WARNING : I am not a native speaker. One of my reasons to re-write this fict is because I want to practice my English even just a little. So, read it with a grain of salt and please enjoy yourself.


OoOoO—

Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami

Oregairu by Wataru Watari & Ponkan8

Genre : Supernatural, Action, Freindship, Slice of Life, and Little Bit Romance

Summary : Not the romantic comedy of youth that he experienced, not the quiet and normal life of youth he had. He never missed his day-to-day cursing his strange and annoying life. He is Hikigaya Hachiman and this is all his complaints as a jujutsu sorcerer.

Chapter 20: Yukinoshita Haruno's Fate Part III


OoOoO—

"Domain Expansion: Spooky Action at A Distance."

Maki, who heard the domain's name, immediately glared at Hachiman in disbelief.

"What the fuck with that name? It Sucks."

"I know, right?" replied Hachiman casually while concentrating.

Ignoring the absurd conversation, a territory originating from Hachiman began to spread.

Like a vast and empty space, Hachiman's domain dominated by the darkness. However, there were some light dots can be seen from a distance. In addition, a fog belt orbited a ball of bright white light with a narrow blue spectrum on the outside. Maybe it was just their imagination. But it seemed the fog was contained "a thing", or maybe the fog itself was "the thing" but they—except Hachiman—just couldn't see it.

The ever-expanding territory quickly swallowed Mahito's incomplete domain.

"Amazing," Mahito mumbled, "This is even more refined than Jogo's."

On the other hand, Maki was observing the entire domain in amazement.

'Is that light ball a sun? No, it doesn't look like the sun at all. Just like Satoru's Unlimited Void, this may look like the space, but it's not at all,' Maki thought.

Domain Expansion was a high-level technique. In simple terms, Domain Expansion was the user's innate domain deployed in the real world and then wrapped using a barrier to create a totally separate dimension from the real world. In the use of Domain Expansion, the existence of a barrier was the most crucial point and the most difficult to do.

Barrier not only served to prevent the target from escaping the domain. But the barrier was the main factor that gave a sure-hit effect on a domain. In other words, even if you had imbued your domain with a cursed technique, the sure-hit effect would never exist if the barrier was not materialised.

Mahito did admit that Hachiman's domain was extraordinary. However, for Hachiman, this was his first time using Domain Expansion in a battle. Moreover, the opponent had already created a domain, even though it was only an incomplete domain. That's why the barrier closed a little longer than he expected.

In that short time, Maki suddenly felt a very unpleasant feeling.

"Hachiman, something is coming!"

The young sorcerer was a little confused at Maki's warning. However, when he saw a burst of magma with a highly concentrated and unbelievable speed enter through the barrier's gap that had not been completely closed, Hachiman let out an annoyed chuckle.

"Tsk."

Hachiman immediately made a circle in his domain, showing a hole previously made by Maki.

Hachiman, embracing Haruno, jumped through the hole along with Maki. Less than a second later, the magma gush crossed where they had been standing before. Hachiman saw it and breathed a sigh of relief because he had made the right decision.

"Let's run away," said Hachiman, to which Maki nodded.

From the output alone, it was clear that the attack was from a special-grade cursed spirit. Dealing with a Mahito alone had overwhelmed Hachiman and Maki. And with that new guest? They would definitely lose if they also had to fight another special-grade cursed spirit with an air of existence alone was stronger than Mahito.

Therefore, running away was the only option that made the most sense for them.


OoOoO—

The artificial environment that Hachiman's domain created a moment ago disappeared. The barrier about to be closed entirely was instantly shattered like concrete that was not strong enough to support a load. Mahito gaped at the sight. There was a feeling of disappointment because he couldn't find out what would happen to him if he was trapped in such a fantastic domain.

"Are you okay, Mahito?"

Mahito came back from his daydream after hearing a voice behind him.

"Hm, I'm fine, Jogo," he replied, looking toward the voice's source.

Jogo, the name of the creature that interrupted Mahito's fight just now. He was a one-eyed cursed spirit with a brown volcano on the top of his head. He had a body similar to a short human and a slightly stooped posture. On both sides of his ears, there were two openings that function as hearing.

The cursed spirit wore a loose all-black outfit with quarter-length sleeves and matching pants and shoes.

"They ran away, huh? Just typically humans. All their kinds are coward as fuck," said Jogo while looking at the hole in the ceiling of the giant culvert.

"Should I chase after them?" Jogo asked Mahito.

The long-haired cursed spirit shook his head, "No need. They are not stupid people. They must have contacted that Gojo Satoru. It's still too early for us to fight him."

Jogo was silent while squinting his cycloptic eyes. He disapproved of Mahito's idea of being overly cautious of someone named Gojo Satoru.

"There is not the slightest reason to be afraid of that Gojo Satoru. We are future humans. We are higher than those lowly creatures!"

Mahito only smiled lightly despite receiving Jogo's slur. He understood where his friend's confidence was coming from. He also understood why he was so stubborn about his ideology. Just like volcanoes were seen as the great manifestation of the universe, Jogo inherited some characteristics from the human fear of volcanoes. That's why his dignity refused to be afraid of humans.

