2 Coax Him, Seduce Him

[Wow, it's Heian-era Muzan! Long black hair, and it's even curly!]
[He's so pale, standing there like some kind of sickly beauty.]
[It's the ultimate female ghost vibe, no doubt about it.]
[A summoner? Is the Scumbag Boss a cursed spirit summoned by our wifey?]
[Like Megumi's shikigami?]
[The Scumbag Boss has a master now. Will he actually submit?]
[No need to worry about that. Generally speaking, shikigami share a mental link with their masters, and they can't disobey a summoner's commands.]
[No wonder the Scumbag Boss slaughtered the cursed spirits rushing at Yuki the moment he appeared.]
[So it was to protect his master, Yuki...]

A sudden change occurred.

"—"

It was the sound of a human body being pierced at extreme speed by a sharp weapon.

The scent of rust filled the air, and a thick taste of blood welled up in his throat.

Yuki Ieiri wanted to look down, but the icy hand on his face held him fast.

"..."

He coughed up a mouthful of blood.

He felt the pain.

The shikigami's other hand—slender and stained with crimson blood—had pierced straight through his chest from the front.

Vibrant red blood bloomed across the light-colored fabric.

His heart... had been crushed.

His breath stopped.

Yuki Ieiri parted his lips slightly, his eyes closed, and he lost all control over his body.

His limp head drooped as he fell backward, only to be caught by the cursed spirit behind him.

Witnessing this, Megumi Fushiguro lost his voice in shock. "How is that possible?!"

Satoru Gojo said in a low voice, "...A shikigami turning on its master."

Shikigami was a concept originally conceived by the famous Heian-era Onmyoji, Abe no Seimei, referring to spiritual entities that could be commanded by an Onmyoji.

In historical records, the probability of a shikigami turning on its master was extremely low, but there were precedents.

In the modern era, jujutsu sorcerers were scarce, and those of the summoning type were rarer still.

Consequently, very few people knew of this possibility.

[?!!]
[So dark, but classic Scumbag Boss.]
[Cruel and tyrannical, killing at the drop of a hat—that's definitely the core of his soul...]
[Wifey! Waaaah!!]
[Becoming the 'White Moonlight' the moment he debuts.]
[Wait, what?! Getting killed off so suddenly, I can't accept this! Even if it's to introduce Muzan, that's just too... Wait, what is Muzan doing?]

*Drip...*

It was the sound of blood dripping.

The cursed spirit sliced open a wound on his own fingertip, and rich, viscous blood dripped down.

It fell right onto the seam of Yuki Ieiri's lips.

Muzan Kibutsuji's plum-red, inorganic eyes reflected the silhouette of the blonde youth.

His gaze was like a coiling serpent.

Sticky and gloomy, it made it hard to breathe.

Muzan Kibutsuji was a demon who had crawled back to the human world from hell.

Even if he had died once, it could not alter his nature; he would never turn back to the path of redemption.

Shikigami and summoner;

In truth, they were the dominator and the dominated.

Muzan Kibutsuji loathed this above all else—he loathed any freedom that was subject to another's control.

Yet, this human possessed an unspeakable attraction for him, triggering a twisted possessiveness. An instinct screaming from the depths of Muzan's marrow:

*Claim him.*

Muzan Kibutsuji had no desire to resist his instincts.

But neither did he want to be dominated.

And so, a brilliant idea came to him:

To invert the roles of master and servant.

To turn on his master as a shikigami.

And then, using his own blood, transform the other into his own servant.

Ownership would forever belong to him.

His pale, slender fingertip brushed against the human's lips, smearing a patch of deep red that looked like rose petals.

The fingertip pried open the teeth and slipped inside.

Bestowing his blood.

[!?]
[Is wifey coming back to life?!]
[I almost forgot he can turn people into demons, but does that work in Jujutsu Kaisen?]
[This is so hot, my pants are flying off.]
[Ooh, I feel like this Muzan has a really strong female ghost aura.]
[His inhuman aura is practically overflowing, like an inescapable spiderweb.]
[Ah...]
[So Yuki is going to become his possession?]

