When I opened my eyes, I was lying on a bed.
Not the cold, scientific, machine-like bed Yuji had been laid on, but a soft one.
"You're awake?"
BB asked with a smiling voice as she held my head in her lap.
I couldn't see her face. Her chest was too huge and blocked everything.
I pulled myself free from BB's breasts and sat up.
They were so large I had to take them straight to the face on the way up.
Heavy. Enormous.
Magnificent in every sense.
"Yeah. How is he?"
"He's in good condition. Sukuna inside Mr. Itadori? Your biggest headache is gone too, Senior."
"Completely?"
"Completely. But only the soul is gone. The power Sukuna left behind is still there. That power will naturally flow into the owner of the body, Mr. Itadori."
"Oh. Really?"
I blinked without meaning to.
I thought everything would be wiped out clean, so that was unexpected.
"Still, because of that, I think his constitution is going to change a little. His body was already acclimated to being a vessel, so he was never an ordinary human to begin with."
"Don't tell me... he stopped being human?"
"Something in the category of yokai or oni... in this world, you'd call them Cursed Spirits, right? I've only seen a few for a short time, but I think he carries a bit of that same feel now."
"Any chance he can go back to normal?"
"Zero. This is his natural state now. Like how humans and animals evolve to suit their environment."
Hearing that from BB made a sigh slip out of me.
I had considered several possible outcomes, and one of the bad ones had come up.
If a human took on traits similar to a Cursed Spirit, they changed into something like the Cursed Womb: Death Painting brothers.
In other words, they became a life-form incapable of natural death.
Half-immortal.
"Ngh..."
Right then, Yuji frowned and sat up.
I had to tell him.
"Yuji."
"Huh? Mr. Kadoc...? Um, when did I fall asleep?"
"Pretty much around the same time as us. More importantly, there's something I need to tell you, and it isn't good news."
I walked over to the newly awakened Yuji and explained the situation.
Still hazy with sleep, Yuji's eyes snapped wide open.
"What? Me?"
"I'm sorry."
"No. You don't need to apologize, Mr. Kadoc... Come to think of it, you told me when we first met, didn't you? That this could happen."
"You remember that?"
"How could I forget?"
Yuji smiled and got out of bed.
For now, his expression was still bright.
I had wondered if Magecraft might be able to do something, but it didn't look possible.
Magecraft wasn't omnipotent.
"I'm sorry."
"Come on. Why are you apologizing, Mr. Kadoc? I already felt bad enough just eating and lying there while you did all the work."
Yuji smiled even more brightly.
It was the face of someone who truly had no regrets.
Choso. Eso. Kechizu.
The Cursed Womb: Death Painting brothers had originally been cursed objects, the kind that devoured the original owners of their bodies.
On top of that, one of their parents had been a Cursed Spirit, so their constitutions had been unusual from the start.
They were human, yet possessed the nature of Cursed Spirits.
Yuji was now a similar case.
He had digested Sukuna's fingers, cursed objects so far above the Death Paintings they weren't even comparable.
And unlike in Jujutsu Kaisen, Sukuna had not been separated from him and killed outside. He had been killed inside Yuji.
He hadn't been able to jump from Yuji into someone else, either.
As a result, the power and residue Sukuna left behind remained entirely within Yuji.
It was enough to alter his very constitution.
That was why, at a glance, Yuji's amount of Cursed Energy had become absurd.
Far beyond even Okkotsu.
"Yuji. Even if you end up living a very long time, don't worry about food, clothing, or shelter. I'm in no position to talk, since I'm asking things of you too, but I'll take care of you properly."
I sighed as I patted Yuji on the shoulder.
I would have to take responsibility for his living conditions for the rest of his life.
And someday, when his friends died before him and loneliness set in...
I figured he'd probably be all right if he lived with his brothers.
In Jujutsu Kaisen, they had all died, but now he had his brothers.
And he had me too.
"R-Really? Thank you!"
Yuji's eyes lit up and he bowed his head.
He still looked dazed for now, but once time passed, his thoughts would probably change.
When that happened...
If he had a family that originally never existed standing beside him, that would be a great comfort.
"All right. Then we're done here, so we'll clean up and head out. You should go back and rest too, Yuji. You worked hard."
