Jujutsu Kaisen: Yearning to Become an Immortal God — Chapter 23

"Ah, one more thing." Mahito suddenly said to Kinji Hakari, "Please give Mei Mei a call."

"Mei Mei?" Kinji Hakari frowned in thought. "Her technique is Crow Manipulation, right? Is her technique worth your attention?"

"It's a fairly convenient technique, but that isn't what interests me." "Then?"

"Mei Mei's younger brother, Ui Ui. His technique is what interests me." Mahito smiled. "As long as I obtain Ui Ui's technique, and I create my Vessel, then I can... test the mettle of the strongest of the modern era, Satoru Gojo."

Ui Ui's technique was teleportation.

With a wave of his hand, he could wrap himself and his target in a curtain and instantly teleport from Japan to the United States. In terms of escape capability, it even surpassed the spatial gate Kenjaku possessed, both in precision and range.

As long as he obtained Ui Ui's technique, Mahito could fight Satoru Gojo without any reservations—because even if he could not beat him, he could outrun him.

Besides that, there were several other techniques he could make time to contact.

Before this, because Soul Creation had to follow the rule of only being able to use one technique, Mahito had not been in a hurry to acquire techniques apart from a limited few. There was no point in obtaining them otherwise; he might as well specialize in several techniques.

But if Mahito truly created a perfect Vessel, things would be different.

There were many interesting techniques in this world with tremendous potential. Used in combination, they would not lose to Limitless.

"Resonance," Ten Shadows Technique, Cursed Speech, Tsukumogami Manipulation, Puppet Manipulation, Ratio Technique, Poisonous Luck Storage, Strength-Weakness Reversal, Construction, Boogie Woogie, Love Rendezvous, Probability Fluctuation, Copy, Blood Manipulation, Solo Forbidden Area, Sound Amplification, Projection Sorcery...

Naturally, Mahito's own Idle Transfiguration could not be left out.

Satoru Gojo, could you withstand this endless array of techniques?

Human Malice Surpasses the Immortality of Cursed Spirits

Having made up his mind, Mahito immediately took action.

The first step was contacting Mei Mei and Ui Ui. It was simpler than he had imagined, because Mei Mei was an absolute money-first person. As long as the price was right, everything was negotiable.

After a single phone call from Kinji Hakari, Mei Mei agreed to bring Ui Ui to the meeting. Of course, business was business. Kinji Hakari was not working for Mahito for free; he wanted benefits as well.

"New Humans. That's his reward—he hopes to become a New Human."

According to Mahito, New Humans were a species of half-Cursed Spirits. They possessed all the advantages of Shell Spirits without losing their physical bodies.

After becoming a New Human, one no longer needed to eat or metabolize. All energy requirements could be replenished through the Cursed Energy permeating the atmosphere. Even after suffering a fatal wound, as long as one did not die on the spot, the injury would slowly heal over time.

Most importantly, there was immortality.

Upon becoming a New Human, one automatically gained immortality. This was the ultimate pursuit of emperors and generals, yet for New Humans, it was merely the most basic thing. So what was the price?

The price was mental deterioration.

Even if the body could maintain immortality, could the human mind withstand eternity? Even Mahito could not say for certain. Of course, that was just being melodramatic. You were already immortal—were you really afraid of mental deterioration? In Mahito's words—

"With coffee and a computer, shut-ins can live until the end of the world. Are you worse than a shut-in? Mental deterioration? Where would that come from?" Incidentally, under Mahito's influence, Kinji Hakari had begun to enjoy reading manga.

With a cup of coffee and a computer, he could live until the end of the world too. Then, one week later, Mei Mei and Ui Ui finally met Mahito.

They had arranged to meet at a coffee shop. Since it was not the weekend, the café was very quiet. Only a few scattered customers sat inside, while a college student-looking man was bent over a table writing a thesis. The atmosphere was peaceful. At that moment, Momo Nishimiya pushed open the coffee shop's door.

Mahito immediately raised his hand and called loudly with a broad smile, "Over here! Over here!" The server beside him had no choice but to remind him, "Sir, please keep it down."

"Sorry, sorry. I was just too excited." Mahito clasped his hands together and apologized with an innocent expression. He was the Lord of Curses. Mei Mei watched Mahito.

Mahito was still dressed in that white shirt, his long white hair hanging loose. One of his eyes was gold and the other blue, both glimmering faintly beneath the coffee shop lights.

