While Gojo and Betty examined the files, Takuto Yasuwaki silently considered how he should deal with the two of them.
Their earlier answers had sounded sincere enough.
Yet they had revealed nothing about their identities, origins, or true purpose.
He had learned almost nothing.
If anyone else had answered him like that, they would've been thrown into prison without a second thought.
But these two were different.
The power they had displayed was far beyond anything he could control.
More importantly...
He still wanted to obtain that power for himself.
Takuto narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
By the time he looked up again, Gojo had already finished reading through the tablet.
Judging from the reports alone, it was almost impossible to imagine what kind of abilities those top-ranked Civil Security teams possessed to kill Stage Five Gastrea.
Even with super-grade Varanium weapons, that shouldn't have been an easy feat.
"An impressive record."
Gojo handed the tablet back with a smile.
"It really is."
Takuto returned the smile politely.
"Although compared to the abilities you've displayed, Mr. Gojo, they still fall far short."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Would you mind telling us more about your powers?"
"I believe you've already seen the state of this world."
"Humanity once stood at the top of the food chain."
"Now we're little more than livestock confined behind walls, barely surviving."
His tone grew increasingly earnest.
"If you're willing to help us..."
"Or allow more people to obtain the same abilities..."
"I believe humanity could finally turn this situation around."
Gojo listened quietly before a faint, meaningful smile spread across his face.
"Our powers come from two different systems."
"One is called Cursed Energy."
"The other is called magic."
Betty shot him a sidelong glance.
She already knew that look.
He was about to start causing trouble again.
"Honestly..."
Gojo rested his chin on one hand.
"If it were truly possible to help everyone, I wouldn't mind letting more people learn these abilities."
He paused.
"But..."
"Do you really have the courage to do that?"
Takuto immediately sensed something hidden beneath those words.
"What do you mean, Mr. Gojo?"
"It's simple."
"Everything has two sides."
"I'm sure you understand that."
"Cursed Energy is both power and change."
"The more people who possess it..."
"The more likely something else is to be born in response."
He smiled.
"Something like your Gastrea."
"I call them Cursed Spirits."
"Cursed Spirits?"
Takuto slowly repeated the unfamiliar term, confusion written all over his face.
Gojo thought for a moment before simplifying his explanation.
"If I had to compare them to something..."
"They're basically ghosts."
"Or spirits."
"They're born from humanity's negative emotions."
"The stronger those emotions become, the stronger the Cursed Spirit."
He continued calmly.
"So if everyone in this world learned to use Cursed Energy..."
"Once enough people possessed it, a Cursed Spirit embodying humanity's fear of the Gastrea would inevitably come into existence."
"People without Cursed Energy can't see Cursed Spirits."
"Conventional firearms are completely useless against them."
"And they don't truly die."
"Even after a Jujutsu Sorcerer defeats one, it merely falls asleep."
"Several decades later..."
"Or perhaps even sooner..."
"Once it absorbs enough negative emotions again, it'll return."
Gojo looked at him with an amused smile.
"So, Mr. Yasuwaki..."
"Think about it."
"Throughout all of human history..."
"How many things have people feared?"
He deliberately stopped there.
The rest was left for Takuto to imagine.
The Guard Captain sat frozen in place.
His expression was almost identical to when he'd first witnessed Gojo's overwhelming power.
Everything that had happened tonight had completely overturned his understanding of the world.
After a long silence, he forced an awkward laugh.
"Mr. Gojo..."
"You certainly know how to joke."
Gojo shook his head.
Still smiling, he extended a hand.
"If you think I'm joking..."
"Why don't you experience a Cursed Spirit yourself?"
Takuto stared at the outstretched hand.
His throat tightened as he swallowed.
His rational mind repeatedly told him that everything Gojo had said was impossible.
It had to be a lie.
But the hand before him felt like the edge of an endless abyss.
No matter how hard he tried...
He couldn't bring himself to reach out.
"It's fine."
Gojo's smile never changed.
"It's perfectly safe."
"I won't let it hurt you."
For some reason, that smile made Takuto feel even colder.
Unable to bear the pressure any longer, he suddenly stood.
"I'll... arrange for someone else to test it first."
Without waiting for a response, he hurried out of the room.
Only Gojo and Betty remained.
"What a boring man."
Betty took a sip of her juice.
"That's rude."
Gojo broke a chocolate bar in half and handed one piece to her.
"If you're going to talk behind someone's back, at least wait until they've left."
"He can't threaten us anyway."
"Hey now."
Gojo laughed.
"Don't underestimate the greatest achievement of human technology."
"Nuclear weapons are pretty terrifying."
"Oh."
Betty looked thoughtful.
"You mean those things that explode?"
She seriously considered it.
"If one of those went off..."
"It might actually be troublesome."
Then she shrugged.
"But we'd only have to deal with it before it exploded."
"And besides..."
"So many people live here."
"They're not going to detonate something like that in the middle of a city."
"Don't say it so casually."
Gojo sighed dramatically.
"I'm only a fragile, sensitive human."
"You know..."
"I've always wanted to meet Utahime."
"The one who thinks you're mentally ill?"
"Oh?"
He clutched his chest.
"If other people said that, I'd be fine."
"But hearing it from you..."
"My heart is broken."
"If your heart breaking meant you'd stop saying stupid things, that would be wonderful."
The two continued bickering until the reception room door opened.
