Shikigami
"A what?" This isn't something you've heard of before.
Ryomen seems interested though.
"Is that this one's talent? Very impressive."
"A shikigami is a minor demon or spirit that Jujutsu sorcerers can form pacts with. They can be helpful in combat if you're able to form a union. They're strong, each possessing different abilities. Some can even be used to carry weapons and store them away for later, but that's alot more advanced. I just want to see if you can summon one for now. It's not easy to do. And only a few possess the innate talent for it."
"So, what makes you think I could be one of those people?" you ask, bewildered.
"The level of cursed energy you manifested earlier is more than enough to attract a shikigami's attention. I'd like to see you at least try."
Great, more demons. You sigh inwardly. Your new life was supposedly going to be full of monsters anyway. Might as well make friends with some more for good measure.
Fushiguro forms his hands together, fingers spreading apart on one, the other covering one side with his palm.
"Demon dog," he chants.
"White."
There's a cloudburst of energy to your left and a magnificent stark white dog emerges from the shadows.
"Oh! Here boy!" You clap your hands together and the beast turns to press his muzzle into your palms, panting happily with his idiot dog smile.
"I LOVE HIM! ARE THEY ALL CUTE? WHEN DO I GET ONE?" you demand.
Fushiguro chuckles at your enthusiasm.
"I'm afraid it's not guaranteed what species your shikigami will be. There's millions of them. And as far as when you get one...that'll be up to your own determination. Just like a wild animal, the shikigami have to get used to your cursed energy before they'll approach you willingly."
He holds his hand out, and the dog obediently places his head beneath it. You hold back another squeal, trying to be serious about having the opportunity to have a bond like that.
"You should know, this is highly dangerous. Some entities will attack you outright. You can always defend yourself and try to showcase your strength to them as well to prove that you would make a powerful ally. The contracts between shikigami and humans are for life, so be careful. The cursed energy you manifest will attract specific types that may desire to help you, or they could be the most eager to destroy you. It will be up to you to know the difference." he continues.
"And just how am I supposed to do that?" Demon dog's head was resting on his master's lap now. Your fingers scratch his belly rapidly, making his rear leg thump.
"Oh, my god, Fushiguro, how do you get anything done with this baby around!"
"Try to focus, ok? I've never taught anyone else how to do this."
The seriousness of his tone, snaps you back into reality. Why would he teach you but not any of the other students? Maybe your mishap with the corpse doll was more than a fluke.
"Sorry, what do I need to do?"
"You're going to be channeling that same cursed energy you were manifesting earlier. Essentially, your energy acts as bait. It will attract the attention of shikigami. What shows up depends on what triggers your cursed energy and how they see you."
"Whoa...Are you sure I should be doing something like this? What if we get something really violent in here?"
He leans to place a hand on the dog's head.
"That's why I summoned him. He won't let anything happen to us while he's here."
You allow yourself one more moment of "Who's a good boy? Yes it's you, you're the good boy!" before returning to your meditation pose.
"So...where should I put my cursed energy? I fried that doll pretty badly." I hope I don't get in trouble for that, you worry.
"Try to put it in the palm of your hand. Pretend you're offering something to a stray that you want to come to you. But keep in mind that whatever you entice may also want to eat your face," his casual tone is annoying. Your safety concerns are still on high alert.
"Gee, what an exciting first day this is," you say sarcastically.
"I remember when I got pantsed on the first day of 6th grade. Where did those easy days go?"
"Concentrate," he reminds you gently.
A minute passes. Then another. And another. You focus your mind on nothing but the darkness and your hand, pooling with the aura of your cursed energy.
You're feeling like giving up, your back aches already from the position. Why did all training have to be while sitting on your ass?
"Do you see anything?" You mutter to Fushiguro. He leans in, his voice just over your shoulder.
"Hold on just a little bit longer," he whispers, a bit closer to your ear than you expected him to be. A chill shivers across your skin.
"Your eyes will get used to the darkness, and the shapes will take form," he instructs.
Ryomen is getting as antsy as you are.
"These humans with their time wasting techniques! There are truly no good teachers left among the living."
"Got any better ideas?" you ask inwardly.
"I feel silly."
"Attracting a shadow beast by chance is nearly impossible. You've already encountered one and left an impression on it. Just reach out that one."
