"Y/N-senpai, Okkotsu-senpai..."
The two sorcerers looked at the younger one once he called their names. After hearing what Megumi had said, there was definitely tension present in the atmosphere.
"Sukuna is plotting something involving Fushiguro. He probably took over my body in Shibuya because I ate all ten fingers at once. I have ingested 15 fingers so far. Even if I ate all remaining five in one go, I doubt he'd be able to take control... but if I ever switch with Sukuna again, don't hesitate to kill me. I think you can do that."
Yuta nodded his head, "Understood. I'll do what I can."
"Fushiguro..." Yuji walked up to him. "What should I do?"
"First, we'll go back to Jujutsu High and contact Master Tengen. We need to find out how to remove the seal on the Prison Realm. Also, what are Noritoshi Kamo's concrete objectives and future moves. The Culling Game is jujutsu terrorism like never before. To fix this mess, we need to find the answers to these questions, and I think only Master Tengen knows."
"Maybe Tsukumo knows?" Yuji suggested.
"I already spoke to her. This was her idea," Megumi answered.
"The problem is Master Tengen's concealing barrier," Yuta said. "Over 1000 doors are continually shuffling, but only one leads to the Tomb of the Star Corridor where Master Tengen resides."
"And we can't contact Master Tengen if we don't pick the right one?" Yuji questioned.
"Yep," Y/N nodded.
Yuji sighed before he looked at Megumi, "Sorry, Fushiguro. I have to ask. What happened... to Kugisaki?"
Megumi looked down with a disdainful look, already saying the answer without his mouth moving.
Y/N and Yuji felt their heart break a fraction more at another loss. "Oh...I get it. I get it."
"About that barrier..." Choso trailed off as he appeared next to Megumi out of nowhere, shocking the younger one. "There may be a way past it."
"Oh, you were listening?" Yuta asked.
"Choso, what do you mean?" Yuji looked at him.
"Mahito once stole Sukuna's fingers and the Death Painting Wombs, right?" Choso looked at them. "We can do the same thing."
Y/N got up, looking at the horizon where the Sun would rise in just an hour.
"For now, let's rest before we head out. We'll move when the Sun rises."
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Upon arriving at Jujutsu High, the group headed down to the secret room Gojo had hidden Yuji while he was "dead."
Maki and Tsukumo were already situated in the hidden room, waiting for them essentially.
"Long time no see... but not really," Maki said.
Y/N immediately gasped and ran towards her, "Maki! What happened to you?!"
Maki, whose hair was much shorter now and skin was marked with severe burns from Jogo's flames. Not to mention that her right eye was covered in bandages as well.
"Are you sure it's okay for you to move around?" Yuta asked, walking up to her.
"Yeah, no problem," Maki answered and looked at Y/N. "Where the hell have you been? I was looking for you everywhere. Megumi said he lost contact with you."
Y/N let out a sheepish smile, "I went through the five stages of grief in one hour."
"Huh?" Maki looked at her. "Did you... lose yourself?"
"Yeah," Y/N sighed.
Maki placed her hand on Y/N's head, "It's alright now. You're back here with us, safe and sound."
"Aww, Maki are you being a softie to me?" Y/N grinned at her. "I love your new look, by the way. You look even hotter."
Yuta cleared his throat, looking at his girlfriend with crossed arms.
"Can't Yuta heal you?" Y/N asked.
"It won't work on burn scars," Yuki answered. "I'd expect nothing less from someone physically gifted through Heavenly Restriction. It was her inborn physical toughness not curse tolerance, that saved her life. It's too bad about the business with the head of the family."
"Well, I wasn't going for it," Maki said truthfully.
"Choso, what do we do to slip past the barrier?" Y/N asked, turning to look at him.
"Well, between the the doors and the tomb lies the Cursed Warehouse where Jujutsu High sorcerers store Cursed Tools and Objects. It holds the remains of my younger brothers; Noranso, Sho-oso, Tanso, Sanso, Kotsuso and Shoso. Even if they are remains, with the six together, a side effect of my cursed technique should provide some guidance."
"Good!" Yuki exclaimed.
"That's fine, but..." Maki trailed off before pointing at Choso, "Who's this guy?"
"..."
Yuji spoke up, "For now, think of him as... my big brother."
