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
A few hours ago
"Oh, that's the bell. Next period will start soon." She said to the phone while standing up from the toilet seat. There was a slight hint of disappointment in her voice.
"You're in school? Did you cut class?" Her boyfriend teased.
"Of course not. It was self-study because our teacher is absent." She responded with a smile and left the stall. "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 as she washed her hands.
"Ah, Yukinon!" A familiar voice called out to her, and so she turned to see Yui approaching. "Was that Hikki?"
"Good morning, Yuigahama-san." Yukino responded while turning the faucet. "Yes, he's doing well."
"I'm glad he is. We've been worried that he wouldn't fit in that school he enrolled in." Yui beamed a smile. "It's still a little weird he went to that kind of school, though."
"It is strange... but if that's what he wants, then I'll respect his decision." Yukino said while drying her hands with a handkerchief. "As long as we can maintain our relationship."
"Then there's nothing to worry about." Yui chuckled, but her friend noticed the dark circles under her eyes.
"Have you been lacking sleep recently?"
"Oh... yeah, I was up late looking at cat pictures. Ah! There's that one video where a cute kitty is dancing like crazy. Hold on..."
"You can show it to me later at lunchtime. The next period will start soon."
"It's just a few second clip. Oh, and I have these other short clips too! You gotta see them now."
"Yuigahama-san, we'll be late for our respective-"
"I promise you these'll lift your spirits! Don't worry, it won't take long-"
"Yuigahama-san." Yukino stopped her abruptly and held her cheek. "It's okay, I'm fine."
"R-Right... right..." Yui lowered her own phone and looked down. The cheerful act she forced herself almost disappeared, with only a smile left to show a glimmer. Her eyes looked defeated as she slowly swayed back and forth as if she had trouble balancing herself. "Sorry, it's just..."
"Here." Yukino put Yui's arm around her shoulders to support her friend. "Let me take you to the infirmary."
"It's okay, Yukinon." Yui tried to deny her friend's aid, but her legs were trembling until she had trouble standing.
"Skipping class won't hurt my academic performance. Not to the point of giving me concern. Come." Yukino carried her out of the restroom and head for the infirmary. The hallway was empty, and only the birds chirping and their footsteps filled the silence. Yui's eyes felt heavy as she tried desperately to be awake despite the lack of sleep. The smile she wore finally sunk into a melancholic expression, finally losing her usual attitude while staring at Yukino, who looked determined and unshaken from the latest news that spread around the city. Not that the peach-haired girl didn't expect such a strong character from her friend. Still, she expected her to be just as devastated as everyone else. It made her chuckle, which caught her attention. "What's funny?"
"You're so cool..." The peach-haired girl answered.
"That's quite sudden." Once they the infirmary, Yukino put her down to bed gently and covered her with a blanket. A female school doctor approached the sleep-deprived girl with a worried look.
"Are you feeling in pain somewhere? Anything weird?" The school doctor asked.
"I'm just... tired, that's all." Yui answered with her own eyelids slowly closing.
"How many hours did you sleep?"
"I don't... think I did..."
"Kids these days." The doctor sighed. "Just rest here. Young kids like you need all the sleep you can get before being sent off as an adult."
"Thank you, sensei." Yukino bowed in appreciation.
"No problem. You go back to class while I take care of her." The doctor responded while sitting at a desk to grab some paper. Yukino walked to the doorway, bowed one last time, and left the infirmary to reach her classroom for the next period. The calm demeanor melted away, exposing her true emotion, which was a moment of despair. She tried her hardest to resist the tears to come out and held her mouth to stop herself from screaming or make any unnecessary noise in general. With deep breaths and closed eyes, she slowly released her own mouth and raised her head at the ceiling. After opening her eyes, Yukino looked at the phone to find her boyfriend's number. Once she saw it on the contact list, she hesitated on whether or not to call him. The girl shook away that thought and walked faster in the empty hallway with the usual calm expression returning.
"ClEaniNG..."
That was until she encountered a small creature upstairs on the landing. It had a body of a caterpillar with pure white skin, and the legs were those of a human infant as well as the face. The top of its body were several large sacs that appeared to be slimy and yellow. On the creature's rear was another face that looked like an old lady with a beaming smile and crossed red eyes. The red hair was more like tendrils of flesh and at the top of the old lady's head was a rod with a sphere full of the yellow, slimy sacs as the tip.
Seeing that creature caused her expression to falter in an instant, replacing it with only just a stoic face as her eyes widened. She bit her lower lip and went upstairs while grabbing something in the right pocket of her blazer.
"Sensei! Can I go to the restroom?" One male student asked.
"Be quick, because these lessons will be part of the next exam." The teacher told him and the latter nodded as a response before rushing out of the classroom.
"I shouldn't have drank so much juice this morning!" The student complained in his mind with a look of agony as he finally reached the restroom. After finishing his business and washed his hands, he walked out while whistling with joy for a moment until he stopped to not disturb the classes in the hallway. The silence came in with only the lectures of the teachers reached his ears, along with his echoing footsteps.
Then he heard a woman grunting and glass cracking.
The noise caught his attention as he slowly approached to the source with an arched eyebrow. Realizing it came from upstairs, the student hid behind a wall to take a peek and saw the window was cracked.
"What the hell?" He was about to climb upstairs, but once he stepped on the first tread...
"What's with all the noise?" A female teacher spoke behind him that caused the latter to gasp.
"S-sensei!" The student pointed at the window and they both walked towards it.
"Who could've done this?" The teacher asked.
"I heard a girl's voice a short while ago, but... I don't know who..."
"We'll find out sooner or later. This is damage to school property." As they continued to discuss, none of them were aware of the creature in front of them that was bleeding purple blood. Its body was cut in half with some of the yellow sacs popped, leaking out slimy transparent substances. The infant-like face lost a left eye and there was a stab wound on the forehead. The face of an old lady had a large diagonal cut across the bridge of its nose, from the right eyebrow to the left cheek. There were five stab wounds on the head and the antenna was cut off. The teacher and student couldn't see the dying creature as they went back to their classrooms. With its final scream, the creature faded away.
The Shell And The Slug: Finale Part 2
Trouble In The Other Side
9:45 AM
"So it's easy to conclude this is the work of the cursed object inside me." Hachiman declared while looking in his closet for clothes to wear.
"Yup, unless you want to believe it's some amnesia or illnesses related to dementia." Meanwhile, Shoko was outside of his room, leaning on the door.
"Hmmm... I think it's both."
"Both?"
"Except for the dementia part. You said a few days ago about how fast I'm getting stronger without being suspicious of it. That it was a transformation under the guise of convincing growth."
"Right... so just like developing your strength, the cursed object also changes your brain and psyche subtly using the situations and circumstances you encountered."
"The sages used that mechanic to their advantage. Like using my trauma of the Chiba Port Tower Incident for them to manifest."
"... I'm sorry, who?" Shoko asked while looking at the ceiling in confusion.
"I've been having these dreams about them." Hachiman started explaining the dreams he had while trying his best to put every detail he remembered in them. The most recent one was a revelation of how the cursed object worked, and the lessons he learned for the sake of stopping the progress of Shani Dev's awakening. While listening carefully, the doctor slid open a glass window with flat wooden grilles to smoke a cigarette.
