The Jujutsu High barrier was fully restored, much to everyone's relief.
Sōjun Minamoto didn't know what kind of mood the others were in as they left—nor did he care.
High in the sky, the Cursed Body hovered silently, watching Satoru Gojo.
The Star Eyes had already surpassed the Six Eyes in visual range.
Starlight flickered across the Cursed Body's face as it tested its strength. It still felt more satisfying this way—fighting yourself was pointless.
After a short pause, it stepped into a black vortex and vanished, returning to the Church of the Stars.
Once it disappeared, a few wisps of Cursed Energy were scattered by the wind, leaving no Residuals behind.
"Could you not look at me like I'm some kind of criminal?"
Sōjun Minamoto was sandwiched between Masamichi Yaga and Satoru Gojo. No matter how fast or slow he walked, he was stuck in the middle. It left him a little speechless.
"I remember you once turned into Riko Amanai…"
Gojo casually rested his hand on Sōjun's shoulder, grinning.
"Riko Amanai is human. Humans and Cursed Spirits are completely different. Your Six Eyes should be able to tell, right? Whether it's our physical structure or our Cursed Energy traits, we're worlds apart."
Sōjun answered offhandedly.
Gojo flashed a wide grin.
"You're so powerful, who knows what kind of tricks you might've come up with…"
He removed his hand and stretched his arm.
"Well, if you say it's not, then it's not. Kind of a shame though—I wanted to get a look at that Cursed Spirit."
He wasn't entirely sure, but something about it had felt familiar.
Still, it didn't matter. He took a few quick steps forward, raised his right hand in a casual wave, and called out without looking back:
"Anyway, I'm heading out."
He figured he'd leave the mess to Yaga-sensei to sort out. That thought made him feel a bit more relaxed.
Sōjun waved at Gojo's retreating back.
With the pressure from two sides gone, he turned to Masamichi Yaga and noticed he was a bit lost in thought. He gave him a nudge.
"By the way, when did you make a completely autonomous Cursed Corpse?"
Lately, Sōjun hadn't kept up with outside news. While the Cursed Body was developing, the human side needed to stay close to help establish its personality.
So most of his attention had been focused on the Shrine Domain.
He hadn't expected to come back to such a surprise.
Something clicked in his mind.
"Let's go take a look."
With that, he started heading toward Yaga's dormitory.
Yaga snapped out of it and quickly followed.
They walked in silence.
When they arrived at Yaga's home, Yaga gave Sōjun a hesitant glance.
"Maybe we should wait a few days before seeing it?"
"We're already here. Why bother putting it off?"
Yaga had no choice but to lead Sōjun upstairs and into a room.
The room was mostly pink. Thick carpet covered the floor, and the walls were plastered with cute, childlike drawings.
In one corner stood a crib—and beside it sat… a panda.
It was very small, wearing diapers, and stacking building blocks.
…
The panda looked up when the door opened, saw Yaga, then went back to finishing its block tower.
Only after it was done did it slowly stand and speak:
"Masamichi, you're back."
Noticing the person next to him, it asked,
"Is that your friend?"
"No, I'm your cousin,"
Sōjun replied before Yaga could, stepping closer and crouching down to curiously examine the strange little creature.
The panda counted on its fingers, mumbling,
"Papa's papa is Grandpa…"
Through Sōjun's eyes, the "cat" had three cores arranged in a unique, balanced structure, with Cursed Energy flowing steadily between them.
Rather than having a soul in the usual sense, it was more like a new soul formed from fragments of information—yet it was incredibly stable.
And it had three such cores.
He instantly grasped the weight behind "completely autonomous."
It was no different from creating life.
Cursed Corpses were common knowledge—but until Panda, their movements relied on their master's Cursed Energy.
That was the standard.
But this "cat" is very special. Very special.
Having a soul meant possessing intelligence.
And intelligence meant the capacity to feel emotions—along with the potential to refine Cursed Energy independently.
The panda's behavior and intelligence were no different from those of a sentient being.
Despite being a cub, its way of thinking was remarkably mature.
However, after looking at the panda and taking in his surroundings, he couldn't help but raise a few questions…
Sōjun Minamoto looked at Masamichi Yaga and, noticing the uneasy expression on his face, voiced his questions:
"Cursed Corpses don't need to eat, drink, or use the bathroom, right?"
"Then why is he wearing a diaper?"
"And this room… isn't it a bit too cute?"
