The end? The beginning!

Information warfare was the foundation of Kenjaku's thousand years of scheming.

His calculations had always been flawless, yet today, he had fallen to a nobody who barely had a part to play.

"Was it the cursed tool? Or his cursed technique?"

On the beach, Kenjaku opened his hand beneath the sunlight, feeling the reassuring sensation that Suguru Geto's body remained under his control.

He had far too little information on Hajime Kashimo. He could not even determine whether the cursed tool plunged into his body or Kashimo's own cursed technique had severed his connection to this body.

Judging by his opponent's tactics, the man knew everything about him-even the fact that he possessed Itadori's mother's cursed technique.

Barring any surprises, his opponent was most likely an heir to some fallen ancient sorcerer clan who had acquired intelligence targeting him, either through changing circumstances or by inheriting his clan's mission...

If that was the case, then the date of the Shibuya Incident... might have to be pushed back...

"But that is a coward's way of thinking."

Kenjaku clenched his fist. He had spent so long laying his plans precisely so he could seal Satoru Gojo during the Shibuya Incident.

Even with Hajime Kashimo appearing as an unexpected factor, he had to push the entire plan forward...

Jujutsu High had a new ally, but that did not mean he lacked new allies of his own.

After Kashimo had overwhelmed him twice in succession, Thousand Fangs had suffered a considerable blow to his confidence and decided to swallow his pride and cooperate with them. The addition of this new special grade cursed spirit gave Kenjaku another bargaining chip for keeping Kashimo in check...

"Besides... the operation's failure wasn't entirely without benefits."

Under the effects of the Inverted Spear of Heaven, Kenjaku had briefly lost his connection to Suguru Geto's body.

Being forcibly disconnected from the body felt different from voluntarily leaving a body he had possessed. Although his body had slipped out of his control, his consciousness had remained perfectly clear and alert.

By immersing his body completely in Cursed Spirit Manipulation, Kenjaku had now brushed against the edges of the technique's fundamental essence...

He could vaguely sense that, if he developed Suguru Geto's cursed technique further from its current foundation, it would play an even greater role in his later operations...

Especially...

[Culling Game]

"Is your soul all right now? Want me to check it for you~?"

Mahito bounded over to Kenjaku, the same obnoxious expression plastered across his face as always.

As a cursed spirit whose cursed technique could alter other people's souls, Mahito could tell at a glance that something was off about Kenjaku's current state. He could faintly sense a minute change in Kenjaku's soul:

That incredibly slight change held a peculiar allure, making him instinctively want to approach Kenjaku and use his cursed technique on him to investigate...

As though doing so would let him touch the essence of his own soul...

"Go play somewhere else. If you have that much time, start preparing the cursed objects and materials we need for Shibuya."

"You're running low on transfigured humans, aren't you?"

Kenjaku dismissed the rather irritating Mahito with a few words and sat up in his lounge chair. With more variables now affecting his plans, it was time to seek some "outside assistance"...

"Until he wakes up, no one is allowed to enter or leave this room."

Outside the infirmary, Shoko Ieiri looked gravely at Utahime and Satoru Gojo, who stood before her.

Although Yu Xingji's identity as a spy had been confirmed, and Jujutsu High would undoubtedly take disciplinary action against him.

Until his injuries had healed, until he walked out of the infirmary ward, he was nothing more than a "patient" to Shoko.

"Leave it to me. Kyoto can remove him from the roster for now. I'll handle the higher-ups."

Satoru Gojo wagged a finger in front of the worried Utahime, the same easygoing smile still on his face.

"Oh, right. You should also pay attention to the issue with his physical condition."

Shoko Ieiri handed Utahime and Satoru Gojo a medical report each, detailing the results of her examination of Yu Xingji.

With the shape of his soul altered and healed, Yu Xingji had indeed been freed from his heavenly restriction and gained a complete, brand-new body.

But conversely, his physical "defects" had been the source of his immense cursed energy reserves. The exchange of his flesh for cursed energy had ended along with the healing of his heavenly restriction.

Simply put, Yu Xingji would no longer be able to take part in combat.

Although his cursed energy output efficiency still allowed him to maintain Puppet Manipulation's range across all of Tokyo, his current reserves would likely only let Mechamaru operate for two to three hours.

Even if they followed Kashimo's information to recover Mechamaru Unit Zero from the bottom of the reservoir and repair it, the time, effort, and money required would hardly be worth the cursed energy remaining inside it.

After all, the higher-ups would probably never agree to spend so much money for a disposable machine that could unleash special grade strength in a single battle...

"If that's the case, we may have to adjust his grade."

Satoru Gojo rubbed his chin as he spoke, but his words instantly left Utahime looking exasperated:

"Huh? You're still talking about grading him? Are you seriously planning to put him back on the team?"

Utahime's anger was not without reason.

For one thing, Mechamaru's proven acts of espionage would absolutely be investigated by Jujutsu High's higher-ups.

Even setting aside whether the higher-up who had received Mechamaru's intelligence and cooperated with curse users would fan the flames, and even if Satoru Gojo did everything in his power to protect him, Yu Xingji's life would be anything but easy after returning to the Kyoto school, a bastion of the conservatives...

Even though everyone at Kyoto had grown closer after the Goodwill Event, Mechamaru had always been something of an outsider. Aside from Kasumi Miwa, Utahime had never really seen anyone who could be called close to him...

Ostracism, harassment, bullying, eventually turning into plots and assassination...

That was something Utahime did not want, and absolutely refused to see happen.

But Satoru Gojo did not answer her challenge.

As though he had simply skipped over her fit of anger, Satoru Gojo actually looked up at the ceiling and sank into thought...

According to Hajime Kashimo, the ones who had struck a deal with Yu Xingji were [Suguru Geto] and [Mahito].

Although he had not explained exactly how he had rescued Yu Xingji from two special grades, Satoru Gojo could more or less guess that Kashimo had already fought them.

As Geto's closest friend, Satoru Gojo naturally knew how terrifying Cursed Spirit Manipulation could be.

If Kashimo could escape Suguru Geto and Mahito's encirclement unscathed while taking Yu Xingji with him, his strength had to be at least [semi-special grade].

Had he been that strong from the beginning, or had he grown to this level through constant learning over time?

And where, exactly, had he obtained his information?

How much more did he know about Jujutsu Society, the people at Jujutsu High, and the group led by Suguru Geto?

Satoru Gojo did not want to think about it.

All he could do now was respond to each move as it came.

At least, for now, the matter had come to an end...

Hadn't it?