Tokyo — The top-secret conference room, deep underground in the Jujutsu Headquarters building.
There were no windows, and the only door was a thirty-centimeter-thick special alloy, engraved with numerous barrier runes. The air circulation system emitted a nearly silent, faint hum, evenly distributing the calming and mind-soothing aroma produced by burning expensive incense sticks to every corner.
The long obsidian conference table was smooth as a mirror, reflecting the cold white light of the shadowless lamps above, as well as the dozen or so aged, gloomy, or emotional faces seated around it.
The emergency meeting of the top management of the Jujutsu Headquarters had only one agenda: to confirm that the God of Curses from a thousand years ago, "Zen'in Genji," had awakened in the present world and possessed an ordinary high school girl, Eriri Sawamura, and to decide on subsequent countermeasures.
Silence had lasted for over five minutes. This silence did not mean there was nothing to say, but rather that the overwhelmingly turbulent undercurrents crashing into everyone's hearts made it feel as though the first person to speak would break some dangerous balance.
Finally, the man sitting in the middle of the left side of the long table, an elderly man with neatly groomed silver-white hair and gold-rimmed glasses, gently tapped his fingertips on the table. He was the conservative pillar and chairman of the Law and Governance Committee, Yoshinobu Gakuganji.
"The information has been confirmed by Satoru Gojo, Masamichi Yaga, and the 'eyes' we have placed in the Tokyo barrier. Its authenticity is beyond doubt," Gakuganji's voice was dry, like worn sandpaper.
"Zen'in Genji is the supreme being from the end of the Heian period. The complete Ten Shadows Technique. The only person in history to subjugate Mahoraga. Revered as a 'god' by that era. His power and authority once surpassed even the emperor and the entire jujutsu world. The global absorption barrier he established is still in operation, although it is now almost completely saturated… But his achievements and power cannot be faked."
He paused, his gaze behind the lenses sweeping over everyone present, especially the middle-aged men on the opposite side, whose breathing was noticeably uneven.
"Gentlemen," Yoshinobu Gakuganji said slowly, each word seeming to carry the weight of a mountain. "What does it mean for a 'god' from a thousand years ago to awaken? It means that the entire existing order, power structure, and resource distribution could be overturned. He is not Satoru Gojo—no matter how strong Satoru Gojo is, he is ultimately the 'strongest,' raised within the rules of this era. But Zen'in Genji… he was a lawmaker himself, at least a thousand years ago."
---
"Chairman Gakuganji is too pessimistic, and could even be called cowardly!"
A slightly agitated voice rang out. The speaker sat diagonally across from the chairman, around fifty years old, his face five or six parts similar to Naobito Zen'in's, but with sharper, even paranoid eyes. He was the uncle of the current head of the Zen'in clan, Naoya Zen'in, and the Zen'in clan's representative working in the Headquarters, Sōsuke Zen'in.
"Lord Zen'in Genji is the once-in-a-millennium divine child of my Zen'in clan. He is the pinnacle and symbol of our family's glory! His awakening is not a disaster but a true opportunity for my Zen'in clan to return to the pinnacle of the jujutsu world and dispel the current murky fog!"
Sōsuke Zen'in leaned forward, placing his hands on the table, his eyes burning with undisguised fanaticism.
"Overturn the existing order? The iron rule established by Lord Zen'in Genji back then—'Sorcerers must not harm ordinary people without reason'—is still the cornerstone of the jujutsu world! What he sought was never secular power, but the purification and strength of the jujutsu world! What we should do is immediately welcome him with the highest courtesy, listen to his instructions, and help restore discipline! Being bound by the commandments of a god is an honor deserved by the Zen'in clan, and even the entire jujutsu world!"
---
"Zen'in-kun, don't forget, that 'adult' is now possessing a mixed-race girl named Spencer. She is not a descendant of the Zen'in clan."
A slow voice came from the other end of the long table. The speaker was a middle-aged man with pale skin and heavy bags under his eyes, fiddling with an old copper coin. He headed the "Strategic Advisory Office" within the Headquarters, codenamed "Washio."
"It's hard to say how much sentiment he still holds for the Zen'in clan. A thousand years ago, he worked to improve the status of his younger brother, Zen'in Sei, but he also purged the clan elders who clung to the old ways. You want to 'welcome him back'—with what will you welcome him? If that adult really wants to come back, do you need to welcome him?"
