“Everything should be fine now.
I’ll be taking my leave.”
Kaito waved goodbye to Toji’s family, intending to wrap up a long day.
But just as he stepped out the door—
Thump.
He nearly slammed into a “wall”… no, a walking “mountain.”
“Excuse me, is this Toji’s detective agency?
I’d like to request an investigation into—”
The tall woman with radiant golden hair stopped midsentence.
Her gaze landed firmly on Kaito.
Unblinking.
Unconcealed.
Like she had just struck gold.
Kaito felt a faint chill run down his spine.
He instinctively took a step back.
“Um… is there something on my face, ma’am?”
“Are you… Gojo Kaito?”
Before he could process what was happening—Whoosh!
A golden whirlwind descended upon him.
Before everyone’s eyes, the woman scooped Kaito right off his feet, pulling him into a tight embrace and burying his face straight into her ample bust.
“Oh my goodness!
Who would’ve thought you’d be such an adorable little boy!
Come here, let big sister hug you!
You smell so nice!”
“Hey—wait—ma’am—!
Calm down—!
Let me go—!”
Kaito’s voice choked mid-sentence, “buried alive” by her overwhelming enthusiasm.
In the corner of the room, Toji leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his lips curling into a smirk.
“Look at you, acting all dignified, but you’re quite the lady-killer, Kaito.”
Kuina stood beside him, covering her mouth with a soft giggle:
“Looks like Tobu’s about to have a formidable rival.”
“Why are you dragging Tobu into this?!
Are you two just going to stand there and watch?!
Help me—!”
His cries for help were completely ignored.
After a prolonged round of “coddling” like he was a pet, the blonde woman finally consented to let Kaito go.
He stumbled back onto his feet, his hair thoroughly disheveled, his eyes hollow as if he had just survived a major accident.
Yet—no apology.
No explanation.
She placed her hands on her hips, leaning down to look him straight in the eye.
Her expression turned serious… unusually so.
“Oh dear, I got so carried away I almost forgot the main point.
Kaito, I have a very important question for you.”
The atmosphere in the room instantly shifted.
Toji stopped laughing.
Kuina fell silent.
Kaito adjusted his posture, his expression hardening.
An investigation request?
A secret?
“What’s your type in women?”
…A long pause ensued.
The ceiling fan hummed quietly, creaking steadily.
Kaito froze in place.
His brain… refused to process the input.
Ever since this woman walked in, logic had been tossed straight out the window.
He slowly turned to look at Toji—
Who was ducking his head, shoulders quivering violently, holding back laughter so hard his face turned bright red.
.
.
.
“So, you’re Yuki Tsukumo.
18 years old.
You originally came here to hire me to investigate Kaito… only to find him already here.”
“Yep.” Tsukumo nodded, then turned to Toji as if suddenly remembering something.
“Ah, Toji, what’s your type in women?”
“My wife.”
Not a single second of hesitation.
“My, my~” Tsukumo raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips.
“Saying that makes the rest of us jealous.”
Instantly, Katen and Kyokotsu materialized behind Toji, each clamping onto one of his arms like an “internal disciplinary committee.”
Toji knit his brows, but didn’t even bother resisting.
Kuina stood by the side, letting out a faint sigh.
This scene… was all too familiar.
“Well, you two make yourselves at home today.” She turned around, her tone light and airy.
“Hearing Toji say that puts my mind completely at ease.”
With that, Kuina walked straight toward Tsumiki, who was holding Megumi, having zero intention of returning to the “battlefield.”
Tsukumo watched her go, giving a soft whistle:
“My, my… for a place like this, things sure are wild here.”
“Do you really have the right to say that?” Kaito replied coldly.
Because right now—
He was still being held in a firm bear hug from behind.
Unable to budge.
If it were anyone else, they might have turned green with envy.
A beauty with striking looks akin to a Hollywood actress, a killer figure, taking the initiative to press so close…
In Kaito’s case—
This was pure torture.