Because of that, he held himself in high regard and thought all humans were just trash that he could burn as he pleased.

On the other hand, Mahito, who was born from hatred, malice, and human fear of other humans, considered humans to be destructive creatures with high potential. Although Mahito liked toying with humans, he was aware of the potential of every human being. This awareness also taught Mahito that humans could also threaten his own kinds.

"If you want to fight Gojo Satoru, I don't want to get in your way. Maybe it can also be an illustration for us of how strong he is. However, not now. Now is not the right time."

Jogo grumbled that Mahito was too careful to take a step. However, he couldn't oppose it because Mahito was the leading figure in his small group.

"Let's go back, Jogo," said Mahito.

Reluctantly, Jogo followed him from behind.

"By the way, it's a shame you came at the wrong time. I really want to feel what the effect of his domain is like. He's very attractive, you know? His cursed energy is so disgusting."

"Don't be stupid. You are our leader."

"I know, I know. It's just, they're both really interesting," Mahito said with a shrug, "What Geto said about me being able to turn someone into a sorcerer is true. However, after meeting that bespectacled girl, I thought, can I also turn an ordinary human into a superhuman like her?"

Jogo didn't understand Mahito's words about an ordinary human and superhuman. When he was about to come into the opponent's domain, all he felt was one strong sorcerer who he believed to be the owner of the domain. The rest, he didn't sense any other threatening existence.

"What do you mean?" asked Jogo.

Mahito was silent for a while to sort out the words. However, he did not find the correct answer to Jogo's question.

"Nothing. Maybe I'll just ask Geto instead."


OoOoO—

One day had passed since the unexpected encounter with the extremely dangerous cursed spirit. After successfully escaped, Hachiman and Maki took Haruno and her surviving friend to Chiba University Hospital, one of the hospitals affiliated with the Japanese Jujutsu Association.

Because Hachiman knew several important people in the hospital, and the patient he brought was Yukinoshita Haruno, they could go through several administrative stages. They were immediately taken to the room used explicitly for patients from jujutsu incidents. Hiratsuka Shizuka also came not long after they were informed her of what had happened to Haruno.

Of course, Hiratsuka scolded Hachiman and Maki for not reporting their actions beforehand. What Hachiman and Maki did was arguably a violation of procedure. However, Hiratsuka also understood that the two of them were just teenagers in a period of searching for their identity. She also understood that they would be physically and mentally exhausted, even if they were not seriously injured.

Therefore, she ordered the two teenagers to go home, and she would take care of Haruno for the time being.

And from that series of events, here Hikigaya Hachiman was now, in his clubroom at Sobu High School. He opened his book and scanned the contents of the page. However, his mind was currently unable to focus and drifted elsewhere.

"How? Did you finish your business yesterday?"

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a voice as soft as silk but cold as ice. Without needing to turn to the source, Hachiman gave his answer.

"Maybe so, maybe not. Who knows? I'm even not sure."

Yukino tossed her hair back with her right hand. The ice queen was unsatisfied with Hachiman's unclear and pointless answer.

"Can you be more specific?"

Hachiman was pensive for a moment. To be honest, he didn't know how to respond. He understood what Yukino meant was that his unfinished business with Haruno. However, after yesterday's incident, he no longer knew how to react to this situation.

"Why are you so curious?"

Questions answered with questions were something Yukino didn't like. Moreover, Hachiman's bitchy tone made her feel like he didn't want to touch the subject. She thought she had a right to know since Hachiman's business involved her sister. However, Yukino also realised that she and Hachiman were nothing more than strangers who happened to be in the same club.

Hence, she decided to drop the conversation just like that.

On the other hand, Yui could feel that the atmosphere around her was tense. Cold sweat occasionally fell from her temples because of the cold air that she didn't even know where it came from. She looked at Yukino, who put all her concentration into the book. Her gaze then turned to Hachiman, who looked scary in Yui's eyes for some reason.

Even in the morning, Yui saw that Hachiman came to school in a terrible mood. She didn't know what had happened to her friend. She also didn't dare to ask because, in her eyes, the Hachiman she was currently looking at was different from usual.

A distinctive ringtone sounded, echoed throughout the room. Yukino and Yui immediately turned to the other side of the table, where the tone had come from. Meanwhile, Hachiman immediately reached into his pocket when his smartphone rang.

His eyebrows shot up when he saw the name on the phone screen. A confused look was clearly etched on his face.

"I'm out for a bit," Hachiman said, quickly leaving without waiting for approval.

Yui stared at the only door in the room blankly. Even though she knew this was not her place to speak, she couldn't deny the worry that welled within her. The girl with the hair bun then turned to her only girl friend in this room, who was busy reading.

"Hey, Yukinon, do you think Hikki's behaviour is a little strange today?" Yui asked.

Yukino stopped reading for a moment, and her mind returned to focus on the rotten-eyed boy.

"Who knows. Maybe it's a love affair?" Yukino replied curtly and returned to burying her nose in the book.

Yui suddenly widened her eyes when she got such an answer. Then, unknowingly, her cheeks turned red. Nothing was more interesting than other people's love affairs for a high school girl like her. As such, she immediately leaned toward Yukino.

