On the outskirts of Sendai City
"In a single day, how many human souls have you turned?"
Geto Suguru looked around at the cursed spirits swarming the area and could not help sounding impressed.
This was what made Mahito such a headache.
He could use Idle Transfiguration on ordinary humans, reshape their souls, turn them into transfigured humans and put them under his control.
If there ever came a day when war truly broke out between humans and cursed spirits, Mahito's ability would be at its most terrifying.
There were only a handful of sorcerers who could defend against Idle Transfiguration.
The vast majority would be twisted into cursed spirits with ease.
If it dragged on long enough, it was not impossible for all of humanity to be remade into mindless monsters.
So this is what you get when a curse is born from humans' hatred and fear of each other, huh.
For the masses, this technique was practically a natural predator.
Mahito surveyed the sea of transfigured humans around them, smiling with his usual lazy cheerfulness.
What he had released were only part of his stock. His body still held a huge number of transfigured humans in reserve.
"Hmph. Letting these fake humans become like this is already too good for them."
Jogo was still a little displeased at how many humans Mahito had converted.
In his mind, cursed spirits were the real "new humanity".
The humans wandering around now were the counterfeits, the monsters who had ruined the world.
"And ordinary souls are so boring once you have seen enough of them."
Mahito stroked the transfigured human cradled in his arms and sounded disappointed.
He kept touching human souls, twisting them, because he hoped to find his own true form reflected in them.
But these regular humans no longer satisfied him.
He could not grow any further from them.
Now he needed to interact with something different.
Sorcerers, for example. Humans with outstanding talent. Or souls that were simply interesting.
"Do what you like in that respect," Geto said, "but if you pull a Nightmare and go that far, no one will be able to save you."
Nightmare, the curse who had killed so many in a few short years, with more than a few sorcerers among her victims.
Right now, she was high on the Jujutsu world's wanted list, easily in the top few.
And even so, she had not died.
That alone showed how bizarre her technique really was.
Mahito absolutely could not pull off the same thing.
"Hmph. That much I understand."
Mahito snorted, his eyes darkening. His grudge against Nightmare ran deep.
"Anyway, what exactly are you planning to do to stir things up enough to force her true body out?"
Even when facing him and Jogo, Nightmare had never summoned her real body, so it was hard to imagine what else could work.
"Heh heh." Geto smiled. "Have you heard of the Hermit?"
"The Hermit?"
Mahito and Jogo both frowned.
"An existence born from human fear of the cold and the unknown." Geto said slowly. "In a sense, she is a cursed spirit just like you."
"Never heard of that one."
Mahito and Jogo exchanged a glance and both shook their heads.
Geto shrugged. "Well, she does not like hurting humans and prefers to hide, after all."
"Hah?"
To Jogo, it was like he had just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.
"Doesn't like hurting humans? What is that supposed to be?"
Mahito's expression also froze for a moment, then he began to laugh.
"There is actually a curse like that?"
Geto nodded. He also found it amusing.
"Her strength is beyond question, though. If she takes action, freezing half of Sendai City over would be child's play."
"When that happens, I refuse to believe Nightmare's true body will just stay hidden."
As he spoke, Geto's hand slid into his wide sleeve.
"And once I have destroyed enough of her clones, I will have my method of finding her real body."
Mahito tilted his head. "But did you not say that this 'Hermit' does not like hurting humans?"
"In that case, why would she choose to freeze a city?"
Geto's lips curled. "Everyone has something they cannot allow to be touched. Even the Hermit. Take away the wrong thing from her, and she will go berserk."
"And in that state, do you really think she will still care about humans?"
"Now that is something to look forward to."
Mahito licked his lips, excitement flickering in his eyes. "How will Nightmare die? And what will that curse who refuses to hurt humans do after she starts slaughtering them?"
Jogo shook his head.
He had no interest in sharing their excitement.
To him, neither Nightmare nor this Hermit deserved to be called the new humanity along with him.
If he met them, he would fight them.
But the kind of scheming Geto and Mahito were plotting, he simply could not do.
He was not built for backroom tricks.
Jogo stretched lazily and looked out over Sendai City.
He would leave this plotting to the two schemers.
But as he glanced over the city lights, he suddenly froze.
"That area… seems wrong, does it not?"
He pointed toward the region around Sugisawa High.
Geto and Mahito both turned to follow his finger.
"In a domain under Nightmare's control, there is actually another cursed energy reaction at this level?"
Geto's eyes narrowed.
He had already done his homework on Sendai City.
All the stronger curses within the city had already been wiped out.
The only ones left were the weaklings that even a human with an iron pipe could deal with.
And yet now, another high-grade reaction appeared, and it was not Nightmare.
"Looks like something fun is happening."
Mahito looked down at the army of transfigured humans clustered around him and began to smile.
His instincts told him there was something over there that would be useful to him.
"I think I will take a look," he said. "How about you two?"
Geto shook his head. "I have preparations to make if I want to lure the Hermit here."
Jogo also said flatly, "I have no interest in stepping into that woman's territory right now."
Clearly, his opinion of Tokisaki Kurumi was not high.
Mahito shrugged. "In that case, I will go alone."
"Be careful," Geto reminded him. "Do not let Nightmare notice you."
"Hmph. Next time, she will not be pinning me down so easily."
Mahito snorted again, then vanished into the darkness with his cursed army trailing behind him.