DISCLAIMER:

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


A week after the Chiba Port Tower Massacre

12:20 PM

"Onii-chan? Are you okay?" Komachi asked her older brother, who was still laying in bed under the sheets while leaning against the door. She was worried because he hadn't gotten up since this morning.

"I'm fine." Hachiman responded with his back turned to her. "I'm feeling under the weather today, that's all."

"Okay..." Komachi hesitated, but left him alone for his sake.

Obviously, one week wasn't enough for Hachiman to move on from the horror he experienced during that tower.

All the lives lost, the tears of the survivors and families, the curse he and Nanami couldn't defeat.

How could anyone cope after that?

How could a sorcerer cope with each death and curse he encountered?

Hachiman wanted to call someone, but every time he tried approaching his family or reaching for the phone, he lost the strive to do it. Even though they called out to him, his only response was silence, ignoring them and shunning himself in his bedroom. He could still hear it: the sounds of death and even the weeping of the sorrowful mother.

He stood up to find something to distract himself. However, he still didn't want to talk to anyone yet, and he couldn't work because someone not trustworthy substituted Nanami to exorcise curses here in Chiba. And so, Hachiman wore a white sleeveless hoodie over his black T-shirt and a pair of jeans, and left the house through his window while carrying a case that had his katana inside. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop of the neighboring houses, he let himself enjoy the fresh air, and then landed in an empty alley to run fast. After running in the streets, Hachiman reached an abandoned warehouse at the port. He could see the tower that became the center of every news, media, and the public.

He shook whatever thoughts he had, pulled out the sheathed katana from the case, and started training.

Every swing and every draw of his blade was poured with sweat, blood, tears, cursed energy, regret, frustration, anger, and so much more.

It was as if he put his soul into doing the best he could to satisfy the blade.

#)(*$&*()$ ##^? "YOU LOOK SO YOU-"$%$)_(

"Who's there?" Hachiman heard a voice of a woman and wondered who it was. The response was nothing but silence that was pierced by only the wind and the waves of the sea. He swore that voice sounded familiar, but it sounded too distorted for him to recognize.

.

.

No.

He could guess who that voice belonged to.

But he denied and ignored it, thinking that it was his guilt that caused him to think in such a broken state.

Hachiman trained his body, swordsmanship, cursed energy, martial arts, and cursed technique. Memories of not only the Chiba Port Tower incident, but also the entire ordeal he went through as a sorcerer kept flashing within his mind. From the training, his relationship issue with the Yukinoshita sisters, the assassination attempt, to the tragedy he recently experienced today.

$%$^&"HAPPY BIRTHD-"()#(&*:^$?&

(*$&(:{#%$#$^&$%}%*)#_#) $"WHAT ARE Y-"

two more distorted voices suddenly came into his left ear.

"STOP IT!" He screamed and the voices just stopped. He looked and even checked both inside and outside of the warehouse to find who or what caused that, but found nothing.

Days passed and the voices still wouldn't stop. It caused him to distant himself even further from his friends and family. Everyday, he trained in the abandoned warehouse even while the voices would often become louder and more irritating. He thought about seeing a doctor to treat the condition...

But he decided against the idea.

Why?

Why did he want to keep all that?

What would he gain from mentally torturing himself with those hallucinations?

For others, they would do anything to get rid of them.

Yet for him, he needed those voices screaming in his ear.

.

.

.

"Uh... mom." Hachiman called out to his mother. He and his family were eating dinner together at the dining table.

"What is it?" His mother asked.

"Can I.. live in an apartment?" His question caused both his parents and younger sister to stop what they were doing, and stared at him in bewilderment.

"Where did the idea come from?" The father asked.

"I'm in my third year, and honestly, it's only just months away before I graduate from high school. I just thought living on my own would be a good pace for me to get used to a new stage in my life."

"I see..." His father took a sip of water from a glass. "But are you okay right now? Your girlfriend tried and visited you many times, and you didn't come down and talk to her."

"I... did something stupid. It's my fault. I just needed some space to think. Sorry."

"Well, you better pull yourself together. That... massacre is one hell of a wake up call for us."

"A wake up call for what?" Komachi asked.

"To be more careful, obviously." The mother answered. "Those criminals are still out there. God, I can't stop imagining walking in the streets while they're blending in the crowd."

"We don't know if we can let you live alone, Hachiman." The father said to his son with genuine concern. "Who knows what would happen to you?"

"I can take care of myself." Hachiman argued. "Following curfew and do nothing inside is child's play. I'm almost an adult now, so please?"