"Wait, wait, wait. You mean, Hikki has a crush or maybe a girlfriend? Who? Do you know her?"

Yukino remained silent for a moment before replying, "Maybe? I don't know, and I don't care either."

The only thing Yukino knew was that Hachiman and her sister had a relationship. She didn't know what kind of relationship they had. However, the fact that they went on a date around the Boso Peninsula and then "had business" after school reinforced her deduction that the two might have something difficult to put into words.

Yukino might never have experienced what it was like to fall in love. However, she wasn't a stupid girl who couldn't guess a person's relationship either. She still didn't know Hachiman that well, but she had known Haruno from the first time she could remember. Although Yukino didn't like her older sister's overly intrusive nature, it was undeniable that Yukino understood Haruno, as well as her sister understood Yukino.

As far as she knew, Haruno had dated at least three times. However, the three lasted only two weeks at most because Haruno was tired of their disgusting and cringy attitude. On the other hand, witnessing Haruno had a selfie picture with Hachiman even made Haruno smile to herself when she looked at the picture. It was clear that the relationship between the two was quite special.

"Oh, that's right. If I think about it, Yumiko said she once met Hikki who was dating a beautiful onee-san at Chiba University," Yui said while touching her chin.

Yukino sighed with her eyelids closed.

'There's no mistaking it, it must be her. I'm like an idiot for not knowing how close their relationship is.'

Yukino opened her eyes and decided, 'When I meet onee-san later, I'll ask her to explain as clearly as possible.'

It wasn't like Yukino wanted to meddle in other people's love affairs. However, she was dealing with not just other people but her sister and her clubmate. She had seen several tv dramas that showed someone dating his friend's sister, and he only used that friend to get close to his sister. Yukino didn't want to become such a pathetic creature and a postman.

Therefore, Yukino's main goals were to ask her sister for an explanation and clarify her position so they couldn't take advantage of her.

The door was opened again without asking permission first. However, from behind the door came Hachiman with an expressionless face as usual.

He walked a little faster to his seat and stuffed his books into his bag. After that, he then stared at Yukino.

"Our club activities are only 15 minutes away, right? Can I go home early?" Hachiman asked Yukino.

The girl didn't reply right away. Instead, she stared back at the emo boy intently and scanned his face to see if there was anything he was hiding from her.

"Are you going to meet that person?"

Hachiman was a little clueless about the question. However, he immediately understood as soon as he discovered who Yukino meant by "that person".

"No, I am not. I got word that there was a gas leak in my home. So, I want to check it immediately," replied Hachiman, who was fluently telling a lie.

He felt a little guilty for telling such a lie. The one who contacted him earlier was Gojo Satoru. He gave him a new information. And that new information about Haruno's condition made him have to see that white-haired man immediately. He felt terrible for hiding the facts about Haruno from her little sister. However, he also had no other choice but to do that.

Yukino squinted her eyes for a few seconds until she finally let out a light breath.

"Alright. You may go now and please convey my regards to Komachi-san."

Hachiman nodded slowly. Without further ado, he left at a brisk pace.


OoOoO—

The journey from Inage Ward, Chiba City, to Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School, more commonly known as Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, took almost three hours. Although it bore the name "Tokyo", Tokyo Jujutsu Tech was not located in the centre of Tokyo Metropolis, better known as the 23 special wards. Instead, Tokyo Jujutsu Tech was located in Okutama City, a border of Tokyo Metropolis Prefecture.

To go there, Hachiman departed from Inage Station and took the Sobu Line, then made several train changes until he finally arrived at Okutama Station. From there, Nitta Akari, an assistant manager and one of the teachers at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, picked him up.

Their journey was relatively calm, only filled with a few words, dominated mainly by Akari.

In the end, here he was now. Walking side by side on the corridor, with a tall man in a dark bule and spiky white hair. Don't forget about an annoying black eyepatch covered his eyes.

"So, how does it feel after not being in your favourite school for so long? Feeling nostalgic already?"

Hachiman exhaled slowly.

"It's just about five months, though. And no. Not really. Except for Panda who's too innocent, a bit pushover, and easy to get tricked and asked to buy something, there's nothing fun here."

"Oh, tsundere as usual, huh? Is it that hard to say you miss your favourite panda?" replied Satoru while ruffling Hachiman's hair.

Hachiman felt a little uncomfortable with this treatment. However, he surrendered and let the white-haired man do whatever he wanted. After all, this was their first meeting in months.

Satoru did contact him and Komachi on the phone several times. Even though his real motive was simply to inquire about their mother. However, apart from that, Hachiman had not seen Satoru since he returned to Chiba. And although he never said it, Satoru indeed one of Hachiman's precious. And even without him knowing it, he made Satoru as his role figure.

"By the way, how is Haruno-san doing?" asked Hachiman after Satoru stopped ruffling his hair.

"Unfortunately, she is still unconscious."

The answer made silence over them for a while. Before finally, Hachiman asked again.

"So, why was Haruno-san transferred here? No. More than that, why are you also involved in this case? I thought everything that happened in Chiba have you entrusted to Hiratsuka-sensei?"

