…

They released me from the hospital the morning after my conversation with the jujutsu sorcerer.

I wasn't surprised that I was already fine after the hospital treated me. Avalon always kept me in perfect health and healed many of my injuries—like the force of Caladbolg's blast—in a single night, but I don't have that level of healing anymore. The information I obtained from that vision revealed it could only heal severe wounds when Saber was near me. Now that I was in a different world, I couldn't rely on it because my connection with Saber was gone.

Avalon's passive healing kept me from succumbing to my wounds after the fight, but if Nanami hadn't brought me to the hospital, I'd be dead again.

While dormant, it could only prevent me from getting sick and help mend my injuries quicker than normal humans, so I had to be more careful about the injuries I sustained.

…

The blond-haired sorcerer gave me his card with his phone number to call him after the hospital cleared me.

Oddly enough, the card he gave me was a business card even though he was supposedly a sorcerer fighting cursed spirits.

Maybe it was a cover for jujutsu work? His attire seemingly matched the business theme he had going for him.

Contacting Nanami with the doctor's phone was no trouble after I got a crash course—from the doctor—on how these futuristic phones worked.

I waited outside the hospital as the early morning sun enveloped my form. The slight chill from the morning breeze made me faintly rub my arm.

I didn't have any clothes, except my undergarments and the hospital gown. My original attire was deemed too damaged and unfitting for a teenager to be walking around in by the hospital staff, so they threw it away. Honestly, wearing those battle-torn clothes would have been better than a hospital gown out in the cold.

I didn't trace myself any clothes because it would be hard to explain where I got them when I was in the hospital the whole time.

Nanami said he would have a pair of clothes ready for me when he arrived, so it wasn't completely terrible.

…

"He said he'd be here a few minutes ago." I endured the chilly weather outside to look for signs of a car pulling up.

…

Vroom

The sound of a car's engine rapidly made its way to the front of the hospital.

A black 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe parked by the hospital's sidewalk welcomed me. I wasn't very knowledgeable in vehicles except for motorcycles—because I tinkered with Fujimura Raiga's motorcycles—but I could tell the car was nice by this future's standards.

I spotted Nanami and the figure of another person waiting by the car.

He was a tall, bespectacled middle-aged man adorned in a black manager suit and tie. My savior's associate had slightly sunken cheeks and black hair covering his head, parting across his forehead. His attire and general appearance gave me the impression of a weary office manager.

He greeted me, "Hello Emiya-kun, I've heard about you from Nanami-san. My name is Kiyotaka Ichiji."

Answering in kind, I said, "Nice to meet you, Kiyotaka-san."

"Please call me Ichiji."

"Alright, Ichiji-san."

"Let's depart." Nanami interrupted us before we took too much time.

After exchanging pleasantries, we all sat in the car and drove to Tokyo Jujutsu Tech.

As the car passed through the streets of Tokyo, I rolled down the right-side window to take in all its sights and attractions. Tokyo looked much more advanced than Fuyuki City: with its extra decade worth of technology and culture. The scenery was a bit jarring, seeing new trends, hearing different types of music, and seeing exotic clothing styles, but seeing how far humans progressed in a decade was breathtaking.

The cityscape faded as we drove further into the mountains on the outskirts of Tokyo. An overabundance of trees greeted me as I looked out the open car window.

…

We stopped near a parking lot by a tree-covered hill and exited the car.

When Nanami stepped out, he handed me a white plastic bag and said, "Here. You can get changed in the car. We'll wait outside when you're finished."

...

I came out in a plain black shirt, straight blue jeans, and my original pair of black running shoes. Nanami purchased these garments on such short notice, yet they vaguely resembled my old color scheme as a kid.

It was weird that the clothes fit me so well, but I had to give props to Nanami for picking the perfect size.

...

We traveled up the rest of the mountain using the path laid out. The greenery gradually faded to reveal a broad campus of traditional Japanese-styled buildings. Tokyo Jujutsu Tech looked more like a Buddhist temple than a place to train fighters that exorcised manifestations of humanity's negative emotions.

Now that I think about it, why didn't I see these buildings earlier?

As if reading my mind, Nanami said, "If you're wondering why you didn't notice it until now, Tengen-sama, a jujutsu sorcerer, maintains a protective barrier that hides the school from prying eyes."

What is he, an esper?

Ichiji explained further, "The barrier keeps the outside world from finding this place, but it becomes useless when you already know its location."

