(150 Power Stone Bonus)
Chapter 16: The True Capability of Soul Manipulation
Hearing Yumesaki's statement, Asuna's mouth fell open in utter astonishment. She had already found his control over Soul Manipulation to be profoundly terrifying, yet it turned out everything she had witnessed so far was merely the tip of the iceberg.
If that was the case, what did the true, unbridled depth of Soul Manipulation look like?
Fortunately, Yumesaki had no intention of keeping her in suspense, promptly delivering the answer.
The massive, compressed sphere of flesh in the classroom began to violently reshape itself one final time, ultimately molding into the form of a tall, remarkably stunning, and exceptionally curvaceous woman.
The beautiful woman slowly fluttered her eyes open and gracefully dropped to her knees right before Yumesaki.
"Number One greets the Master."
Her demeanor was profoundly sincere, her expression dripping with absolute reverence. The look she directed toward Yumesaki was akin to a devout follower gazing upon their literal Creator.
Yumesaki spoke in a measured, calm pace. "My Soul Manipulation doesn't merely govern the physical shell through the soul; it can actively bestow a genuine, fully functioning soul upon the target. This elevates them into a normal, sentient being who can be perceived by ordinary senses, live a life, and even consume food."
"Though, the sustenance she requires is a bit different from human food."
Medea, carefully analyzing the structural composition of this newly birthed entity, inquired, "What exactly do they feed on?"
"Cursed Spirits."
Yumesaki stated nonchalantly, "I have forcefully restructured her soul to mirror that of a human, meaning her primary source of nourishment consists entirely of Cursed Spirits. The more Cursed Spirits she consumes, the more powerful she will continuously become."
"Is there an established upper limit to this consumption process?" Medea instantly honed in on a critical parameter, her gaze shifting slightly.
"There is none," Yumesaki replied with a shake of his head. "Theoretically speaking, she could entirely devour every single Cursed Spirit on the planet. Though we all know that is a functional impossibility, considering Cursed Spirits are boundlessly generated by human negativity."
"As long as humanity exists, Cursed Spirits will never truly face extinction. To completely wipe out Cursed Spirits from this world, there is only one definitive method."
Yumesaki abruptly cut himself off at that point.
Asuna and Medea exchanged a brief, knowing glance. Even though Yumesaki had left the thought unfinished, they both understood exactly what that method entailed.
But such a path was far too monstrous.
No sane individual would ever attempt it, and no one would dare to execute it. It would mean turning oneself into the absolute enemy of all mankind.
Yumesaki casually raised his hand, and a localized application of a high-tier conceptual severing spell snapped into reality.
An invisible, razor-sharp slash instantly tore through the beautiful female Cursed Spirit kneeling before him, completely shattering her form into countless scattered fragments.
Asuna's face went pale, and a gasp nearly escaped her throat. She couldn't comprehend why Yumesaki would suddenly execute his own creation, especially in such a brutal, unyielding manner.
Yet in the very next second, she froze entirely in place.
The shattered remnants of the Cursed Spirit were actively reconstituting themselves at a speed that defied logic.
One second, perhaps three seconds at most.
The beautiful woman stood completely whole once more, her human guise flawlessly restored, looking entirely pristine as though she had never been touched by a blade.
"Is this... absolute immortality?"
Medea immediately recognized the underlying concept. This phenomenon bore a striking structural resemblance to the biological mechanisms utilized by the Five Elders and the God's Knights from the world of One Piece.
"Correct, it is indeed absolute immortality," Yumesaki openly confirmed, offering a relaxed smile. "The exact moment I bestowed a soul upon her, I intentionally placed an absolute lock on the Cursed Spirit's spiritual core."
"As long as her soul remains completely intact, it doesn't matter what catastrophic damage her physical vessel sustains; she will seamlessly regenerate within the briefest possible window of time."
"This stands as one of the core, foundational pillars of Soul Manipulation."
"Furthermore, this application isn't strictly limited to the biology of Cursed Spirits. It can be applied to a human body just as effectively."
"When a soul is placed under an absolute lock, the biological aging process of the physical body effectively grinds to a complete halt. They will never grow old, nor will their physical appearance ever deteriorate."
"Whatever physical state they find themselves in the moment the lock is applied, they will maintain that exact form for the rest of eternity."
Medea's eyes flashed with a sudden, intense brilliance. A very specific realization dawned upon her, prompting her to ask, "Perpetual youth?"
Eh? Asuna was completely stunned by the sudden turn in conversation. Why had the topic suddenly veered into the realm of eternal youth?