"Those were some interesting dreams." Shoko commented before exhaling the smoke. "I've been looking for records of previous incarnations of Shani Dev found before or after their deaths. When I asked Satoru, there were only a few and their background and date of their deaths weren't complete. The furthest past incarnation recorded was back in 1840, when she was an African slave in Egypt. The next was in 1917, a year before World War 1 ended. He was apparently a British man found dead somewhere in Lebanon. Around some time in 1945, the next incarnation was our country, particularly in Nagasaki. He died somewhere by the hands of the Dhamini Troupe. In the 1960s, the incarnation was a woman and was found sick in China, but the cause of death was the Dhamini Troupe's assassination as well. And lastly, 1986 in Ukraine..."
"1986..." Hachiman opened the door to leave the room, revealing his attire to be the standard Jujutsu Tech uniform that had a hood on it, and he carried a sword bag with a strap tied into a knot at the top. While he was fiddling with his phone, the young sorcerer spoke out his thoughts. "If I remember right, that was when the Chernobyl Incident happened. 1841 in Egypt... I'm searching for it on the internet and found that was near the end of the Second Egyptian-Ottoman War. Somewhere in the 1960s in China... there was the 'Great Leap'. I think I'm seeing the pattern here."
"Yeah, the cursed object chooses to activate during events where the most tragedies would happen." The doctor said her analysis while walking beside Hachiman in the hallway. "It uses circumstances and particular events that affect the bearer to change their body and mind."
"And that is why it's hard to point out when exactly did this cursed object changes them because both their psychological and physiological changes could easily be brushed off as results from those events rather than blaming at said cursed object. We could say every tragedy that was written in history had its bearer, though that would make it harder to speculate about its exact patterns and the other criteria in choosing someone."
"So right now, it uses your brain injury to transform you, too?"
"That seems to be the case, but it's getting weaker thanks to the sages."
"This... Kapila guy and the sages did their best to weaken it. But then there's that prediction he gave you."
"A catastrophe, huh?" Hachiman held his chin. "The obviously best course of action is to be ready for that. Based on the events of where my previous incarnations were involved in, those events changed the course of history in certain ways. We might not be able to rely only on Gojo-san for the next one."
"Agreed, I'll tell Satoru about that." Shoko turned to look at the young sorcerer and noticed about something. "Wait, why do you have your katana?"
"To be ready."
"I know October is not that far, but relax."
"No, I get the feeling something is about to happen in the Goodwill Event." Hachiman speculated that made the doctor stopped walking. "After what Gojo-san told us about the raid, we're looking at an alliance between the Dhamini Troupe and the special grade curses. One of the best opportunities to strike would be today."
"Security is extra tight and Tengen-sama's barrier should keep them at bay." Shoko argued. "But the Samsara's Helm won't help us since they're a little sour with Jujutsu Tech."
"The cursed spirits escaped from Gojo-san. One of them is that thing with branches on its eyeholes. When I first met it, I couldn't feel that much presence until it expressed its malice. The chance of going through the defenses is high. I'm sure Gojo-san has thought about this, but tell him when you see him, so he could come up with countermeasures if there is one."
"Got it... You know, you're way too calm about this."
"Well... I got therapy that lasted millennia." They both went outside and before they would go their separate ways to deal with their own business, he asked. "Is there anything about the Ropeholders?"
"No... they're way too quiet lately and it's giving me a little anxiety." Shoko answered with folded arms and a hint of frustration at the lack of any news regarding the other group of curse users. "The worst-case scenario is for them to show up in the middle of chaos. We almost got our hands full with a lot of problems already."
"Then we should start getting more help." Hachiman stared at the sky with an unreadable expression.
"What's wrong?" She asked with worry.
"I'm thinking about the people before me who had this cursed object." He said while putting a hand on his head. "They went through so much, probably confused what happened to them when the cursed object was awakened. There could be some of them that were still in Stage 1 and didn't make it... without having people to help them."
"And some who died without getting a chance to take in all of that." Shoko commented..
"Yeah..." The sorcerer sighed and walked away. "Forget about it. No use in thinking about it now."
"W-why are you all empty-handed?!" Nobara asked while carrying luggage.
"What's with all the luggage?" Panda responded with a question of his own since he and everyone else were just as confused. They were all on a bridge waiting for the Kyoto students to arrive.
"Aren't we going to the event in Kyoto?"
"We're going to the event WITH Kyoto. It's held here."
"WHAT?!" Nobara was so shocked, she dropped all of her luggage and threw a tantrum. "ARE YOU FUCKIN- KKHHAAAAAAAAA!"
"Welp, that explains why our conversation is a bit off." Maki commented while watching her junior screaming.
"Yup." Megumi agreed.
"Salmon." As well as Toge.
"It's held at the school that won previously." Panda's explanation caused the brown-haired girl to strangle him with her bare hands.
"STOP WINNING, YOU TRYHARDS!" She shouted at him.
"We didn't participate last year!" The talking animal tried talking while struggling for air. "Only Yuta went in to match up the numbers!"
"I wasn't in Kyoto last year, so I didn't get to see it. But I did hear it was an easy win for him." Maki said.
"Fuck you, Okkotsu Yuta!" Nobara shouted to the sky.
"Why are you throwing a tantrum?" Behind her was Hachiman, staring with a stoic expression.
"WAH!" Nobara turned around in shock. "What the- since when did you get here?"
"Just now." He answered nonchalantly while noticing a boy he never met standing next to the group who was silent the whole time. "... and who's this guy?"
"U-uhm." The mysterious boy approached the sorcerer and bowed. "I'm Yoshino Junpei. It's nice to meet you. I hope you'll take good care of me."
"He transferred here days ago." Megumi explained. "He just came back after a long mission, apparently."
"It's already been tough." Junpei said with a nervous chuckle. "If it weren't for my partner, I'd be dead by now."
"That partner is probably Itadori." Hachiman thought. "I haven't seen him in a while. Gojo-san told me he assigned him with a partner to deal with the curses in Chiba temporarily and went back after Nanami-san fully recovered. I can't believe it took longer for Nanami-san to be in full health. That cursed technique must've been that powerful."
-0-
"And we're here." Miwa said after looking at the surroundings full of trees and saw the stairs.
"Is it true that Okkotsu won't participate?" Mechamaru asked Todo.
"Unfortunately. I met his replacements and they're interesting enough to make the event somewhat fun." Todo answered and then grinned. "But if there's a chance Okkotsu is here, then it's revenge time for last year."
"Unfortunately? We're pretty lucky he isn't here." Momo argued.
"That's what a coward would say." Todo scoffed. "If you want things to be boring, then do that on your own."
"Hah?!"
"What about that third-year student?" The student wearing the shozoku-style Jujutsu Tech uniform asked while walking up the stairs with the group. "I heard he was suspended."
"Yeah, there was an incident between him and a sorcerer of the Zenin Clan." Mechamaru answered. "It's a shame. I was anticipating to fight him a little."
"How would you gauge his strength, Mechamaru?"
"The first and last time we met was more than a month ago, Kamo. I could tell he wasn't a match for me, but he had huge potential."
"You won't stand a chance, Mechamaru." The familiar voice of a woman caused them to look up and saw her with short hair and wore her usual Jujutsu Tech uniform. "Hikigaya is already above every single one of you."
"Mai!" Both Miwa and Momo ran up the stairs towards her with excitement.
"Are you okay?" Momo asked while holding Mai's hand.
"I'm still alive, so I'm fine." The latter answered with shrugged shoulders.
"That uniform... does that mean you're coming back with us?" Miwa looked at her with hopeful eyes.
"Obviously. I still got a score to settle with a certain ugly twin of mine and that arrogant brat." Mai said with a confident smirk.
"I'm glad you're okay." Another woman spoke while approaching her. She had long black hair with some strands tied behind her head with a white ribbon and a scar on the right side of her face that crossed the bridge of her nose. Her attire was a traditional miko outfit, but wore modern brown-colored boots.