Her scent was undeniably pleasant.
The feeling… wasn’t exactly uncomfortable either.
The problem was—
He couldn’t break free.
He had tried.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried.
He physically couldn’t.
Tsukumo’s arms locked around him… impossibly heavy, completely defying her slender build.
If he used full force—
There was a good chance he might injure her.
“Will you let go of me now?” Kaito said, his voice losing its patience.
“You had business with me, right?”
“Can’t help it~” Tsukumo giggled, squeezing a bit tighter before finally letting go.
“Are you really 13 years old?
So small and cute.
If I had a younger brother, I’d want him to be just like you.”
“…Let go.”
“Alright, alright.”
She let out a dramatic sigh of disappointment… but finally unclasped her arms.
Kaito instantly backed away, taking a deep breath as if he had just escaped a death trap, casually adjusting his clothes and checking his body out of instinct.
“I snapped a picture.” Toji spoke up, his voice dripping with amusement.
“I’ll show it to little Tobu when she comes by.”
Kaito ignored him.
He looked up, his composure returning as he locked his full attention onto Tsukumo.
This person… was extremely dangerous.
“That was your technique just now, wasn’t it?”
“Sharp.” Tsukumo narrowed her eyes, her smile turning a fraction sharper.
“As expected of the Six Eyes.”
Kaito didn’t answer, continuing in a steady, even voice:
“From what I know… there’s currently a female sorcerer being considered for Special Grade.
The first of this era.
All information regarding her has been completely suppressed.”
He paused briefly.
“Given that ‘bizarre’ technique earlier… I’m guessing that’s you.”
“Oh?
Am I really that famous?” Tsukumo chuckled without a trace of modesty.
“Though you don’t need to be so guarded,” she shrugged.
“Special Grade is just a label those old coots at headquarters slap onto people who are ‘abnormal.'”
Her eyes deepened slightly.
“Compared to Limitless or the Ten Shadows Technique… I might not necessarily win.”
Kaito didn’t argue.
Because he understood clearly—
Special Grade wasn’t an ordinary rank.
It didn’t rely on experience.
It didn’t rely on seniority.
It was measured by a single metric:
Whether one possessed the capacity to overthrow a nation.
“I understand.” Kaito gave a slight nod.
“However, your strength… is not something to be taken lightly.”
His gaze locked firmly onto Tsukumo.
“You’re like… a black hole.”
The air suddenly grew heavy.
Tsukumo narrowed her eyes, truly evaluating Kaito for the very first time.
“Cute on the outside…” she muttered, “…yet terrifyingly perceptive.
Your scientific knowledge isn’t half bad either.”
Kaito didn’t elaborate further.
But in his mind, he had reached a conclusion.
Mass.
Or gravity.
And if pushed past its limits of control—
It could collapse… into a black hole.
“Alright, then.” Tsukumo clapped her hands together, breaking the tense atmosphere.
“I didn’t come here today to talk about myself.”
She took a step forward, her gaze sweeping past Kaito… and resting on Toji.
“I came here because of you, Kaito.”
A beat.
“And… partly because of you too, Toji.”
Toji knit his brows slightly upon being dragged into the conversation.
“If I get the chance… I’d love to conduct a thorough study on both of your bodies.”
“Hey.” Toji sneered.
“Are you that desperate for a man?
If so—”
“Not that kind of study,” Tsukumo interrupted nonchalantly.
“Though that does sound pretty tempting.”
She tilted her head, her eyes shining with genuine intrigue.
“What I want to study… is the Heavenly Restricted body that you two possess.”
The air grew quiet.
Both Kaito and Toji’s expressions shifted, however subtly.
Tsukumo noticed, the corners of her lips curling upward.
“Interested now?
Then let me tell you two a story.”
She brought a finger lightly to her lips, her voice slowing down as if explaining a fundamental truth—
“Do you two know why cursed spirits are born?”