"Y-yes. Take care."
Yuji gave us a deeply polite bow.
Before I knew it, Raiko, Ushi-gozen, and BB, who had been standing quietly behind me, nodded as well.
It was unfortunate that Yuji's constitution had changed...
But at the same time, I felt relieved.
'It's really over.'
Even Sukuna, the last remaining villain, was dead now, so there was nothing left to obstruct us.
Cursed Spirits would still appear from time to time, but nothing on the level that demanded this much concentration.
I pulled out my phone and made a call.
Now it was time to go home.
After I got back home...
After killing Sukuna, things were truly peaceful.
Even when Cursed Spirits appeared, they were manageable.
The policy had also changed so that even Grade 1 Jujutsu Sorcerers operated in pairs, which had reduced the death rate.
The chronic problem among Jujutsu Sorcerers was still manpower shortage.
That issue wasn't solved, but it was gradually improving.
Using travel with my Servants as a pretext, I toured the country.
I took the lead in exorcising Cursed Spirits.
Before, I had mostly left it to the Servants, but now I stepped in too.
Most of the time, a few shots of Gandr were enough to kill them.
Toji also joined us here and there during those trips.
I worked him hard, paid him well, and sometimes invited Sae too so it could be a real trip.
It was partly to make up for the last journey, the one Fou's sudden visit had completely ruined.
Our goal was peace.
To enjoy that ordinary life for as long as possible.
And we had protected it well.
"What are you doing right now? Got time?"
Along the way, I kept in touch with Jujutsu Sorcerers like Gojo and met up with them too.
Each of them had different reasons.
Some just wanted to see my face.
Some wanted to grow stronger through the alien field known as Magecraft.
Of course, people in this world couldn't actually learn Magecraft.
The laws themselves were different.
That said, they could use Mystic Codes imbued with magical effects.
Like Maki and Mai.
I did consider distributing Mystic Codes more widely because of that, but in the end, I stopped myself.
If I handed out too many, they might become a threat.
Instead, I gave one each to Tokyo Jujutsu High and Kyoto Jujutsu High.
A dagger-type Mystic Code that forcibly dispelled techniques rather than Cursed Energy.
It had the exact same effect as the [Inverted Spear of Heaven].
Its range was short, but it had overwhelming portability and durability that would never wear down.
Thanks to those three advantages, the daggers I donated were designated at the level of special grade cursed tools.
Each school's principal took charge of one.
Since they dispelled techniques rather than Cursed Energy itself, they couldn't erase raw Cursed Energy.
Just like the [Inverted Spear of Heaven].
Naturally, they had almost no effect on us, since we used Mana and Magecraft.
They were harmless enough to give away.
"We're moving?"
In winter, after summer—the peak season for Cursed Spirits—had passed, I went down to the apartment of the Cursed Womb: Death Painting brothers living on the floor below and told them the plan going forward.
After hearing it, Choso reacted with a flat sort of surprise.
He didn't even look that surprised.
"Yes. It's fine for now, but if humans who don't die keep living in the middle of a city, we'll stand out too much. Me included."
"Hm... true."
"So I think I'll need you to move with me. Once we relocate, we'll probably stay in that area permanently."
"If that's what you've decided as both our employer and our benefactor, I have no objection. My brothers won't object either."
Choso nodded with his arms folded.
Eso and Kechizu, seated in the living room with him, also nodded in agreement.
"I feel the same way."
"Me too."
The brothers agreed. There wasn't a single dissenting opinion.
That settled it.
Looking around the apartment, they didn't have much luggage anyway.
Just some clothes and a few appliances. It was almost sparse.
"Thank you. Once it's built, I'll put Magecraft on it so it won't collapse, and you won't have to keep moving regularly. I'll also set up a barrier that turns people away."
"Hm? There's something like that?"
Choso asked on behalf of the three of them.
He understood the concept of Magecraft, but not its depth, so it was a natural question.
"Yes. More precisely, it makes people stop paying attention even if they notice it, but you can think of it as roughly the same as making it unseen."
"That explanation was detailed, and I understood enough. More importantly, Yuji..."
"Yes. He'll be living with all of you. Before that, he'll probably try living on his own for a while and figure some things out."
