Gong hesitated for a moment before answering Jin, but eventually nodded toward him. The man in his thirties downed his alcohol in one gulp before speaking further.
Jin could clearly detect a hint of resentment in the usually professional voice of the former detective.
A rare phenomenon.
Yet he decided to ignore that detail and not interrupt.
"Right now, all curse users are avoiding any mission linked to Tokyo," he began before letting out a small frustrated sigh.
Gong stared at his sake for a moment, as if recalling something, then continued: "I'm afraid it's only going to get worse over time, Jin. That little devil from the Gojo clan risks becoming not only active in Tokyo, but elsewhere too."
Gong shared his current concern with his client because he saw Jin as a potential future business partner.
The businessman judged that this information could be offered for free.
Jin wasn't interested in his "friend's" mental torment. He nodded from time to time at Gong's words while coldly analyzing the situation.
Satoru Gojo.
In the Jujutsu Kaisen manga, the former employee remembered perfectly just how terrifying Satoru Gojo was.
From the moment of his birth, he single-handedly disrupted the balance of power between cursed spirits and sorcerers.
He had even managed to deter experienced curse users when he was still just a kid.
The situation became even more dire for curse users after Gojo's awakening following his fight against Toji Fushiguro.
Satoru Gojo had become the strongest of his era.
A Special Grade cursed spirit causing trouble? No problem—just give Satoru Gojo time to finish his current mission.
This situation eventually led Kenjaku to conclude that his plan would be impossible as long as Gojo remained unsealed.
"Indeed, the future looks grim," Jin simply said while taking a sip of his sake.
Gong narrowed his eyes at him.
It was clear the broker had doubts about Jin, but he let it slide.
After all, what could he do against the chosen one of jujutsu?
It was with this thought that the middle-aged man abandoned his suspicion toward Jin's calm demeanor in the face of the crisis shaking Japan's underworld.
…
"Here's the merchandise. Do you wish to take it with you? Otherwise, we also offer rental storage space," declared a man with brown hair.
The individual was tall and dressed in a somber outfit.
If Jin had to describe him, he would say it was a fusion between the attire of an Eastern Orthodox priest and that of a funeral home employee.
The former employee felt uneasy facing the man dressed in black but decided to set aside his personal impressions.
His Russian accent also betrayed the man's origin.
(Image)
"I'll pay for the storage space, as well as regular cleaning of it," Jin replied in a neutral voice.
The situation made Gong smile in the background, as the scene reminded him of his first meeting with Jin in the city park.
'Are they going to get along too?' he thought while watching Jin stare at the strange man.
The man in priestly attire smiled at Jin, then showed him his products.
"I heard you have a particular fondness for young girls and mature women," he said, leading the group.
Jin didn't respond verbally but nodded toward the man in black.
He didn't want to seem perverse, but Jin was searching for women for reasons of soul core compatibility.
He had created these after obtaining soul information from deceased former sorcerers, whom he had identified through Gong in cemeteries.
As for their power? They were barely qualified to give birth to a Grade 3 sorcerer, according to his understanding of Yaga's innate technique.
"The only exception is the soul core based on the soul information of Kaori, as well as my own," he thought while walking.
Jin had no intention of using his own soul core, as he didn't know how risky that could be.
He didn't want to share the power of his guild card, nor imagine a cursed corpse that might inherit Yaga's power.
He had created his core purely out of intellectual curiosity.
"Hm~" While Jin was lost in his own little world, the strange man nodded in satisfaction toward him.
He thought Jin was marveling at his collection.
If a third party had observed the scene, they might have thought the man saw Jin as a distant relative.
The situation almost made Gong burst out laughing.
"Were you sure you didn't want to buy the corpse of an orphan along with these? There are plenty—unclaimed for several days," he insisted while opening a funeral refrigerator.
Jin wanted to refuse again but hesitated this time because of the little girl's appearance inside the refrigerator.
"Pardon? I'll give her to you—as a sign… of friendship," the undertaker declared while marking something on the machine.
Jin hesitated to completely refuse the offer from this suspicious individual but eventually gave in after observing his good mood.
"You have other particular tastes you haven't told me about? Don't look at me like that! I just want to know who I'm dealing with."
Gong's last remarks almost made Jin want to punch the Chinese immigrant in the face.
…
"Damn it… why isn't this working?" Jin muttered while staring at a corpse on a makeshift surgical table.
Four hours had passed since Gong left the illegal establishment.
Jin had finally succeeded in creating an autonomous artificial cursed corpse. As for its final grade? He wouldn't know until some time had passed.
At least three months.
However, Kaori's soul core rejected every body. It had also been difficult for Jin to find two cores to stabilize it.
He had to make a vow that he judged somewhat unfair. Despite all that, the incompatibility with the body remained.
"D-do I really have to touch this kid?" Jin frowned while looking at the child on the surgical table.
At the time, he had reacted that way to the girl because her appearance was too similar to Nayuta from Chainsaw Man. However, it seemed fate was beginning to move.
(Image)
"Kaori… I need her innate technique for my future plans," he muttered while implanting the three cores.
The power of gravity was an important tool if he wanted to compensate for his low destructive power, but also to face the Six Eyes and the Infinity of Satoru Gojo.