"...Understood!"
The warden froze for a split second. Then he raised his hand to his forehead and answered loudly, like the man in front of him was his superior.
He had never met someone like this in person before, but he had heard stories.
If even the people above were willing to give him the green light, then all the warden had to do was provide whatever convenience he could within his authority.
After all, the higher-ups had made it very clear. Once these death row inmates left with him, they would die sooner than their scheduled execution date. And they would die far worse.
And the commotion caused by Mukuro's casual kick made the other two inmates, who had been pretending to stay calm, lower their heads without a word. They did not dare look him in the face.
Until they knew what he wanted to use them for, they did not want to be as stupid as the guy who died in a blur of confusion.
It was obvious the man wanted them alive for now.
Maybe… they could survive.
Even if they had murdered without mercy before being locked up, even if they knew death was unavoidable, they still felt unwilling when it truly came.
They had not enjoyed life enough yet.
"Try not to cause trouble."
Mukuro swept his eyes across the other inmates in the separate cells, then turned and walked out, leaving the rest to the warden.
* * *
A while later, escorted by a prison transport van, Mukuro brought three convicted death row inmates back to the gates of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"Good work. You can head back now."
After stepping out, he waved to the driver and the others.
"...Huh?"
The guards inside the vehicle exchanged looks.
Their orders were to stay here for a while, so they could follow Mr. Fushiguro's instructions at any time.
If possible, they were even supposed to confirm the prisoners' deaths on the spot.
But…
"I don't really care. Still, are you sure you want to keep watching? This is a confidential matter."
Mukuro casually placed the backpack holding the three jars into the hands of two of the prisoners, telling them to carry it. Then he gave the guards a friendly warning.
Jujutsu business was not something ordinary people were meant to know about. If they found out, all it would do was bring them fear and trouble.
"Understood. We'll take our leave."
The leader did not hesitate anymore. The moment Mukuro finished speaking, he ordered the others to withdraw.
A guy built like a superhuman, plus a religious school called Tokyo Metropolitan Jujutsu Technical High School, meant only one thing.
This was not simple.
After that, the three prisoners stayed silent and followed behind Mukuro into the forest.
Their eyes constantly darted around, searching for the best path to run. At the same time, they were waiting for someone else to make the first move, to distract him.
That kick in the prison had killed any thoughts of fighting him head-on.
"Put it down here."
After they went deeper in, Mukuro gave the order. The backpack was carefully set on the ground.
Then he pulled out one of the jars.
Through the glass and the unknown liquid, they could vaguely make out the shape of a fetus that had died not long ago. Its face and body were only slightly swollen.
Even though the three criminals had all spilled blood before, they still felt chills crawling up their backs.
"This one's the best out of the three. Who wants to try it first?"
Mukuro opened the jar, and a thick stench rushed out. He waved a hand to disperse the smell, then looked at the three men, silently telling one of them to grab it and eat it.
They stared at each other, nobody answering. Their eyes were already thinking about escape.
"Then you. It'll be better if you do it yourself."
Mukuro lifted a hand and pointed at one of them, like the King of Hell choosing a name.
"If I eat it, you'll let me go?"
The man's face flickered with anger, but he forced himself to step forward and ask.
"Of course."
Mukuro answered without hesitation, making their hearts shake.
Just swallow something disgusting and you get to live?!
The one who got chosen took a deep breath, reached into the jar, and pulled out the tiny cursed womb.
Then he shut his eyes and shoved it into his mouth.
It was soaked in that unknown liquid, and his mind and body both screamed in disgust. He instinctively tried to spit it out.
But in the next instant, a large hand clamped onto his lower face from beneath his jaw, stopping him from opening his mouth. Simultaneously, Mukuro slammed him down onto the ground.
"Swallow it."
Those ocean-blue eyes seemed to glow faintly.
"Ghk…!"
The sudden force stole the man's breath. He grabbed at Mukuro's arm with both hands, trying to pry himself free, but it felt like iron claws. No matter how hard he struggled, it was useless.
Under that crushing pressure, his throat finally moved. He could only force the thing down.
Then Mukuro released him.
"You bastard—"
The prisoner scrambled up, panting. He was about to curse Mukuro out, but his words died in his throat as he grabbed his chest. His whole body felt like it was burning from the inside.
"What the hell is happening?!"
The other two had still been clinging to the idea that they might live. But now, they could only stare in shock.
Was that thing poisoned?!
The man collapsed, convulsing on the ground. His body kept changing. His hair grew longer. His skin turned pale. A black mark appeared across the bridge of his nose, like a sideways bloodstain.
Even his features stopped looking like his old self.
In the blink of an eye, he had completely become someone else.
Then the shaking stopped.
Right in front of them, he stood up. His gaze was cold as it drifted over the three of them.
"Run!"
The other two finally understood. The man in front of them had nothing in common with the criminal who came here earlier. Not his height, not his face, not even his presence.
That meant eating it was death. Their only role was to provide a body for that thing to take over.
Bang!
They did not even get a chance to start running when the transformed man moved first.
He reached out and gently pressed their heads together, knocking them both unconscious in one clean hit.
"Why did you make me incarnate?"
The man's face was serious. His eyes kept flicking between the backpack on the ground and Mukuro.
He could only see the vessel's memories. He could not know what Mukuro had said when he was still a cursed object.
From his actions, it looked like he wanted the other two to become vessels too, using those bodies on the ground.
"A reason? Who knows… I'm Mukuro Fushiguro. Nice to meet you."
He just wanted to do it.
Just because… he also had an older brother.
Mukuro held out his hand.
"Choso."
Their hands clasped.
**
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