“From the negative emotions of human beings,” Kaito answered instantly.
“Precisely.” Tsukumo offered a gentle smile.
“Smart kid.”
She reached out her hand to pat Kaito’s head.
Tap.
Kaito had already taken a half-step back in advance.
Her hand froze in mid-air.
Tsukumo raised an eyebrow… then burst into a laugh.
“Fine, fine, no more touching.”
She continued:
“As long as humans live… negative emotions are inevitable.
Sorrow, resentment, jealousy, envy…”
Her tone lowered.
“And those very things… give birth to cursed spirits.”
“However, there’s an interesting detail.”
Tsukumo’s eyes sharpened.
“Only non-sorcerers… leak the energy that forms cursed spirits.”
Kaito and Toji both fell silent.
This information was new.
“Jujutsu sorcerers have cursed energy,” Tsukumo explained.
“However, they can control the flow of cursed energy within their bodies, channeling it through their techniques.”
She held up one finger.
“Which means… virtually no leakage.” Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
Her eyes directed their focus straight at Kaito.
“Get where I’m going with this, ‘little brother’ Kaito?”
Kaito didn’t answer immediately.
But his expression had changed.
“…If all non-sorcerers were to become jujutsu sorcerers…” he spoke slowly, “…then cursed spirits would cease to be born.”
Tsukumo smiled.
A genuine smile this time.
“I’m liking you more and more.”
She turned around, shoving her hands into her pockets, her voice light as if recounting a daily triviality—
“That was the very first approach I thought of.”
A beat.
“And then… reality slapped me awake.”
She shrugged.
“The volume of cursed energy is innate.
The brain structure required to use a technique is the same.
It’s not something you can alter just because you want to.”
Her eyes flicked across both of them.
“Besides, I’m not crazy enough to… rewire the brains of all humanity.”
“I’d think…” Kaito remarked, “…that if you found a method, you actually would.”
Tsukumo froze for a split second.
Then let out a laugh.
“Terrifyingly sharp, aren’t you?”
“So, I shifted to a second plan.”
The air in the room grew heavy.
“Completely eradicating cursed energy.”
She looked straight at the two before her.
“Making everyone… just like you two.”
“Kaito.”
“Toji.”
Both remained silent.
No refutation.
No agreement.
Only thought.
“Heavenly Restriction… isn’t entirely unheard of,” Tsukumo continued.
“There are cases where cursed energy is traded away in exchange for physical specs.”
“However—”
Her expression grew unusually stern.
“Lacking even a single speck of cursed energy… like you two…”
“I’ve never seen it.”
“No… it’s more accurate to say it hasn’t appeared once in over a thousand years of recorded history.”
She turned toward Toji.
“I’ve heard about you.
Using your five senses to ‘see’ cursed spirits… like a living sensor system.”
Then she looked back at Kaito.
“And you… possess the Six Eyes.”
An illogical combination.
An existence that shouldn’t be.
“If I can replicate your condition…” Tsukumo spread her arms wide, her eyes gleaming, “…then an ideal world could be born.”
“A world… free of cursed spirits.”
Total silence fell over the room.
“So there you have it.” Tsukumo lowered her arms, looking directly at the two.
“How about partnering up with me?”
Kaito didn’t answer right away.
He stood still.
His eyes lowered.
“Hmm…” Kaito let out a faint breath.
“Your ideal… is certainly admirable.”
“Yet… it remains nothing more than an ideal.”
“Huh?” Tsukumo knit her brows.
Kaito wasn’t in a rush to answer.
He looked straight back at her.
His gaze was calm… yet cold.
“First off, suppose you succeed in turning every non-sorcerer into a Heavenly Restriction user.”
He paused briefly before continuing:
“Setting aside whether it’s even achievable…”
“…I foresee a future far worse than the present.”
“Why?” Tsukumo asked, her voice dropping an octave.
“Do you need me to spell it out?”
Kaito’s gaze flicked over to Toji.
“Thousands… or even millions of ‘Tojis’ populating society.”
“What do you think would happen?”
No one answered.
“Social order collapses,” Kaito said plainly.
“Violence escalates.
Laws become meaningless against individuals capable of tearing them apart with their bare hands.”
He turned back to Tsukumo.
“You want to eliminate cursed spirits to protect humanity.”
“Don’t lose sight of that objective, Yuki.”
Silence blanketed the room.
Tsukumo caught herself, visibly stunned.
As if she had just been dragged back to reality.
Beside them, Katen rested her chin on her hand, smirking mockingly:
“Hear that?
To Kaito, my master… isn’t exactly a shining beacon of virtue either.”
“Hmph.” Toji frowned.
Hit right where it hurt.
Indefensible.
Kaito didn’t stop there.
“As for your initial plan—turning every non-sorcerer into a jujutsu sorcerer…”
He shook his head slightly.
“The outcome… wouldn’t be much different.”
Tsukumo remained quiet.
“You know one thing full well.
Jujutsu sorcerers… and the current cursed energy system exist almost exclusively in Japan.”
“Abroad, they are exceptionally rare.”
His eyes turned sharper.
“If one day… all of Japan were transformed into ‘mutants’… what do you think the rest of the world’s superpowers would do?”
No answer was required.
“A genocide… would be utterly inevitable.”
A heavy weight hung in the air.
Currently, jujutsu sorcerers are merely a minority and their existence is kept secret, so the issue isn’t critical yet.
However, what if their numbers surge to encompass the whole of Japan?
No one likes having someone standing above them; fear, envy, jealousy…
these will inevitably trigger war, discrimination, and even illegal biological experiments to seize that power.
Tsukumo fell into deep thought.
This time… she didn’t offer a single rebuttal.
Because every word Kaito uttered—
Was brutally correct.
“Then…” Tsukumo spoke up, her voice noticeably lower, “…is there really no way to change this rotten world?”
Kaito didn’t answer immediately.
He looked at her and said softly:
“No.”
A beat.
“There is a way…”
Tsukumo gasped.
“Listening to what you just laid out…”
Kaito’s gaze deepened.
“I see two paths.”
“Path one… exterminate all non-sorcerers.”
BAM!
Tsukumo slammed her hand onto the table.
“What?!”
The tension in the room instantly stretched like a drawn bowstring.
Kaito remained entirely calm.
“Calm down.
I’m not crazy enough to advocate for that.”
He glanced at her, his tone flat:
“It’s true that in theory… it’s the fastest route.
But it’s also the stupidest.”
Tsukumo stayed silent.
“Our entire current civilization… was built by non-sorcerers,” Kaito continued.
“If they disappear, humanity will immediately regress to the primitive era.”
“And even if you manage to wipe them all out…”
His eyes grew sharper.
“Can you guarantee… that future generations won’t give birth to non-sorcerers again?”
“Non-sorcerers… are born from humanity itself.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“Like me.”
“Like Toji.”
Toji let out a soft “Hmph.”
“Spot on.”
“So…” Kaito concluded, “…that approach doesn’t solve the root cause.”
Tsukumo didn’t object.
This time, she was genuinely processing it.
“…Then what’s the second path?”
Kaito didn’t answer with words right away.
He raised his hand—
Pointing toward Katen and Kyokotsu standing beside Toji.
Tsukumo followed his finger.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“Those two…?”
“No… they aren’t human.”
Only now did she truly realize—
Their existence… resembled a “soul” far more than a living entity.
Kaito gave a slight nod.
“While researching and forging the Soul Slayer Blades…”
His voice lowered.
“I discovered a different form of energy.”
“I call it…”
“Spiritual Energy.”
The air shifted subtly.
“Unlike cursed energy—which stems from negative, chaotic emotions…” Kaito said slowly, “…spiritual energy is far more stable.
Cleaner.”
