Noisy and quarrelsome moments were the norm in the service department, and Ryuji didn't think much of it. After all, the girls weren't actually going to fight, and their bickering only brought a little more color to their otherwise mundane daily life. In fact, Ryuji liked it that way. He never wanted them to change or suppress their personalities. Their natural selves were what made everything feel vibrant.
---
That night, at the Sawamura family's mansion, Ryuji sat on the sofa, his face showing a satisfied expression as he relaxed.
Sayuri, kneeling before him, stood up and shot him a playful, resentful glance before heading to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
"By the way, where's Eriri?" Ryuji asked casually when she returned.
"She's at Kasumigaoka's house," Sayuri replied with a slight smile. If Eriri hadn't been out, Sayuri would've had to come up with an excuse to meet Ryuji somewhere else, maybe a hotel. There were certain things she didn't want her daughter to know just yet.
"So that's where she is." Ryuji nodded, not thinking too much of it.
"They're getting along better these days, huh?" Sayuri said, nestling into Ryuji's arms. She sounded content as she relaxed against him. Although Eriri and Utaha had once been rivals, their relationship seemed to improve the more time they spent together.
"Yeah, it seems that way," Ryuji replied. "Better than them constantly bickering."
Sayuri looked up at him, her face lighting up with another thought. "Speaking of which, the Shinomiya family's youngest daughter is having her birthday soon. They're throwing a big party. I got an invitation. Do you want to go together?"
"The Shinomiya family?" Ryuji repeated, recognizing the name. His brow furrowed slightly in thought, then he shrugged. "Ah, I think someone from the Shinomiya Group called me too. They invited me to Kaguya Shinomiya's birthday party."
He didn't pay much attention to invitations like that. In the world of sorcerers, no matter how influential or wealthy a family was, they were insignificant unless they had some link to the supernatural.
"You got invited too?" Sayuri asked, sounding a bit surprised.
Ryuji smiled. "Yeah, I exorcised a cursed spirit for the Shinomiya family once. That's probably why."
"Oh, I see," Sayuri nodded in understanding. It all made sense now. She'd heard about Kaguya Shinomiya before, a girl who was low in the family's pecking order. Hosting a birthday party for her wasn't typical. Clearly, they were trying to use the event to win over Ryuji, impressed by his abilities.
Sayuri felt a swell of pride. After all, this only proved that her instincts about Ryuji were spot-on. Even a family as powerful as the Shinomiya Group saw value in him.
"Are you going to go?" she asked, curiosity in her voice.
"Why not? If they want to throw money at me, I don't see a reason to refuse," Ryuji said with a nonchalant shrug. "It's not like I care about them, but if they want to hand over some favors, I'll take them."
Sayuri laughed softly. Ryuji's lack of interest in the Shinomiya family amused her. Just a short time ago, the Shinomiya Group would have seemed untouchable, but now it felt like they were just another name in a long list of people vying for Ryuji's attention.
"I'll bring Eriri along then," Sayuri decided. "It'll be good for her to see how these big families operate. Besides, she could use a change of pace, she's been so fussy lately."
Ryuji waved his hand dismissively. "We'll deal with that later. Right now, we've got more important things to do."
Sayuri gasped as Ryuji effortlessly picked her up, a mix of surprise and excitement in her eyes. Even though this wasn't their first time, the thrill never really faded for her.
---
For the next two weeks, life was smooth for Ryuji. He spent his days at school, surrounded by a myriad of beautiful girls, and his evenings were often spent with Sayuri, Shizuka, or even Haruno. Occasionally, he would drop by to visit Mrs. Izumi, the neighbor next door.
These were peaceful, leisurely days for him.
But, eventually, Marin could no longer hold herself back.
"Alright… I'm going to do it!" Marin muttered to herself, standing nervously outside the door to the service department. She had been psyching herself up for what felt like hours before she finally mustered the courage to knock.
"Excuse me…"
As she opened the door and stepped inside, she was stunned by the sight in front of her, beautiful girls filled the room. For a moment, she thought she had stepped into the wrong place, but then she saw Ryuji sitting comfortably in the middle of it all.
