Contrary to Utahime's expectations, the girl didn't take her to the outskirts of Kyoto. She had assumed they would head somewhere isolated, far from modern society and electronic surveillance, making it harder to be discovered. Instead, the girl led Utahime straight into the Upper City.
The ancient capital of Kyoto boasted a strictly stratified architectural layout. Only those with the absolute highest status and prestige were qualified to reside in the Upper City. Here, complex after complex of antique, historically preserved estates lined the streets. Walking through it felt like stepping back in time to the shogunate era.
Yet, not a single modern amenity was missing inside these walls. Everyone residing here enjoyed the absolute highest standard of luxury living this country had to offer. It was a domain exclusively reserved for the nation's supreme rulers.
And now, this girl—an intelligent Cursed Spirit—was blatantly escorting her right into the heart of it.
Utahime's face darkened. "The Jujutsu Headquarters really does have a mole working for you," she muttered.
For an intelligent Cursed Spirit with zero legal identification to reside here, someone from Jujutsu Headquarters absolutely had to be pulling strings. Furthermore, Utahime was certain this person held an incredibly exalted position within the Headquarters; otherwise, they could never have orchestrated this so flawlessly.
Forget a Kyoto Jujutsu High teacher like her; not even Satoru Gojo had noticed a thing! *Hmm,* Utahime once again cast her suspicion firmly onto Yoshinobu Gakuganji.
"Humans desire immortality, and Master can grant them that immortality," the girl replied faintly. "You shouldn't judge them too harshly. They merely want to live."
"Their continued breathing is a betrayal to humanity. If you all were genuinely 'guardians of humanity,' you would have slaughtered them on the spot!" Utahime said coldly.
"Unless absolutely necessary, we do not kill." The girl stopped in front of a courtyard gate. Before she even raised her hand to knock, a wind chime by the door let out a soft, melodic tinkle, and the gate swung open silently. "If you manage to secure concrete evidence of their crimes, we will not shield them. They will be taken to court, subjected to the condemnation and punishment of human law, up to and including the death penalty."
Utahime was gobsmacked. These intelligent Cursed Spirits were actually proponents of the legal system? Law-abiding citizens?! *Am I going insane, or has the world gone mad? One of us definitely snapped, right?*
"What kind of 'guardian of humanity' does absolutely nothing?" Utahime mocked.
She was essentially resigning herself to her fate. If she fell into the hands of this airheaded girl, she was confident she could take her secrets to the grave. But if she was handed over to Mahito, she couldn't guarantee what might be forcefully extracted from her. In truth, she was already contemplating suicide, but she feared she wouldn't even get the chance to act.
This girl's Simple Domain *still* hadn't been deactivated!
That fact alone left Utahime utterly staggered. She suspected that if this Cursed Spirit girl wanted to, she could keep her Simple Domain active twenty-four hours a day. But how?!
Utahime swore on her life, not even Ashiya Sadatsuna, the legendary founder of the New Shadow Style, could pull off a stunt like that!
The head of a little girl cautiously peeked out from the crack in the door. Upon seeing the Cursed Spirit girl, a bright smile bloomed on her face, but she flinched in fright the moment she spotted Utahime. Only after the Cursed Spirit girl gently patted her head did the little girl fully step out from behind the door.
She was an adorably pristine child, her black hair cut into a soft bob that looked as fluffy as ice cream. Her large, dark eyes were brimming with a mix of timidity and profound curiosity. She wore a red kimono, a large bell fastened to her sash, and her tiny feet were clad in tabi socks and wooden geta sandals. She looked exactly like a ceremonial attendant standing beside a divine shrine.
"Big sister," the little girl called out, stealing a cautious, fearful glance at Utahime.
Utahime's pupils contracted violently. She could see it clearly—this little girl was also a Cursed Spirit. A second intelligent Cursed Spirit! Just how many of these intelligent Curses had the King of Curses created? Her breathing grew ragged as the absolute worst-case scenario crashed into her mind—
—Intelligent Cursed Spirits had already formed a functioning society.
"Don't worry, I'm taking her to see Master," the older girl reassured the child first, before finally turning to answer Utahime's question. "We are Cursed Spirits, not humans. We do not fully comprehend the intricate rules and social contracts operating within human society. If we interfere recklessly, it is highly likely to trigger unpredictable, catastrophic futures. Because of this, we require an accurate, standardized metric for intervention. The legal system is our primary frame of reference."