"Thanks, Utahime-sensei."
"What you said earlier..." The man named Kamo spoke. "Mind giving us more details?"
"See for yourself." Those were the only words Mai gave before walking up the stairs. The rest just silently followed her with some looked confused until they reached the top.
Then a chill spread throughout their bodies.
It wasn't just from sensing the cursed energy. The atmosphere surrounding that particular individual reminded them of other people who were unchained from the limits of their own weaknesses. The hands of those below their feet cannot contain a strength that had potential to soar above others. Such uneasiness wasn't the first time. There were already people existed with higher levels of strength. That presence made the entire Kyoto group except for Mai, saw the silhouettes of the young special grade sorcerer and the strongest being amongst the Tokyo group. When they came to their senses, they could see the actual appearance of the person emitting that aura.
A man with black, slick-back hair that had a mid fade just above his ears. He wore the Jujutsu Tech uniform that had a hood on it and he also carried a sword bag behind him. Those eyes that appeared that of a dead fish were quite unsettling for Momo and Utahime, but they quickly went over it.
"It isn't that his cursed energy is the same, or just as strong... It's his presence." Todo thought while analyzing the sorcerer in front of him and hiding the grin behind his right hand. "That composure... that gaze that tried to observe every fiber of our muscles... The fact I couldn't find a single opening when he's just standing still..."
"To think the gap between the present and the past month ago would be this large." Mechamaru said in his own mind. "In that amount of time, he reached that level?"
"I see... as expected of the one who defeated the Zenin leader's son." Kamo had the same impression.
"What's with that idiot attracting monsters? Is he a monster magnet?" Utahime became wary of him while thinking about the blindfolded sorcerer.
"I didn't know we would get a welcoming party." Mai mocked the Tokyo students with her usual smirk. "How disgusting."
"Oh, please. Like hell we'd make this welcome fun for you, bitch." Nobara argued back with a glare. "Now give us the souvenirs. All the sweets and noodles from Kyoto!"
"A pretty scary girl we have here." Momo mumbled and then looked at the dead fish-eyed sorcerer. "And we might have a serial killer too..."
"The look of a serial killer, huh?" Hachiman thought after hearing that. "Maybe not that far off with my body count."
"So Okkotsu really isn't here?" Todo asked with a slightly disappointed look, but then shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well. At least I found something else worth my time."
"Okkotsu aside, isn't a few first years too much of a handicap?" Mechamaru questioned the strength of the Tokyo group's participants.
"A robot! It's literally a robot!" Nobara couldn't help but be surprised.
"Age is irrelevant for sorcerers." Kamo responded to the puppet sorcerer's doubts. "Especially for Fushiguro. He is a Zenin, after all. I'd say he's more reliable than the head of their clan."
"Based on my fight with his son, I can agree on that." Hachiman said.
"So you are the one that made a ruckus yesterday. Your name is...?" Kamo asked in curiosity.
"Hikigaya Hachiman. Nice to meet you." Hachiman bowed slightly.
"Noritoshi Kamo. While I wholeheartedly appreciate your agreement with my words, I still condemn you from attacking a member of the Three Major Clans."
"A member of the Kamo Clan... Yeah, of course you would. Look, it was all self-defense."
"True, that was the details of the situation based on the testimonies. However, me and others suspected a missing context regarding that incident."
"We can talk after the team battle if you want."
"Now, now. Let's all get along now!" Miwa tried to calm the situation.
"Relax, we're not fighting. It'll be a conversation to clear things up." Hachiman reassured her.
"Indeed, and while we're at it, I would also like to know more about you." Kamo said while approaching him without hostility. "Your feats left a huge impression on everyone, after all."
"I'm betting it's more of a negative impression."
"Mine is a positive one." Miwa spoke with an innocent smile that made him chuckle.
"Yeah, I guess so." He shook his head in amusement. "It's been a while, Miwa-san."
"It's great to see you again! How is your girlfriend?"
"She's not doing bad, and thanks to my suspension, I can hang out with her whenever-" While the others were conversing with each other, only Mai and Maki were silent.
Their glares displayed their animosity towards each other that lasted for years. However, the latter understood the suffering her twin sister endured. There were so many things Maki wanted to say, but now wouldn't be a good time with all the surrounding people. Once she saw Mai's eyes, it appeared that words would be meaningless, anyway. Only in battle could they convey each other's feelings, and the twin sisters intended to use the Goodwill Event for that.
"So you're the new big shot." Todo approached the dead fish-eyed sorcerer while interrupting their conversation. They were only a few feet apart from each other as the tall, muscular third year looked down on him because of the height difference. "Hikigaya Hachiman, right?"
"Uh, nice to meet you. And you are...?" Hachiman greeted calmly. "This is probably the guy that the others are so cautious about. Compared to Naoya, this guy is a little below him... But there's something about him rings all my alarm bells. There's that toughness that I can't explain besides his muscles."
"Hikigaya, what kind of woman is your type?!" Todo shouted so loud, it echoed throughout the forest and caught everyone's attention.
"... Excuse me?"
"It's his way of determining your personality." Miwa whispered to him.
"And he does that by asking people about their type?" Hachiman whispered back while maintaining eye contact with Todo. "Did he ask you too when you first met him?"
"Yeah, and he called me a simple-minded loser..."
"That's pretty harsh, unless you have bad taste."
"I just said I like average good-looking guys who are fun to be around." She mumbled to him angrily and with a hint of embarrassment.
"That's actually pretty normal." Hachiman commented softly. "But for someone as abnormal as this guy, he'd think that's too shallow or boring. Simple-minded, I get that. At least don't call someone a loser."
"Hurry up and answer. It's fine if you're into guys." Todo became impatient while tapping his foot on the ground. "Or do you need introductions?"
"I know who you are, Todo Aoi. Third-year student of Kyoto Jujutsu Tech and a Grade 1 sorcerer."
"Then answer my question."
"Is this some kind of riddle?"
"No, he's genuinely asking for your taste of women." Kamo answered.
"A person's taste reveals everything about themselves." Aoi started explaining. "Guys who have interesting taste are interesting people, and those with boring taste are boring themselves... and I hate boring men."
"Yeah, I can tell." The dead fish-eyed sorcerer commented before holding his own chin to think. The one person who was in his mind about a woman of his type was Yukino. Despite only knowing things about her through the pictures on his phone and the call earlier, it was enough to know what kind of woman he fell in love with. "I guess... someone who's not afraid to be honest and tell her partner of his flaws... and loves to banter a lot. No matter how many people watch us or eavesdrop on our conversations, she would still be comfortable being herself."
"I see... Hikigaya Hachiman..." Aoi closed his eyes for a moment with tears starting to form. While looking up at the sky, he released a sigh that had the sound of disappointment. "You're boring... so boring that people might use you as a replacement for sleeping pills."
"Well, what kind of woman is your type?" Hachiman asked with a slight irritation in his voice while trying to remain stoic.
"I'm glad you ask." The tall sorcerer chuckled arrogantly. "I LOVE A TALL GIRL WITH A BIG GORGEOUS ASS!"
"That's more shallow than Miwa's! Who the hell are you to say hers is simple-minded?!" Hachiman's eye twitched at the absurdity of the man in front of him.
"Aside from your horrible preference, you're strong." Aoi grinned. "Let's have a fun battle at the event, shall we?"
"I'm suspended, so I can't." Hachiman's response caused Aoi to freeze. "The only thing I'm allowed to do is watch."
"We just discussed this, Todo-senpai..." Miwa said with an awkward smile.