Before he met Hiratsuka, Hachiman had never thought that his female teacher would have such influence within the association. He was pretty ignorant and only knew the scope of the jujutsu sorcerer community around Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, not expecting that Chiba itself had its own unique hierarchy.

Hiratsuka was an important figure in Chiba. Her ability in the Barrier Technique made many people come to her instead of going to Tokyo. The Chiba Government also had a solid cooperative relationship with Hiratsuka. This cooperation also made Hiratsuka indirectly the person in charge of Chiba Prefecture, with Chiba City being the centre of her operations. While the outskirts area was handled by local sorcerers unless there was an unusual case.

"Well, by chance I was in Chiba yesterday. So, when I heard that Secretary-General Yukinoshita's eldest daughter was involved in a jujutsu incident, I thought I should go check on her. Maki also called me when you guys run away."

Satoru sopped his words for a moment and looked at Hachiman.

"Wait. You didn't know she was called me? It was rare you didn't notice your surroundings. Was it really that bad? Your opponent, I mean."

Hachiman was silent for a moment. His brain wasn't focusing on what he should be paying attention to. But, on the contrary, he caught something that bothered him a little.

"Well, I just thinking of taking Haruno-san to safe place as fast as possible back then." Hachiman stopped his speech and realised something, "Wait a second. You were in Chiba? Why?"

Satoru smiled and replied casually, "I picked up your mother from her office and then drove her home. Well, we stopped by the cafe to buy coffee and some snacks, though."

Hachiman almost choked on his own spit. On the other hand, Satoru actually laughed at the funny reaction of the young man walking next to him.

"Hey, how many times have I told you not to approach my mother, you dickhead?"

Instead of being intimidated, Satoru put his right arm around Hachiman's shoulder as if he and the boy were close friends.

"Oh, come on, Hachiman-kun. Asuka-san is even more open to me now. Komachi-chan doesn't even have any complaints, even though she puts forth tough terms, anyway. Just imagine me being your stepdad. It must be amazing, right?" Satoru replied in a contrived sulky tone, "Besides, you must understand the charms of older women, right?"

Hachiman furrowed his brows and asked, "Huh? Older women? What do you mean?"

"Of course, Yukinoshita Haruno. Who else? She is older than you, and you like her, don't you?"

"That's ridiculous."

"Look, you even don't deny what I said. Well, otherwise, how could a lazy ass like you bother accompanying Yukinoshita? I heard everything from Maki-chan, you know?"

'That bastard gorilla.'

Hachiman was forced into silence after hearing Satoru's defence. He tried his best to control his expression to not show the slightest blush. Besides Maki, that jerk next to him was the one who would mock him all year round if he found something interesting to tease him.

"We are on the same page, you know?" teased Satoru again, "Oh, don't tell me you prefer Shizuka-chan instead of Yukinoshita Haruno?"

Hachiman violently tried to let go of Satoru's arm around his shoulders. He wanted to change the subject immediately, and he knew the right topic for it.

"Put that aside. So, why was Haruno-san transferred here?"

Hachiman had never heard of transferring victims involved in jujutsu incidents in his career. The Association already had health facilities spread across cities in Japan, so there was no need for those who were victims of jujutsu to be brought to the jujutsu sorcerer bases in Kyoto or Tokyo.

The health facilities in Tokyo and Kyoto were exclusive to jujutsu sorcerers only. Even those who use their big names in politics or business would not be enough to get them admitted using jujutsu school facilities. In other words, there must be a particular reason why Haruno had to be transferred to the health facility at Tokyo Jujutsu High.

Satoru sighed at Hachiman's reaction and how the boy wanted distracted the subject about his love life.

"The first reason is that Secretary-General Yukinoshita himself asked for it. He wanted his daughter to receive first-class treatment for the incident that happened to her. As for the second reason as well as the main reason, I think I will explain it later with that person."

"What? Why?" asked Hachiman while looking straight at him.

He was not satisfied at all with Satoru's answer. However, the white-haired man only smiled. It wasn't until a few moments later that he finally replied.

"We have arrived."

Hachiman, who heard that turned his gaze forward. There was a bespectacled girl with dark green hair tied in a ponytail. The girl was wearing all-black clothes of a jujutsu school female uniform.

She was Maki, and Hachiman already knew very well. So, he immediately discarded the assumption that the person Satoru was referring to was her.

Maki, who saw Hachiman coming along with Satoru, raised her right hand to greet her friend. Witnessing that, Hachiman returned the greeting with a slow nod.

Satoru led the way, and behind him were two of his proud disciples. The man grabbed the doorknob and then slid it open.

The room that the three of them entered was a room to receive guests who were not from among the jujutsu sorcerers. The room was quite spacious and had a traditional firm touch. Like a traditional Japanese building, the floor was made of solid wood and continued to be maintained several times a month.

When the three of them entered, a calming citrus smell greeted their nose. Furniture made of mahogany and beautifully carved, such as tables, chairs, cabinets, and such, also spoiled their eyes.

A middle-aged man with strong charisma sat on a wooden chair enough to accommodate three people. Hachiman and Maki had seen the person on television many times. His face had also graced the mass media several times. Without the need for introductions, they already knew the identity of the adult man.