Utahime's throat went dry. What did the Cursed Spirit girl really mean by that? It wasn't just superficial respect for human law. The underlying implication was far more terrifying—
—It meant they were systematically, practically preparing to rule over humanity!
And they weren't going about it by randomly imposing their will based on whims and delusions. They were actively investigating society, humanities, and ancient traditions, formulating their methods based on objective reality. This wasn't some empty, grandiose political slogan; it was a pragmatic, ironclad resolve to actually run a civilization.
How could Utahime not be terrified?
Taking a deep breath, a cold sneer formed on Utahime's lips. "Arrogant. You actually think you can get past Satoru Gojo?"
"Mr. Satoru Gojo... is not our enemy," the girl stated slowly.
Utahime froze.
"He is pursuing fairness and justice within the Jujutsu world, which does not conflict with our goals," the girl said serenely. "Quite the opposite. If Mr. Gojo is willing, we would gladly grant him immortality, allowing him to manage the Jujutsu Headquarters and freely forge the Jujutsu world of his dreams, for a thousand, even ten thousand years."
"A beautiful fantasy. Too bad Gojo would never accept you," Utahime replied coldly.
"Then, we will simply kill him," the girl said, her tone as casual as discussing the weather.
"I guarantee you, you wouldn't even dare squeak a single word while standing in front of Gojo." Utahime, assuming the girl was just profoundly ignorant, mocked her outright.
The girl looked at her quietly, her gaze perfectly straight, lacking a single ounce of evasion. With a crystal-clear voice, she said:
"I am perfectly aware that Mr. Gojo could kill me effortlessly. But that does not make me fear him. It is not that I do not understand the terror of death; it is simply that I am driven by a mission far more worthy of reverence than death. No matter how overwhelmingly powerful Mr. Gojo is, he cannot shake my resolve."
Suddenly, her eyes flared with a torrent of aqua-blue Cursed Energy, rushing like a torrential river. Utahime could even see her own reflection being violently swallowed by the raging currents within those eyes.
The girl spoke with absolute solemnity:
"When a flea jumps at a human, is it because it is overflowing with courage? No, it is merely ignorant. Only when one intimately understands the terror of death and cherishes the profound value of life, yet still resolutely marches toward their own demise—only then can it be called true courage."
"The reason I can say 'I will kill Mr. Gojo' without a shred of fear in my heart is not because I am blind to the massive chasm in our strength. It is because I have already made my peace. Even if it means my utter destruction, I will bare my blade against Mr. Gojo. That is my resolve."
The girl pushed the gate open and stepped inside. The little girl stared curiously at Utahime, but upon seeing Utahime's sudden, deathly pale face, she was startled and quickly pulled her head back, vanishing behind the door.
Utahime fiercely rubbed her face, took a massive, shuddering breath, and forced herself to calm down.
Regardless of anything else, she was about to step into the absolute heart of the intelligent Cursed Spirits' lair—the true domain of the King of Curses. The second her foot crossed that threshold, even if she died, it would be worth it!
*The rest is up to the legendary Six Eyes of the Gojo clan. My mission is already complete.*
Utahime followed the Cursed Spirit girl through the doorway, and was instantly stunned.
Just a moment ago, while peeking through the crack, she had seen the interior of a traditional courtyard. A winding path led to the main corridor of the residence, flanked by meticulously pruned trees. A small koi pond sat amidst the foliage, decorated with a bamboo *shishi-odoshi*. Whenever the bamboo filled with water, it would tip over, letting out a hollow, echoing *clack*.
But the moment she actually stepped fully through the gate, the scenery vanished. Before her lay a massive, sprawling training ground. There were no trees, no pond, and no winding paths.
In the center of the vast courtyard was a martial arts dojo. Weapons lined the edges. An old man stood at the perimeter, glaring fiercely at the people on the mat. Two twin girls, dressed in kendo uniforms, were desperately swinging bamboo swords, their faces contorted in agony.
The old man was screaming at the top of his lungs, "What the hell is that expression?! Does looking miserable help?! Does it help even a little bit?!"
"Mahito called you the 'Miracle Twins'! He placed immense expectations on you, and look at yourselves! You can't even swing a damn sword properly! Don't give me that crap about being better at Jujutsu... Bullshit! Hane-kaede is also a primary Jujutsu caster, but her swordsmanship is second only to Sha's!"