"As if this guy has any room in his brain to remember." Mechamaru mocked him, then gazed at the dead fish-eyed sorcerer. "Even so, it's a shame. I wanted to see how I fare against you."
"You'd be surprised." Hachiman said with shrugged shoulders. "I see you're doing well. How long did it take you to fix that robo- I mean, puppet?"
"Three days. It's not that was the first time this shattered into pieces. I can fix it with little effort." Mechamaru answered while moving his own right arm to show it was working. "By the way, if you're suspended and not participating in the event, why are you carrying that katana behind your back?"
"Oh... I'm just growing fond of it."
"I know the feeling." Miwa nodded. "It's the same with me when I trained using my katana. After a thousand swings, I just can't let go of it for a while."
"Oi, senpai!" Nobara shouted, which made him turn around to see her forced smile and veins popping out. "Do you know which Jujutsu Tech you're enrolled in~?"
"What? I just want to talk to them." That was his only response before going back to converse with Miwa and Mechamaru.
"Traitoooooooor!" Nobara shouted until Maki lightly punched her head.
"Stop it already, idiot." Maki scolded her calmly.
"Just let him have his time with them." Panda spoke while watching the dead fish-eyed sorcerer. "Not everyday can they get to meet like this."
"He's acting like he's the popular kid." Nobara commented after clicking her own tongue. "Who does he think he is?"
"He did become infamous for that fight with the Zenin yesterday." Megumi pointed out.
"Salmon roe, mustard leaf." Toge spoke.
"Where is that idiot?" Utahime asked with both hands on her waist while tapping her foot on the concrete ground to express her impatience.
"Satoru sure is late." Panda commented.
"As if that blindfolded dumbass would make it in time." Maki scoffed.
"Just because she called someone an idiot, doesn't mean it's Gojo-sensei specifically." Megumi commented.
"Sorry for being laaaaaate~!" The familiar voice caught their attention as they turned to see Gojo Satoru running towards them while pushing a large rolling cart with strange pink dolls on top of it.
"Gojo Satoru..." Both Utahime and Miwa spoke his name, but the former expressed contempt while the other was admiration, something that Hachiman noticed.
"I was on a business trip overseas, so I'll hand the souvenirs to you!"
"He sounds too excited..." Panda mumbled.
"Probably jet lag." Nobara responded to that.
"Now then, everyone from Kyoto gets this protection charm." Satoru gave each of the Kyoto students that strange pink dolls as they wondered if it really was a charm or not and what it could actually do. "Except for Utahime!"
"Like hell I need one!" Utahime shouted in anger.
"I don't have for you too, Hachiman. Think if that as a punishment for messing around yesterday." Satoru told his student with folded arms and puffed cheeks.
"That's one hell of a punishment." Hachiman said in a blank tone.
"I know, right?"
"I'm being sarcastic, you idiot."
"And as for the rest of the Tokyo folks, you all get this!" The blindfolded sorcerer spun dramatically like a ballet with the rolling cart until he made a pose while pointing at it.
"... Uh oh..." Hachiman thought with a realization seconds before the cart opened itself to reveal a person standing up. The spiky hair with an undercut, the familiar red hood of that Jujutsu Tech uniform, and that cheerful and childish smile.
"Hey! OPP!" It was Itadori Yuji in a ridiculous pose.
"It's the dearly departed, Itadori Yuji!" Satoru announced with enthusiasm. However, the Tokyo students didn't feel the same, especially Megumi and Nobara, who appeared to be more afraid and upset than happy.
"... Eh?!" Yuji was in bewilderment at their reactions. "EEEH!? They're not happy? No way..."
"Okay everyone! This is Sukuna's vessel~!" Satoru then showed him to the Kyoto group while maintaining that enthusiasm.
"W-what about the ones from Kyoto?" Yuji saw the Kyoto group just focusing on the charms Satoru gave them while the robot and the blue-haired girl were conversing with the dead fish-eyed sorcerer. "They're too absorbed in the souvenirs! And those two are busy talking to senpai?!"
"Well... I was also expecting a more heartfelt reunion too, Itadori. Just a little. Also, do you have to make your reveal like that? If I were them, I'd already be fine with just a normal reunion. So don't look at me like that as if I'm to blame." Hachiman thought while continuing his conversation with them. "I don't sense cursed energy in those charms."
"They're just souvenirs, like he said." Mechamaru commented while still staring at the strange pink doll.
"Now hold on." Miwa interrupted them as she looked closer at her souvenir with scrutiny. "Maybe it's something so hidden, we can't even sense it?"
"Maybe, but Gojo-san is way too unpredictable, so who knows." Hachiman watched Mechamaru swinging the doll nonchalantly. "Looks more like a souvenir to me, though."
"No, there is something! This is Gojo Satoru we're talking about. It's gotta be here somewhere... or here? Or here?" The blue-haired girl scrutinized every corner and at every angle of the pink doll.
"You're giving him too much credit, even if it's Gojo-san we're talking here." Hachiman stared at her blankly. "You're either that naïve or a big fan of his. No, you're definitely a fan."
"Sukuna's vessel?!" The voice of an old man caught his attention. He turned around to see an elderly man with an elongated bald head, thick, white eyebrows that curved down at the edge of his face, and a goatee. There were multiple piercings, such as a nose ring, two piercings on his lower lips, three piercings on each of his upper ears, and one on each of his large earlobes. His attire was a white kimono, a purple hakama, a tabi, and a zori. He was holding a wooden cane for him to walk around with. Standing alongside him was Masamichi, who had veins popping in his face and his eye twitching because of Satoru's shenanigans.
The next thing that stole Hachiman's attention was the scene where Yuji prostrated himself in front of Megumi and Nobara, with the latter being angry but also had a tear in the corner of her eye. Junpei wanted to say something, but appeared to be too nervous to say it. Meanwhile, Maki, Panda, and Toge were indifferent to the scene.
"Principal Gakuganji!" Satoru approached the elder with a smug. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought you might die from shock."
"You impudent brat!"
"So that's your principal." Hachiman commented. "I can already tell he won't like me..."
"Mhm, Gakuganji Yoshinobu." Miwa answered while staring at the doll's butt as if there was a secret in it before gazing at her principal arguing with Satoru. "The principal of our Kyoto Jujutsu Tech, and one of the higher-ups."
"great... one of the higher-ups. He'll definitely not like me."
"Everyone, pay attention!" Masamichi spoke loudly. "The Goodwill Event will be held over two days. The first day is a team battle called... 'The Wacky Cursed Spirit Exorcism Race!' The rules are simple: the first team to-"
While he was explaining the rules, the dead fish-eyed sorcerer noticed Yuji's expression. It didn't have the usual cheerful mood, nor did it have the dramatic despair after the reactions of his two classmates. It was pure stoicism with the lifeless eyes he had.
"Something definitely happened in Chiba..." Hachiman thought.
"Aren't you perceptive..."
-0-
The voice sent chills down his spine as he glanced up to see what appeared to be Yuji sitting on top of a massive pile of skulls of different species. What made Hachiman think otherwise was the overall appearance.
He wore a white kimono that had a black edge, a dark scarf, and a pair of zori with black tabi. His face had tattoos on the forehead, nose, and cheeks, and there was another pair of eyes under the normal ones.
"... You must be Sukuna." The dead fish-eyed sorcerer let out a sigh while scratching his head. "Compared to Mahito, and that nature cursed spirit, he exuded a far more twisted aura than both of them. Is this really just three fingers, or did he eat more?"
"Oi, oi. What kind of reaction is that?" Sukuna spoke with a smug. "I allowed you to see me and this is your response? Be more grateful."