"Hachiman-kun, Maki-chan, he is Yukinoshita Haruno's father, Yukinoshita Yukimura-san," Satoru said, starting with introductions, "Secretary General Yukinoshita-san, they are Hikigaya Hachiman-kun and Zen'in Maki-chan. They are both sorcerers directly involved with the incident that befell your daughter."

After introducing the two sides, Satoru sat down on the single seat at the end of the table. Meanwhile, Hachiman and Maki sat on the long chair opposite Haruno's father, which was only separated by a table.

"First of all, as a father, I sincerely thank you for saving my daughter," Haruno's father said as he bowed his body 60 degrees.

Hachiman and Maki, who had never received such treatment from one of the country's most important people, felt slightly panicked and embarrassed. They also quickly tried to cover up their awkward behaviour by bowing their bodies in response.

After that, Yukimura—Haruno's father—straightened up again, followed by the two teenagers. The accomplished politician then looked at Satoru, who had been watching the interaction between the three with a big smile.

"So, Gojo-kun, how about my daughter? Why did you ask me to meet you here?" asked Yukimura.

Instead of answering, Satoru asked, "Are you sure you're ready to hear it, Yukinoshita-san?"

Yukimura sighed softly, "I don't know. Even if I'm not ready, I have no other choice but to face the truth, right?"

The weak expression showed how burdened the father of two was over the incident that happened to his daughter.

Yukinoshita Yukimura was an ordinary human. He couldn't even see the cursed spirit. However, his political career, which continued to creep up and finally brought him to this level, forced Yukimura to swallow all the secrets that the Japanese Government had always hidden from time to time.

He was a genius politician. At 34, he became the minister of economy, trade and industry in 2007, when Fukuda Yasuo was the Prime Minister. Then, during the Government of Abe Shinzo, in his second term in 2012, Yukinoshita Yukimura was assigned as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism.

When Abe Shinzo's 3rd term took office in 2017, Yukinoshita Yukimura became Chief Cabinet Secretary or Secretary-General for short. At that moment, Yukimura had to be forced to see what he had never imagined existed before. A supernatural world, a world where cursed creatures congregate.

It was the deepest abyss he had ever witnessed in his life. A world where the people were able to overthrow a country if they wanted to, children who could commit assassination, human trafficking under the pretext of obtaining a great cursed technique, the great power that had indirect influence on economics and politics of Japan. Japanese Jujutsu Society, that was how he called this place.

"Is this really something serious? Or maybe it's just as bad as I imagined?" Maki asked before Satoru could explain.

The bespectacled girl understood the pressure the father of two was currently feeling. Both shoulders were tired enough to carry the burden of the country and the secrets of the jujutsu society. Because of that, Maki indirectly asked Satoru to give his opinion first before explaining it to Haruno's father.

"Depending on how you look at it," he replied with a smile, "You can think of this as a blessing, you can also think of it as a disaster. However, personally, I would say what happened to Yukinoshita Haruno is not something to be sorry for."

"So?" Yukimura asked curtly.

Satoru smiled a little. Through his blindfold, he stared fixedly at Yukimura.

"Yukinoshita Haruno…, she became a jujutsu sorcerer."

That brief statement was like a thunderbolt that struck Yukimura in the daylight. His head was like being hit by a giant rock. Never in his life had he imagined that the daughter he had always been proud of was one of those cursed humans who lived in an environment that was even more rotten than politicians.

Hachiman and Maki were also surprised. Even those who have lived in the jujutsu society find it difficult to digest Satoru's words.

"Wait, what do you mean by being a jujutsu sorcerer?" asked Hachiman, who was still in disbelief, "Does that mean she also has a cursed technique? Or just being able to see cursed spirits?"

"She has a cursed technique. That's why I decided to bring her here."

The two young sorcerers still didn't understand what they had just heard. Because, as far as they knew, someone couldn't awaken a cursed technique in their teens or adults.

The cursed technique was innate an individual had since they were born. For those who possess it, the cursed technique would awaken when they were five to six years old. If in that period, nothing happened, it meant they didn't have any cursed techniques.

Those who were not sorcerers could see a cursed spirit when their lives were threatened by the cursed spirit. However, this was all only temporary. Once they were released, they couldn't see the phenomena of jujutsu sorcery again. Indeed, there were cases where they could see cursed spirits after they were involved in a jujutsu incident or by nature. However, that was a rare case. Still, it wouldn't be enough to make them awaken their cursed technique. Because back to the base point, cursed technique only awakened on five or six years old.

"How could that be?" asked Maki.

"You're not lying or joking, are you, Gojo-kun?" added Yukimura after calming himself down.

Satoru smiled. He pointed his index finger at the eyes covered by the black cloth.

"I have really great eyes, you know, Yukinoshita-san."

Satoru then lowered his hand and acted as usual. He then turned his gaze to Maki to answer the girl's question.

"To be honest, I'm not so sure how her cursed technique awakened. However, based on what I've heard from you, Maki-chan, that cursed spirit you guys fought could manipulate his own body and his opponent's body at will, right?"

"To be more precise, I felt he was trying to change something inside of me, which then forced my physical form to change as well. I don't have any proof, though. But I feel like what he wanted to change was the soul," Hachiman interrupted to correct.