“And in theory…”
He looked straight at Tsukumo.
“Every soul… possesses spiritual energy.”
Tsukumo didn’t interrupt.
She simply listened in silence.
“My Soul Slayer Blades…” Kaito raised his hand, his eyes deepening, “…currently still use cursed energy as ‘raw fuel.'”
“Much like…”
He shrugged lightly.
“…Gasoline refined from crude oil.”
“However—”
“What operates internally… is spiritual energy.”
His gaze flicked over Katen and Kyokotsu.
“Spiritual energy circulates within the blade.”
“Enhancing the strength of its wielder.”
“Or… creating physical manifestations like them.”
Tsukumo drew in a soft breath.
She was beginning to understand.
“When the master dies…” Kaito continued, “…a Soul Slayer Blade that has achieved Shikai will fade away.”
“Its spiritual energy disperses as well…”
“Becoming harmless particles in the air.”
A closed-loop system.
No pollution.
No leftover waste.
Kaito looked directly at Tsukumo.
“Do you get my point now?”
A moment of silence.
Then—
Tsukumo’s eyes widened. The source of this chapter is novelping.com.
“…If cursed energy… can be converted into spiritual energy…”
Her voice trailed off softly.
“Or—”
“If everyone… possessed a ‘mechanism’ to process cursed energy in that manner…”
She clenched her fists.
“…then cursed spirits would cease to exist entirely.”
Kaito offered a slight nod.
“Precisely.”
No further explanation was needed.
Tsukumo stood motionless.
For the very first time—
Not out of mere curiosity.
But because…
She had just glimpsed a real path forward.
A path that didn’t require destruction.
Didn’t require forced evolution.
Rather…
conversion.
“…Ha.”
A laugh escaped her lips.
Quiet at first.
Then growing louder.
“Haha…”
Her eyes shone, almost wild with excitement.
“To think… such a direction actually exists…”
Tsukumo fell silent for a moment.
Evidently, she had been thoroughly convinced.
However—
Her brows knit together slightly.
“This is the best plan I’ve ever heard,” she said slowly.
“Yet… problems remain.”
Kaito wasn’t surprised.
“Name them.”
“First.” Tsukumo held up a finger.
“The current Soul Slayer Blades… you’re producing them manually.”
“Even if you improve the process to mass-produce them later… distributing them to the entire Japanese population—”
She shook her head.
“…let alone the entire world… will take an eternity.”
“Second.”
A second finger went up.
“A brand-new arms race.”
Her gaze sharpened.
“Those who possess powerful Soul Slayer Blades… will form a new ruling class.”
“And history… has never treated such societies kindly.”
A beat.
“Finally…”
She looked straight at Kaito.
“A soul… once it receives spiritual energy…”
“Will it undergo any unexpected mutations?”
Silence fell over the room.
Kaito crossed his arms, contemplating for a brief moment.
Then answered.
“The first two issues… aren’t a major cause for concern.”
Tsukumo raised an eyebrow slightly.
“Even if full distribution is impossible…” Kaito said, “…as long as a sufficiently strong segment of the population possesses them, they can handle the vast majority of cursed spirits.”
“Which means… the core goal of mitigating risk to society is still met.”
He paused briefly.
“As for an ‘arms race’—”
Kaito shrugged lightly.
“It has always existed.”
“With or without Soul Slayer Blades… humans will always find ways to power over one another.”
His gaze turned faintly cold.
“History has already proven that.”
Tsukumo offered no counterargument.
“…What about the third issue?”
“Duly noted,” Kaito said frankly.
“Because I myself… don’t have an answer to that yet.”
A brief silence.
“For now… I’m still just someone exploring the boundaries of ‘spiritual energy.'”
The heavy mood softened.
Tsukumo exhaled softly.
“I see… there really is no such thing as a perfect plan.”
Kaito looked straight at her, his voice softening reassurance.
“There’s no perfect plan.
We can only choose the best option within our capacity.”
