He watched Maki's back as she disappeared into the night.
Lynn adjusted his glasses, not letting this single transaction get to his head.
[Current Balance: 15,070 points.]
Looking at the numbers on the system interface, he slightly clenched his fist.
"Funds are sufficient, and the Cursed Technique is in place."
Lynn felt the newly born power within his body.
He took out a black notebook from the drawer.
He flipped it open.
It was densely filled with Chinese characters that only he could understand.
The first line: [Megumi Fushiguro (Juvenile Detention Center Incident)] already had a checkmark next to it.
Second line: [tyrant of heaven (Maki).]
Lynn placed a checkmark after this line.
Maki was a vital piece in his layout and a top-tier combatant capable of fighting Special Grade Cursed Spirits in the future; this investment was a guaranteed win.
His gaze moved down.
Third line: [Yoshino Junpei.]
Lynn's finger stopped on this name.
Beside that name, another one was written.
[Mahito].
Seeing those two characters, Lynn showed a rare expression of displeasure.
That Special Grade Cursed Spirit born from the hatred humans felt for one another.
That monster with a face covered in stitches who constantly talked about "souls" while toyed with hearts and trampled on lives at will.
In the original story, he treated Yoshino Junpei as a toy, inducing the bullied youth to fall into depravity, only to turn him into a monstrosity at his most desperate moment and kill him right in front of Itadori.
Just to enrage Itadori.
Just because he thought it was "fun."
"Truly disgusting..."
Lynn closed the notebook.
"Treating human hearts as experimental subjects and despair as seasoning."
"Scum like that has no reason to exist."
To Lynn, other Special Grade Cursed Spirits might just be walking "point bags."
Only Mahito...
He was a pest that had to be thoroughly crushed until not even a speck of ash remained.
And the reason he had exchanged for the system-improved Ratio Technique earlier was precisely for its ability to attack the soul.
In this world, soul-related abilities were generally considered high-tier.
For Mahito, who could maintain the shape of his own soul, ordinary attacks couldn't hurt him at all.
Only soul attacks were the sharp tools to counter him... The next day. Kawasaki City, Satozakura High School.
In a corner behind the school building, a blonde boy named Ito held a cigarette, looking mockingly at the black-haired youth huddled in the corner.
"Hey, Yoshino. I heard you like horror movies? Want me to add some special effects?"
*Sizzle—*
The cigarette butt was pressed mercilessly onto the youth's forehead.
"Argh!!"
Yoshino Junpei let out a scream of pain but didn't dare to resist.
Laughter erupted all around.
"Look at him, just like a worm."
Ito grabbed Junpei's hair, forcing him to look up. "Remember, a rat should act like a rat. Don't act all high and mighty."
*Slap!*
A slap sent blood trickling from the corner of Junpei's mouth.
Ito wiped his hand in disgust and swaggered away with his lackeys.
In the corner, only Junpei remained. He clutched the charred wound on his forehead, his body trembling with hatred.
"Why..."
Junpei raised his bloodshot eyes.
"Why does no one save me? Why can they do whatever they want?"
"If only I had power... if only I could press a button and kill them all..."
His nails dug into his palms.
"I would press it. Without hesitation."
He staggered to his feet and walked out of the school gates like a living corpse.
The icy rain hit his face, making him more sober and yet more desperate.
Unknowingly, he walked into a secluded, dark alley.
"If I were you, I wouldn't think that way."
A gentle voice suddenly rang out.
Junpei looked up sharply.
In the shadows ahead, a strange shop had appeared at some unknown time. It had a vintage wooden door and warm yellow lanterns.
Standing at the door was a man in a black vest and gold-rimmed glasses, holding a black umbrella and smiling at him.
"Who... are you?" Junpei took a step back.
"I am a merchant."
Lynn folded his umbrella and pointed to the plaque behind him.
"Yoshino Junpei, right?"
"How do you know my name?" Junpei asked warily.
"That's not important."
Lynn's gaze fell on his wound. "Does it hurt?"
"None of your business."
"It really isn't. But I can see very clearly that a beast lives in your heart."
Lynn's voice was like a devil's whisper.
"It wants to burst out and tear apart the person who burned you with a cigarette, the person who slapped you... all of them. Am I right?"
Junpei froze.
"So what if it does?!" he roared, tears mixing with the rain. "They deserve to die! But I can't beat them! What can I do?!"
Lynn watched him vent in silence until the youth was exhausted.
"What if I told you I could give you a chance?"
Junpei looked up sharply. "What... chance?"
Lynn took a silver circular badge from his pocket and handed it over.
"I won't give you a knife to kill. Killing is the privilege of the strong, but also the abyss of the weak."
"This is the [malice reflection mirror]."
"It cannot help you kill. However, as long as you wear it, anyone who harbors malice toward you or tries to harm you—whether physically or spiritually—will suffer a backlash."
Lynn pointed to his forehead.
"For example, that cigarette butt just now. If you had this, it would have been his eyes that went blind."
Junpei stared blankly at the badge.
Double backlash? Blinded?
That image gave him a tingling sense of pleasure.
"I want it!" He reached out to grab it.
Lynn pulled his hand back, looking down at him.
"I am a merchant; I don't give things away for free. You need to pay a price."
"I don't have money..." Junpei fumbled through his pockets in a panic.
"I don't want money."
Lynn pulled out a contract. "What I value is your 'possibility' as a person."
"Sign it. From today on, you are a 'probationary clerk' of Exchange No. 8. You must be on call at all times and show absolute loyalty to me."
Lynn shrugged and patted Junpei on the shoulder.
"Of course, my shop is no ordinary shop, and the work you'll do won't be that of an ordinary clerk. But in any case, it won't be too dangerous."
Seeing Junpei still hesitate, Lynn threw an arm around his shoulders with a smile that said he had high expectations.
"And of course, if you perform well, I can teach you true power—power enough to change this world."
True power?
Junpei looked at the contract and didn't hesitate. He already had nothing left.
"I'll sign."
He wrote his name on the contract.
Lynn nodded with satisfaction and pinned the badge to Junpei's collar. With a flash of light, the badge turned invisible.
"Alright, Junpei. Wipe away your tears and go home. From now on, no one can bully you again."
Just as Junpei turned around, Lynn called out to him.
"Oh, right, one last thing. You might soon encounter a fellow with stitches on his face. When that happens..."