Sōsuke Zen'in's face darkened. "Blood ties are not a child's play! The Ten Shadows Technique is the heritage of my Zen'in clan. That is the strongest bond! As for that girl… she is merely a vessel for the adult's consciousness. If necessary…"
"Be careful!" Gakuganji sharply interrupted, giving Sōsuke a cold glare. "Eriri Sawamura is an ordinary person. Her father is a serving diplomat and is protected by secular law. Any 'necessary' action against her could trigger an unpredictable chain reaction, especially angering Zen'in Genji himself. Satoru Gojo clearly warned that the adult considers the girl 'the first person he has been able to talk to' and intends to protect her."
---
"Satoru Gojo… hmph, that disrespectful madman!"
Another gloomy voice sounded, belonging to the faction most hostile to Satoru Gojo within the Headquarters.
"I'm afraid he's proud of himself now, isn't he? He's found a weight that can leverage a 'god.' But we cannot let this go! Zen'in Genji's power must be contained, controlled, and used by the Headquarters for the stability and development of the entire jujutsu world!"
The speaker was a bald, sharp-eyed old man, the director of the "Resource Integration and Distribution Bureau" of the Headquarters, skilled in interest exchange and checks and balances.
"Oh? What is Mr. Matsumoto's opinion?" Washio asked with interest.
Director Matsumoto pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting cold light. "Whether a god or the strongest, as long as you exist in this world, you must abide by the rules of this world. The Jujutsu Headquarters is the supreme legal authority in the jujutsu world, with full power to formulate rules, assign missions, evaluate ranks, and distribute resources."
"First, Zen'in Genji's awakening must be registered and assessed—though this may be a formality. Second, he needs to clarify his position, duties, and rights in this world. Through a series of regulations—such as the 'Sorcerer Management Act,' the 'Code of Conduct for Special-Grade Sorcerers,' and the 'Rules for Handling Historical Special Individuals'—we can reasonably restrict and guide his behavior."
He paused, his eyes flashing with calculation. "Doesn't he care about that girl and her friends? We can provide them with the highest level of protection, the best resources, and even give them licenses to study at the higher level. However, Zen'in Genji must also take on the role of a 'Special Advisor' or 'Guardian,' responding to the Headquarters' summons during major incidents, using his power to combat special-grade cursed spirits, and even the unknown threats that may arise due to his awakening and the balance of the world. Use rules, righteousness, and interests to weave a delicate net, guiding his immense power in the direction we need."
---
"Use rules… to bind a god?" Gakuganji murmured, his face full of disapproval. "Matsumoto, you are familiar with the law. Have you forgotten the records from a thousand years ago? What happened to those sorcerers and nobles who tried to restrain him with rules and play power games before him? They wept on wooden crosses for months."
"Times are different!"
Director Matsumoto raised his voice.
"We are now in an era of rule of law and an era of information! No matter how strong he is, can he resist the rules of all modern society? Can he ignore the eyes of hundreds of millions of ordinary people? We represent not personal selfishness, but the order and survival of the entire jujutsu world!"
"As long as the method is appropriate, with 'righteousness' and 'responsibility,' supplemented by sufficient respect and interests, it is not impossible that he could be used by us. At the very least, we need to incorporate him into the management system, rather than turning him into a distant and unpredictable 'natural disaster'!"
---
The conference room once again fell into noisy debate.
The fearful, like Yoshinobu Gakuganji and his allies, anxiously assessed the risk of power collapse, proposing to observe at the highest level of alert, avoiding direct conflict, focusing on "monitoring" and "limited contact," with the primary task being "not to provoke."
The aspirational, represented by Sōsuke Zen'in, passionately planned how to climb this towering tree and restore the family's glory, their words already starting to argue about how to redistribute the Zen'in clan's voice in the Headquarters after Zen'in Genji's return.
The careerists, like Director Matsumoto, calmly and even cold-bloodedly devised various institutional traps, interest restrictions, and moral high grounds, trying to cage destructive power in a cell called "rules" and "responsibility" to serve the existing power structure.
There were also many who remained silent, their eyes flickering, quickly weighing the "pros" and "cons" in their hearts, pondering which side to take, how to protect themselves, and even how to gain benefits in this impending monstrous wave.
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