"I really don't recall-"
Before you can finish, your surroundings have changed yet again. You are now standing in the woods. The air smells heavily of pine and dirt, and when you shift your feet, you hear and feel the snap of twigs beneath you. A breeze moves the trees in a rising pitch. You can smell a storm coming soon.
"Ryomen...?" you call softly, knowing he must be near. But there is no response. Was this another one of his teaching methods? Your breathing turns labored as you trudge deeper through the woods, trying to stave off a panic attack. That had to be his goal, accessing your negative emotions again. But you had no clue how to channel that into Fushiguro's technique. Might as well see this through anyway. Again, you didn't seem to have any choice.
The sun is sinking lower, sending the last precious light vanishing from the sky. You try to remember how you made it out of these woods safely as a child, but the memory feels clouded. You remember looking at flowers and plants, cataloging them in a journal. Herbal medicine had then just become a new interest of yours, and you spent your afternoon registering local flora.
A crack of thunder nearly makes you leap out of your skin. The storm was getting closer. Wind furiously whipped the treetops into a raucous hiss. You growl with frustration. This was stupid! How are you supposed to learn from a memory that you can't even fully remember? Angry tears spill down your cheeks and your chin quivers.
A darkness falls upon you, too sudden for it to be the sky. Shakily, you look up. There's an enormous black shadow stooped over you, peering curiously at the stranger in the woods. Your breath catches, and the notebook you had been clutching falls to the earth, pages fluttering noisily in the breeze. The shadow turns its head to your notes. It appears to be reading them...
"Do...do you know the way out?" you ask in a tiny voice.
Mutely, the shadow stretches its neck impossibly long in a slow deliberate motion. Was it pointing?
"That way?" you take a few tentative steps. You feel the bulk of its body push you forward in a nudging manner. It was hurrying you.
"Ok, ok! I get it." Obediently you pick up your pace into a speed walk, following the shadow's directions. When your legs tire and you begin to lag behind, it rises up above you, lifting you from the ground by your shoulders. Dreamily, you float through the air, your feet not touching the forest floor.
A familiar clearing comes into view at last, the fields behind your grandparents' house. Gracelessly, your rescuer deposits you promptly to the ground. You tumble but are unharmed. Dazed by the fall, you try to turn back in time to catch a glimpse. Whatever it is, it's still hiding.
"Thank you," you awkwardly call back into the woods. There's a rustle, and then a flipping of pages as your journal lands at your feet, flung from the thick brush. You gather it in your hands, noting that one corner of the cover had been pierced and torn by something sharp.
.
.
.
You blink, your eyes readjusting to the dim lantern light of the Jujutsu Tech training room. You'd returned from the memory.
Grrrrrrrr...
Demon dog slinks low to the floor, whining and visibly shaking.
"Hey, is he alright?" you ask, your voice cracking with obvious concern. Fushiguro says your name quietly, then asks, "What the hell are you summoning?"
A very pressing aura fills the room. There's a hiss from the shadows, and the sound of movement. Flapping maybe?
"WHO?!" A booming voice fills the room, following a flurry of pitch black feathers.
"WHO?! WHO SUMMONS ME?! WHO DARES?!" an ear splitting screech nearly pierces your ear drums. Your hands frantically slap over the sides of your head to protect your ears. From the privacy of your mind Ryomen cheers for you,
"Congrats, love! You fucking did it!"
"WHAT DID I DO?!" you demand outloud.
Fushiguro grabs your hand and jerking you toward the door.
"This wasn't supposed to happen! We have barriers set up to prevent these levels of demons from being able to enter-"
"Well they clearly don't work!" Looking back over your shoulder, your stomach drops.
"What IS that?!" you scream.
"He's one of the Ancient class demons! An enormous three eyed owl who never sleeps. His name is-"
"STOLAS!" You turn on your heel, jerking Fushiguro to a stop.
No way...
You had summoned an Ancient demon. One that didn't have to be active in the human world for thousands of years, yet still held his place firmly in demonology.
"You know him?!" Now it was Fushiguro's turn to be outraged.
"Not exactly, I had met him as a kid. Ryomen suggest that I try to-"
"Who is Ryomen?! Wait," His eyes locked onto yours. "Do you mean..."
