"For all these years, I haven't really liked interfering with the affairs of the jujutsu world. Yet you've crossed the line again and again..."
Holding a severed head that was still dripping blood, Mukuro shook his head and looked toward the remaining survivors huddled together.
"I'm very annoyed."
Among them were people he had deliberately spared based on Gakuganji's recommendations.
After all, tearing everything down and rebuilding it from scratch was a troublesome process. Killing a few to warn the others and leaving behind people capable of listening was a far more stable solution.
Of course, he had already killed plenty of people. If the others still failed to understand, Mukuro wouldn't mind starting over from the beginning.
Humans, in some ways, were nothing more than curses burdened with their own inherent flaws.
"W-We understand!"
Apparently realizing the reality of their situation, the few remaining figures who had once stood at the top of society, people capable of influencing political circles with just a few words, finally fell to the ground and begged for mercy.
"For the remaining matters, Principal Gakuganji will contact you. Of course, I hope this is the last time I have to come here personally."
Mukuro casually tossed the head in his hand. It landed right in front of them, and blood splashed across their faces.
These people had long since grown accustomed to watching others die. Yet seeing a colleague they interacted with every day die so horribly before their eyes still filled them with terror, especially when that pair of widened eyes, frozen in disbelief and fear, seemed to stare directly at them.
Those bloodstained tears seemed to be reminding them of the consequences of defying the man before them.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Mukuro looked toward the entrance, his brows furrowing slightly.
Bang!
The doors were violently forced open as dozens of soldiers armed with firearms flooded in and simultaneously aimed their weapons inside.
Their primary target was the only person still standing, Mukuro.
"So this is the highest authority of the jujutsu world? Looks like something serious happened here."
Leading the group was a Japanese military officer. Following orders from the highest levels of government, he had arrived with troops to seize control of the central hub of the jujutsu world.
If resistance was encountered, necessary force was authorized, though the targets were to be kept alive whenever possible.
"Do you even know what you're doing?! The person you're pointing your guns at is one of the only five special grade sorcerers in the entire world!"
The unusual atmosphere made one of the surviving elders sense that the world itself was changing. And yet, they were unbelievably fortunate.
At this very moment, they were prisoners under Mukuro's control. Ironically, that life-threatening situation might now be their greatest protection.
Thus, the old man immediately stepped forward and angrily berated the officer.
"A special grade sorcerer? Then all the more reason you'll need to come with us. You're exactly the kind of new energy source we're looking for."
To everyone's surprise, the officer showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he slightly raised the gun in his hand toward Mukuro, signaling him to cooperate.
"New energy" was the term used by the upper echelons of informed nations when referring to Japanese sorcerers.
Half a month earlier, Kenjaku had personally traveled to the United States. Under America's leadership, a meeting was held with political leaders and military officials from several major countries.
The topic was Japanese sorcerers.
Kenjaku had formally explained the concept of "cursed energy," a "recyclable and renewable" force that existed in nearly every human being. He had even demonstrated the power of sorcerers and cursed energy by completely overwhelming the White House's defenses in front of numerous high-ranking officials.
In their eyes, as global resources grew increasingly scarce, this new form of "energy" represented a direction with enormous potential.
Moreover, due to Tengen's barriers, Japan possessed more and stronger sorcerers than the rest of the world combined. As a result, capturing Japanese sorcerers for research became the unanimous decision among various nations.
The reason they had waited until now was because of Kenjaku.
* * *
(Flashback)
"We'll discuss this matter further."
At the conference, the President of the United States did not immediately give a definitive answer.
"If everyone enters the field independently, we'll only alert our targets. I have a proposal. I wonder what everyone thinks."
As soon as the words "new energy" were mentioned, no nation could simply ignore it.
Having lived for over a thousand years, Kenjaku instantly saw through the hidden agendas of everyone present. They might appear hesitant during the meeting, but behind the scenes, each country wanted to secretly send forces to Japan and begin capturing sorcerers.
Whoever unlocked the secrets of cursed energy first would gain a tremendous advantage.
Unfortunately, that went against Kenjaku's intentions.
As such, he offered his own suggestion, "In about half a month, I will establish barriers throughout Japan and initiate the Culling Game. It will attract the vast majority of sorcerers into specific locations, allowing you to capture them all at once."
"And why would you help us?" the American President asked calmly. "Furthermore, if every sorcerer possesses power comparable to yours, ordinary weapons would be useless."
The concern was reasonable. The old man standing before them alone could wipe out hundreds of armed soldiers. If many sorcerers possessed similar strength, success would be impossible without nuclear weapons.
But using nuclear weapons would defeat the entire purpose. What they wanted were living sorcerers for research, not corpses and certainly not ashes.
"Don't worry. In all of Japan, the number of sorcerers equal to me can be counted on one hand." Kenjaku raised a hand and waved it casually.
"As for why I'm helping you… Because it's fun! What could be more entertaining than a war between sorcerers and the military? Gentlemen, I love war!"
He stood up and spread his arms wide, his excited expression making it seem as though he genuinely adored the idea.
Silence filled the room.
After a brief period of thought...
"Very well. We'll follow your proposal."
Once one leader spoke, the others quickly agreed.
"It would be my honor."
Before leaving, Kenjaku politely bowed to everyone present. Yet the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth became impossible to suppress the moment he stepped outside the White House.
Between sorcerers and the military… who was the hunter, and who was the prey?
That remained to be seen.
(Flashback End)
* * *
"I've already killed enough people lately..." Mukuro let out a helpless sigh. "Can't I at least try to respect the weight of life a little?"
He knew exactly what Kenjaku was planning, and he hated it.
The soldiers standing before him were merely pawns. But among the sorcerers were his friends and the people he cared about. That alone made it impossible for him to tolerate any justification for capturing sorcerers.
"Raise your hands and surrender immediately!"
Sensing that something was wrong, every soldier aimed directly at Mukuro. The officer issued his final warning.
If the man resisted, he would order everyone to pull the trigger without hesitation.
"Please do me a favor and die."
The number in Mukuro's right eye shifted to "1."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted endlessly in the dark room. Smoke from the gunpowder rapidly spread, threatening to swallow the entire chamber.
Yet amidst the smoke, cherry blossoms suddenly began to dance through the air…
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