The apartment was cramped—barely enough space for one person, let alone two. But it was comfortable. Clean, free of any obvious signs of habitation, save for the basic items Yoshino had been secretly gathering.
Genos sat stiffly on the couch, his metallic frame taking up more space than necessary.
"So Genos Why do you want me to be your master?"
Genos turned his head slowly, his optics dimming as he processed the question. For a moment, silence filled the cramped apartment.
"In combat, you displayed power far exceeding anything I've encountered," he finally spoke, his voice flat but earnest. "The Black Flash technique—your speed—you handled Mosquito Girl with terrifying precision. I seek strength."
Genos's voice grew quieter as he spoke, his mechanical optics flickering with stored memories.
"My entire village was destroyed by a single cyborg," he said coldly. "The Doctor saved me—reconstructed my body, gave me the means to fight. Since then, I've traveled endlessly across the continent, hunting for that monster... But he remains hidden, always one step ahead."
"Do you... have any robot parts?" Genos asked bluntly, his optics scanning Yoshino's seemingly human form with genuine curiosity.
The question wasn't invasive—it was practical. Genos understood cyborgs. He understood the limitations and possibilities of mechanical augmentation. To him, Yoshino's display of superhuman speed and power hinted at something more than just human possibility.
"nope, I'm 100% human about 50% human The other 50% isn't machine it's something more biological."
Genos paused, his internal processors running. "More biological..." he repeated. It made no sense to a being whose existence was defined by machinery. Something wasn't adding up—his scanners had confirmed Yoshino was entirely human at that moment. No cybernetics, no mechanical upgrades.
"Biological," he echoed slowly. "Like a mutant? Or a genetically engineered being?"
"i'm not a mutant and not a genetically engineered being it's complicated but I have The basics of everything in this book." He reached into his shadow and pulled out the jujutsu, sorcerer book that contained everything about jujutsu, sorcery, spirits, veils, and his biology and Techniques.
Genos accepted the heavy tome, his mechanical fingers whirring as he adjusted to the weight. He opened the book, his optical scanners rapidly skimming the pages, processing the dense information on cursed energy, spirits, and the intricate mechanics of sorcery.
"Jujutsu Sorcery..." he muttered, reading the classifications. He stopped at the section detailing Yoshino's specific biology.
His scanners locked onto the critical detail: **Half-Cursed Spirit, Half-Human.**
The page listed Yoshino's terrifying arsenal—Blood Manipulation, Shrine, Ten Shadows Technique, Reverse Cursed Technique, Simple Domain, Divergent Fist, Black Flash, and the ultimate Domain Expansion: Sovereign of Eternal Eclipse. Most alarming was the note on "Adaptation"
"If you're wondering what A cursed spirit is turn the next page and you'll find out."
Genos flipped the page, his optics scanning the new information.
**Cursed Spirits:** *Entities born from negative human emotions—fear, hatred, anger. They feed on cursed energy, possess physical forms, and can range from mindless masses to ancient sorcerers who transcended death itself.*
He looked up at Yoshino, processing the implications. A cursed spirit...
don't worry, Cursed spirits aren't going to be born anymore since people this world no longer businesses any cursed energy my ancestor made sure of that." this was a lie he came up for when he had to eventually explain his abilities. It's not much knowing about this world's past it wouldn't be entirely impossible for this to happen. " but it wasn't long after that they got rid of cursed energy that the monsters started appearing and once energy was removed it couldn't be removed from humanity." he said, knowing Genos would believe him
Genos nodded slowly, his processors accepting the explanation. It made a certain kind of twisted sense—humans had removed the source of cursed spirits long ago, but monsters still existed as a separate, newer threat. And because cursed energy was now intrinsic to humans, the spirits themselves had become extinct.
"But you," Genos said, tapping the section about Yoshino's biology.
"That's a more complicated story you see curses don't really age so just because of her spirit was cut off from ever being reborn doesn't mean they don't still live. don't make any mistake they can still die if they're killed, but otherwise they will live forever."
Genos studied the text carefully, connecting the dots between Yoshino's explanation and the book's contents.
"So your ancestor severed the cycle of rebirth," Genos surmised, his optics dimming as he synthesized the information. "Cursed spirits can no longer be born—preventing new ones from appearing. But the existing ones remain, immortal unless killed by force. And you..."
"let's just say, my mother was Into some kinky stuff."
Genos's mechanical processors instantly stuttered, his optical sensors flashing blue with absolute confusion. Even his advanced AI struggled to process the blunt, incredibly casual implication.
