HRU: Chapter 160/161

Chapter 160: Tengen’s Future

"In the future, you will fail to assimilate with the Star Plasma Vessel and become something that is neither human nor a Cursed Spirit."

Satoshi's first sentence hit like a bomb, leaving Tengen stunned.

I'll fail in the assimilation?

Is he referring to the assimilation between me and Yuki?

Is Satoru always this direct? Because they're in a relationship, he doesn't want Yuki to merge with me?

Tengen's face was filled with suspicion.

She didn't fully believe what Satoshi said, but she had speculated about this outcome before.

Once I lose my human form, I'll evolve in a strange direction.

But I have no idea what that form will look like.

Judging from Satoshi's attitude, it seemed like he had truly seen what I would become. That thought alone stirred a faint sense of shame in her heart.

Neither human nor Cursed Spirit.

Undoubtedly, it would be a bizarre and indescribable form, something completely unacceptable to someone like her who had always loved beauty.

Just as she was about to ask again, Satoshi shifted the topic.

"Lord Tengen, why do you think Geto Suguru is here? Don't you think his technique is unusual?"

Tengen frowned. Why bring up Geto Suguru again?

Wasn't he just someone Yuki happened to encounter? What's strange about him?

What's special about Geto Suguru's technique?

Geto Suguru… Cursed Spirit Manipulation…

Hm?

Tengen's expression changed. She looked at Satoshi and asked hesitantly, "Could he control me in that future state?"

It felt like a bold guess. But if her form became something in between human and cursed spirit, a half-human, half-Cursed Spirit state, then with enough mastery of that technique… Geto Suguru might be able to control her.

Satoshi didn't hesitate and confirmed this future to her.

Although by then, the one controlling Geto Suguru wouldn't be him anymore, but Kenjaku. Still, that didn't change her fate.

"So, Lord Tengen, if you want to avoid that ending, you must avoid the failure of assimilation."

What Satoshi said was strange.

Avoid assimilation failure? Wasn't it because of you that I failed to assimilate with the Star Plasma Vessel?

Tengen felt Satoshi's words were contradictory.

Could it be that this time, he wasn't going to stop Yuki from assimilating with her? But it didn't seem like that either.

Tengen stood up and walked to stand in front of Satoshi.

"I'll fail in assimilation, isn't that because you don't want Yuki to merge with me? I know you care deeply about emotions, so you don't want your girlfriend to assimilate with me, right?"

She lifted Satoshi's chin with her delicate jade-like fingers, her eyes flashing with a teasing glint.

She had lived for so many years and could naturally express all kinds of emotions and gestures with ease.

She had assimilated countless Star Plasma Vessels, each one a remarkable human, and her current appearance was the culmination of the most beautiful traits of all those women.

Since Yuki could become Satoshi's girlfriend, there's no reason he wouldn't be attracted to her.

Satoshi smiled faintly and pushed her hand away.

"Can I say that Yuki's failure to assimilate with you had nothing to do with me? Whether I existed or not, you would have failed to assimilate with her."

There was a hint of fatalism in his voice, which made Tengen a little displeased.

"Then what does all of this mean?"

Tengen slightly pursed her lips and stared at Satoshi. She knew he wasn't done.

Satoshi shook his head.

"I'm talking about the Star Plasma Vessel after Yuki. You'll still fail to assimilate with the next generation. That time, you'll enter the sublimation state. That time, you'll face the ending I remember."

Tengen's expression froze.

Two consecutive failures to assimilate with Star Plasma Vessels? That was something she had never anticipated.

"Whether I appear or not, you'll end up like this. So Lord Tengen, this truly has nothing to do with me."

"But since you've come to find me, and Yuki doesn't seem to want to walk that path, I can help you."

Satoshi's tone was flat, but Tengen could sense his sincerity.

She didn't fully believe him, but his identity and prophecy were eerily similar to a dream she once had.

Back when the first Zanpakutō appeared, she had already felt the worldline begin to twist.

In this distorted world, finding the Twisted Son to rewrite fate shouldn't count as a violation, right?

After all, the world was no longer on its original trajectory.

Tengen looked at Satoshi and smiled softly.

"Then is there something you can do to help me? Since the failure of assimilation with the Star Plasma Vessel has nothing to do with you, then how do you plan to change the result?"

Satoshi raised an eyebrow and glanced at her.

There shouldn't be a problem with Amanai Riko's Star Plasma Vessel.

With the protection of the Three Great Families and Jujutsu High, other assassins won't be able to interfere with the Star Plasma Vessel.

So if Tengen is willing, Riko will definitely be able to assimilate with her.

In truth, changing Toji and Satoru's fates would indirectly change Tengen's as well.

But Satoshi had no intention of explaining further. As long as he understood it himself, that was enough. Tengen wouldn't believe him anyway.

His goal this time was to have Tengen forge a Zanpakutō.

The Zanpakutō's function would help her survive this crisis.

Sensing Satoshi's confidence, Tengen narrowed her eyes slightly and thought of something. She recalled that mysterious Zanpakutō that shouldn't exist in this world and asked in a low voice:

"Are you planning to use the power of your Zanpakutō?"

Her perception was sharp. Satoshi nodded.

"I have a Zanpakutō that can solve your problem. This way, you won't be affected by future assimilation failures… or rather, it will allow you to enter another state of assimilation."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 161: I Have to Take Advantage of the Zenin Family Again

"Is there really such a strange Zanpakutō in this world? Aren't Zanpakutō meant for combat?"