Yuki Ieiri awoke from the brief darkness, opening his eyes once more.

Something seemed to have intruded into his mouth, and he couldn't help but push it with the tip of his tongue.

His tongue tasted a small amount of salty, metallic, and viscous liquid.

It trickled down and choked his throat.

"Cough, cough!"

It seemed it wasn't an illusion.

So he really did transmigrate?

He began to cough, and immediately after, a scorching heat flowed down his throat.

It began to invade every corner of his body, and his physical instincts violently rejected it.

Shuddering, trembling, and heart palpitations.

Through his misty eyes, a pair of gloomy, crimson eyes was reflected.

It felt as though he were being targeted by a monster.

Sniffing, licking, wrapping tightly around him, and finally devouring him whole.

In an instant—

Yuki Ieiri's demonization stopped.

His heart stopped beating as well, only to regenerate again three seconds later.

[He died twice?!]
[The transformation failed? So Yuki is still human, right?]
[Did he use Reverse Cursed Technique?]
[In the Hidden Inventory arc, Satoru Gojo revived even after being stabbed through by Toji Fushiguro.]
[My new wifey is safe! (Sighs in relief)]
[If he knows Reverse Cursed Technique, does that mean Jujutsu High is getting a second healer?]
[Come to think of it, Yuki's last name is also Ieiri. What a coincidence!]
[Not to ruin the mood, but what if... and I mean just what if... his Reverse Cursed Technique can only be used on himself, just like Satoru Gojo's...]

[...]

Yuki Ieiri breathed in softly.

The cold breath against his neck remained, proving that this was no dream.

At this moment, Yuki Ieiri's eyes were filled with mist, slightly out of focus.

In his peripheral vision, he caught a hazy glimpse of the black-and-red figure.

He let out a laugh.

The blonde youth's lower lip was stained with blood, making the red mole on it stand out even more.

He offered a greeting: "Killing me twice... this is quite an unconventional welcoming gift."

"Nice to meet you... my shikigami?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the icy breath at his neck paused.

Yuki Ieiri seemed completely unbothered by the fact that the other had killed him—and twice, at that.

He simply said, "For now, I have no desire to change my species."

A bullet comment floated across:

[This reaction is a bit eerie... He just... doesn't seem like a normal person.]

Leaping down from the building, Itadori and Kugisaki ran over to Satoru Gojo's side.

Along with Megumi Fushiguro, the three Jujutsu High students watched in utter bewilderment.

Death? Feeding blood? Resurrecting again?

Plot twist after plot twist!

This was more thrilling than a manga plot!

"By the way, Sensei," Itadori whispered, "Ryomen Sukuna said he's seen that cursed spirit before, though the guy was still human back then."

He had obtained this information from Sukuna while suppressing him moments ago.

In the past?

Megumi Fushiguro frowned. "If I remember correctly, the era Ryomen Sukuna was active in was the Heian period."

The Heian era.

Over a thousand years ago.

Which meant that the master-killing cursed spirit had existed at least a thousand years ago.

For some reason, he had reincarnated as a cursed spirit and had been summoned.

Kugisaki clicked her tongue. "An antique."

Satoru Gojo listened while stroking his chin, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. "No wonder."

"It's only natural for this kind of ancient 'filth' to turn on its master."

It was just that the spirit hadn't expected...

That this young man carried the curse of 'immortality' on him.

What would he do next?

But one thing was certain: he would definitely not let this go.

Just as Satoru Gojo thought, Muzan Kibutsuji had no intention of stopping.

Since the plan had failed, Muzan Kibutsuji decided to change his approach.

The summoner had not yet fully mastered his own cursed technique, but Muzan was clear on a few things:

First, the summoner could only summon one cursed spirit at a time, and the summoned target was not fixed;

Second, the time limit for a shikigami's existence was two weeks, and the cooldown before summoning again was two hours;

Third, if the summoner wished, he could repeatedly summon the exact same cursed spirit.

