"In shocking global news, Japan has released details regarding a massive underground cult called the Following of Absolution which has been charged with animal abuse, animal trafficking, theft, grand larceny, money laundering, bribery, kidnapping, international human trafficking, prostitution, organized crime, drug manufacturing and distribution, gang violence, murder of all degrees and most notably several hundred counts of ritualistic sacrifice involving both animals and people. Alongside these initial charges, Japan has released a statement estimating that the total membership of the Following is nearly 10,000 individuals, with members from every corner of the globe linked to various governments and international criminal organizations. This makes the Following of Absolution, one of the biggest cults ever discovered, and is sure to have major implications given its reach and influence."
"A massive cult, huh?" Saturo Gojo muttered, unimpressed as he finished watching the news clip on his phone, "How were they found out?"
"They accidentally kidnapped the daughter of a police captain, which led to a full-blown investigation," Masamichi Yaga answered as they walked down a dark, corrugated hallway with steel-plated walls and floors, passing by similarly reinforced doors spotted with various dark colored stains splattered against them. "Fortunately, the ones in charge were smart enough to realize that they had only uncovered a local branch of the cult and not the main compound. It took them nearly two years of surveillance and monitoring to find the heart."
Saturo clicked his tongue and sighed, "I'm surprised that we weren't clued in earlier. If they were really sacrificing people in the hundreds, they should have been poppin' out cursed spirits left and right."
"You weren't the only one who noticed that anomaly," Masamichi agreed, "Which is why a team was sent to investigate."
"I'm assuming they found something pretty big if you brought me to this depressing place," Saturo guessed, "Maybe even a new special grade? Though if that were the case, you would have had to call on Yuki to ring it in, and I don't sense her anywhere nearby."
"They didn't find a cursed spirit." Masamichi corrected as he stopped in front of a seemingly random door.
Saturo cocked his head to the side, "Then why did you bring me here?"
"Because while you are the strongest, you're also a teacher," Masamichi replied vaguely as a way of explanation before he opened the door.
Looking inside, Saturo found a strange sight awaiting him.
Every square inch of the room was covered in layers of talismans, creating a powerful seal that suppressed the use of cursed energy. Anyone short of a special grade would find it nearly impossible to break out by force. That in of itself wasn't odd, but when Saturo saw who the seal was containing, he couldn't help but think it was a bit overkill.
Slumped over in a chair, his hands tied behind his back, sat a boy that Saturo guessed was no older than seventeen. His body was skinny, almost frail, with his bones clearly visible beneath his dark brown skin.
"Are you the one who's going to kill me?"
A soft, nearly feminine voice drifted into Sautro's ears, a sickly sweet sound that made the hair on the back of his arms stand up. Noticing the inherent reaction, Saturo made note of it before stepping into the room and allowing Masamichi to close the door behind him.
"That depends. What have you done to make all the higher-ups lock you up down here?" Saturo asked lightly with a smirk.
The boy didn't respond; he sat upright, causing his long, snow-white strands of hair to shift around his face, revealing a visage that was neither feminine nor masculine but somewhere in between, with a defined jaw line, a button nose, soft, plump lips, long, curled eyelashes, perfectly trimmed eyebrows, and completely smooth cheeks without a blemish in sight. And to finish it all off, two large eyes with shockingly pink pupils stared at Saturo with an intensity that almost made him unnerved.
'This guy…is way too attractive,' Saturo couldn't help but think, though he quickly pushed the thought from his mind as the boy began to speak.
"Because you're all sinners," The boy said accusingly, though there was no real heat behind his words, "Can't you, of all people, feel it?"
The boy grinned as well, revealing a seemingly perfect smile, but if one looked closer, they would notice the dangerously sharp incisors. "There's so much inside of you that I can barely comprehend it."
Then, Saturo watched in disbelief as the boy's eyes shifted, turning into pools of liquid light that almost seemed to glow, with seven distinct points surrounding each magenta pupil.
"It must be such a burden carrying that much sin within you," The boy continued, his tone shifting, growing increasingly erratic, and aroused as he stared at Saturo like a starving man would a feast, "Let me help you, let me save you, let me absolve you of your sins!"
Saturo took one last look at the boy before promptly turning around and leaving the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
Standing outside, Saturo was silent for a moment before glancing at Masamichi, "You could have at least given me a warning."
The principal grinned, "I could have, but it's not often you get to see the great Saturo Gojo taken by surprise, so why would I deprive myself of such an opportunity?"
Saturo clicked his tongue but decided to focus on a more pressing issue, "Whatever, now can you tell me what the hell is going on with that kid?"
"It's not a pretty story," Masamichi warned, but began to explain regardless, "His name is Kiniro, or at least that's what the members of the cult called him during interrogation."
"They all knew him?" Saturo questioned, and a grim look passed across Masamichi's face, "Worse, they worshipped him."
Saturo frowned as well, "They thought he was a god?"
"In a way," Masamichi nodded, "But it would be more accurate to say Kiniro was a tool. You see, the cult's doctrine said that any evil act, no matter the severity, could be forgiven and was acceptable as long as proper sacrifices and rituals were made before death."
"The Following of Absolution," Saturo muttered before scoffing, "So you had a bunch of criminals committing sins, yet they still feared the consequences their actions would enact on their immortal souls."
"Huh, if I didn't know better, I would say you read one of their brochures," Masamichi grunted, only for Saturo to shrug, "Cults, they're all one and the same, really."
"You're not wrong, but this time things were different," Masamichi muttered darkly, "This time by some miracle the bastards found Kiniro, born with an innate technique capable of absorbing cursed energy. He took on the role of Sin-Eater, and would literally devour the cursed energy of the entire congregation during sermons, which apparently feels like the best high you can imagine, judging from how much they raved about it."
"Judging by his eagerness to consume my cursed energy, I would say that feeling goes both ways." Saturo quipped, but neither man smiled, "Do we know how long Kiniro was involved in the cult?"
"No specific time frame, but most likely as long as he's been alive, given how oblivious he is about basic things and facts," Masamichi answered, making Saturo fall silent for a second as he thought everything through, "What happens to the cursed energy he devours, and is that the only function of his Technique?"
Masamichi shook his head, "We don't know. Kiniro has no idea about the true nature of cursed energy and seems to rely on pure instinct when feeding. However, we do know that he can absorb the cursed energy of anything he touches."
"Anything?" Saturo stressed, and Masamichi nodded, "The higher-ups had him tested. It seems that anything that can't control the cursed energy it's imbued with can be drained by him, Cursed Tools, Barriers, and, of course, the cursed energy of regular people. All are susceptible to his ability."
That alone was enough of a reason for the higher-ups to intervene; if Kiniro's ability to devour cursed energy was cultivated to the extreme, he could become the biggest threat to the stability of Jututsu society. But there was another factor at play, one that was most likely the only reason that Kiniro hadn't been disposed of just yet.
"What about his eyes?" Saturo asked, making Masamichi stiffen before he let out a short grunt, "I was hoping that you would say that the report had been wrong and there was no need for me to worry about a small civil war breaking out."
Saturo clicked his tongue in dismay, sharing Masamichi's tone, "So the clans already know about it, and are no doubt trying to come up with some way to grab the trait for themselves."
Masamichi nodded in agreement before pausing, staring intently at Saturo. "Tell me, compared to your six eyes…how powerful is he?"
Saturo reached up and pulled on the blindfold covering his eyes, playing with the fabric like a rubber band, "If we're being honest, depending on the full extent of his innate technique…I can see him becoming my equal."
Masamichi was quiet for a long moment before letting out a long sigh, "And just when things were starting to calm down."