*That door was a spatial transfer portal?!*
*Crap!* Even if the Six Eyes could perfectly analyze the flow of all Cursed Energy in the world, spatial displacement was an exception. Spatial transfers only left residuals at the point of departure. The target bypassed the physical space in between entirely, arriving directly at the destination. If the distance was too vast, not even the Six Eyes could track it.
No wonder this girl had the absolute audacity to parade through the city center. She had already meticulously prepared countermeasures against the Six Eyes' tracking! *Well, I'm really dead this time. I'm going to die in a completely unmarked grave.*
The old man noticed the Cursed Spirit girl. His furious, disappointed expression instantly softened. He sauntered over to her at a leisurely pace, shot Utahime a sideways glance, and frowned.
"Who is she?"
"Master Ashiya," the Cursed Spirit girl bowed her head respectfully before introducing her. "This is a Jujutsu Sorcerer I encountered by chance during my patrol. She is highly exceptional; she was even able to discern the difference between myself and a human. She is also incredibly brave. Knowing full well I was a Cursed Spirit, she dared to approach and test me alone. She is very curious about our way of life, so I decided to bring her to see Master."
"A Jujutsu Sorcerer." The old man glared at Utahime, sizing her up. "The scent of curses on you is incredibly faint. To see through the disguise differentiating them from humans proves your perception is top-tier. A sorcerer like that is rarely weak. Yet, I don't see a single trace of battle damage on either of you. You must have deliberately let her bring you here."
*This old man doesn't recognize me!* Utahime let out a massive sigh of relief internally.
In some circles, Utahime was somewhat famous. Her Cursed Technique, [Solo Forbidden Area], was an incredibly potent support technique. Furthermore, as a teacher at Kyoto Jujutsu High, her fundamental skills were rock solid, and her network of connections was extensive.
It made sense that the Cursed Spirit girl didn't recognize her, but since she was already dragged into the heart of their base, she hadn't held out much hope of maintaining her cover.
But looking at it now, this group was even more isolated from modern Jujutsu society than she had imagined...
*—If that's the case, maybe I can survive a little longer by playing the spy.*
Utahime made her calculation. Just as she was about to spit out a fake name to bluff her way through, a massive gust of wind pressure crashed down from the sky, forcing her words right back down her throat.
Everyone looked up. A gargantuan black bird was descending from the heavens. It was a monstrous crow, easily exceeding five meters in wingspan. It slammed into the courtyard with a heavy, concussive thud.
A voice rang out from atop the crow. "Big Sister! Master Ashiya! I brought some guests back!"
The massive crow extended one of its wings, lowering it to the ground like a slide. However, the owner of the voice completely ignored the makeshift ramp and simply flew down. She possessed a pair of pitch-black wings of her own. When fully extended, their wingspan was large enough to completely envelop her body.
Saying she 'rode' a giant crow was almost redundant; she practically qualified as a giant crow herself.
Yet, her appearance possessed absolutely none of a crow's ugliness. She wore a fitted white dress shirt that aggressively highlighted her figure, an unbuttoned leather jacket draped over it, and form-fitting jeans. It was an outfit only a woman with a fiercely confident, devastatingly gorgeous silhouette would dare challenge, and this woman falling from the sky pulled it off flawlessly.
She was wildly charismatic, her curves flowing like rolling mountains, her legs long and perfectly straight. She exuded a gentle, alluring beauty, her expression laced with the intoxicating charm of a spring breeze. When she looked at you, it felt as though her eyes were shrouded in a misty allure, like a sorrowful mountain fae inviting you into her embrace.
But the moment she took action, her atrocious personality was laid bare.
Dropping from the sky, she violently tackled the Cursed Spirit girl into a suffocating hug. Being significantly taller, she only had to stand on her tiptoes slightly to aggressively bury the Cursed Spirit girl's entire head squarely between the towering twin peaks of her chest.
With her entire face virtually squished into the mountains, the Cursed Spirit girl's muffled voice rang out, "Hane-kaede. Do not act so inappropriately in front of guests."
"Ahhh, I just absolutely *love* Big Sister's overly serious personality!" The black-winged beauty moaned in sheer bliss. "Big Sister is the cutest after all!"
A tall, voluptuous woman enthusiastically calling a petite young girl "Big Sister"...
