A Bizarre Adventure That Begins in Jujutsu Kaisen

After drinking the traditional Japanese "339 degrees" toast, the most beloved part of the wedding ceremony begins—the exchange of rings.

Although this custom originated in the West, it has now been harmoniously integrated into tradition and has become an indispensable part of weddings for contemporary young people.

Xia Youjie took out the ring and gently placed it on the left ring finger of Suda Manami.

Manami also pinned the ring on Jay's finger.

After completing this process, Jay took out a scroll of vows that he had transcribed beforehand from his pocket, and together with Manami, they unfolded it before the gods and read it aloud:

"We hereby solemnly swear to Heaven and Earth, to the spirits of our ancestors:"

From this day forward, we shall be husband and wife, united in heart and mind.

Whether in times of peace or hardship, in good times or bad, in health or sickness, we will respect each other, support one another, and face all of life's trials together.

We will build our family with sincerity, nurture our descendants with loving hands, and safeguard our family traditions with reverence.

Even as time goes by, my heart remains unchanged.

Even amidst storms and waves, we will never be apart.

May the gods witness this vow, protect our unity as husband and wife, and ensure the continuation of our family's prosperity.

Then, the two accepted the "jade string" handed to them by the clergy—a willow branch with white paper tassels wrapped around it—and respectfully placed it on the altar before the gods, performing "two bows, two claps, and one bow" in unison.

All the guests then bowed and turned to the newlyweds to pay their respects.

The ceremony was now drawing to a close.

The presiding priest, facing the shrine, offers his final blessing to the newlyweds:

"A respectful address to the supreme deity:"

Now, believer Xia Youjie and believer Zhen Naimei have made a vow before God and become husband and wife.

The two are of one mind and soul, and wish to cultivate their family traditions together, help and bless each other, and never abandon one another.

I hereby present this jade string from the highest realm, to convey my pure heart.

Prayer:

The two families enjoyed prosperity and many descendants.

May there be no disasters in all four seasons, and may there be celebrations during the eight major festivals;

With ample food and clothing, one can find peace of mind and body.

Even amidst wind and rain, they remain like twin trees, their roots intertwined and branches joined.

May the great God bestow this grace and shine upon us forever.

With heartfelt wishes, I convey this message.

The entire ceremony, from "participation" to "exit," lasted approximately thirty minutes.

In this brief but sacred moment, the couple officially became husband and wife, witnessed by their friends.

After all the activities were over, everyone left the shrine and took a group photo together on the approach to the shrine, which was bathed in the warm autumn sun.

In a series of candid photos, Natsuyu Suguru and Manami, dressed in crested haori hakama and white kimono, are surrounded by smiling friends.

Dio and Tsukumo Yuki stood side by side behind the two, raising their arms and forming a heart shape in perfect unison.

Nanako and Mimiko held hands, looking slightly reluctant as they squatted in front of the newlyweds, like a pair of sulking kittens guarding their "parents'" feet.

Gojo Satoru put his hand on the shoulder of the geisha next to him, and the two of them made a "V" sign at the camera together.

Nocturnal Moth leans against the panda with his arms crossed, looking content.

Shoko Ieiri had a faint smile on her lips, her gaze fixed on the ground in front of the camera.

Atsuya Kusakabe, looking somewhat lost, held a lollipop in his mouth, seemingly unsure of what expression to make.

Nanami Kento made a rare, unserious gesture, making a "heart shape with both hands" with his hands.

Lalu chuckled and tried to put his arm around Miki Riku's shoulder, but the other man reached out and pushed him away, his chin pressed against the wall with a look of disgust.

Miguel, wearing sunglasses, gave himself a thumbs-up and flashed a cool, toothy grin.

Yuta Otsuki is being "bullied" by Maki Zenin and Mai Zenin, who are flanking him from both sides. Chizuki Inuyama's gaze keeps shifting between the camera and Yuta.

Not far away, Mingming slightly bent her knees and picked up Youyou, lifting him to the same height as the others around her.

Youyou obediently wrapped her arms around her sister's neck, and they both looked at the camera.

Press the shutter to capture happiness and smiles forever.

As the photographer waved to signal the end of the photoshoot, Xia Youjie looked at the heartwarming scene before him, sighed softly, and murmured, "Sigh, I really don't want it to end..."

"Don't cry, it'll ruin the mood." Suda Manami turned her head to the side, gently reminding him, her eyes also filled with tears.

Earlier, the atmosphere was quite different in the "resort" area of ​​Torgheng.

"Shiro, aren't you going to reveal your real name?" Itadori Kaori "thoughtfully" teased him.

"I've been using the name Natsushiro for the past hundred years, okay? And don't sabotage things like this."

Shiro shrugged slightly, steer the conversation back on track.

"Gojo Satoru and Theo are both in Kyoto today, and there are no signs of any 'window' or auxiliary surveillance activities nearby..."

But that level of terrain damage should quickly raise alarm. We'd better get down to business as soon as possible.

"Let me make this clear first," the real man's smile faded slightly, his arms crossed, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance and aloofness, "humans and cursed spirits can never coexist peacefully. This is an inherent conflict."

