This completely caught Yuki Tsukumo off guard.
She was just racking her brain trying to figure out how to contact the King of Curses, and unexpectedly, he took the initiative to contact her first. For a split second, a terrifying chill crawled up her spine. The King of Curses was definitely watching her from somewhere. The moment she made the call, she had been locked onto. She was now a sitting duck.
Yuki instantly expanded her Cursed Energy perception, scanning her surroundings for any hidden Shikigami or surveillance Curses. "Where is Hakari?" she asked grimly. "What have you done to him?"
"He is perfectly safe," the King of Curses replied. His voice was shockingly gentle. If she hadn't seen the flattened ruins of the Zen'in estate with her own eyes, she would have thought she was speaking to a kindergarten teacher. He radiated absolutely zero oppressive aura; his voice was as soothing as a spring breeze.
"Hakari-san has been my subordinate for quite some time now. You don't need to worry about me harming him. On the contrary, I rely on him heavily. He accompanies me on all my surface operations. Even the contact number I provided to the Japanese politicians is his. Only through him can anyone reach me to claim the 'immortality' I promised."
*Well then... we've really hit the motherlode!*
Yuki retracted her Cursed Energy perception and took a deep breath. She finally understood why the King of Curses had approached her at this exact moment—it wasn't that he was actively hunting her down, but rather, *she* had serendipitously stumbled right into him!
It was a coincidence! An absurd, massive coincidence! The King of Curses likely assumed Yuki had uncovered some critical intel and was relentlessly pressing Hakari for answers. In reality, Yuki had lost all her leads and was purely relying on Hakari as her last desperate lifeline, which was why she kept harassing him.
But this was a massive win! Yuki immediately shifted into operational mode. "You are very candid," she noted.
"I am candid because it is you," the King of Curses' calm voice emanated from the speaker. "Tsukumo-san, I hear you harbor a certain dream. A dream of a world utterly devoid of Cursed Spirits?"
"Many people know this. I've never hidden it," Yuki replied.
"And my ability... you covet it, don't you?" the King of Curses asked softly.
Yuki lost her voice for a second. The King of Curses had hit a dead bullseye! She had only exchanged a few sentences with him, yet for a fleeting moment, she felt the terrifying illusion that he had known her intimately for years. Her heart rate spiked—not out of excitement, but because her primal survival instincts were screaming at her to stay away from him. Stay far, far away from the King of Curses!
"Perhaps there is room for collaboration between us," the King of Curses continued slowly. "If you've investigated my footprint in this world since my birth, you should know I have never harmed an innocent human. Unless absolutely necessary, I don't even use my abilities. I am actively seeking a path of coexistence with humanity... and I am confident I can achieve it."
"A Cursed Spirit actively trying to integrate into human society?" Yuki sneered. "Is Hakari really blinded by such blatantly obvious lies?"
The King of Curses sighed. "Tsukumo-san, you harbor a deep prejudice against me."
"Shouldn't I?" Yuki's voice turned ice-cold. "I vividly recall your little self-introduction. You are the manifestation of humanity's curse upon humanity. You are the King of Curses. You are a once-in-a-millennium highly intelligent Cursed Spirit. You are not human; you represent a brand new evolutionary branch for Curses. Furthermore, you possess the ability to 'force evolution.'"
"Don't try to tell me you haven't used that ability on yourself. Don't tell me you haven't used it on other Curses. Let me ask you this: aside from yourself, exactly how many highly intelligent Cursed Spirits do you have under your command right now?"
"Regardless of how many intelligent Cursed Spirits are under me, they are my family. They obey me, the 'Head of the Family,' absolutely. Without my explicit order, they will never attack humans," the King of Curses replied calmly.
"You are as naive as a child!" Yuki snapped coldly. "The moment you created intelligent Cursed Spirits other than yourself—no, from the very moment of your birth—you effectively became the second dominant, highly evolved species on this planet. Do you remember how America treated the Native Americans?"
Because the United States was currently Japan's geopolitical 'big brother,' Yuki had once harbored a deep fascination with it. It was the very first country she visited after leaving Japan. She had meticulously studied American history and knew it like the back of her hand. She pressed the phone to her ear with one hand, unconsciously clenching her other hand into a fist. Her voice was as chilling as a millennial glacier.
