Chapter 163
This deadly battle for the mastermind behind the scenes ended, just as the script had planned, with [Xia Youjie] having half of his body blown away by Gojo Satoru, thus "dying completely".
According to their speculation, once the user of [Spirit Manipulation Technique] dies, the spirit residing in his body will most likely dissipate completely, automatically releasing the spell's control and becoming an unowned spirit.
Therefore, the script also arranges for Kazuma Hatori to use [Spirit Manipulation Technique: Ultimate Style: Whirlpool] to combine all the spirits he possesses into one and launch them all out.
This even includes the portion that has already been released, so that all the cursed spirits that were released to create a stir can be retrieved in a logical way.
Of course, they wouldn't actually throw them all out. As long as the lines were read, Xia Youjie would collect all the released spirits and add a few more back in.
Anyway, as long as Xia Youjie doesn't say it, who can count how many cursed spirits he has in total?
Although when Xia Youjie first proposed this solution, Gojo Satoru complained, "Seriously? You're going to compress thousands of cursed spirits into one and then consume it? Won't this make you look stupid?!" Xia Youjie's fists were hard from all the criticism.
However, they had no way of figuring out how to kill all the thousands of unclaimed cursed spirits that had been released into the metropolis at once, so they had no choice but to stick to this brute-force approach.
People who are so desperate that they turn to become curse masters are understandably prone to extreme tactics.
Now, we've come to the final wrap-up.
Gojo Satoru took away the almost lifeless "corpse" of [Natsuyuu Ge] from the ruins and went to the cemetery alone.
Even though he knew that Yuqu Yi truly possessed a reversal technique that could heal him, his nerves were still involuntarily extremely tense—his expression was silent and desolate, quite similar to his true reaction when he killed his friend.
The script is one thing, but feeling your lover missing half of their body, lifeless, being held horizontally in your arms is quite another.
Moreover, the instant Gojo saw Hato Kazuma collapse to the ground and close his eyes completely, a strong and irrepressible impulse suddenly surged within him.
It was a kind of cold, decisive, surging emotion, but it was more like a fierce, howling gale, almost making Gojo Satoru subconsciously raise his hand, wanting to destroy something.
He didn't know exactly what he wanted to destroy.
After standing there in a daze for a while, Gojo Satoru lowered his hand back down and then bent down to pick up Hatori Kazuma.
He also had to deliver Yizhen to a designated location—and then he had to go back to find someone.
Thanks to Gojo Satoru's precise control of his strength, Hato Kazuma's injuries were extremely severe, yet he still had 10% of his stamina remaining.
This is the limit at which his reversal technique will not activate automatically.
Even when he was on the verge of death, he would not lose consciousness as a player. However, the dizziness transmitted to his brain was too strong. When he opened his eyes, his vision was as if covered by a layer of black fog. All objects were spinning, twisting, and compressed into strange shapes that were unrecognizable.
He could only hold on for a moment before being forced to close his eyes again to alleviate the descent that was almost dragging him into the depths of the quagmire.
But before being placed in the coffin, he forced himself to open his eyes and met Gojo Satoru's obviously displeased face—and gave him a slight smile.
Those cold, pale eyes softened considerably as the muscles in his arms relaxed.
Before leaving, Gojo Satoru bent down and gently touched Hagoromo Kazuma's forehead with his own.
This ordinary, intimate gesture has become a synonym for reassurance and commitment for them.
"Waiting for your good news."
After saying this softly, Gojo Satoru closed the coffin and sealed it with mud.
To avoid alerting that extremely cunning enemy, he couldn't stay here, much less follow them—not even by mimicking the white cat.
Therefore, he must believe that Yi Zhen can do it.
………
An unknown amount of time passed.
The cold, lifeless light pierced through my closed eyelids.
When Kazuma Hatori was nearly unconscious, his nerves suddenly went on high alert.
He wasn't fully conscious and didn't realize that someone had dug up the grave, pried open the coffin, and stolen [Xia Youjie]'s body.
However, Kazuma Hatake did not attack blindly, but kept his eyes closed and did not even use the reversal technique.
The person who stole the corpse may not be the [mastermind] herself; [she] could easily have any accomplices do it.
There is only one thing that can determine the other party's true identity.
—The stitches on her forehead.
He was currently empty-handed. Apart from the spell crystals he had accumulated over the years, [Karma Twins] had been specially switched to its dual-blade form and then stored in his inventory.
The mastermind behind the scenes wouldn't be wary of a harmless corpse.
Kazuma Hatori had enough patience to wait until the shaking stopped, the rustling voices receded and then approached again—after a knife-like sensation came to his forehead.