It sounded similar to bounded fields. I wonder if I'd be able to make them. My magecraft skills focused on swords and blades, and most magecraft branches Tohsaka tried to teach me alluded me. My skills as a jujutsu sorcerer will likely be much the same, but there is the chance that I could have a broader skillset. Jujutsu and cursed energy may operate with different rules from magecraft, so my sword element and origin might not limit my capabilities as a jujutsu sorcerer.

Nanami split off from us to report to the head of the school, while Ichiji and I headed to an administrative building where I would officially enroll. I filled out several papers regarding my age, education level, and circumstances.

…

"Ichiji-san, I finished. Is that all I have to do?"

Ichiji answered, "No, you still have to meet with Principal Masamachi Yaga. He'll interview you to decide whether you can become a part of the school. You also need to know the basic rules and regulations. First …"

After Ichiji explained all the jujutsu regulations, we headed to the center of the temple-like institution.

We entered and passed through a courtyard surrounded by several Japanese-style temple buildings. Each had ivory walls, dark cedar wood floors and support, and jet black roof tiles.

We set foot into the largest building in the courtyard. Inside, several wooden pillars made a straight path from the doorway to the interior. A lit candle lamp was in each column, giving the inside light a yellowish-orange hue. At the far end of the building's interior, I spotted Nanami standing by a man sitting crossed-legged on the wooden floor. Surrounding the unfamiliar man were—

Several cute-looking puppets?

He tilted his head towards us and spoke, "Ah, Ichiji. I assume this is the boy?"

Ichiji pushed his glasses to his nose and replied, "Yes, he was the one Nanami-san found with the finger."

My face contorted in confusion.

Wait, finger? I thought this was about the interview.

The man I presumed to be Principal Yaga stared at me with a stony expression. He was a well-built man, a bit taller than Nanami. His body filled out an all-black outfit—a zipped-up shirt, pants, and shoes. Spiky-black hair laid atop his head with his hair shaved on the sides. Black-tinted shades covered his eyes from view, and a set of facial hair rested below his nose and upon his defined chin as a mustache and goatee, giving him a rugged look. Overall, he gave an imposing visage.

...

So, this was the man in charge of this place.

I bowed as I greeted him, "I'm Emiya Shirou. It's a pleasure to meet you, Principal Yaga."

"So, you're a polite one, huh?" He replied as he stood up to a full six-foot and three inches. His towering figure cast a shadow over me as he approached me.

He leaned closer to my face and asked, "What do you know about Sukuna's fingers?"

Fingers?

The only thing that came to mind was—

20 fingers. Red and Grotesque.

A shadowy figure with four arms and a malicious gr—

"Hey!"

"—Huh?"

"Are you okay, kid? You spaced out there for a second."

"Eh, yeah. I'm fine."

That vision, was it from back then?

"So, mind telling me how you came into possession of one of Sukuna's fingers?"

"I don't know what these fingers are or how I came into contact with one. All I remember when I came to was seeing Nanami-san and him muttering something about a finger."

Principal Yaga peered at my face as if trying to see through any deceit. But he would find nothing. I couldn't lie if I didn't know what these fingers were or why they thought I had something to do with them. Although, with that vision, something tells me that those fingers are bad news if that malevolent shadow was any indication.

He backed off and hummed, "I see you aren't lying. But to encounter a Sukuna finger without knowing its existence... You must have some terrible luck."

Tell me about it.

"So ... why are they so important?"

From the side, Ichiji stepped forward as he pressed his glasses to his nose. The light glinted off his glasses and obscured his eyes as he explained, "Sukuna's fingers are what you call a cursed object. They draw other curses to their vicinity and endanger humans nearby. Sukuna was originally a jujutsu sorcerer and the strongest during the Golden Era of Jujutsu—where the average sorcerer was much stronger than today. He's an evil being who relished in his power and terrorized the world. It took the full might of the jujutsu sorcerers of the past to try to defeat him. He became a cursed spirit after death, but his curse was too powerful for his body to be destroyed, leaving his 20 fingers to grow in power throughout the ages. Should Sukuna be revived, it would spell trouble for the entire world."

"Sukuna can be revived? How?"

This time Nanami answered, "If someone were to consume one of his fingers, there's a chance he could take control of their body to obtain the rest."

…

I took it all in. One of these fingers was with me when Nanami found me by the abandoned docks, and that shadowy figure I saw in the Root must have been Sukuna.

Principal Yaga spoke, "Now, with that out of the way. I'm here to interview you and assess your character: to see if you qualify for my school."

"How are you going to do that?"

