Chapter 22: Isn't the Answer Already Written on the Question Sheet?
For a person to become a Sorcerer, the process is actually quite simple.
As long as they allow their negative emotions to reach a certain peak value, Cursed Energy will begin to emerge in their body.
With a little guidance during this process, the probability of awakening as a Sorcerer becomes very high.
The reason non-Sorcerers can see Cursed Spirits in a near-death state is that their negative emotions rapidly spike when facing death, increasing the concentration of Cursed Energy in their bodies and temporarily allowing them to see Cursed Spirits.
In fact, Cursed Energy exists within the body of every non-Sorcerer, and everyone experiences negative emotions.
It's just that those without talent cannot sense the Cursed Energy, much less manipulate it. Therefore, very few people guide non-Sorcerers to awaken this way, because lack of talent is lack of talent.
Although Satoru Gojo deeply dislikes the twisted concept of Bloodline Theory, the differences in bloodline and talent are a solid reality.
Most direct family members of the great clans can awaken Cursed Energy when they are young. Besides the deliberate guidance of their elders, the more important point is that they naturally have high sensitivity to Cursed Energy and can easily sense its presence.
Many non-clan Sorcerers awaken mostly because their potential was triggered by a near-death experience when unexpectedly encountering a Cursed Spirit, or because they suddenly perceived the presence of Cursed Energy when their emotions were extremely negative.
The truth is that Sorcerers awakened this way generally do not awaken an Innate Technique, and their talent in Sorcery isn't strong to begin with. The occasional naturally awakened Sorcerer among non-Sorcerers is not impossible, but such cases are exceedingly rare.
However, the current Satoru Gojo was quite excited.
He merely attempted to guide Emiya's negative emotions and intentionally increased the Cursed Energy concentration in the surroundings, and the other party actually awakened! Sure enough, his talent in Sorcery was also outstanding! This was exactly the scenario Satoru Gojo truly wanted to see!
Thump—
Thump—! Thump—! Thump—!
Emiya tried hard to calm his heart, yet he still felt a second 'heart' beating within his body. Something called Cursed Energy was hidden there, constantly surging out.
He seemed to slightly understand how negative emotions could be converted into Cursed Energy. It's just that he couldn't fully manipulate the Cursed Energy yet, just as a newborn struggles to command its limbs correctly.
Since arriving in this world, Emiya had heard others state repeatedly: Cursed Spirits and Cursed Energy are born from human negative emotions.
Aside from the recent battle with the Cursed Spirit, this was the first time he had so tangibly sensed his own negative emotions. Or rather, the emotions generated during the battle were not purely negative; only this time was purely negative.
Emiya wasn't sure why the negative emotions generated upon hearing this news were so immense.
He truly loathed this behavior of disregarding human life through privilege.
Neither morally nor legally did that man deserve death, yet the people of the Jujutsu world, because of their special status, were able to pronounce and execute a sentence to take his life. Emiya believed this was no different from arbitrarily taking someone else's life.
And the reason why the negative emotions were large enough to make him perceive Cursed Energy... might be because it reminded him of Miyu.
She had done absolutely nothing wrong, yet she was to be used as a container for the Holy Grail War and killed for the reason that the world would be destroyed without this method...
Where was the justice in that? Carnivores starve to death if they can't get food, so they hunt other creatures. Was this only to prove that humans are no different from those bloodthirsty beasts?
To protect Miyu, Emiya Shirou was willing to become an enemy of the world. Similarly, how innocent was that man's daughter? Only because no one ever stopped the act of bullying did the malice of others lead to her losing her life.
To avenge his daughter, even knowing his life would be completely ruined, he still did it.
It's likely this kind of single-minded devotion to protect those close to him that made Emiya empathize so deeply, resulting in an overwhelming surge of negative emotion.
He had now awakened Cursed Energy and could see Cursed Spirits; he was a genuine Sorcerer. But Emiya felt no joy as he might have imagined. Noticing Gojo's tendency to deliberately provoke his negative emotions, Emiya still didn't forget to ask:
"Is the situation truly as you described?"
No matter what, Emiya would never accept this judgment. If he ignored what was happening right in front of him, he would no longer be himself.
"Ah, of course. Why would I lie to you about something like this?" Satoru Gojo spread his hands, maintaining his smile.
"According to the Higher-Ups, their statement is that the interrogation revealed the involvement of a Curse User in the incident. Even if he was not fully aware, he is suspected of assisting a Curse User in carrying out some conspiracy.
Coupled with the fact that it would be difficult to transfer him back to government authorities in this situation, the Higher-Ups simply issued the death sentence.
That's the kind of attitude you get from the clan-based Sorcerers. They not only believe they are superior to ordinary Sorcerers by bloodline, but their attitude toward non-Sorcerers is utterly condescending."
In Japan, the structure of the Jujutsu world is quite simple.
The highest authority governing and regulating Sorcerers is the Jujutsu Higher-Ups, whose existence is jointly guaranteed by the Three Great Clans and the government to ensure Sorcerers' activities are controlled and supervised.
Beneath the Higher-Ups are Jujutsu High, the Jujutsu Association, and a series of smaller organizations.
Aside from education, Jujutsu High can also commission and assign Sorcerers to Cursed Spirit exorcism missions, but it cannot bypass the Higher-Ups to enforce administrative directives to punish Sorcerers.
Similarly, the highest-ranking official, the Jujutsu Director, can only be appointed by the Prime Minister after being nominated by the Three Great Clans... Doesn't this process already determine that non-clan Sorcerers will have very little voice in the Jujutsu world?
"Is there any way to save him?" Emiya asked concisely.
This was the exact sentence Satoru Gojo wanted to hear!
"In general, it's very difficult. It's like an ordinary person trying to overturn a court ruling; it's practically a fantasy.
However, isn't the answer already written on the question sheet?
As long as you can prove that your strength is immense, strong enough that you are definitely not the kind of ordinary person they can manipulate—
Wouldn't that be enough?"