"If our younger brother is with us, that's good. Still... it's unfortunate that he can no longer be called an ordinary human."
Choso sighed and shook his head.
The other two brothers were the same.
"Even so, he won't be alone. That's some comfort, at least."
"...Ahem. You're right. If one isn't alone, even the suffering of a long life can be endured."
Choso murmured with tears welling in his eyes.
His throat caught on the words, his voice thick with tears.
Eso and Kechizu started crying too.
They had spent nearly a hundred years relying on each other, so this reaction was only natural.
A hundred years without even being able to move.
The agony of being trapped in one place without the slightest freedom was something only they themselves could truly understand.
"I'll build you a spacious house. Right next to ours."
"Hm? Not downstairs?"
"Living like this works because we're in the same apartment building, but once we move into houses, it'll be more comfortable to live separately."
Two houses on a quiet plot of land.
One for the Death Painting brothers, including Yuji, and one for me and the Servants.
I was going to build them wide and grand.
"Is there anything we can do to help?"
"It's fine. Just keep helping Jujutsu High with exorcism missions now and then like you have been, and come with us on moving day."
"Understood. How long do you expect it to take?"
"The higher-ups put some effort into it, so there's a little less than a month left."
"Then it will be soon."
If there was less than a month left, then yes, it was soon.
That much time would pass in a blink.
"That's all I came to say... Do any of you have anything else to add?"
"No. Thank you for taking care of us."
"I was the one who incarnated you, after all. Then get some rest."
I gave them a light farewell and left the brothers' apartment.
Now that time had passed, my heart felt lighter.
All that remained was to move and live peacefully.
To exorcise Cursed Spirits from time to time.
And beyond that, to enjoy the ordinary days that came.
With my Servants, and with Maki and Mai.
Maki and Mai.
They were human, so someday they would die, but no method came to mind to let them keep living.
Unless they could materialize their souls the way I had.
And to begin with, I didn't even know whether they wanted that.
They might simply want to live out a human lifespan and die as humans.
So unless Maki and Mai wanted it...
Unless they brought it up first, I had no intention of mentioning the issue of lifespan.
Anyway.
Setting Maki and Mai aside for the moment, next...
I needed to prepare for the distant future.
I'd heard theories that Earth would be destroyed someday...
Did I need to build a spaceship in advance or something?
Immortality.
Maki and Mai spent a long time thinking over the fact that Kadoc had changed.
"The right thing is probably just to stay by his side until we go. It's not like wanting something makes it happen. How common do you think immortality is?"
"Immortality isn't some bargain-bin trick."
To live forever with Kadoc.
The sisters placed more importance on spending time with Kadoc than on death itself.
Even so, immortality was difficult.
It wasn't something you could obtain just because you wanted it.
In the end, they compromised with reality.
For now, they decided to remain with him for as long as they could as humans.
Kadoc's immortality was simply the unusual thing here.
Humans were meant to live and then die.
"Anyway. Right now, we should focus on getting ready to move. Maki, hurry up and pack too."
"Got it."
The sisters busily packed their things.
The house-building project that had been underway for quite a long time was finally complete.
And tomorrow...
Kadoc, the seven Servants, the Death Painting brothers, and the sisters would all move.
The area was quiet, and the houses were as large as mansions.
At the same time, they were said to have a sleek, modern functional beauty.
Maki spoke while packing.
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Yeah. Though it's a little suffocating knowing we'll still have to share a room there too..."
"Then do you want separate rooms?"
"...Who said that? Besides, asking big brother for separate rooms would be seriously rude too. We're freeloading. We can't afford to be that extravagant."
Mai made a clumsy excuse with her cheeks flushed red.
Even so, it sounded fairly convincing.
You had to know your place.
Maki agreed with that much, but she couldn't help laughing.
'Honestly. Even after all this time, she's still the same.'
Because Maki knew exactly why Mai was acting like that.
She knew her real feelings perfectly well.
"You... at this rate, are you ever going to be able to live independently?"
"Independently? Why would I?"
Mai tilted her head as if she genuinely didn't understand.
She looked so innocent it almost crossed the line into madness.
"Uh, y-yeah... good point. No need, I guess."
Maki looked at Mai and nodded.
She was too scared to say anything else.