"Kuku kuku~~"
Facing the panda, Sōjun saw through one of his Star Eyes that Masamichi Yaga didn't react with his usual flustered anger.
So he eased up a little.
The two of them fell into silence. The panda kept playing by itself.
Suddenly, Sōjun smiled and turned his head.
"If you've got something weighing on you, just say it. Otherwise, when Mrs. Minamoto finds out, she'll say I'm not looking after my uncle properly."
"…"
Masamichi Yaga was a little speechless at the unexpected reversal of roles. After a brief pause, he seemed to relax a bit.
"I'll take you somewhere," he said at last.
After calming the panda, he stepped out of the room.
Sōjun Minamoto grinned and followed.
...
They walked for quite a while, eventually arriving on the far side of Jujutsu High. They paused briefly in front of a dense forest before Masamichi Yaga made up his mind and stepped into the trees.
Sōjun followed at a slower pace.
After walking for some time, they reached the center of the forest. Beneath a massive tree—so wide it would take several people linking arms to encircle it—Yaga parted a thick patch of thorns, revealing a small door at the tree's base.
He got down on the ground and crawled through with some difficulty.
Sōjun shrank his form slightly and followed, emerging on the other side into a small clearing surrounded by even denser woods.
Signs of habitation were clearly visible.
Sōjun glanced around and noticed several children peeking at him from the shadows, too cautious to come out.
It wasn't until Masamichi Yaga gave them a gentle smile and waved that the kids finally crawled out from the tree hollows and bushes, cheering as they ran over and surrounded him.
He patted each of their heads, asking:
"Did you eat properly today?"
"Did you finish your homework?"
"Did you take your nap?"
Some of the kids nodded, others shook their heads.
A few even tattled on each other in soft whispers.
Yaga responded to each one with praise or encouragement, then took a few stuffed toys from inside his coat and handed them out, telling them to go play.
The kids obediently ran off.
One little girl, before leaving, ran up to Sōjun. She stood on tiptoe, tilted her head back, and held up a small red flower with both hands.
Sōjun realized he was receiving goodwill by association.
Masamichi Yaga straightened up with a warm smile. Once the children had run off into the distance and started playing, his expression grew serious.
Pointing at the clearing, he said,
"This is my secret base."
He paused.
"All these kids have some form of physical disability. They were abandoned by their parents. I found them and brought them back…"
Sōjun nodded. He could tell—these children had fragile hearts and delicate minds.
They'd clearly experienced misfortune, but meeting Masamichi Yaga had brought a sliver of luck into their lives. They stood at the delicate crossroads of tragedy and healing.
"You've seen Panda, so you know how he came to be, right?"
Without waiting for a reply, Yaga continued,
"Some children… weren't so lucky."
"I copied their soul and body information and tried inputting it into the cores of Cursed Corpses."
"But their souls were incredibly insecure. Even the copied data carried that same instability."
"Leaving them alone wouldn't work. They needed companions—three of them. If I put three compatible souls together, they could rely on each other. That way, they'd stabilize."
"That's how fully autonomous Cursed Corpses are created. In about three months, they'll be able to refine and replenish Cursed Energy on their own."
"Just like children—sharp, perceptive, and full of spirit."
He let out a deep breath.
"But in the end… it's all just self-deception. They're no longer Yuu-chan, Su-chan, or Hisashi-chan. They're just Cursed Corpses carrying fragments of who they were."
"If children can't live happily, it means the adults have failed them…"
Masamichi Yaga sat down on a fallen log, head bowed, hiding his face.
Sōjun understood what he meant.
Officially, Panda was said to have been born by accident, with no replicable method.
But he knew the truth.
If the higher-ups got their hands on this technology, there would be those with ambition who'd turn it into something evil—using it to chase their own goals, leaving more bodies in their wake.
That would betray the original intent.
It was meant to give short-lived children a second chance—not fuel bloodshed.
Sōjun looked into the distance.
The children playing there wore pure, unguarded smiles. Their laughter was light and clear.
Unfortunate souls often made the best material.
There was no need to wonder whether someone would cross that line—
Even an idealist like Masamichi Yaga didn't trust the higher-ups.
But to think he didn't even trust himself at first...
Sōjun shook his head inwardly.
"So… if you can," Yaga said, eyes fixed on him, "please help protect this place."
Sōjun looked at him. After a moment, he nodded.
"Don't worry."
He was more than happy to help with something like this.
It wasn't trouble—not to someone who genuinely liked well-behaved kids.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake