Jujutsu Kaisen: The Forgotten Clan
Chapter 14- Scariest Place on Earth, Day 1
After introducing myself to the class, I sit down. Yaga starts talking.
"As you all can tell, there are seven of you present in this room. Four first-year students and three second-year students…to be honest, we were not expecting our newest batch of students to exceed two. Then we have our two third years and four fourth years."
I can't help but wonder, why we are getting the low-down on how many students are present at Jujutsu Tech. After ten minutes of re-orientation, Yaga tells us why the seven of us are gathered.
"A mission has been assigned to you from the Elders. Here are the details."
We are each handed a pile of debriefing papers with the following information:
Mission Location: Tokyo Disneyland
Reason for Mission: Five to seven civilians disappeared over three months; no signs of the individuals have been recovered; all are presumed dead or seriously injured
Primary Mission Objective: Recover the civilians, bring them back to Jujutsu Tech (dead or alive)
Secondary Mission Objective: Exorcise any curses encountered at the park
Sorcerers Assigned to the Mission: Geto Suguru, Gojo Satoru, Santa-Clara Lithuila, Nanami Kento, Ijichi Kiyotaka, and Haibara
Points of Contact: TBD
Expected Turn Around Time: Two days
There are pictures of some civilians attached to the debrief notes. By the looks of it, most of the civilians are between eighteen and twenty-seven.
"Um, there are seven of us here. Why isn't Shoko listed?" I ask Yaga.
"I don't go on missions that frequently. I stay on campus to hone my Reverse-Curse technique skills." Shoko responds with a casual attitude.
"Since Shoko can heal others using Reverse Curse Technique, it is vital that she remain safe on campus grounds. We never know what type of enemy is coming and what damage they can do to sorcerers." Yaga states in a way that sounds like he is hiding something.
I shrug my shoulders and take the information that is given to me. Personally, it makes sense to have Shoko out in the field to deliver first-aid on the spot. This way the likely hood of a sorcerer dying from an injury is reduced.
"We don't have to worry too much, newbie. After all, you can use a Reverse-Curse technique and will be with us. Do me a favor, and don't be too rough if I need healing. Ok?" Satoru feeling cheeky and playful. Suguru gives him a stern look.
"I can't make any guarantees of not being too rough." I give a smile to Satoru while saying thing this.
"Alright, Santa-Clara and Gojo, leave each other alone. You have the debrief papers, a timeline, and half of you are acquainted with each other. Since Gojo and Geto are second years, they will be responsible for assigning tasks and forming groups."
Everyone but Shoko and Yaga head out to the front of the school. There are two black cars, each with a driver. We split ourselves up, three students per car, I ride along with Geto and bowl cut dude. Since the ride from campus to Disneyland is roughly two hours (with traffic), I start reading the book Miss Apple gave me for my birthday: A Cat's Journey to the Center of the Universe.
"You mentioned you speak French? How did you learn it? And what book are you reading? What is with the tattoos on your wrists?" I hear bowl cut dude making small talk.
"Haibara, how about we leave Blaze alone."
"Nah, it is alright. I learned French from my parents and lived in Canada for several years. French is the second official language of Canada, easier for me to communicate in than English or Japanese, and I find the language beautiful. As to your second question, I am reading 'A Cat's Journey to the Center of the Universe.' It is a sixteenth birthday gift and a coming-of-age story from the perspective of a house cat."
I geek out when I explain my fascination with the French language. Heck, at some point in my life, I am going to study or work in France.
"And the tattoos?" Haibara does not ask this out loud, but I can tell from the look on his face that he wants the backstory of my wrist tattoos. Not sure what Suguru is thinking.
"The butterflies symbolize the growth I have undergone the past eight years. This is all you need to know." I share as little information as possible given the true meaning(s) behind my ink. Thankfully, both of my peers pick up on this and we continue our ride in silence. I fall asleep when we hit traffic.
Two and a Half Hours Later
"Santa-Clara. Get up, we have arrived at Disneyland." The individual who drove us shakes me awake.
"What! Oh, right." I am half asleep while stepping out of the car. It takes some effort for me to get my bearings straight and walk over to where my peers are huddled up. I give a wave to the five individuals as they turn and look at me.
"Glad you decided to join us, newbie. Suguru and I were deciding how we should split up and are waiting for…aha, here they come."
A woman and a man, dressed in business attire are walking towards my peers and me. They must be the park managers or owners based on how they carry themselves and their attire. The man starts talking first.
"Splendid, you must be the group of individuals dispatched to investigate the park. You may call me Sir Shingo and my wife Madam Shingo . We assume you are aware of why we hired you all?" We shake our heads in agreement with what Sir Shingo is saying. He continues talking.
