Akira Zenin stepped forward and reached out toward the two figures, but it was like grasping at air—he felt nothing. The figures blurred and gradually faded away…
After a moment of bewilderment, Akira Zenin regained his composure and began to organize the information he had gathered, reflecting on the current situation.
If everything were just presented as information, even if it were accurate, that wouldn't necessarily make it the final answer.
According to what could tentatively be called a "diary," he was an entity known as [Akira Zenin], the result of a ritual operation gone wrong…
The memories of the transmigrator had simply been input into [Akira Zenin]…
This raised a question.
When Akira Zenin placed himself in the situations described in the diary, he realized that those were truly things he would do, thoughts he would think…
The research he conducted aligned with his own interests…
The actions he might take, the way he thought, and the strategies he devised to handle situations—all of it matched perfectly.
Can mere memories really transform someone entirely into oneself?
To the point that thoughts, personality, and ways of thinking are identical? Especially when it's only partial memories…
......
Furthermore, if the so-called [Fate Perception] were just a technique that allowed one to rewind time, the diary wouldn't contain events from a thousand years ago. This implies the ability at least influences the timeline…
And since the "diary" only records phenomena and thoughts at the time, which doesn't guarantee accuracy, my memories might not necessarily come from someone else…
Following this logic, the soul supposedly "born" from a mistake might actually be another version of myself, emerging where timelines intersect…
......
Although a person's development involves many factors, if memories change, one cannot remain completely unaffected…
...
And could simply shifting the timeline make the world itself target me with such intense malice…?
...
"This is so annoying…"
Akira Zenin sank to the ground, pressing both hands into the "water." He savored the feeling of clarity and freedom while gazing up at the orb of light overhead.
"My head just cleared, and I'm already thinking about all this…"
Still, he now had a rough understanding of his situation. The priority wasn't deducing every fact, but figuring out how to act in his own best interest within the limited time.
So then…
Time to rest…
Is there anything more important than rest?
Akira Zenin focused on enjoying this brief moment of clarity. He wanted to stay here, undisturbed by fatigue, yet he couldn't stop worrying about everyone outside…
Feeling conflicted, he cleared his mind and continued observing the orb closely. Then, almost instinctively, he asked:
"What exactly are you?" [Foam of Nothingness, Fragment of the Source]
As he spoke, he seemed to perceive a voice simultaneously.
No, it wasn't a voice.
It was a vague, ethereal sensation—like a lighthouse in the vast darkness, or a speck of order within endless chaos.
It wasn't knowledge or logic, memory or data; it was more like a sudden flash of inspiration appearing without any prior buildup—like a primitive human, trapped with no way forward, seeing fire for the first time…
And it was precisely this sensation that allowed Akira Zenin to understand something. It wasn't that he had heard anything; it was a thought that had suddenly arisen from within his own heart.
Rather than the light sphere responding, it was more as if it had suddenly made him understand something…
"Fragments…"
Following his instincts, Akira Zenin plunged his hand directly into the light sphere. He felt nothing, as if stirring air.
Suddenly, the black space around him began to churn, and countless shadows of every kind appeared beside him…
Bug Eaters, Nether Elephants, Divine Dogs [Reincarnated]… Shadows of countless fusion beasts surrounded Akira Zenin, sitting quietly at his side…
A series of bizarre, abstract images—abrupt, like flipbook pages—flashed through his mind.
If one were to make a metaphor:
At the moment of reincarnation, the "mother" of the original world had exerted too much force and directly spat [Akira] into the "source" of this world…
The fragile college student [Akira], adopting a "well, since I'm here" attitude, along with a strange curiosity, had taken a hearty "bite" of the "source"…
This was the piece that had been bitten off—the [Shadow Realm].
The image just now was a fragment connected to the edge of the [Shadow Realm]—[Fate Perception].
"Uh…"
Strange. Let me take another look…
Akira Zenin thrust his hand into the orb again, then withdrew it after a moment. He thought back to how he had once used the Divine Dogs to "taste" all sorts of bizarre things…
"It seems… maybe… probably… something I could do…"
Understanding the cause, Akira Zenin noticed the shadows beside him. They now felt like another part of his body, able to move at his command. The sensation was like an enhanced version of Ten Shadows, which only summoned the bodies of Shikigami…
After playing for a while, Akira Zenin transformed the shadows into "water" and merged them back into the pond.
"What I need to understand now is why my previous self wanted to extract my own memories…"
Memories…
Extraction…
Soul…
Self…
Akira Zenin continued pondering the events that had unfolded in this black space. Seeing the sky filled with "diaries" and connecting them to the equation "memories" + "soul" ≈ "self," he suddenly had an idea:
"Haven't I been reminding myself all along…"
These "diaries" filling the Shadow Realm are memories. The light sphere controls this black space. The current version of myself here, combined with the fragments, is the "soul"…
So if I destroy my previous "physical body" and combine that with the analyses of the Kenjaku techniques in some of these "diaries," perhaps I can "possess" this [Shadow Realm] just like Kenjaku's brain swap…
"So I've actually wanted to stop being human a long time ago…
Makes sense. In this world, you need capital to explore, and the greatest capital is becoming a Jujutsu Sorcerer. But Jujutsu Sorcerers are just crap…"
"But what about everyone outside…"
Akira Zenin smiled with a sense of relief.
"Come to think of it, I don't think I actually did much. Naoya handled all the missions. Teaching was just talking. Everyone's growth came from their own efforts…
Besides, I'm just going to sleep for a while. If I become part of the Shadow Realm… maybe I can try shaping a fusion beast as a body, then use Megumi's Ten Shadows to break out and scare them…
Well… it's still better to see them normally. That way, there won't be any "sleepiness" to interfere～～"
Akira Zenin plunged his hand back into the "light sphere," summoning several "diaries" containing analyses of the Kenjaku techniques to his side.
"Then, before we meet again, I'll conduct one final 'lesson'…"
…
In contrast to the tranquility of the Shadow Realm where Akira Zenin's soul resided, the vibrant forest battlefield had been filled with abnormally stagnant Cursed Energy.
The black sludge covering the forest churned thickly, sweeping over the two "tents" beneath Kenjaku like an unending tide.
Interestingly, Kenjaku's two "tents" had become the first line of defense against the disaster.
Countless trees, swept by the Cursed Energy "mud," had transformed into "Cursed Spirits," uprooting themselves and wandering about, using their roots as fulcrums…
Yet in this place, a "den of evil" or "forbidden zone," a burly figure sprinted inward. He tracked the sun's position through the tent while observing the movement and positioning of the tree "Cursed Spirit" clusters.
"That's bad… The sun is almost set. According to the intel, Akira has lost control… If it's all shadows, things are going to get bad…"
Originally, Aoi Todo had already reached the edge of the veil. At that moment, a tall, slender Mahoraga chased after Kenjaku.
As Kenjaku passed through the veil and his attack was blocked, another arrow pierced it, creating a hole. Under the command to protect Akira Zenin's physical body, it returned to the forest center.
The members of Jujutsu High at the edge fled through the hole.
But Aoi Todo noticed Yuji Itadori was missing from the crowd.
Ignoring the "healing" hole, Aoi Todo turned without hesitation and ran toward the center.
"My brother—I absolutely cannot leave him alone!"