I Can't Sense Any Charm in You

Hearing Kokichi Muta's voice, the three "units" present—together amounting to barely half a person—turned halfway in unison to look at him.

Logically, with his real body absent, Kokichi Muta himself was in absolute safety. He should not have felt nervous in any sense.

However...

Against all instinct, he still took half a step back.

Mechanical puppets did not sweat, much less tremble. But Kokichi Muta did...

If his perception of cursed energy could be described, Kokichi Muta could probably sketch out a rough image—he could "see" two monsters sizing him up... their eyes fixed hungrily on him!

"Yes, we can't keep our guest waiting too long... Unblemished, you go back first. I'll come find you once I'm done here."

After giving those instructions, Kenjaku pondered for a moment, then reached into his clothes and rummaged around.

"This is the key to an apartment in Tokyo. You've been active in Kyoto too much lately. Changing locations a little will also reduce the risk of exposure."

The organization even assigned housing?

Kana Shizumi took the key and instinctively thanked him, but he was far from happy.

The reason was simple.

Kyoto's greatest current threat was probably Aoi Todo. In theory, as long as he did not run into that guy... Kana Shizumi could easily protect himself.

But Tokyo was different.

Leaving aside the crazy white-haired lunatics flying all over the place, even the students at Tokyo Jujutsu High each had their own strengths. None of them were easy to deal with.

You only had to count them on your fingers to understand.

The suspended third-year had a cross-dressing fetishist who played "clamp you, clamp you" with train doors whenever he felt like it...

For a sorcerer like Kana Shizumi, one specialized in Crimson Blood Manipulation, running into someone like that would be a real headache.

After all, he could not kill him, and escaping was troublesome too. He was as hard to shake off as a sticky plaster... In the original story, the people he latched onto were abnormal in the first place.

Dr. Kashimo only cared about the thrill of battle, while Uraume only wanted to force a frontal assault.

They were like two peas in a pod, instantly hitting it off.

And there was no need to mention the second-years. They looked average enough, but they had a terrifying gravity guy backing them.

If he accidentally hurt one of them, that guy might start muttering something like, "My friends are amazing. Why would you do that?" Then he would release Rika.

You asked why he was so angry? I have no idea!

In Volume 0, that shrimp-haired guy babbled on and on, but this kid definitely did not take in a single word... He was probably only thinking, Why are you insulting my classmates?

I'm going to crush you! (suddenly losing it)

It was better to stay far away from characters with gravity-related abilities.

And the first-years... though for now, it seemed only one had enrolled.

Oh, right. This one was even more of a heavyweight.

The number one guy who never buckled under pressure. Once he realized something was wrong, he would rub his hands together and chant, "Furube Yurayura..."

Then he would smile and tell you, "I'm going to die first," before happily leaving you to solo Mahoraga.

How were you supposed to fight that? Tell me, how? (spreads hands)

Tokyo was the place with landmines everywhere... Kana Shizumi might see himself as someone who stirred up the plot, but he obviously would not go looking for trouble under these circumstances.

So, should he refuse?

The thought had only just surfaced when Kana Shizumi saw Kenjaku's faintly smiling face.

Kenjaku did not even need to speak. That cold, subtle aura around him instantly made Kana Shizumi realize something was wrong.

—This did not seem like a discussion at all. It was an assignment...

All that everyday tenderness had been an illusion in the end. You would not obey? Then you were not his son.

"Yes, Lord Kenjaku. No problem, Lord Kenjaku. I'll move in immediately, Lord Kenjaku."

After that triple display of obedience, Kenjaku beamed and patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm becoming more and more satisfied with you, Unblemished. You truly are my finest creation so far."

Damn it, so far...

Did he see him as competing with Itadori for affection? No way... That sounded utterly hopeless.

After silently mocking the situation in his heart, Kana Shizumi took the key and turned to leave. Kokichi Muta watched his retreating back, originally wanting to say something...

But in the end, he could not bring himself to speak.

The pressure coming from Kenjaku and True Person was simply too intense, leaving him unable to spare his attention elsewhere.

Kana Shizumi left the Curtain and hurried on his way, quickly exiting Kyoto's boundaries... Meanwhile, after some discussion, the remaining few soon reached a consensus.

Fifteen minutes later, the Curtain fell completely.

Kenjaku and True Person bade the mechanical puppet farewell with smiles, while the latter stood frozen in place, seemingly unable to move on for a long time.

It had no resemblance to a human at all, yet simply looking at the outline of that body, one could somehow sense the emotional turbulence called hesitation.

Was what he had done really right? Or was his decision now an act of betrayal? Perhaps he...

Had been able to make another choice from the very beginning?

Kokichi Muta stood there with his head lowered, thinking for a long time.

Of course, he soon emerged from the "shadow" of that dilemma. After all, his goal had been clear from the beginning.

Rather than maintaining the status quo like this, dying outright would be more satisfying—even if someone held him accountable afterward, it did not matter. No one could understand his pain anyway.

To open his eyes and see the ceiling, to wash up, attend class, and move about freely like a normal person.

Everything ordinary people took for granted was, in Kokichi Muta's eyes, something almost fantastical.

He wanted to use this chance to reclaim the ordinary life that belonged to him.

He also wanted to seize this chance to clear away the filth hiding in the shadows.

He could do it!

"With Ultimate Mechamaru, I can definitely take down those three guys..."

And after that, after that, he could...

A girl's smile surfaced in his mind. At that moment, it was like the final strike of a gavel, making Kokichi Muta reach his final decision in an instant.

He would seize this opportunity and decide his present and future.

With that thought, Kokichi Muta's mechanical puppet vanished from the spot.

Meanwhile, on the way back, Kenjaku and True Person began discussing what they had just seen.

"That kid... is so easy to fool."

True Person's smile was mocking and smug. Born from humanity's evil, he possessed a literal talent for such things.

Deception and manipulation were True Person's "food" and "pleasure."

By comparison, Kenjaku's attention was not on that.

He merely gathered his sleeve lightly and let out a soft sigh.

"Despite having a Heavenly Restriction, I can't sense any charm in this one at all."