[Twisted the plot of "the traitor who traded with Mahito"]
[Reward: 5 free attribute points]
Seeing the familiar text appear before him, Kana Shizumi merely shifted his gaze away without betraying any reaction.
Just as expected...
"So changing the plot just means altering its direction. For example, Mahito was originally supposed to recruit this guy, but now I've taken his place. The rewards are acquired normally too."
The definition was broad, which meant there was plenty of room to manipulate it.
And what was with the value of this reward? A full five points? That was quite a bit more than before.
Kana Shizumi could only assume that the reward value was strongly tied to the content of the "altered plot"... So, in a sense, this kid's decision was even more important than the fate of one of Sukuna's fingers?
After thinking it over for a moment, Kana Shizumi smiled in realization.
Come to think of it... that really was true!
"How do you intend to accomplish what you just said?"
Watching the mechanical puppet question him, Kana Shizumi briefly arranged his words before opening his mouth.
"We cursed spirits have a method that can free you from this inconvenience. Make a deal with us. We'll help you regain a new life, and in return, you'll provide us with some other assistance."
His words were quite vague, since there was only so much he could reveal.
What if Kokichi Muta refused the deal if he directly mentioned Idle Transfiguration? Holy shit... then Kana Shizumi would be the traitor?
"The more specific details will need Jail Mom to work out. I'll bring him over, and leave the rest to Kenjaku and Mahito."
As for whether Kokichi Muta would survive or not?
Honestly, Kana Shizumi did not care much to begin with.
Whatever. Forget it.
After all, in a world full of lunatics who chased after strength! solitude! love! at the drop of a hat, spending every day obsessing over romance was pretty low-class...
And the female characters in Jujutsu Kaisen were not exactly normal either.
A quick count would do.
There was the burn-scarred super macho one, the money-loving weirdo, and even one who loved cats and had no children—Nobara Kugisaki in the sequel had no kids...
Given such an exquisitely beautiful state of mind, considering the circumstances, the blame could only be placed on jujutsu itself.
After all, this stuff was a manifestation of negative emotions. Using it too much would inevitably make someone a little deranged.
Like a certain someone in the prequel who said she "wanted it more and more." We had every reason to suspect that she had eaten too many dirty rags and developed mental instability because of it!
So Kana Shizumi had absolutely no desire in that regard.
After all, how could ccb compare to landing a Black Flash?
Kana Shizumi was the kind of person who would make a decision without hesitation when faced with a choice.
A—You arrive in a small town, where your childhood friend who is the class president, a sweet and lovely shrine maiden, and a gentle, generous older neighbor sister are all lining up to date you.
B—Get ready. It'll soon be your turn to fight Sukuna!
Here, which one would you choose?
The answer was obvious! Even if I got beaten to death today, I'd still rush up there and throw out a couple of thunderous lines at Sukuna first!
Back to the point.
"Split off a mechanical puppet and come with me. That way, the others won't notice our movements."
As he spoke, Kana Shizumi took out his phone and contacted Kenjaku.
Jail Mom's assignment was this—help her find targets who could be recruited. In the original work, Mahito handled this job. Now it was his turn.
As for the meeting place and the exact method, Kenjaku would make the follow-up decisions. He could leave that sort of thing to the thousand-year-old monster; Kana Shizumi could not be bothered to use his brain for it.
After sending the message, Kana Shizumi locked his phone and waved without looking back.
"Let's go. Don't waste time."
"Wait..."
The mechanical puppet did not follow.
Kana Shizumi turned halfway around and saw the other party still standing there, glaring at him with "flickering eyes."
"How am I supposed to trust you? How can I tell whether what you said... isn't just a trick to get yourself out of this situation?"
"...???"
This guy, again?!
He had already shown obvious hesitation just now, yet only now did he suddenly realize that he needed to "verify" things.
Didn't he think that behavior was a little too ugly?
Perhaps Kana Shizumi's gaze was simply too disdainful. After a moment of silence, Kokichi Muta suddenly raised his right hand.
"I won't make a deal with someone of unknown origins. If everything you said is true... then prove it with your strength. Make me interested in your plan."
The moment his words fell.
Burning Cannon.
Hiss...
The air instantly reversed and rushed into his palm. Activated by cursed energy, it violently erupted from his palm!
Bright red flames wrapped in cursed energy sprayed forth in a tightly coiled spiral, then bloomed in an instant, forming a literally splashing attack pattern.
Mixed with cursed energy, the power of such a high-temperature attack was self-evident.
From Kana Shizumi's perspective, it was like an entire sea of fire had crashed down over him.
You little bastard, attacking with zero startup...
While marveling at it, Kana Shizumi rapidly retreated, opening up distance in an instant.
Throwing hands without a word? No, perhaps this was the normal progression of the plot...
After all, according to the original story, Kokichi Muta had retained a "bottom line" in terms of self-awareness even after betraying everyone. Considering that he and Mahito did not know each other to begin with, they must have fought after first meeting.
"Then he realized this guy couldn't be dealt with through conventional means, compromised for the time being, and prepared a Simple Domain as a countermeasure while being drawn in by the plan..."
Hiss~
That actually made sense.
But that only made the sweetness even more sickeningly excessive.
—What made you think something like a Simple Domain could handle an opponent on Mahito's level?
Kana Shizumi unleashed his cursed energy, reinforcing his body as he rapidly widened the distance.
Taking it head-on with his body would clearly be difficult, and such a high-output offensive had its own range limits.
In one breath, he opened up a distance of nearly fifty meters. Standing at the edge of the forest, Kana Shizumi watched the mechanical puppets emerging continuously in the distance, seemingly without end...
He half-crouched, wearing a contemplative expression.
If he wanted this guy to compromise and accept the proposal, he first needed to make him realize that he was not easy to deal with.
The correct approach would be to prioritize taking down a few mechanical puppets, demonstrate his level of strength, and let Kokichi Muta make the judgment himself.
But that was... the thinking of trash.
Kana Shizumi slowly stood up, clasped his hands together, crossed them, and pushed forward.
As his knuckles cracked, he licked his lips.
I finally got rid of being a maggot, so why the hell am I still putting on airs around someone like you?
I'm going to crush you in the field you're most proud of!
Cursed energy surged forth and gradually awakened.
Bloodlust crept across his body, making him look like a ghost.
Before you continue