"It's simple. Just answer this question: why do you want to become a jujutsu sorcerer?"

…

I looked down at my feet, pondering his question.

…

Why did I want to become one?

It wasn't that I wanted to, but I had to. If I didn't, I'd be allowing people to die without doing anything about it, and I couldn't do that. I promised Kiritsugu and Archer I would see their dream, my dream, to its end.

...

Being in this world was also my third chance at life. I've already died once to Lancer, and I thought it was over when the Grail swallowed me. I was lucky that I was only transported to another world instead of something worse—like being stuck in the Grail with no way out.

I can't allow myself to waste this opportunity.

…

I lived my life having no regrets.

I strived to be someone who saves those in front of me.

I would never regret any of it, no matter what. But I still had the same desire, something I remembered after coming here in this new world. It was—

.

.

.

I looked up and stared at the principal. My face grew solemn and resolute as his stern visage reflected in my ocher-colored eyes.

...

My lips slightly opened but hesitated to utter the word, wondering if it was okay for me to desire it.

...

§̶̼̗̜͇͎̓̍̉̆͛†̶̛̼̗̘̙̠͂̉͂̐å̶̢̖̙̹̥͛̀͆̀́†̷͇̱͎̱̣̃͋͊̕͝ï̷̠̬͎̥̠̓̀̎͐̐¢̵̢̨̝̳̺̅̾̉̉̎

.

.

.

A memory not my own invaded my mind.

It was something that couldn't happen, not in my world.

...

The circumstances at the end were too different because I was no longer there.

Yet the meaning behind it stayed the same.

"I'll try my best from now on, too."

I see, so it was the same for him too, huh?

My features gradually softened into a faint smile.

Yes, it was—

"Happiness."

…

He was silent for a moment, but then the corners of his lips curved upwards, almost imperceivable to the eye.

"That's some splendid resolve. You pass. Welcome to Tokyo Jujutsu Tech."

Third-Person PoV

After the interview question, Ichiji led Shirou out of the room to the student dorms.

As they exited the doorway, Yaga turned to Nanami and spoke in a lower tone, "Did you find anything?"

"No."

"Nothing?" Nanami shook his head in response.

"How's that possible?"

"He doesn't exist."

"Hmm?" The principal's right eyebrow rose slightly.

The blond-haired sorcerer pushed his green-tinted glasses up his nose as he continued, "He's a complete unknown. No one knows who he is or what his origins are. We only know his name, age, and appearance, but that was all discovered when I brought him to the hospital."

…

The cursed puppet user mulled over Nanami's words before saying, "The higher-ups already know about his involvement with Sukuna's finger. With the news that he wasn't just some ordinary non-sorcerer before the finger, they'll become suspicious and want to have someone observe him: to see if his existence does anything to threaten their positions."

…

Nanami's face became thoughtful after Yaga's remark, though his outward expression didn't change much.

He didn't have a very high opinion of the higher-ups, but he followed their rules and orders even if he didn't like them. And he could already guess his next one. He'd fulfill it meticulously to the letter. Despite the higher-ups' original intent to prove that boy's supposed offense, he'd treat him justly.

And though he'd never admit it, he was slightly partial to those who thanked him.

Nanami refocused on the Principal of Jujutsu Tech's words as he continued, "We confirmed he was unaware of the finger and has no bad intentions, but that doesn't mean anything to them. Because we don't know anything about him, the higher-ups will think he's a wildcard, someone better left dead than alive. I agree with them that we need more information, so you'll be in charge of monitoring his actions. Get enough evidence to prove his goals align with Tokyo Jujutsu Tech. In the meantime, supervise his training and his first few missions. Make sure he can at least defend himself until you prove he's harmless to the school."

The 7:3 jujutsu sorcerer looked more resolved than before as he readily replied, "Yes, of course."

"Good, then everything is settled."

Shirou PoV

After the interview with the principal, Ichiji brought me to the dorms for my room.

Dark spruce wood covered the floors and walls of the dorms. The shoji—a Japanese sliding door—separated each room from the hallway.

The dorms were similar to the rooms at my old house, so I adapted effortlessly.

I didn't have anything to unpack, so there wasn't much to do either.

The only thing left was to check if I could use mana here. With all the recent revelations keeping me preoccupied, I didn't have time to try until now.

…

Huff

Breathing in and out, I took a second to calm myself.

…

The gun's hammer came down as the signal of my mental trigger.

Familiar energy flowed into my body and limbs.

I smiled as I muttered, "It worked."