"It's you," Ryuji said, recognizing her. "Kitagawa, right?"
"Ryuji-senpai!" Marin bowed deeply in front of him, her voice filled with sincerity. "I haven't had the chance to thank you properly for what happened last time. If it weren't for you, I would've died."
The girls in the room exchanged glances. It wasn't the first time someone had come to thank Ryuji for saving their life. In fact, a few of them had their own experiences with that.
"It's no big deal. It's been weeks already, hasn't it?" Ryuji said, brushing off her gratitude. To him, it wasn't a huge deal. In fact, he wondered why she was only bringing it up now.
"I know… I'm sorry," Marin said sheepishly. "I've been meaning to thank you earlier, but… well, I was scared."
Seeing Ryuji's power firsthand had left a lasting impression on her. But now that she was here, speaking to him face-to-face, she realized that Ryuji wasn't as intimidating as she had imagined.
"Anyway, I really appreciate it," Marin said, bowing again.
"Sure, I'll take the thanks. If that's all, you can leave now," Ryuji said, waving her off nonchalantly.
But Marin wasn't done. "There's something else… I've been wondering about those monsters. What were they? And why did those sorcerers say that soon everyone will know about them?"
The room fell silent as everyone turned to Ryuji, even the other girls. Their curiosity was piqued too.
"Well, it's not too complicated," Ryuji began. "Cursed spirits used to be invisible to ordinary people, but now, a new kind of cursed spirit has appeared, one that normal humans can see. These new spirits are much stronger and more dangerous. If enough people start seeing them, well, the secret can't be kept much longer. And there aren't enough sorcerers to handle the problem."
Marin listened intently, growing more uneasy as he explained. "So… does that mean things are going to get worse?"
"Maybe," Ryuji said with a smirk. "But don't worry about it too much."
Marin hesitated, then asked, "Is there any chance that normal people could become sorcerers?"
"Nope," Ryuji said without even looking up. "You don't have the talent."
Marin's face fell slightly. She had been hoping for a different answer. Before she could say anything more, Yukino chimed in, clearly noticing Marin's disappointment.
"Ryuji already saved you," Yukino said. "You should be grateful for that, not asking for more."
Marin stood there, silent and slightly embarrassed. She realized she had overstepped. Just as she was about to leave, the door to the service department suddenly burst open.
"Bang!"
Everyone turned to see the twin sisters, Nanako and Mimiko, standing in the doorway. The force of their entrance had even cracked the door slightly.
Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "You two?"
It was a surprise to see them here, but after a moment's thought, he figured it wasn't too shocking. Even though Geto Suguru was dead, his influence still lingered, and it wouldn't be difficult for them to track him down.
"What do you want?" Ryuji asked casually.
Without hesitation, the sisters walked straight up to him, dropped to their knees, and bowed low in a posture of desperation.
"Please help us!"
Everyone in the room stared, confused by the sudden display.
Ryuji looked down at them, genuinely puzzled. "You're both capable sorcerers. What could be so bad that you'd beg me like this?"
Nanako and Mimiko remained silent for a moment, their heads still bowed.
Realizing the situation was more serious than it seemed, the other girls in the room stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt. Marin, who had been about to leave, froze in place. She was suddenly very thankful she hadn't stepped out a moment earlier, she could feel the intense energy radiating from the twins.
Ryuji's words made Mimiko and Nanako fall silent.
It was clear that something was difficult for them to talk about. Their fists clenched tightly, and anger was written all over their faces. The sudden change in their expressions made Ryuji raise an eyebrow in interest. Something intriguing had clearly happened.
"Come on, you're not about to ask me to kill Gojo Satoru to avenge Geto Suguru, are you?" Ryuji joked, half expecting the impossible.
While it wasn't entirely beyond his capabilities, Ryuji didn't believe the sisters could offer him anything worthwhile to warrant going up against someone like Gojo.
"No!" The sisters shook their heads, denying the suggestion immediately.
Nanako, the older sister with the yellow hair, finally spoke up.
"Master Geto's body... it's missing!" she said, her voice shaking slightly.
