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This was the Killing Stone after its purification.
Pure and radiant, it glowed with a bright light, free of any hint of malice. It held the most untainted demonic energy imaginable. Yuto had always been curious about the Nine-Tailed Fox's true power, wondering how it could scatter so many Killing Stones across the nation, as if they were coins spilling from an endless purse.
Even with his mind drifting, Yuto stayed focused. His magic flowed smoothly as he opened a storage box and pulled out a slender, finely made prosthetic leg. Ten minutes later, the surgery was done. Traces of magic lingered on his fingertips as he looked at his work with quiet satisfaction. Iwanaga Kotoko now had a new prosthetic leg and a magical eye forged from the Killing Stone.
Her small frame rested on the bed, looking frail but with a healthy flush on her cheeks. "Mmm…?" Not long after, she stirred awake. Her long lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, realizing her right eye could see again. Even her missing leg felt real once more; no longer the hollow ache she'd known once. She was whole, just like anyone else.
Kotoko tested her right foot, feeling her legs align naturally. Her small, pale feet were delicate and charming, almost begging to be admired. The sensation of both feet touching the ground was something she hadn't felt in ages.
With a playful tug at her skirt, she began to dance lightly. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but a joyful smile lit her face. "Thank you, Yuto," she said, her voice soft with emotion. "I have a gift for you too." Before he could ask, she pushed him gently onto the bed.
"Heh, this is my reward for you," Kotoko whispered. Her warm hands framed his face, and her cherry-red lips brushed his' in a soft kiss. What happened next stayed between them.
......
Two hours later, Kotoko leaned against Yuto's solid chest, her silver-gray right eye wide with wonder. "This magical eye from the Killing Stone is incredible," she said. "Now I can finally protect myself."
"Not only can it see through any demon's tricks," she added, "but it can also release a vacuum slash made of demonic energy." Her gaze sharpened, and a silver-gray blade of air shot out, slicing through the basement wall with a deep gouge. The faint tremble of the walls hinted at its power. Yuto figured the Nine-Tailed Fox must have wielded something similar.
He stayed at Kotoko's villa that day, lingering with her through the night until she was too tired to move. Only then did he step away.
...…..
As he prepared to practice his projection magic, something he hadn't touched in a while, two familiar faces showed up: Utahime Iori and her apprentice, Miwa Kasumi, with urgent news. They met at a cozy cafe, a spot they knew well, now reserved just for them.
The shrine maiden slid a white scroll across the table, her tone tense. "Yuto, something big is happening in Shibuya. During the festival, a barrier dropped around Shibuya Station, trapping a crowd of ordinary people inside."
"Oh?" Yuto said, scanning the scroll. "A high-level barrier that only locks in regular folks, and someone's demanding me to show up?"
He wondered where the mastermind behind this was hiding.
"From what we've dug up," Iori said, "a month ago, Gojo Satoru recovered and took a trip to Africa to check on his student, Okkotsu Yuta. The moment his plane landed, the mastermind got his number and called, telling him to head to Shibuya alone to save the trapped civilians. With his pride, he didn't hesitate and went straight there without even stopping home."
"But no one saw it coming," she continued, pausing. "Not only did they seal Gojo Satoru, now they're demanding you to show up in Shibuya. If you don't…"
Yuto leaned back, legs crossed, a spark of interest in his eyes. "What do they want me to do?"
Utako's brows knit with frustration. "They're demanding all the Killing Stones you've got, plus all twenty fingers of Ryomen Sukuna, the King of Curses from a thousand years ago in exchange for the people stuck in Shibuya."
"Funny," Yuto said, a mocking grin tugging at his lips. "Are they trying to threaten me?"
"Yuto…" Iori and the others stared, caught off guard by his chill.
With his power, Yuto could move as he pleased, no strings attached. Of Sukuna's twenty fingers, five were swallowed by Jujutsu Kaisen's hero, Itadori Yuji. Ten were held by the curse spirit Jogo. The last five were collected by Yuto.
"Yuto, if this drags on–"
"I'm waiting for someone," Yuto replied, catching the worry in their eyes. He tossed them a small clue.
"Who?" Utako asked, curiosity flickering.
"You'll see when he gets here," Yuto said, then vanished, leaving them stumped.
"Now what? Why's Yuto acting like this?" they muttered. Utako, though, seemed to have a guess.
What they didn't know was that Yuto was waiting for Tengen, a big name in Jujutsu Kaisen. Tengen was a sorcerer over a thousand years old, famed for his immortality technique. Yuto wanted to crack that secret, maybe even share it with his allies.
By holding off on Shibuya, he'd squeeze both the mastermind and Tengen, who were at each other's throats, giving him the upper hand.
....
As he was sitting in his room lost in thoughts a soft knock sounded. At the door stood Himeno, Higashiyama Kobeni, and the tall, poised Tendou Michiko.
"Darling, what's on your mind?" Himeno purred, slipping her arms around him, her curves pressing close.
"I can keep you happy," she murmured. "Kobeni, Michiko; let's take care of Yuto together."
The three women, each with their own appeal, were ready to please him, setting the stage for whatever came next in Shibuya, where Yuto held all the cards, waiting for the right moment to play them.
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