"... If that's what you want, then I won't refuse, Hachiman." His mother hesitated, but agreed to his suggestion.

"As long as you act responsibly, then it's fine." His father as well.

"Haaah~, Onii-chan is finally growing up to be more independent." Komachi said in a dramatic tone, pretending to be crying. "Now he won't be depending on me too much."

"Yeah, since I have Yukino." Hachiman responded, which earned a deadpan stare from his sister.

"You're the worst, Onii-chan. And you better make up with her!"

.

.

.

"Alright..." Hachiman put down a box on the wooden floor and looked at his surroundings. There were several boxes surrounding him, which contained his belongings such as manga and other literature, video game discs and consoles, and clothes. It was up to him to buy furniture and whatever he wanted for his apartment.

$#(*^(&(*^:}"LIAR"{#$()

-#$ %"MAMA!"$%*&)-_#%

$)&*)($_)( %)^^ & ?&?! $*=+"JUST ABOUT TO GE-"$$^( _)?! #$

"Shut it!" Hachiman shouted with a slap on the left side of his head. After a few seconds of silence, he sighed. "Okay..."


The Shell And The Slug: Part 1

My Life ** * ***** **** Is Cursed, As I Expected.

September 1st

3:30 PM

The bell rang, signalling the end of the first day of school after summer break. All classes ended their lectures. Some classes were given assignments, while others were just given what to study and read.

After packing his things, Hachiman stood and left the room while looking at his phone.

"Gojo-san wanted to discuss something tomorrow... What is it about?" He thought and put his phone back in his pocket with a sigh. "First day of school after summer break, and the teachers aren't holding back at all. It's almost nothing compared to last year. Let's hope there won't be a Service Club request that's hard to handle."

"Hikki!" In front of him in the hallway, Yui quickly approached him with a wave. "Let's go toge... ther?"

"What's wrong?" Hachiman asked in confusion to her odd gaze.

"You look taller than the last time I saw you..." Yui said as she put a hand above his head and then above hers to compare and measure the height. "And you look a little... bulky?"

"I think this uniform is starting to feel tight."

"No, it's definitely you."

"And what about you?"

"Me?"

"New manicure and earrings?" Hachiman pointed out. The peach-haired girl's fingernails were polished in cyan and her earrings were small purple butterflies.

"You noticed really quick..." She chuckled. "What do you think?"

"Not bad. You're lucky this school is one of the 10%."

"10% of what?"

"10% of schools in Japan that accept accessories and dyed hair. Probably more than 90% of schools in our country have rules against those. Though, the government tried to fight against such standards, the majority of our schools still practice it."

"I know that. I enrolled here because we can almost do whatever we want with ourselves!"

"There are other schools other than this one. Not to mention, schools that are easier in academics."

"Mama wanted me to be in an elite school that accepts hair colors."

"... Wait, is your peach-colored hair natural or dyed?"

"Natural."

"Natural? That's natural?" He thought while holding his chin. "Yuigamama's hair is sort of light brown? Light orange? Anyway, she doesn't have a strand of peach on her. Did Yuigahama take it from her dad? Probably. I haven't seen a picture of him, nor even met him during our study sessions in her apartment. While we're on the subject of hair color, there are three girls that have weird natural hair color. Kawasomething and her little sister are light blue, Miura is blonde... I think hers is dyed- hold on, Totsuka's hair is silver. What the hell? Are their hairs seriously natural? That's something you would see in anime or light novel..."

"No... could it be?!" He stopped in his tracks in bewilderment at his conclusion. "Is this world a light novel?!"

"What's wrong, Hikki?" Yui asked after seeing him standing still.

"Uh, nothing." Hachiman answered, and they both continued walking their way to the Service Club. They reached the room and slid open the door.

"Yahallo!" Yui said her usual greeting.

"Yahallo!" Komachi greeted in return. Only she and Yukino were in the room sitting on their respective chairs.

"How was class?" Yukino asked.

"It was already hard." Yui whined while dropping her bag on the floor next to her own chair. "Why are the teachers so merciless right after summer break?"

"They set high expectations on us." Hachiman answered as he sat on the chair next to Yukino. "We might as well become NEETs and reject society before they reject us."

"Eeeh?! I don't want that." Yui answered.

"Is that so? Then start studying." He said while pulling out a book from his bag.

"And how was yours?" Yukino asked while preparing tea.

"Same as ever. Just a little existential dread a while ago in the hallway." He answered with a smirk.

