My Life As A Third Year Is Cursed, As I Expected

by MagicName88

Hikigaya Hachiman is living a normal, yet troublesome life. After the events of two proms, he is now a third-year student and as summer began, the world may not be the same in his eyes after witnessing the work of sorcerers exorcising a curse using their own curses.

20. Chapter 19: The Shell And The Slug: IX

DISCLAIMER:

I do NOT own the Oregairu and Jujutsu Kaisen series as they are respectfully owned by the creators and studios.

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TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY

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Hours later in Minamiboso, Chiba

9:37 PM

"God, this sucks..." A woman complained under her breath as she walked in the street at night carrying a brown handbag over her left shoulder. She wore a blue, short-sleeved, floral chiffon shirt, a black pencil skirt, and matching slingback pumps. After letting out a sigh, she walked faster to reach her destination as she went past several civilians who were either drunk or just minding their own business. Then, the familiar scent of broth finally entered her nose, which made her exhausted and depressed state change into a more excited one. After walking even faster, the woman finally made it to her sanctuary. "Ra-men~, ra-men~, ra-men~! Dear cuisine gods, I pray that the divine broth washes away my weight of suffering, the meat and vegetables strengthen my body, and the beloved noodles smoothen my soul."

"There you go again..." The voice of a man reached her ears, and so she turned to see her new friend. He wore a white hooded zipped-up jacket over a red T-shirt, a pair of blue jeans, and sandals woven from a straw called waraji. His hair was light brown, had a curly top with the temple tapered. "Do you pray in other places that aren't shrines and churches?"

"I pray in all places that are beautiful." The woman answered with a hand on her hip.

"So pretty much the whole world is ugly, huh?" He chuckled.

"Not that surprising, right?" She said with a smug. "It's a good thing a beauty like me exists."

"Then how come you're still single?" The second he asked that question, he casually tilted his head to the left to dodge a right punch and then caught a left fist coming for his liver. All of that while laughing. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry!"

"You're more pain in the ass than my favorite student." The woman said with an annoyed expression.

"Teachers shouldn't have favorites." He responded while they entered the ramen restaurant and took a seat at the counter. "And it's what you get for acting so high and mighty."

"So you choose psychological attacks against me? You're a cunning man."

"I'm pretty sure you identify anything that insults your womanly problems as 'psychological attacks'. Oh, speaking of attacks, mind giving me tips on getting through the third boss?"

"That boss shouldn't be that hard."

"Why in the absolute devil does it have more than TEN stun attacks? TEN! And they're all AoE!"

"Good luck, soldier."

"Oh, great teacher, please guide me in defeating that boss. I'm sorry that I insulted you earlier."

"Then give me ten compliments and it's water under the bridge."

"Okay."

"What do you two want?" The chef asked them with an enthusiastic smile.

"This time... hmm... Let me get that Shio Ramen." The man answered after thinking for a moment.

"The usual." And the woman's answer was quick.

"You got it!" The chef responded with a thumbs-up and started cooking.

"I saw on the internet how shio ramen is so good, but they said it's hard to make even though it's simple." The man spoke to her.

"Broth is the soul of ramen." The woman said while stretching her neck. "The problem with your ramen of choice is it doesn't have miso or soy sauce to make some flavor, so the cooks need to find a way to make that salty broth special. But you're in luck 'cause this guy is a pro."

"Hold back on the praises, missy." The chef said while laughing.

"He's what you call a 'connoisseur'." She grinned.

"Way to give pressure on me." The chef jokingly responded to her compliments.

"I know it'll be good since he's the one making it." The man joined in on the teasing.

"Oi, oi!" The chef wore a huge smile as he served them their ramen. "Here you go, one shio ramen for the boy, and one shouyo ramen extra spicy for the lady."

"Itadakimasu!" The pair broke apart their chopsticks and slurped the soup in ecstasy, then began eating the noodles and other contents of the dish.

"Oh yeah, that's the stuff." The man commented as he took a ramen spoon. "Is that one good, too?"

"Obviously!" She answered after swallowing the noodles with joy and then picked up the meat. "Even better when it's spicy!"

"Spicy food in summer, huh? That doesn't sound appealing." He said before slurping more of his ramen.

"What a wuss."

"Whatever, I don't even know why spiciness even e... xist?"

"Woo! That's hot!" The woman started sweating because of the spicy ramen and pulled the round neckline to cool herself. "... what?"

"Uh, nothing." He looked away and realized the other male customers were staring at her. To be fair, she was beautiful, and her figure was quite curvaceous and mesmerizing. So seeing her shining in sweat and revealing more skin from pulling her shirt caused many to be enchanted. The only reason no one tried to get into a relationship with this woman was because of her attitude. "Spiciness is actually a gift. Changed my mind!"

"Oi, you're gonna give me those ten compliments or what?" She asked and then continued eating.

"You're a good teacher, you're a good woman, you're a good person-"

"Give more emotion to it."

"That's not part of the deal."

"And can you put more effort into it?"

"What, do I have to make it like a proposal speech and act more sincere? Anyway, you're a good eater, a good gamer."

"Oh well, I take what I can get."

"A good smoker, a good drinker... Yeah, that's about it. Ten compliments."

"You're missing a few, but whatever. I got the day off tomorrow so I'll help."

"Thanks!"

"IF... you buy me some beer on the way to your house?"

"Didn't we just drink yesterday?"

"So? That was yesterday, and today is the present."

"We'll take two beers each."

"Hah?!"

"We don't have livers of steel, Shizuka."

"My body is born with steel."

"The only part of your body that's forged from steel are those fists."

-0-

11:12 PM

"You can do it! Gahahaha!" The man laughed while watching the woman named Shizuka playing a video game on the Nintendo Switch. As he drank a can of beer, her eyes twitched in annoyance.

"Oi! I said I'll help you with the boss, not playing it for you!" She shouted while grabbing a can of beer and opening it. "And you are still weak at alcohol! After one can? Really?!"

"That's why I said two each so that even if I pass out, you'd be sober enough to go home on your own. At least we both get to enjoy beer, right? A win-win."

"It's all win for you!" While she complained, Shizuka finally defeated the boss.

"Nice job, me!"

"You mean me!"

"Ah, what did that say?" He asked when a Japanese text appeared on the screen.

"What? Uh... Something about the MC's dad being alive."

"I saw him burned to a crisp!"

"Well, that's what it says. Wait, how come you can follow the story when you can't read Japanese?"

"Google Lens."

"You manage to understand the story with that garbage app?"

"I take what I can get. Give it to me. I'll play the rest."

"Oh, fuck you." Shizuka gave him the Switch and then chuckled.

"What's so funny?" The man asked.

"This reminds me of when I first met you." She answered while taking a sip of the beer. "I was out in the streets drunk as hell after a party, then I saw you looking lost while taking pictures of the signs with your phone. I seriously thought you're one of those kids that posts on Instagram."

"Who the hell gets famous for taking pictures of Japanese signs?" The man laughed while playing the game.

"Well, that's what I thought since that was all you've been doing when I saw you."

"You saw me as a youthful man lost in the land of the rising sun? I'm flattered."

"More like in the lines of an adult looking like a lost baby."

"Wait, how long were you watching me back then?"

"I don't know... probably some minutes or so."

"Awww, it was love at first sight."

"Don't push your luck." Shizuka lightly punched his arm with a grin. "Be thankful the Great Teacher Shizuka was there to save your night."

"That sounded kinda wrong out of context." The man commented.

"What kind of sick thoughts are you having now, Pervert Shimon~." She teased while elbowing him.

"It's Simon, and I always have perverted thoughts everyday." The man named Simon answered honestly, without hesitation.

"Look at you, Honesty-kun. Ehehehe..." The drunk teacher laid her head on his lap.

"My lap ain't a pillow."

"Be glad that I put my scent into your pants."

"I'm not. Don't tell me lap pillows that anime portrays became a norm in Japan."

"Don't people in America get crazy over something like this?"

"Not everyone, especially this American."

"Then prove it." She challenged him as she sat in a seiza position, welcoming him into her lap. Simon gulped, trying to maintain his calm expression while laying on his head on it. "How is it?"

"It feels nice... Just not something to freak out about."

"Ehehehe!"

"Do you do this with your so-called 'favorite student', too?"

"No... Does that make you happy?"

"Not gonna lie, a little."

"There's nothing for you to be upset about. That boy is a fucking brat."

"You sure talk special about him for being a brat."

"Well... he's not normal." Shizuka proceeded to talk more about the loner student who once had the most pessimistic views in youth, society, and life in general, and how he obtained fond memories and treasures along the way. It was quite a ride when she thought about it. Watching him and everyone else around him grow was like following an interesting drama story. Compared to the entire year she was involved in the most troublesome yet joyful journey of their youth, the time she spent in the new school was dull. That didn't mean nothing fun was happening here. It was just that her work had more highlights than her time with students. And of course, the chances of finding a man didn't change that much, even after trying more feminine outfits.

"I kinda get why you think that." Simon said while trying to play a game with his head still on her lap. "It's like one of those reality shows except it's not scripted or fake. Compared to that, this place is kinda boring."

"Don't say that. There's a lot of fun stuff around here."

"Like what?"

"Like you..." She said with a quieter, passionate voice that caught him off-guard. The eyes that stared at him were full of desire and longing with the smile adding more to the emotion she wanted to show him. At first, he was tempted but had second thoughts.

"Are you really that desperate to get a partner?" He asked in embarrassment while sitting up.

"IT'S BECAUSE I'M NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER HERE!" Shizuka said with tears dripping from her eyes. "IT'S LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AWAY UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY! WHY DOES TIME FLY SO FAAAAASST~!"

"Okay, okay! Stop crying!" Simon tried to comfort her by giving her tissues to wipe the tears.

"MY LUCK WITH MEN SUCKS ASS! AND MY BIGGEST SHOT WAS MY STUDENT WHO'S WAY YOUNGER THAN ME! NOW HE'S DATING SOMEONE WHO'S WAY OUT OF HIS LEAGUE!"

"Shizuka! Chill, chill! How come you're drunker than me- wait, did you drink my last can, too?!"

"WHAT ABOUT IT?! GIMME THAT CAN TOO!"

"Oi!" Simon noticed her stealing the can he was holding, and then she drank it.

"AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSHE ISH BULLSHIT?!" She stammered her words. "THAT IDIOT JUSH TRANSHFED TO ANOZE SHCHOOL! NEKSH TIME, I'LL-"

"I GET IT, NOW CALM DOWN!"

-0-

12:05 AM

"You still awake, Shizuka?" Simon asked the drunk teacher. Her arm was over his shoulders for him to drag her back to her home safely.

"Uhuuuuuuh~..." She responded with a smile on her face.