"Hmm?" Ryuji was taken aback for a moment before realization dawned on him. "Ah, so it's him... the brain swapper, huh?"
That made sense now. No wonder the sisters were so angry. To them, Geto had been more than just a leader; he was like a father. And now, after his death, someone had stolen his body. That was beyond disrespectful, it was desecration.
The sisters had apparently sought help from Miguel and the others, but no leads had turned up. Desperate, they'd turned to Ryuji, someone they had only met briefly in the past. Though their first encounter had been far from friendly, they knew Ryuji's strength. In fact, Geto had once told them privately that Ryuji might be even stronger than him, though they had refused to believe it at the time.
Now, however, they had no choice but to ask Ryuji for help.
"Please... Please help us recover Master Geto's body. Let him rest in peace!" The two sisters bowed their heads, kneeling before him once again.
Ryuji didn't answer right away. He was thinking.
If Kenjaku the cursed user known for switching bodies had Geto's body, that meant he had likely inherited Geto's curse manipulation technique as well. And Kenjaku was notoriously elusive, difficult to track down.
Ryuji's expression remained calm as he thought things over. The girls around him, including Yukino and Miko, wisely kept quiet. Despite how pitiful the sisters looked, they knew Ryuji well enough not to interfere. He had his own way of handling things.
"If you help us retrieve Master Geto's body, we'll do anything you ask!" Nanako said suddenly, her voice determined.
"Anything?" Ryuji asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Anything," the sisters confirmed without hesitation. They knew full well what Ryuji might be implying, but desperation had left them with no other option.
"You two are quite decisive," Ryuji said, smirking. Curse users, after all, tended to have their own sense of pride and arrogance. Yet here they were, willing to do whatever it took."
"But," Ryuji thought, "he had another reason to find Kenjaku. Not just to retrieve Geto's body, but because Kenjaku's curse technique, Idle Transfiguration, was something Ryuji had been interested in for a while, Since he could activate a future ability from Itadori Yuki, why not from Kenjaku?" Kenjaku posed a significant threat that couldn't be allowed to roam freely. By finding him, he could kill two birds with one stone.
"The only issue is tracking him down," Ryuji finally said.
The sisters brightened instantly, sensing that Ryuji was willing to help. "We can take care of that!" Nanako said quickly. "The remnants of Geto's organization are still around. They'll help us find him."
"Alright then," Ryuji said with a shrug, "I'll wait for your good news."
The sisters bowed once more, grateful. They left immediately, eager to begin their search.
After they were gone, Yukino and the others looked at Ryuji curiously.
"Those two?" Yukino asked, wondering what Ryuji saw in them.
"They're talented sorcerers, despite everything," Ryuji explained. "Mimiko and Nanako are twin sisters, and they share a curse technique. Their abilities are decent, but because they're twins, their potential is split between them. If it wasn't for that, they might've reached the level of special-grade sorcerers by now."
"And now you're going to help them?" Yotsuya Miko asked, though it was less of a question and more of a statement.
Ryuji nodded. "Yeah. But more importantly, I'm building something here. Having a network of capable sorcerers isn't a bad thing. I can't do everything myself, you know?"
Yotsuya's eyes softened. "I see… well, you can always count on us, Ryuji."
"Definitely!" Hana jumped in, her usual bubbly self. "I'll help with whatever you need!"
"And me!" Sakurajima Mai chimed in confidently. "I'm a sorcerer now too, remember?"
Though Mai had finally developed her cursed power, Ryuji knew she still had a long way to go. He smiled at her enthusiasm but couldn't resist teasing her a little.
"Well, I look forward to it," Ryuji said, amused. "You're going to have to train hard to keep up, though."
"Don't worry, I won't let you down!" Mai's eyes shone with determination. She hadn't forgotten that Ryuji had been there for her during her darkest times.
"Tch, you're all talk," Saki, who had been quietly watching, quipped. "You better hurry up and get stronger, or I'll surpass you before you know it."
Mai shot her a glare. "You wish!"
The others just laughed, used to the playful banter between the two girls.