"Why?! Did I do something?" Yui asked in shock.

"I doubt it's you, Yui-san. This is Onii-chan we're talking about." Komachi said while shaking her head.

"Ah, that's true." Yui said with a snap of her fingers.

"That was a really quick turn, Yuigahama-san~." Hachiman thought. The four Service Club members spent the rest of the club time conversing with each other about mundane activities, reminiscing about their summer break, and the struggles of the first school day. As time passed, there were no clients asking for requests, which was still fine for them. This uneventful and peaceful moment was what they needed to revitalize themselves.

"Looks like Iroha-chan won't be coming here." Yui said while looking at the time on her watch.

"The cultural festival is near." Yukino spoke. "There is a chance she will come here to ask for our help."

"Then again, she hasn't asked us for help in the student council for a while now." Hachiman argued while drinking tea. "But that doesn't mean that percentage would decrease in a significant number."

"You mean her asking YOU for help?" Yukino corrected him.

"Yes, and thank god she's growing. I need this tranquility for my mind." As soon as he said that, a knock came from the door, along with the voice of a certain junior. The door slid open and revealed Iroha herself entering the room.

"Yahallo~!" Iroha greeted.

"You get what you deserve, Onii-chan~." His sister said with a chuckle.

"Mhm, not surprised." Yui nodded.

"You have yourself to blame for this misfortune, Hikicruel-kun." Yukino said with an amused smile.

"Oi, I didn't say anything bad. I said I'm glad she's growing, which is a good thing." Hachiman retorted while Iroha was confused about their conversation.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I have a client for you!" Iroha said cheerfully as she signalled someone from outside of the open door to enter. The person entered, and the members saw a boy with black hair that was styled in an undercut fashion. He appeared to be nervous, as his legs were shaking slightly and his posture slouched. They all saw him as a fragile being, ready to shatter at any moment. He walked with small steps until Iroha had enough.

"Just come here already." Iroha pulled his arm to drag him towards in front of the club members. "This guy needs your help."

"Uh.. Uhm..." The boy opened his mouth to speak but couldn't utter a word.

"At least say your name." Iroha said while pushing him forward.

"H-Horikawa Yoru. Nice to meet you!" He shouted nervously and bowed.

"A pleasure to meet you, Horikawa-kun. Please take a seat." Yukino said to him, and he complied. After drinking a cup of tea, she spoke. "So, what is your request for us?"

"W-well.. uh..." The client named Yoru tried to speak, but he was too nervous to do so. He then looked at Iroha, who she signalled him to say it himself rather than asking for her help. After a few seconds, he finally spoke, but his voice was too soft for them to hear, even from the proximity. "I want to... find..."

"Please speak at moderate volume." Yukino ordered.

"I want to find out what my career path should be." He answered.

"What do you mean by finding your career path?"

"Horikawa doesn't know what career path he wanted to take, even though he's really good at a lot of things." Iroha answered for him.

"I-I'm not really... that good." Yoru denied her praise.

"So basically, he's not very confident in his abilities, which led to him doubting his own futures." Hachiman said while looking at the boy. "So, what can you do?"

"Oh, I can paint... and uh..." Yoru listed his own capabilities without even looking at anyone. "W-write poetry... calligraphy..."

"It's more on art, I see." Yukino commented.

"He's really good at it!" Iroha bragged. "You can compare him to Da Vinci or Kuroda Seiki!"

"That's surprising." Hachiman spoke with a hint of bewilderment.

"Riiiight~!? Once he shows his skills, you'll definitely belie-"

"No, I'm surprised you're knowledgeable enough to know who Kuroda Seiki is."

"Hah?! What does that mean, senpai?!" Iroha asked angrily.

"Don't let him get to you, Iroha-chan!" Yui cheered her up while glaring at him. Unfortunately for her, Hachiman wasn't intimidated by it. "Hikki is always like that, remember?"

"T-That's right..." Iroha agreed and then argued with him. "I'm much smarter than you think, senpai. Don't put me on the same level as Yui-senpai!"

"That's right!" Yui puffed her chest.

"Did you not hear what she just said, Yuigahama?" Hachiman looked at her with a stoic expression. "I don't know why you got so offensive. I'm just saying that Isshiki is smart enough to know about one of our Japanese painters."

"The problem is how you said it, senpai! And it's not like they're-"

"Ahem!" Yukino cleared her throat to intervene and stop their argument. As the three stopped, she shifted her focus back to the client. "Why are you unsure of your career path?"

