I'm not going to be an Spirit! (Translate)

When Tokisaki Kurumi saw this man appear, her eyes narrowed slightly.

Of course, she knew the identity of the man before her.

He had taken over the body of the already-deceased Special Grade Jujutsu Sorcerer Suguru Geto. In reality, he was a cursed user who had survived for over a thousand years by transplanting his brain into different bodies—Kenjaku.

Kenjaku, the mastermind behind many dark schemes in this world.

In the world of Jujutsu, the infamous Noritoshi Kamo was just one of the many identities he had used.

The body he was currently controlling was none other than that of Suguru Geto, the cursed user who had initiated the horrific event known as Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of a Hundred Demons), and who was eventually killed by Satoru Gojo.

If it were any other Jujutsu sorcerer standing here, they would likely be extremely alarmed, reacting as if they had seen a ghost.

But Kurumi felt no fear—only mild surprise.

Was she… being followed?

No, that couldn't be.

Although high-level Jujutsu sorcerers could trace residual cursed energy left behind by cursed spirits, she was a spirit herself, not a cursed spirit.

Even if she left behind some spiritual energy while moving, she hadn't acted alone. While searching for the location of the Eighty-Eight Bridge, she had sent out nearly all of her clones.

If Jujutsu sorcerers in this world could detect spiritual residue, there's no way they could have accurately pinpointed her location from among the traces left by over a hundred clones.

Not even someone like Satoru Gojo, with his Six Eyes, could have pulled that off.

Yet… Kenjaku still managed to find her.

Why?

As her thoughts raced, Kurumi recalled the Sukuna Finger she had thrown into her shadow. A realization dawned on her.

"Was that Sukuna Finger intentionally planted here by him?"

In the original timeline, the curse at Eighty-Eight Bridge had appeared long ago, so she assumed the Sukuna Finger hidden here had merely been lost.

But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Of course… In the original story, Kenjaku had deliberately orchestrated a series of cursed incidents to create chaos. Perhaps he purposely placed the Sukuna Finger here to attract attention."

If it was Kenjaku who had hidden the finger here, then it meant he had been monitoring this location the entire time.

Whether it was through cursed spirits, Jujutsu techniques, or barrier techniques—regardless of the method—he must have had knowledge of what was going on here.

But what was his reason for coming to see her?

Whatever his intentions were, since he hadn't shown any hostility, launching an immediate attack wouldn't have been Kurumi style.

"You know me?"

Kurumi lifted her swan-like neck slightly and asked calmly, "Did you come here for something?"

"The most evil Jujutsu sorcerer of this era… I doubt there's anyone in the Jujutsu world who doesn't know who you are," Kenjaku replied with a smirk, his expression filled with interest.

As he spoke, he stepped forward, shortening the distance between them.

Feeling the aura emanating from Kurumi body, his expression shifted slightly.

"Not a cursed spirit, huh? What a shame."

Kenjaku narrowed his eyes in thought, lips curling into a playful grin.

Like Satoru Gojo, he was also tracking Nightmare.

But unlike Gojo, who sought to destroy her, Kenjaku wanted to recruit her.

The technique of this body's original owner, Suguru Geto, was Cursed Spirit Manipulation. Although it had some limitations, in simple terms, it allowed him to enslave cursed spirits he had subdued.

Now possessing Suguru Geto body, Kenjaku wanted to use that technique to bring Nightmare under control.

Due to the lack of concrete information about Nightmare, the Jujutsu world held many theories about her identity.

Some claimed she came from a mysterious clan even more powerful than the three great families.

Some said she was a foreign Jujutsu sorcerer from overseas.

Others speculated she was a product born out of forbidden experiments by cursed users...

Among those theories, one in particular had piqued Kenjaku interest—

That Nightmare was, in fact, a cursed spirit.

There was no evidence supporting this theory. It was pure speculation based on the absence of any traceable past.

However, to someone like Kenjaku—who could manipulate cursed spirits—if Nightmare really was one, then she could theoretically be subjugated.

But now, it seemed his theory had fallen apart.

He could clearly feel that the woman in front of him possessed a body of flesh and blood—a trait only humans had—not one made entirely of cursed energy like a cursed spirit.

"As for why I came to find you—it's to invite you to join us."

Though she wasn't a cursed spirit and couldn't be directly controlled, Kenjaku wasn't discouraged.

If direct control wasn't an option, then cooperation was the next best thing.

To achieve his goal, the stronger his allies were, the better.

And Nightmare—known as the most evil Jujutsu sorcerer of the current era—was far too powerful an existence to pass up.

"An organization… is it?"

Kurumi tilted her head slightly, then asked with curiosity, "And what does your organization aim to do?"

"It's not about what we do. It's about fulfilling a grand dream."

"A dream?"

"That's right. To create a world that belongs solely to Jujutsu sorcerers."

"That's Suguru Geto dream, isn't it? Not yours."

As if she had heard a joke, a faint smile appeared on Kurumi lips. "Am I right… the most evil Jujutsu sorcerer in history—Noritoshi Kamo, or should I say… Kenjaku?"

At the mention of the name Noritoshi Kamo, Kenjaku eyes briefly flickered.

However, when Kurumi spoke his long-forgotten true name, his smile began to fade.

It was like someone had ripped away his false mask, exposing his true identity underneath.

"This woman… Who the hell is she?"

Kenjaku thoughts were in turmoil as he stared at her, trying to figure her out.

Over the years, he had gathered a considerable amount of intelligence on Nightmare.

Thanks to his extensive network among cursed users, he had obtained information that even most Jujutsu sorcerers couldn't access.

He dared to approach her because he believed he understood her fairly well.

But now, it was clear—he didn't know her at all.

Yet she… knew far more about him than he ever expected.