"Lots of things happened in just a short amount of time, so I'm just a little tired." Hachiman responded while remaining stoic. "So, what is this place?"
"My innate domain. It was all perfect, nice and suit to my tastes... but then you made a mess." Sukuna said with a hint of anger.
"This is my first time here. What the hell did I do?" When Hachiman asked that, the King Of Curses pointed a finger somewhere at him. The dead fish-eyed sorcerer looked left and right, and saw cracks in the dark domain. It was more like space itself was shattering. Then he turned around to see a glowing sapling that was 3 feet tall on the water with what appeared to be blue worms swimming around it with four or more antennas on their large flat head. On the center of those flat heads was a yellow glow that shined brighter than their blue bodies. There were five yellow bumps in their bodies that lined up from the head to the bottom, where there was a strange tail that appeared to be pulsing.
Those worms were small neurons. He noticed the sapling had one branch with orange-glowing twigs, which were also small neurons connected to each other. On top of it all was a pure white, upside-down human head floating with a red-glowing brain being visible through the skull.
"My innate domain?" After tilting his head, he returned to face Sukuna. "Our domains are... fused? More like my domain just appeared on top of yours in a sense..."
"You really know how to get on someone's nerve, Shani Dev."
"It's Hikigaya Hachiman. I'm his incarnation."
"Did I ask? Well, at least there's a game for me to play." Sukuna stood up and slowly walked down in the pile of skulls to approach the young sorcerer with an amused smile. "Let's play the guessing game. First round: Guess how long I can remember your name. Go on, guess."
"I'm guessing you already forgot it the second after I said my name."
"Wrong." Sukuna raised an index finger and suddenly Hachiman's entire left arm and shoulder were amputated. While still descending, the King Of Curses spoke. "Your name didn't even go in my head, so it's zero. Next, am I going to take another step down, or just stand in this spot?"
"Well..." Hachiman mumbled while thinking for three seconds.
"You took too long." After Sukuna's words, Hachiman's right foot was amputated and his left eye was cut, which lost his vision on that one. The young sorcerer fell on all fours with a grunt. "I'm taking another step. Be happy you're getting closer to my presence. Now, next round: Guess the reason why we're connected right now. Why our domains are colliding with each other."
"I don't know..." The answer was honest, with a hint of anger and no hesitation.
"Hmmm... I don't know either, so your punishment will be small." Sukuna said while shrugging his own shoulders before hachiman's nose was cut off. The latter screamed for a moment with gritted teeth until he was on his knees with a straight back. While holding his face to ease the pain, Hachiman glared at Sukuna as blood spilled from all his amputated areas and his left eye. The King Of Curses completed his descent and now walking towards him with his feet and the lowest part of his kimono wet from the water. "Bahahaha! That's a nice look in your eye. Don't be mad at me. You know who's fault this is."
"..." Hachiman remained silent.
"Silent treatment? That's cruel." Sukuna chuckled and spoke in a playful voice. "And I made the effort to talk. Oh well, back to the guessing game. Let's see... Guess which part of your body I'll cut off next."
"You can start with my fingernails. I haven't started cutting them for a while."
"Good idea." With that agreement, all of Hachiman's fingers were cut off as well.
"Yeah... I guess that much." Hachiman spoke with gritted teeth.
"Hahahaha! You're an interesting one." Sukuna complimented as he dashed towards him in an instant and grabbed the sorcerer's neck to lift him. "THIS is how you'll stop me, Shani Dev?! This is more laughable than anything I've seen since I was still human!"
"Do you... do this a lot... with Itadori?"
"Unfortunately, not nearly as much as I did to you."
"That's... good." With a grin, Hachiman kicked Sukuna's chin upward with his left foot, causing the latter to let go of him, then the sorcerer punched his stomach with a right, fingerless fist and jumped to thrust a kick to the face that sent Sukuna crashing to the pile of skulls. He landed with one foot and slowly lowered himself to kneel with the right knee, anticipating the King Of Curses to make his move. Fragments of skulls scattered, flying towards him, but he ignored all of that to focus more on the powerful monster.
"You got me there." Sukuna complimented him until the former disappeared due to his blinding speed and went behind him. Then, he grabbed the back of the sorcerer's head and slammed his face into the ground that ruptured with the water splashing. After lifting Hachiman into the air, Sukuna threw him into the pile of skulls. Hachiman flew through the pile before the King Of Curses knocked him up into the giant spine that cracked from the collision, grabbed his leg to throw him down, and plummeted to stomp him. The ground shook as debris scattered and massive amounts of water splashed with a mix of blood. Sukuna's foot remained on the stoic sorcerer's back, pushing him down and immobilizing him. When he noticed the blank expression, the powerful curse clicked his own tongue in slight annoyance, so he spoke while kicking. "Oi, your lack of reaction is boring me here. Come on, put some feeling into it."
"Well- Aw, it's kinda- Aw, hard to... give a shi- Aw... when I've already been through enough." Hachiman argued while grunting from the kicks he received.
"At least Shani Dev was more entertaining by being more expressive. Where is he?"
"Not here. The cursed object inside me works differently from your fingers. It's a bit more like brainwashing than possession."
"Hmmm..." Sukuna became intrigued by his explanation. And so, he pulled Hachiman's hair to lift his head. "Now that piqued my interest. Tell me more about it."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because if you don't, I'll make sure you would be as lifeless as an ugly doll."
"I'm pretty sure my body is a doll now because I can't move or even feel a fiber of my muscle." Hachiman let out a long sigh. "I'd prefer if you end my life now. Thanks."
"I don't see the fun in that." Sukuna sat on the sorcerer's back, pinning him to the ground.
"You won't see the fun in this one either." Hachiman's words caused the King Of Curses to pull his hair again.
"I'll be the judge if this will be fun or not. Chairs don't get to talk."
"You're sitting on a human being, not a chair. Sit somewhere else like the top of that pile over there since you like being above everything else."
"Huh, good idea." Sukuna agreed as he threw Hachiman to the top of the hill of skulls and sat on his back again. "Much better."
"Maybe I should shut my mouth and not give him ideas." Hachiman thought while grunting from being sat on.
"I'm surprised you're able to heal that quickly." Sukuna spoke while sitting with legs crossed after noticing the wounds Hachiman had stopped bleeding. "Is that the cursed object's doing?"
"Maybe, or I'm just that good at staying alive." He responded sarcastically. "I must've gone unconscious during Sukuna's previous attacks. But in that short amount of time... Did my recovery speed go faster?"
"Staying dead more like. Being so emotionless is being a walking corpse."
"I'm in so much pain right now. It's just my ability to hide my emotions."
"To this extent? Hahah! Forget walking corpse, you're a broken mess."
"My body is a broken mess thanks to you." Hachiman complained in his mind. "So is torture your main hobby? Sounds generic for a villain."
"It's not just the torture that makes me craving to do more. It's the pleasure that comes from that." Sukuna responded while resting his own right elbow on a large skull of what appeared to be an elephant.
"I don't see the pleasure of having blood and guts spilled everywhere."
"You're missing out. Although, I don't expect you to understand in the first place."
"It feels like I didn't miss out on anything important." Hachiman rolled his eyes.
"Overpowering weaklings is one of the greatest pleasures of the strong. The feeling of putting someone in their place, the superiority that one holds to everything, and the immense freedom from all the pathetic shackles. I can tell you've killed people. Didn't it feel good to get rid of the obstacles getting in your way?" Sukuna taunted.
"Yeah... it did..." The sorcerer answered truthfully. "When I saw my enemies die in front of me, the people who wanted me dead now gone, I felt relief. It's like a long and stressful problem is finally solved."