She declared:
"James Madison said the Native Americans must be exterminated, that one should be executed every ten minutes."
"William Tecumseh Sherman said, 'The only good Indian is a dead Indian.' Richard Henry Pratt said, 'Kill the Indian, save the man.'"
"What exactly do you think you are doing? Do you view yourself as some grand saint, forging a utopia where humans and Cursed Spirits walk hand-in-hand in perfect harmony?"
Yuki's voice steadily rose, finally exploding like thunder. "Don't make me laugh!"
"This is a war of species! Victory can only be claimed through absolute extinction! This planet will never permit the existence of a second dominant species!"
"The rhetoric the Founding Fathers of America used against the Natives can be seamlessly applied to you. In fact, reacting to you with even greater brutality would be entirely justified. Did you think this was a petty squabble over morality or justice? No! This is a war of survival between civilizations. It is two prides of lions colliding in the wilderness!"
Mahito fell silent.
In the original canon, Yuki Tsukumo was not just a stunning woman with an overwhelmingly dominant aura; she was a visionary idealist. She wanted to eradicate Cursed Spirits completely and had proposed multiple theoretical paths to achieve it. But she wasn't just a theorist—she was a woman of action. The Shikigami Cursed Tool she wielded was the direct result of her own research.
She had once entertained the idea of equipping every normal human on Earth with a Shikigami Cursed Tool to help them regulate their Cursed Energy leakage. Ultimately, she abandoned the idea because the production costs were astronomically, impossibly high.
Even her own Cursed Tool was born purely from her own peerless technical genius. How could normal humans replicate that? Even if the technology was provided for free, complete with dedicated instructors, the Jujutsu world operated entirely on innate talent. It was like advanced mathematics: you either grasped it, or you didn't! It was more counter-intuitive than quantum physics and relied more heavily on pure instinct and luck than chemistry.
Even with Yuki personally teaching them, a normal human could spend their entire life and still fail to forge one. Mass production was a pipe dream. When that path proved a dead end, she simply searched for the next one. If Kenjaku hadn't hijacked the timeline, she would have dedicated her entire life to fulfilling her dream.
While her Innate Technique seemed like nothing more than a simplistic, brute-force stat multiplier, she was fundamentally a Grandmaster of Jujutsu. She possessed profound mastery over universal techniques and was an all-around unparalleled genius.
However, the original canon never once highlighted her political acumen.
Now, this terrifying, cold-blooded political pragmatism was laid bare before Mahito for the very first time.
Mahito knew negotiating with her wouldn't be smooth sailing, but he hadn't expected her to violently sever all paths to compromise mere seconds into the conversation.
*Right. I almost forgot. This woman holds the most extreme, radical stance against Cursed Spirits in existence.*
Mahito realized that no amount of rhetoric would sway her. She was fiercely intelligent, possessed absolute clarity of purpose, and was fundamentally uncompromising. Words could not shake her resolve.
Unless he forcibly overwrote her mind with the [Thought Imprint]... but he would have to capture her alive first, which created an impossible paradox.
Mahito sighed. "I apologize, Tsukumo-san. I underestimated you. It seems we have no choice but to meet on the battlefield in the future. Goodbye."
"No, wait!" Yuki panicked, breaking out in a cold sweat. She was too used to blunt, unfiltered aggression. She was the kind of woman who would flip off the Jujutsu Headquarters without a second thought and scream curses at an ancestral deity like Master Tengen.
But right now, ideological debates were entirely secondary! Her absolute priority was meeting the King of Curses face-to-face! If she didn't see him, how could Tengen lock onto his coordinates?!
Yuki violently rubbed her face, forcefully softening her tone. She spoke into the phone, "I think some things are better discussed in person."
Mahito remained silent for a long time before asking, "Tsukumo-san... do I look like an idiot to you?"
*Dammit! I totally blew it!* Yuki clicked her tongue.
She could practically hear Tengen chuckling from afar. *Goddammit, I ruined it! The chance to break the deadlock was right in front of me!*
"Is there truly no room for negotiation?" her tone grew drastically weaker.
"What is there left to negotiate?" Mahito asked. "You have already scorched the earth between us."