Marin, who had been standing quietly in the background this whole time, felt a sudden wave of envy. Watching how easily these girls bonded with Ryuji made her long for something similar. Sure, she was popular at school, but it was a surface-level kind of popularity. She couldn't exactly share her love for cosplay or her otaku habits with her classmates. Here, though, these girls didn't seem to care about putting on masks. They were just... themselves.
"Lucky," Marin thought, though she didn't voice it. She had planned to leave after thanking Ryuji, but now she found herself lingering, reluctant to go.
Eventually, though, Marin slipped out silently, her thoughts swirling. She wished she could be part of something like this.
Yukino noticed her leaving but didn't stop her. She could tell that Marin was still adjusting to the realities of the sorcerer world.
"Sorcerers and regular people… they're just too different," Yukino thought to herself. She remembered Ryuji once saying that to sorcerers, regular humans were little more than animals. It wasn't a widely shared sentiment, but it did exist within the community, especially among the more ruthless curse users.
---
Despite everything, life returned to normal for Ryuji. He hadn't expected any progress so soon, thinking he'd hear back from the sisters after attending Kaguya Shinomiya's birthday party.
But only three days later, Mimiko and Nanako were back, knocking on his door in the middle of the night.
Ryuji opened the door, greeted by the sight of the two sisters standing there, their faces pale and their eyes dark with exhaustion. It was clear they hadn't rested at all.
"You two look like hell," Ryuji remarked, raising an eyebrow. "Have you been searching the entire time?"
The sisters handed him a file, barely able to keep their eyes open. "We... we found the location," Nanako mumbled, her voice tired.
Ryuji flipped through the information. The brain-switcher, Kenjaku, had been found.
"You can rest here if you want," Ryuji said, motioning for them to come inside. It was the least he could offer after seeing how much effort they had put in.
At his invitation, the two sisters froze. They exchanged looks, their expressions suddenly bashful.
"What is it?" Ryuji asked, noticing their hesitation.
Nanako was the first to speak, her voice soft. "Can we… rest here first? And after that... maybe... we can..."
Mimiko, equally flustered, lowered her head and nodded in agreement.
Ryuji blinked, realizing what they were implying. They thought he was expecting something in return.
"You two really thought I meant... that?" Ryuji thought to himself. For a second, he was tempted to laugh, but he held it back.
"For now, go rest. By the time you wake up, I might have already retrieved Geto's body," Ryuji added, smirking. He was already planning his next move. Getting Geto's body back would be simple, but the real prize was the power of Idle Transfiguration from Noritoshi Kamo.
"Really?" Nanako asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.
"Just leave it to me," Ryuji assured them before heading out the door. He stretched his arms, ready to get moving.
"Time to shake things up," he muttered to himself, disappearing into the night.
The two sisters sat down in his room, still feeling a bit dazed. They hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
Miko wasn't here tonight, having returned to Touko's place.
If the two sisters from the Shackle Field didn't show up, Ryuji would probably be sleeping alone tonight.
"Do you want to follow?" Nanako asked after a long silence.
"Let's not. If there's any danger, we'll just be a burden."
"..."
That was harsh, but true. Nanako fell silent, her sister's words striking home. She sighed quietly.
"So, we're going to be his people from now on?"
It wasn't like they didn't want to. Even Geto said Ryuji was good-looking, close to their age, and, more importantly, very strong. There wasn't much wrong with becoming Ryuji's woman.
It just felt a bit unreal.
Not long ago, they were on opposite sides. The shift in their relationship was overwhelming!
"Maybe this is fate," Nanako sighed.
"But this is a good thing, right?"
The Geto's Family was gone, and they had no idea where they could go next. Following Ryuji seemed like a good option now.
"If only we could get stronger…"
In terms of technique, whether it was Nanako's or Mimiko's, both were more inclined toward curses. They could kill without anyone noticing, but they weren't suited for direct confrontations.
Still, that didn't mean they were weak.
But even so, the two sisters hadn't improved after reaching level two, no matter how much they trained. It felt like they had hit their limit.
"Ugh!"
The topic made both sisters sigh.
"Forget it, let's rest for now."