…

Now that the Grail War was over, I could follow Archer's advice: to train my magical circuits daily to increase my output and reach his level. With that much mana, I could—

Thud

A knock resounded on my door, interrupting my thoughts.

It opened to reveal the figure of Nanami, the man who saved me.

Surprised, I asked, "Hello, Nanami-san, is there something you need?"

"Yes, I'm here to start your training ... Unless you need time to rest?"

I quickly responded, "No, no! I'm ready to start."

He turned and walked away as he said, "Good, follow me. We're going to the dojo."

-A few minutes later-

The floor had the same design as the other buildings in Tokyo Jujutsu Tech—made of polished dark wood. The dojo's shoji doors allowed the afternoon sun to pass through the lattice screens.

I sat on the floor, with my legs tucked under my knees, facing forward.

Nanami faced me and stood at the ready.

He nodded once he saw I settled down and started to speak,

"First, focus on any of your experiences that invoke negative emotions. You use that as a trigger to channel cursed energy, but to have proper control over cursed energy, you can't express them through it. In other words, you need control over your emotions to control cursed energy.

To improve your flow, you must think it exists everywhere in your body, not in a single part, which helps improve the strength of your techniques and cursed energy.

Raw cursed energy is hard to use, so most sorcerers use it as a power source for cursed techniques. It's common to coat cursed energy on weapons and one's body for offense and defense. The greater the cursed energy application, the more versatile the sorcerer.

Cursed energy is also a general indicator of the strength of a cursed spirit or jujutsu sorcerer, which means the more cursed energy, the stronger the user. It helps track your opponent in a jujutsu battle to predict their next move, but this doesn't always equate to their threat level. For example, a sorcerer's physical abilities and skills could exceed their cursed energy, making them dangerous and unpredictable. Their cursed technique could also be devastating depending on its abilities."

…

I see.

So cursed energy was versatile, working as a defense similar to reinforcement but as a shield rather than making one's body more durable.

The coating of weapons caught my attention. I could use it to make all my blades effective against curses.

And the tracking bit seemed worthwhile too. It'll help me keep track of my opponent's attacks and movements, making fighting easier. But it could also be a detriment, so I shouldn't rely on it.

I'd have to remember that warning about opponents with more skill than cursed energy and troublesome curse techniques.

…

Now to use my cursed energy, I needed to control my emotions.

And to improve my flow, Nanami said to think that cursed energy exists everywhere in me.

Then, I should have no problem.

In kyūdō, I emptied my mind and gave my whole being to hit the target.

To get the result I wanted, I had to envision myself as one with cursed energy, similar to how I did with the act of shooting an arrow.

In magecraft, I had to focus and block out any unnecessary thoughts and emotions.

For cursed energy, it was much the same.

…

I cleared my mind and immersed myself in the negative feelings in my being.

The feelings I conjured brought forth images in my mind.

I saw—

Clouds of smoke and a world of flames.

Everything was burning, and everyone was crying.

There was no escape.

It could only be called hell.

…

I delved inward, deeper into the negativity, and saw—

An immeasurable gulf I could never reach.

It was a distance that spanned between worlds.

At its end were the teary-eyed faces of those I cherished.

.

.

.

I did it. I could feel it.

The bluish aura with black outlines erupted around my body and covered my form.

…

So this was my cursed energy.

"This is ..." Nanami's surprised tone reached my ears.

He must have sensed my breakthrough.

"What? Is there something wrong?"

He peered into my eyes again and said, "No, it's just I didn't expect your cursed energy reserves to be this great."

"Is that good?"

"Yes. Cursed energy is one of the main aspects that define the strength of a sorcerer. The others are talent, experience, techniques, and cursed energy control."

So my cursed energy was exceptional.

If I can use it as an additional energy source—for my magecraft—I could drastically improve my fighting capabilities.

...

Nanami crossed his arms over his chest and spoke, "Now, there are various jujutsu techniques: innate, extension, maximum, inherited, barrier, reversed curse, and shikigami.

Innate jujutsu techniques are unique to the user and are eighty percent of a sorcerer's capabilities. Sorcerers train them to maximize their usage into extension and maximum skills. The extension allows for greater use of their innate abilities, and the maximum is their best attack outside a Domain Expansion.

Inherited techniques are innate ones passed down from sorcerer families. They're powerful because of the shared knowledge of past users stored in manuals, but it makes it easier for other groups to learn the technique's weaknesses.

Barrier techniques—manipulation and erecting barrier walls—have a variety of uses like shielding, concealing, and trapping. Anyone can use simple barrier techniques because they don't require talent, but advanced ones like Domain Expansion are difficult for even the most talented sorcerers.

