Among the classifications of Cursed Spirits, there is a special category called imaginary vengeful curses. What makes these Cursed Spirits unique is that they possess a prototype from the moment of their birth, and they truly possess the power of that prototype. If seen by someone unacquainted with the field, they might think a myth or legend is slowly unfolding before their eyes.
Now, before Mahito, there were imaginary vengeful curses bound by a barrier.
Although Special Grade spirits appeared quite frequently in the original work, Special Grade Cursed Spirits are actually extremely rare. There was only one Special Grade imaginary vengeful curse in the entire work, and in the entire history of the jujutsu world, there have only been six.
When Mahito gave the order, he didn't expect to find a Special Grade imaginary vengeful curse; they were too rare. Furthermore, Special Grade Cursed Spirits are usually unruly. With the trio of Cursed Spirits' mediocre barrier techniques, they likely wouldn't be able to trap one. Therefore, his requirement was simple: any imaginary vengeful curse would do, regardless of rank.
Despite repeatedly lowering his requirements, Mahito didn't expect to find only five in all of Japan. It was too few. Compared to the ever-growing population of Cursed Spirits, he suspected that imaginary vengeful curses accounted for less than one in ten thousand, or even one in a hundred thousand.
Jogo shifted uncomfortably. "Sorry, Mahito, this is all we could find. As for Special Grades… we didn't find a single one."
"No, I'm quite satisfied already." Mahito didn't mind.
Mahito wasn't lying. If he were on his own, he wouldn't have had the time or energy to search for them one by one. Unlike the Mahito in the original work, who would indiscriminately capture Cursed Spirits for experiments and then discard them without hesitation, he had never given up on his research into Cursed Spirits. And now, the results were manifesting.
He approached the five imaginary vengeful curses, looked down at them, and lightly raised his hand. They were:
A Kappa, a Tengu, and a Zashiki-warashi.
And two Yuki-onna.
In ancient times, the number of imaginary vengeful curses was unexpectedly high, but things are different in the modern era. Most people don't actually believe in the existence of yokai. During middle and high school, they might be influenced by various ghost stories, giving birth to some urban legend-type imaginary vengeful curses, but once they enter society, they almost never think about such things.
Conversely, Cursed Spirits constructed from real-life troubles have begun to appear in endless succession. Imaginary vengeful curses are nearly extinct.
The imaginary vengeful curses that remain today are, without exception, figures famous both domestically and abroad. This was true for the five Cursed Spirits before Mahito's eyes. Among them, the Yuki-onna were so famous that they were among the very few that existed in multiples.
"Now, let us begin," Mahito whispered. —Idle Transfiguration.
The five imaginary vengeful curses began to change. It wasn't an instantaneous transformation like when Mahito used Idle Transfiguration on himself, but rather a gradual alteration, like a gardener pruning a tree. They had been screeching restlessly, but as the change occurred, they fell silent. Cursed Spirits are fundamentally not human, but their bodies were now becoming increasingly humanoid.
Idle Transfiguration was fundamentally altering their soul structures, yet they felt no pain. Instead, they joyfully accepted their transformation.
The first to complete the transformation was the Kappa. This imaginary vengeful curse was originally two meters tall, with a massive turtle shell on its back and a body as green as seaweed. Its lips were beak-like, and its head was bald except for a ring of hair around the crown.
But now it was compressing. Its limbs became slender, and the texture of muscle faintly appeared beneath its skin. Azure hair began to grow wildly from its crown, extending outward to form an ear-length bob with a bow pinned to the back of its head.
A sleeveless mini-dress appeared on its body, covered by a light-blue haori. A long black scarf fluttered in the wind. On its legs were black over-the-knee socks that left the toes and heels exposed, and on its feet were ninja shoes.
A water-colored long sword appeared before her. She took it up, looking solemn and grave.