"Heh, see? You do take pleasure in killing, and you dare contradict yourself by saying you hate blood spilling."
"I'm not like you... I don't murder for my own entertainment. Everything I've done is for reasons that not even you would understand."
"Heeeh~? Is that so?" With a twisted grin, Sukuna hit the back of Hachiman's head hard enough to render him unconscious. He observed the sorcerer's injuries healing until he opened his eyes, which stopped the process. Only the left eye and the fingers on his right hand were fully recovered. "I knew it. You can use reversed cursed technique while being unconscious. That thing inside you sure does wonders."
"Can he just not hit me for one hour?" Hachiman thought as the King Of Curses threw him far and almost crashed into the sapling that appeared to grow by two feet with three new branches with connecting neurons as twigs.
"That's great. I get to both have fun without worrying my toy would break and punish you for trying to correct me." Sukuna said while jumping forward and landed a few yards in front of the sorcerer.
"I just don't want you to misunderstand my personality." The young sorcerer argued while crouching. "You kill for amusement. I do it when it's necessary."
"That sounds like a lie." The powerful cursed spirit argued back. "It's better for you to embrace your desires."
"Our desires aren't the same..." With a sigh, Hachiman sat up and stared at the sapling. Although his expression was stoic, there was a light that Sukuna noticed. "I have passed in ignorance through a cycle of many rebirths, seeking the builder of the house. Continuous rebirth is a painful thing. But now, housebuilder, I have found it. It is not needed to build me a house again. All the rafters are broken, the ridge-pole shattered. My mind is free from those thoughts, and has made an end to holding onto the rope that guided me this far." (1)
"So you've let go of one... I see." Sukuna held his own chin and expressed his amusement. "Oh, that's right. We haven't finished our guessing game."
"We're still on that?" Hachiman wondered. "Pretty sure you won."
"Pretty much, but there is still the last round, so let's play." Sukuna's demand made the sorcerer sigh.
"Alright... fire away."
"Who recently died in Chiba?"
"... Hah?" Hachiman expressed his own confusion by arching an eyebrow.
"You heard me." The King Of Curses grin wider at that response and looked up to think with a playful tone. "Let's see... what are their names again? One is a girl named Isshiki... Then there's that other girl who actually shares the same surname as you. What else... Oh, right. The brat who's just as annoying as this lowlife vessel. I remember he has orange hair... Oh, well. I'm sure you know them."
"No one died." The young sorcerer answered confidently.
"Hooh~?"
"The fact that something happened in Chiba is undisputed, and there are most likely casualties. But no one important to me died."
"Not even your lover?"
"I just had a call with her a few hours ago... Well, I'll find out soon enough. Right now, I'd rather be optimistic than be in despair again. Nice try."
"... Heh."
-0-
"Hikigaya-kun... Hikigaya-kun!" The voice of a man reached his ears and saw him with dark skin and a shaggy hairstyle that had bangs covering his forehead. He wore a green T-shirt under a labcoat, a pair of jeans and sandals.
"... Dr. Rahul?" Hachiman said his name.
"I'm glad you still remember me." Rahul said with a chuckle until he wore a look of concern. "Are you okay? You spaced out."
"Oh..." The dead fish-eyed sorcerer noticed everyone staring at him. Some had concerned looks such as the Tokyo students while the Kyoto group looked indifferent except for Miwa and perhaps Mai, since the latter clenched her own arm while being stoic. Satoru had a serious expression, along with Masamichi, Utahime, and Gakuganji. "Sorry, I was thinking of strategies to win the team battle. How long was I out?"
"Just a few minutes."
"A few minutes? It felt longer when I was being toyed around by Sukuna. Could it be the same as that dream? There could be something else... Ah, I should've asked him more about Shani Dev. Then again, I doubt he'd cooperate." Hachiman thought until he looked at Yuji. "Itadori."
"Eh? Uh... yeah?" Yuji asked.
"It's a complete victory for the Tokyo team as long as you do your best." The senior declared with folded arms.
"Seriously?!" The pink-haired junior said in bewilderment.
"How are you so sure, senpai?" Junpei asked in curiosity.
"Just the source."
"Heh!" Maki grinned. "I'm liking the source right now."
"Quite a fascinating declaration." Noritoshi spoke. "Is that truly from your analysis or just arrogance?"
"I like to hear more details as well." Mechamaru joined in.
"Exciting words from a boring man." Aoi commented with a smile while holding his own chin.
"He's really starting to get on my nerves." Mai spoke with a voice of frustration, but Momo noticed the look on her face contradicted the tone. She was smiling with pride.
"Enough chit-chat." Masamichi clapped three times to gain their attention. "You're all dismissed until the event begins at noon! Go to your respective bases to discuss strategies and so on!"
"It's not a good time to ask... I'll wait till the first day is over." Hachiman concluded in his mind and looked up at the sky while everyone else was leaving. "Whatever happened in Chiba, I'll be there to fix it... I hope everyone's alright."
In a vast forest where not a living animal was in sight, a large group gathered next to a pit. That group consisted of numerous monsters and only five humans. Those monsters could be cursed spirits, but from what the humans knew, they were creatures that were far more tragic than that. However, there were three that were actually cursed spirits. All of them were powerful enough to single-handedly defeat all the surrounding monsters.
After all, they were classified as special grade.
"Everyone ready?" One special grade asked. It appeared to be a man whose face and body had stitches as if he was sewn together, his eyes had heterochromia with the left being dark blue and the right being gray, and wore a black shawl that was separated into three pieces on the left sleeve and matching pants.
"snamuh eseht tuoba wonk t'nod I, lleW. era su fo llA" Another one answered, but the humans didn't understand it. It was a large cursed spirit with black lines running across its entire muscular body, a helmet-like head that didn't cover its teeth, branches for eyes, and two black lines that zigzag down its face.
"Don't worry. They're fine, but if not, you know what to do." The curse with stitches winked.
"Hiiiikiiiigaaaaayaa-" The last cursed spirit mumbled a person's name. It was doing that for an ungodly amount of times that even someone as carefree as the stitched cursed spirit would find him annoying. It was the largest one out of the three, with its appearance being that of a black ant. The cursed spirit's height was about 5 meters, and its body length was 10 yards. Its abdomen (the rear end of an ant) was black, spherical, and steaming. The thorax appeared to be more flexible, soft, and appeared to be more of a flesh than an exoskeletal one, and its head was more human-like. The head in particular, was more of a skull that had such thin muscles covering it. Instead of human teeth, it had a pair of tusks that act as an insect mandibles. As for the two eyes, they were narrow and lined up vertically from the forehead to above the nasal bone.
"We get iiiit~. You hate Hikigaya." The stitched curse sighed in annoyance. "Look, if you don't shut up, we'll never let you have a piece of him. Got it?"
"HIIIIKIIII-"
"If you want to die that badly, that is..." His voice changed from a playful child to a homicidal murderer in a low tone. The glare pierced the giant ant curse and made it freeze in silence. After letting the atmosphere sink in for a moment, the stitched curse returned to his usual cheerful demeanor. "Good boy! Now, as for you humans..."
"Can we go already, Mahitooo~?" One boy complained while swinging a sword around that had a purple hand as the handle. He had long blonde hair tied into a ponytail on the left side of his head, and three purple markings under each of his eyes. His attire consisted of a black one piece suit that covered his lower half, stomach, and left side of his chest. The boy pointed the blade at the giant ant curse and smiled. "This Hikigaya the bug is on about. Can I have a piece of him?"