"It's just that..." Yoru hesitated for a moment before answering. "I don't even know if I can be happy with what I can do."

"Can you elaborate further?"

"It's- I'm good at painting, yes. Calligraphy and poetry are honestly not my forte, but as long as I have a brush in my hand, I can make something." Yoru stared at his own hands and imagined all the things he could do with art. "But... is it the future I want? Will I be able to make it in life with what I can do? Does following it through talent the only way I can have a happy life?"

"There's no point in thinking like that." Komachi spoke. "There's no guaranteed way of having a successful or happy life. We just have to go along with the things we are most proud of. It's all up to you to walk with what you want, not us."

"But what if I don't know what it is?"

"Then we'll help you!" Komachi answered with determination and a grin. "The Service Club will accept your request and we'll start now!"

As soon as she said that, the bell rang.

"We'll start tomorrow because I have plans for the evening!" Komachi changed her answer and stood up with a bag over her shoulder. "Bye!"

"Komachi-chan, where are you-!?" Yui asked, but Komachi immediately ran out of the room before she could complete the question.

"And there she goes." Iroha said as they stared at the door where the youngest junior exit.

"T-then, see you... tomorrow... I guess?" Yoru said nervously while standing up with his schoolbag on his shoulder.

"See ya!" Yui responded enthusiastically, and he nodded before leaving the room. The rest of the club members (and Iroha) packed their things and prepared to leave as well. After fiddling with her phone, Yui asked. "Are you free today, Yukinon?"

"I'm sorry, Yuigahama-san." Yukino apologized. "But I have plans with Hachiman for the evening."

"Eeeeh? But I want to hang out with you more." Yui complained while hugging her. "Please spend more time with me than Hikki!"

"Don't start stealing my girlfriend." Hachiman said after zipping his bag closed.

"You already have her for yourself during summer break, Senpai!" Iroha argued while hugging Yukino on the other side. "Let us have her time too! Girl time!"

"We can do that tomorrow, Isshiki-san," Yukino tried to convince her. "My plans with him are far more important. Also, please let go of me."

"You heard her." Hachiman pulled his girlfriend away from them by the hand gently.

"But we're going to a cat cafe! Please, Yukinon!" Yui embraced Yukino's other arm as if she was her lover. The mention of cats made the black-haired girl froze for a moment, which didn't go unnoticed by her boyfriend.

"How dare you resort to such a tactic." Hachiman thought while glaring at the peach-haired girl, who stuck her tongue out to mock him, before going back to Yukino. "Resist it! Don't let the pesky frisky take over your head again!"

"I'll make sure my schedule is open for tomorrow." Yukino answered.

"Heh! Don't think you can use the same trick over and over again, Yuigahama." Hachiman thought while seeing Yuigahama and Iroha pouting. "Learn something new because this is the evolved version of Yukinoshita Yukino!"

"That's not fair, Senpai!" Iroha complained at him. "You don't own her!"

"She belongs to everyone!" Yui joined.

"She only belongs to me, and that's final." That was Hachiman's final words before he and Yukino left the room. That earned a sigh from the two girls as they grabbed their school bags and went out. After Yukino locked the door, the couple and the girls parted ways.


"I can't believe this! Just because he's going out with her, doesn't mean we can't hang out with her more!" Iroha complained even more while walking beside Yui in the hallway. "And what was that cool line at the end? So cringe!"

"You said it was cool and then it was cringe?" Yui was confused.

"It's a cool line, but it came from senpai so it was cringe."

"Really? I thought it was cute for him. I wish someone would say that about me." Yui commented with a gleeful smile.

"Speaking of someone, Yui-senpai..." Iroha called out her name with a smug, which caused the peach-haired girl to wonder. "I saw you talking to a guy during lunch. Who was that?"

"Oh, that was just a classmate. He and I hang out with Yumiko and the others a lot."

"Hmmmm~..."

"N-nothing's going on between us." Yui denied with a nervous chuckle. "We're just friends, that's all."

"I didn't say anything, Yui-senpaaaiii~!"

"Your face says it all!"

"Why not try it? Going out with him, I mean."

"I... I don't know about that. It's kinda hard to see... the uh, the chemistry, y'know?"

"It looked like you two were having a blast talking to each other." Iroha said in a deadpan tone.

"I don't think I'm ready so..." Yui responded, and the brown-haired junior wanted to speak about something that hadn't been addressed ever since the day the peach-haired girl told her request.