"Do you want to take a bath?" Mimiko asked after finding the bathroom.
"A bath?" Nanako was surprised. Was now really the time to relax like that? When did her sister become so carefree?
For the past three days, they hadn't had time to rest, let alone bathe. They were already pretty smelly.
"…"
She made a good point. Nanako had no reason to argue.
After a moment of hesitation, Nanako nodded. "Alright, let's wash up."
Meanwhile, Ryuji had no idea what was happening back at home.
He was quite pleased with how things were going.
Soon, he stopped just outside a forest.
"This is the place, huh?"
The information only mentioned this forest, meaning they could only confirm the target was somewhere inside. The exact location was unclear.
But this much was enough for Ryuji.
He sniffed the air slowly.
"The stench of cursed spirits is as disgusting as ever."
Once someone reached a certain level of power, their sensitivity to cursed spirits grew incredibly sharp.
Even from outside the forest, Ryuji could feel the overwhelming presence of cursed spirits within. It was stronger than any he had encountered before.
So, were these the four disaster-level cursed spirits?
Ryuji grinned at the thought and strode into the forest.
"Is this the body you wanted?"
Inside the forest, a group of Curses looked in confusion at the figure of Geto Suguru, now possessed by Kenjaku.
It was clear they didn't understand the significance of the body before them.
"Don't underestimate the owner of this body." Even in this new form, Kenjaku's face wore the same constant smile.
"This body's abilities are crucial to the success of our next plan."
Kenjaku glanced briefly in the direction of Mahito.
They had already secured the Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique, and the next step was Mahito's Idle Transfiguration. It wouldn't take long now.
"Tch! I don't care about any of that!" Jogo said dismissively, his disdain obvious.
"I just want to know when we can go to the human world and start killing!"
He had wanted to do that for a long time now.
"Killing people, huh? Sounds like fun!" Mahito chimed in, grinning like a spectator at a show.
Kenjaku had seen this countless times and wasn't fazed. He smiled and said, "Don't forget, I mentioned there's one particularly troublesome sorcerer among the current crop."
"Gojo?"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of him," Jogo said arrogantly.
Kenjaku narrowed his eyes slightly but said nothing. If Jogo wanted to die, who was he to stop him? After all, to Kenjaku, the real key to their plan was Mahito. The others were disposable.
"Gojo Satoru?"
Suddenly, a voice rang out, startling everyone. Even Kenjaku looked up to see Ryuji calmly standing on a nearby tree branch, watching them.
"A human!"
Confirming that the intruder was indeed human, Jogo didn't bother with any more words. He raised his hand, activating a flame curse.
A scorching fireball shot toward Ryuji.
"Boom!"
The flames obliterated the trees around Ryuji.
"Hah! A mere human dares show himself before me!" Jogo sneered.
But Kenjaku remained on edge. He had lived long enough to know better, no sorcerer would show up here and be dealt with so easily.
"Are all cursed spirits this arrogant now?" Ryuji's voice came from behind Jogo.
"What?!"
Jogo's single eye widened in shock as he tried to turn and attack again. But before he could move, Ryuji's fist slammed into him.
"One down!"
"Bang!"
Jogo's body was sent flying, crashing through several trees.
"Jogo!!!!"
Hanami, who had been standing nearby, roared in anger and was about to strike when Ryuji appeared behind him as well.
A swift kick sent Hanami flying too.
"Two down!"
Just like Jogo, he was hurled into the distance.
"Target contact: Hanami. Purple entry triggered. Load?"
It didn't trigger with Jogo, but it worked with Hanami? A bit unexpected, but still good.
"Now, just one more and I'll get a free purple entry draw."
"Hanami! Jogo!"
The most shocked of all was Mahito. The sudden turn of events left him speechless, his usual carefree attitude nowhere to be seen.
He wanted to say something, but Ryuji had already appeared behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Three down."
Mahito turned his head in disbelief, only to find Ryuji standing there, calm as ever.
"Boom!"
Without using any curses, relying purely on physical strength, Ryuji had taken down three special-grade cursed spirits.
"Target contact: Mahito. Golden entry triggered. Load?"
