I Can't Sense Any Charm in You

Hearing Kokichi Muta's voice, the three "units" present, who added up to only half a person, all turned halfway around 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 intuition, he still involuntarily took half a step back.

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

If his perception of cursed energy could be described, Kokichi Muta could probably sketch its rough outline—he could "see" two monsters examining him... like tigers eyeing their prey!

"That's right, we can't keep our guests waiting too long... Unblemished, you should head back first. I'll come find you once I'm done here."

After saying that, Kenjaku thought for a moment and reached into his clothes, feeling around.

"These are the keys to an apartment in Tokyo. You've been too active in Kyoto lately. Changing locations for a while should also reduce the risk of exposure."

The organization even assigned housing?

Kana Shizumi accepted the keys and reflexively thanked him, but he was not particularly happy about it.

The reason was simple.

Kyoto's biggest threat right now 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.

Setting aside that lunatic white-haired guy flying around everywhere, even the students at Tokyo Jujutsu High each had their own strengths. None of them were easy to deal with.

Just count them on your fingers.

There was the suspended third-year with a penchant for cross-dressing, who would play "squeeze you, squeeze you" with train doors the moment things got heated...

For a sorcerer like Kana Shizumi, who specialized in Crimson Blood Manipulation, running into someone like that would be a huge pain.

After all, he could not be killed no matter how hard you hit him, and escaping was troublesome too. He clung on like a stubborn plaster... In the original story, the people he stuck to were abnormal to begin with.

Dr. Kashimo only lived for the thrill of battle, while Uraume only wanted to charge head-on.

They were simply made for each other.

Then there was that second-year. Though he looked average enough, there was a terrifying gravity guy lurking behind him.

If Kana Shizumi accidentally hurt one of them, that guy might start muttering, "My friend is amazing, why would you do that?" and then release Rika.

Why was he so angry? How the hell would I know!

In Volume 0, that shrimp oil guy babbled on for ages, but that kid definitely had not heard a single word... He was probably only thinking, Why are you insulting my classmate?

I'm going to crush you! (sudden insanity)

All he could say was that it was best to stay far away from characters with gravity powers.

And the first-years... at the moment, it seemed only one had enrolled.

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

The number one guy who never bowed under pressure. The moment he realized something was wrong, he would rub his hands together—Furube Yurayura...

Then smile and tell you, "I'll go die first," before happily leaving you to solo Mahoraga.

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

Tokyo was the place with landmines buried everywhere... Kana Shizumi might consider himself a wrench thrown into the plot, but under these circumstances, he obviously would not go looking for trouble.

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 made Kana Shizumi instantly realize something was off.

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

It could only be said that all the usual warmth and affection had been an illusion. If you did not obey, then you were no son of mine.

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

After that three-hit display of obedience, Kenjaku beamed and reached out to pat his shoulder.

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

Damn it, so far...

Was he supposed to compete with Itadori for affection? No, please... That sounded utterly hopeless.

After silently complaining to himself, Kana Shizumi took the keys 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 from Kenjaku and Mahito was simply too overwhelming, leaving him unable to spare his attention elsewhere.

Kana Shizumi hurried away after leaving the Curtain and quickly departed Kyoto's boundaries... Meanwhile, after talking for a while, the remaining few soon reached a consensus.

Fifteen minutes later, the Curtain fully descended.

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

It clearly had no human appearance to speak of, yet merely looking at the outline of that body seemed enough to sense the emotional fluctuations called hesitation.

Was what he was doing really right? Or was his current decision a 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 while.

Of course, he soon stepped out from beneath the "shadow" of that indecision. After all, his goal had been clear from the very beginning.

Rather than maintain the status quo like this, he would rather die outright—it did not matter even if people held him accountable afterward, because no one could understand his pain.

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

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

He would use this opportunity to reclaim his own daily life.

And he would seize this chance to sweep away these hidden filth.

He could do it!

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

After that, after that, he would be able to...

A girl's smile surfaced in his mind. At that moment, it was like the final strike of a gavel, allowing Kokichi Muta to make 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 their way back, Kenjaku and Mahito began discussing what they had just seen.

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

Mahito's smile was teasing and smug. Born from humanity's evil, he possessed a literal talent for such behavior.

Deception and manipulation were Mahito's "food" and "pleasure."

Kenjaku, by contrast, was focused on something else.

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

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