His fight against Mahito yesterday was still warm in his memory. He had never dealt with such a troublesome opponent. Curiosity, anger, and afraid mixed into one.

Afraid? Yes, he was afraid. He never thought a creature would still be able to defend well despite being hit by two black flashes. However, that was not the main fear he felt. More than that, the thought of him dying with just a touch already made his body shiver.

His technique reversal might allow him to be unable to be touched by Mahito. However, using technique reversal continuously will be drained his cursed energy. He couldn't use the technique recklessly, but he was also terrified of being touched by Mahito.

'Something that makes me untouchable like when using my technique reversal. A method that utilises the use of a high-efficiency technique reversal.'

An antithesis. That was what Hachiman wanted to create.

Hachiman's thoughts were forced to stop when he heard Satoru reply to him.

"Well, changing the soul to force changing the physical shape. That makes a lot more sense. This may sound a little crazy. However, I think the cursed spirit changed the structure of Haruno's brain allowing her to awaken her cursed technique."

As Satoru said, it was crazy. However, it really made sense.

To allow them to access cursed techniques, the brains of sorcerers underwent an inevitable evolution that did not occur in ordinary humans, or even in sorcerers who did not possess cursed techniques.

"Damn it, I don't know what to do anymore," Haruno's father said as he leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling.

"Don't worry. I am Gojo Satoru. I always have a solution for every problem," he replied.

This confession brought Yukimura's attention back to him. His tired gaze demanded Satoru explain further.

"From what Shizuka-chan said, your daughter has a close relationship with her, right?" asked Satoru, to which Yukimura nodded, "I understand your concern about Haruno's fate having to be involved with this side. That is also why I brought her here after discussing it with Shizuka-chan."

All ears were now well-tuned to listen to Satoru's explanation.

"Harono's current position is quite difficult. The cursed technique awakened a person of her age, of course, it would attract the attention of the association's headquarters in Kyoto. Well, even the Tokyo Jujutsu Tech's boards might soon send someone to check on her condition."

The two jujutsu schools were indeed run by their respective principals. However, in every school, there were also boards that oversaw every school activity. The association's headquarters was indeed in Kyoto, but that didn't mean that Tokyo Jujutsu Tech didn't have boards watching.

"Sooner or later, she is here or not, the fact that Haruno awakened her technique will definitely be exposed. That's why, by me bringing her here, it would be seen as goodwill that there's nothing I want to cover up."

"But wouldn't that actually harm my daughter? You said her condition could attract the attention of the association, right? I assumed that they would do whatever it took to uncover the secret to Haruno's awakening of power. Then, would they believe that it was done by a cursed spirit? No. Even worse, wouldn't they just suspect Haruno of being the minion of that cursed spirit? With her cursed technique awakened by a cursed spirit, the association will take Haruno as an evil sorcerer, no? Gojo-kun, you and Hiratsuka-kun are going to take on the responsibility of protecting Haruno, right?"

A worry that Yukinoshita Yukimura had been holding back for so long, he finally let out a series of long sentences that he spoke in one breath.

"I made a vow with the higher-ups. As long as Haruno was unconscious, they wouldn't be able to do anything to her. However, in exchange, I, or the person I sent, will explain everything that happened to them."

'The person he sent?' Hachiman and Maki thought, feeling uncomfortable with that snippet.

Yukimura nodded and asked, "I see. Then, what about my daughter? You and Hiratsuka-kun will protect her, won't you?"

Satoru didn't reply right away. Instead, he flashed a big smile, which made Hachiman and Maki feel uncomfortable again.

"Fushiguro Megumi-kun, Fushiguro Tsumiki-chan, Hikigaya Hachiman-kun, Hikigaya Komachi-chan, Zen'in Maki-chan, Okkotsu Yuta-kun, and now, Itadori Yuuji-kun. They are all children I brought using my authority," said Satoru, mentioning the names and counting on his fingers.

Once again, a bad feeling came over the two young sorcerers as Satoru began to count the names of those under his direct responsibility.

"I've been using my authority too much lately. Likewise, with Shizuka-chan, she used her authority over and over again so that she could operate in Chiba without interference. Like it or not. Neither I nor Shizuka-chan can be directly responsible for Yukinoshita Haruno."

The statement was once again like a nightmare that darkened all of Yukimura's vision.

"However, as I said, I am Gojo Satoru. I always bring a solution to every problem," continued Satoru again.

"Don't you mean bring a solution by adding another problem?" Hachiman quipped, "Isn't that right, Maki-dono?"

"Totally right. We're on the same frequency this time, Hachiman-shi," Maki replied in her Kansai dialect.

Hachiman and Maki were two unique individuals. They often disagree on many things. However, if it was a matter of fighting and insulting Satoru, they could always be on the same page and synchronise well.

However, Satoru was already very immune to the ridicule of his two disciples. As such, he just ignored the two pubescent teens.

"As I said, Shizuka-chan and I won't be directly responsible to Haruno. However, in exchange, the spectacular Hikigaya Hachiman-kun and this unbreakable Zen'in Maki-chan will take our place."

