Heian Era

Kana Shizumi did not reply immediately, because he needed time to process the information before him.

First of all.

How did Kenjaku know about this?

Did Hanami relay it to him? Unlikely... That guy did not even have a phone, and if he had gone to meet Kenjaku in person...

That was not right either. Given Kenjaku's temperament, he would not go through all this trouble just to toy with him. He could have come over and said these things to his face.

Then he...

"How did I know about this? Heh heh, I told you before, didn't I? Your circumstances are special, so you were the test subject I tampered with the most."

Therefore.

"I always have little methods beyond your expectations... methods to learn your exact condition. All right, stop making wild guesses. I'm here to discuss business."

Shaking his head, Kana Shizumi forcibly cut off his storm of thoughts. He quietly took several deep breaths, then spoke in as calm a tone as possible.

"Mm... I'm, I'm listening."

"Your performance and rate of growth have exceeded my expectations. Based on what you've shown, I now believe I can loosen some of your special restrictions."

Kana Shizumi felt as though he was listening to gibberish. He was completely confused.

What was that even supposed to mean?

"Through this operation, haven't you realized your own shortcomings?"

On the other end of the phone, Kenjaku lazily shifted his sitting position. Slumped there with his head tilted slightly upward, he spoke in a somewhat flippant tone.

"Your cursed energy level and the strength you can bring out are both far below normal standards... It would not be an exaggeration to say that I set all of this in advance."

Huh?!

So you sabotaged me too?!

Thinking about it, that did seem to make sense. Given Kenjaku's usual standards, anything he made by hand should at least have been at the level of a Grade 1 Sorcerer.

If Kana Shizumi could really only maintain the level of a Semi-Grade 2 Sorcerer like he did now...

Then, in Kenjaku's eyes, this would literally be a work of "underperformance."

Now that there was further development in this regard, it did fit Kenjaku's design aesthetic in a sense.

But why confess it at a time like this?

Ah...

Kana Shizumi was beginning to understand.

"So if I fail the mission, I die, and only if I complete it do I get a chance at a reward, right?"

Damn Kenjaku, always pulling this disgusting crap!

Grade 2—or rather, Semi-Grade 2—was indeed not much to look at in the current jujutsu world.

"But there is a reason for it. Because you are not yet a complete form in the literal sense... Muku, I left everything related to you at an address. I won't give you any missions for the next few days. Go investigate it yourself."

Having said that, Kenjaku promptly hung up.

Beep.

In its place came a text message with an extremely simple message.

Sender: Kenjaku. Its contents read:

"Rokudo Chinnō-ji Temple"

Staring at the message, Kana Shizumi frowned and tightened his grip on the phone.

The facts proved that Kenjaku not only cared about him, but the exact opposite was true... That prison mom had probably put no less thought into him than Itadori.

Yet at the same time, the two seemed to be following entirely different paths of development.

The Tiger Emperor would have Sukuna ruthlessly whip him into shape in the future, but what about Kana Shizumi? Kenjaku was personally training him!

There was even a comparison group, apparently.

"So what exactly is this restriction wrapped around me?"

Kana Shizumi could not find an answer for now. He could only warn himself to proceed carefully... and postpone his plan for freedom a little longer.

At the very least, until Kenjaku was completely dealt with, Kana Shizumi probably had no chance to "switch sides."

I want to be a good person too, damn it!

Amid his lamenting, Kana Shizumi summed up the gains from this operation.

His use of Crimson Blood Manipulation had become far more versatile, and he had also gained some unallocated free attribute points... As for those, he was in no hurry to assign them.

He could wait until he had saved up a little more, or use them for a last-minute boost when needed.

"Only a few months remain... I need to hurry. By the time the plot begins, I need to reach at least the level of a Grade 1 Sorcerer."

About half an hour later.

Hanami brought over a large pile of medicine, from which Kana Shizumi selectively took a few items.

Specifically, anti-inflammatory medicine and bandages.

Due to his somewhat special physique, Kana Shizumi had already completed the "hemostasis" process not long ago.

The oral medicine was mostly to prevent later infection, while the bandages covered wounds that had not yet healed, so he would not look too miserable.

"And a change of clean clothes."

"Oh, thanks... Where did you get them?"

"Ordinary people can't see me anyway, so I just took a few from a supermarket."

So there was some zero-cost shopping too...

All he could say was that cursed spirits really could live more freely in this respect.

After giving it some simple thought, Kana Shizumi told Hanami everything about his conversation with Kenjaku. After learning the full story, Hanami nodded slightly to show understanding.

"Understood. Then I'll take the finger back... Be careful while you're operating in Kyoto."

"Yeah. Once I'm done here, I'll return to Tokyo and meet up with you all."

In any case, he could contact Kenjaku whenever he wanted, so even after returning to Tokyo, he would not have to worry about being unable to find the organization.

Hanami helped move Kana Shizumi to a wilderness area near where people lived. Then, without saying a word, Hanami hitched a ride and left.

The truck driver glanced suspiciously at his rearview mirror, unable to stop looking toward the cargo bed—he did not know if it had been an illusion, but the whole truck seemed to have suddenly become much heavier?!

Kana Shizumi sorted through his wallet, found twenty thousand yen, then considered things before finding an empty corner to rest for a while.

Fighting people in PvP was quite mentally exhausting, and it was necessary to restore his energy.

When he woke again, it was nearly ten at night. Kana Shizumi found a nearby Yoshinoya restaurant to settle down in first.

These chain restaurants were open twenty-four hours a day. If he entered during off-peak hours, Kana Shizumi could easily linger until dawn before leaving.

After casually ordering something to fill his stomach, Kana Shizumi used his phone to search for "Rokudo Chinnō-ji Temple."

This was what made a modern setting convenient: whenever uncertain, use a search engine.

Looking through the pictures and descriptions, Kana Shizumi quickly formed a systematic summary.

Rokudo Chinnō-ji Temple...

This was the entrance to Toribeno, the largest burial ground in Heian-kyo.

According to legend, from around the Heian Era onward, this place had been regarded as the boundary between the world of the living and the underworld.

Within the temple was a famous well that led to the underworld... Legend said that Ono no Takamura had used this well to travel back and forth from the realm of the dead.

—It sounded rather mystical.

But Kana Shizumi focused on the historical period.

"Something that has existed since the Heian Era..."

It perfectly matched Kenjaku's active timeline, so what exactly had he left there?

And it was connected to me too...

Remembering Kenjaku's words before he hung up, Kana Shizumi could not help imagining some unrealistic possibilities.

Was prison mom really going to give me a gun?