Marked Mahito

In a sewer along the riverbank near the movie theater.

Did the first person who said "the opposite of liking is indifference" go to hell?

Junpei Yoshino lowered his eyes and said, "Treating others with malice can never be better than indifference."

"The opposite of 'like' is 'hate,' which should be explicitly [malicious]."

"That's just how the Japan are; they love to go to great lengths and complicate simple things."

"This wasn't said by Japan, was it?" the Mahito questioned.

"I'm talking about the misconception itself," Junpei explained. "The foreigner originally said, 'The opposite of love is indifference,' right?"

"Love has many definitions, which is why its antonym can be defined as indifference."

"Ah, I guess so." The Mahito had an expression of great interest on their face.

Junpei glanced at the strange, stick-like object the other person had shoved into his hand, and then continued:

"However, Japan don't usually use the word 'love,' so when that phrase reached that country, the 'love' at the beginning was replaced with 'like.'"

"No one bothered to consider the original meaning, which is why this erroneous statement has spread."

"Everyone loves playing word games," the Mahito laughed, "After all, humans can't survive without an excuse."

As the two walked deeper into the sewers, a massive mountain of flesh came into view.

"What is this?" Junpei, slightly surprised.

"An experiment to test how much humans can become while they are alive," the Mahito person said casually.

"Then," he pointed to the 'small stick' in Junpei's hand, "This one over here is for testing how small it can become, my special little stick."

"In other words..."

Junpei held it up to his eyes and examined it carefully. "This is... a human."

Seeing that his expression remained unchanged, Mahito couldn't help but be somewhat surprised. "Could it be that Junpei has already become accustomed to seeing corpses?"

"Well..." Junpei handed the dried figurine back to Mahito, "If this were my mother, I might lose my mind and hate Mahito."

Upon hearing this, the corners of Mahito's mouth turned up almost imperceptibly.

"However, I am well aware of the ugliness of human nature," Junpei continued.

Therefore, I have no expectations of others, and their life or death is none of my concern.

Indifference is the ultimate virtue that humanity should possess.

"Someone like you wants revenge?" The Mahito's tone was somewhat teasing.

"Are you trying to say that I'm contradicting myself?" Junpei asked.

Instead of answering directly, the Mahito asked in return, "Does Junpei believe that people have a [heart]?"

No?

"No," the Mahito said firmly, "Humans have a [soul], but that's not a [heart]."

"I am the only person in the world who understands the structure of the soul, and who can even alter the form of a living being by touching it."

"Things like joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, which are called 'heart' or 'mind,' are actually products of the soul's metabolism."

Humans tend to overestimate the special nature of things they cannot see.

"I can see, so to me, the soul is no different from the body, nothing special."

Life, too, has no value or weight; you and I are merely passing through the cycle of existence.

"And that's why you can do whatever you want."

"It's your freedom to live however you want."

The Mahito gave Junpei a warm smile, "So, don't let the ideal of 'indifference' Binding Vow."

"There's no need to stick to one way of life. Eat when you're hungry, and kill what you hate."

"I will support everything Junpei says."

His eyes were full of sincerity.

Just then, a third voice abruptly broke in. "What a brilliant speech, Mahito!"

"Huh?" Mahito Junpei turned their heads at the same time to look in the direction from which the voice came.

Shiratori Gotsu smiled and raised her hand in greeting, "Nice to meet you, my name is Shiratori Gotsu."

You should know me, right, Mahito?

"The person in your family with the stitches on their forehead probably mentioned me to you, right?"

"He mentioned you to me last month when he came to the Jujutsu High to rescue people."

"Ah, I see," the Mahito immediately greeted him with a smile, "But how did you find this place?"

"I've released so many Transfigured Human along the way, you didn't kill them all, did you?"

"They've all been turned into aliens by you, become puppets you can control at will, so killing them won't be a burden for me." Shiratori Gotsu said with a relaxed expression.

"Alright, then what are you doing here? Aren't you from the Jujutsu High?" The Mahito raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Could it be that you've come to exorcise me?"

"How is that possible?" Shiratori Gotsu shrugged.

"You know perfectly well that there was Binding Vow between him and me, right? Even if he didn't tell you, Volcano Head should have."

"I came here purely out of boredom, and because I'm so interested in you, I'm just looking for amusement in this Cursed Residue."

"I see. So, Mr. Shiratori is one of us?"

"No, to be precise, I don't take sides. Or rather, I only stand with the people I care about."

The only reason I stayed at the Jujutsu High was because the people I care about were there.