"You'd die the moment he sees you." The stitched-up curse named Mahito denied his request. "If our predictions are right, he's already at a higher level as a first grade."
"Geh! No thank you, then." The blonde boy pouted. "Can I at least get a share when you guys break him?"
"You're not even part of the group for that job..."
.
.
-0-
"From what Hanami described, Hikigaya Hachiman's domain expansion is more of the standard type than the advanced ones you all have." Geto explained.
"There are types?" Mahito asked with an arched eyebrow.
"Just two: the standard type traps victims and forces them to obey rules of the embedded cursed technique; The modern type is the most powerful with the guaranteed hit. In the past, domain expansions were used to be more common because they were all standard types, but as time went on, more and more people began to use the latter and that became the new norm."
"So his domain expansion is weak, then." Jogo scoffed.
"That doesn't mean we should undermine the progression." Geto argued. "He was awakened in July. When I first saw him in Okinawa, he was growing as a Grade 2. After accomplishing a domain expansion and based on Mahito's description of the battle, it is safe to assume he has reached Grade 1. If this continues, there's a chance he'll become a special grade near the end of October while transforming into Shani Dev. The Goodwill Event is the perfect time for a counterattack for a few reasons."
"And one of them is to capture the bearer." Jogo commented. "Don't you think it's counterintuitive when they would start making measures against us, especially since we and those humans have made enough trouble?"
"True. After discovering our alliance, they would. But there is a way to isolate Hikigaya from the outside world while keeping Satoru away." Once he said that statement, the buddhist monk smirked. "That's where the Dhamini Troupe's role comes in. By setting up the bait to send their most important members into their deaths in Kawasaki City, we drove them back into a corner. A little bit of psychological warfare here and there, and we got ourselves a few somewhat loyal humans on our palms. It's a shame we failed to deal with Hikigaya back then, but luck wasn't on our side, so we'll have to go with this one. If one plan doesn't work, switch to backups."
"It wasn't really luck they sent their best men, was it?" The one-eyed curse asked.
"No, and it's all because of the Port Tower Incident. Just from that scale of massacre and the huge impact that gave to both in Chiba and the Jujutsu organizations, they assessed the threat of the bearer as very dangerous." Geto chuckled. "We should thank the ropeholders for that, even though they're not on our side."
"Hey, can we get the new guy to join in?" Mahito suggested while pointing at the giant ant curse. "He's been mumbling non-stop about Hikigaya-kun."
"Where did you even find him?" Hanami asked.
"When I took a tour in Chiba~! It was a lot more fun than I thought."
"I wouldn't mind sending that thing as well." Jogo agreed to the stitched curse's suggestion. "As long as I don't hear his constant obsession, that would be fantastic."
"We do need some peace and quiet... Go ahead." Geto accepted the request. "It's not like it would affect our plans if it's exorcised or not, anyway."
"You said the plan would become more difficult if that bearer interferes, right? Not impossible?" The volcanic curse asked.
"Yeah, there will be long-term casualties that I want to avoid, but if we fail this operation, then there's no helping it. Still, it'd be best to execute. It's three birds in one stone, after all. The trap is set, right? Mahito?"
"You bet'cha! The bomb is already fitting right in!"
-0-
.
.
"Are you alright to join us, Hanami?" Mahito asked the branch-eyed curse.
"urotaS ojoG gnithgif nehw sdnuow ereves yna diova ot em fo etanutrof saw tI. htgnerts lluf ta derevocer I"
"Gojo Satoru is 190 centimeters, right?" A man spoke with glee. He had dark skin, a bald head, and dark markings spread all over his eyes and the bridge of his nose. His attire was a black apron over his bare chest, matching pants and boots with metal tips. "And then there's Hikigaya Hachiman. I can't believe I'd get two high-quality materials for coat racks in one day. Hehehe!"
"So, uh... what are your names again?" Mahito looked behind the bald man and noticed their silence throughout the conversation. "Simon... Reina... and... who?"
"..." The last girl was silent, avoiding eye contact. She had long purple hair tied into a bun and wore a black overcoat over a white buttoned-up shirt, black slacks and leather shoes.
"Oh, right. You're the one who wants to kill that sorcerer." The stitched-up curse nodded after remembering. "Right, you're all set?"
"Ready when you are." Simon answered while the two women beside him just nodded.
"Alllriiiight~! Follow me humans! We're going to kill!" At Mahito's orders, the monsters jumped into the pit first while the giant ant curse fell with them. Hanami stayed with its stitched-up comrade and waited for everyone to enter the pit. The humans were the last to follow, and the two special grades noticed the angry expressions on the women's faces while Simon had a more depressed look. Once they fell into the pit, Hanami asked with a sigh.
"If those three become a burden, please transfigure them so they could be useful."
"Well, their job is to get Shani Dev's predecessor. It'll be a success whether or not they're of use to us." Mahito responded to the cursed spirit's worries with shrugged shoulders. "Now then, let's go..."
"Hey..." Reina called out to her while walking among the monsters.
"I know what you're going to say." The girl responded in English quickly, before her comrade could say anything. "I lost her, Reina. I'm not going anywhere until I hunt that killer."
"But ya almost got yourself ruined cuz of that bastard. Ain't even an official member." Reina spoke in a lower, yet angry voice. The girl with the bun shook slightly at the thought of her experience in the Zenin household. It took ten seconds until she pounded her own chest to calm herself.
"That doesn't matter... This is for her... All I want is to kill that bitch and then I'll head home."
"... And what about you?" Reina asked Simon who just had a blank face.
"... I don't want Bong's death to mean nothing." He responded without gazing at his companions. "So I'll stay with Hanu until my mind changes."
"You think I can't change your mind now?"
"No... Not anytime soon."
"Damn it." Reina looked down while scratching her head and clicked her own tongue. "When you do change your mind, I'll lend ya a hand."
"That's gonna take a while."
"I know... Might lose some limbs n' probably die if I keep walkin' 'ere... But ya mean so much to Bong."
"Am I, now? Haha... That dumbass is terrible at picking good friends..." After saying that, Simon looked down.
.
"Bong, I can't leave the group. You're all good people to me."
.
"See ya tomorrow. Next time, I'll buy the drinks."
.
"Real terrible..."
Meanwhile, in a large room.
"I gotta say... I never thought you got the guts to do this." The voice of a man spoke on the phone that was on speaker.
"Are you thankful or not?" A woman asked with indifference. She was in a wheelchair wearing a white bathrobe and had bandages covering her completely, even concealing the face and head except her pair of eyes. While speaking, she was staring at the city through a massive fixed window. "I could cut all ties with you and end our business relationship if you're dissatisfied."
"No, no, no! That's not what I meant! Hahahaha! I'm very thankful for your financial support and the sponsors you introduced to me!" The man on the phone said nervously with a joyful tone that sounded fake.
"Those sponsors are just nobodies compared to my family in terms of wealth and status. So easy to manipulate. Just be careful they won't slip up or bit us like a snake."
"You have my word. Anyway, what I meant earlier is this: This booming business we're doing right now violates Jujutsu law. If you help me, that would make you an accomplice."
"Worst-case scenario?"
"They would shut it down."
"... That's it? You're not afraid of being caught?"
"Hah! We're a lot more slippery than you think. Meanwhile, you're just safe and sound hiding somewhere. But I'm not finished. That scenario is the biggest slap for me, not for you. Yours is probably even worse."
"I have a few guesses of what you're trying to say. All the possible consequences are accounted for."
"Is that your way of saying you will take those hits no matter what?"
"Interpret all you want. All that matters is whether you're willing to cooperate for the primary goal."