Reversed cursed techniques are arduous, but they allow sorcerers to heal severe wounds and missing limbs. If you want to learn more about them, I'll have you meet people who can use them later.

The conjuring of shikigami—cursed familiars—is the last one. Shikigami have special abilities that can help aid their user in combat. A shikigami user who will enroll at Jujutsu Tech for their first year lives at the dorms, so you can ask him for more information.

Many of these jujutsu techniques require talent and hard work, so you're only likely to learn how to summon shikigami and create barriers. Also, since you just acquired cursed energy, you won't get an innate or inherited technique because they form in sorcerers at birth and manifest at a young age."

"…Then, I'm relegated to cursed energy application, shikigami, and barriers?"

"Yes."

...

Based on his explanation, my potential pool of techniques was small, but I was used to it as a specialized magus.

Although the lack of an innate technique seemed to cripple my potential as a sorcerer, it didn't matter much because I had my magecraft.

…

I assumed a thinking pose: arms crossed and my right eye closed.

He probably thought I was still thinking about the various jujutsu techniques, but I was mulling over how to pass off my magecraft as an innate technique.

It would be troublesome to explain why I had something similar to one without fulfilling the general conditions—being born with the technique and manifesting it around five to six years old. Even if I fulfilled those conditions, I just learned about cursed energy, so I couldn't convince Nanami that I manifested it earlier. And I'd rather not reveal my magecraft when I didn't know if I was the only magus in this world or not.

If I said it was my supposed innate technique, I could say that I instinctively knew what it was—as is the case for all sorcerers—when I eventually faked manifesting it. Although, I'm sure I'd be a unique case because I "obtained" it as a teenager. That would invite more scrutiny on me, and I'm not sure how Nanami and other jujutsu sorcerers would view it.

...

I'll hold off on revealing my magecraft as a cursed technique to Nanami unless someone is in danger or my own life is at stake.

Though knowing my luck, it'd probably happen soon.

...

"Nanami-san, you also mentioned something else a few times ... Domain Expansion. What is that?"

He pressed his glasses to his nose and answered, "The most advanced barrier technique and the pinnacle of jujutsu. The user manifests their Innate Domain—metaphysical location in the user's mind—to trap their target inside it using a barrier wall to create a separate space. It's a place where they can use their innate technique to the max.

Domain Expansions guarantee a lethal strike or a sure-hit attack. But it requires immense skill and cursed energy to create. The cost is so high that it's unlikely one can cast a second domain on the same day. Although, when it's activated, it almost always guarantees victory."

"... Can you use a domain?"

"No, it's something I could never do."

...

The first thing that came to mind was that Domain Expansion was the equivalent of a Reality Marble, but that was wrong. I realized it acted more like a magus's workshop with an advanced bounded field because Nanami said it added effects—like a barrier wall and territorial advantage—to an existing space rather than replacing it.

Domain Expansions added to what already existed, while Reality Marbles overwrote reality and replaced it with one's inner world.

...

Could I do Domain Expansion?

...

Nanami mentioned that an innate technique is required to complete it, so I don't fulfill the requirements, but if I could somehow power a domain with mana, theoretically, I could substitute my lack of an innate technique with my magecraft.

…

After his lesson, he answered more of my questions regarding the best ways to improve cursed energy usage and fight cursed spirits.

.

.

.

"Now that you understand the basics, we'll take a mission to exorcise a curse appropriate for your level to get you to adapt to being a jujutsu sorcerer."

Huff

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

...

As I opened them, I answered, "All right." My face was resolute and firm. I was ready. I'd exorcise cursed spirits and prevent others from getting hurt.

AN: Thanks for all the support and reviews! I appreciate everyone who read, reviewed, favorited, and followed my fic! It means a lot to me. I update and correct my chapters when you guys give criticism, so leave a comment to help improve the story!

Dark Spidey & maruuchiha0: Yup, I had the same idea too! I hope you guys will like what I have in store for them. Regarding ships, nothing is official yet, but I have potential partners for Shirou in mind.

sheikhrajela: I got a plan for Shirou's abilities, but I don't want to spoil anything. I hope you enjoy it as I reveal it bit by bit.

Clarification:

When he arrived in the jjk world, the injuries he sustained in his fight remained.

Principal Yaga doesn't make him fight with the puppets because he's satisfied with the resolve Shirou displayed.

Sorry for the lack of action, but I'll make up for it in the next chapter!