"I take that as a no." He shook his head, but he wasn't upset since he also smiled. While walking in the streets at night, there were fewer people since it was almost midnight. However, he noticed some men in business suits lying on either the ground, a bench, or any corner they occupied. They weren't that many, but those men still stood out in his eyes. The fact that people being drunk or exhausted from work could just lay anywhere with no one scolding them was... unusual to him.

"Look at aaaall~ these drunkards, bahahaha!" Shizuka commented while pointing at them. Luckily, some of them didn't wake up and others just didn't care.

"You're drunk too."

"Am not!"

"Keep telling yourself that." After walking for a few minutes, they reached the apartment building and climbed the stairs to the second floor. Once they reached a specific door, Shizuka leaned on it while trying to get her keys. She unlocked the door and went inside. "See ya tomorrow."

"Mhm! Ah, wait." The drunk teacher puckered her own lips, basically asking him for a kiss. Simon just stared with his cheeks blushing and just cleared his throat.

"Will you stop joking?" He said while turning his head from her.

"Eeeeeh~?" Shizuka pouted. "I'm serious!"

"Sure you are." He rolled his eyes.

"See ya tomorrow. Next time, I'll buy the drinks." She grinned, and Simon just walked away, knowing she was watching him go down the stairs. After hearing the door closed, he let out a sigh while holding his head with an exhausted look. When he took a step out of the apartment, he sensed something... or someone, next to him.

"This is why you started drinking?" A man asked in English while leaning his back against the wall and his arms folded. He had dark skin, and a bald head and his attire was a light blue polo shirt, a pair of black jeans, and sneakers with a black and yellow design. He also wore sunglasses to hide his closed, burnt eyes. "I never thought you would be the type to go after a woman."

"W-well, uh... she's a different kind of breed, you know?" Simon became nervous at this man's presence while explaining to him in English as well. "She's pretty hot, and it's not that bad to hang out with her. I-I mean, surely you get it, right? I'm not interested in women, but I'm still a man with the instincts."

"Simon... relax." The man with dark skin put a hand on Simon's shoulder. "I'm not mad. It's not like you're stabbing us in the back."

"No... I would never do that, Bong." Simon responded while walking away, and Bong followed. "This is the first time I've seen you wearing casual clothes."

"It's best to keep a low profile. Plus, it's quite hot outside." Bong said while pulling his own shirt to check on it.

"A low profile, huh? We stand out either way because we're foreigners." Simon moved his own head to point at a few Japanese locals staring at them with caution. Most of them were elderly or in their 40s. He then whispered to his dark-skinned companion. "These stares are making me uncomfortable."

"You get used to it. That's how some of them act toward people like us. There are more people who are nicer than them."

"And they say they're interested in our culture."

"They do, just not the people living under it. Some just really don't like us."

"Did some of them hurt you because you're a foreigner?"

"Hmmm... not really. There were a few occasions where they'd just avoid me whenever I go near them." They walked for a few moments until they reached an empty street. When the two approached the entrance of a two-story building, Bong asked him a question that made him freeze. "Are you planning on leaving the group?"

"..." Simon just contemplated in silence before they entered the building.

"If I'm being honest, that face earlier when you were with that woman was the happiest you've shown. It really makes me wonder if you're going to chase her."

"Bong, you know why a lot of us joined this group, right? Me, Reef, and the others don't share the same vision you have... That whole tradition of killing someone for the sake of bringing peace to a country... the peace to the world. Some of us were just lost, backed into a corner even when we have this power. Basically, we were like the run-of-the-mill criminals until you and leader reached a hand to us."

"Yeah... Lyaksandro joined because Hiroaki, the archer boy, did. They were like brothers..." Bong removed his sunglasses and hung them onto his neckline as they entered the building.

"And now they're dead..." Simon mumbled while walking in the hallway before he saw his companion removing his shoes at the entryway, which made him do the same. They climbed the stairs to find the meeting room. "Bong, I can't leave the group. You're all good people to me. What I want is to change our goals for everyone's sake."

"Stopping a false god is a noble goal, Simon." Bong argued.

"We're killing a kid here."

"He's 18."

"The point is, he's young. About to get in the grown-ups' zone."

"And that is bad for humanity."

"Bad how? Has he been doing anything bad before we came here? That kid's hurting nobody." Simon's voice became more desperate and guilty, little by little. "Are you sure we're doing the right thing here?"

"Did someone compel you to think like that?" Bong spoke in a low tone. Whether he was angry or not was a mystery to the brown-haired friend, but he was obviously expressing his suspicions. Just when Simon opened his own mouth to respond, they heard something at the end of the hallway.

"I'm tellin' ya I quit!" The shout from a woman reached their ears and made the two hurriedly go to the room. There wasn't any noteworthy detail to point out the room's appearance. It was just spacious and there was a large round table at the center with chairs surrounding it. The room was truly plain with not a single window. Five people sat on the chairs except for one woman, who was standing in anger at the person sitting in the middle. "We ain't hearin' nothin' about this! I can't tackle those freaks of nature!"

"It is true Shani Dev's bearer has grown stronger, but that doesn't mean we should fear it." The man in the middle argued calmly. He had dark brown, slick-back hair and wore a business suit. "This time, I have a plan to lure him and-"

"NO! I'm done with this shit!" The woman refused to cooperate. She had long, black, straight hair, a white tank top, and red jogging pants. Veins popped into her head as she gritted her own teeth. "Lost four people, Hanu! And that bastard clan threw away our 'offerings' cuz they're scared of bein' exposed! We're backed into a corner. Admit it!"

"Not yet, Reina." The man named Hanu responded and then noticed Bong and Simon in the doorway. "Come in. This will be a long discussion."

"Right." Bong complied while Simon only nodded and followed him. "Reina, sit down and calm yourself."

"Bong, this place ain't for all of us here." Reina spoke to him. "The moment I heard Japan's the place for the job, I got cold feet. How the hell are we gonna work when we're outnumbered and outmatched? We forgettin' someone who can kill us with just one finger? How 'bout those two other special grade sorcerers?! Then there's that scary-ass cursed spirit! I can't deal with 'em!"

"You don't have to." Bong argued back with a calm demeanor. "We can avoid them with distractions. Hanu has already done it before, remember?"

"That was ONE GUY, Bong! And he only gave a chat to him, nothin' else!" Reina glared at him. "You saw how fucked up that curse was and got your hands tied fightin' that kid, too."

"But ultimately, the boy wasn't a match for me."

"Yeah, for now!" Reina grabbed his hand and leaned closer to him. "Please... Let's just get outta here."

"Have faith, Reina. Let's listen to our leader first."

"Right, our plan needs you, Reina. Without you, the mission will be far more difficult." Hanu tried to convince her.

"... And what about them?" She asked while staring at the four that included Simon. "Sold 'em off just to win some bastard's helpin' hand."

"I convinced Naobito to give them the best treatment should they truly be part of the household." The leader argued.

"Then let's hear what they have to say." At her suggestion, she, Hanu, and Bong stared at the four people who had stayed at the Zenin household since September 1st. There was only silence as they waited for someone to answer, especially for Simon, since he was the most talkative out of everyone.

"... I'll make it blunt... it was shit sleeping in that hellhole." Simon answered while looking down to avoid making eye contact with anyone. "Yeah, we ate good food there, and the rooms weren't bad, but the way they stared at us... it's like... we were animals to them. Exotic animals they hate, but still have to take care of us because it's their job. It's like we were treated in a zoo."

"I... feel the same." A woman with purple hair tied into a bun next to him answered. She wore a white long-sleeve button shirt with a black tie and slacks. "I was... afraid of going out of my room because it always felt like someone was about to attack me. It was like that until that guy... a guy just looked at me and..."

"Stop, it's okay." Simon caressed the woman's back as tears streamed down her cheeks. The last two just stayed silent, but their expressions told the same feelings as the previous two.

"I see..." Hanu lowered his head. "I'm sorry for not carefully overseeing their treatmen-"

"Are you fuckin'- that ain't the problem!" Reina interrupted. 'You SOLD our pals just to get better peeps?!"

"That's because our target is growing stronger."

"Then all of us should've worked together." Simon argued, but without anger. "We could've done the job."

"It's not that easy." The leader held his own head.

"Hanu... you chose us to join this group because you trust our abilities... Are you doubting us now?" When Simon asked that question, Hanu remained silent. The latter opened his mouth, but no words came out of it. There was hesitation that made everyone feel disappointed.

"Alright..." Reina let out a sigh and looked at every member alive right now. The sniper was a newbie, but she already regarded him as a comrade as well. Currently, he was resting in the other room, still recovering from the injuries back in Kawasaki City, since they had no one who could use reversed cursed technique. After she stared at the leader for a moment, Reina faced everyone. "All in favor of leavin-"

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" Bong suddenly shouted with a look of fear. No one questioned it as the entire group crouched a second before the ceiling shattered. The concrete fell, but they went under the table for cover, so not a single debris hurt them. After that, the group slowly looked up and saw the hole in the ceiling, revealing the night sky that illuminated the room in exchange for the light bulb. Despite the sudden event, they weren't confused at all because the culprit was obvious. In fact, they were afraid.

The base had two types of security: One was the modern technology such as security cameras, alarms, wires, etc. All to just alarm anyone trying to enter; then there was the barrier.

A barrier that everyone, including Reef, K-9, Lyaksandro, and Hiroaki when they were still alive, poured all their sweat, tears, and cursed energy to make to protect the base against the most dangerous enemy.

"That barrier wasn't bad, but there's one problem." The Dhamini Troupe faced the source of that voice, which was right behind Hanu.

There he was, in his most recognizable outfit. The black jacket with a high and wide collar, and slim matching pants, blindfold, and the white hair.

"You focused so much on strengthening the barrier that you didn't bother checking for any weak spots."

.

.

Gojo Satoru appeared.

---

The Shell And The Slug: Finale Part 1

Truth Of Cessation II

12:40 AM

"... How did you find us?" Hanu asked in Japanese while still crouching and not turning around. He was afraid to face the strongest being, but he hid that with an indifferent expression.

"Technology really came a long way, huh?" Satoru answered while pulling out his own phone from his pocket. His hands appeared red and steaming, and the sleeves looked burnt. It was caused by the barrier he had just destroyed. "But does it matter if you want to know how I found you? The real question is: What are you gonna do now?"

"You think just by showing up, it's over for us?" Hanu asked while standing up. With a clap, the table shattered and everyone, including the shattered remains of the table, vanished, but not before the pieces of furniture turning into an organic creature. It had veins and multiple eyes and mouths until they bit into each of the members. That didn't make Satoru worried, since with the help of the Six Eyes and his cursed energy detection, he immediately found them, which were the sewers under the building. After letting out a sigh, he just stomped on the floor and fell down the building, crashing through the floors until he reached the underground. "So they split up. That table was a large cursed object to collect cursed energy from all the people who are in the room, that includes me, teleport them into this place, and enhanced their overall capabilities by attaching the shattered parts into their stomachs. My guess is... 10 minutes until that buff runs out. They split up into three groups. Oh, well... I'll get the leader while I'll leave the rest to the Helm."