[Reversal spell activated.]
A portion of the curse crystal disappeared, and his stamina was instantly replenished. His five fingers, which had been raised suddenly, gripped the wrist that was just above his field of vision.
Slender and soft, it is a woman's hand; extremely cold, it is not the body temperature of a living person at all.
"Finally, I've got you."
Kazuma Hatori opened his eyes and looked at the young woman with stitches on her forehead, his voice extremely cold.
One of the [Ye Shuang] swords had already appeared in his hand, and he swung it out with sharp and rapid movements!
He didn't care what the other party's goals were, nor did he want to listen to the villain's long-winded pre-battle speech—he just wanted the other party to die.
"So eager?"
The other person laughed, and Kazuma Hatake immediately locked onto her name through the [Social] interface—[Kaori Itadori (deceased) (?)].
The situation is exactly the same as last week's Xia Youjie (deceased) (?), so I didn't look for the wrong person!
Wu had told him that a sorcerer's spells depend entirely on the brain. Once the brain is completely destroyed, it is a fatal blow, even for a sorcerer who can reverse spells!
As the short blade was about to pierce [Kaori Itadori]'s brain, she was still smiling, appearing remarkably calm and composed.
She regarded Kazuma Hatori as a mere Natsuyuki who only knew [Spirit Manipulation Techniques], and even when he used his weapon to fight back before dying, she considered it nothing more than child's play.
"Didn't I manage to convince you before?"
As she said this with a smile, she channeled the magical power within her body into the inscription of the spell—[Anti-Gravity Mechanism], and activated it.
That seemingly unremarkable magical artifact will immediately be forced to fall and pierce the ground.
That's what [Kaori Itsuji] thinks.
But soon, [she] could no longer laugh.
Because the short blade was not controlled by the [anti-gravity mechanism], but instead still stabbed straight at [her]!
It has the same effect as the Heavenly Reversal Technique in breaking spells!?
No, that's not right, space is cracking into fragments—this is that guy's technique, [Ten Directions Maha]!
The technique that she had such high hopes for, which was supposed to break through Gojo Satoru's defenses and kill him when he was off guard, was now being used against her...!
"Varied……"
Kaori Itadori cried out in astonishment, but the seemingly inconspicuous blade, held tightly in the fingers of the Spirit Manipulator who mistakenly believed it to be in her grasp, pierced heavily through her brain.
—Immediately afterwards, Kazuma Hatori twisted the short sword ninety degrees, changing it from a vertical thrust to a horizontal slash. His forearm quickly tensed and exerted force, slicing open half of the brain without the slightest hesitation!
We will never give the other side any chance to turn the tables.
Blood trickled down Kaori Itadori's forehead and from the corners of her mouth. Her entire face seemed to be out of control, and she couldn't make a single expression. After a long while, she finally managed to utter a sound as she collapsed to the ground.
"Well done... beautifully."
You really underestimated him. He actually managed to come up with a way to get close to her, and was willing to endure for years... He even found a special way to change his appearance.
[Kaori Itadori] wanted to laugh, but could only manage a slight twitch of her lips.
Kazuma Hagoromo remained indifferent, showing no intention of paying any attention to any words from the enemy.
He bent down, pressing one knee against [Kaori Itadori]'s chest, still gripping the [Kurosou] sword tightly in his hand, raising it straight up, and cutting open the skull along the seam on the other's forehead, completely exposing the inside.
A strange brain that was also bleeding, but with a mouth growing out from the front.
It was pierced by [Ye Shuang] and cut in half horizontally, which would be a fatal wound for an ordinary person.
But Kazuma Hatake was not at ease. He pointed the tip of [Karma Twins] at the mouth of this brain, ready to activate the [Ten Directions Maha] skill with his mind at any time.
Only then did he speak, his tone extremely cold.
"Who are you?"
Since the brain can grow a mouth, it must be able to speak.
"Want to... guess?" the strange brain finally spoke, "I am not afraid of death..."
The text on the [Social] interface has changed from [Kori Itadori (deceased) (?)] to [Kori Itadori (deceased) (Tōsō)].
Okay, I know the name now.
Yuqu Kazuma was too lazy to listen to the villain's long-winded rambling before his death—[Karma Double] immediately slammed down fiercely, silencing the other party halfway through his words.
——【Kori Ursula (deceased) (Tōsō) (deceased)】.
It's quite funny to have two deceased names listed after a name, but it finally allowed Kazuma Hatake to completely relax.
He asked that question simply to check through the system whether he had successfully landed a last hit.