Could something that sounded so entirely fantastical truly be achieved so easily?
"Precisely. It is absolute, unyielding perpetual youth."
Yumesaki snapped his fingers with a cheerful grin. Medea truly never missed a single beat; her perception remained incredibly sharp.
Nero, standing off to the side, couldn't suppress an enthusiastic "Umu!" any longer. "Perpetual youth, is it? What a truly magnificent ability, Master! I want that perpetual youth as well!"
Traditional Heroic Spirits didn't experience the passage of time or aging, but a Heroic Spirit who had achieved a proper Incarnation absolutely did.
Because an incarnated Heroic Spirit functioned on a biological wavelength almost identical to an ordinary human, they could experience starvation, exhaustion, and eventual senescence. Even with the enhancements provided by the Superhuman Serum, their natural lifespan capped out at roughly three hundred years.
That was still an astronomical distance away from true, endless immortality.
Now that a golden opportunity for absolute perpetual youth was resting right before her eyes, Nero had zero intention of letting it slip through her fingers.
Only by securing eternal youth could she continuously remain by her Master's side, eating, drinking, and enjoying the finer things in life without end. Who could possibly turn down such a flawless arrangement?
At the very least, Nero certainly couldn't.
"Of course you can." Yumesaki raised his right hand and gently patted Nero's shoulder, effortlessly placing an absolute lock upon her soul with a bright expression.
From this exact moment forward, Nero officially possessed both absolute immortality and flawless perpetual youth.
"Do you desire it as well?"
"Most definitely."
Yumesaki directed his gaze toward Medea, who didn't hesitate for even a fraction of a second. Her line of thinking aligned perfectly with Nero's.
After Yumesaki successfully granted the same conceptual lock to Medea, his attention naturally shifted over to Asuna.
To be perfectly honest, Asuna felt an incredibly powerful surge of temptation pulling at her heart. This was literal, absolute eternal youth.
Furthermore, once the lock was established, her physical vessel would remain perpetually anchored to this exact day. In the future, she could forever claim to be a gorgeous sixteen-year-old girl.
If word of this ability ever leaked out to the public, every woman on the planet would turn green with absolute envy.
Yet, as she gave it some deeper thought, she realized she was still quite young. She hadn't even fully matured into the absolute peak of her physical beauty just yet. If she chose to permanently lock her appearance exactly as it was right now, wouldn't she be selling herself terribly short?
"I... could I perhaps think about it for a little while first?"
Even though Asuna knew her request might come across as slightly ungrateful given the immense gift being offered, what woman didn't cherish her own aesthetic potential? She genuinely wished to reach the absolute zenith of her natural growth before freezing her form permanently.
"Naturally. Take all the time you need."
Beholding the deep hesitation painting Asuna's features, Yumesaki easily deduced the exact nature of her internal dilemma. He found it rather amusing but didn't push the matter, readily agreeing to her request with a relaxed demeanor.
She had likely forgotten the fact that he possessed the ability to actively reshape the physical vessel by simply altering the geometry of the soul.
He figured he would just let her figure that little detail out on her own later down the line.
"Ah, right. That lingering curse clinging to your body—let's go ahead and clear that out for you."
Yumesaki had intentionally left the curse active on Asuna earlier solely to act as bait to draw out their hidden adversaries. Now that he had identified the exact party responsible for orchestrating the curse, there was no longer any practical reason to keep it around.
Hearing his words, Asuna looked up at Yumesaki, her eyes absolutely brimming with profound gratitude. "Thank you so much."
After the harrowing ordeal she had experienced today, she had finally come to understand the absolute danger this curse posed. The thing was a literal homing beacon for Cursed Spirits; wherever she went, a horde would inevitably follow.
She had absolutely zero desire to live a chaotic life where she was constantly being ambushed by grotesque monsters at every turn.
That kind of existence was entirely too stressful. A normal, ordinary girl like her simply didn't possess the mental fortitude to endure it.
"Allow me to handle it."
Right at that moment, Medea suddenly intervened. She had spent the entirety of yesterday closely analyzing the structural properties of this specific curse alongside Asuna. She understood its magical composition inside and out; dispelling it was nothing more than a trivial task for her.
In a span of less than three seconds, Medea cleanly tore the ominous, dark-crimson curse wrapping around Asuna's form into absolute nothingness.
"How does it feel?"
Faced with Medea's inquiry, Asuna merely shook her head in a daze, completely unable to provide an answer because she literally hadn't felt a single thing change.