-0-

"Where's Reina? Isn't she supposed to be with us?" Simon asked while running with Bong and Hanu in the sewer tunnels.

"Reina wanted to teleport with another group to protect them." The leader answered, as they felt an overwhelming presence behind them. Its pressure was so strong, they unconsciously slowed down because of the shiver spreading throughout their bodies. Before they knew it, Satoru slammed Simon's head to the ground. Despite the distance they traveled from their base, he still managed to catch up with them easily. The moment Simon's face hit the ground, human figures came out, scattering along with the debris. The strongest sorcerer looked around and saw hundreds of pure white human figures standing up. All of them had the same shape as the man he had just attacked. Three of the white figures threw a punch around every corner, and with Limitless, Satoru just stopped their attacks after they were a few inches close to them. Then, they exploded.

"Aaaahhh, I get it." Satoru said while waving off the smoke. "So your innate technique is to absorb any cursed energy you come into contact with weakening some attacks, then if it's too much, you spit out white clones of yourself made up of that cursed energy." Four white clones rushed towards him while he was looking at Simon, who escaped his grasp with the help of his clone at the exact moment of the explosion. "It's pretty impressive how many clones you've made, but that's all thanks to that cursed object. Still, that technique is better than the last guy I fought who had a similar power. Ah, that cursed object reminds me of a cursed tool called the Beating Stash. From the looks of it, you actually made it based on that. You observed the fight in Chiba with that dog mask that can share the user's sight with the master, didn't you?"

The strongest sorcerer just grinned and then a blade just came out of nowhere and stopped right near to his neck. He looked to his right side and saw Bong with the katana. Satoru spoke in both in an interested and serious tone.

"Just a second after I pounced your buddy here, I can't sense your leader's presence anymore. How did he get away?"

"You'll have to defeat us and find out." Bong inhaled deeply as a white aura enveloped the blade and an explosion occurred between it and Satoru. Surprisingly, the latter felt so much pain in his body. He flinched and looked at his hand.

"I... can't use my cursed technique?" The blindfolded sorcerer thought while making several poses, specifically, from the Jojo's series to try using Limitless, but nothing happened. Despite the sudden turn of events, he still smiled. "I get it. You caused a 'short circuit' on my cursed technique."

"But that doesn't mean he's weak... I understand that." The dark-skinned swordsman thought while doing a fighting stance. "All we could do is buy enough time for Hanu to escape with THEM... I can't believe he accepted their hand, but I trust him to do the right call. Be safe, friend."

"You can run away if you want, Simon." Bong said to him in English.

"And then get my face kissing the ground again? Pass." Simon answered in the same language while raising both fists forward. "So much for drinking with Shizuka again... It was great meeting you. Those days are the happiest I've been."

"I'd like to hang out with you guys, but something else caught my attention so..." Satoru disappeared in their eyes as several white clones either exploded or just knocked away. Bong chased after him while Simon commanded the clones to tackle the strongest sorcerer. Satoru ducked from a clone, jumping in front of him, and kicked another one jumping to his right, which it exploded. He continued to run through the clones effortlessly until he reached an area in the sewer where there were multiple entrances to tunnels. His clothes were tattered but there wasn't even a scratch on his skin. What caught his attention in this area were the large wooden roots on the floor. Satoru just casually walked on it and stomped the roots for him to fall into a deep hole that had several tunnel sections. "So you're now in cahoots with the special grade curses. I can't sense the leader anymore. He escaped. That plant curse is a really interesting one, being able to erase its presence."

"Ah..." He felt a vibration in his pocket and pulled out the phone. Someone was calling him and while jumping out of the hole and running back to the two curse users, he answered. "Hello? Ah, Shoko-chan?"

"There you are!" Bong shouted with his katana held firmly. He swung it down to the blindfolded sorcerer's head, but the latter just effortlessly caught the blade. Then spikes of cursed energy emerged from both the weapon and the wielder, piercing through Satoru's hand, and almost touched his body because he leaned back to evade those. Despite the injury, Satoru just listened to his phone quietly, appearing to be uninterested in his opponent.

"Uhuh... Yeah, the mission is... Well, the leader escaped, but we got the members, at least, so it's not that bad." He talked on the phone while thrusting a kick to Bong's stomach, which the latter blocked it with the katana that made him push back. " Oh, soooorry~ that I'm doing the work here. Why are you calling me this late, by the way?"

Several white clones of Simon rushed towards Satoru, with three of them surrounded him quickly and pounced. Satoru jumped up and grabbed a clone that also jumped at the same time and threw it at the wall. He then blocked all punches and kicks from the clones and destroyed each one with a left punch. Bong swung his katana again to Satoru's left side while two clones threw a right punch at the same time. The blindfolded sorcerer caught the blade with his left hand, blocked one right punch with his left knee, and the other punch with his right elbow. All simultaneously. He hit the clone with that right elbow, hit the other with a left kick, and just crushed that katana into pieces with his bare hand.

"... HAH?!" Satoru shouted in bewilderment while throwing the shattered fragments at the real Simon, followed by a left back fist to the cheek that sent the curse user tumbling next to Bong. The moment his fist came into contact, twenty more white clones emerged from Simon's body and ran towards the sorcerer. Satoru just caught a clone's foot that did an axe kick, and used that clone to swing at the others. Four of them were destroyed while three ducked to evade. One tried throwing a punch and two others jumped to perform a kick, in which Satoru responded by casually swinging the clone at them at blurring speed. After his clone weapon exploded, the strongest sorcerer used his left hand to hit another clone's face with a palm strike, a sweeping kick to the other and stomped its chest, and then just cut the next one's head off with a karate chop. While doing all that in just ten seconds, another call came. "Oh, hold on. I got another call... Let's see. Ah, Yaga-sensei! Wait, what?... Hachiman is... Yeah, Shoko-chan told me already, but... HAH?!"

"What do we do?" Simon whispered in English to Bong while watching the strongest sorcerer destroying the clones with ease. During the next five seconds, Satoru hit one's cheek with a left hook strong enough to twist the head off, hit the other with a left back fist, and parried the next one to hit its face with a left jab, grab the head, and threw the clone like a bowling ball at five more clones. He sensed another white clone from behind, and so he jumped to sit on its shoulders. The clone appeared to be confused until Satoru slapped its head that it left a dent, killing the clone in the process. From the start, the strongest sorcerer decreased the hundreds of clones into three in a matter of just 30 seconds.

"His cursed technique should come back any moment now. Even if it didn't, we still lose." Bong responded. "We have to surrender."

"Seriously? Who knows what he's gonna do to us!"

"Either way, it's futile. We can only count on Hanu."

"... Shit."

"Sorry you can't meet your girlfriend anymore."

"She's not my-, whatever. I am gonna miss her." They both went to their knees and raised their hands to surrender. The white clones disappeared and the cursed object in their stomachs disintegrated.

"... Alright, I'll be there before the Kyoto group shows up." Satoru ended the call and texted for a moment until he stared at the two curse users. Suddenly, he got another call which he answered. "How's it going on your side, Atsuya?... HAH?! They escaped?!... The special grade curses, huh? Can't be helped. Regroup immediately... No use complaining now... What are the casualties?"

Satoru clicked his own tongue, and then a different source of cursed energy suddenly appeared behind him. It felt sinister and quite familiar. Before he could turn around, a spinning object flew past him and just caught that with just his fingers as if he was holding a something small, which was not. The object appeared to be a large blade with the length equal to his height and the width equal to a human leg. The "handle" of the weapon was red and made of flesh and the tip of that "handle" was as if something was cut.

"HIKIGAYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" A distorted voice of an old man echoed in the cave when the temperature rose dangerously. Satoru had nothing to worry about as blue flames engulfed him because thanks to the Limitless, not a spark would reach his person, or even his clothes and a strand of hair. However, that might not last long after sensing Bong approaching him. The blind curse user pointed a large blade that was identical to the other at the strongest sorcerer. An explosion occurred that sent Bong tumbling away while the blue flames still continued blazing the entire tunnel. Meanwhile, Simon crossed his arms forward in fear while closing his eyes, preparing to meet his end, yet he didn't feel as hot as what the blue flames emitted. He opened his eyes to see he was protected by a tree trunk in front of him.

"What the? WHOA-!" Simon screamed as he fell on a hole that was never been under his feet before.

"You don't really have to sacrifice yourself like that." Satoru said to Bong, whose body was burned red. Compared to him, the former was just fine except for his jacket, nearly becoming nothing but ashes. "That's too bad."

"Gojo... Satoru..." Bong struggled to speak. "I believe... in Hanu... but please... If it all leads to doom... save them."

"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" The distorted voice roared as the blind curse user released his last breath while falling on the ground. Satoru stared at the burnt corpse until flowers mysteriously bloomed on the ground despite being made of concrete, and his desire to fight waned. Once that happened, a gigantic ball of fire rolled behind him and tried crushing the sorcerer. The distraction only lasted for a second though, as Satoru stopped it with one hand. The giant ball of fire stopped rolling and suddenly, it moved with such blurring speed, the sorcerer saw limbs as cuts appeared everywhere in the tunnel. Satoru dodged several slices in one second, parried five more with one hand at the next second, and blocked two more with his elbow at the third. Three seconds of a hundred attacks failed to hit him. The mysterious enemy jumped over him and just ran away quickly despite its size, which Satoru chased after it.

Tree trunks sprouted everywhere to block his path, but the strongest sorcerer just broke through all of them while not being affected by the flowers surrounding him. When he reached into a new wide area with more tunnel entrances, he saw tree trunks twisting around something, forming into a cocoon.

"Oh, no you don't!" Satoru jumped high and threw his fist into the wooden cocoon, destroying that into pieces, along with shattering the ground, which made him fall deeper underground with the sewer water falling along with him. Once he landed along with the debris, Satoru dashed to reach them.

"!yrruH"[Hurry!] Hanami shouted at the cursed spirit while they were running away from the strongest sorcerer. On his shoulder was Simon, who was unconscious.

"HIiIIIIKiiiiGA-" The fiery cursed spirit continued to shout the name.

"!nur ot deen, won thgiR. noos mih thgif ll'uoY" [You'll fight him soon. Right now, we need to run!] After saying that, Satoru appeared between them in an instant and kicked the giant fiery cursed spirit and punched Hanami at their faces simultaneously. The two curses crashed their backs into a wall, as the branch-eyed curse unintentionally dropped Simon. With its teeth shattered into pieces, Hanami stood and spikes of wood sprouted everywhere towards Satoru. The strongest sorcerer just ignored those spikes since they wouldn't reach him, and jumped at Hanami to hit his face again with a knee, pushing him back to the wall which created larger cracks.