Like a bomb being detonated over their heads. Hachiman and Maki had finally really reaped what they had sown. However, the first to protest was not them but Yukimura.

"What do you mean? Please don't misunderstand, I have no doubts about these two youngsters. However, do you think they can take care of my daughter?"

"He's right, Satoru," Maki added with her brows furrowed, "I hate to say it. But why me? I understand if it's Hachiman. However, I don't think I can do much to his daughter."

Satoru smiled and replied, "Relax. You will only be in charge of the paper. Meanwhile, Shizuka-chan and I still lend our hands to you, guys."

Yukimura seemed to be considering something. Making Satoru and Hiratsuka irresponsible and only acting as additional personnel if needed was probably not bad.

'Gojo-kun is indeed the strongest, but he has a lot of problems with associations. On the other hand, if I'm not mistaken, Hikigaya Hachiman is a descendant of Abe no Seimei, right? Although he is the older brother of Hikigaya Komachi who is closely monitored by the association. In the world of jujutsu, no one is without problems. However, Hikigaya-kun doesn't look as extreme as Gojo-kun in terms of his relationship with association.'

However, the biggest problem was, was he strong enough to protect his daughter?

Satoru looked at the middle-aged man. He understood his concern. Because of that, Satoru gave another explanation.

"Hachiman-kun is a great sorcerer. I've heard his progress so far. I'm sure the association also at least understands that his potential can't be measured by the association's standard anymore. That's why I plan to take him to Kyoto next week and give him my recommendation to become a special grade."

The declaration took the room by surprise. Moreover, Hachiman did not expect that Satoru would give him a recommendation so soon. On the other hand, Maki quickly straightened herself up. Considering what Hachiman did yesterday against Mahito, it's unsurprising that he was recommended to be a special grade.

"Ah, I forgot to say one thing," Satoru continued again, "Hachiman-kun and Maki-chan, the two of you are not only responsible for Haruno's safety. When Haruno wakes up later, you will be responsible for her training to become a good jujutsu sorcerer."

"What if she refuses to become a sorcerer?" asked Hachiman quickly.

"Don't worry," Satoru replied softly with a smile, "I may not know her that well. However, I firmly believe Yukinoshita Haruno is crazy enough to become a jujutsu sorcerer."


OoOoO—

"Yukinoshita Haruno, huh? You picked an interesting target, Mahito."

Several creatures sat on each available chairs in a room with slightly dim lighting. They sat around a table. On top of the table was a popular board game in the early 2000s, and even had its online versions these days.

"You know her, Geto?" asked a cursed spirit with long, pale blue hair.

While asking that, Mahito—the name of the cursed spirit—moved his piece by five steps.

"She is the daughter of Secretary-General Yukinoshita, and heiress of a famous conglomerate family, the Yukinoshita family," replied the man named Geto.

A cursed spirit with a stocky body and a predominantly white colour mumbled something after hearing Geto's words. She had two hands, but her left hand hid behind something black wrapped around her body's left side. Meanwhile, in her eye sockets, two twigs grew upwards.

The cursed spirit picked up two dice on the table. She shuffled the dice for a few seconds and then threw them on the table.

"SEveN."

After saying that, she moved her piece according to the number indicated by the dice.

"Dutch. You have to pay taxes to me, Hanami," said the cursed spirit with a volcano in his head.

Mahito ignored those two and replied Geto instead.

"Eh…, so that woman is an important person, huh? If only I know that, I will take her immediately yesterday."

Instead of getting a reply from the only human in the group, he got a deep voice.

"Australia. This place hasn't been bought yet, has it? I'll buy it."

"Oh, good choice, Hijikata. That place is quite strategic. I want it myself, though" said Geto and then looked at Mahito, "By the way, I actually prefer if Yukinoshita Haruno is in the hands of sorcerers like now."

Finished saying that, Geto picked up the two dice that lay and shuffled them by hand. After a few seconds, he rolled the dice on the table, and his total score was ten.

Geto moved his piece. However, his face was not so happy because his piece had to enter prison.

"Prison? It's a place befitting a human like you. It would be better if it was turned into a dog cage," said Jogo arrogantly.

Despite encountering such insults, Geto didn't think much of it. Instead, he smiled haughtily as he fanned himself with the counterfeit money he had accumulated from this game. And such acts enough to hurt Jogo's pride.

Mahito picked up the dice as he said, "Why do you prefer her to be on the sorcerers' side? You said I could have a cursed user's army that I could play with as I pleased, right?"

Mahito rolled the dice on the table and showed the four dots in total. When he saw the position of his piece, he knew that the number had led him to the same prison as Geto's piece.

"I'm not forbidding you to turn humans into sorcerers, but I want you to be more careful. Besides, Yukinoshita Haruno would be much more useful to our plan if she was on the sorcerers' side."

"What do you mean, Geto?" Mahito asked.

"Our main goal is indeed to seal Gojo Satoru. However, that doesn't mean there aren't other people who could potentially get in our way."

Mahito stared at the man who looked like a monk. Meanwhile, Geto just smiled a little, as usual.