Though he was a Cursed Spirit, Mei Mei had to admit that he had a high nose bridge, bright eyes, slender brows, and a flawless face. His skin was as clean as pure snow, and he was handsome enough to make any woman's heart stir faintly.

His expression was relaxed, his smile natural and closed-lipped. He was elegant and quiet. As long as he did not speak, he was undoubtedly a beautiful sight. Unfortunately, the moment he opened his mouth, it was as though a rainstorm had struck that scenery, making him seem frivolous and annoyingly punchable.

This feeling... that was right, it was Satoru Gojo. He was a beautiful man like Satoru Gojo.

Mei Mei brought Ui Ui before Mahito. Kinji Hakari sat beside Mahito, looking bored. Upon seeing Mei Mei, he raised a hand in greeting.

"You're finally here. I was getting tired of waiting. Now that my job as the intermediary is done, I'll be leaving—" Before Kinji Hakari could finish, Mahito immediately cut him off.

"Kinji has already become a New Human, you know. He's the sincerity I brought. Look, take a good look. Aren't there no side effects at all?" "...Say, I'm technically one of your subordinates, right? Is that human trafficker tone really okay?"

Come to think of it, when had he started calling me Kinji? When we first met, he called me Hakari-san. Then after we fought, he called me Hakari. Now, after only one week, he was calling me Kinji. Was the next step calling me A-Kin like Kirara did?

Kinji Hakari thought this guy was far too familiar for someone he had just met, but he did not object to the name.

This was why Mei Mei had come in person. New Humans.

A race destined to step onto the world stage had appeared before Mei Mei. If this King of Curses was not lying, this alone could earn her more money than she could spend in several lifetimes. Even knowing that contacting him now was dangerous, she could not resist coming personally and bringing Ui Ui with her.

Her money-first principles would not allow her to ignore this invitation. Even with a certain degree of risk, she had still chosen to come.

With Ui Ui present, they could instantly leave if danger arose. Mahito's request was very simple.

"As long as you let me touch my sister's and my skin, you'll give both of us a place among the New Humans... Are you serious?" Ui Ui stared at Mahito and asked bluntly.

Mei Mei and Ui Ui sat opposite Mahito. No server had needed to come over; two cups of coffee and several desserts had already been set before them. It seemed Mahito and Kinji Hakari had arrived some time ago and had politely prepared the drinks.

Mei Mei lightly touched her coffee. It was still warm, at just the right temperature—as though they had accurately calculated when she would arrive.

"That's right. Very simple, isn't it? Just let me touch your skin, and I'll give the two of you places among the New Humans. Whether you use them yourselves or sell them to someone else, the right of use is yours. Use them however you please. It's an excellent deal, isn't it?" Mahito smiled brightly, his voice as light and distant as drifting willow catkins, like the clear cry of a dolphin from far away.

Mei Mei admired the Lord of Curses' face, then looked at the impatient Kinji Hakari. "That is... a New Human." She spoke softly.

If one had to say what was different about Kinji Hakari from before, there was only one thing.

A tiny wyvern was lying limply on Kinji Hakari's shoulder. Small wings grew from its back, horns sprouted from its head, and fine scales covered its entire body. It looked like a baby Dragon.

This tiny Dragon emitted the exact same Cursed Energy fluctuations as Kinji Hakari. A shikigami? A clone? The effect of a technique?

No, it was different. It was almost like—

"Kinji Hakari, that is 'you,' isn't it?" Mei Mei looked at him with interest. It was not a clone, but a half-body.

Kinji Hakari's brows rose, and he laughed.

At the same moment he grinned, the baby Dragon also opened its eyes, bared its teeth, and smiled.

"..." Mei Mei had to admit that the sight was somewhat unsettling. Mahito explained from the side.

"Compared to Cursed Spirits, human souls are much harder to alter. If one forcefully changes them, there is a high chance of severe aftereffects. In terms of the soul's toughness, human souls are indeed inferior to Cursed Spirits. Perhaps because humans have the protection of their bodies, their souls have become lax in their defenses."

"Unfortunately, even I cannot turn someone into a New Human completely free of side effects in a single step."

Though he was speaking of something regrettable, Mahito looked rather pleased with himself. Mei Mei understood why.

It was actually easy to infer. Since Cursed Spirits had no bodies, their souls and minds were exposed for long periods. To maintain their stability, their souls had to be extremely resilient. Thus, Cursed Spirits could defend against soul-targeting attacks better than humans.

