It wasn't exactly airtight logic — but it was the kind of logic you couldn't quite find the words to knock down.
Kenjaku looked at the blue-haired girl sprawled across the beach chair with total ease, and he thought. He deliberated.
Over the span of a thousand years, he had witnessed the birth of the cursed spirit called Mahito more than once. Every generation carried its own subtle variations — different appearances, slight divergences in personality, faster or slower rates of growth. Exact sameness would actually be the strange thing.
But in certain core traits, every generation was more or less the same.
Especially when it came to killing.
Every generation of Mahito, after being born, would instinctively begin devouring humans, slaughtering humans, remaking humans into grotesque playthings. This wasn't learned behavior. It was an instinct carved into Mahito's very soul — because Mahito itself was a cursed spirit born from the fear and hatred humans directed at one another. The bloodlust was its nature.
So when he had observed that this generation's Mahiko possessed greater potential than any Mahito before her, a wilder and more insatiable curiosity about the world — and yet had not killed a single person, had not produced a single Transfigured Human — he had genuinely been puzzled.
Why?
And just now, listening to what Mahiko had said, he suddenly understood.
I see.
This generation of Mahito hadn't shown a bloodthirsty desire for humans — not because she lacked cruelty, but because her cruelty had been pointed at an entirely different target.
Mahito's instincts were oriented toward the concept of "humanity" — not toward humanity as a biological species.
On the day they'd first met, he had told Mahiko: cursed spirits were the new humanity. The old humans didn't count.
And so this generation of Mahito had simply transferred the label of "humanity" onto cursed spirits. She had lost interest in the old humans — and had instead developed a devouring hunger for the "new humans." In other words, for cursed spirits.
It sounded absurd.
But when you thought about it carefully… Mahito as a cursed spirit had been condensed from humanity's fear of humanity. Every habit and instinct it possessed was built upon the concept of "humans."
If that underlying concept had been twisted — if the very definition of "human" had been warped — then Mahito's instincts shifting along with it wasn't entirely incomprehensible, was it?
And the person who had done the twisting — was himself.
It was Kenjaku who, from the very first moment of Mahiko's birth, had poured the concept of "cursed spirits are the new humanity" directly into her.
In other words — Mahiko's current bizarre behavior of "not killing humans, only absorbing cursed spirits"… had been influenced by his own words?
"..."
Kenjaku couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was slightly off.
The explanation was internally consistent. Logically, it held together. And yet there was a faint, subtle, impossible-to-name sense of wrongness clinging to it.
Well. He'd observe for now.
Ultimately, it didn't matter whether Mahiko absorbed humans or cursed spirits — as long as she was growing stronger, as long as she could eventually play her role in his plan, the path she took to get there was irrelevant. It wasn't really a big deal.
"Relax, relax — you two don't need to worry about it." Mahiko waved a hand, her tone breezy. "I've just lost interest in torturing those monkeys, that's all. If you actually give me a mission to carry out, or if I happen to run across a particularly interesting monkey, I'll deal with them. It's not that I won't act — I just can't be bothered to act. Big difference."
Well. The excuse had more holes in it than a fishing net, but it would paper over things for now. That was good enough.
Jogo gave a single nod.
"Fine by me." The volcano cursed spirit's tone was flat. "What we're pursuing is a great plan to change the world entire. Any war demands sacrifice. If absorbing other cursed spirits makes you stronger, then the ones you absorb will at least have died for something meaningful."
Hanami, however, shook her head.
"To so casually trample the souls of our fellow cursed spirits…" The forest spirit's voice was low and troubled. "If we do that, how are we any different from the old humans?"
"Ahh, don't sweat it, big sis," Mahiko said, waving a hand with a grin.
Hanami blinked. "…Big sis?"
"Besides," Mahiko pressed on, spreading her hands openly, "the cursed spirits I've been absorbing are all low-grade ones without a shred of the intelligence we have. Underdeveloped. Not even remotely in the same class as us. The new humanity is obviously beings of wisdom, like us. Those inferior little bugs? They should count themselves lucky to become part of something greater. Honestly, they should be grateful."
Hanami's brow furrowed. "No — just like in nature, every cursed spirit has its own meaning and right to exist—"
"Hanami, you're too idealistic." Jogo cut her off, voice hard. "This is war. War requires sacrifice."
"But war shouldn't be used as an excuse to disregard life—"
The argument between the two Special Grades escalated, voices rising with each exchange.
And Mahiko — at the precise moment the argument began to heat up — quietly, naturally, without leaving a single footprint, excused herself from the conversation entirely.
She turned her head, her eyes bright and sharp, and fixed them on Kenjaku.
"Hey, by the way."
"Hm?" Kenjaku had been leaning back in a beach chair, watching Jogo and Hanami bicker with a pleasant smile. He turned at the sound of her voice.
"You can manipulate cursed spirits, right?" Mahiko's eyes were gleaming with a bright, undisguised eagerness.
"I can, yes."
"Then could you maybe give me some strong ones to absorb?" Mahiko pressed her palms together, smile radiant. "Think of it as… giving me a little pocket money? A light snack?"
Kenjaku looked at her.
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
His smile didn't move — but there was a pause.
"Sure."
Mahiko's eyes lit up even brighter.
"But—" Kenjaku's tone pivoted smoothly. "I'll need you to do a little errand for me in return."
Of course.
There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. And you certainly didn't get anything from this thousand-year-old monster without paying for it.
But on the surface, she kept right on smiling. "Oh my, oh my — and what sort of little errand would that be?"
Kenjaku rose from his seat and extended a hand toward her, his smile warm and gentle as sunlight.
"Come with me. I'll take you somewhere — you'll find out when we get there. Don't worry. Once it's done, I'll give you some fine cursed spirits as a gift."
Mahiko looked at the outstretched hand. On her face bloomed a smile — radiant and guileless.
"Alright then. I'll follow your lead."
A fox who had lived a thousand years. A girl with a head full of her own schemes.
The two of them looked at each other and smiled.
Both smiles were the picture of sincerity.
____
👻🔥Walnut-chan in "P" for more!🔥👻
🔥 New history: Group chat of the Dead
✅ Get immediate access to 40 early chapters for all stories.
✅ Enjoy exclusive material and special announcements!
Help us unlock these community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters across ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnut-chan