Choso immediately teared up, "Yujiii!!!!"
"Come on, time to go," Y/N said.
After leaving the room, Choso guided the group to the correct door through his connection with his brothers.
"There," He pointed at it. "Without a doubt, my brothers sleep beyond those doors."
Y/N walked up to the door and grabbed the handles, "Time to open them."
Once she did, everyone was surprised to find that there was no path. It was merely a forest filled with tall, old trees and darkness.
"Let's go," Yuki said. "Deep in, there's an elevator to the tomb."
Yuki, Yuji and Choso walked ahead while Megumi and Maki tailed behind closely. That left Yuta and Y/N alone at the back.
"You okay?" Yuta looked at her, bringing her hand to his lips.
"Mhm," Y/N smiled at him. Yuta intertwined their hands together and they began walking together.
They soon spotted the Cursed Warehouse, where Choso could feel his younger brothers inside.
"Choso..." Yuji mumbled.
"I know," Choso said reluctantly. He placed his hand on the door and whispered, "I'll return. Wait just a little longer."
Soon, Yuki spotted the elevator and called everyone to hurry. The group entered the elevator and thus began the descend to the tomb. The doors swished open and the group walked out into the pathway.
"Bloodstains? What happened here?" Yuji asked, looking at the ground.
"It was 11 years ago," Yuki said. "Now that I think about it... that's when everything began to get distorted."
The students were unsure of what she meant, but they continued on nonetheless.
"All right, everyone. The main shrine is through here," Yuki informed them as they passed through one of the paths.
However, when they got onto the other side, they were greeted by nothing but a white space.
"There's nothing here," Yuji stated the obvious.
"This is the main shrine?" Megumi asked, unamused.
Yuki shook her head, "No. It's rejecting us. Tengen doesn't interfere with this world, but I thought contact was possible now that the Six Eyes are sealed. I was too optimistic."
Everyone stayed silent before Yuta broke it. "Let's head back. Tsumiki doesn't have time."
Suddenly, Y/N felt her body shiver. She looked back, feeling like something was reaching out to her.
"Leaving so soon?" A voice rang out in the void, causing everyone to freeze in their tracks.
Turning around, everyone was met with a humanoid with four eyes and a cylinder-shaped head who wore a light-coloured robe.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, children of the Zenin, Michizane's descendant, Death Painting Womb, Sukuna's vessel and Head of the Jujutsu World."
"Aren't you gonna say hello to me, Tengen?" Yuki looked at him.
"This isn't the first time we met, Yuki Tsukumo," Tengen responded.
"Why did you close off the Tombs of the Star Corridor?" Yuki asked him.
"I was afraid you might be in alignment with Kenjaku. After all, I cannot see into the human heart. But then, your cursed energy reached out to me," Tengen looked at Y/N. "You are Fujiwara Y/N of the Fujiwara Clan, no?"
"Yes," Y/N said. "Why did it reach out to you?"
"I met your ancestors a long time ago. Only they had the Fujiwara technique of Light Manipulation," Tengen responded. "It reached out to me because of a vow I made a long time ago."
"I see," Y/N muttered. "You said that you were afraid of us being in alignment with Kenjaku. Who exactly is he?"
"The sorcerer who was once Noritoshi Kamo, and is now inhibiting the body of Geto Suguru," Tengen told them.
"That name suggests compassion and salvation," Yuki noted. "Gimme a break."
"Master Tengen, why do you look like that?" Yuji cut in.
Tengen smiled at him, "I may be immortal. But I'm not immune to aging. After 500 years, you'd look like this too."
"For real??" Yuji exclaimed before he got hit in the head by Megumi.
"11 years ago, after failing to merge with a Star Plasma Vessel, my aging accelerated and my self-awareness as an individual diminished. The very world became myself," Tengen explained.
"And that's why your voice doesn't proliferate," Yuki said.
"Excuse me, but..." Megumi trailed off.
"We came to ask about Kenjaku's objectives and how to open the Prison Realm," Yuta finished off for him. "Will you tell us what you know?"
"I wish I could simply say yes, but there is one condition," Tengen said. "Fujiwara Y/N, Okkotsu Yuta, Tsukumo Yuki, and the Death Painting Womb. Two of you must remain here to serve as my bodyguards."