It paused, its gaze sweeping over Kaori and Shiro: "What is your plan? I don't think... there's any basis for us to 'cooperate'."

"Heh... Really... Can't we coexist peacefully?" Shiro said, taking a step forward and no longer trying to hide his true feelings.

As if a seal had been lifted, a vast magical power surged forth from his body, faintly resonating with the auras of Zhenren, Louhu, Huayu, and Tuogen.

That magical power attribute is something that human sorcerers can never possess, yet it is also subtly but decisively different from naturally born magical spirits.

"You are a cursed spirit?! Then why—?" Louhu's head let out an incredulous growl.

It would never mistake the true nature of this curse power!

But... why is he able to mimic a human so perfectly, and why did he not reveal any flaws before, unless he actively revealed them now?

"What if..." Shiro's red eyes appeared exceptionally deep in the artificial sunlight of the domain, "I am not purely human, nor... what you know as a 'cursed spirit'?"

"!!" The arrogance on the real person's face completely disappeared, and the eyes under the stitches widened, with a trace of surprise and intense interest flashing deep in the pupils.

It can see far more than the leaky coral.

To the naked eye and to the eye of ordinary incantations, the other party appeared flawless.

But if we look beyond appearances with the perspective of the soul, existence reveals a perplexing duality: just as light is both a wave and a particle, Shiro is both a human and a cursed spirit!

It is not a simple mixture of 50% and 50%, but two mutually exclusive essences are forcibly superimposed on the same existence, forming an inconceivable "superposition state" of 100% human and 100% cursed spirit!

"Answer me a question first," Shiro said, not immediately explaining his abnormality, but instead posing a very philosophical question: "How do you—view your relationship with the human species?"

"We are a new kind of human."

The real person answered without hesitation, with an innate sense of superiority in their tone.

"A superior next generation born from human fear and malice. We will eventually replace the old humans and become the new masters of this planet."

"It doesn't have to be us laughing out loud in the wilderness a hundred years from now," Louhu added in a deep voice. "It's enough as long as the curse can stand in the world like a human being."

Its philosophy leans more towards creating a "new era" for cursed spirits, rather than simply seeking revenge against humanity.

"■■□□■□□■□□ (For a blue and clean world)." Hanamichi also expressed his core appeal in his own unique way.

"New humans... very good." Shiro got the answer he wanted and nodded. "Environmental issues are easy to solve, let's put them aside for now. At least we have the value of continuing our exchanges."

Then, he put forward an almost fanciful idea: "Tell me, have you ever thought about this...?"

If a cursed spirit acquires a physical body indistinguishable from a human's, appears human, has lifestyle habits identical to humans, and can even integrate into human society, studying, working, and living...

Then why can't it be 'human'!?

If humans no longer want to kill us, and no longer see us as monsters that must be exorcised...

Intelligent spirits can exist as part of human society—just like ethnic minorities and special groups!

What we need may not be a new world, but simply a recognized "identity," a "possibility of acceptance!"

Seeing that the four top-tier cursed spirits were deep in thought, and that the seeds of their ideas had already been sown, Shiro immediately seized this moment of hesitation and began his "strategic deception."

"To be honest, the core disagreement is often just about this 'outer shell' and this 'origin'."

Over the past four hundred years, I have traversed many corners of this planet on foot.

In many places, I have lived for years or even decades as an "ordinary human sorcerer".

My personal experience tells me that there is no fundamental difference between cursed spirits and humans.

Good and evil, love and hate, the desire to be accepted and the fear of being hurt... these emotions are universal.

Even humans can be ostracized and discriminated against by society because of their appearance, behavior, or background.

Having resolved this issue of the "outer shell," ultimately, the "new humanity" you seek is still evolution within the realm of "humanity" itself!

Although he spoke eloquently and sincerely, as if he were a true idealist preacher, it was nothing more than a "rhetoric" that he had practiced repeatedly for four hundred years and had long since mastered.

He's just a skilled liar.

Shiro will always recognize himself as human in his heart.

This is why he supported Lu Suo in "optimizing spell power".

The entire human race he sought to "save" never included cursed spirits!

"...This! This kind of thing!" Louhu was speechless for a moment, as it had never thought about this perspective in depth before.

Replacing humans with humans and integrating into humans are two completely different paths.

"It's not impossible, is it!?"

If everything is predetermined, perhaps it's actually an easier thing.

But those who dare to embark on divergent paths of fate and explore entirely new possibilities are often called heroes!

Taking advantage of the situation, Shiro pressed for more information and quoted a famous saying that fit the legend of the "hero of rebellion".

"However," the real man quickly calmed down from the ideological shock and pointed out the most critical practical obstacle, "there are two guys among the leaders of the sorcery world who possess the 'Spirit Manipulation Technique'."

If I remember correctly, their names should be Xia Youjie and Dio?

They won't be as easy to talk to as you and your woman, will they?

What do you say, Mr. Itadori Shiro?

It deliberately emphasized the name that was hastily put together.

"No, no, she's just my business partner." Shiro waved his hand immediately, seriously correcting the relationship. "Besides, I don't have the surname Itadori."