Kapitel 45: Eye of the Stars
A few days later, Tengen was completely stabilized.
The dust settled.
The jujutsu world returned to peace—or at least, appeared so on the surface.
The intelligence dossier on Minamoto Sōjun was once again presented to the higher-ups. From his technique abilities and development effects down to the specifics of his birth—his date, weight, and every detail—his growth trajectory was meticulously documented.
He paid no attention to it. As long as the updates to his information couldn't keep up with his growth rate, it was nothing more than a stack of wastepaper.
The evolution of Tengen, an event significant enough to influence the entire jujutsu world and leave a lasting mark on the history of Jujutsu High, allowed its prominent participants to leave their personal remarks as a source of inspiration for other sorcerers.
Minamoto Sōjun and his group were summoned to the mission building.
The desk clerk handed them a hefty dossier—a complete log of the Star Plasma Vessel incident.
Gojo Satoru went first.
Suguru Geto followed closely behind.
When it was Minamoto Sōjun's turn, he noticed Gojo's comment, as expected: "Above Heaven, Under Heaven, Only I Reign Supreme."
How was that supposed to be inspirational?
Suguru Geto, on the other hand, had written some practical advice, filled with warnings. The message conveyed humility—though strong, one must not be arrogant and should continue striving.
"…"
Minamoto Sōjun stepped forward, grabbed a pen, and with a grand flourish, left behind a line of bold, flowing calligraphy before turning and walking away.
The desk clerk turned the log around. The elegant handwriting and orderly formatting were already far superior to the previous entries. Her expression showed appreciation, but when she read the content, she saw:
"Seven consecutive Black Flashes are the limit for heaven and tyrants, but not for me—Sōjun."
Indeed, satisfaction often comes from comparison.
The Star Plasma Vessel incident was officially concluded.
Riko Amanai received a second chance at life, Kuroi Misato could now pursue her own goals with ease, Gojo Satoru mastered Reverse Cursed Technique, Tengen escaped his predicament, Masamichi Yaga got closer to becoming the principal, Minamoto Sōjun's power grew even further, and each first-grade sorcerer gained something of their own...
Everyone had a bright future ahead.
Minamoto Sōjun noticed Shizuko Mishima walking alone at the back, and she happened to catch him looking.
The newly promoted Grade 2 sorcerer, Shizuko Mishima, approached quietly, clapped her hands with an awkward smile, and, with a stiff expression and dry voice, said:
"This calls for a celebration. Why… why don't I treat you to a drink?"
...
Daily training resumed.
Even after her promotion to Grade 2, Shizuko Mishima didn't leave. She stayed on as Minamoto Sōjun's personal assistant.
According to her, the timing wasn't right yet.
Though she had seemed so happy when talking about switching roles before...
With Minamoto Sōjun's current strength, he didn't need to pay much attention to the higher-ups. Whether to take on tasks or not was entirely his decision, and his decisions were driven by money.
Lately, money wasn't an issue, so he spent most of his time in his dorm.
Riko Amanai also chose to stay.
For now, Minamoto Sōjun was still her teacher. However, in a few days, she would transfer into her first year at Jujutsu High, beginning her new journey as a sorcerer-in-training.
These past few days, she stayed at Minamoto Sōjun's place, which only made things more troublesome.
A few days later, Yuki Tsukumo came knocking. "That old guy is hiding," she said, downing her tea in one gulp, radiating boldness. She then turned her attention to Riko Amanai.
"So, you're the Star Plasma Vessel?!" She got up and approached, scrutinizing her closely. "You're so weak."
"Why don't you learn jujutsu from me?" Yuki Tsukumo clenched her fist and swung it powerfully near Riko's ear. "Fate should be in your own hands."
What a peculiar person.
Riko Amanai, a little frightened, hid behind Minamoto Sōjun.
"Hah~?" Yuki Tsukumo seemed slightly dissatisfied. She sat back across from Minamoto Sōjun, one hand resting on the table, the other waving slightly.
She spoke with animated gestures.
"I said I could do you one free favor. More than that, no way," Yuki said, pointing her chin at Minamoto Sōjun. "Have you decided yet?"
"If not, you can owe me…"
"I heard you can manipulate mass?!" Minamoto Sōjun cut straight to the point. From the stars in his eyes, he extracted one. The star expanded in his palm, revealing its true form—
It was an eyeball.
"Can you increase its mass?" Minamoto Sōjun asked.
Yuki Tsukumo didn't react, but behind him, Riko Amanai let out a gasp.
Yuki took the eyeball and saw a crimson thread still connecting it to Minamoto Sōjun.
She began examining the eyeball.
The pupil contracted, staring back at Yuki with an intense gaze. She rotated the eyeball, turning the pupil outward.
After a moment,
"Yes," she said. "How heavy do you want it?"
"As heavy as possible."
The Starry Eye had always been just a name. Internally, it was incredibly hollow—light enough to be scattered by the wind.
Minamoto Sōjun named it the Starry Eye with great expectations. Now that he'd found the opportunity, if he could increase its mass and stabilize its energy level, why couldn't it rival or even surpass actual stars?
He was ambitious.
One must set long-term goals to walk a long path.
Minamoto Sōjun dreamed of filling his eyes with stars. To that end, he had delved into relevant knowledge. The universe remained mysterious, and humanity hadn't even fully understood Earth. Many concepts were prefixed with "theoretically."
But when combined with curses, the possibilities were endless.
Power in this world was inherently subjective. As long as it logically aligned within his mind, even a mistake could pave the way for a new path, dubbed "the wrong path."
Anyone who studied astronomy knew the saying: Mass is king.
The mass of a celestial body had a decisive impact on its behavior and movement. The greater the mass, the more celestial bodies it could attract into orbit.
Minamoto Sōjun aimed to construct a starry sky, and increasing the mass of his eye was the first step.
Different masses for different eyes, revolving around one another, forming layers and celestial trajectories. These orbits resonated with one another, creating intricate, tightly bound structures—layer upon layer, arranged according to barrier techniques. Power would perpetually cycle and amplify—limitless.
He felt he was treading a path entirely distinct from the jujutsu world.
Minamoto Sōjun's heart burned with excitement.
Now, all he needed was for Yuki Tsukumo to succeed in applying her technique to permanently increase the mass of the eye.
Its material structure would undoubtedly transform.
Then, with his perfect mastery over his technique, Minamoto Sōjun could modify other eyes in accordance with his vision...
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