Precisely manipulating a human soul and granting it immortality had to be a hundred times harder than doing so for a Cursed Spirit.

In fact, Mahito had once stated outright that Cursed Spirit souls were tougher than human souls. Human souls were fragile; a single careless mistake could kill them.

Yet Mahito had still accomplished it. That was indeed something worth taking pride in, even being proud of. "I wonder if you have heard of Yuki Tsukumo's fighting style?" Mahito suddenly asked.

"The fighting styles and techniques of Special Grades are highly classified. Even if one deliberately investigates, it is difficult to gather complete information." Mei Mei spoke calmly, not denying her ignorance. "So unfortunately, I do not know."

As for why Satoru Gojo's technique, despite him also being a Special Grade, was widely known, that was entirely Gojo's own fault. He had never had any intention of hiding it. Whoever asked, he would explain his technique in detail, without the slightest fear.

Yuki Tsukumo's technique had only been revealed during battle at the very end. Before that, even Kenjaku, a curse user of a thousand years, had never gathered specific intelligence on it. That showed just how thoroughly her technique had been concealed.

"Yuki Tsukumo has a shikigami Shell Spirit linked to her own Cursed Energy. It is called the Shell Spirit Garuda, also known as Garuda. As a Shell Spirit-based shikigami, it can serve as a target for Yuki Tsukumo's technique apart from herself and use the same technique in sync."

Mahito spoke at length, explaining all of his reasoning.

"My inspiration for transforming humans into New Humans came from Yuki Tsukumo's Cursed Tool shikigami. Since humans cannot temporarily undergo complete New Human transformation, then what if it is done through a shikigami linked to a human?"

Mei Mei looked at the baby Dragon on Kinji Hakari's shoulder and carefully sensed its Cursed Energy level. If she had not seen it with her own eyes, she would have almost been unable to sense it. In other words, this shikigami half-body placed almost no burden on a jujutsu sorcerer. Even sustaining it twenty-four hours a day should not be a problem.

But it was not the owner supplying Cursed Energy to the shikigami. On the contrary—

"The function of this shikigami is to absorb Cursed Energy from the atmosphere and supply it to its owner." Mahito spoke unhurriedly. "Through this slow but safe method, the shikigami will gradually transform its owner into a half-Cursed Spirit lifeform."

"Because it can independently replenish energy from the atmosphere, eating will gradually become unnecessary, as will metabolism. And because the transformation and circulation involve Cursed Energy, cellular aging will stop. All energy will be completed through Cursed Energy circulation. Once it reaches a certain stage..."

Mahito made a gesture of invitation, allowing Mei Mei and Ui Ui to closely observe Kinji Hakari.

"...humans will transform into organisms that need only absorb Cursed Energy from the atmosphere to survive independently. From then on, they will not age, need not eat, and will not suffer lasting injuries. As long as they are not killed, they can live forever."

"That is the New Human I promised."

Mei Mei slowly breathed to calm her emotions. She understood the principle.

Mei Mei was not one of those old scholars of the Jujutsu Society, so she did not understand complicated jujutsu theory. But Mahito's explanation was simple and clear. Even a sorcerer like her, who only partly understood such things, could grasp the logic clearly and found it convincing.

"Are there any other side effects?" Ui Ui asked. "For example, mutated limbs, warped minds, or personalities leaning toward Cursed Spirits?"

"That is why the shikigami must be arranged." Mahito pointed to the baby Dragon on Kinji Hakari's shoulder. "This baby Dragon was personally shaped by Kinji. I linked it to Kinji's soul and transformed it into Kinji's half-body."

"When the time is right, the baby Dragon will completely merge with Kinji. Kinji will then possess both the spirit form and his original body. Since this shikigami is linked to Kinji's soul, it will be regarded as the same entity, allowing it to use Kinji's technique and even his Domain Expansion."

At this point, any sorcerer could understand.

If there were any side effects, they could be observed through the shikigami. There would naturally be ways to remedy them then. If the shikigami functioned normally and remained problem-free, it meant the process of becoming a New Human was proceeding without issue.

This shikigami was equivalent to an external organ for a sorcerer, making it easy to monitor the process.

Mei Mei nodded in satisfaction. It was indeed a good method—safe, and any problem could be detected quickly. Then, whether one severed the link and remained an ordinary human, or sought Mahito's help to continue becoming a New Human, would be a matter of choice.