It triggered too? Ryuji didn't rush to check the entry triggered by Hanami. Instead, he focused on the one initiated by Mahito first.
Golden entry: Idle Transfiguration!
Nice! Looks like Mahito's luck just ran out.
"Puff, puff…"
There should still be one more left, Ryuji mused. Sure enough, off to the side, he spotted Dagon still in his cursed fetus form, glaring at him angrily.
Ryuji spared him a glance before turning his attention to Kenjaku.
After all, now that he had Idle Transfiguration, his next target was Suguru's body.
"Ryuji?"
Kenjaku narrowed his eyes at the sorcerer. He had heard about Ryuji's talents before. As a seasoned schemer, Kenjaku always made sure to gather as much intel as possible.
But despite what he knew, Kenjaku hadn't taken Ryuji seriously. After all, Ryuji hadn't accomplished anything significant yet.
Killing special-grade cursed spirits was impressive, but not enough to catch Kenjaku's attention. Unless Ryuji could defeat someone like Gojo, Kenjaku wouldn't consider him a real threat.
But now, seeing Ryuji handle the three disaster-level cursed spirits with ease… Kenjaku realized he had greatly underestimated him.
Even with just physical strength, Ryuji had performed better than expected. If Kenjaku didn't know any better, he'd think Ryuji was a match for someone like Fushiguro, a true combat genius.
"Did you come here for something, Ryuji-kun?" Kenjaku asked with a smile, though he was now much more serious.
Ryuji didn't respond at first, his eyes scanning Kenjaku from head to toe.
Other than the stitching on his forehead, he looked just like Geto. But his eyes were different, Geto's eyes had always carried a weight, like someone burdened with responsibility. Kenjaku's eyes, though, were full of calculation, like a snake ready to strike at any moment.
"Geto," Ryuji suddenly said with a smile. "I'll take good care of Nanako and Mimiko, so you don't have to worry."
"…"
So, those two sisters were the ones who went to Ryuji for help? That confirmed Kenjaku's suspicions.
Kenjaku thought quickly and laughed to himself.
"I'm sorry," he wanted to say, "I'm not Geto anymore."
But to his surprise, his mouth moved against his will, and two words slipped out:
"Thank you."
!!!!!
How is this possible?
Kenjaku was stunned. That wasn't what he meant to say. Damn it, was Geto's will still haunting him?
Kenjaku's expression darkened as his hand moved involuntarily, tightening around his own neck.
Even if the body was dead, did the soul still resist?
"Don't even think about it!"
Kenjaku, an ancient monster with centuries of experience, quickly regained control, suppressing the last remnants of Geto's soul, erasing it completely.
Ryuji wasn't surprised by this.
In the anime, when Gojo Satoru was about to be sealed by the Prison Realm, Geto's will had briefly resurfaced. But it hadn't been strong enough to fully resist Kenjaku.
"Phew…"
Kenjaku sighed in relief, regaining full control of the body.
The breathing of Kenjaku became a little unstable.
Ryuji looked at him calmly.
Geto's will was completely gone, but it seemed he had finally relaxed.
The people Geto was most worried about were the Hasaba sisters.
He had saved them from that cursed village and raised them since they were young. The Hasaba sisters regarded Geto as their father.
And Geto had always treated them like his own daughters.
"How unexpected!"
After catching his breath, Kenjaku slowly stood up.
A twisted smile crept across his face.
"If you hadn't reawakened Geto's will, you might have actually landed a fatal blow at the most crucial moment of my plan!"
Thinking of this, Kenjaku's smile grew even more arrogant.
"It's all thanks to you!"
"Haha!"
Ryuji also laughed.
"I promised the Hasaba sisters that I would bring Suguru's body back, so..."
At this point, Ryuji paused for a moment and then grinned.
*Shua!*
In an instant, his figure disappeared from sight.
When he reappeared, he was already behind Kenjaku.
At the same time, a massive curse spirit, summoned using Geto's Cursed Spirit Manipulation technique, erupted behind Kenjaku and charged toward Ryuji.
"Die!"
Ryuji didn't even glance at the curse spirit.