In other words, once the two-week limit was up, he would have to return to that space.

That sickeningly vast, pitch-black, endless space of chaos.

Waiting to be summoned again amidst the endless stretch of time and space.

—He had already spent decades, perhaps centuries, perhaps millennia there.

He had had enough.

Muzan Kibutsuji thought with cold disgust.

He did not want to return to that space, which meant he needed the other to choose to summon him continuously.

Of course, he could not force the summoner's hand in this regard.

Therefore...

He had to find another way.

...

He thought of the past.

Love.

Muzan had once deceived countless humans with hypocritical affection.

Muzan Kibutsuji knew very well that once love was obtained, once love was given, one could never break free.

Muzan Kibutsuji thought:

*Make him fall in love with me.*

A desire, both icy and boiling, rotting yet taking deep root, was like a monster breaking through the soil.

A transparent shackle was forged between Muzan Kibutsuji and the youth.

Observe him in secret, learn his preferences, and make him develop a dependency and attachment;

Coax him, entice him, entangle him, "love" him;

And finally, imprison him, embrace him.

What a perfect plan.

"Heh."

Muzan Kibutsuji chuckled softly.

Then, his figure faded at a visible speed and vanished.

[Huh? Why did the Scumbag Boss leave?]
[Can a shikigami just roam around like that?]
[Well, he already turned on his master. What *can't* he do...]

*Clap, clap, clap—*

The white-haired teacher, having played the background character for too long, decided to steal some of the spotlight.

So he clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

He extended a hand toward the blonde youth not far away. "And you are..."

"Yuki Ieiri," the other nodded.

The white-haired teacher snapped his fingers. "Alright, nice to meet you, Yuki-kun."

"I am a teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High, the handsome and dashing Satoru Gojo!"

Yuki Ieiri: "..."

He looked at the blindfold on the man's face.

And thought: *Calling me by my first name on our very first meeting, isn't he a bit too familiar?*

*Also, that self-introduction was incredibly confident.*

"...Hello."

Satoru Gojo: "This should be the first time you've awakened this strange power, right?"

Yuki Ieiri nodded.

Satoru Gojo curled his lips into a smile. "So, Yuki-kun, with your 'catnip' constitution, you passively attract and strengthen cursed spirits."

Cursed spirits were the monsters they had just seen.

"Yuki-kun, imagine if we just let you wander around freely—"

Satoru Gojo answered his own question, "All of Japan would probably turn into a parade of demons."

Yuki Ieiri nodded again.

He asked, "So, are you going to kill me?"

Fushiguro/Kugisaki/Itadori: "..."

Satoru Gojo was also taken aback for a moment. He hummed, then shook his head.

"Nope! The reliable Gojo-sensei is nothing like those higher-ups—those old fossils who use their authority to rob young people of their youth!"

*Old fossils?*

Yuki Ieiri was puzzled.

Satoru Gojo: "In any case, let's head back to Jujutsu High first."

"Sure."

Yuki Ieiri agreed very quickly.

Satoru Gojo took another look at him. *Surprisingly straightforward.*

He wasn't fearful of the future or the past; he was free-spirited, yet not reckless, with a strong sense of independence.

*Haha.*

*Quite a promising kid.*

Thinking this, Satoru Gojo smiled brightly, turned around, and addressed the trio of freshmen:

"Let's head back together then, my dear students!"

[What a heartwarming scene, sob!]
[Yuji enrolled at Jujutsu High in June, and the Shibuya Incident happened at the end of October. That means he only had about four months of happy times with his classmates.]
[And even then, it wasn't all happy...]
[Heartbreak, nothing but heartbreak!]
[Now that Yuki has joined, maybe the plot can deviate a little? Please!]

The white-haired teacher teleported back to Tokyo Jujutsu High with his group in tow.

Yuki found it rather novel.

—Though he felt a bit dizzy, as if he were riding a Viking ship amusement ride.

And he had swallowed a lot of wind.

The Jujutsu High the white-haired teacher spoke of was nestled deep within the mountains, and the air was quite fresh.