"SCREEEEE!" Another splitting shriek from the demon forces your attention back behind you.
"You summon me here and IGNORE ME?!" he screams.
"I'll grind your bones in my gizzard!" His head snakes out from his enormous black body, striking toward you with impossible quickness.
Ryomen's cursed energy floods into your body with a wave of intense heat. He grabs Fushiguro into your arms as if he were a bride, leaping both of you out of Stolas's path. Landing with ease, you meet Fushiguro's gaze. His expression is one of absolute shock. His mouth hangs open and his eyes are as big as plates.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I keep causing!" you want to apologize lamely, but Ryomen has complete control over you. Instead he gives his cheek a pinch, "Sit tight while we fix this little misunderstanding, alright?"
You hear Stolas hiss again with rage behind you. Demon dog had taken a chance with the Ancient class entity, and was losing miserably. Stolas was so much bigger than he was. There was a whimper as the dog was slung against the wall in a heap, crumpled by a swing of Stolas's long neck.
"Hey, bird boy!" Ryomen shouts, more than a little too loudly. Stolas's head swivels around 360 degrees to the sound of the taunting.
"Let's you and me settle an old score..."
"Is that...No. Ryomen Sukuna?!" Stolas bellows.
"In the flesh! Well, in a manner of speaking. You know how it is."
"You son of a thousand dogs..."
"Whoa now..." Ryomen holds up your hands.
"Believe it or not, this was an unavoidable accident. My vessel was seeking a shikigami partner."
"That human form you are in? That's who you mean?"
He squints his enormous golden eyes skeptically, all three of them.
"That is not what I was anticipating...The force and intensity of the energy I felt, it was not human."
"We had ourselves a happy marriage and are now of one flesh. So our energies are now becoming more entertwined. Soon they will be nearly indistinguishable."
"Ah, well, forgive me if I do not offer my congratulations on your nuptials. I still have the memory of you drunk on trying to ride on my back demanding I fly you through the air. You ruined that Lamas gathering."
"Hahaha! You what?! Like a fucking frat boy? Oh, my God!" you double over in laughter, unable to hold it back.
"Hey, that was a long, long time ago. I was still a kid!" Ryomen protests, using your mouth again.
"Don't try to lie to me, you were converged to your demonic form after you were a full adult human."
"I meant a kid at heart," he grumbles.
"And let's not forget the Beltane bonfire fiasco."
"Well, you know me whenever there's booze and nudity-"
"WHICH IS PRECISELY WHY YOU WERE NOT INVITED! NO ONE WANTED YOU THERE!" Stolas roared.
You resort back to talking to Ryomen privately, "Jeez, you weren't lying about not being popular."
"That is NOT what I said!" he protests.
"Why don't you let me try?" you offer, stepping forward with your palms facing outwards, a sign of supplicant peace. You hope.
"I'm sorry for having disturbed you, Ancient One Stolas. I would like to speak for myself now." You hold your breath, hoping you sound submissive and reverent.
"Hmmm, the human vessel...Why is it that your energy seems familiar?"
"I...I think we have met before...I would have been much younger. And alone in the woods. I believe it was you who found me and led me out safely."
His head sweeps in closer, eyeing you carefully. His coal black feathers ruffle in recognition.
"...Yes. A child crying in a forrest. I do remember this. You were terrified of me, but did not run. A brave little thing you were," the owl muses.
"I am apprenticing to be a Jujutsu sorcerer. I accidentally summoned you with my own memory of our meeting."
"Ahaha! 'By accident' you say," He flaps his wings and stretches his curved beak in what nearly looks like amusement.
"It was no accident...Your energy was what drew me to you as a child...You were lost in those woods because you were studying plants. You are a scientist at heart. I can see your desire for knowledge has not ebbed with your age. You and I may be destined for a shikigami union. Though it has been a thousand years since my last... " he dips his head in thought.
"What glorious days they were..."
"It would be my honor and privilege to have you at my assistance in my studies..." you say, choosing your words carefully.
Stolas turns his three golden eyes back at you. He spreads his wings open, casting long shadows against the brick of the floor. The shadows contort, twisting until they form two dark hands. The fingers curl in together, touching at the fingertips to form two circles. Then the poinger fingers extend up. The shape is unmistakable, it's an owl.
