𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 (𝐉𝐔𝐉𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐔 𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐍 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑)

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟒.

Y/N's POV

Shinjiro Sato? Is that one of my ancestors? I've never heard of them. And this is Tengen?

"You're not gonna say hello?" Yuki asked.

"This isn't exactly the first time we've met," he answered.

"Why did you close off the tombs of the star corridor?"

"I was afraid you might be working with Kenjaku. After all, I can't see into the human heart," Tengen said. "Kenjaku is the sorcerer who was once Noritoshi Kamo, and now inhabits the body of Suguru Getou."

"Funny how that name suggests compassion and salvation," Yuki mumbled.

"Tengen-sama, why do you look like that?" Itadori asked. Itadori... He really had a lot of guts.

"I may be immortal, however I'm not immune to aging. You'd look like this after 500 years too you know."

"For real?!"

"11 years ago, I failed to merge with a star plasma vessel. My aging accelerated and my self awareness also diminished... The very world became who I am," Tengen explained.

"So that's why your 'voice' doesn't proliferate," Yuki-san said.

"Excuse me, but..." Megumi started but Yuuta finished for him.

"We came to ask about what Kenjaku's objectives are, and how to open the Prison Realm to rescue Gojo-sensei. Can you tell us what you know?"

"Yes... but there is one condition. Yuuta Okkotsu. Yuki Tsukumo. And Choso. 2 of you must stay here and remain as my guards," Tengen announced.

"Aren't you immortal though?"

"Are you worried about the seal?"

"Wait a sec! You haven't told us how long or why we have to!"

"Kenjaku's objective is to force the evolution of all human beings in Japan," Tengen explained.

"Yes we heard. What is his true intention though? Why didn't he use your barrier that time, and turn everyone in Japan into sorcerers using Idle Transfiguration?" Megumi asked.

"He doesn't have enough cursed energy to carry that out," Tengen answered. "Cursed energy that has been refined through Uzumaki cannot return to the sorcerer. Triggering an evolution in each individual with a cursed technique is more ineffective than you think. So Kenjaku chose this as the method of evolution where there's a merging of humankind and myself."

"I thought only the Star Plasma vessel -"

"Yes, the way I was before. But I have evolved in the past 11 years, so now it would not be impossible for me to merge with someone other than a star plasma vessel."

"But you're one person, right? How could you merge with multiple people?"

"My evolved soul actually exists all around us right now," Tengen replied. "I am not just what you see before you. As I said, my self is now the world itself. A human that merges with me becomes something greater than a sorcerer, a new being that is both present and not present. I possess barrier techniques so I am able to maintain this form and self-control even after evolving. But if humankind evolves and even one person rages out of control, the world will end. There would be boundaries between individuals, causing evil to spread immediately. The impurity of millions of people would flood the world. What happened in Tokyo would happen to the whole world."

"Why would Kenjaku do that?" Itadori asked angrily. I looked down at his fists that were clenching tightly.

"I cannot read the human heart so I do not know."