But before Yuki Ieiri could take a closer look, he was hauled straight into the dungeon.

[Woohoo!]
[I like this transition!]
[The Jujutsu High dungeon! Welcome, our second guest after Yuji!]
[Hey buddy, don't forget Yuta also had a one-day trip here _(:з」∠)_]
[So many talismans!]
[Such a vibe.]

Satoru Gojo pushed the door open, revealing a dimly lit space.

The walls were covered in talismans, and in the corner lay several ropes as thick as an adult's arm.

"As long as you don't step out on your own, this place is both a cage and a safe house."

Yuki Ieiri nodded.

As he walked inside, he observed the layers of yellow talismans on the walls.

Suppression, eradication...

Satoru Gojo appeared beside him at some point, pointing out perceptively:

"Yuki-kun, can you tell what these talismans do?"

Yuki Ieiri did not hide it. "I only recognize a few."

"Did you study them?"

Yuki Ieiri said, "I saw them when I was young."

The Sakuragawa family was not only superstitious but also traditional, with bizarre methods of "raising" their younger generation.

As a child, Yuki Ieiri had a lot of useless knowledge crammed into his head.

Among that knowledge were certain cursed characters.

At this, Satoru Gojo's curiosity was piqued once again.

*Should I pressure the assistant director to hurry up?*

*Get the investigation done as soon as possible.*

However, he had other matters to attend to right now.

The higher-ups, those death-fearing old fossils, had caught wind of the cursed spirit riot and were clamoring for him to attend a meeting to demand an explanation.

So Satoru Gojo had to make a trip.

Before leaving, Satoru Gojo poked his head back in. "Yuki-kun, aren't you angry that the shikigami killed you twice?"

"Hmm?"

"First, I feel there's no need. And second..."

Yuki Ieiri pondered for a few seconds, then smiled brilliantly and spoke the honest truth: "He's good-looking. Even if he did something wrong, it's not unforgivable."

Satoru Gojo: ...?

Oh ho?

*So this kid is a sucker for pretty faces?*

*Then won't it be incredibly easy for me to get away with things in the future?!*

—Knowing full well how handsome he was, Gojo-sensei found this excellent, and left in a cheerful mood.

[...As expected of you, Gojo-sensei! Super strong, but also super unreliable!]
[Yuki is right: Muzan may be scum, but he's beautiful!]
[Where did Muzan go?]
[Who knows. Maybe he's peeping from some dark corner...]
[After all, this human is very 'special' to Muzan.]
[Even the way he fed him blood was one-of-a-kind.]
[When he gives blood to others, he just stabs them in the forehead or neck and pours it down their throats. But with Yuki... tsk, Yuki could lick his fingertip without even moving his tongue, right?]
[Stop it, person above, or I'm really going to start shipping them.]
[Ship chemistry is such a mysterious thing.]
[What's wrong with shipping them?]

Suddenly,

*Wail... wail... wail...*

The alarms blared.

Inside the dungeon, Yuki Ieiri abruptly looked up.

Even inside the dungeon, a room that isolated most external sounds, the alarm could be heard.

Outside, something had happened.

He looked at the bullet comments again, but their perspective seemed to be focused above ground, not on him.

[Oh my god...]
[A tide of cursed spirits is coming.]
[The cursed spirits are like maggots, slowly yet swiftly closing in on Jujutsu High.]
[This number is terrifying. Even the barrier's warning system can't keep up.]
[The scale is comparable to the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons, no exaggeration...]
[Everyone at Jujutsu High has gone out to fight, but there are too many. They're going to drop from exhaustion.]
[Shoot, Satoru isn't at the school right now. He went to Kyoto for a meeting with the higher-ups.]
[The principal tried calling, but couldn't get through. He definitely won't be back anytime soon.]
[Why are there so many cursed spirits?!]
[Did we forget one thing? The Jujutsu World's Catnip is right inside Jujutsu High...]
[Were they all... attracted by him?]
[Absolutely terrifying. (Gasps)]