Satoru's cursed technique returned.

However, just as he was about to deal the killing blow, the environment suddenly changed. The walls and ground stretched wider, making the inside of the tunnel bigger and creating a distance between Hanami and the sorcerer while the other powerful curse came with the former. Pillars rose from above and below, and the inside of the tunnel they were in split itself into more tunnels with some higher on the walls, larger than each other. Steam appeared out of thin air randomly, and certain areas and corners appeared to be melting. Before Satoru could pursue them, a body flew towards him and he caught him by instinct, after recognizing it was alive. At the same time, flowers bloomed around him, distracting the sorcerer for only two seconds. The surroundings immediately reverted to just a normal tunnel underground while the steam and flowers disappeared.

"That fire cursed spirit cast an incomplete domain for changing the environment to gain distance and escape." Satoru thought while carrying Simon on his shoulder. "While casting it, the curse already put the exit close to them, so that Plant-kun could make their retreat in just a matter of seconds... Not bad."

---

.

.

-0-

"... Huh?" Hachiman looked around and he was in a familiar room wearing the Sobu High School uniform.

The convenient stores and stands. The games corner and the kids' corner. Every detail of the area was all too familiar to him.

"Hachi-nii!" A boy with black hair ran towards him. He wore a blue T-shirt, brown shorts, and white sneakers.

"... Yoshimi?" Hachiman's eyes widened in shock as he watched the boy approaching him while laughing. He looked away in contemplation, trying to remember what had happened. It took ten seconds for him to realize what this all was, and so he returned to face Yoshimi, who was nothing but a dream and was dead in reality. "What did you mean by having an ignorant mind, Yoshimi?"

"It's almost time." Yoshimi's childlike behavior vanished.

His voice was still that of a child, but it was deeper than normal, and his clothes changed into a robe that covered his entire small figure with a hood concealing most of his face except the mouth. A wooden staff appeared with a swirly tip and it was as tall as Hachiman. The dead fish-eyed sorcerer himself just watched the strange transformation and then heard a sound behind him. He turned around to see a facial mirror on one shelf in a convenient store. Despite being too far to see, he somehow felt something wasn't right with the reflection. He walked towards it and finally saw the face in the mirror. The reflection followed every movement of his face perfectly and in sync.

However, that face in the reflection didn't belong to him.

It was a man with pure black skin wearing a blue robe, had dark eyes and white hair.

"This entire dream..." Hachiman faced him to ask. "Almost time for what?."

"To find the path that leads to the end." [Yoshimi] said while the dead fish-eyed sorcerer turned back to stare at the reflection of the facial mirror. Noticing that, the robed child spoke. "Shani Dev was close. Despite understanding the motion of the world, the inner workings of existence, Shani Dev concluded that by regulating it, it would be possible to create a fair world."

"That's a severe god complex."

"Indeed. Though he did not act out of arrogance. He believed that a universal force that governs the world has no physical form and a fair structure for it to follow, therefore could not punish and reward those who deserve it. So he searched to 'control' it and tried to become the 'embodiment of Karma'. Karma is not meant to be controlled, but to be understood as the one that brought motion." After that explanation, [Yoshimi] turned his head to look at the entrance and Hachiman did the same to see Shani Dev in the flesh. Without a word, the ancient sorcerer walked out of the glass doors and left the building. "Now then, it's time for you to climb."

"What?" Hachiman followed the robed child from behind, reaching an elevator. When the doors slid open, it revealed the inside became different from the two previous times he went in.

The inside wasn't that of a normal elevator, nor were the walls rotten and filled with moss. It was still spacious, but the wall was rocky instead. The floor was more like a pond with tall grasses and floating on the water were several lotus flowers. The inside of the elevator was as if it was the outdoors, a completely different world. They stepped inside, putting their feet on the water, which was only deep enough to almost reach their knees. Hachiman just realized the water was murky and wore a disgusted expression.

It was as if it had transformed into a pit.

"Uuuhhhh, by climb, you seriously mean climbing to the top of this tower?" Hachiman asked while looking up at the light. It illuminated the area so much, it was as if daytime had arrived.

"Why yes." [Yoshimi] answered as if it was the most obvious thing.

"I'd rather have an elevator..." The young sorcerer sighed, and then jumped to climb on the rocky wall. During his ascent, he asked. "So if I climb to the top, am I going to reach enlightenment or something?"

"No, but it is not impossible for you to learn-" Before the robed child could finish his next sentence, Hachiman fell with water splashing everywhere and then sat up.

"The edge I was holding broke." He then jumped back on the wall to climb again, only to fail for a second time because of his feet slipping. [Yoshimi] just watched the young sorcerer climb and fall for several times. The highest Hachiman was able to reach was over 80 feet. After falling back to the murky water for the umpteenth time, Hachiman just sat still, letting the water cool him for a moment. "It's either slippery or too fragile as a hold. Getting wet really doesn't help too."

"I can see that."

"So why am I doing this?"

"You are near the end of the second stage." The moment [Yoshimi] said that, Hachiman stared at him with widened eyes. "This entire time, the Matthew Treasure is molding you into an individual to be more like Shani Dev. Think of this as training to prepare for the day you will make the choice." (1)

"Convincing you mean." Hachiman commented, though in a more stoic manner. "How did a cursed object-the Matthew Treasure..?- doesn't sound Indian- came to me, anyway?"

"Once a host dies, the cursed object will go to another who is fresh out of the womb and fit certain criteria. How it travels and chooses its host is still a mystery to us."

"It's a little late to ask, but who are you?..."

"I... we are the sages who once followed Shani Dev, but revolted along with Pipplad, a powerful sorcerer, and a good friend. The more accurate term would be the 'will of the sages'."

"I don't understand."

"Shani Dev struck a deal with a cunning devil named Kenjaku in this country to become a cursed object for resurrection. However, we intervened at the cost of our lives. Our duty here is to stop it from functioning, but we could only do so much. We weakened it to where instead of a resurrection, the cursed object 'chose' to do something along the lines of manipulation of one's mind to becoming more like Shani Dev. Hence, the 'inheritance of his will' became the function of that cursed object instead of resurrection. That is why it has a longer procedure than intended and from the beginning until now, we are still trying to stop the process. Forgive us, but with each vessel born in a new era, our strength to hold the cursed object's control and alternating its process weakens."

"So how come you guys didn't know more when you've been here for so long?"

"Our main purpose is to stop the cursed object by whatever option is available. Any other objective is meaningless."

"So... back to the whole 'will of the sages' thing. You're not an actual cursed spirit?"

"Think of us, except Shani Dev, as programs installed on the object."

"I'm surprised you know something like that."

"The cursed object is connected to your brain. We can easily understand the modern era through your information. Anyway, think of 'inheriting Shani Dev's will' as the artifact inserting some of his traits into you, changing your nature. You might still have portions of your preferences, hobbies, and personality, but your actions... your power... goals... and the view of the world will be that of his."

"I see... That guy, Kenjaku, was it? Who is that?"

"An evil sorcerer that is unknown to us even at our moment of death. We only discovered Shani Dev's scheme that involved being associated with that stranger."

"Someone that could make a cursed object as complex as this would be dangerous."

"Indeed, now go back to your ascent."

"I'm trying"

"Stop trying."

"Please be more specific."

"You cannot learn if you expect everything to give you the answer."

"I know... I know... Ouch." The young sorcerer stood while rubbing his back and approached the wall once again. After taking a deep breath, he climbed once again. It was a slow ascent, but he felt calm. Rather than distracting himself from which edge he should step on or hold, he just stared at the light in awe. "Just focus on the light... focus on-"

"Wrong." [Yoshimi] said as Hachiman fell once again into the water. His highest was now 97 feet. "You were close, but you are thinking incorrectly."

"Aren't you basically telling me to stop thinking about anything and just go up?"

"That does not mean you should forget your journey of the ascent."

"... Ah." Hachiman made a look of realization and stood once more to do another climb. This time, it was a quick one. He stopped caring about the holds or the light itself. Then he saw a woman with short white hair that reached her neck, and wearing a beige cardigan over a green, short-sleeved V-neck dress. The attire suddenly changed into a robe as well with a staff. The second after that, large amounts of water fell from the light and showered him with so much pressure, he fell along with it. This time, the fall wasn't painful, but rather nonexistent. He sat up and realized the lotus flowers gathered around him and under him to cushion the fall. His highest climb was 130 feet. While continuing to gaze at the light, Hachiman called out to the sage. "Hey, Yoshimi... Has Shani Dev tried this?"

"No." [Yoshimi] shook his own head and looked outside of the elevator. Hachiman turned around, only to see the glass door where the ancient sorcerer exited. "He found a glimpse of this path, but did not even enter it. Instead of trying to conquer his inner spirit, he chose to try conquering the natural order of life."

"Well, anyone wouldn't focus on the inside of their towers built by their aspects of life. Staying here is like being a NEET. But..." Hachiman looked around to remember the details of the pit and the lotus flowers surrounding him. He reached for one, but they all floated away and went back to him once he retracted his hand. "There's something more in here."

"And when you find one, your actions will be endless. The inner world of man and the outer world of the existential plane have one thing in common. What do you think it is?"

"Hmmm... it's constantly changing?"

"Correct, yet you still act on the permanence of despair. The idea that you never have taken hold of your future." When [Yoshimi] said that, Hachiman looked back at the glass door as he said that, then looked around the pit and at the light above. "Even though that's what you believe in now, you still couldn't accept it. In the corner of your mind, you bear emotions that oppose that idea."

"People's thoughts don't always mirror how they feel. That's why they sometimes make decisions that seem nonsensical."

"Who said that again?" Hachiman tried to remember who gave those words. The only thing he remembered regarding that was that it came from a woman wearing a lab coat. He gave up on trying to remember and asked a question. "So I get to have the choice of who I want to be, right? The cursed object won't just take over me?"

"Yes and no... Ultimately, you decide who you want to become: a powerful, merciful, yet tyrannical 'god', or you."

"I choose me." Hachiman's answer was without hesitation. Though he wondered what the sage meant by that response. While speaking, the room of the general floor slowly faded into white nothingness. "I don't think Shani Dev is evil to an extent. There's nothing wrong with making and preaching on one road that would help people. In the corner of my mind, there is always this speck of belief in deities and forces like karma before and after being a sorcerer. I'm just speculating at this point, but I think what Shani Dev was going for was to 'guide' people. Somewhere along the way, things didn't go the way he wanted, and it all fell apart. And it's because of that, he failed."

