"What is Kamo Itsuki trying to do?"
The question coiled in Kenjaku's ancient mind, cold and insistent. His earlier satisfaction at observing the exam evaporated, replaced by a sharp, wary focus.
'Kanon. Get up. We're moving to the next cell.'
Speculation was useless. He needed more data—direct observation of this Barrier's mechanics, its limitations, its purpose.
"Just a little longer..." Kanon mumbled, still sprawled on the forest floor, limbs heavy with exhaustion.
'I'll assist with the next one. This is an entrance exam—you want to make a good impression, don't you?'
Kanon's eyes snapped open. "That's right! Teacher Kamo is watching!" She scrambled upright, all traces of fatigue forgotten in her sudden eagerness to perform.
Through Bee Number Three, Kamo Itsuki observed the exchange with mild curiosity.
'A Shikigami user who fights personally instead of summoning? Interesting.' He noted the efficiency of her movements, the quality of her cursed energy. 'Her reserves are respectable. But her personality doesn't match Maki's driven intensity. Is she deliberately tempering herself?'
He made a mental note to watch her more closely.
His attention shifted to the other cells, each student performing according to their nature.
Panda moved through his assigned cell with methodical precision. His round form belied surprising agility, but Kamo's trained eye saw the limitation.
'A Cursed Corpse's growth is tied to Puppet Jutsu.' He glanced at Panda's plump, dexterous paws and shook his head slightly. 'Those hands... learning fine manipulation would be nearly impossible.'
Yaga Masamichi's creation would need a different path. Kamo filed that away—a debt to repay to his own teacher.
Inumaki Toge fought with silent intensity, his Cursed Speech echoing through his cell in controlled bursts. Each word carried devastating power—but each word cost him.
'Cursed Speech has immense potential, but his reserves are inadequate.' Kamo observed the way Toge's breathing grew labored after each use, the way he reached for throat lozenges between engagements. 'Reverse Cursed Technique would solve the physical strain. But the energy consumption...'
He sighed internally. 'A good kid. The most problematic one here.'
Nanako and Mimiko moved through their shared cell like a single organism. Their individual power was modest—the twin split still limited them—but their coordination was flawless. They never overextended, never took unnecessary risks, never let pride override judgment.
'Sensible,' Kamo approved. 'Reliable, within their limits.'
He glanced at Toge again. The boy was taking on too much, too willingly, his kindness driving him to shoulder burdens alone. It was admirable. It was also dangerous.
'A problem for another day.'
Zenin Maki spun through her current cell like a blade given form.
Naginata: Tornado!
Her weapon sang through the air, a spiraling arc of death that caught the latest Cursed Spirit mid-lunge and carved it into dissipating mist. She landed in a crouch, breathing hard, fresh wounds bleeding down her arms and legs.
She straightened, assessing herself with clinical detachment. 'Limit. Good to know.'
She glanced at her naginata. The blade, forged by Mai's Construction Technique, was showing signs of wear—micro-fractures along the edge, stress lines near the hilt.
'Mai will scold me if I break it.' A small, fond smile crossed her usually stern features. 'Time to head back.'
She turned and began retracing her path toward the central safe zone, each step measured despite her exhaustion.
Okkotsu Yuta lowered his katana as another Cursed Spirit dissolved into nothing.
"Owooo..."
Its dying wail faded into the forest sounds. Yuta barely registered it. He was already turning, sheathing his blade, moving toward Rika.
"Rika. How are you feeling?" His eyes scanned her with urgent concern, cataloging every scratch, every bruise.
Rika smiled—that gentle, reassuring smile she always wore for him. "I'm fine. Just a scratch."
"If I had mastered Reverse Cursed Technique, I could heal you right now." Guilt flickered across his features.
"Gojo-sensei said you're close. I believe in you." She reached out, taking his hand, her warmth grounding him.
Yuta's expression hardened with renewed determination. "When we get back. I'll master it."
They turned together, heading for the safe zone.
Kanon faced her latest opponent with Kenjaku floating beside her, finally summoned.
"Kenjaku! Water Cannon!"
The goldfish Shikigami opened its small mouth—and erupted.
A torrent of water, dense as a hydraulic press and moving with the force of a cannonball, shot forward. It struck the oncoming Cursed Spirit dead-center, punching clean through its torso. Kenjaku twisted his fish-like form, redirecting the stream in a wide arc—and cut.
The spirit split in half, upper body separating from lower, both dissolving before they hit the ground.
The water stream didn't stop. It carved a deep, smoking trench into the Barrier wall behind where the spirit had stood, the hexagonal boundary flickering under the assault before stabilizing.
Kanon stared, mouth open. "Kenjaku... that was amazing!"
Kenjaku floated serenely, his ancient consciousness focused not on the praise, but on the Barrier's reaction.
'It healed. Absorbed the impact. Recycled the energy.' His assessment grew grimmer. 'This structure is more resilient than I estimated. More intelligent.'
The investigation continued. And with each passing moment, the shadow of Kamo Itsuki's ambition loomed larger.
The scar on the Barrier wall lasted only a moment before smoothing over, the hexagonal boundary absorbing the impact and restoring itself as if nothing had happened.
"Kenjaku!" Kanon's voice cut through his thoughts, sharp with indignation. Her small face was flushed, cheeks puffed out in genuine annoyance. "We could have used 'Water Cannon'! Why did you use 'Water Thread Pierce'?!"
She had every right to be upset. 'Water Thread Pierce' was devastating—but it consumed cursed energy at a terrifying rate. The Cursed Spirit had been on its last legs; a standard 'Water Cannon' would have finished it cleanly.
Now her reserves were nearly empty. No more Barriers. No more chances to impress Teacher Kamo.
"You lectured me about wasting energy, and then you do this?" She folded her arms, a triumphant gleam in her eyes despite her exhaustion. Finally, ammunition against his endless critiques.
Kenjaku ignored her completely.
His ancient consciousness was elsewhere—specifically, on the Barrier wall that had just absorbed his attack.
'Full power. Below Special Grade. No escape.' The assessment formed with cold clarity. 'This Barrier is designed for containment, not annihilation. A cage for mid-tier threats, allowing ordinary sorcerers to hunt safely.'
He understood the logic. Against Special Grade Cursed Spirits, numbers meant nothing. Only their own kind could face them. This system wasn't meant for the elite—it was meant for the masses.
But that wasn't what chilled him.
'The energy signature during recovery...' He replayed the moment in his mind, the subtle resonance that had flickered as the Barrier repaired itself. 'I know that cursed energy. I've studied it for a thousand years.'
His conclusion crystallized, cold and absolute.
'Sukuna. He's using Sukuna's fingers as a power source.'
The realization landed like a stone in still water, ripples spreading through every calculation, every contingency, every carefully laid plan.
Kamo Itsuki wasn't just collecting the fingers. He wasn't just hoarding them for safety.
He was using them. Fueling his systems with the King of Curses' own essence.
And if this Barrier was any indication, the applications were only beginning.
Kenjaku floated motionless beside the complaining girl, his goldfish form betraying nothing. But within, a storm was gathering.
'What else is he building? What else are those fingers powering?'
For the first time in a millennium, Kenjaku felt not cautious—but afraid.
Patreon Seasay... for all the chapters