Truthfully, Yorozu herself did not understand what love was.
Eat whenever she wanted. Kill whenever she wanted. That was simply how she lived during the Heian Era a thousand years ago.
It was simple.
Because she was strong.
By herself alone, she defeated the powerful Fujiwara clan's military force known as the Five Empty Generals, then replaced them and became an honored guest of the clan.
From that point on, aside from occasionally researching her cursed technique, Yorozu's life became boring. Back then, other than a certain type of small dessert that had spread into Japan from another country, she was interested in almost nothing.
As for those ordinary men foolish enough to lust after her body, she never showed mercy. The moment she acted, she would directly decapitate them and hang their heads from tree branches as decorations.
She did not even regard men as human beings. Inside the estate, she often walked around barely clothed. Even during palace rituals held to pray for abundant harvests, she only casually draped herself in a thin outer robe that could not even cover the important parts of her body before attending.
Until that day.
The strongest man in history, the one the world had begun calling the monster known as the King of Curses, Ryomen Sukuna, was invited by the Fujiwara clan to attend a ritual in the palace.
In truth, it was merely the clan's way of currying favor with him. After all, Sukuna had slaughtered the Fujiwara clan's combat forces not long before that. By inviting him to participate in prayers for abundant harvests, they were simply bowing their heads to him.
And it was there that Yorozu realized she finally understood what love was.
That man merely sat there casually, with Uraume standing behind him.
At that moment, only one thought existed in Yorozu's heart.
Why could nobody understand Sukuna?
The loneliness born from absolute strength. The isolation of standing at the very top...
She wanted to teach him what love was.
Even when she approached him and was suddenly struck down by his slash, heavily wounded, Yorozu's eyes still saw only the loneliness within Sukuna's gaze.
When she collapsed, she was smiling.
Because she had already felt the heaviness and bitterness hidden within that overwhelming slash.
Even after a thousand years passed, even after awakening in the present day, her feelings had never changed.
And now, the man standing before her was yet another person who did not understand what love truly was.
One brought along a brat like Uraume.
The other opposed her for the sake of a weak woman who was not even a sorcerer.
How pitiful.
Yorozu shook her head. There was actually a trace of pity and affection in the way she looked at Mukuro.
"Don't get the wrong idea. Unlike you, I'm not some unwanted creep."
Seeing her misunderstanding, Mukuro answered bluntly and struck directly at her sore spot.
"You don't understand... None of you understand! Especially you! None of you understand love. Only I can teach Sukuna what love is!"
Yorozu did not become hysterical like during their last conversation. In her eyes, Mukuro was simply another person incapable of seeing the truth.
"So, where exactly are you right now?"
Through the Deva Path, Mukuro could see through Saori's vision, but everything around her was pitch black. He could not accurately determine Yorozu's exact location.
"And I know what you're thinking. You should have some ability that lets you directly touch souls, right?"
Yorozu rested her chin on one hand as she leaned backward, completely unconcerned about the fact that, within her own mental world, she was entirely naked.
That movement only further highlighted her voluptuous figure. Large areas of exposed skin entered Mukuro's sight.
At this time, she was secretly pleased with her own foresight.
Even though the girl she incarnated into had a certain degree of compatibility with her, Saori was still just an ordinary person, unlike a cursed object. As long as Yorozu refused to let her out, she would never be able to emerge.
And as long as she carried out a certain level of "bathing," she could completely grind away Saori's soul and make the body fully hers.
But Yorozu had not done that.
She was waiting.
Until she reunited with Sukuna again, she would not harm anyone, including Saori, whose soul had been suppressed beneath her own.
It was precisely because she had dealt with Mukuro before that she had kept an extra precaution in mind. If things turned bad, she could simply switch Saori's soul back to the surface.
In that case, due to the binding vow of "not harming others," along with the phenomenon of "failing to fully control the body," she would still be judged as existing in a half-cursed-object state.
Meaning she could not be destroyed.
She feared no one. She was simply determined to wait for Sukuna's return to the world.
Before seeing that man again, Yorozu would never take another risk. It was an obsession that had lasted for a thousand years.
"I wasn't planning to do that anyway. Once Sukuna appears, you won't keep hiding anymore, right?"
Mukuro denied her assumptions once again.
His original plan had been simple. Find Saori's body first and beat her up before anything else.
Unfortunately, Yorozu had hidden herself too well. Even through the Deva Path, he could not determine her approximate location.
But that same caution also worked in Mukuro's favor.
It meant Yorozu would never touch Saori's soul. Because of their compatibility issue, even if she could suppress it, she could not erase it without performing the "bathing" ritual.
Of course, Mukuro would continue monitoring the situation here as well. After all, if he could not even fulfill a small request from Megumi's close friend, it would honestly be a little embarrassing.
"Then stay hidden if you want. Just don't let me catch you. I'm leaving."
Mukuro waved his hand and turned around.
After speaking twice already, the two of them strangely looked almost like old acquaintances.
Yorozu did not reply again.
She simply closed her eyes and quietly waited with her arms folded across her chest.
* * *
Back in reality, Mukuro opened his eyes.
"How is it, Uncle Mukuro...?"
Noticing Nobara's nervous and uneasy mood, Megumi spoke up for her.
"She's safe. And nothing will happen to her for the time being. But finding her won't be that easy either. Just wait a little longer."
Mukuro glanced toward Yuji beside him.
Or more accurately, toward Sukuna.
"Then what should we do next...?"
Just as Nitta was about to ask for further instructions, Mukuro casually tossed away the responsibility of command.
"There are barely any strong opponents left in Tokyo No. 1 Colony. I need to handle some personal matters for now. As for the Culling Game, let Suguru and that white-haired guy take care of things temporarily."
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