"Are you saying he failed to reach the highest state not because of his different conclusion, but misfortune throughout his journey?" The sage asked with a tilted head. "Where did you get such an idea?"

"I mean, when you think about it, one of the teachings of Hinduism is that by loving all things, be it creation, the way of the world, or anything beyond that, a person will reach the highest state." Hachiman leaned forward, becoming invested in the discussion. "It's like Buddhism... well, Buddhism emerged out of Hinduism, after all, so it's obvious they have in common about being compassionate to everything. They teach people to understand we are all of reality. The person is not just a mind, body, and spirit, but that person is the whole existence that manifested into a singular point of consciousness. We are the totality of divinity at the present time. So basically, by accepting everything, we could achieve the highest state of being or enter something like Nirvana."

"What compelled you to think Shani Dev shares the same goal?"

"Like I said, it's all speculation. You said he had so much wisdom, right? Then he should've figured that Karma is more of cause and effect than a system of punishment and reward. If he really is as smart as you said, that should've been what he understood, but he didn't."

"That's enough..." [Yoshimi] mumbled, but it didn't reach the young sorcerer's ears.

"So I think Shani Dev has the same goal in mind, but has a different method of going about, just like other deities. Instead of becoming the 'God of Karma' as a way to control, his goal might be centered more around that concept about oneness to help people. The question is: what are the key factors that developed his overblown goal?"

"ENOUGH!" The sage shouted while growing in height. Hachiman noticed him looking older and could tell he was angry from how he gritted his own teeth. The outburst caused several lotus flowers behind him to fly away and slowly landed on water either next to Hachiman or behind him. Seeing that, [Yoshimi] appeared to be in bewilderment and sat back down on the few lotus flowers left on his side. After shrinking back into a child, the young sorcerer spoke.

"... Hey, it's not like I'm on Shani Dev's side." Hachiman said with a worried look. "Regardless of what he stood for, I rather be myself because that's what I'm born as, and there are people who need Hikigaya Hachiman."

"Are you sure that's from your own consciousness? Or is it Shani Dev's?" [Yoshimi]'s question made him silent in thought. "... I hope that decision is final. For this is not the precise moment that changes everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometime in the final days of the forthcoming month, a catastrophe will occur. During the chaos is when the true moment will arrive."

"Something is about to happen in October? Can you see the future?"

"It's more of a prediction based on your journey so far. The suffering you have conquered." [Yoshimi] stood and Hachiman followed suit. "Now then, continue the ascent."

"Right..." Hachiman nodded and jumped to climb and fall again. The more he climbed, the higher he went.

As he repeated the process, his surroundings changed little by little with the murky water becoming deeper than 4 feet and the number of lotus flowers increasing. The space grew larger and trees started growing out of the walls. The entire pit transformed into more like a landscape each time the young sorcerer climbed and fell. He didn't speak or do any action besides repeat the same process, but the light went further and further away. Despite that, he continued without complaint, often sitting on the lotus flowers to rest with a clear mind. The seasons often changed as well and rapidly, making it harder for him to climb and adapt to the constantly changing environment.

Hachiman didn't know how long he had been in this place.

Hours? Days? Years?

It felt like so much time had passed and that immeasurable amount of time went by in just a moment.

He started using the trees sprouting on the mountain-like walls to climb, and everytime he fell, the moments of rests became more comfortable and peaceful. [Yoshimi] just sat in the lotus flowers, watching him climbing higher at each failure. Hachiman didn't talk to him the entire time, as his focus was primarily on the light. It was as if there wasn't anyone else in the room but himself.

No, he still acknowledged his presence.

It was just that he was acknowledging almost everything existed in this world.

"Hey..." Hachiman called out to the sage.

"What is it?"

"Could you tell me your real name?"

"... Such a thing is of no importance."

"It'd be weird to just call you 'Sage', since there are two more in here. And calling you Yoshimi is a bit..."

"That is... understandable. My name is Kapila."

"Nice to meet you." Then he continued his next thousandth ascent. During that climb, the walls turned into ice with some edges more rocky but had snow piling up on them. It was far more slippery, and the cold feeling when touching the ice made him think his hands would freeze. He'd often use the icicles as something to grab on. The large murky water started falling once again showering him. This time, he resisted as he firmly grasped the edges and leaned his entire body against the wall. However, the pressure and weight from the falling water was too strong for him to hold on, and so he fell. Through sheer willpower, he grabbed onto a long icicle that was so prickly all over, they punctured into his hand. Hachiman waited for the muddy water to stop while his hand bled, painting the icicle into a red color. Once the water ended, he started his ascent until the surroundings were transforming.

The pit became darker, muddier, and had a disgusting odor of decaying corpses mixing with the scent of rotting soil. Bones of different species, including those of a human, grew out of those walls and formed into things such as staircases, planks, and sharp spikes. There were long edges for him to walk easily, since some were wide enough. The odor was so strong, even a small inhale was enough to invade his sense of smell. While walking on the stairs that appeared to be a large ribcage, he looked around in awe at how gloomy everything became. He looked down and couldn't see the bottom, not the murky water with the lotus flowers nor Kapila.

"... So what's your name?" Hachiman asked while raising his head to face the other sage, who appeared to be Chisa. The female sage remained silent as she just flew up slowly. With a sigh, he just continued to walk up the stairs until he reached the end and started climbing on the wall. It was a slow ascent, but he managed to catch up to the sage. "Hello~? Can you hear me?"

"... You are distracted." "Chisa" finally spoke, but her voice had a certain mystical tone in it.

"Well... I just want to know your name." After saying that, a rain of muddy water started pouring down heavily. The rain made the stench of all things rotting even worse. However, he didn't care about any of that.

"... I don't remember." The female sage answered. "Nor does the one using the appearance of Shina. Not only our strength weakens, but our knowledge as well. We agreed that Kapila would be the main one standing with the most knowledge to battle the cursed object from the inside, while we support through other means. It is very fortunate for all three of us to manifest. Think of us as programs just doing what we are coded to do, but as time went on and with each action or 'maintenance' we take to improve our attempts to stop the cursed object, we encounter errors and bugs."

After that answer, Hachiman found himself in a dark cave. He looked back outside to find other routes to take, but jumping across to the other wall appeared to be impossible because of the vast distance. The female sage was nowhere to be found as well. Hachiman chose to venture inside the cave with no source of light. It was difficult for him to see in the dark as he moved his hands forward, hoping to touch something. Each step echoed and that, along with his breath and heartbeat, were the only sounds he could hear. Not knowing where to go, he continued forward... until he felt something soft on his foot when he took another step.

Not only was it soft but also slippery. Hachiman just walked over and ignored the strange sensation. Wondering about it didn't matter, since he couldn't see. After walking for a while, he felt the hard ground through his feet. Then, several steps after that, he fell a few feet into what felt like water that reached his stomach. He just moved on without questioning it, and so much time had passed.

Should he try turning in a different direction? What would happen if he did? Right or left?

And so, the sorcerer went left to see where it led. However, so much time passed and there was nothing aside from the dirty water. He turned to the right, and the result was the same. Turning back would probably end like that as well. The only path was forward. In the end, going in different directions changed nothing. Hachiman walked forward, ignoring every strange and eerie sensation he felt throughout the journey and pressing on. This direction took longer than the others, but he had no choice.

"No choice..." Hachiman mumbled as he stopped. "There is only one way... One that all things can agree on..."

After making a realization, Hachiman ventured once more until he felt a rising slope and walked up to free from the water. At that point, he started not to care about every strange detail he could find with his other senses. From the pleasant, yet overpowering scent of perfume, to the sounds of something cracking and gushing every time he stepped forward, nothing gained his attention. Finally, he bumped into something rough.

Another wall.

He climbed on that wall despite not seeing or knowing anything. In fact, the young sorcerer didn't rely on his other senses to find where the footholds and edges were. All he did was just stretching out his hands and lifting his feet in hopes they would land on those edges. After that, he heard a noise. Several things were hitting something rocky and solid, along with grunts and heavy breaths of both men and women, elders and children.

"Hello?" Hachiman spoke loudly, but there was no response. He waited for several seconds until he continued his ascent before sighing. His movements became slower because of the immense pain he was enduring. Throughout the time since his hundredth climb, all the muscles in his body were aching, the bones in his limbs were shattering, and his breath became heavy from exhaustion. Despite all of that, he was able to ascend at an immeasurable height. He finally became more aware of the pain in his entire body, as if it was telling him to stop. Then, the light that he was trying to reach returned from above, illuminating all to reveal nothing but an ordinary and huge pit.

No presence of nature, people or things decaying, just a plain and rocky pit.

"Forgive me." [Chisa] the sage apologized as she flew towards him. "Our strength shrank even further, so the cursed object tried to take over by engulfing you in darkness."

"It's fine..." Hachiman reassured her while smiling brightly. "In fact, it helped me realized something."

"About... what?" She asked in confusion.

"That I haven't heard HIS side of the story." After saying that, he let go of the edges and fell, which shocked the sage as she flew down fast to catch him. Hachiman refused her help by slapping away the hand she stretched to him.

"What are you doing?!"

"Let's call it 'going back to my roots'."

"Don't be a fool!"

"The real fool would be someone ignorant."

"Then why?!" [Chisa] was angered by those words with her wrinkled glare displaying such. She grabbed his arms, only for him to headbutt her forehead, followed by a knee to the stomach, and kicked her face to gain distance. However, [Chisa] closed that distance by flying towards him at blurring speed while hitting his left temple with the staff. Hachiman endured that as if it had no effect on him and grabbed the staff to pull her into him. He hit her cheek with a right jab, threw a left punch next, and grabbed her arm to throw her to the wall. The female sage stopped mid-air to prevent the crash and angrily chased him as she flew even faster to go past him, embracing the young sorcerer from behind. The latter quickly hit her face with an elbow and broke loose from her grasp, and then tried throwing her again. However, [Chisa] had the advantage of mobility in mid-air, so she spun around, dragging him with her, and threw him into a wall. Hachiman collided that wall with his two feet and jumped towards her to punch. [Chisa] simply leaned back to evade before blocking a right kick aiming for her left side with the staff effortlessly, kicked his left shin he was raising to try attacking, and swung her staff at his right cheek. Hachiman caught it to pull her and thrust both feet at her abdomen simultaneously to fall deeper into the pit with faster momentum. The sage's frustration grew while chasing him again.

Rinse and repeat.

Hachiman resisted her attempts at stopping him from reaching the bottom. The more he fought back, the weaker she became. With the sounds of bones cracking echoing from his exhausted and pained body, he fended her off until he could see the black circle that was the pool of black water with the lotus flowers. Those lotus flowers gathered under him so they could slow down his fall, and once he landed on them gently, he ran towards the exit.

