Their bodies were healed, their stamina and Cursed Energy recovered, and their minds soothed.
Even the crushing pressure of their surroundings vanished as both of them were rapidly restored to peak condition.
Unfortunately, the feeling disappeared almost as quickly as it came.
It lasted less than three seconds before fading along with the rainbow-colored motes around Sakiko.
Makoto instinctively stared at her face with an almost pleading expression.
A faint blush appeared on Sakiko’s cheeks.
“I-I don’t know how I triggered it!” Makoto was just about to suggest trying another hug when the screams around them and the stench of blood reminded them that they were standing on a battlefield that had only just fallen silent.
Sakiko hurriedly looked toward the injured civilians.
A trace of sympathy flashed across her face.
“Should we…
help them?” Makoto took a deep breath.
“What if they’re just NPCs in a game?” Sakiko’s eyes widened.
“What does NPC mean?” “Remember what Chen Guohao said?
Lots of people have entered this world before us to train and fight.” “If that’s true, this world should’ve been completely thrown off course by now.” “But everything still seems to be following the original storyline.” “So either this world can reset itself, or we’re only training inside some kind of Mirror Space.” “Simply put, you don’t necessarily have to think of the people here as real.” Sakiko nodded slowly, temporarily persuaded by Makoto’s explanation.
Makoto, however, hadn’t convinced himself at all.
‘If the people in Jujutsu Kaisen are only NPCs, then what does that make Sakiko beside me?’ ‘When she returns to her own world, will she actually be able to change her circumstances?’ ‘If she can, wouldn’t that completely disprove what I just said?
Wouldn’t that mean all these screaming people are genuinely living human beings?’ With that thought, Makoto tried activating Making Fake Become Real.
To his surprise, it actually worked.
[Ding!
Making Fake Become Real has activated.] [Lie detected: “They’re just NPCs in a game.”] [Calculating listener trust and Fate Value…] [Togawa Sakiko: Fate Value 45.
Trust: 50%.
Manifestation contribution: 22.5.] [Total Manifestation Points: 22.5 / 100.] [Manifestation rate: 22.5%.] [Manifestation result: All living beings in this world who have not formally participated in the storyline temporarily gain the NPC Attribute.] [Killing them may now produce Loot Drops.] Makoto’s pupils contracted.
‘My Talent actually affected the entire world?’ ‘Isn’t that completely absurd?’ A change this enormous could potentially interfere with the operation of the entire world.
‘When this mission ends and I return, is the Main God Space going to punish me for this?’ For a moment, even Makoto’s hands and feet turned cold from the terrifying implications of his own ability.
Sakiko noticed his pale expression.
She realized that while Makoto had been trying to reassure her, he was carrying an enormous amount of pressure himself.
She gently took hold of his wrist.
“Let’s go.
We should leave this place first.” “Whether they’re NPCs or not, protecting ourselves is the most important thing right now.” Thinking about the miserable situation waiting for her back home, Sakiko pushed aside the rest of her sympathy.
In this world, the only person she could sincerely care about was Makoto, the teammate who had fought beside her.
Makoto nodded and led Sakiko toward an area with a lower concentration of Cursed Energy.
Unfortunately, the streets of Shibuya had already become a living hell.
Finding anywhere truly safe was becoming nearly impossible.
As Makoto guided Sakiko around Cursed Spirits and Transfigured Humans, he continued processing what had just happened.
There was no point worrying about how absurdly powerful his Talent might be.
His priority was surviving and earning as many rewards as possible so he’d have more cards to play after returning.
As for whether the Main God Space would see him as some kind of anomaly…
‘It’s not like I can fight back right now anyway.
I might as well stop worrying about it.’ “Oh, right.
Did you get a reward just now?” Noticing the heavy mood, Sakiko deliberately changed the subject.
“I killed that invisible monster and received one hundred Mission Points.” Makoto returned to his senses and looked at Sakiko’s smiling face.
He hadn’t received anything.
‘So only the person who gets the kill receives the reward?’ That made sense.
He and Sakiko had only formed an unofficial team themselves.
The Main God Space clearly didn’t recognize them as formal teammates.
But that didn’t mean Makoto couldn’t get a share.
He casually smiled.
“If you receive a reward, then of course I’ll receive the same reward too.” [Ding!
Making Fake Become Real has activated.] [Lie detected: “If you receive a reward, then of course I’ll receive the same reward too.”] [Calculating listener trust and Fate Value…] [Togawa Sakiko: Fate Value 45.
Trust: 50%.
Manifestation contribution: 22.5.] [Total Manifestation Points: 22.5 / 100.] [Manifestation rate: 22.5%.] [Manifestation result: Whenever Togawa Sakiko receives a reward, you will also receive 22.5% of its value.] Almost the instant the text vanished, twenty-two Mission Points appeared from nowhere on Makoto’s system panel.
As for where the remaining half point had gone…
‘The Main God Space probably just rounded it down and pocketed the difference.’ No system notification accompanied the appearance of those Mission Points.
That only made the strange feeling in Makoto’s heart grow stronger.
“That’s good.” Sakiko visibly relaxed.
“We’ll probably face more battles from now on.
If both of us get rewards, then we won’t end up fighting over them.” At this point, Sakiko valued their partnership almost as much as staying alive.
Makoto, meanwhile, had already realized just how terrifying the rewards his Talent might generate in the future could become.
He felt like a gambler sitting at a table.
On one side was a prize large enough to tip the entire balance.
On the other was the possibility that the casino owner would discover him cheating and simply kill him.
‘So what am I supposed to choose?’ The answer was obvious.
‘Idle Death Gamble!’ After all, the SSS-rank Talent Making Fake Become Real was already his.
He didn’t really have a choice.
“Sakiko, there’s something we need to decide before we go any further.” Makoto’s serious tone immediately made Sakiko straighten as well.
“Go ahead, Kitano-kun.” “From here on, do we keep hiding and focus only on surviving, or do we deliberately take risks to earn more rewards?” “The first option has become much easier.” “But the second will be extremely dangerous.
We’d have to approach major characters from the storyline who could kill us effortlessly.” Makoto expected Sakiko to hesitate for a long time.
Instead, she answered after only three seconds.
“Kitano-kun, can we easily leave the Main God Space?” “Obviously not.” “Then my answer is simple.” Sakiko looked directly at him.
“I’m willing to take the risk with you.” “After all, if I’m not willing to put everything on the line, how could I ever claw my way out of a hopeless situation?” …