70,

.

Tsukumo Yuki.

The name is not unfamiliar. After all, Tsukumo Yuki is a Special Grade sorcerer. One of the only three Special Grade sorcerers in the world, the others being Satoru-niichan and Geto-san.

Tsukumo's position was rather unusual, in that she was not an active sorcerer who took missions. Her presence in Japan could be characterized by the lack of it, given her consistent, year-round absence from the country as she traveled the world without bothering to report her whereabouts to anyone.

… But better an absent, globe-trotting sorcerer who refused to take missions than a genocidal curse user. Not that 'genocidal curse user' is a very high bar to surpass to begin with, Shiki supposes.

Still, none of this explains why Tsukumo Yuki is here right now, standing in front of her. The sorcerer's words had made it abundantly clear that this was no mere coincidence.

I've been meaning to swing by and meet you properly sometime, but unfortunately there's been a lot of people running interference. Care to grab a bite together?

Tsukumo is still smiling, evidently waiting for a response to her invitation.

"No," Shiki says flatly.

The woman squawks in mild offense, clearly having expected a different answer, and then starts laughing.

"Wow, I think that's the first time that I was shot down so quickly!" Tsukumo does not appear to be upset over the refusal. In fact, the one who might be upset is Zhang-san, whose face has somehow gone even paler. Choki does not indicate any displeasure, his expression is rather stiff. "There aren't many sorcerers out there who'll say 'No' straight to a Special Grade's face these days."

The words themselves imply intimidation, but the expression on Tsukumo's face indicates that she's more amused than anything else.

"Although… I guess this attitude isn't so surprising, coming from you." The older sorcerer puts a thoughtful hand to her chin. "After all, you've always been in close proximity to Special Grade, haven't you?"

… Is she referring to how it's a known fact that Shiki is close with her cousin?

Gojo Satoru is widely regarded as the most powerful of the three Special Grade sorcerers, the Strongest of them all. Shiki grew up with her cousin keeping a close eye on her since childhood, which might be a reasonable explanation for why she doesn't find the label of 'Special Grade' to be as terrifying as most sorcerers probably do.

Shiki eyes Tsukumo for a moment. Jagged red lines stretch over the woman's body, glowing steadily.

If the other sorcerer notices anything amiss, she does not say anything about it. But Tsukumo's smile widens, revealing just the faintest gleam of teeth.

Taking the unspoken hint, Shiki silently retracts her gaze. She proceeds to ignore the Special Grade sorcerer entirely as she heads over to Choki without another word. Tsukumo does not appear hostile, and Shiki has no interest in wasting time for something as trivial as satisfying the woman's curiosity. Perhaps it is uncharitable of her, but Shiki is not inclined to think well of a sorcerer who abandons their responsibilities. She doesn't understand it.

Furthermore, Shiki is in China for a reason.

Choki's fingers fumble for a brief moment when handing her sunglasses back to her. Shiki waits patiently for him, and slips the dark frames back onto her face.

"To the next village," she tells her assistant. Perpetually absent and mysterious Special Grade sorcerer suddenly appearing out of nowhere or not, Shiki is not about to leave a job half-finished. The mission takes priority.

"Hey, wait, are you being serious?" Tsukumo blinks, then moves in front of them, blocking their path. Obligingly, Shiki halts her footsteps, but raises her hand to the hilt of her sword without pause and– "Whoa there! No need for that, I'm not trying to pick a fight. Seriously, I just want to talk."

… Shiki does not think that she has anything to talk about with this particular Special Grade sorcerer. "I'm currently on a mission, Tsukumo-san."

"Yeah… so about that," the woman smiles again. An expression that's a tad sheepish this time, somehow, and it's– "You actually don't need to worry about any other villages. The pseudo-cursed womb that you just killed was the last of them that split off from the main body."

Her words are confident. Factual, even. But why would she know this?

"Explain."

"Wow, a little rude there, don't you think?" Tsukumo arches an eyebrow at her.

Shiki remains unimpressed. "If you're responsible for the creation of a cursed spirit with a sizable body count–"

"Whoa, I'm not!" The blonde woman shakes her head rapidly, then sighs irritably. "Hahh… Kosaku-kun really likes causing trouble for me, doesn't he? Although, I'm not keeping him around after this, either."

"… Kosaku?" Was this 'Kosaku' related to the odd cursed spirit that Shiki had just killed?