"Have you moved on from Senpai yet?" And that question caused Yui to stand still. Someone would eventually ask that sort of question sooner or later. It was just a matter of time, but she wanted to just forget she requested that and move on with time. However, the more she spent time in the Service Club, the harder it became for her to overcome her own feelings. Which begged the question:

Why wouldn't she just avoid them to come to terms with the issue?

She was greedy.

Simple as that.

And also perhaps the lack of thought into her idea.

She loved everything that made her and others happy. The clique, the club, her dearest friend, and last but not the least, the loner, who didn't appear to be alone anymore. She couldn't bear to lose any of them, hence why she was greedy. Deep inside, she still treated their relationship as fragile. After conflict after conflict, they finally discovered the common ground for the relationships she held dear. And so she embraced it and let life run its course.

However, her desire for the former loner's heart never subsided.

"There's just... no other guy like Hikki." Yui answered with that usual smile, but it didn't have the same cheerfulness she always exuded.

"Well... you're right about that..." Iroha mumbled, which reached Yui's ears.

"You like Hikki too, huh?"

"Hah!? T-that's not it! I just said that because I see his good qualities. So I-I get why you're in love with senpai."

"Hmmm~? Why are you panicking? I only said you 'like' him and nothing more~."

"You keep m-making wrong assumptions. This is why S-Senpai always teases you about being an airhead." Iroha stepped back from the peach-haired girl, which made the latter chuckle with a grin and continued walking.

"Ehehe, Okay! Let's hang out in my apartment!"

"Are you listening, Yui-senpai! I said-"

"I have tons of snacks, so we don't need to go to the convenient store. Oh, I have this movie CD that Hikki likes and-"

"I'm telling you I'm not in love with senpai!" Iroha tried her best to convince Yui, but to no avail. However, she wasn't really upset that someone found out about her feelings. Compared to Yui, Iroha started to move on and think about what was next for herself. She admitted in her mind that it was a disappointing end to her first love, but life would still go on, no matter what. Though Iroha didn't know the reason, she still tried to deny Yui's understanding of her feelings.

Was it a force of habit?

Or was it because she still had that sense of hope?... Even if that hope was too small for the eye could see?

It didn't matter to the young student council president. Moving forward was the only option to know where to go next.


"Hmm... the apartment is at an acceptable distance from school." As the sunset illuminated the city in orange and yellow, Yukino spoke while staring at the apartment building Hachiman was living in. It was just a five-story apartment with rooms that weren't small but not that big either. The vehicles belonging to some residents were parked on the sidewalk. There was nothing else worth noting, as the apartment was as ordinary as any other. "It appears to be clean and moderately been taken care of by a decent landlord. Electricity is running well-"

"You're not here to just evaluate my new home, are you?" Hachiman interrupted her while pressing the button of the elevator.

"I am just doing my role as your caring girlfriend." Yukino answered while entering the elevator with him.

"Well, thank you for caring about me."

"Also, I'm quite worried that your choice of shelter doesn't have the necessities for someone as strong as yourself."

"Ah, and I saw that one coming a mile away."

"Well, at least I complimented you, so be glad."

"Yes, yes. I'm glad that you-"

##($*&(*&() (() "NO")(*#())() _)#

"Hachiman?" Yukino called out to her boyfriend, who was spacing out and just staring at the hall indicator.

"Hm?"

"You appear to be spacing out."

"Yeah, I was just thinking about how I'm gonna flop this semester."

"Thinking about your future failures already? You never cease to amaze me."

"Well, it's part of a thing called 'planning', and I'm sure it involves looking at every possible outcome, including the bad ones."

"I see. It is pleasant that I don't need to tell you how you are going to fail."

"You're expecting my failure too, huh? Not surprising."

"Yes, failing mathematics and science is inevitable for you."

"Unless..."

"Unless I tutor you?"

"Thank you so much." Hachiman lowered his head in gratitude, which made Yukino sigh.

"Of course... What to do with a hopeless boyfriend?" Yukino then chuckled. "Then should I bring my teacher's outfit for good measure?"

"Please do." He answered without hesitation as he stared at her seriously.

"Y-you've begun to reveal more of your perverted nature. I should've known."

"This is just a biological nature of the human male. From that logic, it's your fault for stimulating that."

"S-stimulating? Don't use words that sound so inappropriate."

"What? I'm just saying. Maybe you're the one who's thinking inappropriate."

"How dare you call me a pervert."

"Okay, you're somehow overreacting on that part. Hello?"

