After all, if someone truly possessed the power of a top-tier sorcerer, why would they become a bounty hunter—taking on jobs unrecognized by the mainstream Jujutsu world?

It was obvious he must have committed some crime and was nothing more than a Curse User.

Even so, the Curse User named Choso before him was definitely not someone he could afford to offend.

After all, his own future position in the Time Vessel Association relied entirely on this Curse User.

If he failed to locate this generation's Star Plasma Vessel, his position as the so-called "leader" would be over.

Even if he could lead the association toward expansion, it wouldn't matter. For those fanatical believers in Lord Tengen, money, status, beauty—none of it compared to their faith in her divinity.

Worse still, those wealthy backers who supported the association might withdraw their support entirely.

So, this mission had to succeed.

Which was why he had spared no expense to hire this Curse User—one with a 100% mission success rate. A Curse User said to rival a Special Grade sorcerer.

He didn't care whether the man before him truly had that level of strength or not. As long as he brought back the corpse of the Star Plasma Vessel, it would be worth it even if he had to call him his grandfather.

Choso, who looked like a young man, sat calmly in the seat meant for the leader of the Time Vessel Association, a trace of contempt on his face. If it weren't for Kaori ordering him to establish contact with the association, he wouldn't have wasted a single word on this disgusting man.

However, their goals aligned. The Time Vessel Association sought the Star Plasma Vessel—and so did he.

Kaori's instructions were clear: find the Star Plasma Vessel.

With the backing of this massive cult, he could gather more information. After all, no matter how powerful one might be, there were always limits to individual intel.

With such a vast network at his disposal, finding the target would be easier, and his mission from Kaori Itadori would become more manageable.

Moreover, she had informed him recently that she would be sending reinforcements.

But was it really necessary to go this far for just one Star Plasma Vessel?

Choso was a little puzzled. Itadori Kaori seemed to understand the inner workings of the Time Vessel Association better than even the so-called leader before him.

The association's doctrine dictated that the Star Plasma Vessel must be destroyed.

But what was Itadori's purpose? Why was she also targeting the vessel?

She was a fanatic believer of the Time Vessel Association too, wasn't she? Didn't she also wish to keep Tengen untainted?

Shouldn't that be the case?

It was still unclear whether Kaori was truly Kenjaku's daughter, or what her ultimate goal even was.

Even if he knew that Kaori was Kenjaku, it wouldn't mean anything to him.

Unless he knew that the woman he was working with was actually Kamo Kenshin, the creator of the Nine Phase Diagram—the most evil sorcerer in the history of Jujutsu.

Choso had never imagined that the woman, Itadori Kaori, who had stolen the Nine Phase Diagram from Jujutsu High's hidden archives, would turn out to be the infamous Kamo Kenshin.

Fate was always filled with cruel jokes and malice. The very evil he sought to uncover was right beside him, and he was now being used to help her complete her goal.

As part of a trap set thousands of years ago, Choso was merely a pawn in her grand plan.

And right now, he was just the most convenient one to use.

The only uncertainty in his mind was whether Satoshi would treat this generation's Star Plasma Vessel the same way he treated Yuki.

But if this new vessel ended up in Satoshi's "harem" like Yuki had, it would actually work in their favor.

After all, with the precedent of Yuki, Satoshi could help the vessel reject assimilation with Tengen once again.

If Tengen failed to assimilate twice in a row, that alone would fulfill the purpose.

For them, the ultimate goal was to prevent Tengen from completing assimilation and force her to evolve upward.

So, no matter what kind of relationship developed between Satoshi and the Star Plasma Vessel, Kenjaku would welcome it.

Whether it was through Uraume, Kenjaku, or Satoshi, as long as one of them succeeded in meeting the condition, the mission would be complete.

...

After the leader of the Time Vessel Association left, a cold expression settled on Choso's face.

The air grew frigid. Frost began to form along the walls, and the room's temperature dropped sharply. Each exhale turned to pale mist.

"Come out. Stop testing me."

His expression didn't change. The cursed energy was far too distinct. He didn't need to cast any technique to sense the chilling aura.

Then, he pressed his hands together and pointed toward a corner of the room.

"Sekketsu Sōjutsu."

A stream of blood shot out like a crimson laser, heavy with the scent of iron, toward the coldest part of the room.

Choso didn't know if the person hiding was an enemy or ally, but he didn't care. His goal was simple, draw them out.

Most ordinary Grade 1 cursed spirits would be killed instantly by Sekketsu.

However, this presence wasn't ordinary. The intense cold proved as much. He was merely forcing them to reveal themselves.

He had no intention of killing.

In Choso's mind, anyone with power would be capable of dodging. This was just a test.

But in the next moment, something happened that caught him off guard.

His Sekketsu didn't land.

The blood beam suddenly froze in midair, and the deep red color turned completely white.

This is… frozen?

His nose twitched slightly. The lines on his face distorted, and a rare flicker of surprise surfaced in his eyes.

To freeze a high-speed Cursed Technique mid-air—the frost's area of effect and intensity were far greater than expected.

(To be continued.)

***

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