"Kamo Kosaku," Tsukumo elaborates with a gusty sigh. "One of my collaborators –well, former collaborator now, seeing as he was using my resources to mess around with this sort of experimenting, instead of actually researching what I originally asked him to."

Kamo. Research. Shiki is, unfortunately, very familiar with those words being used in context with each other, and grasps the implications of the Special Grade sorcerer's words near-instantly.

She gives the woman a sharp look, "You employed a Kamo researcher for human experimentation?"

The older woman makes a face. "Not like that, ugh. I mean, I admit that I employed him for his knowledge of how cursed energy interacts with the human body, but it wasn't so he could make a good attempt at becoming a second Kamo Noritoshi."

Shiki does not say anything. Her skepticism is perhaps a tad bit obvious, because Tsukumo heaves another heavy sigh.

"What did I ever do to deserve this complete lack of faith from you?" Tsukumo reaches up a hand and rubs her eyes with a groan. "Look. After a certain incident that resulted in the majority of the Kamo Clan's research divisions being gutted a few years back, is it really so surprising to think that they would look for research opportunities elsewhere?"

That's…

"The Kamo Clan no longer possessed the resources to support their work, and was wrought with political infighting besides. Still is, as far as I know," the woman continues. "So, Kosaku-kun managed to find his way to me. Back during that time, I didn't mind giving him an opportunity to prove himself… although that particular ship has certainly sailed now, given this whole…"

The Special Grade sorcerer makes a vague, frustrated gesture towards their surroundings.

"… Combining human flesh with cursed spirits business," she finishes lamely, wrinkling her nose. "I told him to look into potential ways of getting non-sorcerers to control their cursed energy, not combine non-sorcerers with cursed spirits. Although… looking at things this way, I guess this would be his response to the question I posed to him… tsk…"

Shiki studies the older sorcerer. She can't say for certain, but Tsukumo seems to be genuinely honest in her candid demeanor and open words. Caution is still warranted, nonetheless. But it's a point in Tsukumo's favor that she comes across as pointedly unhostile.

"… You claim that Kamo Kosaku was the one who made the cursed spirit," Shiki slowly removes her hand from the hilt of her sword. "Then, where is he right now?"

"Dead," Tsukumo casually buffs her fingernails. "Kosaku-kun realized that he was in over his head and tried to escape the country once he discovered that he was drawing too much attention. Unfortunately for him, though, Azechi-kun found his tracks before he could run too far. I, on the other hand, am cleaning up the mess he left behind."

If what Tsukumo says is true…

Shiki takes a moment to organize things in her mind. The full timeline of events would've started with Kamo Kosaku coming into Tsukumo Yuki's service, due to the Kamo Clan being heavily censured and penalized with numerous concessions and restrictions following Shiki's kidnapping that year. Kamo Kosaku had initially promised to do research for Tsukumo, but somehow ended up running his own experiments instead. Ones that Tsukumo apparently did not approve of.

These unsanctioned experiments eventually birthed a powerful curse that either managed to escape containment, or were intentionally released into the Jieyang-Chaozhou countryside. Then, proceeded to wipe out several villages.

Upon realizing the attention that this drew to him, Kamo Kosaku had attempted to flee, to no avail. One of Tsukumo's subordinates had either subdued him or killed him on the spot, while Tsukumo herself came in to take care of her unruly subordinate's mess in person: Some experimental curse that had killed two Grade Two sorcerers and a Grade One as well with no signs of stopping.

… It explains why Tsukumo is here in China at all. It also neatly explains the longer interval of safety between the cursed spirit's attacks on various villages in wake of Mizuno's death.

Previously, the frequency of the cursed spirit's attacks had ranged four to five days each time. Yet, even despite Shiki's delayed arrival in China being slightly over a week, the cursed spirit had not massacred any new villages. Being hunted by a Special Grade sorcerer would certainly prevent a cursed spirit from indulging in senseless slaughter.

Shiki had thought that the cursed spirit she'd found in Lijia Village was suspiciously weak for something that she'd assumed to be a prospective Special Grade. This was most likely also the result of Tsukumo's handiwork over the past few days, then.

But Tsukumo hunting down the cursed spirit does not explain why she's standing in front of Shiki right now.

Even if Shiki's mission coincided with Tsukumo's own self-appointed task of cleaning up after her subordinate, that was still no reason for the longtime absentee Special Grade to seek her out. Especially when Tsukumo Yuki was notorious for avoiding the jujutsu administration and those who were affiliated with it.