"A pervert calling me a pervert is the one thing I refuse to ignore." As the couple engaged in their usual banter, the elevator rang and the doors automatically slid open. They left the elevator and walked in the hallway of the fourth floor until they reached the room Hachiman was living in. While he pulled out the keys, Yukino's heart suddenly started beating faster, and she didn't know why. Perhaps she was nervous about entering a boy's apartment for the first time? That couldn't be. She had already went in his bedroom many times when he was still living in a house with his family.

And that was the word that clicked in her mind.

Family.

Komachi and his parents wouldn't be in the apartment.

Hachiman was now living by himself.

Which meant it would be just the two of them.

Solving the issue in her heart as if she was solving the most complex math question, Yukino's cheeks became red, but then she also noticed Hachiman's red cheeks as well.

He was also thinking about it.

The two of them... alone in an apartment.

As he opened the door, the couple shook away such thoughts and entered the room. Yukino looked at every corner of the room as if she was evaluating the conditions of the furniture, walls, ceilings, and even the lights. However, that didn't ease the nervousness and the beating in her heart. Each step in his room felt like another step to a territory that could be too dangerous for a young lady such as her.

"Yukino? Oi, Yukino." Hachiman called out to his girlfriend, interrupting her train of thoughts. "Are you seriously evaluating every corner of my apartment?"

"W-well, of course I am. How else can I tell if you have a good judgment in this sort of issue?" Yukino answered while clearing her throat and averting her gaze from him.

"So, does it meet your royal standards?" He asked in a deadpan tone while putting down his bag next to the couch and taking off his jacket.

"Overall, it is adequate."

"Adequate, huh? Which probably means it's not up to par with the apartment you had."

"Of course not."

"Mhm. Anyway, the remote is over there if you want to watch TV." He said as he put on an apron in the kitchen area. "I'll make some dinner for us."

"Let me help."

"I know how to cook."

"No, I just want to genuinely help." Yukino stood up and approached him. "You lead the way. I'll be your sous chef."

"I'm just gonna make pasta..." He said while showing her a box of dried pasta.

"Then let's start from scratch." She said as she checked the inside of the refrigerator.

"By 'scratch', you mean..." He gave her a confused look with his eyebrow raised.

"Let's make fresh pasta."

"Do we even have enough time before curfew?"

"Making fresh pasta won't take that long. Or are you saying your inferior skills of cooking will hold us back?"

"I'm afraid of your over-inflated ego would make things worse."

"Excuse me? If we're discussing ego, we need a mirror for you specifically." After saying that, she pulled out the carton of eggs. "Now where's the flour?"

"I'll go buy one quick." He sighed, then removed his apron. "You're lucky the grocery store isn't far from here."

"I can come with you."

"It's fine. The store is really that close."

"I see... Then, take care." Yukino said with a smile while waving a spoon.

"Cute. very cute. Is this what a housewife feels like? Wait, housewife? What happened to my passionate dream of being a househusband? I mean, I still want to be a jujutsu sorcerer, but my passion for the househusband career is still in me. Does it matter if I don't become a househusband when I can get the most wonderful woman in the world? It doesn't matter when she's this cute, right? She's so cute. Hold on, am I already thinking that far in the future with her? Stop-"

"Hachiman." Yukino snapped her fingers in front of his face to wake him up from his thoughts. "Seriously, I'm getting worried."

"You're cute." Hachiman suddenly said to her without even blinking.

"W-what came over you all of a sudd-" She was about to ask, but then he kissed her lips.

"I'm just saying the truth. In fact, my vocabulary is too limited to describe how cute you are and-"

"Okay, I get it! J-just get the flour." Yukino then pushed him close to the door, and he opened it after wearing his outdoor shoes., But before Hachiman took a step outside, his girlfriend pulled him to her and kissed him. It was quick, but enough time to savor the feeling of their lips touching. He went out, closed the door after seeing her wave, and just leaned on the railing.

"Holy shit, that was amazing." Hachiman mumbled and approached the elevator. When it slid open...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH#$($%(*&)&^*(#&^$()*#%)&^&*&%&^ &&$!"

A familiar scream of a woman blasted into his left ear, which caused him to flinch and cover it. He looked around and saw no one.

"There it is again..." He mumbled before going in the elevator. While waiting for the elevator to go down to his destination, he then heard sounds on his left ear again. The clash of both flesh and steel, along with the distorted voices of something inhuman, irritated him even further. He tried his best to resist, but he repeatedly slapped the left side of his head in frustration.

"STOP!"

"What the-" A middle-aged man interrupted him. The elevator reached the general floor, and the doors slid open at the same time Hachiman shouted.