Kenjaku.

That name had not been uttered in centuries.

Back in the same era as Ryomen Sukuna, he had once held considerable notoriety. But that fame was confined to that long-lost age.

Through continuous brain transplants and body possession, he had adopted a new identity in every generation.

He thought that name had been buried in history, never to be mentioned again.

Yet now, it had resurfaced—from the mouth of a modern-day sorcerer.

No—wait.

Was this Nightmare really a modern sorcerer?

No one knew where she came from. No one knew her past. She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere…

Could it be… that she, too, came from his era?

At that moment, a chilling thought flashed through Kenjaku mind.

Perhaps this woman—this Nightmare—was one of the few ancient powerhouses who had survived that age of bloodshed and slaughter.

After all, back then, nearly all the strongest had been killed by Sukuna.

The Jujutsu sorcerers who survived were weaklings and cowards.

The few strong ones who did escape eventually died of old age.

After all, without a special technique, no human could possibly live for over a thousand years.

"Who… are you, really?"

A series of faces flashed through his mind, but despite that, Kenjaku still had no clue.

"Why do you think I should know who you are?"

"Has no one ever told you that asking a woman about her past is very rude?" Tokisaki Kurumi tilted her head. "And why do you assume that just because you ask, I am obligated to answer?"

Kenjaku was momentarily speechless.

Overwhelmed by shock, he lost his composure for a moment and asked such a foolish question.

Having his name spoken aloud would have surprised him, but not enough to make him lose his composure.

What truly shocked and even unsettled him was the realization that he was not the only sorcerer who had lived for a thousand years, as he had believed.

During this millennium, without his knowledge, there was another sorcerer just as ancient.

Someone who knew him inside and out, while he knew absolutely nothing about her—an utterly mysterious figure.

He took a deep breath. His deep-rooted shrewdness quickly calmed his inner unrest, and his expression returned to a gentle demeanor.

"That was rude of me."

The coldness in his tone dissipated completely, and Kenjaku smiled slightly as he said, "You must be a sorcerer from that era, too."

"Hmph..."

Nightmare paused for a moment, a little surprised that this man's emotions shifted so quickly.

In truth, she had thought that revealing his name would provoke him into losing control, or at least prompt him to attack in a rage.

She had deliberately exposed his identity to provoke a response.

After all, this man had inherited Suguru Geto body, his technique, and also the hundreds upon hundreds of cursed spirits that Geto once controlled.

Among the cursed spirits under Geto command, there were not a few that were special-grade.

If she could drain his entire stockpile, the progress of Side Mission 1 would surely increase significantly.

It must be noted that even in the modern world, the number of special-grade cursed spirits remained extremely low—only sixteen were officially recorded in the jujutsu world.

If she could bait him into a fight... that would be ideal.

Still, it was impressive—an old monster who had lived for over a thousand years could actually remain this calm?

"Since you already know my true identity, I suppose I can be more direct."

Kenjaku looked straight into her eyes and said earnestly, "I don't know what your dream is, but if you join us, your dream can absolutely be achieved."

"Do you... know what my dream is?" Tokisaki Kurumi asked with a half-smile.

"I don't," Kenjaku admitted honestly. "But that doesn't matter. As long as you're human, we're the same. I'm human, and so are you. There's no need to know what each other's dreams are—as long as we're together, we can achieve them."

In this world, as long as one is alive, they are bound to have desires.

And once people have desires, they develop goals, ambitions, and dreams.

Cursed users are precisely the kind of people who have been blinded by their desires.

Kenjaku was the same.

His desire was so immense that it had sustained him for over a millennium, during which he had committed countless unspeakable sins.

And he believed that Nightmare, known as the most wicked cursed user of the modern age, must also harbor a desire so grand that the world itself would not tolerate it.

"No matter what your dream is, this world will never allow it. The jujutsu world will hunt you down forever."

Kenjaku continued, trying to persuade her, "But if you join us, we can create a world where you won't have to hide—

A world where desires don't need to be suppressed,

A world where people are no longer judged by common standards,

A world where strength rules above all.

I assure you, our organization is already powerful enough—

Many cursed users have joined us, and even several strong special-grade cursed spirits.

And if you're worried about Satoru Gojo, don't be. I've already prepared two contingency plans—

Satoru Gojo will disappear in the near future.

Once he's gone, the greatest obstacle will be removed, and we'll be able to completely overthrow the jujutsu world.

At that time, our era will arrive."

Kenjaku's voice brimmed with fervor.

A world ruled by cursed users.

A world where they could do as they pleased.

A world where desires no longer had to be repressed.

That was exactly what cursed users yearned for.

But Tokisaki Kurumi expression hadn't changed from beginning to end.

She still wore that same half-smile, filled with amusement and mischief.

"Sounds wonderful."

After Kenjaku finished speaking, she finally opened her mouth, "A utopia for the depraved, huh? If you weren't being serious, I might've even laughed."

"Then, what's your decision?"

"However," Tokisaki Kurumi said, "my dream is different from yours."

"To achieve my dream is actually very simple. All I need is an enormous amount of cursed energy. That's why I've been constantly hunting down jujutsu sorcerers, cursed users, and cursed spirits."

"You need a large amount of cursed energy?"

Hearing that, Kenjaku frowned slightly. "If that's all, we can cooperate. As long as you join us, I'll let you freely pick from the cursed spirits under my control—"

"Perhaps you didn't hear me clearly," she interrupted.

"I said I need a huge amount of cursed energy—so much that you can't imagine it.

That's why my prey isn't just sorcerers. It includes cursed users and cursed spirits too."

The corners of Tokisaki Kurumi mouth curled upward. Her gold-and-red eyes gleamed with a bewitching, soul-piercing light.

"In other words, all of you are my prey."