He swung his fist.
The curse spirit shattered instantly, and Ryuji's punch landed squarely on Kenjaku!
*Bang!*
With no resistance, Kenjaku's body was sent flying by the punch, crashing through several large trees in its path.
He could feel that almost all the bones in his body had broken.
But as a sorcerer who had lived for so long, Kenjaku still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Soon enough, he stood up again.
"This strength... It's comparable to—or rather, it surpasses the power of the first-generation King of Curses, Sukuna!"
Even if Sukuna himself were resurrected, Kenjaku doubted that he could be beaten so easily with just one punch.
"This guy..."
Looking at the calm expression on Ryuji's face, the playful grin Kenjaku had been wearing completely vanished.
If he wasn't careful, he might really die here. He hadn't expected this sorcerer, whom he'd never taken seriously, to bring him such a grave threat.
"Not bad."
Although Ryuji had succeeded with one strike, he didn't press his attack. Instead, he flexed his fist and nodded in satisfaction.
During this time, he had absorbed so many special-grade curses. While he could feel his body had grown stronger, almost inhuman, he hadn't yet tested his power in combat.
Now, after this battle, he felt thoroughly satisfied.
"I don't think we really need to keep fighting!"
Seeing Ryuji's gaze shift toward him again, Kenjaku smiled and raised his hand in a relaxed manner.
"We can work together, right? I know many things, and I'm sure you'll find them valuable."
Originally, Kenjaku believed that Sukuna was the strongest force in existence, but now he wasn't so sure.
"Sorry, I don't make a habit of working with rats."
Ryuji laughed at Kenjaku's offer.
Work with an old fox like Kenjaku? Who knows when he'd be stabbed in the back?
Although Ryuji wasn't afraid, he also saw no reason to risk it. Besides, he doubted there was anything Kenjaku could offer that was worth his attention.
"Rat?"
Kenjaku's expression darkened.
No matter what, as a special-grade sorcerer, Kenjaku had his pride. Being called a rat would inevitably strike a nerve.
If cooperation was off the table, then there was only one option left—battle.
"You really think you can defeat me?"
As he spoke, Kenjaku activated Cursed Spirit Manipulation, releasing all the special-grade curses that Suguru had painstakingly gathered over the years.
"I can eat them all in one sitting!"
Seeing the flood of curses, Ryuji laughed.
Why hadn't he thought of this before? Geto's Cursed Spirit Manipulation could control an unlimited number of cursed spirits. Over the years, Suguru had accumulated tens of thousands of them.
Sure, many were weaker, but sheer numbers could change the game. If he absorbed them all, it would be a feast.
Ryuji's grin widened at the thought.
Kenjaku, however, had no idea what Ryuji was thinking, but the sight of his smile sent a chill down his spine.
"Damn it!"
After being blown away by a single punch, Kenjaku's cursed spirits quickly recovered.
Seeing that the cursed spirits Hanami and Jogo were unharmed, Kenjaku relaxed slightly.
"That human sorcerer doesn't seem to be targeting us," Hanami's voice echoed in the minds of Kenjaku and Jogo.
Judging from the situation, it seemed Ryuji's primary target was Kenjaku. Although they had allied themselves with Kenjaku, in truth, they were merely using each other. There was no need to risk their lives for a human.
With this in mind, neither Hanami nor Jogo moved to help.
"Strange! Strange! Strange!"
Suddenly, Mahito, one of the other cursed spirits, began clutching his head in confusion.
"What's wrong?"
Jogo and Hanami turned toward him.
But Mahito ignored them, staring at Ryuji with crazed eyes.
"Why? Why doesn't my Idle Transfiguration work? I touched him, so why can't I change his soul?!"
This was what baffled Mahito the most.
When Ryuji had sent him flying earlier, it had given Mahito the chance to make contact. Normally, without his Domain Expansion, Idle Transfiguration required physical contact to work. Mahito had intended to use this opportunity to kill Ryuji.
But his technique had no effect.
No matter how much Mahito tried, Idle Transfiguration couldn't alter Ryuji's soul.
"How is this possible?!"