Medea wasn't particularly surprised by the response. After all, Asuna remained a completely ordinary human at her core; her innate perception toward supernatural phenomena was practically nonexistent. It was perfectly natural for her to remain oblivious to the shift.
She had simply asked out of mere habit.
Following that minor interlude, Medea turned her gaze back toward Yumesaki, requesting the specific methodology required to extract Cursed Energy from negative emotions so she could personally experience the process of becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
She was highly eager to conduct a thorough comparative analysis to see the exact structural differences between Cursed Energy and traditional Magical Energy.
Yumesaki wasn't stingy with his knowledge in the slightest, openly reciting the exact extraction techniques right before them. He simultaneously utilized the Golden Gate to bestow the necessary systemic qualifications upon Medea, Nero, and Asuna, granting them the inherent capability to learn the supernatural systems of this specific world.
Nero, however, held absolutely zero personal interest in the concept of Cursed Energy, choosing to skip the extraction process entirely.
Conversely, both Medea and Asuna found themselves deeply intrigued by the nature of Cursed Energy, immediately attempting to manifest it.
Medea mastered the concept with terrifying efficiency. It took her less than half an hour to successfully draw out her very first wisp of refined Cursed Energy from her residual negative emotions.
Asuna, on the other hand, despite now possessing the systemic qualifications required to become a proper Jujutsu Sorcerer, utterly failed to extract even a single microscopic droplet of Cursed Energy.
This outcome merely served as a stark reminder of an unyielding truth... that a vast, insurmountable chasm of natural talent existed between individuals.
Furthermore, it was worth noting that while Medea held a deep academic curiosity toward Cursed Energy, her interest was purely rooted in scientific research. She had absolutely zero intention of deeply cultivating Cursed Energy as a primary power source.
After all, her absolute foundational core would always remain anchored in the mystic arts of Sorcery.
Sorcery was fundamentally vastly superior to Cursed Energy and Jujutsu techniques. Choosing to deeply pursue Cursed Energy at the expense of her Sorcery would undoubtedly be a foolish endeavor akin to chasing after pennies while throwing away bars of gold.
Medea was far too intelligent to ever commit such a blunder.
The entire morning slipped away smoothly as the group immersed themselves in their respective supernatural research.
Asuna had naturally skipped all of her morning classes today. For a traditionally obedient, model student like her, this act of rebellion felt like a thrilling, intoxicating rush, as though she had taken her very first steps into a grand new world.
A distinct wave of anxiety mixed with a subtle undercurrent of pure excitement, making her feel far more vibrant and alive than she had in a very long time.
As the clock began to approach the noon hour, Nakiri Senzaemon placed a direct call to Yumesaki.
"Lord Yumesaki, I have successfully informed Hinako Inui regarding your upcoming visit. She is currently awaiting your arrival at Kirinoya."
"Very well, I understand."
Beholding the immense, meticulous effort Nakiri Senzaemon was putting into coordinating things, Yumesaki felt it would be rather poor form to cancel the appointment. Besides, he had zero intention of backing out anyway. He gathered Medea, Nero, and Asuna to set off toward Kirinoya, while the newly forged Cursed Spirit, Number One, was permitted to roam freely under his orders.
As an aside, Yumesaki didn't actually know the exact layout or directions to Kirinoya.
It was Asuna who stepped up to act as their personal guide.
As a high-ranking young lady belonging to the prestigious Yuki family, even if she wasn't the designated official successor to the clan, the luxury and privileges she enjoyed were top-tier.
She had dined at Kirinoya on several occasions in the past, making her incredibly familiar with the route.
According to Asuna's own words, because she had frequented the establishment quite often, she had actually managed to develop a rather close personal friendship with the owner of Kirinoya.
And reality promptly vindicated her claims.
The exact instant the group stepped through the front doors of Kirinoya, Hinako Inui lunged forward like a bullet, enveloping Asuna in a fierce, breathless hug.
"It's been so long, Asuna! You've grown progressively more beautiful since the last time I saw you! Quick, let big sister get a proper look at you!"
It was abundantly clear that the two shared an incredibly close, affectionate bond. However, as far as Hinako Inui's suffocatingly warm embrace was concerned, Asuna wanted absolutely no part of it—primarily because the woman was holding her with such crushing force that she could barely draw oxygen into her lungs.
"Let go of me... please, let go of me quick!"
After putting a desperate amount of physical effort into squirming her way out of Hinako Inui's grip, Asuna let out a long, ragged exhale, feeling as though she had successfully cheated death.
That was incredibly close. She had nearly been utterly suffocated by the immense pressure of the woman's chest.
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