She nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, I understand."
Before Utahime Iori could secretly feel smug, the girl added:
"Then I won't answer your question."
Utahime Iori was dumbfounded.
"Wait, you won't even let me be a ghost who understands? Where is your warrior spirit?!"
"Because I won't kill you," the girl said, confused. "Since I'm not going to kill you, why should I give you information?"
"You won't kill me...?"
Utahime Iori felt no relief at having saved her life; she just felt her worldview collapsing.
"We don't kill people casually. We are the guardians of humanity," the girl said seriously.
Utahime Iori couldn't hold back anymore.
"You, a Cursed Spirit, are telling me you're a guardian of humanity? Are you in your right mind?"
"Why not?" the girl asked strangely. "Cursed Spirits are born from human Curses. In other words, if all humans die, Cursed Spirits will become extinct. Given this, shouldn't the first thing any rational Cursed Spirit does be to protect humanity?"
Utahime Iori was astonished.
The logic is sound, but... you are a Cursed Spirit!
"All Cursed Spirits share a common characteristic: the more powerful the Spirit, the denser the Curses absorbed during its birth. Only excessive Cursed Energy can give rise to a Special Grade Cursed Spirit. This is something even Jujutsu Sorcerers should know."
The girl looked seriously at Utahime Iori, as if she were a serious straight-A student earnestly explaining the principles of a problem to an uneducated slacker.
Utahime Iori felt a vast grassland in her heart, with a herd of alpacas stampeding across it.
You, a Cursed Spirit, are actually teaching a teacher from Kyoto Jujutsu High the most basic knowledge?!
This was a sight Utahime Iori wouldn't dream of seeing.
"Therefore, to maintain the power of Cursed Spirits, shouldn't the first priority be to preserve the human population, allow human civilization to flourish, and encourage humans to generate more Cursed Energy?" the girl explained. "After all, no matter how strong a single human's Curse is, it's difficult to give birth to a Grade 4 Cursed Spirit. But if it's the Curse collectively generated by millions, tens of millions, or even the one hundred million people in this country, it's very easy for a Special Grade Cursed Spirit to be born."
Utahime Iori froze, suddenly realizing a conclusion that made her scalp tingle.
And the girl stated that conclusion.
She said:
"This proves one thing—"
"The prosperity of humanity is the prosperity of Cursed Spirits."
"Cursed Spirits are the race that most desires humanity's eternal existence, the guardians of human life, and the existence least likely to betray the human race."
"This is common sense."
Utahime Iori was speechless.
⭐ Enjoying the story?
You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon! Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects. Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSim
Next Bonus Chapter at 400 Powerstones.