"This will be our sign. You may call upon me when you need my knowledge. My assistance will not be in battle, however. I will only help you with your studies. Violence has never sat well upon my palette."
"I understand," you bow your head respectfully.
"I will not abuse our agreement. Thank you, Stolas."
There is no sound when he vanishes, just another flurry of his black feathers left scattering to the floor. You hear Fushiguro call your name softly.
"Oh!" you turn around, feeling embarassment for some reason. Fushiguro is sitting on the floor with his mouth hanging open. And beside him with the door swung open wide stands Satoru Gojo...
"Well, I see your training has already been paying off, despite deviating from your assignments." Gojo doesn't sound offended, or even surprised.
"And where have you been?!" you demand. "I was watching movies for like six hours! Plus I'm pretty sure we narrowly just escaped becoming owl pellets."
"Practice is important," he answers casually.
"It looks like it paid off. I saw what you did to that cursed corpse doll. Principal Masamichi is going to get a kick out of it when I show him. And establishing an alliance with an Ancient class shikigami too? Man, I am going to get some major kudos for recruiting you!"
He unshoulders a garment bag he had been carrying.
"Speaking of, this is for you! I hope you like your school uniform."
You take it, unzipping the side and revealing a deep blue fabric.
"Oh, it's ... a skirt."
"Is something wrong?" He tilts his head to the side in concern, but the smile twisting at the corner of his mouth was a sign he knew exactly what the problem was.
"I...don't usually wear skirts. I would've asked for pants actually."
You're trying to sound neutral without panicking. Normally, this was something you would wear around the house only. You're supposed to be training to fight. So are they expecting you to fight in a mini skirt? The thought seems so impractical. Also, a skirt would mean Ryomen would have more access to your body. That would be a disaster in an emergency.
"Well, this was our only only one left here on site. Normally we put the orders in before the semester begins. Since you're a latecomer, and because they don't take orders for a single uniform at a time, we have to make due."
So much for preferences, you think sourly.
"You've trained alot today, I'm sure you're ready to call it a night. Fushiguro, you can both head back to your dorms." With that, Gojo waves his farewell without a second glance, leaving you and a still-flustered Fushiguro behind in the now destroyed training hall.
You turn to him, readying yet another an apology. "I'm really sorry about-"
"How the fuck do you know Stolas? No, how the fuck do you know how to purify your cursed energy to attract an ancient class demon?! Answer that first." He's right in front of you, hands blocking you against the wall on either side of your shoulders. His eyes drill you studiously.
"I...I just do what Ryomen tells me," you squeak.
That probably wasn't what you should've said...
"When you say Ryomen...you mean Sukuna, don't you?" Fushiguro asks. You nod, unable to keep hiding your secrets.
"So...you both talk alot? And he seems to be teaching you cursed techniques?"
"...Yes."
"Are you in an alliance with Sukuna?" he demands.
"I...What?" Your stomach drops.
"Just what exactly do you think it is we do here? We exorcise and remove curses and spirits. Why are you fraternizing with a special grade curse to begin with?"
Ryomen's voice rumbles in your head, deep and deadly,
"He is really pushing his luck..."
You feel his strength in your hand as it reaches for Fushiguro. Faster than he can react, Ryomen reverses your stances, pinning the sorcerer against the wall instead.
"If you'd rather I fraternize with you instead, all you need to do is say so, Megumi-chan." Ryomen threatens, his hand still pressed tightly to Fushiguro's chest. You can feel his heart slamming beneath your palm.
"In any case," Ryomen continues,
"How is a communion with a curse any different than your own shikigami technique? Maybe that's why we're so good at it. Had you considered that?"
Your hand places a finger lightly over Megumi's lips,
"Don't be such a hypocrite. I can be your friend too if you play your cards right."
"Uhh...Ryomen? I think you're terrifying him," you speak silently from your subconscious.
Or, maybe he wasn't.
Fushiguro's face was pink and he hadn't moved a muscle since being pinned. Why didn't he say anything? And what was with that expression?
A deep growl from behind you alerts you that his demon dog is still close by. Sensing his master's unease, he had slunk out from his hiding place finally.
"You and I can pick this up another time. We'll manage the walk back alone, don't worry." Ryomen pats his shoulder amicably, softening your expression before leaving.
"Until next time, Megumi-chan."