Y/N's POV

Shinjiro Sato? Is that one of my ancestors? I've never heard of them. And this is Tengen?

"You're not gonna say hello?" Yuki asked.

"This isn't exactly the first time we've met," he answered.

"Why did you close off the tombs of the star corridor?"

"I was afraid you might be working with Kenjaku. After all, I can't see into the human heart," Tengen said. "Kenjaku is the sorcerer who was once Noritoshi Kamo, and now inhabits the body of Suguru Getou."

"Funny how that name suggests compassion and salvation," Yuki mumbled.

"Tengen-sama, why do you look like that?" Itadori asked. Itadori... He really had a lot of guts.

"I may be immortal, however I'm not immune to aging. You'd look like this after 500 years too you know."

"For real?!"

"11 years ago, I failed to merge with a star plasma vessel. My aging accelerated and my self awareness also diminished... The very world became who I am," Tengen explained.

"So that's why your 'voice' doesn't proliferate," Yuki-san said.

"Excuse me, but..." Megumi started but Yuuta finished for him.

"We came to ask about what Kenjaku's objectives are, and how to open the Prison Realm to rescue Gojo-sensei. Can you tell us what you know?"

"Yes... but there is one condition. Yuuta Okkotsu. Yuki Tsukumo. And Choso. 2 of you must stay here and remain as my guards," Tengen announced.

"Aren't you immortal though?"

"Are you worried about the seal?"

"Wait a sec! You haven't told us how long or why we have to!"

"Kenjaku's objective is to force the evolution of all human beings in Japan," Tengen explained.

"Yes we heard. What is his true intention though? Why didn't he use your barrier that time, and turn everyone in Japan into sorcerers using Idle Transfiguration?" Megumi asked.

"He doesn't have enough cursed energy to carry that out," Tengen answered. "Cursed energy that has been refined through Uzumaki cannot return to the sorcerer. Triggering an evolution in each individual with a cursed technique is more ineffective than you think. So Kenjaku chose this as the method of evolution where there's a merging of humankind and myself."

"I thought only the Star Plasma vessel -"

"Yes, the way I was before. But I have evolved in the past 11 years, so now it would not be impossible for me to merge with someone other than a star plasma vessel."

"But you're one person, right? How could you merge with multiple people?"

"My evolved soul actually exists all around us right now," Tengen replied. "I am not just what you see before you. As I said, my self is now the world itself. A human that merges with me becomes something greater than a sorcerer, a new being that is both present and not present. I possess barrier techniques so I am able to maintain this form and self-control even after evolving. But if humankind evolves and even one person rages out of control, the world will end. There would be boundaries between individuals, causing evil to spread immediately. The impurity of millions of people would flood the world. What happened in Tokyo would happen to the whole world."

"Why would Kenjaku do that?" Itadori asked angrily. I looked down at his fists that were clenching tightly.

"I cannot read the human heart so I do not know."

"Can you just refuse to merge?" Maki asked.

"That is the problem. I am currently more cursed spirit than human. That makes me a target for... Cursed Manipulation."

All of us realized what this meant and widened our eyes in shock. This was not good. Everything was playing in Kenjaku's favor.

"Considering Kenjaku's abilities as a sorcerer, he could seize me the moment we meet and encounter each other. That is why my main body is rejecting everything at the tombs of the star corridor."

"So this is why you want guards..." Yuuta thought.

"Correct. Kenjaku is actually the second most powerful barrier user behind me. I'm not sure when he will undo the seal on the tombs."

"Why now?" Yuki-san asked. "He prevented your merging with a star plasma vessel and forced your evolution, and now wants to consume you through Curse Manipulation. He was also involved with Sukuna, so he's been a sorcerer for at least a thousand years, so why now?!"

"I, the star plasma vessel, and the Six Eyes, are all connected by fate. In the past, Kenjaku has lost twice to sorcerers gifted with the Six Eyes. The next time, he killed the star plasma vessel and Six Eyes less than one month after they were born. Nonetheless, on the day of merging, the Six Eyes and star plasma vessel appeared. So he switched to sealing instead of killing and began to search for the Prison Realm, because there can't be 2 holders of the Six Eyes at the same time. But the unexpected happened 11 years ago when Toji Zenin interfered. He was gifted through Heavenly Restriction and was an anomaly who had completely escaped from cursed energy. He destroyed our destinies and then a boy with Cursed Manipulation came along. The pieces were coming together and then the Prison Realm fell into Kenjaku's hands."

"Then why is the culling game happening?!" Megumi asked.

"It is like breaking the body before merging. Merging with someone other than a star plasma vessel is not impossible, but it would be highly unlikely and incomplete at present," Tengen answered. "The culling game uses the player's cursed energy and boundaries binding barriers in a ritual of conveying the human beings of this land to the other side. From there, he'll begin merging with me. But in order to do that, Kenjaku has to undertake certain binding vows. One specifies that he is not the game master. But this does not work in your favor, as the culling game will not end even if you kill him. The game will continue until all the players are dead or all the players refuse to participate and die. Nothing can interrupt the ritual."

"We have no choice but to participate in the culling game and add a rule where Tsumiki and other unwilling participants can get out," Yuuta said.

"We should also free Gojo-sensei. He alone can settle everything on his own," Megumi added.

"Master Tengen... Tell us," Itadori said.

"First, decide who stays."

"I will stay," Yuki and Choso said together.

"Yuuji, you need Okkotsu or this woman's cooperation. Especially if Kenjaku ends up coming here for Tengen... ending his life means salvation for my brothers," Choso said.

