"How long are you gonna do the will they, won't they dance?" A sultry female voice whined.
Reina, still in her underwear stiffened, searching for the nearest cloth for coverage.
"Relax, it's me."
The voice's owner appeared. Her long black hair decorated with golden pins and braided. The dress she wore was slinky and silky, hugging her body. Her ornate brocade jacket shimmered, hugging her shoulders. Her face intricately painted with whimsical lines and gems. This being was the one, the only-
"Grandmother!" Reina went to embrace her, only to find she was only a hologram.
"This is the first time I've appeared outside your dreams. So forgive me, no hugs from granny~"
"Why don't you ever visit? For real?"
"I never did tell you."
Reina sat on the sofa, she motioned grandmother to join her.
"The three vengeful spirits caused a ton of trouble back in the day. I was still head priestess in the country at the time. Curses insidiously became stronger and more disturbing as they formed. This wasn't part of the divine's plan either. It was purely human intention. Priests were beginning to lose respect even before the curse users appeared. As more disasters occurred, including the economic collapse, people blamed the gods and the god-adjacent. The Priests were frustrated with the Gods and themselves too. That didn't help the situation."
"I see."
"Anyway, there were more than three vengeful spirits. Curses were coming out the wazoo, powerful and raw. I took them on since I had I guess at the time an incredibly strong liver and fantastic drunk hand eye coordination. The Gods granted me immortality."
"I think we might be dependent on alcohol." Reina quipped.
Grandmother ignored Reina, "For a period of time, there was peace. I kept my newfound gifts to myself, but somehow the spirits I had yet to purify became aware, and refined themselves. One managed to manipulate cursed energy in such a manner that he took human form. He began training others to wield cursed energy using the potential in their souls."
"Continue."
"I was furious, knowing it would cause further disaster. But I couldn't purify the body this spirit inhabited."
"Why?"
"It would kill him. And that is forbidden. So I planned something else."
"I love a cheeky plan."
"Child, this is serious. I had built a special chamber that could seal this vengeful spirit. We went toe to toe in battle, him trying to kill me, and me trying to seal him. He caught wind of my plan, and well, the tables turned."
"You were sealed instead."
"I'm afraid so. Thankfully, the realm I built inside was meant to calm and comfort the captive. So I've been okay. I've been able to communicate with Priests through projection and entering the dreamscape. Unfortunately I don't know where he hid the device."
"Oh. Do you want me to find it?"
"I want you to take care of yourself. I could be buried underneath a shipwreck thousands of feet deep in the ocean. Become immortal by purifying one of the vengeful spirits. Maybe in your lifetime you'll be able to find me."
Doubt washed over Reina, and grandmother caught on to it like a barnacle on a hull.
"I've been sealed for a long time and I don't mind it. Becoming immortal will ultimately be your choice and only yours. However, it would keep the Six-Eyes boy off your back, knowing your invulnerability. "
"Grandmother, I wanted to ask, are there any more places in this world where I can find information about the priests? Like more lore? I know you're a great source of knowledge but I would hate to rely on you so heavily."
"There was a temple deep in the mountains, it's likely been abandoned long ago. Maybe taken down. We kept scholarly work there in this country. The other known temples around the world were reclaimed and rewritten or destroyed, maybe you'll find something. It may be also worth looking into ancient spells. Diversify your abilities."
Reina sat pensive for a while, before grandmother interrupted her.
"There is one more way to gain immortality. Though it's only theoretical." She approached Reina's side and whispered the other option in her ear.
Reina became flustered, "No way, I'd rather a coma than do that. That's unhealthier than a self-inflicted anxiety disorder and PTSD."
Grandmother chuckled, "you kids and your hard ways, it's really not that big of a deal."
"No, my pride is a big deal."
Grandmother rolled her golden eyes.
...
Reina was in her regular unit, the intensive care unit. An unusual amount of violent crimes resulted in extreme disfigurement and mutilation. A few of these victims were ventilated on her unit, brain dead. The reason they were kept alive, because authorities were looking for their families for identification.
The nature of the mutilation was surreal. But Reina couldn't put her finger on how it could occur. There was little cursed energy emanating from their bodies. No evidence of seals either.
She was reluctant to try her blessed energy, fearing the potential trauma, a new sort of trauma she hadn't encountered. Impulsivity took over.
She held what was left of a hand, closing her eyes and infusing her blessings.
A wave of extreme pain crept through her hand then to the rest of her body. The ventilator alarm went off. The only thing Reina was able to do was take off her mask and vomit in a trash can nearby. Staff ran in to assist, stabilising the patient, and escorting Reina out. She glanced over to the mutilated patient, he was no longer able to perfuse oxygen. Asystole on the monitor.
He passed.
Staff called a code, and minutes later, the team gave up. The attending physician noted that patient seemed more human than when he was first admitted. At first Reina felt she only made things worse, but maybe her blessings guided what was left of the soul to transcend.
This was no relief. Because there were many more like him. For a curse to affect the physical body in such a way meant the curses were evolving. And what little effect blessed energy had on reversing the physical mutilation left Reina feeling hopeless.