"KAPILA, STOP HIM!" [Chisa] shouted. "HE'S GOING TO SHANI DEV!"

"Can you all relax?" Hachiman spoke before a staff thrusted his stomach, which sent him tumbling away as the lotus flower gathered to cushion him. When he stood up, he continued running to do a corkscrew flip to dodge two staffs that were aiming for his legs and the back of his head, kicked Kapila and punched [Chisa] at the same time in mid-air, landed on one lotus flower with one hand, and spun with his legs spread open to kick them. Although they were out of range by a hair, that last move was just to make them feel cautious. The second after that, while being in a handstand, Hachiman fell on his back to swing a downward kick at Kapila. but that was a fake as he stopped midway and thrust a left kick at his face instead. [Chisa] swung the staff at his stomach. The young sorcerer bent back further to catch it with both legs, threw it away while landing on his feet to the lotus flowers squatting, and jumped with a right upward kick to her chin. She guarded that, then tried defending against the left one, but Hachiman faked it as he landed in a crouching position to do a sweeping kick. [Chisa] jumped to evade while thrusting her staff at him and he caught that while pulling it with the momentum of his rotation for a roundhouse kick to the left side of her chin, then stood up with that momentum.

A Chapeau de couro in the martial art of Capoeira.

Taking two steps with that rotation, he then did a right cartwheel kick at Kapila's head called a Chibata. The sage tried blocking it, but its strength broke his posture and hurt his arm. Hachiman quickly followed this with a kick called the Martelo no Chão to successfully hit his head and ran away as the two sages fell, submerging into the murky water. The lotus flowers gathered to become a road for him to run for the exit, and when he went out of the pit, the white nothingness turned back into the first floor of the port tower.

What was standing between him and the glass doors was a woman.

She had long black curly hair and wore a plain yellow V-neck T-shirt, white pants, and kitten heels.

He saw how she didn't express the intent to stop him as she stood still, staring at him with a smile. It was as if she was the mother being proud of her son. He didn't exchange words nor a gesture. Hachiman kept running until he went past her and stood very close to the glass doors. Through the glass, he saw a figure in the vast space of white nothingness. There also appeared to be a gale of sorts.

"Why didn't you stop him?" Meanwhile, Kapila interacted with [Shina]. "What did you see in his mind?"

"When darkness surfaced, the boy realized." She answered. "No matter which direction he will go to, there is only one where it could settle everything. The real truth. In this entire time, he hasn't truly grasped what Shani Dev is. He's only given the truth that others believe and so-."

"-he has to ask the devil itself." [Chisa] finished the sentence with her own words. "How are you sure the boy won't accept his hand?"

"He won't." [Shina] shook her own head with a chuckle. "It's more like he stumbled upon a client that needs his services."

"I can't believe it took me thousands of years in this place to realize this..." Hachiman mumbled as the double glass door slid open on its own and he reached out a hand." Hey there... it looks pretty rough to be out there. Let's talk indoors, shall we?"

Without a word, the figure approached him slowly. The closer he got, the clearer Shani Dev's appearance became. When they were finally within each other's range, the ancient sorcerer walked past him and went inside while everything is fading to white, including himself.

"... Will you truly listen to me?" Shani Dev finally spoke for the first time.

"I accept your request, dear client."

.

.

-0-

---

Next Day, September 22

8:40 AM

"You really got your brain messed up big time." Shoko told Hachiman, who sat in a bed of the infirmary, and Mai, who just stood next to him, while showing an x-ray print of his skull. "You see this? That's a large crack in the right side of your skull yesterday, but I'm willing to bet it was a hole. Luckily, thanks to your weird skill of using reversed cursed technique while sleeping or being unconscious, your brain and skull are healed. Even so, the damage to your brain from that black flash kick and the bone fragments did their job of giving you traumatic brain injury..."

"I see." Hachiman just stared at the image.

"So you can heal yourself while sleeping?" Mai looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "That sounds... pretty cool."

"I know right." He agreed, as if the doctor's words didn't affect him in the slightest.

"So, is this amnesia temporary or...?" Mai asked with a worried look.

"It's most likely temporary... I think."

"You think?"

"Despite how severe it was, he managed to heal it... unconsciously, of course. Besides..." Shoko grabbed his phone on top of the drawer next to him as the short-haired girl leaned over to see what she was doing and saw her opening the gallery to skim through the pictures until she stopped. Shoko tapped the one picture of Yukino smiling to view the full size and showed it to the dead fish-eyed sorcerer, who blushed with widened eyes at seeing it. His strand of hair standing on top of his head somehow moved as if it was a living creature. "... He makes that reaction every time he sees a picture of his girlfriend, despite forgetting her." Shoko said with a deadpanned expression.

"How is that hair moving on its own?" Mai wondered while watching it before shaking her own head off to stop being distracted. "So what makes you unsure?"

"He remembers facts and knowledge like what schools he enrolled, his favorite food and drink, and all of his abilities are still intact, but forgot events and people. He can still learn new things, which is weird enough considering that TBI has an effect on cognitive abilities. Though, maybe we can make sense of it by saying his reversed cursed technique prevented that... no matter how stretched that sounds. Then there's the other problem."

"And that is...?"

"The events and people he forgot are too specific. He lost memories of his family, his girlfriend, and probably some of his closest friends. Both events and identities. Maybe he had some family and relationship issues that's traumatic enough to fall into the category of this being a type of dissociative amnesia like localized or systematized, but it could also be something worse like dementia-"

"-or there's something else at play here." THe women turned around and saw Satoru leaning in the doorway. He wore a blue long-sleeved, buttoned-up shirt tacked in black pants and a pair of sunglasses dark enough to conceal his eyes. Hachiman watched him get closer and lean forward with his sunglasses raised, revealing the Six Eyes while staring at the former's face. Satoru tilted his head in confusion until he pointed an index finger at Hachiman's forehead. "That's where you are, Mr. Shani Dev. It's been a while since I've seen your cursed energy. But... I can't pinpoint you because of how small you are. The fact it's that tiny, along with its cursed energy being so obscured by Hachiman's. It's like finding a plankton in a massive ocean. Is it possible for a cursed object to be that tiny? Or is it that its presence is suppressed enough to blend in with his cursed ener-"

"Gojo-san, I know you are doing something important like checking up on me, but you smell like sewer." Hachiman said in a deadpan tone before pinching his nose.

"What have you been doing, Satoru?" Shoko asked while waving her hand to fan away the stench, and Mai just used the sleeves of her kimono to cover her nose.

"Hmmm... well, this is interesting." Satoru straightened up while ignoring their comments and turned around to look at Mai. "Mai-chan, Hachiman and I are gonna talk about something important and private, so..."

"... Oh... Okay, but he's going to be fine, right?" Mai asked while looking down at the floor.

"He'll be alright. If you really know him, you should understand he's stubborn. And-" While Satoru was trying to reassure Mai, Hachiman leaned forward to reach for his cellphone in Shoko's hand. Noticing that, the doctor moved it further away from him.

"You'll use your phone later. I know you're healed, but doing it now after one day of your brain injury could-" She tried to reason with him, but Hachiman swiped the device from her hand. He looked through the pictures stored in it while preventing Shoko from taking the phone back.

The faces in those pictures gave him several emotions. When he looked at Yukino, his heart beat with blood rushing through his cheeks. There was a girl next to her, with short peach-colored hair worn in a loose side bun, and seeing that girl made him smile. The same thing happened when he saw two other girls doing a peace sign next to each other. One had shoulder-length bobbed brown hair and honey eyes, and the other had medium-length black hair with one strand standing on top of her head. For some funny reason, he immediately guessed the latter to be his relative because of that strand of hair. There was also a picture of a woman with long black hair and wearing a labcoat. Hachiman didn't have a single memory about them, but he had such emotions just from looking at their faces. Then he saw pictures of people he remembered, such as Tobe, Yumiko, Hina, Hayato, Totsuka, Kawasaki, Zaimokusa, and Haruno.

"Wait, if I couldn't remember the people I care about the most, how come I still remember the others? Is it that I don't really care that much about them? That's a plausible one, but I doubt that." Hachiman thought before dialing the phone number to call.

"-so the next thing to think about is his friends and family at Chiba." Satoru continued talking. "The most appropriate option is to tell them because they obviously have the right, but the issue is more of when and where should we tell-"

"Hikigaya? What are you doing?" Mai asked after seeing him fiddling with his phone. The three of them watched the dead fish-eyed sorcerer, wondering what he was trying to do.

"Hello?" The female voice gave a surge of happiness as he put the call on speaker.

"Good morning... uuuhhh, Yukino-chan?" Hachiman spoke after wondering what he usually addressed her since he forgot, but decided to be playful. The moment Satoru, Shoko, and Mai heard the name, their jaws dropped in bewilderment at his move.

"Hahhhh... if you find it that difficult to address me that way, then don't even try it." Yukino said on the phone with a sigh. "Why '-chan' in the first place?"

"You don't like it?" Hachiman asked with a tilted head.

"It doesn't suit you. In fact, my entire body shivered because I thought a stalker called me instead."

"Thanks for calling your boyfriend, who took the time to call you a creepy stalker."

"And so how are you today, Hikistalker-kun?"

"Not good because of a certain woman on the phone calling me a stalker."

Oh, dear. Who said such a thing? That woman seems intelligent enough to realize your true nature so easily."

"More like paranoid enough to make assumptions, Orokashiita-san." (2)

"Your attempt at word play is horrendous. Changing my name to a fool? The lack of thought into that is as obvious as your eyes of a dead fish, which is also horrendous."

"Yours is even worse. Then, how about Akashita-san?" (3)

"Surely you're not suggesting to call me a yokai?"

"Well, it suits you. Your tongue is the gate to calamities."

"If I can bring calamities with this tongue, then I hope with my words, you will be at your final hour, Shikigaya-kun." (4)

"Having 'sword' in my surname does sound kinda nice."

"Has your language deteriorated as well?"

"... Is this how they always start their conversation?" Shoko asked while just watching them continuing their argument with her mouth still open.

"That's their own way of flirting." Satoru responded while watching with a carefree smile.

"I had a hunch about why he's so quick to respond to my insults, but this is something else." Mai commented.

"I'm glad you called. It's been days since we last talked." Yukino said in a soft tone.

"I've been busy." Hachiman responded.

"Is it getting difficult there?"

"It's always difficult here. It makes me feel like just sitting anywhere is a godsend after another mission."

"Is that really because of you working hard, or is it you expressing your laziness?"

"A bit of both."

"What to do with you..." Although she said that, he could somehow tell she was smiling. "Hachiman, has there been... any news about whether you can come back here?"

"Yeah, my teacher/boss can do something about it." Hachiman said while looking at Satoru.

