Watching Maki's figure disappear into the night, Lynn pushed up his glasses.
He didn't let himself get complacent over a single successful deal.
[Current Balance: 15,070 Points.]
He looked at the numbers on the system interface and clenched his fist slightly.
"Funds are sufficient, and the Cursed Technique is locked and loaded."
Lynn felt the newfound power coursing through his body.
He pulled a black notebook from the drawer and flipped it open.
It was densely filled with Chinese characters that only he could understand.
First line: [Megumi Fushiguro (Detention Center Incident)] — Checked.
Second line: [Heavenly Tyrant (Maki).]
Lynn placed a checkmark next to this line.
Maki was a crucial piece on his chessboard and a future top-tier combatant capable of going toe-to-toe with Special Grade curses. This investment was guaranteed to yield massive returns.
His gaze drifted lower.
Third line: [Junpei Yoshino.]
Lynn's finger paused on the name.
Right next to it, another name was written.
[Mahito.]
Looking at those two characters, a rare expression of genuine displeasure crossed Lynn's face.
The Special Grade curse born from the hatred humans held for one another.
The monster with the patchwork face covered in stitches, who prattled on about the "soul" all day while wantonly toying with human hearts and trampling on life.
In the original plot, he treated Junpei Yoshino like a toy, grooming the bullied teenager into depravity. Then, right at the moment of Junpei's deepest despair, he transfigured him into a monster and killed him right in front of Yuji Itadori.
Just to piss Yuji off.
Just because he thought it was "fun."
"Truly disgusting..."
Lynn snapped the notebook shut.
"Treating human hearts like lab rats, using despair as a seasoning."
"Scum like that has no reason to exist."
To Lynn, other Special Grade curses might just be walking "XP piñatas."
But Mahito was different.
He was a pest that had to be utterly crushed until not even ash remained.
The reason Lynn had purchased the improved Ratio Technique was specifically for its ability to attack the soul.
In this world, abilities related to the soul were usually high-tier powers.
For Mahito, who could maintain the shape of his soul, ordinary physical attacks couldn't truly hurt him.
Only soul damage was the weapon that could counter him.
...
The next day. Kawasaki City, Satozakura High School.
In a corner behind the school building, a blonde student named Ito held a cigarette between his fingers, looking mockingly at the black-haired boy cowering against the wall.
"Hey, Junpei. I heard you like horror movies? Want me to add some special effects?"
"Sizzle—"
The burning cigarette butt was pressed mercilessly against the boy's forehead.
"Gah!!"
Junpei Yoshino let out a scream, but he didn't dare fight back.
Laughter erupted around him.
"Look at him, squirming like a worm."
Ito grabbed Junpei by the hair, forcing his head up. "Remember, a rat should have the self-awareness of a rat. Don't act high and mighty."
"Smack!"
A slap across the face left Junpei with a bleeding lip.
Ito shook his hand in disgust and strutted away with his lackeys.
In the corner, only Junpei remained. He clutched the scorched wound on his forehead, his body trembling with hatred.
"Why..."
Junpei looked up, his eyes bloodshot.
"Why won't anyone save me? Why can they do whatever they want?"
"If I had power... If I could push a button and kill them all..."
His fingernails dug into his palms.
"I would push it. Without hesitation."
He staggered to his feet and walked out of the school gates like a zombie.
The freezing rain hit his face, making him more awake, and yet more desperate.
Unknowingly, he wandered into a dark, secluded alley.
"If I were you, I wouldn't think like that."
A gentle, cultured voice suddenly spoke.
Junpei snapped his head up.
In the shadows ahead, a strange shop had appeared out of nowhere. Vintage wooden doors, warm yellow lantern light.
Standing at the entrance was a man in a black vest and gold-rimmed glasses, holding a black umbrella and smiling at him.
"You... who are you?" Junpei took a step back.
"I am a merchant."
Lynn closed his umbrella and pointed to the sign behind him.
"Junpei Yoshino, correct?"
"How do you know my name?" Junpei asked warily.
"That's not important."
Lynn's gaze landed on the wound on his forehead. "Does it hurt?"
"None of your business."
"True, it is none of my business. But I can see it clearly—there is a beast living in your heart."
Lynn's voice sounded like a devil's whisper.
"It wants to rush out and tear apart the person who burned you with a cigarette, the person who slapped you... wants to rip them to shreds. Right?"
Junpei froze.
"So what if it does?!" he roared, tears mixing with the rain on his face. "They deserve to die! But I can't beat them! What can I do?!"
Lynn watched quietly as he vented, waiting until the boy ran out of energy.
"What if I told you I could give you a chance?"
Junpei looked up sharply. "What... chance?"
Lynn pulled a silver, circular badge from his pocket and held it out.
"I won't give you a knife to kill people. Slaughter is the privilege of the strong, and the abyss of the weak."
"This is the [Malice Reflection Mirror]."
"It cannot help you kill people. However, as long as you wear it, anyone who bears malice toward you or attempts to harm you—whether physically or spiritually—will suffer a backlash."
Lynn pointed to his own forehead.
"Take that cigarette burn just now. If you had this, the one going blind in one eye would be him."
Junpei stared blankly at the badge.
Double backlash? Going blind?
The image brought a scalp-tingling sense of gratification.
"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 any money..." Junpei frantically patted his pockets.
"I don't want money."
Lynn pulled out a contract. "What I value is your 'potential'."
"Sign this. From today on, you are the 'Reserve Clerk' of Exchange No. 8. You need to be available whenever I call, and offer me absolute loyalty."
Lynn shrugged and patted Junpei on the shoulder.
"Of course, my shop isn't an ordinary shop, so the work you'll do won't be ordinary clerk work. But generally speaking, it won't be too dangerous."
Seeing Junpei still hesitating slightly, Lynn wrapped an arm around his shoulders, wearing a smile that said 'I have high hopes for you'.
"And naturally, if you perform well, I can teach you true power. Power enough to change this world."
True power?
Junpei looked at the contract. He hesitated no longer. He already had nothing to lose.
"I'll sign."
He wrote his name on the contract.
Lynn nodded with satisfaction and pinned the badge to Junpei's collar. With a faint flash of light, the badge turned invisible.
"Alright, Junpei. Wipe your tears and go home. From now on, no one can bully you again."
Just as Junpei turned to leave, Lynn called out to him.
"Oh, right. One last thing. You might meet a guy with stitches all over his face soon. When that happens..."