"Guards? Aren't you immortal?" Yuta asked.
"Are you worried about the seal?" Maki added on.
"No fair!" Yuki cut him off. "You haven't even told us... why or for how we'd have to do it!"
"So then, shall I speak of Kenjaku?" Tengen began. "His objective is to force the evolution of all human beings throughout the land of Japan."
"We heard that," Megumi intervened. "But what exactly does he intend? Why didn't Kenjaku use your barrier that time and turn everyone in Japan into sorcerers via Idle Transfiguration?"
"He lacks the cursed energy to do that," Tengen simply said. "Cursed energy that had been refined through Uzumaki cannot return to the sorcerer. Triggering an evolution in each individual with a cursed technique is incredibly inefficient. The method of evolution that Kenjaku has chosen is the merging of humankind, me and you."
Y/N felt her heart stop when Tengen looked at her. "M-Me? What could I possibly have to do with this?"
"Is that even possible?!" Yuji exclaimed.
"Were Star Plasma Vessel not the only exception?" Megumi asked.
"Yes, the way I was before. But now that I have evolved for the past 11 years, it would not be possible for me to merge with someone other than a Star Plasma Vessel."
"But you're one person, right?" Choso asked. "How could you merge with multiple people?"
"Wait, hold it," Yuta cut in. "What does this have to do with Y/N?"
"Patience, young ones. I am not what you see before you at this moment. My evolved soul exists all around us. As I said, my self is now the world itself. A human who merges with me transforms into something greater than a sorcerer as a new being that is both there and not there. I possess barrier techniques so I am able to maintain this form and self-control after evolving. However, if humankind evolves, and even if only one person rages out of control, this world will end."
"Why?" Yuki narrowed her eyes.
"There would be no boundaries between individuals, so... evil would spread instantaneously. The impurity of a hundred million people would flood the world. What happened to Tokyo would happen to the entire world."
"Why would Kenjaku do that?" Yuji asked.
"I do not know. As I said, I cannot read the human heart."
"So why don't you just refuse to merge?" Maki simply asked.
Tengen looked at Y/N, "We both share this curse. Because I have evolved, I am more Cursed Spirit than human being. That makes us a target for Cursed Spirit Manipulation."
Everyone in the room felt their hearts drop as their eyes widened.
"Considering Kenjaku's ability as a sorcerer, he might be able to seize us the moment we encounter each other. That is why my main body is rejecting everything at the Tombs of the Star Corridor."
"And Y/N," Yuta said. "Why her?"
"Because my cursed energy can envelop the whole planet in one go," Y/N said after she remembered she moved the Moon. "If Kenjaku doesn't want to stop at just Japan, he'll use my cursed energy to essentially... take over the whole world."
"Your cursed energy was able to extract cursed techniques. Don't you realise how much that puts Kenjaku in a spot?" Tengen asked. "He knows that if he's defeated, you can extract his technique."
Y/N recalled how her shadow extracted Akio and Akina's cursed techniques and made it into hers.
"Shadow Cursed Manipulation can be used in a way like Cursed Spirit Manipulation?" Y/N asked in horror.
Tengen nodded his head, "With your technique, and your cursed energy, that makes you enough of a target."
"And the reason why you want guards?" Yuta asked.
"Kenjaku is the second most-powerful barrier user after me. I do not know when he will undo the seal on the tombs," Tengen said.
"But why now?" Yuki questioned. "Kenjaku prevented a merging with a Star Plasma Vessel and forced your evolution and wants to consume and control you two through Cursed Manipulation. Apparently he was involved with Sukuna and Nacht, so he's been a sorcerer for at least a thousand years... so why now?!"
Tengen sighed deeply, "I... the Star Plasma Vessel and the Six Eyes are all connected by fate. In the past, Kenjaku has lost twice to sorcerers of the Six Eyes. The second time, he took no chances and killed the Star Plasma Vessel and Six Eyes less than one month after they were born."
"Nonetheless, on the day of merging, the Star Plasma Vessel and Six Eyes appeared. After that, Kenjaku switched to sealing instead of eradicating the Six Eyes and began searching for the Prison Realm because two bearers of the Six Eyes cannot appear at the same time," Tengen explained.
"But then the unexpected happened 11 years ago, when Toji Zenin intervened."
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