Utahime took another deep breath. *A third intelligent Cursed Spirit... No, wait, those twin girls on the training mat seem to be intelligent Cursed Spirits too. That makes five.*
Utahime felt her scalp go numb. She had thought a single intelligent Cursed Spirit on Mahito's level was enough to shake the very foundations of the world. Yet, she had literally just walked through the front door and already spotted five. Who knew how many more were deployed outside?
The horrific premonition she had felt upon seeing the little girl opening the door was rapidly becoming reality—
—This was already a fully functioning species.
The old man suddenly whipped out a bamboo sword from behind his back and viciously cracked it over Hane-kaede's skull. Hane-kaede yelped in pain and finally released the Cursed Spirit girl.
The old man roared, "Didn't I just tell you not to act like a fool in front of the guests?!"
Hane-kaede playfully stuck out her tongue, massaging her head as she finally shifted her gaze to Utahime. Utahime's mind raced, and she immediately put on a polite smile, "My name is Kami—"
"*Cough, cough*. Well, well. If it isn't Ms. Utahime Iori, teacher at Kyoto Jujutsu High. Whatever brings you here as a guest today?" an aged, croaking voice suddenly echoed from atop the giant crow.
Utahime's heart plummeted. She shot a venomous glare at the crow.
As it turned out, the giant crow hadn't extended its wing for Hane-kaede; there were other passengers. Supported by a young man, a hunchbacked old crone was slowly making her way down the feathery ramp. Her stark white hair was tied into a tight bun at the back of her head, her body painfully shriveled, her hands clasped behind her waist. Her eyes were so clouded with age she could barely keep them open, leaving only two thin slits.
Utahime recognized her instantly.
"Hah, if it isn't Granny Ogami? You actually dared to show your face in Japan? I assumed Satoru Gojo had terrified you so thoroughly you'd never crawl out of your hole again," Utahime mocked loudly.
Granny Ogami chuckled dryly, "I could say the same for you, Ms. Iori. I highly doubt you came here of your own volition, did you?"
The black-winged Hane-kaede miraculously produced a maple-leaf fan from nowhere, covering her mouth as she giggled, "Ohoho~ It seems we have a captured prisoner on our hands."
Utahime clicked her tongue violently. Her grand career as a double agent had ended before it even began.
Deciding she had nothing left to lose, she turned to the Cursed Spirit girl with self-righteous fury. "This old hag is a completely irredeemable scumbag! I swear on my life, she doesn't even kill for profit half the time—she does it purely for fun! Vermin like her existing in this world is a direct threat to human civilization! If you're genuinely the 'guardian of humanity,' you should butcher her right here and now!"
Granny Ogami waved it off dismissively. "Has your brain finally rotted, Utahime? You are standing in the absolute stronghold of Cursed Spirits, and you're spouting nonsense about 'guardians of humanity'?"
The Cursed Spirit girl suddenly asked, "Do you kill humans purely for fun?"
Granny Ogami froze.
The young man beside Granny Ogami suddenly threw himself in front of her, drenched in a cold sweat. Trembling violently, he stammered, "Granny... this woman... something is very wrong with her."
Utahime felt the prickling sensation of the Simple Domain attached to her instantly multiply in intensity. A visibly dense, terrifyingly blue aura of the Domain snapped over Granny Ogami and the youth in a microsecond. Even though the Cursed Spirit girl wasn't directly looking at Utahime, she could feel a crushing, asphyxiating pressure descending upon the courtyard, as if the sheer conceptual weight of global terror had materialized in that exact spot.
It was a hallucination that felt as if all the concentrated malice in the world was bearing down on them. No wonder the youth was so violently on edge.
Utahime shot a sideways glance at the old man out of the corner of her eye.
She remembered the Cursed Spirit girl introducing him as 'Master Ashiya'—specifically mentioning his swordsmanship was taught by Ashiya Sadatsuna, an ancient historical figure from a millennium ago. Utahime had previously brushed it off, assuming it was merely someone who shared the same name. But now, a horrifically terrifying hypothesis crashed into her mind.
*This old man... might actually be the legendary swordmaster from a thousand years ago.*
Because *only* Ashiya Sadatsuna himself could have possibly instructed a student to manifest a Simple Domain this terrifying!
The old man made absolutely zero move to intervene. On the contrary, he watched the unfolding drama with a delighted, entertained grin. Chuckling heartily, he warned, "You'd better answer very carefully, Ogami. Mahito dotes on Sha quite heavily. Even if Mahito himself was the one who invited you here, if Sha slaughters you where you stand, he absolutely won't punish her for it."