"Perhaps... perhaps..." Yuki began to stammer, completely out of her element. She was genuinely terrible at this kind of manipulation. Her canonical fate proved it: when facing Kenjaku, even knowing Tengen's defense plan was deeply flawed due to missing intel, she still placed her total trust in Tengen and followed the plan anyway. It resulted in her dying a horribly frustrating death, failing to even deploy her Domain Expansion.
"But... I will still meet you," Mahito suddenly said.
Yuki froze. "Why? You know with absolute certainty that I will set a trap."
"Because I will never reject anyone who seeks an audience with me," Mahito said, his voice laced with a smiling, arrogant edge. "My ultimate destiny is to become the supreme sovereign of both humans and Curses. Why would an Emperor fear granting an audience to his subjects? I shall step into the light and embrace all praise and all hatred, all light and all darkness. I want the entire world to witness my every move and behold my absolute resolve to reign supreme."
Yuki was dumbfounded. She was practically speechless.
She had always known the King of Curses harbored monumental ambitions—that was obvious from his title alone. Anyone calling themselves the King of Curses wasn't planning to bow to anyone. He was destined to spark a catastrophic tidal wave, devouring everything in his path, ultimately sweeping across the globe like a hurricane, a landslide, a tsunami.
But she assumed he would only make such a grand move when he possessed the overwhelming power to back it up.
If the King of Curses was just an uneducated, wild Spirit, Yuki wouldn't be surprised. She would just laugh at his monumental arrogance for daring to challenge a Special Grade Sorcerer just because he wiped out the Zen'in clan. The moment she met him, she would grant him a swift, merciful death, and perhaps harvest his corpse to forge a new Cursed Tool.
But he had a master. Ashiya Sadatsuna absolutely knew the terrifying weight of the title 'Special Grade.'
There was only one logical explanation Yuki could deduce: "Are you... confident you can deal with Satoru Gojo now?"
"At the very least, escaping him won't be an issue," Mahito replied.
"Do you comprehend that Gojo is the fastest entity in the Jujutsu world?" Yuki said coldly. "You think you can just run away? Even if you flee to Mars, Gojo will catch you."
It was a pure bluff. She had no actual idea if Satoru Gojo could survive a trip to Mars, but she was entirely confident that if it was necessary, Gojo would somehow find a way to do it. Her threat was backed by absolute conviction.
"Tsukumo-san," Mahito asked suddenly. "Are you afraid of me?"
Yuki flinched.
"You are a Special Grade Sorcerer. You should possess absolute, unshakeable confidence in yourself," Mahito said flatly. "So when exactly did you start calculating what happens *after* you lose to me... and relying on Gojo-san to clean up the mess?"
Yuki took a deep, shuddering breath, violently forcibly calming her chaotic emotions.
*Am I afraid?* Yuki asked herself.
The answer came to her immediately, and entirely unsurprisingly. *Yes. I am genuinely afraid.*
She was terrified of this Cursed Spirit who agreed to meet her with absolute confidence, without a microsecond of hesitation. Yuki was certain the King of Curses was no fool. In other words, if he agreed to meet her without forcing a Binding Vow of non-aggression, it proved he possessed the absolute capability to control the situation. Even if a lethal battle erupted on the spot, he was confident he could retreat safely... or even kill her.
The unknown breeds terror, and terror breeds hesitation.
Yuki knew absolutely nothing about Mahito's combat deck. Naturally, she defaulted to extreme caution. This mirrored her canonical actions: despite heavily doubting Tengen's plan, she still strictly followed it against Kenjaku.
"You are far sharper than I anticipated, Curse," Yuki said slowly. "You're right. I shouldn't fear you. You should fear me. Since you refuse to reject my audience, name the time and place. You set the stage, and I will come alone."
"I don't trust you, Tsukumo-san," Mahito said.
"I figured," Yuki replied, entirely unfazed. "You want me to swear a Binding Vow? Fine. Name your terms. Do you want me to vow never to attack you? To wipe my own memory of everything except our conversation? Or something else?"
Yuki had long prepared for this exact demand.
"Three Vows," Mahito stated.
