Mahito

"We're here. My secret base."

Mahito had brought Junpei Yoshino to the enormous drainage system beneath Tokyo known as the Underground Temple.

As he spoke, he hopped onto a hammock without a care, picked up the Japanese Yokai Encyclopedia, and began reading.

"If there's anything else you want to ask, go ahead," Mahito said, turning a page.

Junpei Yoshino was still digesting the knowledge about the other side of the world that Mahito had shared on the way. Rather than answering right away, he found a step facing Mahito and sat down.

For a while, the Underground Temple was utterly quiet except for the sound of flowing water.

"Mr. Mahito, are you human?" Junpei Yoshino suddenly looked up and asked.

"No, I'm a cursed spirit."

"What's a cursed spirit?" Junpei Yoshino asked in confusion.

It was his first time hearing the term.

"You can think of a cursed spirit as an amalgamation born from the effects of cursed energy leaking out of humans." Mahito laid the book on his body and tucked both hands behind his head as he answered Junpei Yoshino's question.

"Of course, there are differences between cursed spirits, too. Some are called special grade imaginary vengeful spirits. They're different from ordinary cursed spirits.

Special grade imaginary vengeful spirits take shape from frightening images in the public consciousness."

"Frightening images? Do you mean urban legends or famous yokai?" Junpei Yoshino voiced his guess.

"Exactly. Jujutsu sorcerers generally keep records of special grade imaginary vengeful spirits born that way and remain wary of them.

Cursed spirits whose true identities are unknown but whose cursed energy is powerful are also classified as imaginary vengeful spirits.

But I think the jujutsu sorcerers' understanding is far too shallow. Are imaginary things really all that people fear day in and day out?"

"Natural disasters?" Junpei Yoshino blurted out.

Mahito sat straight up and said with a smile, "Talking to you feels wonderful. I really like it."

Junpei Yoshino flushed slightly at the praise. "Oh, it's nothing."

Mahito continued, "Forest, Ocean, the earth."

His voice faltered briefly when he mentioned the earth, but he continued.

"They've always been feared by humans. They absorbed excessive amounts of cursed energy, gradually gaining intelligence before they even took shape, and have endured to this day.

They're all companions I'm proud of."

"Then what fear were you born from, Mr. Mahito?" Junpei Yoshino asked curiously.

"Humans. I was born from humans' fear of other humans." Mahito lay back down and looked at his hands.

Jujutsu High

"Brrr, brrr. Brrr, brrr." Chiyo Shin had been sprawled over his desk, fast asleep, ever since entering the small classroom.

Yuji Itadori nudged Chiyo Shin. "Wake up, Chiyo. Mr. Nanami will be here soon."

Chiyo Shin registered the message but offered no reply, turning his head and continuing to sleep.

"Sigh." Clearly, Yuji Itadori lacked Megumi Fushiguro's knack for handling Chiyo Shin.

The door slid open.

Ijichi opened the door and walked in with Kento Nanami.

"Morning!" Yuji Itadori greeted them.

"Good morning to you too, Itadori," Ijichi replied with a nod.

Without much in the way of conversation, Kento Nanami spread a map of the area across the blackboard and attached Junpei Yoshino's photograph to it.

Once everything was ready, he turned and woke Chiyo Shin with a piece of thrown chalk before speaking. "Regarding the recent disappearances and deaths, we've compiled the cursed residue reports submitted by the Windows and drawn up this map of the area.

To a certain extent, we can already pinpoint the culprit's location."

Chiyo Shin rubbed his head and looked up resentfully. Damn it, that gloomy snake throws pretty hard.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's storm his hideout." Yuji Itadori sat on a desk and raised his fist.

Kento Nanami adjusted his glasses. "No. I'll be the only one investigating the culprit this time. You have another assignment.

The fourth person present at the movie theater was a boy named Junpei Yoshino.

According to the information provided by the police, Junpei Yoshino attended the same high school as the three victims at the theater.

But how did he survive what happened there? Luck?

Judging by the hallway surveillance footage, he probably isn't a curse user.

You'll be investigating Junpei Yoshino. I've given Ijichi all the details."

"We'll get it done!" Yuji Itadori and Ijichi immediately stood at attention.

After listening, Chiyo Shin yawned. "Got it. Itadori, help me up."

Yuji Itadori helped Chiyo Shin to his feet, and the two headed out first.

Once they were outside, Ijichi turned to Kento Nanami. "You've already pinpointed the culprit's location, haven't you?"

Kento Nanami leaned against the wall. "Of course. I've been invited. Why wouldn't I go?"

Underground Temple

Mahito and Junpei Yoshino chatted as they walked.

"Here, take this. It's the result of my latest experiment." Mahito pulled a finger-sized object with a distorted human face from his pocket.

Junpei Yoshino took it from Mahito and examined it. "What is it?"

"Take a guess." Mahito rounded a pillar and walked up to an opening.

Junpei Yoshino followed behind Mahito with his head lowered, studying the object in his hand with a deep frown. "I can't tell at all."

Sensing that Mahito had stopped ahead of him, Junpei Yoshino looked up and discovered an enormous, human-shaped mountain of flesh sitting inside the opening.

"What is that?"

"This is my experiment. I wanted to see how much a human could expand. The one in your hand shows how far a human can shrink. Clearly, my experiments were a success," Mahito said, explaining his results.

Junpei Yoshino raised the object in his hand, looking somewhat surprised. "This is actually a person."

Mahito was a little taken aback that Junpei Yoshino showed only surprise rather than fear. "Junpei, are you comfortable looking at corpses?"

"How should I put it? If the one in my hand were my mother, I'd hate you to death, Mr. Mahito.

But I know all too well how ugly humans are, so I don't harbor any illusions about other people. If this person died, then he died." Junpei Yoshino touched the cigarette burn scars hidden beneath his bangs.

The pain from back then seemed to resurface, and Junpei Yoshino said bitterly, "Indifference is the true nature of humanity."

"You say that, but you still want revenge, don't you, Junpei?" Mahito saw through his soul and went straight to his true feelings.

"Am I contradicting myself, Mr. Mahito?" Junpei Yoshino felt troubled by the conflict in his thinking.

"Junpei, do you think people have hearts?" Mahito interrupted him.

"Hearts... don't they?" Junpei Yoshino asked, confused.

"People have souls, but no hearts." Mahito gave him a definite answer.

"Then what about my..." Junpei Yoshino was about to explain what made him different.

Mahito explained, "I'm the only one in this world who understands the structure of the soul. And simply by touching it, I can alter the soul, thereby changing a living being's appearance.

All emotions are products of the soul. If you call that a heart, isn't that far too blind?

Humans always make the things they don't understand out to be far too special.

But to me, there's nothing special about either the soul or the body.

They simply exist. Life has no value, either.

Like the water between heaven and earth, life merely cycles.

You and I are the same. Neither of us has any meaning.

So don't imprison yourself for the sake of indifference. You don't need to live consistently, either.

Eat when you're hungry. Kill when you feel disgust. There's nothing wrong with that.

I'll affirm everything you do now."

Junpei Yoshino lowered the hand covering his bangs and stared blankly at Mahito.

At that moment, Junpei Yoshino discovered the meaning of living.