Chapter 159 – Internal Conflict Among the Simurian People
Through getting to know Ria, Zen'in Kaon might not understand how the other Simurian people thought, but she was certain of one thing—
Ria genuinely wanted to coexist with humanity.
"As long as everyone works together," Kaon said earnestly,
"I believe you'll definitely be able to live peacefully alongside humans."
"Mm."
Ria nodded firmly.
She had to succeed.
She had to complete this mission, make her sister and her parents proud—and above all, prevent war from ever breaking out.
As their conversations deepened, the bond between the two girls grew closer and closer.
Time slipped by unnoticed, and soon night fell.
Tsumiki came to call them for dinner.
Everyone gathered around the table, and not long after, Fushiguro Megumi returned home as well.
The moment he noticed Ria, he paused slightly in surprise.
Then, as if nothing were unusual, he sat down calmly and asked,
"Are you getting used to life here?"
Hearing his voice, Ria immediately recognized him.
She had seen him before—in Gojo's office.
She hadn't expected him to be Kaon's cousin.
"Yes," Ria replied politely.
"It's very nice here. I really like Earth."
Only then did Kurusu and Tsumiki fully realize—
"So this little beauty is the alien?" Kurusu said in surprise.
"She's nothing like what I imagined."
"Wait—an alien?"
Jirō blinked in shock.
"Is she… here to invade Earth?"
The room fell momentarily quiet.
Jirō instantly lit up the moment he heard the word alien, staring at Ria with unconcealed curiosity.
But after taking in her small frame, suspicion crept across his face.
Can an alien like this really invade Earth?
To him, this alien girl looked like someone he could probably beat himself.
"There's no way!" Ria hurriedly denied it.
"The Simurian people would never invade Earth!"
"Alright, alright," Jirō said confidently.
"With my dad around, I don't think you'd dare even if you wanted to."
His father was a special-grade sorcerer.
If aliens dared invade Earth, his dad would definitely beat them back.
Smack!
Fushiguro Megumi knocked Jirō on the head, his face darkening.
"Eat your food properly. Why do you talk so much?"
"Ow~"
Jirō scratched his head and obediently focused on his bowl.
"Hey, hey, hey! Kid—so you've got cursed energy too, huh?"
A cocky voice suddenly rang out.
"Let me see how different you are from Earth's sorcerers!"
Everyone turned toward Tsumiki—
—or rather, toward the mouth that had suddenly appeared on her face.
"…Eh?"
Zen'in Kaon and Ria froze, utterly dumbfounded.
Why was there another mouth on Tsumiki's face?!
"You idiot! You'll scare the kids like that!"
Another voice snapped back.
"At least this little sister's cursed energy is pure. She's not a bad one."
At the same time, another mouth opened on Kurusu's face.
Only Kaon and Ria stood there completely stunned—
everyone else looked utterly unfazed.
"Who asked you to butt in?! You sanctimonious hag—get lost!"
"Tch. No wonder Sukuna never liked you."
"The hell did you say?! Come out and fight me!"
Watching the increasingly bizarre scene, both Tsumiki and Kurusu sighed helplessly and slapped their own faces.
"You two—quiet down already."
Ever since the Shinjuku Battle eighteen years ago, Yorozu and Angel had never disappeared.
Because no method had been found to turn their souls into cursed objects, the two had remained sealed within their respective hosts.
One was obsessed with hunting down a reincarnated player who had narrowly escaped eighteen years ago.
The other firmly believed Sukuna was not truly dead—and would one day return.
Enemies by nature, they were now forced into becoming a "family" due to their shared circumstances.
"…Um," Kaon finally asked, eyes shining with curiosity,
"Tsumiki-nee, Kurusu-nee… what exactly is going on?"
Honestly, this was even more interesting than aliens.
Ria also stared wide-eyed.
This was nothing like what she had learned about Earth.
Even sorcerers were strange beyond expectation.
The Simurian people had nothing like this.
"It's… complicated," Tsumiki replied awkwardly.
"Just think of it as… there being another person living inside us."
"Something like that exists?" Kaon gasped.
"That's amazing! So both of you are sorcerers too?"
In just two days, Kaon had already encountered more wonders than she could count.
She was once again convinced—she had come to the right place.
"We're more like clan-affiliated sorcerers," Kurusu explained.
"We occasionally help the higher-ups with certain tasks."
"Then what rank are you?" Kaon asked eagerly.
Since her cousin was the head of the Zen'in clan, it made sense that Tsumiki and Kurusu were affiliated as well.
Still, she couldn't help wondering—
if her cousin was clan head, why was he teaching at Jujutsu High?
After all, three of the current special-grade sorcerers were all teaching there.
"Rank?"
Tsumiki thought for a moment.
"By current standards… probably semi-special grade."
"…Semi-special grade?! That's insane!"
Kaon's expression turned colorful.
What kind of family was this?!
One special grade.
Two semi-special grades.
Even little Jirō was already halfway to becoming a sorcerer.
Compared to them, her globe-trotting parents suddenly seemed… oddly ordinary.
She couldn't help but wonder what rank her mother used to be.
Though after being retired for so long, her strength probably faded.
Maybe she wasn't even as strong as Kaon anymore.
Soon, amid laughter and warmth, dinner came to an end.
Ria experienced this feeling for the first time—
Warmth.
Belonging.
And it happened on Earth.
At that moment, her heart longed for it—
longed to truly be accepted by this planet,
to coexist peacefully with humanity.
Night deepened.
Kaon and Ria slept together under the same blanket.
—
At the same time—
Thirty thousand meters above Earth, a massive airship capable of housing fifty thousand people hovered silently.
Two figures stood at its edge, gazing down at the glittering lights of the planet below.
"High Priest," one asked quietly,
"Earth's so-called sorcerers don't even amount to a fraction of our numbers.
Do we really need to follow the Leader's orders and coexist with humans?"
"Coexist?"
The slightly obese Simurian sneered, his head nearly fused with his neck.
"Naïve."
"The Leader was frightened into submission.
He thinks showing goodwill can avoid war—
and has forgotten the most basic law of survival in the universe."
Human technology was inferior.
Human language and culture were easy to master.
Even the sorcerers—the only ones who shared similar power—were vastly outnumbered.
So why coexist?
"Then… what does the High Priest intend?"
"Find Earth's curse users. Grant them power.
Have them eliminate the Leader's daughter."
"If the Leader refuses to wage war," he continued coldly,
"then we'll make him understand—
Earth does not wish to coexist with us."
"Understood."
"Oh, and tomorrow," the High Priest added,
"Earth will send sorcerer representatives to inspect us.
You know what to do."
Conflict never erupts from one side alone.
Both sides needed a push.
After all—
this was for the future of the Simurian people.
"Yes, High Priest. Leave it to me."