"That shady prophecy... Whoever that guy is, he's pretty unlucky."
"It's not some sketchy fear-mongering. It's the inevitable." The woman argued and slammed one of the armrest of her wheelchair in anger.
"Chill, woman. I already got ears about things surrounding this guy through word of mouth from curse users. The word 'Dhamini Troupe' is making the rounds in the circle, though not really in a good way. They just keep shitting on them for trying to mess with Jujutsu Tech so nonchalantly, all because of one student. I laughed my ass off how much those guys kept roasting their asses. The group became the joke of the year, hahahaha! Anyway, yeah, the fact they keep making reckless actions makes the gears in my head spinning. Then there's the whole issue with the special grade curses you were talking about... Makes me wonder what the hell's happening in Jujutsu Tech."
"Back to the prophecy. You WILL cooperate, right?" She asked in a low voice.
"Yeah, yeah. Your city is under my protection." He answered in an annoyed and tired tone. Problem is we don't know what form will that 'disaster' look like. You sure those ropeholders aren't hiding more info?"
"Believe me, they are all total fanatics. As long as it's a word from their 'god' and 'goddess', they'll eat it up while prostrating."
"If you say so. Oh! Looks like things are gonna heat up for this match. Gotta go."
"If that match is really worth your time, recruit those fighters participating. We need all the manpower we can get."
"Whatever you say, madam." The man said with a chuckle before the call ended.
"Mistress..." Another woman stood right behind her, holding the handgrips of the wheelchair. She wore a plain white T-shirt and a long red skirt. "Are you sure we can trust a man like that?"
"He's a powerful sorcerer who is in bad terms with the higher-ups of the Jujutsu organization. It'll be easy to manage him if I support his little sports game. That'll also help us in recruiting more members to aid our cause."
"I... see..."
"... Akemi... turn me around and look at me." The mistress ordered her, and she followed. Once the woman named Akemi moved the wheelchair to turn the bandage-wrapped woman to face her, the latter forcefully pulled her shirt to make her lean forward and grabbed her neck. "You... Are you doubting her? Your goddess?"
"N-No! I'm worried... that man would... betray us..." Akemi said while struggling to breathe.
"It was HER idea, which means there's no room for doubt. The goddess's words are absolute and full of wisdom." The mistress choked her even harder. "Are you a heretic...?"
"No!... No!" After seeing the suffocated woman's eyes rolling back, the mistress released her. The former coughed while on both knees and holding her own neck. She looked up to see the bandage-wrapped woman just staring down at her with contempt. As tears flowed down her cheeks, Akemi prostrated. "Please forgive me! I spoke blasphemous words without thought! Please forgive me!"
"How can I when you already showed your lack of faith?" The mistress asked in a low tone.
"NO, PLEASE!" Akemi trembled. "MY FAITH IS AS STRONG AS EVER! FORGIVE MY FOOLISHNESS!"
"Then you'll have to prove it. GUARDS!" The mistress shouted and two men in black suits entered the room. "Drag her to the dungeon so she will repent."
"Understood." The guards complied as they grabbed each of her arms and pulled her away.
"Thank you so much! I promise I won't commit blasphemy again! The crime that is my doubts will wash away by her wisdom! Oh, please forgive me, wise goddess!" Akemi shouted her prayer with tears and a huge smile as they dragged her out of the room. Her loud voice still echoed in the hallway until it was too far for the woman in the wheelchair to hear. Then a new older woman came into the room and grabbed the handgrips of the wheelchair as a substitute assistant.
"Is there something wrong, mistress?" The elderly lady asked.
"Nothing... Take me to the preachers." She said with a sigh and the elder followed her orders.
"Where did it all go wrong...?"
TRIVIA:
1) A reference to a quote from Buddha after reaching enlightenment in the scripture called The Dhammapada. The original quote was: " I have passed in ignorance through a cycle of many rebirths, seeking the builder of the house. Continuous rebirth is a painful thing. But now, housebuilder, I have found you out. You will not build me a house again. All your rafters are broken, your ridge-pole shattered. My mind is free from active thought, and has made an end of craving."
Took a while for me to finish this. The biggest challenge for me was the entire dream sequence. Had to make it somewhat entertaining while giving the exposition.
It seems chapter 19 caused quite a stir, so I'll clear up some things for you guys:
1) Will I make Mai or anyone else a love interest? Maybe, or maybe not. If I do, I sure as hell won't make this purely for fan service or to turn this into a harem story. I guess it's understandable for you guys to make that assumption considering how I wrote that last scene (8man's character there was a blunder of mine). If I make someone a love interest, I'd make it as either just some joke for comedic purpose, a character development thing, or a conflict for 8man and Yukino's relationship, which the last one brings us to the next elephant in the room;
2) Is the pairing tag a bait? No, this is a full-on 8man x Yukino. It's just that they'll go through a lot... like A LOT. Yes, I know. They're the genuine couple, but I want to portray their own imperfections in their relationship despite their very strong chemistry for one another. And through that imperfection, they'll grow and become better. I tried to do that in the Okinawa Arc, but I didn't write it well with the cringe dialogue in their heated argument. They'll go through more trials, but the pairing is forever in FULL FORCE.
3) Mai becoming a main character? This is a HUGE cast of characters, so some of them will have more focus than the others from time to time. Even the OCs. That doesn't mean I'm neglecting the important ones, especially Yukino, the main heroine.
4) Why memory loss? Not like it'll be important, nor at least not in a way that you all think. I want to show how 8man has grown and accept all the suffering he is about to endure. It's part of the Jujutsu side in a sense. Memory loss is just a way to show that development by how he responds to that. Should I write something else to show that? Maybe, but this is what I chose. 8man's journey so far was more about him accepting that things won't go back to the way it was and that he should try find happiness through that. Nothing lasts forever, especially the suffering, so he has to go past that. Of course, he learned a lesson about change in the original series, but like Hiratsuka said, "People's thoughts don't always mirror how they feel. That's why they sometimes make decisions that seem nonsensical."
From the start till the time before these two chapters, he may be getting stronger but he has ways to go mentally. Some events gave him trauma, but now, he's complete.
5) Why ruining 8man's character in the last conversation? Yeah, that's on me lol. Near the end, I started not giving a shit, so I wrote it that way. There was regret there... a little. But it's a good bait ending, so whatever. Really sorry about that.
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I guess the real question for me is did I write the intentions well and executed them well. Not for me, I think. Lots of things to improve, lots of things to learn. Overall, the result is what I somewhat envisioned.
So yeah, I guess you could say the 8man character arc is finished because now the story will focus on the other character of the pair: Yukinoshita Yukino
You guys also asked if I have some grand plan for the entire plot and yes. I'm not gonna spoil them... obviously. But I'll leak the titles for the next arcs following the finale chapter (Note the titles are subject to change):
- Yukinoshita Sisters Arc
- Goodwill Event
- New Everyday Life Arc
- Shibuya Incident
- Tales Of The Survivors
- Perfect Preparation Arc
- Samsara's Helm Arc
- The Greedy Sorcerer Arc
- The Culling Game
As you can all see, there seems to be an arc before the Goodwill Event. The Goodwill Event will become a massive conflict, so I have to set up certain elements leading to the things that will happen there. Then again, I could make the Yukinoshita Sisters Arc AFTER, but it's been a while since we last saw the Oregairu world, so I think it's good to go back to that sooner than later.
Yeah, that's it.
Next time I'm not promising deadlines. I'll just go at my own pace. There are a lot of things for me to do in my own life and I have ways to go as a writer.
Thank you as always for reading this chapter, and let me all know what you think.