Soul Exchange

Once Okkotsu had mastered the technique, they used Ui Ui's technique to swap their souls!

"Did it work?"

Everyone around them stared intently at the pair.

"Yeah!"

'Yuki Tsukumo' answered softly, getting used to this body.

The difference was obvious.

The current Yuki Tsukumo had lost her usual carefree air and become composed.

"Kaneki."

'Kaneki' looked at 'Yuki Tsukumo' and smiled. "Your body's pretty strong."

With that said.

She even patted the firm muscles on her body.

Because Kaneki regularly practiced Muay Thai, he didn't have bulky muscles like Aoi Todo.

"It's all right."

He wasn't adapting as quickly as Yuki Tsukumo.

Not only was this body female, but there was also the matter of height.

He wasn't as tall as Yuki Tsukumo.

Still, he was two centimeters taller than in the manga, slightly shorter than Itadori-171 centimeters.

Before long.

Yuki Tsukumo precisely located [Star Rage] among the many techniques.

She instinctively summoned the shikigami.

Eighteen beads of 'Hell' circled her wrist, quickly forming a bracelet.

After personally experiencing cursed energy manipulation comparable to the Six Eyes, Yuki Tsukumo finally understood why Satoru Gojo was called the strongest!

At that moment.

She also realized that this soul exchange wasn't entirely without benefits for her.

Even after they switched back.

Her cursed energy manipulation would only become more precise, and her control over [Star Rage] would gradually deepen.

Once they had adjusted, the two began training.

They constantly alternated between Simple Domain and Hollow Wicker Basket, occasionally attempting to use Falling Blossom Emotion as well.

At Kaneki's reminder.

She used no techniques other than [Star Rage] and [Ten Shadows Technique].

Partly to save Kaneki's technique time.

And partly to prevent other techniques from being engraved into his brain.

Kaneki was also trying to use Simple Domain.

Meanwhile, Okkotsu discussed with Todo what binding vow they could make to expand [Boogie Woogie]'s range.

After Naobito Zenin's instruction, Mai was more confident about replicating the Soul Liberation Blade and had buried herself in practice.

As for Maki.

Knowing her sister was going to forge her a blade, she stopped using spears and other cursed tools and switched to a sword.

When mealtime came.

Yuki Tsukumo went out to buy food.

An immediate benefit had emerged: after swapping souls, Kaneki could eat normally.

However.

Under his soul's influence, he still suffered from a somewhat poor appetite.

Naturally, 'Ken Kaneki' wasn't the one who delivered Itadori and Choso's meals. Okkotsu did that instead.

Itadori asked why.

Okkotsu responded with the explanation they had agreed upon beforehand.

To preserve the compatibility between their souls and bodies, the two couldn't swap frequently.

In the original story.

Ui Ui had explicitly stated that each person could swap no more than twice a month.

So.

For the coming stretch of time.

They wouldn't swap souls again until just before entering the Culling Game.

Regarding that.

Yuki Tsukumo didn't mind.

Kaneki felt it was inappropriate.

So from then on, Tengen would handle his bathroom visits and baths.

He certainly had it easy.

He actually had Lord Tengen, the cornerstone of Jujutsu Society and the sorcerer hailed as Omniscience, personally attending to him.

Across all of Jujutsu Society, he was the only one who could get Lord Tengen to serve him.

Even though.

Yuki Tsukumo didn't experience it herself.

Watching Tengen attend to her body still delighted her, leaving her grinning from ear to ear.

That's right.

When Kaneki bathed.

She watched from the side. It was her body, after all, so Kaneki couldn't really stop her and simply closed his eyes to enjoy it.

As she watched, she pointed out spots that hadn't been washed properly.

Tengen did as instructed.

After indulging her once.

Tsukumo grew bored and stopped ordering Tengen around.

Bathing.

And using the bathroom.

Both took place in the Main Hall.

It was only in the past decade or so that Tengen had gradually drifted beyond the bounds of humanity and become closer to a cursed spirit.

So.

The Main Hall had bathing supplies.

Time flew, and soon the day came for the group to part ways.

November 19.

That afternoon.

Kaneki and Yuki Tsukumo had switched back two and a half days early to familiarize themselves with their muscle memory.

Much of the credit went to Todo.

While sparring with Yuki Tsukumo in Kaneki's body, he'd taken several Black Flashes from her.

That had accelerated the engraving of techniques into Kaneki's brain.

Now.

[Star Rage] and [Ten Shadows Technique] were fully engraved into Kaneki's brain.

Together with his innate cursed technique, [Brain Devouring], that made exactly three.

Only shortly before they were due to join the Culling Game.

Did Mai finally replicate the Soul Liberation Blade from the original story!

As soon as she forged it, Kaneki took her to the mansion in Malaysia to reunite with the others.

Like in the original story, Maki also saw the [Facets] that only she and Toji could perceive!

Her awakening was finally complete.

Next.

Kaneki, Okkotsu, and Kinji Hakari would enter the Culling Game, find Angel, and deal with Megumi Fushiguro's sister.

Only after that.

Would they turn to the ordinary people inside the colonies.

Meanwhile...

Yuki Tsukumo, Maki, Choso, and Todo would remain in the Tombs of the Star Corridor to protect Tengen!

Staying in the Tombs of the Star Corridor was less dangerous.

Following Kaneki's suggestion, Tengen had repositioned the Emptiness Barriers within the Tombs of the Star Corridor.

Since their framework consisted of fixed underground structures, fully overlapping every Emptiness Barrier was impossible.

Four Emptiness Barriers could overlap.

Among them.

Two overlapped almost completely.

The other two overlapped only slightly. They would need to keep Kenjaku in a specific position to ensure that dispelling one Emptiness Barrier would drop him into the next.

At that point.

They would need Todo!

Itadori was left in a separate Emptiness Barrier closer to the Main Hall.

"Ready?"

After asking, Kaneki lightly tapped his fists together, and Mahoraga's Dharma Wheel appeared above his head.

At the sight.

Okkotsu and the others immediately understood his intention. "You can do that too?"

"Yeah."

Kaneki answered.

If he summoned only the Dharma Wheel, he himself would take the damage while Mahoraga adapted.

In the original story.

Sukuna had used this method to adapt to Satoru Gojo's [Blue], protecting Mahoraga in the process.

Everyone was astonished.

Only at that moment.

Did they truly realize the value of [Ten Shadows Technique] and why Kaneki had called it comprehensive.

After confirming with Tengen which barrier Tengen would be in, Kaneki disappeared from the Tombs of the Star Corridor with the other two.

In their arms.

Each held a crow.

Seeing them leave, Maki said goodbye to the others and followed Tengen away.

Her job was to launch a surprise attack.

So.

She couldn't stay with the other three.

She would wait for Kenjaku's arrival in an Emptiness Barrier parallel to the next level down.

Now.

Angel had changed locations.

Rather than remaining in the colony in eastern Tokyo, Angel had gone elsewhere.

The Sendai Colony.

That's right.

This time, Tengen could precisely sense which colony Angel was in.

Clearly.

There was a trap laid by Kenjaku inside.

Moreover.

Uro, the ancient sorcerer who had been reborn through incarnation in Tsumiki Fushiguro's body, was also there.

According to the information available.

After speaking with Kenjaku a few days earlier, Uro had chosen to reveal herself and left with him. They were suspected of having entered a Culling Game colony.

The hospital's surveillance cameras had captured images of their meeting.

As well as...

Footage of the two leaving.