"Don't make me repeat myself."
"Geto… he slaughtered everyone in the village."
At Jujutsu High, the principal Masamichi Yaga—who was also the teacher of Satoru Gojo, Shoko Ieiri, and Suguru Geto—calmly repeated the report to Gojo, who had come to confirm the truth.
"Not just the village. Geto's parents' home as well…"
"Judging from the remaining blood traces and the lingering cursed energy, it was most likely Geto's doing."
"That's impossible!!"
Gojo shouted at his teacher in disbelief.
But when he saw the pain and helplessness buried deep in Yaga's eyes, Gojo opened his mouth—yet found himself unable to say anything.
Gojo gripped the absurd report in his hand so tightly that his fingernails dug into his flesh, drawing blood.
Across the page, streaked with scarlet, the printed words remained clearly visible.
Village Resident Death Investigation:
112 villagers died at the hands of cursed spirits.
Analysis of cursed energy and residual traces indicates the culprit to be Suguru Geto's Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique.
Motive: Unknown.
Disposition: Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer Suguru Geto has defected. Sentence: Death penalty.
Zenin Clan – Conference Room
One advantage of being a major power was that information always arrived quickly.
After scanning the contents of the report, Mirai slightly curled his lips.
It seemed that the butterfly wings he had stirred still hadn't affected the course of events.
The story was unfolding exactly as before.
"Make the preparations. I'll be heading out later."
Naobito paused slightly, confused as to why Mirai would suddenly want to leave after reading the report.
Especially now that Mirai had a bounty on the black market.
There were already quite a few curse users watching the Zenin estate's gates.
But remembering Mirai's current strength—and his uncompromising personality—Naobito hesitated only briefly before nodding.
"Understood."
"Oh, right," Mirai added as if recalling something.
"This will be the Zenin clan head's first outing. Make the display… impressive."
"I see."
Naobito turned to leave and relay the orders.
In his mind, he had already guessed Mirai's plan.
First he deliberately raised the bounty in the black market.
Now he was leaving the estate in grand fashion.
This was clearly a trap set for fishing.
Curse Users
Curse users weren't simply humans who had awakened techniques.
They were more like cursed spirits wearing human skin.
They ignored rules.
They ignored laws.
They acted only according to their own desires.
Unlike orthodox sorcerers who exorcised curses and secretly maintained national stability, curse users would kill sorcerers—or even ordinary people—for money.
They lurked in the shadows, evading pursuit from every major faction, reveling in their lawless freedom.
Even if the target was the head of one of the Three Great Clans, a one-billion-yen bounty would still lure out some fools desperate for wealth.
Especially when the target was only eleven years old.
To them, it looked like a chance to become rich overnight.
Zenin Estate – Main Gate
Clang!
The gates of the estate opened.
The watchers hiding in the distance instantly became alert.
"Beep… beep… beep…"
Two rows of expensive black sports cars slowly rolled out of the gates.
Ten cars in each row, perfectly aligned.
At the center of the motorcade sat an extremely conspicuous red four-seat convertible supercar.
The driver was a normal human—someone without cursed energy.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Mirai wore loose black clothing as he curiously observed the scenery outside the estate.
Since his birth, Mirai had never truly seen the outside world.
"Brother Mirai… maybe you shouldn't bring us along," Maki said quietly from the back seat, worry in her voice.
Beside her, Mai clenched her small fists.
She didn't agree with her sister.
Her little face showed both longing and hesitation.
She desperately wanted to see the outside world—but she didn't want to cause Mirai trouble.
"If you want to go out, then go see it," Mirai replied casually from the front seat.
"Don't worry about causing me trouble."
"My decisions… no one in the Zenin clan dares question."
"If anyone does—"
"Then they can die."
Mirai glanced back at the two little girls and smiled.
"Your mother is in another car."
"When we arrive, let her take you out for a walk."
Before the girls could respond, Mirai turned to the driver.
"Let's go."
The driver nodded quickly and relayed the order through his headset.
The convoy slowly entered the road, heading toward the destination Mirai had named.
At the same time, the people hiding in the shadows excitedly reported the news to the other side of their phones.
After months of surveillance…
The target had finally left the estate.
Noon — Shinjuku Streets
The weather was bright and sunny.
On a street in Shinjuku, a tall boy dressed in casual black stood beside a high school girl in a uniform, a women's cigarette hanging from her lips.
Leaning against the roadside railing, the two spoke calmly.
"I should ask at least once," Shoko Ieiri said, taking a slow drag from her cigarette.
"Did you really do all those things?"
Facing his former friend, Suguru Geto simply smiled and shrugged.
"Unfortunately… Jujutsu High didn't falsely accuse me."
"I see…"
Shoko nodded slightly.
"Then let me ask one more thing."
"Why?"
On the surface, she seemed indifferent.
But the deep bite mark on the cigarette filter revealed the turmoil inside her.
Geto narrowed his eyes as he looked at the crowds moving along the street.
"I want to create a world where only sorcerers exist."
Hearing such an absurd answer from her former friend, Shoko laughed.
Geto's calm admission shattered the last illusion she had been holding onto.
"I never expected everyone to understand me," Geto said quietly.
"I only want to create the ideal world in my heart."
"So because no one understands you, you fell into darkness?" Shoko said sarcastically as she pulled her phone from her pocket.
"How childish."
"Hello? Gojo~"
"Geto's with me right now~"
Geto made no attempt to stop her from informing Gojo.
He simply watched the crowds flowing along the street, his thoughts drifting.
Humans were the most desire-driven and darkest species on Earth.
None came close.
The negative emotions of ordinary humans gave birth to endless curses.
Sorcerers claimed to protect national stability and world peace.
But in truth—
They were merely servants cleaning up after monkeys.
Those monkeys created the curses.
Yet sorcerers had to risk their lives to save them.
Birth.
Exorcism.
Absorption.
An endless cycle.
Unless non-sorcerers were eliminated, cursed spirits would never disappear.
Just as Yuki Tsukumo once said:
Jujutsu High's methods only treated the symptoms, not the root cause.
But exterminating all non-sorcerers—
That was the fundamental cure Geto had chosen.
And currently the simplest method to eliminate curses.
"Hm?"
Geto suddenly made a quiet sound.
The crowd on both sides of the street was beginning to scatter.
Looking in the direction of their gazes, a large motorcade was approaching directly toward them.
After finishing her call to Gojo, Shoko frowned at the convoy.
"Zenin clan sorcerers?"
The windows of the black sports cars were rolled down, allowing Shoko to recognize the occupants at a glance.
Then she saw the red convertible supercar.
The boy sitting in the passenger seat looked somewhat young.
Yet his face seemed familiar.
"Zenin Mirai," Geto muttered in surprise.
"The eleven-year-old head of the Zenin clan."
Shoko froze.
Right.
That boy's portrait was currently ranked first on the black market bounty list.