Shiki, being a student of the Tokyo jujutsu school and a sorcerer who's been taking missions for years by now, would very much fall under the category of an individual who is deeply entrenched within the system.

She decides to ask the woman about this directly.

"Yeah, I usually don't bother making contact with any of the jujutsu schools' personnel," the Special Grade sorcerer tells her. "It's just easier for everyone involved, y'know? The Windows don't have to bother writing ridiculous reports like, 'Oh, Tsukumo Yuki was spotted eating red bean shaved ice in China on Tuesday!' And I won't have to deal with the hassle of being stalked or getting pestered to take pointless missions. But…"

Tsukumo rocks back on her heels, smiling broadly.

"Suddenly, the Windows who were originally staying nice and put around the cities in this area started moving into the countryside." The words are breezy and cheerful, but they still make Zhang-san shiver in the corner. "It was a little annoying at first, especially since I had to babysit a few of them, what with the curse splitting itself apart and all. But then I heard an interesting tidbit of their conversation! They talked about a 'Gojo-san' who was assigned a mission to exorcise this cursed spirit."

"… You didn't think that they could've been talking about Satoru-niichan?"

In fact, it would make more sense for her cousin to be the first one to come to mind, in this sort of context. Or maybe even some other Gojo sorcerer, one who was known to have taken missions outside of Japan before. Why would Tsukumo think–

"Unless Gojo Satoru is a little girl who carries around a sword with her? Nah," Tsukumo chortles. "And that leads us to where we currently are. So… are you feeling satisfied with my answers yet?"

Shiki gives the older sorcerer a strange look for that comment, "Why would my opinion matter to you?"

Tsukumo shrugs, "I told you earlier, didn't I? I just want to talk, and we can't have that if you're eyeing me like an enemy. Seriously, I just want a friendly little talk, that's all. There are quite a lot of people out there who are curious about you, Gojo Shiki."

"There's nothing to be curious about." Shiki considers herself to be a fairly straightforward person.

Judging from the woman's snort, however, it's clear that Tsukumo disagrees.

… Far be it for Shiki to comment on a Special Grade sorcerer's capricious whims. To be honest, she's still suspicious of Tsukumo's remarkably convenient timing on her very first mission outside of Japan, but… despite the circumstances, and regardless of whether or not the Special Grade sorcerer is lying between her teeth, Shiki does not get the impression that Tsukumo currently holds ill will towards her.

And while Shiki does not care overmuch for a sorcerer whom she's never seen before in her life, even one who is Special Grade, she admits that it's odd that Tsukumo Yuki wishes to 'speak' with her. It's curious that the woman is patient enough to try and convince Shiki to change her mind, even despite being turned down in an initial refusal.

Why?

Tsukumo… said that she only wanted to talk. Then, what did she hope to achieve by conversing with Shiki?

"Well? What do you say?" Tsukumo asks again. "There's a pretty good mango-themed cafe in Fuyang City where we can sit down for a nice chat. You can bring your servant along with you, of course –I don't have anything to hide. Might be for the best, even. As I've already said: I just want to talk."

…

"I have two conditions," Shiki finally says. While she holds no particular fondness for Tsukumo Yuki, she is willing to be cordial for now, until she's given a reason otherwise. "First, regardless of your reassurances, I will still be visiting the other village that was brought to my attention. Anything else will have to wait until afterwards. Second, I want evidence of Kamo Kosaku's experiments, and proof of his death."

"Done," Tsukumo responds instantly, surprisingly enough. Even despite Shiki blandly stating her distrust to the other sorcerer's face, Tsukumo is somehow still smiling, acquiescing easily to these demands instead of becoming angry or offended by it. "Go finish up your mission, then. I'll see you in Fuyang afterwards at the– … wait, do you like mangoes?"

"… I don't like sweets."

Tsukumo laughs. "Alright, then! No sweets."

.

.

The second of the two villages that Shiki and Choki had identified as being suspicious turns out to be void of cursed spirits, just as Tsukumo had said it would be.

… Which lends a certain measure of authenticity to the Special Grade sorcerer's words, although this still does not mean that Shiki trusts her entirely.

Tsukumo Yuki may not appear to be an enemy, but that does not automatically indicate that she is an ally, either. By the woman's own admission, she is not entirely blameless in the events that resulted in Shiki's mission. Unintentionally on her part, perhaps, but not blameless, and Shiki is not inclined to look kindly upon such a gross oversight resulting in consequences of this 's also to say nothing of the fact that Tsukumo has made it a clear stance of hers that she refused to work beneath the jujutsu administration in Japan.