"You..." The usually stoic cyborg looked visibly paralyzed. "Your mother... had intimate relations... with a cursed spirit?"
It explained the biology perfectly. Half-human, half-cursed spirit. Genos stared blankly.
"I don't know the nature of it, and I do not want to know."
Genos processed this, his optics flickering as he filed away the information. For the first time, the cyborg looked genuinely disturbed by something not directly related to combat.
"Understood," he said flatly, his faceplate somehow conveying deep relief. "I do not... require further details."
He turned back to the book, scanning the techniques list again to redirect his attention. His metallic finger stopped at **Shrine**.
**Shrine**
*Cleave. Dismantle. Fuga.*
The text described the technique with cold efficiency: *Slash attacks that cut through flesh and bone—Cleave adjusts its severity based on the target, Dismantle for inanimate objects. Fuga: A fire attack that manifests as a pyre.*
Genos studied these three methods intently. "You can cut anything..."
"Sort of I just depends on how tough the material is but generally, yeah I can even cut the soul if I really want to."
Genos's optics intensified, his processors racing with new tactical calculations. The implications of Yoshino's Shrine technique were staggering—it wasn't just physical matter that could be cleaved or dismantled; even souls were vulnerable to his blade if he willed it so.
"And I knew you won't ask me about my adaption so go ahead and ask?"
Genos looked up from the book, his optics narrowing slightly. He hadn't actually said the question out loud yet, but Yoshino had read his mind perfectly.
"Adaptation," he repeated. "The text claims you can adapt to any phenomenon. Any phenomenon." His tone carried skeptical curiosity—something he was never known for. "Does that mean physically? Mentally? Spiritually?"
"yes, yes, I can. The power allows my body to adapt to any situation and it keeps that adaption stored in like a mental safe inside my mind so I can access it at a later date. Well also keeping my human form say if I was hit by a massive laserbeam, but if I had gained resistance to such things beforehand, it wouldn't affect me in the slightest."
Genos fell silent, processing. The ability was broken—overpowered. His mind raced through tactical scenarios. If Yoshino had encountered a particular threat before, he could theoretically bypass their strongest defenses entirely.
"And how quickly does this adaptation occur?" he asked, his tone becoming more urgent. "Seconds? Minutes? And is there a limit to how many adaptations you can store?"
"I need to be hit by first And I cannot be one shot by it. Otherwise the process takes about 20 minutes But I'm getting continuously hit by it. It comes down to five."
Genos nodded slowly, his processors calculating the tactical implications.
"So endurance is key," he concluded. "You must survive the initial impact to trigger the adaptation process. Twenty minutes for a new threat, five if the stimulus is continuous." He paused, his optics flickering. "But what if the attack is so powerful it kills you before adaptation can occur?"
"Then I pretty much die. Also, I know you're curious about the ten shadows technique since you don't know what it is."
Genos tilted his head, his optical sensors flickering. He had indeed been curious—the technique appeared alongside Shrine and Blood Manipulation, implying a completely different method of combat. His processors flagged it as a significant gap in his knowledge.
"The Ten Shadows Technique," he acknowledged, his voice showing genuine interest. "The book mentions it but offers no detailed explanation of its mechanism."
"It's complicated you see I possess ability to Maple Lake shadows so I can go in them put stuff in and teleport myself over a short distances between shadows. I can also Hide inside someone else shadow. But that's not the true power of the technique it allows me to summon 10 Shinigami Shinigami like her spirits, but more under control and our forced to obey me once I can put a ritual."
Genos's optical sensors widened slightly. The sheer versatility of the technique was overwhelming—spatial manipulation, stealth, teleportation, and powerful shikigami summons. Each element had strategic applications.
"Ten distinct spirits," he repeated, his voice low. "Each one under your command." He turned to the book, scanning for details about these shinigami. "Are they all summoned simultaneously or individually?"
"To complete the ritual I have to summon them one at a time and each One has a different ability one shoots I Lightning one shoots water in order to tame them, I have to beat them in a fight and if someone else intervenes in that fight, I don't get them so it has to be by myself and luckily I've already tamed all 10 of them the 10th one was the hardest because it possess a similar ability to me the ability to adapt to offer phenomenon it's hit with so I had to one shot it which was pretty difficult but easily enough."
Genos processed this information meticulously. A technique that required personal combat to tame each shikigami—no outside interference allowed. Ten distinct entities, each with unique abilities, culminating in the tenth possessing adaptation capabilities rivaling Yoshino's own.