"Wonderful. Now, we have decided not to close the park for today and ask each of you to do an initial investigation during normal park hours. This is to help us decide where we should focus our resources and closures. I have been informed by your superiors you have two days to investigate. Should your services be needed for a longer period, I have the means to do so." Madam Shingo nods her head in agreement and starts speaking.
"What my husband is trying to say, we want you all to be discreet and efficient with your investigation. It would be bad for business if we had to close the park again and kindly ask you to keep all information between us, your superiors, and each other."
Why keep the park open? It would be easier for us to locate cursed spirits with a barrier and no civilians in the way. Are we spending the night at the park? How are we to remain discreet when the six of us are dressed in all-black school uniforms?
"Yong man with the curly hair, are you lost in thought?" This coming from Sir Shingo. I have not realized he is talking to me until I notice all eyes are on me.
"First off, I am a woman, not a man. Thank you. Second off, how are we supposed to discreetly gather information when the six of us stick out because of our uniforms? Also, do you expect us to spend the night at the park?"
"Excellent questions. Osamu here, the head of security, will explain everything back at security headquarters. The Park is opening, and I have meetings to attend. Should anything come up, Osamu will tell you how to get a hold of me."
Sir Shingo waves goodbye and takes his wife with him. My classmates and I follow Osamu into the park. We pass through the park gates and into the main street area: there are souvenir shops on either side of the street, the smell of sugar and salt fills the air, and there is a giant holiday tree in the middle of the street. After reaching the holiday tree, the group takes a sharp left, into an alleyway.
The alleyway is wedged between a fudge shop and an arcade hall. We come upon a three-story building at the end of the alleyway, this must be security headquarters. Once inside the building, we descend a flight of stairs into a holding place: there are three jail cells and a small office at the end of the holding area.
Osamu stops suddenly, causing a chain reaction of bumping into each other. Being second to last in line, I hit Nanami's back and another security guard stops short of running into me. Osamu turns around and addresses us all. The second security guard excuses himself as he passes by the group.
"This is where we keep visitors who are a nuisance, break the law, or find themselves in trouble. My office is right in front of us and holds security footage of the park. I expect you lot to report back here at the park's closing, take these."
We are handed security badges, park passes, and casual clothing. Three maps are distributed along with walkie-talkies. Osamu continues talking.
"Since there are six of you, I suggest splitting up into teams of two: each group takes a map and a walkie-talkie. The walkie-talkies are to be used on an as-need basis to contact security personal. Use your cell phones to contact each other.
I am sorting through sleeping arrangements and will have them set by the time we debrief. Feel free to enjoy the park as you see fit. But remember, you are here to find the missing patrons. I highlighted the areas where the patrons were last seen."
Osamu turns around and enters his office. My comrades and I look at each other in silence before we head back up the stairs. Once inside the alleyway, we exchange phone numbers and have a quick debrief. Satoru is the first to speak.
"I will be partnering up with my friend, Geto. The four of you can split yourselves up as you see fit. We will meet back here at five to compare notes. If you have something to say, save it for later." It looks like someone is itching for adventure.
"Well, I am teaming up with Nanami! We started at Jujutsu Tech together and have worked with each other before!" This coming from Haibara.
"What do you have to say, newbie?" Satoru staring at me and trying to get under my skin.
"I would rather work by myself, but I would feel uncomfortable leaving Ijichi by himself. Since everyone else is teamed up, we will see you all back here at five. Come now." I address Ijichi with a smile and he seems grateful. Before leaving the alleyway, I turn around and look Satoru in the eyes and say…
"By the way, my name is Blaze, not newbie. Get it right."
After changing and grabbing water, Ijichi and I head off to our first destination. There is silence between us, and I am not complaining. A few minutes into our walk, he starts talking.
"Thank you."
"For what, may I ask?"
"Standing up for me against Gojo. He can be a handful for all of us at Jujutsu Tech and seems to pick on me more than others."
We arrive at Space Mountain and are greeted with a long line of people. I continue the conversation with Ijichi.
"Do me a favor and stand up straight. Put your head in a neutral position with your hands to your sides, like this." I am teaching Ijichi a few techniques to help boost his self-esteem. He seems capable of being a strong sorcerer, but something is holding him back. Our lesson is cut short by…
"Hey, the line is moving. Come on!" A patron telling us to move forward.
Once inside the Space Mountain building, a cool breeze blows through the environment. That and something sinister hovering in the air: the feeling of death. Osamu had circled Space Mountain twice on the map, and now I understand why. Something is hiding here.
After buckling into our seats and making sure our belongings were properly stored, Ijichi and I were in for a wild ride. Everything started well and good: the rollercoaster took off and ascended a steep incline, then landed gently at the top of the incline, only to pick up speed at the first turn. As the coaster went down a steep dive, it stopped suddenly…in the middle of a nosedive. A few riders start complaining.