Shiki does not know the precise reasoning behind this. She can guess, though; it's likely related to the traditional, conservative mindset that the administration operates under. The disagreement must be very severe, for Tsukumo to refrain from accepting any missions at all.

Yet even so… Shiki can't quite understand it. She isn't sure if Satoru-niichan would, either. Because even though Satoru-niichan despises the narrow-minded higher ups, this does not stop him from carrying out his duties and upholding his responsibilities… albeit oftentimes with a seemingly-frivolous attitude. Part of it was genuinely just his personality, but another part of it is entirely intentional. A deliberate act, purposely nettling and irritating the traditionalists who were so deeply entrenched in their intolerant, unchanging ways.

An entirely different path from Tsukumo Yuki, for all that they were both Special Grade sorcerers.

…

Shiki ends up meeting Tsukumo again in a 'food court.'

As Choki explains it, a 'food court' is another name for a small square, usually located in the midst of an urban shopping district or the like, lined with various restaurants and eateries around the perimeter. And in the center of the public court, there are dozens upon dozens of chairs and tables for people to sit down and enjoy their meals.

… Which would likely be more enjoyable if the conditions of the surroundings were a little more sanitary, in Shiki's opinion.

"What's with that expression?" Tsukumo seems pleased –there's even a distinctly teasing edge to her tone, as she watches Shiki approach her table. "Not used to sitting around in this sort of plebeian setting, hmm?"

No, not really. It's a mystery to her as to why Tsukumo had chosen such a bustling, crowded area to meet her in.

There's no point in dwelling on that, though.

Shiki idly ignores the various glances cast towards her direction from the curious non-sorcerers nearby as she takes a seat across from the Special Grade sorcerer. Choki follows quietly and takes his position standing behind her shoulder.

"Here," the woman neatly slides a thick folder across the table. Shiki accepts it and flips through a few of the papers. The research papers, with notes that remind her of what she'd seen in the documents that the Gojo Clan had confiscated from the Kamo Clan so long ago. "And also, take this one, too."

There's a metallic clink. Shiki glances down, just in time to see a single key slide to a stop in front of her from across the plastic tabletop.

"I'm not about to lug around a corpse with me, especially if I'm going to be out and about in a public space," Tsukumo says conversationally. "So, here's the key to one of the warehouses that Azechi-kun maintains for me in Chaozhou. He's already texted the location to your servant. Kamo Kosaku's corpse is currently being kept inside there."

… Although Tsukumo hadn't brought physical proof of the man's death with her, the research papers on its own lend weight to her claims about having a Kamo researcher under her employ. Shiki would be able to verify the rest of her words once the corpse in question was identified and confirmed to be that of a Kamo's. If the Gojo Clan then performed their own brief investigation into ascertaining that 'Kamo Kosaku' existed, corroborating Tsukumo's story, that would be the final layer of confirmation she needed.

Unfortunately, that wasn't something that could be verified immediately. It would take time to fully substantiate Tsukumo's side of the tale.

For now, she would accept the older sorcerer's gesture of goodwill and play along. Shiki is not blind; Tsukumo, a Special Grade sorcerer whom Shiki has never met nor even tangentially encountered before, has been remarkably tolerant and indulgent of her demands so far. It's rather unlikely that there is no ulterior motive behind all of this.

Shiki closes the thick folder, passing the papers to Choki behind her.

"Suspicious little thing, aren't you?" Tsukumo muses from across the cheap plastic table, watching her movements. "But being careful isn't a bad quality for a sorcerer to have. And, I guess that you do have reason to be a little more suspicious of unfamiliar Special Grades than most."

The blond woman sounds contemplative. Appraising.

Shiki meets the other sorcerer's gaze calmly… not that it's probably very visible behind the sunglasses that she's currently wearing. "I accept your gifts as proof of sincerity. What did you wish to discuss?"

Tsukumo smiles, leaning forward on her elbows.

"Oh, several things! But. First, and most importantly," Tsukumo raises a finger, "What kind of boy is your type?"

What?

Shiki blinks.

"Romantically, I mean," the older sorcerer continues easily. "What kind of person do you find appealing?"

"… What does that have to do with anything?" Shiki is genuinely confused. Has she somehow missed another social cue again? From her perspective, it seems as if that question just came out of nowhere, with no context or forewarning leading up to it.

