Leaving the Headquarters behind, Makima headed toward central Tokyo.
More than half a month had passed since the day she had been manifested. During this time, she had successfully brought nearly half of the jujutsu world's higher-ups under her control, with the remainder steadily falling into place.
At this point, within Tokyo alone, Makima could practically cover the sky with one hand. Aside from Jujutsu High itself, almost all of Tokyo's upper echelons had already fallen.
The higher-ups in Kyoto were somewhat surprised by Makima's promotion, but they merely assumed she had gained the recognition of Tokyo's major jujutsu families and hadn't realized the truth behind it. As a result, the fall of Kyoto's higher-ups was only a matter of time.
Once both Tokyo and Kyoto were fully under control, it would essentially mean control over the entire jujutsu world—at least ninety percent of its leadership would be subject to Makima's influence.
During this period of steadily dominating the jujutsu higher-ups, Makima hadn't only been advancing An Xora's plan to turn the jujutsu world into his personal domain—she had also generated a considerable number of system points for him.
After all, in the system's judgment, Makima's acts of domination also counted toward rewards.
Dominating a Grade 1 sorcerer: 1,000 pointsGrade 2: 200 pointsGrade 3: 50 points
Roughly double the reward for cursed spirits of the same rank.
Since most of the jujutsu world's higher-ups possessed real strength—and the majority were Grade 1 sorcerers—Makima had generated nearly 30,000 points for An Xora during this time.
This was an unexpected windfall.
As a result, An Xora had specifically contacted Makima and asked her to return when she had time—he wanted to give her a "reward."
Regarding her master's somewhat whimsical request, Makima wore a faintly helpless smile, but she didn't refuse.
After all… he was her master.
An Xora only needed to enjoy himself. As an avatar, Makima naturally had to shoulder far more responsibilities.
...
Arriving at a high-end residential district in central Tokyo, Makima stopped in front of a detached villa.
This was the new home Seele had purchased for her master just a few days earlier. Judging by the timing, today's "reward" would almost certainly include Seele as well.
Using the Control Devil's authority, Makima directed several birds to circle the area, ensuring there were no observers nearby. Only then did she take out a key and enter the villa.
Inside, she immediately saw An Xora seated on the spacious living-room sofa, while Seele was busy in the kitchen, bringing freshly prepared dishes to the dining table.
"Makima, you're back," An Xora said as he noticed her.
"Yes, my master. I'm back," Makima replied, clearly understanding his meaning as she approached.
"Sit."
At An Xora's invitation, Makima sat beside him. He casually drew her closer, the atmosphere in the room quietly shifting.
Not far away, Seele paused for a moment, then—after a brief hesitation—came over as well.
What followed was not something spoken aloud, but an unspoken understanding shared among the three.
The long days of restraint since An Xora's arrival in this world, the trust between them, and the closeness that had slowly accumulated—all of it converged into a moment of quiet intimacy.
The lights in the villa dimmed.
...
Several hours later, a phone rang.
A slender arm reached out, answered the call, and pressed the receiver to an ear.
"Lady Makima, is something the matter? We haven't seen you return to Headquarters this afternoon," the secretary's voice asked from the other end.
"I ran into something that required immediate attention," Makima replied calmly, her tone sounding faintly tired.
"There's no need to worry. Everything at Headquarters should proceed as usual. Any issues can wait until I return."
"Understood, Lady Makima."
The call ended.
Inside the villa, the atmosphere had settled back into quiet calm.
Makima had already straightened her attire, preparing to return to Headquarters. Her workload was truly heavy—between advancing her master's plans and handling her official duties, even carving out personal time required careful planning.
"Before I go," Makima added, turning to An Xora, "I've been using birds and other animals under my control to observe the flow of events in this world. It's becoming clear that due to your frequent interventions, the original course of events has begun to shift slightly."
"I've noticed that too," An Xora nodded.
"Judging by the timeline, we're approaching the Inter-School Exchange Event, yet Gojo hasn't been attacked by Jogo as he was originally, and Mahito hasn't openly appeared either."
"But to gather more of Sukuna's fingers, the Disaster Curses and Geto's faction will likely still make a move during the exchange event," he continued.
"When that happens, I'll be counting on you, Makima."
Makima smiled faintly in response, then turned and departed, disappearing once more into the machinery of the jujutsu world.
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