"Again, with the mechanical issues? I thought the ride was fixed and ready to go!"
"I don't like this feeling of being suspended in mid-air."
"Hey, I can see the tracks by looking straight ahead. It is like I can almost touch them. Rad man."
"I think I am going to be sick, mommy."
"Baba, Baba, Blaze." Ijichi is trying to get my attention. I turn and face him…it is pitch black and I can't make out his facial expressions.
"Yes. What is up?"
"I think there is something in here…I am not sure what it is. It feels heavy, strong, sinister, and it is creeping me out. We need to come back later." He sounds terrified and I want him to calm down. I have an idea of what is hiding and where it is located. The ride starts back up causing me to whip in my seat.
After five minutes, the ride comes to a final downhill turn and a flashing light goes off. When Ijichi and I dismount the ride and walk through the space-themed souvenir shop, I see monitors displaying pictures of riders. I point this out to Ijichi, and we head to the monitors to see our pictures: my eyes are partially closed, and my nose is scrunched up. Ijichi's hands are covering his eyes, and his mouth is opened wide.
I check my phone and see a text message from Satoru…he also called three times without leaving a message. My partner in crime and I head over to Alice's Tea Party. Once we arrive, I spot Satoru and Suguru sitting at a table.
"Hey, what is the urgency?" My neck is a bit stiff from the whiplash of Space Mountain. More people are starting to gather in the park.
"I want to switch partners. You and me Blaze. Suguru, you take four eyes. And why are you standing up straight?"
"If you must know, I taught Ijichi how to carry himself with more confidence. Unlike you, some of us had to teach ourselves to be more comfortable with who we are. If you want to fight me on this point, I am all ears."
"Satoru, there are nicer ways to communicate your needs. And don't rip Blaze to shreds with your antics. Come along Ijichi, where would you like to go next?" Suguru gets up from the table and walks off with Ijichi.
I keep my distance from Satoru and break the silence between us.
"Would you like to ride the Teacups since we are here?"
"Why not." The only response I get from him.
Once seated in a light blue teacup, I wait for the ride to start before chatting with Satoru. We start spinning in a clockwise circle with music blasting around us.
"I read the note you left on my door last night. Care to explain when and where the meeting will take place?" There is no sarcasm or hostility in my voice.
"That I am not sure of. Besides, I am not the one who left the note on your door. My grandfather most likely left it. I think the two of you will get along well. What did you and Ijichi find at Space Mountain?" He is direct and serious in his response. There is also a huge grin adorning his face.
"There is at least one curse and a body. It was pitch black and I did not take the time to scan the area thoroughly. I am going back there tonight to investigate." I am keeping my voice down to avoid scaring other riders.
"Very good. And if you think you are going back there alone…" He does not finish his sentence and the ride has stopped.
We get off the ride and walk along the main drag to the merry-go-round. I am in awe of the sights, sounds, and smells of the park.
"What is with the sparkle in your eyes? You look like a kid in a candy store." Satoru asks with curiosity.
"I have never been to an amusement park before and having fun. Something I have not experienced in five years." There is a sense of excitement in my voice. Satoru seems indifferent with my response but gives me a half-grin anyway.
After riding the merry-go-round twice, going down Splash Mountain once, and riding the Haunted Mansion, I look at my watch and see it is five-o-clock. Satoru and I head to our designated meeting spot. We are the first to arrive.
"I am surprised to see you on time for something, Gojo." The blonde sorcerer named Nanami says this. He turns his attention to me and says,
"Allow me to properly introduce myself, I Nanami Kento. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Blaze." He gives me a small bow and a smile.
"Thank you." I am exhausted at this point and have an unsettling feeling in my stomach. Off in the distance, I sense something dead and animated. Suguru and Ijichi arrive five minutes behind Kento and Haibara. Suguru stands next to Satoru and starts talking.
"Thank you everyone for making it on time. What do we have to report so far?"
I have fixed my eyes to the roof of the security office building. There is something there and it is crouched in a fetal position. I start answering Suguru.
"There is at least one body and a curse in Space Mountain, if not more. The moment I stepped foot inside the building, an overwhelming presence of cursed energy hit me. The ride also stopped due to mechanical issues." Ijichi nods in agreement with everything I said. I continue with my notes.
"Haunted Mansion needs a revisit too. There was a curse, but it may have moved." (Not to mention the animated dead creature is near the Haunted Mansion too. I keep this part to myself.)
"What else did we find today?" Suguru getting the others to share their findings. Haibara is convinced there is something at the Jungle Cruise, while Kento feels differently. Of all the rides we have been on so far, the only attraction none of us have dared to ride yet is, It's a Small World.