"To defeat an opponent that adapts," Genos murmured, his voice impressed. "You had to overwhelm it before it could adjust."
"There are also several other things I can do like barriers turn to page 20 and they will explain."
"Genos flipped immediately to page twenty, his optics scanning the detailed diagrams.
**Domain Expansion:** *A technique that constructs a barrier enclosing a specific area, trapping the target inside. Within the domain, the user's abilities are guaranteed to hit with absolute accuracy, essentially overriding all physics and probability.*
**Simple Domain:** *A defensive version that creates a small barrier to protect oneself.*
Genos read intently, analyzing the descriptions of the barrier techniques.
"Domain Expansion... guaranteed accuracy within a confined space," he muttered, the tactical implications alarming him. That essentially made evasion impossible. "And Simple Domain acts as a countermeasure to protect oneself." He looked up. "This text mentions 'Domain Expansion' has a massive drawback. What is it?"
"The drawback is your cursed energy. It was a immense amount of it and takes a long time to master, and if you use it too much you could fry your brain Luckily, I don't have to worry about that as my adaption and healing Will compensate."
Genos's processors whirred. The drawback—draining immense cursed energy and frying the brain—was severe enough to make even the strongest sorcerers hesitate. Yet Yoshino's combination of abilities bypassed this entirely: Adaptation and Reverse Cursed Technique would theoretically repair any neural damage or energy depletion.
"So Domain Expansion becomes spammable for you,"
"The drawback is your cursed energy. It was a immense amount of it and takes a long time to master, and if you use it too much you could fry your brain Luckily, I don't have to worry about that as my adaption and healing Will compensate."
Genos's processors whirred. The drawback—draining immense cursed energy and frying the brain—was severe enough to make even the strongest sorcerers hesitate. Yet Yoshino's combination of abilities bypassed this entirely: Adaptation and Reverse Cursed Technique would theoretically repair any neural damage or energy depletion.
"So Domain Expansion becomes spammable for you,"
"Yes, pretty much. Is there anything else you want to ask me about my abilities?"
Genos tapped the book lightly, considering the massive arsenal Yoshino possessed. Shrine, Blood Manipulation, Ten Shadows, Domain Expansion, Adaptation, and Healing. It was absurdly overpowered.
"One final question regarding your physiology," Genos said, his optics focusing seriously. "You stated you are half-human, half-cursed spirit. Does your human half function biologically?"
"Oh yes, you see because I'm a human half. I had to grow up like a normal child which was pretty easy. I still sleep eat and normally As what you're a human would, I just don't really need them because of my cursed spirit heritage speaking of that I'm basically immortal because of it you see you while I work 20 and all actuality I'm actually about 83 years old."
Genos's optics widened significantly, his internal timeline calculations instantly correcting themselves. He had been analyzing Yoshino based on the appearance of a twenty-year-old, but the data had just shifted by six decades.
"Eighty-three years old," he repeated, stunned. "And your biological aging ceased... yet your physical vessel remains that of a young adult due to your cursed spirit heritage."
"yep, when you first hear about immortality being able to live for basically forever, it sounds great and until you realize that everyone on your life isn't immortal."
Genos fell silent. His advanced processors calculated the implications—a lifetime of watching friends, comrades, and loved ones die while he remained unchanged. Even for a cyborg, the concept was heavy.
"Loneliness," Genos said flatly, his voice dropping. "That is the real burden of immortality." He paused, his optics dimming thoughtfully. "How many have you lost already?"
"Don't wanna talk about it anyways since you're a Cyborg, do you Age."
Genos shook his head slowly, his metallic chassis whirring faintly as he shifted.
"No. My biological body was destroyed completely. What remains is cybernetics—metal, synthetic tissue, and processors. As long as I have maintenance and replacement parts, I will not deteriorate with age." He looked down at his mechanical hands. "I am effectively ageless, much like you."
"Looks like we are In this together, then student."
Genos paused at the word *student*. The title felt oddly fitting—not in the academic sense, but in the experiential one. They both existed outside the normal human timeline, watching the world change around them while they remained static.
"Ageless," he repeated, almost testing the word. "But unlike you, I require periodic maintenance—upgrades, repairs, energy refills."
Genos's auditory receptors spiked instantly, locking onto the trajectory. "Multiple high-velocity projectiles incoming," he announced, his voice shifting from conversational to combat-ready in a microsecond. "Impact in three seconds."
Before the words even fully left his mouth, the front wall of the apartment exploded inward.