"No, I won't." Satoru spoke while shaking his own head.

"Yes, you will."

"Yeah, I might."

"Gojo-san is there?" Yukino asked.

"Yeah, he's here to check up on me." Hachiman answered while shrugging his shoulders. "You know how he is."

"You can say that again."

"I'm right here." Satoru's vein popped into his temple.

"Meeting Haruno-san was just a training arc for the real antagonist." The dead fish-eyed sorcerer continued as if Satoru wasn't there.

"I don't want to imagine someone who's worse than Nee-san to exist. Gojo-san is on par with her at best." Same as Yukino.

"That doesn't make me feel any better, Yukino-saaaaan~!" Satoru had tears streaming from his eyes.

"Let's stop comparing them so we won't have to torture ourselves remembering every suffe- GAH!" Hachiman tried to speak until the white-haired sorcerer jumped at him to do an arm triangle choke. "YOU...! STOP...!"

"You think you can just badmouth in front of the Great Teacher Gojo!? You're dead wrong!" Satoru tightened his hold until a black aura engulfed his student that caused the former to fly away through the ceiling.

"W-What is going on?" Yukino asked with a confused voice, and Hachiman tried to answer, but...

"YUKINO-CHAN, YUKINO-CHAN!" Satoru shouted behind him. Despite being flown away by the barrier, he still was able to return within half a second. "Hachiman-kun got a haircut, and it's hilarious!"

"A haircut? I never thought you would take care of your hair. Would you mind showing it to me?" Yukino asked.

"No problemo!" Satoru raised a thumbs-up and grabbed his student's phone, but the latter wouldn't let go. "Come on, Hachiman! Show her your new look."

"Wait, wait! I can do that myself!" Hachiman said with gritted teeth as they both struggled to pull the phone in a tug-of-war.

"Why are you being shy, huh? It's a nice haircut!"

"She would think otherwise! Give me time to-"

"Well, you wouldn't know if you don't show it to me. Of course, I'm expecting it to be terrible." Yukino spoke with a mocking tone.

"If you didn't say that last sentence, I would've reluctantly done it." He retorted while his eye twitched.

"Oh, come on! Do you need better lighting?! Don't worry and rely on your Gojo-sensei!" Satoru grunted while pulling harder. "With some filters you have on the phone, we can edit it into a work of art better than Mona Lisa or The Great Wave Off Kanagawa!"

"Yes, I would also highly recommend that if you're truly embarrassed." The girl on the phone was amused by their antics. Meanwhile, Mai and Shoko were still standing there watching the entire scene with the latter in disbelief at the dead fish-eyed sorcerer's carefree attitude, while Shoko just let out a sigh and accepted the situation.

"What... is happening, exactly?" Mai asked.

"I guess that's his way of saying that everything will be alright." Shoko answered with a smile. "Satoru probably realized that, so he joined in."

"... Why?"

"That's just how Satoru is."

"I mean, why is Hikigaya so calm about this?"

"It's most likely the cursed object inside him." The doctor thought. "His brain changed during the Remodeling Stage. Well... I'm sure as hell not giving her that answer. It's a secret until we're actually busted."

"Now stay still!" Satoru enthusiastically pointed the phone at Hachiman, who was brushing his slick-back hair with a hand nervously. After taking the picture and sending it to his girlfriend, Hachiman waited eagerly for her response with a tiny expectation it would be positive. Of course, he doubted because, from what he gathered so far in the conversation, his girlfriend enjoyed teasing him condescendingly.

"My goodness, why did you choose that appearance? People will think you are a delinquent more than ever."

"I just felt like it's a good hairstyle, alright?" Hachiman answered while putting a hand on his face.

"Well, because of that, do not be surprised when people avoid you. It seems that anything you do with your hair would all lead to that scenario which is a very misfortunate. But at least I'd be willing to be next to my boyfriend and accept this attempt at improvement, so be grateful."

"... Is that your roundabout way of saying you like my hair?" The boyfriend asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What a tsundere~." Satoru teased.

"I don't understand what you mean, Gojo-san." Yukino denied so calmly, one would believe her.

"Well, I guess you could say he's getting used to having brain damages." Meanwhile, Shoko chuckled after responding to Mai. "That's my take."

"I don't get it. Isn't this something to be worried about? This..." Mai pointed at the dead fish-eyed sorcerer. "He's just faking it, isn't he?"

"Maybe, and he's really good at it, if that's really the case. But... is everything about this fake?" When the doctor asked, Mai just went silent in thought.

.

.

-0-

August

Days after the Okinawa incident.

"Shit...! I hate it..." She complained while panting after training outside. Combined with the unbearable heat of summer, the woman was done for, as she ran towards a building where there was a shade to hide from the sunlight. Her blue jogging outfit was drenched in sweat and dirt, and her hair was disheveled before fixing it. While wiping off the sweat on her neck and unzipping the jacket, she sat on the ground, leaning her back against the wall to embrace the shade. "Dirty... sticky... tiring... What am I doing?"

"Mai-san!" She turned her head and saw Miwa approaching with two bottles in hands. "It's rare for you to go all out on training like that."

"Shut up..." Mai covered her own eyes with the towel and raised it slightly to cover her sweaty forehead while wiping it. "Don't talk to me... until I can breathe again."

"But seriously, what's gotten into you?" Miwa asked while sitting a few feet away, basking in the sunlight. After giving the short-haired girl a bottle as well, they both drank the water to hydrate. "Are you frustrated we couldn't find the curse users?"

"There's that... Hey, why did you enroll here?"

"That's sudden. Well... my family is poor, so I want to earn more money as fast as I can."

"... That's it?"

"Uh... yeah?"

"Don't you think you can do that by finding a job?"

"It was hard finding one, and I either need to balance that with my school life or drop out of school and go full time. Mom wouldn't like the latter because she wants me to study, too... I... really want to help, so while I was thinking about my choices, I met my mentor who taught me how to wield a sword. Ever since that day, I swing my sword everyday until I couldn't feel my arms anymore. Learning the blade is what might save Mom and my brothers. That's what I believe."

"I see... You never told us about that until now. Sorry for uh... teasing you a lot."

"Eh? Ah, it's nothing. I'm glad I got to be your classmate." Miwa smiled, then turned to look at someone who was standing further away from them. It was a robot wearing a black jacket and a matching hakama. The jacket had a grey scarf-like cloth around the collar and two pins on the left side of the uniform. "What about you, Mechamaru? What's your reason?"

"To make use of my power, nothing else." Mechamaru answered.

"Very straightforward." Mai looked at the robot with a deadpan stare.

"Why do you ask about my reason, anyway?" Miwa asked while looking at her own hands that had blisters and dirt on them. "You've been acting weird for days now."

"You know Hikigaya is a drop-out, right?" Mai asked without looking at any of them, as her eyes focused on the blue sky.

"Yeah, he couldn't take the missions anymore and he was just done." Miwa answered nonchalantly.

"I kept wondering why he jumped in and helped us." Mai stared at her own bottle in thought. "He quit, didn't he? Because all the things about curses were too much for him. And yet, he fought alongside us."

"Isn't it obvious?" Mechamaru responded in a flat tone. "Someone important to him is in danger, so he came to her rescue."

"Even if it means going back to hell?" Mai argued.

"I get what you're saying, Mai-san." The blue-haired girl spoke. "It's like the same thing with me and my way of helping my family. He has something that matters to him."

"I know... but..." Mai wasn't satisfied with their answers.

When they first encountered the dead fish-eyed sorcerer, all they saw was a man struggling desperately to fight. At first, she thought she was just weak, but after clearing the misunderstandings (only to be replaced with Hachiman's lie about being a drop-out), she realized he was just afraid. He didn't want to engage the horrors of curses. All he wanted was to be with his lover, friends, and family to live a normal life. Mai wanted a similar desire. She just hated everything about pursuing jujutsu, from the painful training and education to the goal of exorcising the terrifying cursed spirits that could kill. Because Mai understood his fear and the desire to stay ordinary, she felt guilty to a small extent.

Then, he came to aid them.

It confused her so much, wondering what compelled him to do such a thing. The world of curses, the life once lived until he had enough. Why did he fight?

Just as Miwa and Mechamaru said earlier, it was to save his loved one, but for her, that answer was not enough. She believed there was a more selfish reason because during their fight against the curse users; she saw how happy he looked. It was the look of a man who lost sanity, as if he took pleasure in the heat of battle. It reminded her of Todo Aoi every time he went to battle, such as when he fought Okkotsu Yuta at last year's Goodwill Event despite losing, and some of her sorcerer relatives that took pleasure in beating down weaker opponents. When they completed the mission, Hachiman returned to his lover and left as if things were back to normal.

He was weak, afraid and pitiful, but then he was strong, brave, and quite... insane.

Perhaps that was the reason why he found enjoyment in fighting. Just the lack of sanity. Or... there could be something that made sorcerers like him attract to the world of curses and vice versa.

What was it?

What was so appealing about this terrifying world? Why did her sister pursued the path? Why did anyone in this place?

For the first time, Zenin Mai became interested in jujutsu

.

.

-0-

"My reason?" A man repeated her question. He was a tall young man who had long black hair with two strands in front of his face were styled in bandage-like wrappings. His attire included a dark blue tinted shozoku version of the Jujutsu Tech uniform with zori sandals and white socks. "I believe I made myself clear during the times we talked. It is because I am the heir of the Kamo clan."

"Is there any other reason besides that?"

"... No."

.

.

-0-

"Hmmmm... Let's see." The girl mumbled while thinking. She had a short height with blonde hair tied into two pigtails at the base and ended that point upwards. Both of her ears were pierced with two earrings and she also had a collar on her neck. She wore a loose, short-sleeved, black dress that ended mid-calf as a school uniform and a pair of matching ballerina shoes. "I guess it's because I like being a witch."

"... Eh?" Mai arched an eyebrow at that answer. "Is that it?"

"Well, that's one of the reasons." The blonde girl said while caressing her broom. "You know how hard for us as women to be sorcerers. They demand perfection, both in appearance and strength. Whenever they told me I can't reach this or I'll never be like that, it makes me want to chase it even more. I'll prove that I'm better than them. They'll see."

"I see..." Mai smiled. "That's a great goal."

"Thanks, Mai-chan."

.

.

-0-

"I became a sorcerer because I was bored." The man answered while just resting on top of a tree. He was a tall man with a muscular build, a relatively tan skin, and shoulder-length black hair that was almost tied into a top-knot bun. The left side of his face had a large scar, and he wore a unbuttoned Jujutsu Tech uniform. "There weren't any fun things to do, only boring people to fight and always came out on top. When I met my mentor, I felt it on instinct that the thrill appeared right in front of me. And so, I enrolled here to have fun battles. Nothing else."

