Kyoto, Jujutsu Headquarters.
Kama stood before the main gates of the estate.
She looked up, her gaze sweeping over the silhouette of the mansion, the corners of her lips curling into a curve devoid of warmth.
"Really now..."
"I can smell the stench from all the way out here."
Two Jujutsu Sorcerers stood before the gates.
Dressed in traditional deep blue Kariginu with Katanas at their waists, they stood perfectly straight with solemn expressions, projecting an aura that screamed "do not approach."
The moment the guard on the left saw Kama, his pupils shrank.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and placed his hand on the hilt of his blade, speaking in a heavy voice:
"This is the restricted area of Jujutsu Headquarters. Unauthorized personnel are not—"
He didn't finish.
Kama's gaze fell upon his face.
It was a light glance, like looking at an ant by her feet.
The guard's expression froze.
His eyes remained open, but the light within his pupils rapidly dissipated, replaced by a blurred, trance-like blankness.
The corners of his mouth split upward uncontrollably, forming a foolish, drooling smile.
He saw the vision of his heart's deepest desire—
Promotions, power, countless people bowing before him, fine wine, beautiful women, and endless wealth and pleasure...
Every desire was infinitely magnified at this moment, filling every inch of his consciousness.
Reality receded and an illusion descended. Immersed in that ultimate ecstasy, his body began to tremble uncontrollably, and a strange "he-he" sound escaped his throat.
Seeing this, the guard next to him turned pale.
"What did you do?!"
He drew his blade, Cursed Energy pouring into it until the metal glowed with an eerie blue light—but the sword was only halfway out.
The second guard's expression also froze, then softened, then indulged, until he was completely lost.
The Katana hit the ground with a clang. He clutched his head and knelt, a look of wild ecstasy surfacing on his face.
Kama walked between the two of them without sparing them a second glance.
Creak—
The sound of the door hinges turning was exceptionally grating in the silent courtyard.
The interior of the estate was much larger than it appeared from the outside.
Complex corridors, countless rooms, and layers upon layers of Barriers and Restrictions.
She encountered several more waves of guards along the way.
The result was the same.
She didn't even need to use her eyes; her presence alone radiated an aura sufficient to plunge these strictly trained Jujutsu Sorcerers into their own deepest illusions of desire, stripping them of all ability to act.
Her path was entirely unobstructed.
Kama stopped before a door.
This door was located in the deepest part of the estate, crafted from heavy ebony with intricate Cursed Markings carved into its surface. A dim, yellow light seeped through the cracks.
She stood before the door, in no hurry to enter, tilting her head slightly.
Voices drifted from within.
"...It must be uprooted," a gravelly, aged voice said, thick with phlegm.
"Itadori Yuji has swallowed Sukuna's Fingers and has become the Vessel. This is a great calamity. Regardless of his current performance, he will inevitably become a disaster in the future. This mission at the Juvenile Detention Center is the best opportunity!"
"Gojo Satoru is also far too presumptuous," another voice cut in, high-pitched and cold.
"Relying on his strength, he disregards the rules and repeatedly defies the orders of his superiors. This time serves as a lesson for him as well. Let him understand—let them both understand—just who controls the rules of this Jujutsu World!"
"And then there's that Kama—"
A third voice joined in, its tone laced with undisguised loathing and contempt.
"That woman who recently arrived at Tokyo Jujutsu High. Thinking she can defy us just because she has a bit of strength... she truly doesn't know her place! The Juvenile Detention Center was meant to eliminate Itadori Yuji, but it should also serve to make that woman realize who the master is here!"
"Heh, she's just a woman," a voice even older and more stagnant spoke with condescending arrogance.
"No matter her strength, a woman is still a woman. Women are born to be submissive and obedient. Her current defiance is simply because she hasn't been taught a lesson yet."
"In my view, once this matter is concluded, we should send someone to 'invite' her here. Give her a few lessons to break her pride, and then bestow some favors... Women, you see—if you coax them a bit and scare them a bit, they will naturally become obedient."
"Correct."
A fifth voice expressed agreement, its tone carrying a sense of charitable superiority.
"Her strength is noteworthy. If she can be subjugated, she would make a fine blade—perfect for balancing out Gojo Satoru. When the time comes, have her marry my grandson and bear offspring; that way, both bloodline and loyalty will be secured. My grandson already has three concubines, but the position of primary wife remains vacant. Granting it to her could be considered a promotion."
"Haha, well said!"
"If we can hold her in our grasp, Gojo Satoru will no longer be a threat!"
"Only then will the Jujutsu World truly return to the right track..."
The discussions rose and fell, each sentence more absurd and arrogant than the last.
Outside the door, Kama listened in silence.
The smile on her face deepened bit by bit, her rose-colored eyes curving into crescents, yet within them, only a bottomless darkness surged.
"Oh my..."
"So that's the kind of plan you were hatching~"
She reached out, her palm pressing against the cold door.
"Truly..."
"Disgusting."