Tsukumo paused, then let out a light laugh.
“You speak… way too maturely for your age.”
She tilted her head, her tone returning to her half-joking self.
“Honest truth… if you weren’t so young, you’d be right up my alley, Kaito.”
A beat.
“By the way, you still haven’t answered me.”
“What’s your type?”
Kaito thought for a moment.
“Hmm… my type in women?”
He shrugged.
“I don’t pay much attention to that.”
“Though if I had to say…”
His gaze lingered for a split second.
“I have a soft spot for women who are strong.”
“And tall.”
“Eh~?” Tsukumo instantly broke into a wide beam.
“Aren’t you describing me?”
She leaned in close.
“Falling for big sister on our first meeting, little brother Kaito?”
Off to the side—
Toji raised an eyebrow slightly.
Strong.
Tall…
He flicked his gaze in another direction, an amused look flashing in his eyes.
The corner of his mouth twitched upward.
“…”
Kaito cleared his throat, interrupting the moment.
“Among the things you mentioned earlier… there was one point I caught.”
The atmosphere immediately shifted back to serious.
“You said… in over 1,000 years, there has never been a recorded case like Toji and me.”
“That’s right.”
“Where did that information originate?”
Kaito narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Even the Three Great Families… only have a recorded history going back around 800 years.”
“Anything further back… belongs to legendary figures.”
Tsukumo smiled.
“And that… is the second reason I came here.”
She tilted her head.
“You know Tengen, right?”
“The one who established the entire barrier system across Japan today,” Kaito answered.
“Organizations like Jujutsu High and the Three Great Families… exist partly to protect that entity.”
“Spot on.”
Tsukumo’s eyes deepened.
“And do you know what?”
“She has lived for over 1,000 years.”
“Thanks to an immortality technique.”
Kaito stayed quiet.
“…And she asked me to bring you to see her.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Tsukumo looked directly at him.
“From your origins… to the Soul Slayer Blades you forged…”
“In over 1,000 years… Tengen has never seen anything like it.”
“Hence the invitation.”
Kaito pondered for a moment.
Then gave a faint nod.
“I don’t mind.”
“Though… not right now.”
“I’ll definitely visit once my affairs are wrapped up.”
“Please pass that message along.”
Tsukumo shrugged.
“Will do.”
The two extended their hands.
A handshake.
A temporary agreement was struck.
“Well then, we’re done.” Kaito withdrew his hand.
“You may run along—”
“Who said I was leaving?”
“…Huh?”
Tsukumo offered a smile.
Not the playful banter from earlier.
“After today’s conversation…”
She looked straight into Kaito’s eyes.
“I know now.”
“You’re my destiny.”
The air froze for a second.
“So… I’m tagging along with you for a while.”
Kaito stayed silent for two seconds.
“…Just like that?”
“What about Tengen?”
“Forget about her,” Tsukumo waved her hand dismissively.
“Someone who’s lived a thousand years can wait a bit longer without dying.”
“I’m leaving this place soon,” Kaito knit his brows.
“This is Toji and his wife’s house.”
“Like I said,” she shrugged.
“I’m following you, not the building.”
She took a step forward.
“Where you go, I go.”
Kaito looked at her.
A momentary sense… of pure helplessness.
“…”
Behind them—
Toji leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk.
What he had just witnessed…
Far exceeded anything that could be labeled “normal.”
If those words came to fruition—
This wouldn’t just be a minor wave.
Rather…
a full-blown revolution.
And Toji—
Wanted to see it with his own eyes.
“…”
Beside him, Katen tilted her head, her voice light as wind:
“Also…”
“Your little cousin… seems to be getting a ‘rival’ real soon.”
Toji paused.
Just a microscopic beat.
Representing a complete understanding.
Sword and master… were now spiritually attuned.
He let out a low chuckle.
“Yeah.”
“That she is.”
His gaze drifted into the distance.
“Looks like… a good show is about to start.”