Shiki also takes a brief moment to hand a napkin to Choki, who's suddenly broken out into another bout of sharp coughing. Maybe her assistant needed a health checkup sometime, or perhaps to take a break from his work and rest? It seemed like he was quite prone to coughing fits…

"Just consider it as curiosity on my part!" Tsukumo winks at her, impish and mischievous, as if they're sharing a secret. "I like to use this as a personality test of sorts. In my experience, the type of person someone likes usually says a lot about their character. So, with that said… what do you find attractive in a prospective partner, Gojo Shiki?"

Shiki tilts her head. It appears that Tsukumo legitimately wants a serious answer to this seemingly-nonsensical question…?

It's not something that she's ever really thought about before, though.

Vaguely, Shiki is aware that the Gojo Clan would very much like for her to be married at some point and birth children, in hopes that her cursed eyes and cursed technique would be inherited by her future progeny. The same holds true of Satoru-niichan as well, actually, as the Strongest who possesses both the Six Eyes and Limitless. Sorcery clans tended to be very meticulous about keeping 'blood' and 'talent' within their prized lineages, and quite invested in ensuring that powerful sorcerers leave children behind them.

Eugenics, essentially.

Shiki does not particularly care for what the elders think. Satoru-niichan doesn't, either. That would be the reason why he's resisted all of the clan elders' endless pressuring about marriage to date, she presumes. Loveless marriages in sorcery families for the sake of breeding certain abilities or siring strong children were depressingly commonplace within the clans, but it's suddenly a lot harder to repeat the same feat with a sorcerer who was as powerful as Satoru-niichan was. It's a different story when the one in question is an outlier who couldn't be easily cajoled or coerced through typical, conventional means.

As for Shiki…

Marriage is a very distant topic in her mind. Something that she's peripherally aware of, even though the subject as a whole is something that still feels like it's entirely unrelated to her in the here and now.

So… 'neutral' probably describes her opinion on the matter best. Shiki is not entirely opposed to marrying someone in the nebulous future, but neither is it something that she's particularly interested in. She supposes that… as long as the candidate in question is not a well-groomed candidate carefully selected by the elders for a good pedigree, or obedient behavior, or something else inane along those lines…

Oh, a political arrangement is probably no good, either. Shiki still remembers the mess of her almost-betrothal to Kamo Nobutomo in her childhood.

Hmm. Thinking about it like this, She's actually rather picky about her nonexistent, prospective future partner, isn't she? Huh. She's never realized this before.

What kind of boy is your type?

Shiki… doesn't know. Someone who's older than her? Taller? … But these are both trite, superficial qualities that she's overheard from other clanswomen before. Shiki doesn't actually care all that much about this sort of thing, if she's being honest with herself.

Then, someone interesting, maybe? However, it's a little hard to pin down exactly what qualifies as 'interesting' for her, especially as Shiki doesn't have a precise definition for it herself. Any puppets selected by the Gojo elders would most certainly be uninteresting to the extreme, though. She doesn't necessarily need a husband who understands her, but she thinks that it would be boring if they were scared of her.

"My type," Shiki decides, "Is someone who can take me in a fight."

Tsukumo blinks.

Then, straightens and sits back in her chair with a good-natured laugh, as if Shiki had said something funny.

"Ha! I see." The woman grins, and her voice ringed with mirth. "You do realize that's going to be a tall order to fulfill, right? Special Grade sorcerers don't exactly grow on trees."

Shiki tilts her head, "I didn't specify 'Special Grade.'"

"Well, no, but I'd say that it's heavily implied in your answer," Tsukumo chuckles. "Wow. The rumors are clearly exaggerated; you're a lot less like Gojo Satoru than people think you are."

"How so?" Shiki is more used to hearing people say that she's similar to her cousin –minus the killing instinct– so Tsukumo's observation is new.

"Hm, how should I put this…" The older woman adopts a thoughtful pose, drumming her fingertips against the table in a lazy rhythm. She picks up a tall cup of an orange-colored beverage that Shiki does not recognize, and takes a long sip from a looping straw twisted into the shape of a flower.

"Let's just use the question that I asked you as an example," Tsukumo eventually says. "Your answer was, 'Someone who can take you in a fight,' wasn't it? But as for Gojo Satoru…"

The blonde woman sets her drink back onto the table with a soft clack.

"His honest answer," she says, "It would be… 'Someone who understands him.' Who can also stand next to him, ideally. Although…"

The words trail off in an unfinished sentence. Tsukumo shakes her head, and heaves a gusty sigh.