She clutched at her head and hair, still feeling a residual burning from the purification. There were no memories from that soul, only sensation. The worst she'd ever felt.
Could the same curse have mutilated Itadori's physical body? And killed his mother's soul?
Reina left for home early, she crawled underneath her blankets on her sofa and switched on the news.
Another Teenage Boy Found Mutilated in what seems to be a series of surreal murders and assaults.
She glanced over to her phone, thinking about Gojo, she wanted to call him. Maybe he knew something about this. Maybe he didn't.
Maybe it was best not to think about it.
...
More mutilated patients appeared in the ICU. Reina couldn't bear to imagine the suffering they went through. Purifying these near corpses was too much for her.
She did it anyway.
It made her numb inside, the jolts of pain lessened as though her nerves developed callouses. She didn't cry anymore, she didn't feel anymore.
She didn't care anymore.
Nana and Hinata didn't recognize her shortly into admitting these mutilated cases back to back, and then the managers got involved. Reina was forced on a leave for a few weeks, with extra therapy.
Those weeks off, she slept through her appointments. She cancelled gymnastics meets. She didn't eat. She didn't do anything.
Jumping ship wasn't a possibility since it would involve killing the closest thing to a God on this earth.
So sleeping was the next best thing.
This state of numbness felt like it could go on forever. Fuck immortality, fuck bringing life force back. Everything was going to shit anyway.
Reina felt not only useless but a burden with the weaknesses she bore.
Being in a state of self pity was like quicksand.
...
An unkempt, fatigued Reina invited a glamorously dressed Mieko in. Mieko always surveyed her sister's apartment with severe judgement, calling it quaint or homely. The eldest was definitely more stylish.
That was something Reina admired about Mieko. She had this solid sense of identity that translated in a consistent physical style and personal upkeep. Something Reina often lost track of for herself.
"Reina, dear sister, you look terrible."
"You look... Fantastic."
"Well thank you, I just signed a contract to do some ads and with the bonus I bought these lovely pumps. Indie designer."
"Glad to see things are looking up."
"Never mind that, I want to bring you somewhere that will be like a palate cleanser from all this mutilation nonsense."
"Where?"
"Take a bath, exfoliate, eat something good and we'll leave in the evening. That's an order. Chop chop."
...
A nondescript office building in a quiet area of Tokyo. But Reina could sense unusual amounts of cursed energy from far away.
"How is this supposed to make me feel better?"
"It's different, come on!"
Mieko linked arms with her sister. A man dressed in a fancy suit greeted the women, Mieko spouted a bunch of names and numbers. Money amounts of numbers.
Reina put two and two together.
"Underground fighting?"
"Underground cursed user fighting."
"Why the fuck are we going to something that induces migraines?"
"Not if you control your blessings, plus I know the owner of the place and it's fun. Sweaty hot men compared to yours and my female dominated workplace. Unless you and Mr. God-"
"Absolutely not."
"Lose some money, win some money, come on sister!"
"Why not slots?"
Mieko frowned, "why not slots," she mocked back. She blew a raspberry.
They reached the bookie, who greeted Mieko with her stage name. To Reina's distaste, he forced Reina to place a bet. She blindly put her money on one Tsukumo Yuki.
"Great choice but I gotta warn ya, she fights without her cursed technique. And she ain't a sore loser. Fights for the sake of it."
"You'll likely never see me again, sir. So- whatever."
"Alright miss grumpy..." Reina's frown deepened, "Copa, who is she anyway?"
"My dear little sister!" She winked, "though she looks a whole lot older, she works in a stressful field."
Reina rolled her eyes.
They were escorted to the second level, over-seeing the ring. Mieko explained this level was for VIPS only.
In typical dramatic fashion, Mieko pulled out a pair of ornate binoculars.
Reina inspected the crowd, "say... Mieko, do you think these people would know anything about the serial murders?"
Mieko coughed, "they're probably behind it if anything."
"No... none of them are, none of them are emanating that cursed energy I felt in the victim's memories."
"That's somewhat of a relief. I wouldn't ask around if I were you, last thing you want are a bunch a rogues getting their backs up against you."
"Fair enough."
The first fight went by quickly, two men of equal weights fought first. It was kind of repetitive, almost as though they were dancing.
"These fights are rigged, aren't they?" Reina remarked, slouched in disappointment.
Mieko smirked, "sometimes." She took a sip of beer offered to her by bottle, "your Tsukumo lady though, she'll be fun to watch."
"Why?"
"She's a special grade."
"And she loses?"
"Sometimes, she likes to fight with kid gloves, tests her human physical strength against cursed energy all the time. I swear she's a masochist. Gets stronger every time too."
"So she's into the rigging too?"
"Nah, the guy that runs this is a force to reckon with but even he doesn't mess with her pride."
"Who is he anyway?"
"Some guy that dropped out of the academy a long time ago, an unofficial special grade himself. Though, like- grade 3 officially."
"Maybe the older guys knew dad too."
"Again, wouldn't probe."
"Right."
