Chapter 160: So Strong, Too Strong
What is the difference between the soul and the spirit?
To be honest, Emiya Shirou didn't know either. Possessing the memories of his past life, he only knew that the Stand abilities of [Pseudo-Atum] and [Pseudo-Osiris] could snatch the souls of others. Meanwhile, the Stand ability of [Pseudo-Whitesnake] targeted the spirit of a living being. It could even implant Spirit DISCs into mindless lifeforms to grant them intelligence matching that of sapient beings.
This was precisely why Emiya Shirou used [Pseudo-Whitesnake] against Special Grade Cursed Spirits like Jogo. It was because Jogo and his kin were remarkably similar to the Foo Fighters from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 6. Of course, they weren't similar in personality, but rather in their life forms.
Ordinary Cursed Spirits have no intelligence; only the "Special Grades among Special Grades" like Jogo have the potential to awaken wisdom comparable to humans. Similarly, ordinary plankton have no intelligence; only the Foo Fighters—who had been implanted with a Spirit DISC and granted a complete personality—could give birth to intelligence and, eventually, a soul.
Therefore, just as Father Pucci could kill Foo Fighters by retrieving her Spirit DISC and turning her back into mindless plankton, could Emiya Shirou use the ability of [Pseudo-Whitesnake] to take away the Spirit DISCs of Jogo and the others, turning them back into mindless, formless cursed energy?
The experiment, in the end, was a complete success. Although a sorcerer's technique is engraved into their lineage and the supernatural power of their flesh, Cursed Spirits themselves are born from human fear—meaning they are composed of negative spiritual energy. Using [Pseudo-Whitesnake] against Cursed Spirits was a matter of professional specialization. Whether it was a Spirit DISC or a Technique DISC, both could be knocked out.
So, is the Spirit DISC knocked out by [Pseudo-Whitesnake] considered the soul of a Cursed Spirit? Unfortunately, it is not. In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 6, Foo Fighters' soul remained free even after losing her Spirit DISC; it was not imprisoned within the DISC.
"So, Kenjaku, even if you saw Hanami's end and tried to evade the 'snatch' by throwing away the memories I grabbed—using the memories of whoever you've occupied or possessed over the ages—it's useless.
The Stand ability of [Atum] is different from [Whitesnake]; what it seizes is not spirit or memory, but the soul.
There is no such thing as being safe just by cutting off a portion of your spirit or memory. Unless you can abandon your soul, you cannot escape.
But if you truly choose to abandon your soul... Kenjaku, having modified yourself until only a brain remains, how much soul do you have left to discard? Could you even survive doing so?"
Through the vision granted by [Pseudo-Atum], Emiya Shirou could see that Kenjaku's soul was the shape of his true self—his brain. Although he couldn't completely pull Kenjaku's soul into his hand yet, the frustration Kenjaku felt after realizing that Emiya Shirou's technique (Stand ability) was actually Time Stop allowed Shirou to bypass Suguru Geto's body. He successfully grabbed half of the brain-soul of Kenjaku's true body.
'The left brain handles language and memory, while the right brain manages intuition and emotional expression... Now that I hold half of your brain's soul in my hand, if I were to extract it right now...
Would the corresponding region of your physical brain be affected by the stripping of the soul?'
He ignored the overwhelming swarm of cockroach cursed spirits. Whether it was [Pseudo-Magician's Red], which Shirou had not deactivated, or the cursed energy bursting from Gojo Satoru—who was no longer holding back after being caught off guard once—the result was the same. Even without using the [Limitless], the sheer pressure of Gojo's cursed energy was enough to crush the countless small cockroach spirits on the spot.
Thus, the obstacles were instantly cleared, and Emiya Shirou easily saw Kenjaku hiding behind the swarm. Without Hanami, the nature spirit, Kenjaku could no longer hide his presence effectively. But even if Hanami were still there, with part of his soul gripped by [Pseudo-Atum], Kenjaku could never escape Shirou's perception.
His attitude toward Kenjaku was different from his attitude toward the cockroaches. Although in his past life's memories, Kenjaku's end in the original story was almost farcical—dying not like a mastermind but like a minor character—Emiya Shirou never underestimated him. Rather, he viewed him with the utmost malice, treating Kenjaku's thousand years of experience and accumulated techniques as the ultimate enemy. He assumed Kenjaku definitely had some trump card hidden away.
"—[Atum]!!"
He didn't wait for total victory or for [Pseudo-Atum] to fully seize the soul. Emiya Shirou took the initiative to activate the Stand ability, ripping away the portion of Kenjaku's soul he currently held!
Even as he did this, he didn't forget to shout to the side: "Gojo!"
"...?"
"Is this... that guy's cursed energy flow is failing?
Not only that, even his movements are becoming sluggish. Did Emiya do this?"
Not only was Emiya Shirou focusing on Kenjaku, but Gojo Satoru, having fully unleashed his [Six Eyes], had also not ceased his observation. Thus, Gojo was able to see Kenjaku's abnormality the moment Shirou spoke. At the same time, Itadori Yuji and the others—who had been acting as spectators and targets of protection—began to accelerate their retreat under the influence of a certain DISC Shirou had accurately projected into their minds.
'I see, so that's your plan, Emiya?
Then what else is there for me to say?'
Gojo Satoru, having analyzed the situation rapidly with the [Six Eyes], quickly understood Shirou's intention. Almost at the exact moment Shirou spoke, Gojo's right hand was already before his face, fingers woven into the hand seal for his technique:
"Domain Expansion—
—[Unlimited Void]!!"
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