As she spoke, Shiratori Gotsu looked at Junpei.

He remembered clearly that in the original story, this child was manipulated by the Mahito from the very beginning and died a tragic death.

He was prepared to save Junpei.

It wasn't out of sympathy, nor was it based on any desire to "change the tragedy."

His reason for saving Shiratori Gotsu was always that he felt the other person "shouldn't have died like that."

That's all.

"Is this child your friend?" he asked, pointing to Junpei.

"Ah, that's right, I really like him," the Mahito laughed.

He put his hand on Shiratori Gotsu's shoulder and introduced him warmly, "This is Junpei Yoshino. Junpei, this is Mr. Shiratori Gotsu."

"Hello, Mr. Shiratori," Junpei said immediately.

"Hello, Junpei." Shiratori Gotsu smiled and patted Junpei's head.

Then, he glanced at the Mahito: "Are you sure you want to continue touching my soul?"

"Huh?" The Mahito was stunned for a moment.

Junpei also looked puzzled.

"How rude of you, Mahito," Shiratori Gotsu rubbed his temples. "Who starts by touching someone's soul like that?"

"What are you talking about, Mr. Shiratori? I was just being friendly."

The Mahito revealed an innocent smile, showing no intention of letting go.

Ever since he learned that Hanami and Jogo had been beheaded by Shiratori Gotsu, he had wanted to take revenge.

This is a fantastic opportunity!

'Anyway, you can't do anything to me because of your Binding Vow with Geto, so I'll just give you a new head on your shoulder...'

The Mahito chuckled inwardly.

'[Idle Transfiguration]... Eh?'

He froze for a moment: 'This feel... something's not right!'

In his hands, the souls of ordinary people are no different from clay; they can be kneaded and molded without any resistance.

However, the soul of the Shiratori Gotsu is as hard as a stone when you try to squeeze it...

"... It's completely still." A layer of cold sweat appeared on the Mahito's forehead.

"What, are you surprised?" Shiratori Gotsu chuckled, grabbing Mahito's wrist. "My understanding of the soul, as it stands, far surpasses yours."

"I've steadfastly maintained the shape of my soul, haven't I done a good job?"

"Besides, I've already warned you."

"[Corpse Attraction Shock Blast • Second Bomb]."

The Mahito's expression changed.

Boom!

His wrist suddenly snapped open, and the hand that was resting on Shiratori Gotsu's shoulder fell to the ground with a thud.

Junpei was startled by the sudden commotion. "Mr. Mahito, Mr. Shiratori, what's going on here...?"

"It's nothing, just a minor disagreement."

As he spoke, Shiratori Gotsu bent down, picked up the Mahito's hand, and handed it back:

"Hey, wasn't I thoughtful? I only destroyed the soul in your wrist; you can easily piece it back together with a little pinching."

The Mahito stood there stunned for several seconds before accepting this fact that was somewhat difficult for him to accept:

'I can't grasp his soul, but his attacks can destroy mine as well... Shiratori Gotsu... is my nemesis!'

He forced himself to remain calm, took the palm, inhaled it into his body, and then muttered:

"You're so boring, you can't even take a joke."

Although a slight sense of unease flashed through his mind, he didn't have time to delve into it further.

"I'm not kidding you. Respecting others is the most basic thing, isn't it?"

Having achieved its goal, Shiratori Gotsu no longer intended to stay in the smelly, damp sewer.

He rubbed his shoulders. "Alright, since you don't welcome me, I'll be leaving."

Having said that, he left without waiting for a response from the Mahito, heading straight back the way he came.

The moment Shiratori Gotsu stepped out of the sewer, a smile immediately appeared on her lips:

"Kenjaku... when you find out that I've planted three tracking devices around you, two of which are bombs that could explode at any moment..."

What would you think then?

When he picked up the Mahito hand and returned it, he had already turned it into a bomb.

The Mahito, however, absorbed that portion into their own body without any hesitation.

Although the Cursed Technique's effects are diluted and cannot be detonated, the established connection remains.

In other words, Shiratori Gotsu can always know the location and whereabouts of the Mahito immediately.

"Mahito... and Kenjaku, I'll show you what it means to be haunted by nightmares~" he muttered to himself gleefully.

Meanwhile, the battle between Itadori and Nanami also ended.

"Look at this," Nanami said, handing her phone to Itadori, "I took a picture of my opponent."

"In other words, our opponents in this battle..."

Itadori's eyes dimmed. "Is it human...?"

"Judging from the watch on its wrist, it's highly likely." Nanami's expression was equally grave.