Thus, Mei Mei had only one question left.

"I understand how this is safe and convenient for sorcerers, but what about ordinary people?" Mei Mei asked. "Ordinary people cannot control Cursed Energy and have no techniques. How would they become New Humans?"

Kinji Hakari suddenly asked, "Mei Mei, have you watched Digimon?"

Mei Mei blanked. What was that?

Ui Ui suddenly brightened. "Mr. Kinji Hakari watches Digimon too?"

Kinji Hakari said excitedly, "This shikigami is our Digimon! You know Digimon Frontier, right? I'm Takuya Kanbara, and my shikigami is the Spirit of the Flame Warrior!"

Ui Ui said in delight, "I see, I understand now!" What exactly did you understand? Mei Mei stared expressionlessly and said nothing.

Mahito could not help laughing. "It seems Miss Mei Mei does not understand young people's trendy topics. That won't do. I hear Satoru Gojo understands these things very well. You need to keep up too."

Mei Mei sighed. "Fine, that is indeed my problem. I'll watch Digimon when I get home. It's called Digimon Frontier?"

Ui Ui straightened his body. "Sister, I'll watch it with you." "Mm-hm, Ui Ui is wonderful." Mei Mei smiled.

"It is Ui Ui's honor to help ease Sister's burdens!" Ui Ui beamed, his eyes shining.

There was definitely something wrong with these siblings. Mahito and Kinji Hakari had the exact same thought, so in sync they might as well have been brothers.

Ui Ui explained, "What Mr. Kinji Hakari means is that this shikigami has nothing to do with whether someone is a sorcerer. It is merely an external organ for absorbing Cursed Energy and modifying the body."

"Ordinary people cannot freely control their own Cursed Energy like sorcerers, but even ordinary people can produce Cursed Energy. As long as they can produce Cursed Energy, they can use this shikigami. There is no requirement for someone to be a sorcerer to become a New Human."

Kinji Hakari applauded vigorously. "As expected of a fellow fan. That explanation gets full marks."

Ui Ui tried to suppress his smile, but the corners of his lips were still raised. He looked expectantly at Mei Mei. Mei Mei gently stroked Ui Ui's head, and Ui Ui instantly smiled so broadly that his eyes disappeared.

Mei Mei suddenly asked, "If the entire world became New Humans, would Cursed Spirits no longer be born?" The entire room fell silent.

Ui Ui and Kinji Hakari both froze. Neither had ever considered that possibility.

Cursed Spirits were born because countless ordinary people could not control the Cursed Energy within them, allowing it to dissipate into the atmosphere. Through atmospheric circulation, this Cursed Energy with nowhere to go gathered together and ultimately formed manifested curses—Cursed Spirits.

Based on this theory, there had once been a Special Grade curse user who proposed an idea.

"Why not kill every ordinary person and leave behind only sorcerers who can control the flow of their own Cursed Energy? Wouldn't that eradicate curses?" The theory was correct, but far too insane.

The practitioner of that extreme ideology had been Suguru Geto.

No sorcerer in Japan could possibly not know that man. This Special Grade curse user had personally begun the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, sending countless Cursed Spirits into densely populated cities for indiscriminate slaughter.

He had not targeted sorcerers, but ordinary people. He wanted to kill every ordinary person in the world and leave only sorcerers behind.

Eradicate curses! That was his great cause.

Yet now, the same theory had produced a different result.

The King of Curses, this extraordinary Cursed Spirit, had personally proposed a method to eradicate Cursed Spirits. How ironic.

Kinji Hakari muttered softly, "...That's right. If the whole world really became New Humans, then Cursed Spirits truly would be eradicated. Theoretically speaking, there is no problem with that."

Ui Ui's eyes widened. "A problem that has plagued jujutsu sorcerers for a thousand years was solved by a Cursed Spirit?"

Mei Mei took a deep breath, pressed her legs together, lifted her chin, and straightened her posture. Her hands naturally rested between her knees as she unconsciously sat more formally. "Lord of Curses, do you wish to eradicate curses?" she asked in a low voice.

"You..." The Lord of Curses smiled. It was a perfectly natural and elegant smile, yet Mei Mei felt a bone-deep chill.

He said, "Aren't you underestimating humanity too much?"

Mei Mei froze. "Underestimating humanity?"

"Human curses run a hundred times deeper than Cursed Spirits'." Mahito spoke with profound meaning.