Takuto walked back inside with a soldier following behind him.
"You."
He pointed beside Gojo.
"Come over here."
The soldier looked completely confused.
He hadn't been part of the earlier convoy and hadn't personally witnessed Gojo's abilities.
"Don't be nervous."
Gojo smiled reassuringly.
"We're only doing a little experiment."
"Come."
"Place your hand on mine."
"You might see something strange."
"But don't panic."
"It won't hurt you."
The soldier looked uncertainly between Gojo and Takuto.
Only after seeing his commanding officer nod did he cautiously extend his hand.
Ordinary people couldn't see Cursed Spirits.
Only a few methods allowed them to.
One was standing on the brink of death or experiencing overwhelming terror.
The other...
A Jujutsu Sorcerer could temporarily let someone see them by covering their eyes with Cursed Energy.
The effect was brief.
And physical contact had to be maintained.
As their palms met, Gojo carefully guided his Cursed Energy over the soldier's eyes.
The next instant...
"AAAAAH!!"
The soldier let out a horrified scream.
His face turned deathly pale.
"What... what is that?!"
He stumbled backward, instinctively reaching for the pistol at his waist as though he'd seen something unspeakably terrifying.
"Stop!"
Takuto lunged forward and grabbed the soldier's arm before he could draw it.
The sharp shout finally snapped him back to reality.
At the same time, the vision disappeared.
The soldier's breathing gradually steadied.
"Relax."
Gojo casually crossed one leg over the other while sipping his juice.
"It won't hurt you."
"What exactly did you see?"
Takuto asked immediately.
The soldier swallowed hard.
"I..."
"I saw something with a human face..."
"Its body was purple..."
"It looked like a snake..."
"It was crawling from his arm..."
"Toward mine..."
His voice trembled.
"I thought it was a Gastrea..."
"But then..."
"It suddenly disappeared..."
Gojo smiled at Takuto.
"So?"
"Would you like to try it yourself?"
"You'll understand much better if you experience it firsthand."
Takuto's expression darkened.
He hesitated.
But with his subordinate still standing beside him, pride made it difficult to refuse outright.
"You may leave."
The soldier saluted and quickly exited the room.
Once the door closed, Takuto met Gojo's amused gaze and felt unusually awkward.
After a long pause...
He finally nodded.
The soldier seemed completely unharmed.
Surely nothing serious would happen.
Taking a deep breath, he sat down opposite Gojo and extended his hand.
"You're a cautious man, Mr. Yasuwaki."
Gojo chuckled.
Takuto looked embarrassed for only a moment before regaining his composure.
He remained silent.
The instant their hands touched...
He understood why the soldier had reacted the way he had.
Wrapped around Gojo's arm...
Was exactly the creature the soldier had described.
Takuto's pupils shrank violently.
The monster looked every bit as horrifying as the Gastrea outside.
Had he not prepared himself mentally, he would've instinctively fled as well.
"This..."
He stared at the creature slowly crawling toward his arm.
"So this is a Cursed Spirit?"
"That's right."
Gojo nodded.
"Go ahead."
"Try touching it."
"...It really isn't dangerous?"
"It isn't."
"This one is special."
"It's already been tamed."
Still hesitant, Takuto slowly reached toward the creature.
The closer his fingers came...
The more tense he became.
Then...
His hand passed straight through it.
He froze.
There was no resistance whatsoever.
His fingers simply moved through the Cursed Spirit's body.
"A hologram?"
That was the only explanation his common sense could produce.
Gojo shook his head.
"No."
"Remember what I told you?"
"Ordinary people can't see or touch Cursed Spirits."
"Unless..."
He reached over and grasped Takuto's hand, wrapping it in Cursed Energy.
"Like this."
The moment the Cursed Energy enveloped his hand...
Takuto's expression changed.
Something was there.
Something cold.
Slimy.
A chilling sensation spread from his fingertips through his entire arm.
Within a second, he jerked his hand back as though burned and stared at the Inventory Curse wrapped around Gojo's arm with undisguised fear.
"Well?"
Gojo smiled.
"What do you think?"
"Compared to the Gastrea..."
"Are Cursed Spirits a little cuter?"
"..."
Takuto remained silent.
The lingering sensation on his fingertips told him one thing with absolute certainty.
He hadn't imagined it.
Nor had it been some holographic projection.
Gojo noticed the lingering doubt in his eyes and pointed toward the pistol at Takuto's waist.
"If you're still not convinced..."
"Feel free to test it yourself."
Takuto didn't hesitate this time.
He immediately drew his sidearm and aimed it at the Inventory Curse.
At Gojo's command, the Inventory Curse obediently raised most of its body, giving him a clear target.
Bang!
The gunshot echoed through the reception room.
The bullet shot straight toward the Cursed Spirit.
The Inventory Curse didn't react at all.
Right before Takuto's eyes...
The bullet passed harmlessly through its body before embedding itself in the wall behind it.
The gunshot immediately drew the soldiers stationed outside.
The reception room door burst open.
"Sir!"
"It's fine."
Takuto waved them away.
"You can leave."
The soldiers exchanged puzzled looks.
Seeing that nothing appeared to be wrong, they obeyed and quietly withdrew.
Once the door closed again, Gojo smiled.
"So..."
"What do you think now, Mr. Yasuwaki?"
Takuto stared at the completely unharmed Inventory Curse, deep in thought.
As an ambitious man...
He was no fool.