"Looks like the main characters are back."
As a Special Grade jujutsu sorcerer, Yuki Tsukumo's perception was naturally sharp. The moment An Xora and Seele appeared, the tall, striking woman standing in front of the villa turned her gaze toward them.
"This is Yuki Tsukumo, one of the Special Grade jujutsu sorcerers. She just returned to Japan today."
Seeing An Xora and Seele come back, Makima spoke at just the right moment, introducing Yuki Tsukumo to the two who, at least on the surface, had not yet met her.
"Miss Seele, Mr. An Xora—pleased to meet you both."
Despite it being their first meeting, Yuki Tsukumo showed no sense of distance at all, greeting An Xora and Seele with an easy familiarity.
"Miss Yuki Tsukumo, did you come here today because you needed something from us?"
Holding Seele's hand, An Xora asked.
"Nothing particularly special," Yuki Tsukumo replied with a smile. "After returning to Japan, I heard that two new Special Grade sorcerers had appeared, so I wanted to come and meet you in person."
"Originally, I planned to visit you two first, then head to the Headquarters to see Miss Makima later. I didn't expect to run into Miss Makima on the way here, so we came together."
Hearing this, An Xora nodded. At that moment, Seele stepped forward and opened the door to the villa.
"In that case, please come in first."
Because Seele had always been diligent about maintaining the house, the interior of the villa was clean and tidy, with nothing out of place.
An Xora had often felt that it was a bit too much work for just the two of them to clean such a large villa and had suggested hiring housekeeping help, but Seele had always been firm about wanting to personally take care of the home she shared with An Xora. In the end, An Xora let her have her way—especially since, most of the time, Seele finished all the housework by herself before he even had a chance to help.
After entering the villa, everyone gathered in the living room and sat down to chat. Most of the conversation was between Makima and Yuki Tsukumo, with Makima explaining the current situation in Japan.
Seele went into the kitchen to prepare dinner, while Miwa Kasumi and Nishimiya Momo had initially wanted to help but were politely turned down by Seele. Left with nothing else to do, they quietly stayed in the living room.
After all, with three Special Grade sorcerers present, there was no way for them to meaningfully join the conversation—though Makima and Yuki Tsukumo themselves didn't seem to mind.
"I really didn't expect the jujutsu world to change this much in just a few months," Yuki Tsukumo said, sitting on the sofa with a sigh. "Not only did two new Special Grade sorcerers appear—Miss Makima and Miss Seele—but even the existence of curses and jujutsu sorcerers was made public. When I first returned to Japan, I honestly found it hard to believe."
"There was no better choice," Makima replied calmly. "Given Japan's situation at the time, if we had continued to conceal the existence of curses and allowed fear to spread unchecked, things could have spiraled into a scenario no one wanted to see. Publicly revealing curses and jujutsu sorcerers was essentially a form of damage control and self-preservation."
"Fortunately, through cooperation with the Japanese government and the implementation of various plans, the situation has already begun to improve. As long as no further accidents occur, things should soon be brought back under control."
"But making curses and jujutsu sorcerers public doesn't only affect Japan," Yuki Tsukumo said gravely.
"Before returning, I heard that many countries have already begun to stir after learning about the existence of curses and sorcerers. If this isn't handled properly, I'm worried that the jujutsu world may end up facing more than just cursed spirits and curse users."
In today's information age, events of this magnitude in Japan were impossible to hide from the rest of the world. Although, without a barrier, foreign civilians and leaders couldn't gain spiritual sight like those in Japan, the power demonstrated by jujutsu sorcerers was something that could be plainly seen.
At present, many countries had shown strong interest in this newly revealed group of people who wielded supernatural power. Some nations might already be preparing to take action.
"There's no need for you to worry about that, Miss Yuki Tsukumo," Makima said gently. "This possibility was already considered when the other executives and I made the decision."
"Going forward, the jujutsu world will use the Japanese government as an intermediary, with me acting as the representative to hold talks with the leadership of other countries. While I can't predict the outcome yet, I will do my utmost to prevent the worst-case scenario."
Makima smiled reassuringly as she spoke.
"I hope that, in the future, jujutsu sorcerers will no longer need to hide in the shadows, silently fighting curses in obscurity. I want the younger generation of sorcerers to be able to stand in the sunlight and receive the admiration of the public. For that goal, I will give everything necessary to see it accomplished."
Hearing these words, Miwa Kasumi and Nishimiya Momo—standing a short distance behind Makima—looked deeply moved. Yuki Tsukumo, meanwhile, stared at Makima intently.
"To be honest, it's hard for me to believe the jujutsu world could produce a high-ranking figure like you," Yuki Tsukumo said.
"Promoting you might just be the only correct thing those old geezers have done in all these years."
In fact, even before returning to Japan, Yuki Tsukumo had already inquired about the character of the two newly promoted Special Grade sorcerers, Seele and Makima.
Judging by what she learned, both of them were undeniably people of excellent character—nearly flawless.
Seele didn't need much explanation. Despite possessing Special Grade-level strength at such a young age—and even being personally acknowledged by Gojo Satoru as having defeated him, earning the title of the strongest sorcerer in the current jujutsu world—the evaluations Yuki Tsukumo heard were largely the same: extraordinarily talented, yet unexpectedly polite; gentle in attitude, kind in nature; a textbook example of a good kid.
As for Makima, the reports Yuki Tsukumo received described her as diligent in her work, considerate toward her subordinates, and consistently courteous despite being both a Special Grade sorcerer and a high-ranking executive. She never abused her authority for personal gain and stood in stark contrast to the other executives.
Combined with what Makima had just said, it was clear those evaluations were most likely accurate. At this moment, Yuki Tsukumo found herself genuinely acknowledging both women.
However, under these circumstances, An Xora—the man who maintained an intimate relationship with both Seele and Makima—inevitably drew Yuki Tsukumo's attention.
From the scene earlier, when An Xora and Seele returned to the villa together, as well as her observations over the short time since, Yuki Tsukumo could be certain that, in the eyes of outsiders, Seele—the Special Grade sorcerer regarded as a peerless prodigy—clearly harbored special feelings toward this man named An Xora.
If that were all, it wouldn't be particularly noteworthy. But…
Watching Makima—who was ostensibly chatting with her, yet subtly seated closer to An Xora—and recalling the easy familiarity among Seele, An Xora, and Makima, Yuki Tsukumo realized that the situation was far more complicated than it initially appeared.
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