"It's our luck because strong sorcerers like Tsukumo Yuki and Okkotsu Yuta aren't in Japan right now. But Hiratsuka Shizuka still here. She may not be as strong as Gojo Satoru, but she will be a problem if we can't get rid of her."

Hearing the name that had cornered him, Hijikata Toshizo also turned his head to Geto.

"You want us to kill her?" asked the former vice-commander of the Shinsengumi.

Geto shook his head and was about to answer. However, he saw Jogo's piece stopped at a tile he owned.

"German. Jogo, you have to pay me double because I own the whole block," said Geto with a big smile, "I'm lucky to have built a landmark in Germany."

With his pride torn apart, Jogo handed some fake money to the man with long black hair. Then, realising that he had gone off-topic, Geto intended to immediately answer Hijikata's question earlier.

"Actually, I don't care if she dies or not. I've also prepared a plan to get rid of her. However, with Mahito successfully turning Yukinoshita Haruno into a sorcerer, I found the safest way to get rid of Hiratsuka."

"Wait, how about a boy I fought yesterday? The name's Hiki… tani, right? I mean, I feel his domain could hurt my soul."

Because their pieces were currently still in prison, Geto and Mahito could casually chat for a while until their turn. And Jogo immediately stared at Mahito when he heard that the boy had potential to directly hurt Mahito's soul.

"He is strong, clever, and has potential. But his level is not at Hiratsuka Shizuka or Okkotsu Yuta right now. Even so, he will be our threat in the end. That's why this plan will works against Hiratsuka Shizuka and Hikigaya Hachiman. It's like killing two birds using other people hands," Geto replied.

"Did you mean killing two birds using one stone?" asked Hijikata, who disturbed by Geto's choice of words.

"No. Killing two birds using a stone still use our hands. But killing two birds using other people hands means we won't involved directly and just enjoy the show."

"So?" Mahito asked.

"Hiratsuka Shizuka with her Barrier Technique is indeed a great sorcerer, but she is also a coward. Her biggest weakness is where she's been hiding all this time, namely Sobu High School. Meanwhile, Yukinoshita Haruno is her former student at Sobu High. If coincidences like Yukinoshita Haruno happen again in that place, the association will put Hiratsuka in a difficult position."

Despite being literally eyeless, Hanami immediately glared at Geto when she heard the man's explanation.

"YOu toLd MaHiTO tO bE MOrE cAReFuL wHEn TuRNinG hUmANs InTo sORcErERs, aNd NoW yOu wANt hIm tO dO iT rIgHT aROuNd tHat HiRatsUka?" asked Hanami.

Geto just smiled faintly while shrugging his shoulders.

"I've also done a lot of experiments to turn humans into sorcerers, you know? Even much longer before Mahito was created. So, I have a way of awakened cursed technique too. Its effectiveness is far below Mahito, though."

Geto—or something possessing him now—had lived for thousands of years. He intended to carry out a grand plan involving the entire Japanese society and the world community in general.

At least, Geto has had two methods so far. First, someone needed to eat a cursed object by force or voluntarily. However, instead of creating a new sorcerer, it was a method for resurrecting an ancient sorcerer who was sealed in a cursed object. In other words, this was not the way to awakened a cursed technique as Mahito could.

The method that Geto wanted to use was his second method. Unfortunately, the effectiveness was very low. Out of 1,000,000 trials, maybe only one was successful, or even not at all. Because basically, this method required a target who already could see cursed spirits and had a sorcerer's bloodline, so that the target could react stably. The chances were very slim indeed, but the method was still worth trying.

Even if it didn't work, all he had to do was tell Mahito to do something he did to Haruno.

Geto picked up two dice that were on the table. While rolling the dice, he resumed his speech.

"Yukinoshita Haruno opened a door that I never had before. Without neglecting our main objective, we will make the association and the people around Hiratsuka point their swords at each other's necks. That way, whether it's Hiratsuka Shizuka, Hikigaya Hachiman, or even the Japanese Jujutsu Association, we will destroy them from within."

To Be Continued—


Author Note: First, I'd say that Geto's second method isn't the same method he used to fit Yuuji into the Sukuna container. No, it's not like that.

Besides, I think he should have that backup method, just in case Mahito is never created. I mean, he's been preparing this plan for thousands of years. So, he must have prepared everything, including how he would turn an ordinary human into a sorcerer without having to consume a cursed object. However, the x-factor in the form of Mahito's creation makes the plan actually run easier.

So, assuming that, I decided to make Geto a backup plan in case, Mahito was never around. The backup plan was not as effective as Mahito's technique.

By the way, for Hachiman's DE, some of you may be disappointed that he didn't cancel his DE. However, I'm saving that for even more suitable conditions. And I promise Hachiman will really get his DE out very soon.

Well, for Haruno's cursed technique, the next chapter might be revealed. I already mentioned the clue when Hachiman was dating Haruno. So, can anyone guess?

Besides, for those who have corrected me about black flash, I thank you very much. Well, what I wrote, I quoted from the Mangaplus translation. However, when I rechecked the Japanese version, it was true black flash increased power exponentially, not linear. So once again, I thank you very much.

So, what do you think about this chapter? And thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. Please leave your review for this chapter because your review is my encouragement. See you in the next chapter and stay safe.