It was the first time Mahito had encountered a soul that couldn't be manipulated.
While Mahito struggled to understand, it was simple for Ryuji.
Thanks to absorbing so many cursed spirits, every aspect of Ryuji had evolved, including his soul. His soul had reached a level that could no longer be considered human.
For someone like Mahito, altering Ryuji's soul was simply impossible.
"Damn it!"
Jogo and Hanami exchanged glances, but they stayed quiet.
"Are we leaving?" Hanami asked.
If they left now, neither Ryuji nor Kenjaku would notice.
"Let's wait a bit longer," Jogo replied after a moment of thought, deciding to remain still and observe.
Although Hanami didn't quite understand, he didn't argue, choosing to stay and watch as well.
"Ahh, satisfying!"
After consuming several more special-grade curses, Ryuji's face lit up with satisfaction.
Though he wasn't completely full yet, this was still a fine meal.
"Any more? How about a few more?"
He glanced expectantly at Kenjaku, as if looking at a buffet.
Kenjaku was speechless.
Damn it! In all these years, I've never encountered a monster like this!
"Actually—"
Kenjaku was about to offer a deal, but Ryuji moved before he could finish.
*Shua!*
In the blink of an eye, Ryuji appeared above Kenjaku.
"If you're not going to release any more cursed spirits, then you're useless!"
"Die!"
With a loud boom, Ryuji's foot came crashing down.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The ground fractured and cracked under the sheer force of the attack. Trees shattered and collapsed.
Kenjaku barely managed to react, using his arms to block the blow. But both of his arms were fractured beyond repair, and even if he could recover, it would take time.
Ryuji didn't give him that time.
In a flash, Ryuji reappeared on Kenjaku's other side.
"I've had enough fun. Give me Suguru's body."
*Boom!*
Kenjaku was sent flying again.
*Cough!*
He spat out blood, glaring at Ryuji, who walked toward him with an arrogant, indifferent gaze.
That look, like he was nothing but a lamb to be slaughtered was unbearable.
"Damn it!"
Even Sukuna had never looked down on him like this.
For a brief moment, Kenjaku nearly broke under the pressure.
"Who do you think you are?!"
He screamed at Ryuji.
"Hm?"
Ryuji raised an eyebrow, surprised by the outburst.
"I am Kenjaku, the greatest sorcerer in history! Do you think you can kill me so easily?"
My goals are beyond what any sorcerer has ever dreamed of. The plan of death and rebirth must succeed—I cannot die here.
Even if I can't win now...
Kenjaku still had a few tricks up his sleeve.
"I—"
But before he could finish, cursed marks appeared on Ryuji's mouth.
"Kneel."
*Bang!*
With a sharp crack, Kenjaku's body dropped to the ground, forced into a kneeling position by Ryuji's overwhelming power.
"This… this is cursed speech!"
Veins bulged on Kenjaku's forehead as he struggled to stand. But all his efforts were in vain.
"Ryujiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
He screamed Ryuji's name as the sorcerer slowly approached, his face filled with indifferent arrogance.
Kenjaku could feel it now, he was going to die! He was absolutely going to die!
With Ryuji's indifferent attitude and terrifying power, there was no doubt about it.
In desperation, Kenjaku's eyes shifted toward Jogo and the others, who were standing not far away, simply watching.
Damn cowards!
Though he had expected them to stand back, seeing it in person still filled him with frustration. Were they seriously just going to watch him die?
"Idiots, how long are you planning to just stand there?!"
Kenjaku desperately needed these cursed spirits to hold Ryuji off, even for just a moment.
But those cursed spirits weren't fools, they wouldn't act without a good reason.
"Don't you get it? This guy is a human sorcerer! If you want the cursed spirits to rule this world, then he's your enemy! If you don't kill him now, do you want to wait until he's even stronger?"
"…"
The four disaster curses weren't the smartest, but they weren't entirely brainless either.
Kenjaku's words finally made them take the situation more seriously.
He's right. Ryuji, as a human sorcerer, would inevitably become an obstacle to their goal of dominating the world.
If they didn't deal with him now, they might never get another chance.