Upon hearing what I said, Miko didn't know how to feel.
Should she be worried that her brother was trapped inside her body, or glad that he was alive—and not just a figment of her imagination?
"Brother..."
"What is it, Miko? Do you have a question?"
"No... it's just that I don't know how to feel."
Sitting down on the floor, Rin settled Miko onto his lap; gazing straight ahead, he said, "I understand how you feel, little sister. You just need to relax and try not to overthink it."
Leaning her body against Rin's chest, Miko spoke. "It's just that... I don't want to take control of my body again," she said, sounding worried and a little frightened.
"Is it because of the lines... and the feeling that if you touch them, everything will die?" Rin asked her.
"How did you know?" Miko's confused voice replied instantly.
"Because I can see everything you see from in here," I answered Miko calmly.
"So *this* is the Cursed Technique you gave me? Why would you give me such a terrifying Cursed Technique?" Miko's sob sent a pang of anguish through me.
"It's alright, Miko," I said, gently stroking her head.
"It was my mistake. I couldn't grant you a specific Cursed Technique; I could only give you a random one."
"I know, but... but..." Miko's helpless sobs were heartbreaking.
"I'm sorry." All my concern could be summed up in that single word.
Once Miko had calmed down, Rin spoke again.
"Your Cursed Technique is called 'Eyes That Reflect the Soul.' It works exactly as its name suggests."
"It reflects the desires or experiences the user is undergoing at the precise moment the Cursed Technique awakens." "And the specific eyes you have awakened are known as the 'Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.' These eyes allow you to see the weaknesses of others in the form of points and lines." "As long as you sever the lines your eyes can see, people will die with no possibility of resurrection... unless they are immortal."
With tears streaming down her face, Miko sobs: "I don't want this power! I tried to turn it off, but I couldn't. I feel as though the world is on the brink of destruction."
"It's alright, Miko. There is a way for you not to have to see those lines."
"Really?" The tears falling from Miko's eyes visibly subside.
"We just have to make a Binding Vow," says Rin in a reassuring tone.
"Can a Binding Vow really work for that?" asks Miko, with a hint of curiosity.
"Of course it can! Didn't I tell you? Cursed Energy comes in very handy for things like this," I say with a touch of pride.
Miko's tears cease to fall, though her eyes remain slightly misty.
"Alright... I trust you."
After explaining what she needed to recite for the Binding Vow, both of them stand up.
"From now on, I—Miko Yotsuya—shall be the one in control of my body whenever I am wearing my glasses. When I am *not* wearing my glasses, the one in control of my body shall be Rin Yotsuya."
"I—Rin Yotsuya—accept this Binding Vow, under one condition."
"What is your condition?" asks Miko, already knowing the answer.
"I am granted one opportunity per day to take control of the body for five minutes—without Miko Yotsuya's knowledge—provided I utter the word: [Switch]."
"I accept."
The first Binding Vow between the two has concluded. And now, a new Binding Vow begins.
"I—Miko Yotsuya—hereby swear that, for as long as I am wearing my glasses, my Cursed Technique—'The Eyes That Reflect the Soul'—shall be forcibly deactivated, and I shall be rendered unable to utilize my Cursed Technique."
"In exchange—once I remove my glasses—my Cursed Technique—the eyes that mirror the soul—will be amplified to a maximum of 200% for fifteen minutes."
And thus, the Binding Vow Miko had imposed upon herself came to an end.
"It feels a bit strange; it's like having invisible chains shackling my body," Miko said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Don't worry; simply stop thinking about the Binding Vows, and the sensation of restriction will vanish," Rin advised his sister.
A few seconds later, Miko no longer felt that sense of restriction.
"Miko, your body is about to wake up. According to the Binding Vow, I am the one who will take control of the body."
"I understand, brother, but I'll be completely alone in here. Is there nothing I can do?" Miko asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"Don't be anxious. When you are here, our senses synchronize, and we can perceive the outside world just as if you were the one controlling the body."
"Well, be careful," Miko said as she watched Rin's body turn translucent and gradually fade away.
In the outside world...
With a fluid, natural motion, Rin sat up in the hospital bed.
With swift movements, Rin unwound the bandages from his head.
"It feels like I've slept for two whole days. That sedative is quite potent," Rin thought with indifference.
Once the bandages were removed, his eyes were revealed: opaque golden irises—the color of pain—each marked by a tiny bluish-white speck at the center of the pupil.
Lines and dots of bloody crimson, imbued with an aura of death, permeated the entire space.
"It's no wonder Miko's mind nearly shattered," he thought, feeling a pang of unease. "It seems these 'Eyes of Death Perception' are, in reality, quite similar to Tohno Shiki's," he mused, gazing at his reflection in the windowpane.
"And I have the same problem: I can't turn them off."
With a bit of concentration, he began trying to ignore the lines and points. Shortly thereafter, he noticed the lines becoming translucent; they didn't vanish completely—they simply turned transparent.
"Well, at least the sensation that the world is about to shatter—along with that murderous intent—isn't quite so intense anymore."
"As long as I harbor no intention of severing these lines, they won't be severed."
"Now that I think about it, my reserves of Cursed Energy are double Sukuna's."
"If I recall correctly, Sukuna's Cursed Energy was double Yuta's Spiritual Energy."
"I suppose those are the advantages of a Heavenly Restriction that amplifies Cursed Energy."
"Come to think of it, Sukuna was originally destined to be born with a Heavenly Restriction due to being a twin; however, because he devoured his brother, that Heavenly Restriction was nullified, granting him the benefits of both a massive amount of Cursed Energy and superior physical strength."
"That means my own situation is, in a way, similar," he mused with a touch of curiosity.
"My body feels incredibly stiff," he remarked, clenching his fists.
"Given that I was unconscious for two years, I experienced no emotional fluctuations nor did I inadvertently leak any Cursed Energy; and yet, somehow, no Cursed Spirits ever approached the hospital," he thought to himself, gazing out the window at the immense horde of Cursed Spirits gathered outside.
The sheer volume of Cursed Spirits was so colossal that it cast a dark, oppressive veil over both the sky and the city stretching out below. "I don't recall there ever being so many Cursed Spirits around here; usually, there was only a handful—or perhaps a dozen—per city block. It seems my previous eyes simply weren't powerful enough to perceive every single Cursed Spirit within my field of vision."
"I'll have to deal with these Cursed Spirits to clear my line of sight. After all, it's not just for my own peace of mind, but also for the sake of my older sister," I decide, preparing to remotely activate my Cursed Technique—*Idle Transfiguration*—just as Kenjaku did in the past.
"But I'll have to set up barriers all across Japan; I don't know if these evil spirits are found only here—in Japan—or all over the world." I sighed; how exhausting that would be.
Just as I was turning my gaze away from the window and was about to press the call button for the nurses, I stopped dead in my tracks.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind.
"Well, who would have thought?" I thought, astonished.