Yuki's heart sank. The fact that the King of Curses could instantly list three highly specific conditions proved he had anticipated this entire exchange. He had meticulously laid the groundwork, waiting for Yuki to jump straight into the trap! And Yuki had no choice, unless she was willing to discard the only lead she had fought so hard to obtain.
Yuki felt a chilling sensation, as if the King of Curses had woven a colossal web, and she was nothing but a trapped insect waiting for the spider to descend.
The King of Curses spoke with slow, methodical precision: "First, you will instantly forget the 'Time and Location' after hearing it."
"Second, you will arrive at my location completely undetected, relying solely on your subconscious memory of the 'Time and Location.'"
"Third, you will come entirely alone."
Yuki's mind raced at blinding speed, instantly deciphering the King of Curses' true objective:
"The location you've chosen isn't in Japan. It's overseas! You know Tengen is monitoring me, and you are actively evading her! You have a spy deeply embedded within the Jujutsu Headquarters—one with high enough clearance to know about my covert alliance with Tengen!"
*...Wait, we've actually alarmed Tengen already?* Mahito was genuinely shocked for a fraction of a second, but instantly buried the reaction.
However, Yuki was right about one thing: Mahito had absolutely no intention of meeting her on Japanese soil. It was way too dangerous! Satoru Gojo was currently in Japan. A clash with Yuki Tsukumo would be astronomically more destructive than the Zen'in massacre. Erasing a few mountains was a highly probable outcome, and if things escalated, they might even trigger localized earthquakes.
Japan was completely off the table. He had to go overseas.
It was the exact same logic the Zen'in clan had used. They specifically waited until Gojo was deployed overseas on a mission before engaging Mahito in all-out war.
Japan was simply too small for Satoru Gojo. If a catastrophic battle erupted while Gojo was in the country, Gojo would inevitably intervene. A massive war could only occur on Japanese soil when Gojo was absent.
Conversely, as long as Gojo remained in Japan, he would be entirely blind to battles occurring in foreign countries. The ultimate strategy to evade Gojo wasn't just to trick him into leaving the country—it was to leave the country yourself! Japan wasn't the only nation on Earth.
"Believe whatever you wish, Tsukumo-san," Mahito chuckled softly.
*Tengen, you massively screwed up.* Yuki swallowed her bitter complaints.
She pondered the terms for a moment and suddenly realized a glaring omission. "You didn't include a condition forbidding me from attacking you?"
She instantly understood the terrifying implication. Her voice dropped to absolute zero. "You're using me as a stepping stone. You want to test the upper limits of a Special Grade Sorcerer to prepare for your eventual fight with Gojo?!"
"Isn't that exactly what you want as well, Tsukumo-san?" Mahito asked calmly. "Weren't you planning to use this meeting as an opportunity to instantly eradicate me?"
Yuki was rendered speechless. Her anger instantly evaporated.
"Since both of us know exactly how this meeting will end, we will both come fully prepared," Mahito said slowly. "Tsukumo-san, none of my intelligence networks possess detailed data on your Innate Technique. I only know that you possess catastrophic physical strength, capable of solving almost any problem with pure brute force. Furthermore, you are an absolute Grandmaster of universal Jujutsu. Shikigami, Barrier Techniques, Cursed Energy reinforcement—you are flawless in all of them. If brute force fails, you simply switch to universal techniques."
This was the absolute truth. Mahito's *spy network* hadn't provided him with any intel on Yuki Tsukumo—but Mahito himself knew her canonical abilities perfectly.
The psychological warfare against Yuki Tsukumo had already begun. He continued:
"Your Reverse Cursed Technique output is also phenomenally high. What would be a fatal injury to others is barely a scratch to you. Suicidal, mutually assured destruction tactics are completely useless against you."
"I cannot find a single exploitable flaw in your combat profile. If there were a textbook standard for a 'Special Grade Sorcerer', you would be the perfect model. Hand-to-hand combat, Cursed Techniques, survivability, kinetic mobility—you lack absolutely nothing." Mahito smiled. "I am very much looking forward to meeting you, Tsukumo-san."
"On... the battlefield," he finished.
Yuki Tsukumo took a deep breath, a fierce, predatory smile spreading across her face. "As am I, King of Curses."