Shiki is still left feeling a little confused by the older sorcerer's conjectures. Was this something that Satoru-niichan would really say? … And was it something that really indicated such a significant difference as what Tsukumo was implying?

"Anyways! Enough of that little tangent," the woman claps her hands together. "We're here to talk about you. Bluntly speaking, I think you would be a great help towards achieving my goals. Can I interest you in lending me a hand?"

Shiki gives Tsukumo a flat look.

… What is it with renegade Special Grade sorcerers consistently trying to recruit Shiki for their own purposes? First Geto Suguru, and now Tsukumo Yuki. There were only three Special Grade sorcerers. The likelihood of such a thing happening should've been infinitesimal.

Is this –is this like Mi-chan with the catnip? Is Shiki the catnip here?

"No," she says.

"Hear me out," Tsukumo insists, not at all discouraged by the instant refusal. "What I want isn't something inane like world domination or anything: My goal is to eradicate all cursed spirits from this planet. Permanently."

"By abstaining from taking missions?" Shiki can't help but ask, faintly incredulous by that particular turn of logic.

"And how well has that been working out for the jujutsu schools?" Tsukumo counters immediately, eminently reasonable. "Cursed spirits spawn, sorcerers are sent to kill them, cursed spirits spawn, sorcerers are sent to kill them –it's an endless cycle. No matter how many cursed spirits I exorcise, there will always be more to take its place. I intend to treat the cause, not the symptoms. Which is why I don't waste my time with missions from the school."

Cursed spirits are a natural phenomenon in this world. Negative energy gathers, and cursed spirits are born from the murky amalgamation of darkness, fear, and malice. What Tsukumo is saying is that she wishes to change a fundamental aspect of how the laws of this world operate.

Is something like that even possible?

"How do you intend to accomplish that?"

"You know how curses are born, right? Excess cursed energy 'leaks' from non-sorcerers, accumulating and eventually resulting in the formation of cursed spirits." Tsukumo leans back in her seat with a light hum, "Which means that in order to make it so that no cursed spirits will be born in this world, there are two potential routes for humanity to take."

The woman raises a single pointer finger.

"Option one: Remove cursed energy from the equation entirely. No cursed energy, no cursed spirits." A second finger goes up, "Alternatively, option two: Prevent non-sorcerers from emitting cursed energy into their surroundings."

By definition, non-sorcerers are those who possess no potential for sorcery and are incapable of manipulating cursed energy. So that would mean… "You're talking about making non-sorcerers into sorcerers?"

Something like that… sounds suspiciously reminiscent of the experiments that the Kamo Clan had been involved in. Hadn't the late Lady Matsuhime wanted to make her non-sorcerer son into a sorcerer? By somehow transferring Shiki's abilities to him?

"Certainly, that's one way of making it work," Tsukumo nods. "As far as I'm aware, it was the direction that Araya went in. The flipside would be Geto-kun's method. Kill all non-sorcerers until only sorcerers remain –ergo, all of humanity would then possess the capability to control their cursed energy."

There's a lot to read from this answer. Tsukumo had known of Araya Souren's activities? Geto Suguru's, as well?

"Araya Souren wished for destruction," Shiki says flatly. "Geto Suguru intends to enact genocide."

"Hey, I'm not saying that I agreed with his ultimate goals. I'm just saying that the research he conducted along the way to that was something that had the potential to be beneficial for humanity," the blond woman shrugs. "Geto-kun, on the other hand… I'm quite curious to see how far he goes. Personally, I don't agree with killing all non-sorcerers. But would his actions become a trigger forcing the evolution of the human race? In the grand scheme of things, would it really be a viable course of action?"

Shiki cannot say that she shares the same perspective as Tsukumo. "And how many would die in order for you to glean anything of value?"

"Well, I wonder…" The older sorcerer shrugs, in a way that does not disclose any answers. "Are casualties something that you care about?"

Not really. But, "It is part of my duties to defend non-sorcerers. And there's more to the value of an individual than just the ability to manipulate cursed energy, or the potential to become a sorcerer."

"That's true enough," Tsukumo agrees. Her fingers close around her drink again. "Potential alone doesn't account for everything. Although… it would be a helpful way towards solving the dilemma of cursed spirits plaguing this world. So, I'm curious: How does a non-sorcerer civilian girl suddenly manifest cursed eyes and a cursed technique seemingly out of nowhere?"

.

.

…

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