Technique Reversal
"Weight isn't better just because it's heavier; suitability is key," Minamoto Sōjun's words as he left were a parting advice.
Her technique, Wrath of the Stars, could grant imagined weight without posing a significant burden on herself.
So, without much thought, she nearly depleted her cursed energy. Because no matter how heavy it was, it was insignificant to her. Little did she know that this small favor would make her experience the true meaning of weight once again.
Before leaving, Minamoto Sōjun glanced at the eyeball. It was his own technique's effect—after adding weight, he could no longer hold it.
Before her, the other party pressed the eyeball back into its socket and blinked a few times before it settled securely.
A strange, inexplicable feeling arose in her heart. She didn't stay long and quickly departed.
Minamoto Sōjun naturally understood this principle; the current weight was within his acceptable range.
The complete form of Star Eye was incredibly difficult to achieve.
Cursed energy was suppressed to the lowest level ever, and Minamoto Sōjun had to maintain the refined state of his cursed energy at all times.
These days, he felt somewhat stifled.
"Are you okay?" Tennō Riko asked with concern.
She could feel her emotions being pulled by a strange aura, even causing her to refine her cursed energy faster.
Recently, she hadn't dared to play around with him and was careful when walking, fearing he might lose his temper.
Minamoto Sōjun glanced at her but said nothing; he wasn't being controlled by emotions. Most of the time, he simply didn't want to put in the effort to suppress them and was used to being carefree, sometimes forgetting that Tennō Riko was still there.
He hid his emotions inside, letting them boil. His cursed energy continued to be consumed and then refined.
Tennō Riko felt a bit better.
Minamoto Sōjun's thoughts returned to Star Eye.
To solve this issue, there were two options: either increase his cursed energy or assimilate curses in large quantities.
Both paths ultimately addressed the core problem—insufficient cursed energy.
So, he needed to find a way to increase his cursed energy.
The former was fraught with challenges. Although he didn't want to mention it, Minamoto Sōjun had already reached the limit of his cursed energy since his growth.
He hadn't expected that his cursed energy was only at level 1, close to special grade, with possibly some balancing mechanisms suppressing it... In any case, further improvement had become extremely difficult, and breaking through his limits was almost impossible.
As for the latter, it was simpler—pure plundering.
Minamoto Sōjun began to take on numerous tasks.
Frequently leaving the high school and traveling to various places to exorcise curses. To the wave of curses that appeared like a tide, this was just a drop in the bucket.
But those who watched him from the shadows didn't think so. They believed something significant had happened, and the commotion was considerable. He had reached a point where every move he made could potentially affect the entire jujutsu world.
Especially after dealing with Tengen.
...
During this time, as Minamoto Sōjun's auxiliary supervisor, Mishima Shiko also became busy.
After being promoted to grade 2, there didn't seem to be much difference from before. Every day, she drove Minamoto Sōjun to various task locations.
The difference was that she didn't rush to exorcise curses, and her blade was not with her. Minamoto Sōjun noticed that she was in a bad mood, but she didn't say anything, and he didn't ask further.
The two of them did their own things without interfering with each other.
Minamoto Sōjun's hair, loose and spread across his back, turned a deep red, piercing through the clusters of curses.
The curses stood frozen in place, their heads connected by a strand of hair, like puppets drawn toward Minamoto Sōjun. Draped in crimson light, their bodies twisted and vaporized halfway, turning into black mist that flowed back up his hair and coated his body.
These curses were still too weak.
Below special grade, they didn't even qualify to form patterns. Without techniques, their only appeal was the body composed of cursed energy.
As for special grade curses, they never appeared when he wanted to see them, and when he needed them, they were nowhere to be found.
Minamoto Sōjun felt a bit irked and could only rely on numbers to pile up quality.
The assimilation continued explosively for days.
His body's spiritual patterns gradually filled, the black lines were completed, no longer sparse as usual, and the protective barriers he created became stronger and more potent.
These were secondary.
The pressure from Star Eye was greatly alleviated, and he broke free from the refined state of cursed energy.
This external cursed energy was used to make up for the loss—perfectly fitting since it belonged to him.
It shared his origin but couldn't increase the limit of his cursed energy.
Minamoto Sōjun looked at his hand, wide and smooth, like jade, with veins faintly showing under his skin, long fingers with clear knuckles bearing sharp edges.
At this moment, crimson light shimmered in his palm.
Long ago, he discovered that his cells were domineering and exclusionary, possessing strong personal will. The method of assimilation he always used was based on this. Once cells were injected, they would fight to the death, with no possibility of coexistence.
He had long been capable of developing Technique Transformation.
But he hadn't.
He wanted to achieve something more perfect.
Minamoto Sōjun looked at the crimson light. When he repeatedly developed the power of cell erosion and assimilation, channeling it into his technique, Technique Transformation was born in response—
The crimson cells could assimilate the target's body upon contact. Since the soul and body were intertwined, the soul would also be affected and forced into assimilation. Once the body, soul, and cursed energy were successfully assimilated, he could perfectly control them.
It seemed no different from the crimson hair, and indeed, it was.
Now, he could use his hair to perform Technique Transformation, but it was vastly different from before. The speed, intensity, and strength of assimilation were night and day... If he faced Fushiguro Zen'ichi again, it wouldn't just stop him for a moment.
Minamoto Sōjun was in high spirits. No, it shouldn't be called erosion assimilation—it should be called correction, compensating for flaws, originating from himself!
He named it—"Source."
Technique Transformation—"Source."
Source also means origin, the beginning of all things.
...
The pressure from Star Eye was relieved, and Technique Transformation was completed.
Minamoto Sōjun was in a good mood.
Ninety-Nine Yūki came by again, opening her hand without saying a word.
?
Minamoto Sōjun was puzzled.
She said, "Aren't you looking for something heavier?"
Minamoto Sōjun finally reacted, "Can it be even heavier?"
"Maybe I can stack it a couple hundred more times," Ninety-Nine Yūki pushed her hand toward him.
"..."
Minamoto Sōjun looked at her fragile hand and knew the power it held. He quickly calculated in his mind.
One time, 1.5 times the power of the nation, a couple hundred times...
Wouldn't that be the power of a star?
The one who couldn't bear it was not Ninety-Nine Yūki but Minamoto Sōjun. And this was only an eyeball; the road to the ideal vision of the stars was still long.
He gritted his teeth and removed the eyeball, handing it to her, watching her stack the technique to increase its weight, depleting her cursed energy once again.
She was working so hard.
A sense of pressure naturally arose. Minamoto Sōjun could clearly perceive a new, earth-like heavy color appearing on the eyeball.
Add... push it to the limit!
From today, all five of him needed to stay active.
Not to mention anything else, there were more than enough curses. Since the dawn of humanity, the countless years of accumulated curses—
Sufficient to spare!
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