Tsukumo walked confidently into the ring, hair in a ponytail, goggles glued to her hairline. She was statuesque and chiseled. Her height let her tower over her opponent who wasn't small by any means.
"How is she so hot, so scary, and so pretty all at once?" Mieko sighed.
"Which fights did you bet on today?"
"Turns out we are related, I bet exactly as you, but with more money of course."
Yuki and her opponent started in a standing grapple, she quickly got inner control and kneed the man in the gut. He faltered back slightly winded. The crowd cheered.
"I'd like her to snap me in two." Mieko purred.
"She's flexible, she could've got his jaw if he was slightly farther away." Reina commented.
Mieko adjusted her binoculars, ignoring Reina. The younger sister assumed Mieko started getting views of Yuki's ass in motion. Reina sighed in boredom, Mieko ignored her. Usually when Mieko took her to events and Reina expressed anything negative, hypersensitivity ensued.
Mieko was really into Yuki.
Reina snuck away from her seat, nursing her abdomen in hunger and deciding to get a snack from a vending machine nearby.
As she approached the machine, she noticed a suited man on the phone. He wore a stern, straight expression. He hadn't acknowledged her, so she spent a little more time making a decision than usual, feeling the urge to listen.
"A special grade can only mutilate the physical realm in this way. Grey haired. Hmm."
The man lowered his voice, glancing over to Reina through the glare of his round frames. Reina had good enough hearing to catch his replies. But he did get more curt.
"15 more exorcised. And the finger? Okay. We'll chat later I'm in the middle of recruiting."
Reina continued to pretend indecision. The man approached her. She could feel herself tense up.
"It's rude to eavesdrop. Especially in such an obvious manner."
"I only have a couple coins and I can't decide whether I want wavy or regular, I assure you-"
"I've never seen you here before."
"It's my first time."
"How long have you been practicing your cursed techniques?"
"I'm... a little rusty?"
"No I can tell you're proficient. What do you do for work?"
"Why?"
"Screw that, here's my card, work for me and you'll double your salary."
"Wait. I lied- I did overhear." Reina glanced at the card she held in both hands. "Um... Mr. Kento... Do you know where to find that special grade that's been killing all those people?"
"I don't, but dealing with the bodies has been lucrative. Call me if you want to make money."
"...I'll think about it."
Reina went back to her seat, staring at the business card. Mieko was still engrossed in the fight.
"Still going?"
"Oh yeah, this guy's giving her a run for her money, but he's got his cursed energy going now. She's still got her kid gloves. So hot."
Mieko glanced over to Reina and spotted the card in her hands, "When did you have time to meet Nanami?"
"Oh yeah, I went and got some chips and he tried to get me to work for him, you know him?"
"He tried recruiting me too. He likes to give us scoundrels a second chance at life." She said sarcastically.
Reina crumpled the card in her hand. "I overheard him talk about his work. It sounds like there are way more mutilated victims than I originally thought."
"And what can you do about it?"
"I want to kill that curse. It doesn't deserve forgiveness."
"You and the rest of Jujutsu society. Don't end up like grandmother stuck in some lost cube."
"Right. You think it's vengeful spirit worthy?"
"What the fuck are you on about?"
"Never mind, I'm just a little dazed right now."
"Since when did you want to become immortal?"
"Stop."
"Oh my, finally you're starting to see the legend potential you could be."
"...I don't want to be left behind when you... go. I'm just considering it more for... other reasons."
"Like what?"
You know, to keep the being that's keeping the balance of society alive? She couldn't say that. Her weakness, or Gojo's weakness would be detrimental to say aloud.
"I guess I want to search the corners of the Earth to find Grandmother."
"You've been weird since she came to visit you, so I guess that's why. I mean, I would do it if I had the chance. Eternal youth? Fucking mint. Too bad I hate feeling for others. Grandmother doesn't seem to mind being sealed though, her place is nice."
"It's lonely I think."
"Maybe."
Mieko had no idea how to keep the conversation going, so they both went back to the fight. Yuki took a solid blow to the face fortified by cursed energy. She was effectively knocked out. Reina and Mieko winced at the sight.
...
The fights were over, and it was nearing the wee hours of the morning. Reina found herself in the observation room of said "boss". This big shot, Hakari Kinji was some twenty year old kid suspended from the school in his third year. According to Mieko, his powers could surpass that of Gojo if he really tried.
Cans of energy drinks and light booze surrounded the sofa she tiredly lay. Some sort of powder residue was scattered on the coffee table next to her. It kind of smelled like feet.
Mieko was busy conversing with the beautiful Yuki. Hakari and his partner, Hoshi were cuddled on the other end of the sofa, happy to facilitate a potential coupling between strongwoman and idol. Reina didn't understand why she was still there. This sort of hangout wasn't really her cup of tea, especially as a spare tire. She slumped further on the couch, before once again sneaking out of the rooftop building and calling a cab. She texted Mieko of her plans. In typical Mieko fashion, it was ignored.
That night, she felt she lost not only a considerable sum of money, but also some dignity. Then again, it had been a week of no showering until Mieko forced her in the tub. So maybe not all was lost.
...