Idle Transfiguration

In this gut-wrenching standoff, Kana Shizumi felt as though he could hear his own heartbeat.

What should he do?

How was he supposed to bluff his way through this? Someone with Kenjaku's personality definitely wouldn't be easy to fool, yet he had no means of escape at hand...

Heh, could they make peace?

Just as those words nearly slipped from his mouth, another unfamiliar female voice came from behind Kenjaku.

"Are you not done yet? If this drags on any longer, it might attract the attention of jujutsu sorcerers."

A pale-skinned, abnormally tall humanoid thing walked over.

Black patterns like branches and leaf veins covered its entire body. It had no lips, leaving it permanently in a tooth-baring grimace.

Hanami, one of the Four Calamities.

Since it had no eyes, Kana Shizumi had no idea where it was focusing. He only watched as it looked around for a moment before speaking calmly.

"Now that the person is awake, take him away quickly. Do not waste time."

Jogo jumped down from the stool and headed off in front without looking back.

Kenjaku tilted his head, then shrugged as if helplessly shaking his head before turning to leave as well.

Kana Shizumi was left standing there alone, wearing a bewildered expression.

Huh?

Why had they suddenly stopped "testing" him?

Out of nowhere, a cold arm looped around the back of his neck. Mahito bumped into him and tucked him under his arm.

This guy had no body temperature. Up close, Kana Shizumi could even smell a subtle, indescribable stench of rot.

"Sorry, sorry~ Did I scare you? Hahaha, your reaction just now was super interesting!"

Mahito's right hand waved lightly before his face, his teasing tone like that of a smug child who had successfully pulled off a prank.

"Why would we distrust someone Kenjaku recommended? That was just the usual welcome ritual for newcomers."

So—

"Let's get along from now on, okay? I feel like I'd really click with someone like you."

Fuck, it was like a cursed reaction image shoved right in his face...

Forcibly suppressing his discomfort, Kana Shizumi put on a strained smile.

"I-I'll try..."

"Haha, no need to be so formal~ Then I'll follow Kenjaku's instructions and finish my task first."

As he spoke, his hands came together and pressed toward Kana Shizumi's head.

Idle Transfiguration.

"...?!"

Holy shit, are you going to knead me into a ball?!

"You don't need to be so nervous. Right now, your identity is still that of a victim. Your whole family is dead, and only you are wandering around wearing the victim's face. Wouldn't that cause a lot of trouble?"

So—

"I'll lend you a hand."

Mahito's technique, Idle Transfiguration.

By touching a soul, it could directly twist or alter it.

Under normal circumstances, ordinary people would die from such violent modification, or because their souls no longer matched their bodies...

Ordinary people normally could not perceive souls, and the same was true even for jujutsu sorcerers.

So if one only coated one's body in cursed energy while neglecting the soul, it was easy to get instantly killed by Mahito.

All he could say was that this guy's ability was insidiously overpowered.

But Kana Shizumi's situation seemed somewhat different from that of ordinary people.

"I see. The soul of a half-human, half-cursed spirit is a little unusual. I can feel that the shape of your soul is quite elastic too... Is this the 'appearance of your previous life' Kenjaku mentioned? Hmm, then I'll change you according to this."

Mahito's palm gently pushed forward, making a light pressing motion as though kneading dough.

Then...

Kana Shizumi felt his body writhing.

Literally.

His flesh rolled, his bones warped, and his organs continuously contracted and twisted... His entire body seemed to be dismantled in an instant, then crudely twisted into a specific shape.

"Okay, take a look. Satisfied?"

With a wave of Mahito's left hand, the flesh around his forearm twisted into a flesh-colored mirror.

Seeing that familiar face from his previous life in the reflection, Kana Shizumi parted his lips but could not speak for a long while...

There were too many things to complain about. He did not even know where to begin.

"Thanks..."

"Haha, you're welcome."

The facts proved that normal humans still found it difficult to understand the thinking of cursed spirits and thousand-year-old monsters.

As Mahito gradually walked away as well, Kana Shizumi knew he had to follow. He stood still and looked toward the wreckage strewn across the ground.

They had suffered disaster for no reason at all.

But that was also the fate of ordinary people in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen... Kana Shizumi silently pressed his palms together, sighed, and bowed.

Namu San. May you be reborn soon...

Following his memories back to the room, he briefly packed his luggage and took along some clothes. Kana Shizumi formally bid farewell to his past.

As he followed Kenjaku and the others away, he also listened to the conversation among the people ahead...

They seemed to be discussing where to send him.

"Though he is someone you brought, I do not yet consider him a companion. Spare me from having to travel with him."

"You're surprisingly stubborn..."

Kenjaku shrugged, his gaze naturally falling on the other two.

Mahito volunteered by raising his right hand and shouted eagerly.

"Me, pick me! Let me team up with this newcomer! It sounds like it'll be fun!"

Kenjaku's gaze passed straight over Mahito and landed on Hanami behind him.

"Hanami, take him along on this mission... Let him get a little training and test what he is made of. What do you think?"

The broad, taciturn Calamity merely nodded in silence.

It seemed to have no objections.

Kana Shizumi had no objections either. Of course, he simply felt that there was no point in speaking up...

After all, with Jail Mom assigning him work, all he could do was accept it.

This was the worst possible time to act like a thorn in their side.

"Then that settles the assignment, yes? Does anyone else have any objections?"

I do!

Kana Shizumi would be lying if he said he was not uneasy when he did not even know what he was supposed to do.

But considering that nothing he said would likely be taken into account, and that saying too much might let Kenjaku notice something wrong, the person in question ultimately gave up struggling.

He would take things one step at a time.

"Here, keep your ticket safe."

Looking at the paper ticket Kenjaku handed him, Kana Shizumi saw the words "Direct to Kyoto" written on it, and his expression became somewhat subtle.

Was the mission location Kyoto?

No, compared to that, another issue was even more concerning.

"...W-we're taking a bus?"

Kenjaku wore an expression as if it were only natural.

"Of course. Did you think I would send you there like some magic trick?"

He smiled and waved his hand, speaking casually.

"That would leave traces of cursed energy. There is currently a rather troublesome person active on Jujutsu High's side... So we still need to proceed carefully."

So that was why they were traveling by overnight bus?

Running errands for a thousand-year-old monster without even getting official transportation—what a failure!