Only when he confirmed the other person's death was Kazuma Hatake finally able to remove the stubborn stone that had always weighed on his heart, and a sense of accomplishment and joy gradually spread through him.
Wu will no longer be outmaneuvered by those who hide behind the scenes... no, this brain of his will.
He stood up from the corpse of [Kaori Itadori] as if he were exhausted, hesitated for a moment, and then took her with him.
This is Hisahito's mother's body. Although we couldn't save her, we should at least rebury her.
Kazuma Hatori left the basement, which was in an unknown location, and sat in the desolate wilderness with a view of endless forests. He took out his phone and called Satoru.
"We succeeded."
…………
Before Lu Suo died, let's turn back time a little further.
Gojo Satoru used [Azure] to rush back to the Shinjuku battlefield, which had collapsed into a large ruin.
His eyesight is excellent; he can see clearly both the curse power of [Hatori Kazuma] and the curse power of Natsuyuki.
[Hatori Kazuma] was not seriously injured, and the curse masters belonging to the Panxing Cult had already received the signal to retreat.
Gojo Satoru found him on one of the streets.
“Explain, Jay.”
Before the sunglasses could conceal those pale eyes, in the night illuminated only by moonlight and streetlights, they resembled a cold ocean, teeming with angry waves.
In response, [Hatori Kazuma] merely coughed lightly while covering his wound and smiled at Gojo Satoru.
"Explain what? I'm also very concerned about Ichijin's outcome; it's a matter of life and death for me."
"Don't play dumb,"
Gojo Satoru raised his voice, his brow furrowing tightly.
"You didn't follow the plan exactly... You didn't even give the cursed spirit the order [not to kill]!"
The scene was quiet for a moment.
"...You're very perceptive, Satoru. I'm very curious, what is the world like through your [Six Eyes]?"
Faced with the blunt questioning, Xia Youjie finally stopped hiding it.
"Don't change the subject." Gojo Satoru stepped forward. "What exactly are you thinking?"
"Isn't our plan going very smoothly?"
Xia Youjie chose not to answer, and instead turned to look at the starry sky shrouded in night.
"How can that guy believe this farce is real if no one dies? I also find it hard to imagine that Ichijin, who can kill everyone in the Director's Department with a single blow, would actually care about the lives of non-magicians."
After a long silence, Gojo Satoru pointed out the hidden meaning in his words with keen insight and certainty.
"You've been in contact with [the mastermind]."
“Yes, I haven’t seen everything, otherwise we wouldn’t have had to wait for this whole show to happen.” Xia Youjie lowered his eyes. “I already know that [she] only wants my body, and she would never give up her life.”
Knowing the villain's plot in advance prevented him from being misled by a few words—which is why he still cooperated with the performance.
The date of December 24, 2012, was also set by him after he learned that the other party's "trip was over".
Before Gojo Satoru could react, Natsumi Yuki continued.
"Your ideal is to become a teacher, nurture future generations, and completely reform the world of sorcery. Ichijin's ideal is to help you achieve yours. He himself has no desires. I can even sense that he doesn't really care about the world at all, as if you are the only real person."
"And I have finally decided on the path I want to take."
—After talking with Yuki Tsukumo, after Yu Haibara's death, after facing Kento Nanami's self-abandonment, after confronting the malice of ignorance in the old village of Kogoro... and after coming into contact with the [mastermind] in the Pansei Cult.
"I want to make sure that this world will no longer produce cursed spirits, nor will it have any more conflicts between sorcerers and non-sorcerers."
Xia Youjie spoke calmly.
"To this end, I will achieve [the evolution of all mankind]."
He believed it was worth it no matter how many people died in the process.
"The evolution of all humankind," Gojo Satoru exclaimed, taken aback by the implications of those words. "How can you possibly achieve that?"
Rather, why would Xia Youjie believe that such an outrageous idea could be feasible?
"There's no need for Wu Lai to worry about that; I have my own methods."
Xia Youjie lifted his foot again and walked forward, gradually passing Wutiao Wu, who was standing still.
"Our journey together ends here. Whether Yizhen succeeds or fails, we will never be able to walk together again."
Gojo Satoru suddenly turned his head to look at Natsuyu Jie's back—when they parted ways in Shinjuku last time, he was still able to raise his hand and make the starting gesture of [Zi].
Only now did he realize that he was not actually ready to accept the real farewell to Shinjuku.
"you……"
"If the plan succeeds, please convey my apologies to Kazuma as well."
Xia Youjie did not turn around; only his voice, lower and slower, drifted on the wind to Wujiao Wu's ears.
"Whether your ideal will be achieved first, or my vision will be realized first... we'll see when the time comes."
Goodbye, Satoru.
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