Tengen's face was filled with curiosity.

Whether it was Sode no Shirayuki or Ryūjin Jakka…
Whether it was Senbonzakura or Katen Kyōkotsu… after these Zanpakutō appeared in this world, they made waves throughout the entire jujutsu world because of their overwhelming power.

And now, Satoshi was claiming that his Zanpakutō could help her avoid the crisis of assimilation? What did that mean? Could a Zanpakutō really have such a function?

Tengen's heart was filled with doubt and intrigue.

But she also understood—there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

She had no special connection to Satoshi in the past. Now that he offered to help her forge a Zanpakutō, there must be something he wanted in return.

Tengen looked at Satoshi with an amused expression, silently waiting for him to state his demands.

As the person with the longest lifespan in the jujutsu world, with the most experience, she believed that whatever Satoshi wanted, she likely had it.

Not to mention, the resources stored within the Tombs of the Star were extremely comprehensive—certainly worth using in a trade with Satoshi.

Tengen remained silent for a long time.

Satoshi also remained silent, simply watching her.

In that moment, Tengen realized that she might be the one at a disadvantage in this transaction.

After staring into Satoshi's Six Eyes for a moment, she shrugged and said,

"If you want something, just ask. I have no intention of ending up in that state."

"You can take anything you want from the Tombs of the Star. If you need assistance, I can arrange it as well."

"I want to see your Zanpakutō… what exactly is it capable of?"

Tengen was direct. After living so long, she knew that most things in life came down to fair exchange.

She also wanted to understand more about Satoshi's current status and his future plans through what he asked for.

But what surprised her was that after listening to her, Satoshi actually shook his head.

"I don't need anything for now. I'll forge the corresponding Zanpakutō for you. Of course, I do hope that if I encounter any difficulties in the future, Lord Tengen will be willing to assist me."

Tengen was genuinely surprised by Satoshi's response.

Even though he mentioned hoping for her help later, that still meant that this trade didn't require her to pay anything upfront.

She could sense that Satoshi was crafting a Zanpakutō for her without expecting any immediate benefit.

In her eyes, Satoshi only became more mysterious.

"Is that really the case?"

Tengen furrowed her brows slightly.

"You truly don't need anything? The materials in the Tombs of the Star are quite valuable. I'd think you'd need them to forge more Zanpakutō in the future."

As if reminded by her words, Satoshi nodded with sudden realization.

"Ah, that's right. I do need your help with one thing. You'll need to find a Cursed Tool that matches the specific nature of this Zanpakutō. Its functionality is unique, and I don't think anything suitable exists in the Treasury."

"So if you want me to forge this Zanpakutō, you'll need to acquire a Cursed Tool that fits my requirements."

Satoshi recalled how painful and difficult it had been to find the right Cursed Tool for Ryūjin Jakka, so this time he handed the task over to Tengen.

"Cursed Tool?"

Tengen wasn't very familiar with the process of forging a Zanpakutō, but after hearing that phrase, she had a rough idea.

So the foundation of this Zanpakutō comes from the Cursed Tools of this world.

"What kind of Cursed Tool do you need?"

Tengen was willing to give it a try. She wasn't sure whether Satoshi's method would work, but it was still a chance worth taking. Even if it only gave her a way out, it would be worth it.

"It's simple. The Cursed Tool must have the ability to integrate with other things. That's the essential trait."

Satoshi's tone was serious.

"The purpose of this Zanpakutō is to assist your assimilation. It essentially shifts the assimilation process away from your body and places it in the hands of the Zanpakutō."

"In other words, the more precisely the Cursed Tool fits this function, the better I can forge the Zanpakutō."

Tengen nodded thoughtfully.

"So you already have a clear image of this Zanpakutō in your mind, and you know what its function will be, right?"

Satoshi said nothing, but his expression confirmed her suspicion.

This reaction made Tengen realize that the designs for these Zanpakutō were already formed in his mind.

But where did these designs come from?

Tengen didn't know, but she could guess that they were deeply tied to Satoshi's true identity.

"If it's something related to fusion… then I know of a Cursed Tool that fits. But it's not in the Tombs of the Star. It's held by the Zenin family."

Satoshi was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected such a Cursed Tool to exist in the Zenin family's private vault.

"So it's with the Zenin?"

As expected of one of the Big Three Sorcerer Families. Their accumulation of Cursed Tools runs deep.

Now that I think about it, the only one among the three families that doesn't pay attention to Cursed Tool collection is probably the Gojo family.

"Yes. I looked into it before to see if any Cursed Tools could help me complete the assimilation, so I investigated their traits. The only one that had the right function belonged to the Zenin."

"They even tried giving it to me once. But after testing it, I felt it was useless, so I returned it."

Back then, Tengen never considered relying on external tools to aid with assimilation. If not for Satoshi forging so many powerful Zanpakutō recently and revealing his unique presence, she likely wouldn't believe it even now.

"Then I'll have to trouble you to retrieve this Cursed Tool, Lord Tengen. Only then can I begin forging your Zanpakutō."

Satoshi didn't think much of it. To him, this kind of thing should be a simple matter for Tengen. His own relationship with the Zenin family wasn't great, so if he personally stepped in, it could complicate things.

Tengen, of course, understood the delicate relationship between the Zenin and Gojo families all too well…

(To be continued.)