"I'm sorry." Hachiman bowed before rushing out of the elevator and exit the building. After breathing in the fresh air to relax, he walked forward to where the grocery store was.


When he said it was close to his apartment, it really was just within five minutes of walking distance. After stepping inside the grocery store, he heard the sound of splashing. He looked around and on the floor, and didn't see any puddle or any spilled liquid. When he walked, each step he took made a splashing sound for him. However, he was only walking on the tiles and nothing else. After purchasing a bag of semolina flour and other ingredients for the pasta, Hachiman went outside with the sounds of splashing still covering every footstep until there was the sound of bone breaking and something mushy being squished. He just ignored it with a click of his tongue and just kept walking with the things he bought in a plastic bag. That was when he noticed something strange in his surroundings.

There were no people.

"... You've got to be kidding me." Hachiman looked at the sky, and it was still normal with the sunset and clouds. "It's the same as back in Okina-"

Before speaking any further, the young sorcerer sensed danger from behind, and ducked to evade. He saw a knife stuck on the road in front of him with a cursed residual that felt familiar to him.

"You again? You have a grudge against me now?!" Hachiman shouted and there was no response besides another knife curving towards his right leg, which he just caught inches before it touched the skin. He then sensed danger from above and just jumped away without looking up. The spot where he once stood exploded, with debris scattering and a cloud of dust covering the road in front of him. He narrowed his eyes to see who or what caused it, and suddenly a fist came for his face. Hachiman tilted his head to dodge and then blocked a kick aiming for his stomach, which made him slide back from the force. Then, a knife thrust came from Hachiman's left, and he bent back to evade, grabbed the attacker's wrist and stabbed the forearm twice. The attacker grunted in pain as both combatants backed away from each other. While in a stance, Hachiman got a good look at his two opponents.

One had a skinny physique with a shaved head and wore a black kimono and grey hakama. He also had what appeared to be a wooden prosthetic left hand. The other wore a hollowed-out mask of a German Shepard, a red hoodie, and black jogging pants.

Reef and K-9 didn't bother exchanging words with him, and the young sorcerer felt the same. Both sides understood each other's intentions, so words weren't needed.

One's objective was to kill.

The other was to survive the attempt, even if it meant killing them.

Reef and K-9 circled around Hachiman while the latter was looking back and forth between those two. They were both waiting for an opportunity, one that would give them the advantage. Despite being a two-on-one battle, the curse users still remembered the last time they fought the young sorcerer. Back then, in Okinawa, Hachiman was able to hold on his own against them, though it ended with him retreating. Weeks had passed since then, and the gap between their strengths might've changed.

And from what the two curse users sensed his cursed energy flow, Hachiman's became stronger than last time. That didn't mean they were afraid of him, but it did raise their guard to a maximum.

Seconds passed, and they were all still waiting for the right time to strike. During that time, Hachiman saw the circles drawn on the road and pictured the route he should take while fighting. The curse users' opportunity came when Hachiman put his left hand in his pocket to grab something. Reef threw two knives while K-9 used his cursed technique to delay the reaction force of air resistance to release a projectile of air. The young sorcerer's response was using the knife he stole to strike the other two while bending backwards to dodge the wind attack. At the same time he did that, the two curse users rushed towards him, though K-9 was a bit faster than Reef. Hachiman had no choice but to jump away and do a backflip to escape. K-9 didn't give him a second to breathe as he ran towards him fast.

Hachiman deflected a right straight punch upward and tried stabbing the curse user's abdomen. However, K-9 just took the attack, and it did nothing as the blade only pierced through his clothes and not even his skin. The young sorcerer raised both hands to block a roundhouse kick to the right side of his head and while grabbing K-9's leg, Hachiman used his right elbow and knee to catch the blade of a knife that Reef used to try stabbing his liver. Hachiman quickly threw away the leg and switched his grip on the stolen knife from his right hand to the other. Then, he threw the knife at Reef, which the latter responded by letting go of the knife that was caught and sidestepped to dodge.

Reef quickly went on the offensive by pulling another knife out of his sleeve and stabbed Hachiman's right calf. The young sorcerer grunted in pain, but responded by using the knife he caught with his elbow and knee in an attempt to stab him. Reef quickly caught his wrist, then proceeded to try stabbing him again, which Hachiman caught the blade with his bare left hand. Sensing K-9 coming towards him from behind, Hachiman kicked the knife-wielding curse user away and tilted to dodge a punch to the back of his head, but then received a low kick to his right calf where the stab wound was and then an uppercut to his chin, sending him flying.