Next was the Tengu. A pair of massive black wings covered its body. When they unfurled again, it was wearing an off-the-shoulder kimono, primarily in deep red and black with gold accessories. Its long black hair was pinned up in a bun with a hairpin.
It straightened its body, boldly exposing the upper half of its heavy chest. It stretched its long, slender legs, their lines flowing like a river. The high-slit skirt revealed its thighs, and it wore short white socks and high-toothed wooden geta on its feet.
A maple-leaf fan appeared in her hand. The female Tengu smiled, her charm radiating.
Then came the Zashiki-warashi. Its change was the smallest because it was already the most humanoid among the imaginary vengeful curses. Under Idle Transfiguration, the biggest change was its face. Originally, its features were almost distorted, barely recognizable as a child's face.
Now, its features merged into a small, pitiful face. Its slightly messy black hair became neat, styled in a traditional bob. It had black eyes and wore a red kimono with a large bow tied at the waist.
A pair of bells were worn as bracelets on her wrists, emitting a crisp sound with every gentle shake.
Finally, the Yuki-onna twins. Their ice-like bodies gradually melted, and plain white kimonos covered them. Their snow-white hair hung straight down their backs to their hips, with side locks and bangs cut perfectly even. Long, matching snow-white eyelashes hung over their eyes, making them look like noble twin princesses. Beneath their kimonos, they wore white socks and boat-shaped wooden geta.
Thick white winter scarves were wrapped around their necks, lifting slightly in the breeze. Five pairs of eyes opened simultaneously, and they knelt on one knee, offering their loyalty to Mahito.
"You are the first batch of Intelligent Cursed Spirits I have created. I shall name you," Mahito said, turning his gaze to the Kappa. "Sa (yarn) represents a riverside spirit faintly visible in the morning mist, possessing the tranquil beauty of a hazy ink-wash painting."
"Thank you for the name, Master. From this day forth, Chisato shall be your blade." The samurai girl bowed her head.
"Kazeha." Mahito smiled as he looked at the Tengu. "May your black wings never fall, and may the brilliance of hidden maple leaves reflect your fiery heart, both demonic and divine."
The mature oiran curled her lips into a smile. "Kazeha thanks Master for the name; I shall never forget it."
"Yayoi symbolizes new life, and Rin has been used to ward off evil since ancient times." Mahito looked at the Zashiki-warashi and said softly, "Yayoi Rin, this shall be your name. May your original intentions remain eternal, and from now on, may all ghosts and monsters keep their distance."
The girl lowered her head, her bangs obscuring her eyes. She said cautiously, "Th-thank you, Master. Yayoi Rin will work hard!"
"Finally, the miraculous twins," Mahito said slowly. "Imaginary vengeful curses are already very rare, yet two identical ones appeared before me at the same time. I cannot help but marvel at the wonders of fate. One of the former Yuki-onna and the other former Yuki-onna—Weaving and Ripples. These are terms deeply connected to destiny. I bestow them upon you."
The snow-white twins bowed in gratitude at the exact same moment. In unison, they said, "We thank Master for the name."
Kenjaku clapped his hands vigorously in excitement:
"Incredible! Incredible! Mahito, in less than half a year since your birth, you have created a new advanced race!
"If you, Jogo, Hanami, and Dagon are the noble first-generation species, then what you have done now is create a second generation. As long as you can engrave your Idle Transfiguration into the Innate Techniques of every race you create, we can foresee third and fourth generations to come!
"Not only that, you can even transform humans into half-Cursed Spirits!"
Kenjaku's body began to tremble slightly with excitement, and even his voice shook imperceptibly:
"I can already see it—the formation of a new world! What will happen in the future? I can't wait to see it unfold. Ah, as expected, there are benefits to living a long time. Whether it's humans or Cursed Spirits… they're all so interesting, so very interesting!"
"Fantastic, Mahito!" Jogo shouted. "We succeeded! We truly succeeded! From this day forth, we New Humans have truly set foot in the human world!"
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