"I shouldn't have asked a meathead..." Mai let out a sigh and walked away.

"Wait." The man called out to her as he landed on the grass. "There's also another reason."

"Is it for your Takada-chan?" She asked in a flat tone which he clicked his tongue.

"So you knew."

"You've been talking about her almost non-stop! Way too often, might I add! And you dragged me to her Handshake Event, remember?!"

"... Oh, right. I did. And you enjoyed it, as far as I remember."

"I only said it was not bad." Mai turned her head away with folded arms, trying to hide her actual likeness of the tall idol.

"Well? Why did you ask about my reasons, anyway?"

"It's nothing." Mai turned around to walk away, but the tall man appeared in front of her. "WAH!"

"Don't be like that. I get the feeling this'll ease my boredom. Is it about that drop-out you met?"

"What makes you think it'll give you the thrill, Todo?"

"It's not thrill, just curious." The man named Todo retorted. "Of all things that changed you, a total stranger isn't what I had in mind. Despite my overwhelming intelligence, I didn't expect something like that to be the factor."

"Intelligence... right..." Mai stared at him with a deadpanned expression. After thinking in silence for ten seconds, she finally revealed to Todo about the second-years' encounter with Hachiman from their fight that was caused by lies to succeeding the mission and created a sense of camaraderie. Then she talked about her thoughts on the dead fish-eyed sorcerer's actions.

"I see... so you want to know why he did that." Todo repeated her words while sitting under a tree. "It's really obvious he was-"

"I know, but I think there's... something else."

"... Is that really what you think?"

"Hah?"

"Hmmm, I think I see the problem." Todo gave her a scrutinizing gaze. "Mai... You don't understand the effects of desire."

"You lost me..." Mai expressed her confusion.

"No, it's not that you don't understand. You underestimate it, or maybe denying it?" He corrected himself while folding his arms together. "Either way, it falls within the line of not understanding what drives us humans to this point."

"I get that having strong feelings or desire makes people go crazy. What I don't get is why they choose to be something as stupid as sorcerers. Does it have to be through jujutsu to fulfill those desires?"

"Mai, that's the thing." Todo stood and walked forward to the sunlight. "Craving is the source of suffering. The more we crave, the more we find struggles that could be more difficult than others. But for people like us, our cravings are so great, the obstacles take the form of curses. IN OTHER WORDS, the only path that opens the largest is jujutsu because our enormous hunger won't fit in any narrow ones. Not anymore. Satisfying that hunger is the most basic instinct in everyone. "

"Craving... Then... then why bother chasing after something you're so attached to, but get killed on the way? What's the point if you die?" Mai's voice became deeper in frustration.

"... From craving is born grief, from craving is born fear. For one freed from craving, there is no life." The tall student slowly approached and looked down at her. " So why live, Mai?" (5)

.

.

-0-

"By the way, Hikigaya-kun. Have you called Komachi-san yet?" Yukino asked.

"Who?" Hachiman asked so nonchalantly, it left the three others present in the room in shock with their jaws dropped for a second time.

"That is quite unlike of you. Did all the work actually remedy your siscon behavior?" She continued mocking him, not knowing the actual context behind his response.

"There's that. All the struggles I'm having made me forget a lot of things. Some that would probably make me feel nostalgic, and the most important memories too. It's all my fault for being too weak-minded to handle all of this. I was overconfident... or rather, too optimistic." He told her with an expression of guilt. It was only for a moment before a lighthearted smile replaced it. "That's why... when we see each other again, let's make fresh memories too unforgettable for us."

"... I see. Then..." Yukino sounded hesitant for a moment until she finally spoke out her thoughts. "I'll make sure to make so many moments for both of us."

"Thanks." Hachiman looked content and then a smirk came. "Though, whether I remember or not, she'd still be fine. Komachi's a high schooler now."

"True, it's great that she doesn't need a germ to attach to her. I'm most grateful she's growing."

"You don't need to say it like that. And who's the germ you're talking about? It sounds like a person who is treated poorly."

"He is treated poorly because of his existence as a germ, which is harmful to her."

"I'm sorry. Did you say something, Akashita-san? I couldn't get your words with that disaster mouth of yours besides the word 'harmful'. You're not referring to yourself, are you?"

"I thought it was a given that I'm harmful to your lowly mind. After all, you've never won against me in this kind of battle."

"I'm sure I've won some."

"That sounds as possible as Yuigahama-san becoming better at cooking."

"And who is this Yuigahama who is not getting better at cooking?"

"They had a sweet moment for ten seconds and went right back to their 'flirting'." Shoko commented while watching with a stoic look. "And he's getting more info about the people he forgot. I'm getting more and more impressed by you, Hikigaya... and a little scared, too."

"That's what love does to a man." Satoru spoke with a carefree attitude.

"... You really stink of sewer, Satoru." The doctor pinched her nose to block the smell.

"It's been a rough night... my jacket and blindfold got burned to a crisp. Those guys playing hard to get."

"How about discussing this after taking a shower?"

"Yeah, I'll do that."

"Oh, that's the bell. Next period will start soon." The girlfriend's voice had a hint of disappointment in there.

"You're in school? Did you cut class?" Hachiman arched an eyebrow.

"Of course not. It was self-study because our teacher is absent. I need to go. It was nice hearing your voice again..."

"Thanks for taking your time... Love you."

"I love you too..." And with that, the call ended.

"Sooooo~, How do you feel?" Satoru teased while hitting his student's arm with an elbow.

"It's strange..." Hachiman answered while just looking down at the phone. "Our talk felt so natural, like we've been doing this for so many times now. Even though her words are a little harsh, I only felt happiness."

"That's called masochism, Hikipervert-kun." The strongest sorcerer chuckled.

"You can say that again..." Mai commented with a sigh.

"Oi." And the dead fish-eyed sorcerer was quite irritated.

"So, what will you do now?" She asked.

"Have Gojo-san minimize my penalty, watch the Goodwill Event, then visit my family and have a date with Yukino..." Hachiman held his own chin in thought.

"Ahahaha... You're really amazing." Mai shook her head in amusement. "Are you going to keep your memory loss a secret?"

"I'll probably tell everyone, especially Yukino during our date."

"Just like that? How can you be so sure it'll end on a happy note?"

"I'm not, but it's better to be truthful than putting on an act because that way, our relationships can be more genuine." Hachiman lied down on the bed with a relaxed look before giving Satoru a blank stare. "Now will you please take a shower, Gojo-san?"

"Alright, alright." Satoru scratched the back of his own head and left the room.

"Hikigaya, you said last night I could do whatever I want, right?" Mai asked him with a strange look that made the sorcerer confused.

"Essentially, yeah." Hachiman responded.

"Then there's something I need to do if you excuse me." That was all she said before leaving as well. He and the doctor just stared at the door before looking at each other to wonder what she was planning.

-0-

"Craving... I don't have something like that..." Mai thought while walking faster in the hallway of another building. "Living a normal life, staying at the bottom. Those are probably desires, but not as strong as what others have, because I already did live that life. And when I did, there was nothing else for me to think about, nothing else to strive.

I had no desire.

I was already satisfied doing household chores and bowing to everyone because there was no need for me to work hard at or anything to pursue. The obstacles were as simple as getting rid of dirt and cooking food correctly. The climb was as small and easy as a hill. As time went on and a lot of my daily routine became more mundane, that hill barely existed. In my very first training session as a sorcerer, I remembered it being so painful; I ended up staying in the infirmary. The first couple of missions I had in my first year were just me hiding in corners and behind either Miwa or Mechamaru. Ever since then, the effort I put in was never at my best, not even at the half. The only times I took it seriously was when my life was endangered. Which is why I didn't understand everyone trying to pursue something through the most painful tasks, failing to realize what it means to them and how they were living more than me.

I'm a dead woman walking with the living.

Right now, I want to crave just like everyone else. One as strong as theirs that makes me go crazy too. My strong emotions... Right now, I only have the strongest feelings on one thing."

"Hahahaha! You see how she falls?"

"Don't come near me, trash."

"The traitor's daughter."

"You're my plaything now..."

"HUMMPH!" The digestive content rose to her throat as she tried desperately to hold it in with puffed cheeks. She ran the other way opposite where she wanted to go and quickly went inside the women's restroom to vomit on the toilet. While on her knees, she let out as much as she could and shook off those memories that left scars on her. She flushed after and washed her hands and face. The cold water was enough to be refreshed. The emotions she had were all a mix of fear, anger, and hatred.

Which was why when Mai looked in the mirror, she only saw the face of a demon with dilated pupils, and all three of those emotions were fully displayed. She closed her eyes to calm herself with deep breaths, thinking about other things such as the people at Kyoto Jujutsu Tech and even Hachiman. The thoughts of all the good things she was given only reminded her of what obstacles she needed to overcome. Everything in her mind went back to those scars. This time, her reaction was just biting her own lower lip until it bled. When she opened her eyes, the demon in the reflection was something else.

Its glare was sharp enough to pierce all doubts and hesitation.

"Ah... so this is what it's like... to be driven by desire." She caressed her face slowly, as if she was trying to confirm the reflection was hers. "It's still the same face... but at the same time, it's like I transformed... I know what to do..."

Mai walked out of the restroom to go outside and reach her destination. After approaching the wooden double door, she knocked.

"Come in." The voice of a man signaled her to enter, and so she opened the door to see Principal Yaga sitting at a desk with several plushies of varying animals lying next to him. He was currently sewing another one that appeared to be a strange lizard. "Zenin Mai, huh? What do you-"

"Please!" Mai slammed the desk with both hands while leaning forward. "Let me go back to being a Kyoto sorcerer and take part in the Goodwill Event!"

"The clan... No, everything about Jujutsu that made me suffer..."

.

.

.

"I'll destroy everything!"

---

TRIVIA:

1) The name 'Matthew' is based on an apostle of Jesus. Matthew 6:21, a bible verse that says "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

2) Just a word play by 8man. The Japanese word "Orokashi" means "fool".

3) Akashita is a Japanese yokai that has a big tongue. "Aka" can be known as either "red", "bilge water", and filth", while "shita" means "tongue". Its name can be understood as the popular saying "the tongue is the gate to calamities", hence they made about calamities.

4) "Shiki" can mean "death" and also "sword".

5) Todo made a Buddha quote but made a little twist. The original quote was "From craving is born grief, from craving is born fear. For one freed from craving, there is no grief. So how fear?"

---

Not the finale because it became 30k words long lol. Yeah, maybe I should've made shorter chapters, but my main issue is not seeing the stopping points, if you all get what I mean. So I split the chapter into two. Next one is the REAL finale.

See the author's note at the end of the next chapter as I address some things.

Thank you as always for reading this chapter, and let me all know what you think.