Hane-kaede covered her lips with her maple-leaf fan. Her giggling ceased, leaving only a pair of bewitching, fox-like eyes visible. Yet, the gaze within them wasn't laced with a spring breeze's allure—it was biting, absolute sub-zero hostility.
Granny Ogami instantly realized that her next sentence would literally determine whether she lived or died.
*Damn it!* The Lord of Cursed Spirits had established an incredibly stellar reputation among Curse Users, which was precisely why she had come rushing here with her guard down. To think she might get brutally executed by his subordinates before even setting foot in his presence!
Granny Ogami didn't answer immediately. Her mind raced furiously before she cautiously stated, "This old woman is a Curse User."
Sha hesitated.
Granny Ogami let out a silent breath of relief and patted the youth's back, signaling him to step down. *Excellent. She listens to reason... Thank God she listens to reason.*
The old crone straightened her hunched back, speaking with a brazen, righteous tone:
"The very ecology of us Curse Users demands that we murder and harm others. Killing is an absolute biological necessity for our survival. It is exactly the same as how you, before evolving into a Holy Spirit, operated strictly on your cursed instincts to harm humans. The only reason this old woman has come here today is to fundamentally correct my innate nature, exactly as you evolved from a Cursed Spirit into a 'Holy Spirit'."
Sha nodded slightly. "You will break free from your instincts."
"She's clearly just spewing absolute bullshit! And you just bought it?!" Utahime pointed at Granny Ogami, utterly incredulous.
Sha spoke quietly, "I understand better than anyone the absolute horror of being shackled by one's own instincts. Before being reborn and reshaped by Master, I lived in a muddy haze. I knew neither good nor evil; I was more ignorant than a feral beast. It was Master who granted me a new life, who bestowed a name upon me. I understand her completely."
Utahime's mouth twitched violently. She turned to glare at the old man. "Is this seriously how you educate your disciples?!"
The old man chuckled, "Isn't it wonderful? Or would you prefer to see a raving, psychopathic Cursed Spirit completely consumed by despair and hatred for the world? Look at how adorable she is now. Brimming with hope for society, brimming with ideals for the future, possessing an unshakable, adamantine will. She is an incredibly old-school samurai."
The old man leveled a deep, piercing look at Utahime. "Looking at an intelligent Cursed Spirit like her, doesn't it fill you with a profound sense of security?"
*Too damn much security! Now I'm actively worrying about her safety!*
Hane-kaede chimed in, "We are not like humans. From the moment we are born, we are immortal beings. Consequently, our ideals will never wither or vanish due to the ticking clock of a lifespan. Once we decide to accomplish a goal, we won't hesitate, even if it takes a thousand, or ten thousand years. We have no reason to ever fall into despair."
*Is this the terrifyingly calm composure of an immortal?* Utahime felt entirely numb.
Granny Ogami threw Utahime a sideways glance, speaking plainly, "Do not worry about this old woman resuming her activities. Very soon, this old woman will vanish from your sight entirely."
"Vanish?" Utahime frowned. "You're genuinely willing to give up killing?"
"Am I permitted to speak of it?" Granny Ogami asked.
The old man shrugged indifferently. "You don't seriously think she's ever walking out of this place alive, do you?"
Utahime clicked her tongue but didn't bother resisting.
The moment she made the choice to stand here, she was already prepared for the worst. Throwing a hysterical fit now would be beneath her. Utahime wasn't a sore loser. She stood her ground, her expression completely unchanged, treating the silent death sentence as if she hadn't even heard it.
"The Lord of Cursed Spirits recently sent out a massive recruitment call for experimental test subjects. This old woman enlisted," Granny Ogami said with a profoundly meaningful tone. "This old woman is part of the first batch—or to be strictly accurate, I am the very first. Once this old woman's results are confirmed, a massive wave of Curse Users will flock here. Who knows, perhaps every Curse User in the world will come."
"Test subjects... enlisting... every Curse User in the world." Utahime's mouth twitched. "I was under the impression the Curse User community was a bit more self-serving and cowardly."
"He promised the test subjects a true reincarnation," Granny Ogami smiled. "I mean that literally. 'Reincarnation'. To be birthed anew from a mother's womb and live a second life."
Utahime's pupils shrank to pinpricks.