"I'm not done talking to Tengen either," Yuki smiled. "Is that alright, Okkotsu?"

"Yeah! I don't want to leave the others again!"

"Thank you." Tengen's hand went through a black flame and he took out a cube. "You will need this... to free Satoru Gojo. It is the back of the Prison Realm."

"Like a back gate?" Itadori asked.

"Yes. Before he found it, the Prison Realm was outside my barrier and I believe it was overseas. I was hiding the existence of the front but it was no use. Gojo is sealed inside this rear gate. However, the authority to open the gate rests with Kenjaku as the bearer of the front. So breaking it open requires either the Inverted Spear of Heaven that nullifies cursed techniques, or the Black Rope that disrupts and cancels cursed technique effects. But Satoru Gojo sealed the Inverted Spear of Heaven 11 years ago, or destroyed it."

"Why'd you do that, Sensei?!" Itadori said.

"And last year he got rid of all the Black Rope, too."

"Why'd that idiot do that?!" Megumi facepalmed in frustration.

"Actually, I went to go look for the remaining Black Rope in Africa with Miguel," Yuuta spoke. "But there's no more."

"So that's why you went overseas..."

"There is still a way," Tengen revealed. "Among the players who are participating in the culling game, exists a sorcerer from a thousand years ago who calls herself an angel. Her cursed technique can extinguish any cursed technique. She can open the back of the Prison Realm."

"Do you know where she is located?" I asked.

"The colony in the east side of Tokyo," Tengen replied. "But I don't have any more information due to the game barriers rejecting me. Allow me to begin my explanation. There are 10 colonies around Japan, they are connected by barriers that form a line that send humans in Japan to the other side. Hokkaido is not included because of the Jujutsu society's barrier, and it has already been established as a vast sacred area. A curse fell on everyone in Japan as preparation for a merger. As for how long it will take to complete the ritual, that depends on the game, but 2 months should do."

1. After awakening a cursed technique, players must declare their involvement in the culling game at a colony of their choice within 19 days.

"Tsumiki has roughly 10 days and 15 hours... to declare her participation..." Megumi thought.

2. Any player who breaks the previous rule will be subject to cursed technique removal.

3. Nonplayers who enter the colony become players at the moment of entry and shall be considered to have declared partaking in the culling game.

"So... what about civilians who have already entered a barrier and are inside it?" Itadori asked.

"They will be given at least one chance to exit."

4. Players score points by ending the lives of other players in the game.

5. Points are determined by the game master and show the value of a player's life. As a general rule, sorcerers are worth 5 points and non-sorcerers are worth 1 point.

"Each player will receive a Shikigami called a kogane. But a kogane is less game master than interface. You may think of the game master as the game's program."

"Um... whut?" An obvious question mark floated above Itadori's head as he made a face that looked like he was having trouble processing all of this new information.

6. Excluding the point value of a player's own life, players may spend 100 points to negotiate with the game master to add one new rule to the culling game.

If we can't subtract rules, then maybe we can find ways to counteract rules, I thought. It should be possible.

7. In accordance with the 6th rule, the game master must accept any proposed new rule unless it has a marked and long-lasting effect on the culling game.

8. If a player's score remains the same for 19 days, that player shall be subject to cursed technique removal.

"I... have to kill people again..." Itadori muttered, looking down.

"No, I have a few ideas," Megumi spoke.

"Well that's the info for ya. Now we each have a role to play," Maki said. "Yuki and Choso will stay here to guard Master Tengen. I will return to the Zenin Clan and collect cursed tools. Soon after the Six Eyes was sealed, the Kamo and Zenin clans cleaned out Jujutsu High's cursed warehouse. But Megumi is now the Zenin Clan's leader."

"Wha?!" Itadori said, looking at him in disbelief. A first-year boy at Jujutsu High is now a clan leader?

"I'll explain later," the now leader of the Zenin Clan said.

"Thanks to that, it's possible to search the Zenin warehouse at length. But first... Master Tengen?"

"Understood. Juzo Kumiya's workshop?"

"It would be appreciated," Maki said. "Afterward, I'll find Panda and address the game. Yuuta, what about you?"

"I'm going to enter a colony right away and take part in the game. I want to gather information before the others participate. But I'll be sure to avoid nearby colonies so we don't end up killing each other, and just in case something happens to Megumi's sister. Barriers may block phone reception though."

Then Itadori and Yuuta looked like they remembered something and started putting on thinking faces.

"You guys go to Kinji as planned," Maki told us.

"Kinji?" Itadori and I both asked.

"Kinji Hakari, a suspended third year," Yuuta explained. "And before you ask if he's tough, he's moody. Though when he gets worked up, he's stronger than me."

"That's not true."

We started walking away, leaving behind Choso and Yuki with Master Tengen.

"Choso! Thank you! I appreciate it," Itadori said to his brother.

"Don't die, OK?"

Itadori raised his hand and I heard sobbing noises in the background.

"Are you OK, y/n? You don't look too good..." Itadori said to me. Megumi turned his head my way too.

"Honestly, I'm nervous. Hearing the game's rules and all, I'm scared of what might happen..." I put away my worried expression and replaced it with a smile. "But I also see this game as a way to improve."

AUTHOR'S NOTE 🪄

Sorry for all the dialogue 😩🌚

And I can't be the only one thinking of Tengen from Demon Slayer right... anyways did anyone watch the movie... 👀

This is for y'all Itadori simps (art's not mine)

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