While Hachiman was in mid-air, K-9 jumped and tried to perform a left axe kick to his face, but the former turned his body to evade and grabbed his leg. With all his strength, the young sorcerer pulled and slammed him into the road, shattering concrete and spreading a cloud of debris. Hachiman jumped away from the small crater and finally pulled something out of his pocket.

It was a heart made of wood and was as small as an eye. The cursed tool known as the Beating Stash.

Satoru told Hachiman to have the Beating Stash with him to hide his cursed energy flow from Nanami's substitute. But back in July, there was another use that the strongest sorcerer told him if Hachiman was found out.

And Hachiman was going to utilize it for this battle.

He tightened the grip on the Beating Stash until he crushed it with his bare hand. Suddenly, cursed energy enveloped his entire body like flames, and the two curse users felt a shiver down their spines.

After the aura of cursed energy faded from Hachiman's body, K-9 jumped back in pure instinct to be prepared, but Reef wasn't as quick, which unfortunately caused his defeat.

The young sorcerer was too fast for him to see, as the former was already behind him while crouching. The knife-wielding curse user felt pain in his neck and finally realized his throat was slit. Hachiman then finished him by stabbing his back thrice from down to up. He watched Reef went on his knees and lied prone on the road, leaving a puddle of blood as any sign of life in him faded. K-9 saw that and curled both hands into fists in anger.

"I remember you have one annoying cursed technique about spinning things, so I'm glad I got you before you could even use it." Hachiman said before sensing a powerful presence of cursed energy behind him. He backed away quickly, but not without receiving a cut on his back. Fortunately, it was shallow, but still painful regardless. Right in front of him was a person wearing a red Hannya mask with a white wig. His attire comprised a black shitage, a matching hakama, and sandals with socks. He sheathed his katana that was used to cut Hachiman's back and prepared to strike once more.

Hachiman could tell this new enemy was stronger than the two curse users. Especially K-9, whose combat expertise was exceptional, and though he still didn't understand his cursed technique, he at least knew it was difficult to deal with.

However, this person with the Hannya mask was different.

The difference between Hachiman and him was the strength of cursed energy.

But that difference was already solved by using the Beating Stash. After the cursed tool gathered enough cursed energy from the user, he could crush it to pieces and basically increase his cursed energy for a limited time. That was why Hachiman became stronger so quickly.

All that was left to determine the victor were combat skills and cursed techniques.

And so after reaching that conclusion, the person who struck first was...

Both of them.

Hachiman and the unknown assailant rushed towards each other with their blade held firmly. The latter tried drawing the blade, but noticed the young sorcerer didn't falter and moved forward while bending himself lower. When the assailant drew the blade, Hachiman swung the knife aiming at his wrist. The wrist of the hand holding the katana. As he realized this, the assailant lifted his grip higher to avoid his tendon being cut, however Hachiman still managed to cut off his index finger. The assailant still drew the blade at blurring momentum and only gave the young sorcerer a shallow cut on the right side of his neck. Hachiman stabbed his right thigh and was about to stab the right side of his abdomen, but the enemy with the Hannya mask caught the wrist in time, hit his chin with an upward kick while holding the wrist, and attempted to behead him. The young sorcerer caught his wrist to stop the blade in time, and they were both in a stalemate.

That stalemate lasted short as K-9 went and punched Hachiman's liver. Delaying the reaction force of Hachiman's flesh, the curse user's fist sank deeper than normal and crushed his liver. Hachiman gasped, but still maintained a strong grip on the swordsman's wrist, and the latter did the same. Meanwhile, K-9 continued pummeling the young sorcerer with only some of his attacks were used with the cursed technique because the longer he delayed a force, and/or delayed several more forces, the faster his cursed energy depleted, so the curse user was using it wisely and effectively.

Blow after blow, Hachiman felt like his body started turning into mush until he pushed away the swordsman's wrist and the katana, and used his free hand to punch his arm. The swordsman let go of his hand because of the pain, and so Hachiman jumped back to retreat before vomiting blood. Bruises and bumps were all over his body and some of his bones, such as ribs, were fractured.

The masked swordsman rushed towards the young sorcerer first, which the latter turned to the side to evade a downward slash. Hachiman then stomped the blade that was going towards his left leg. The swordsman struggled to pull out his weapon until he decided to let it go after one second to deflect a knife thrust with bare hands. Hachiman threw a rear left hook to his liver, but the swordsman caught the fist in time. At that same moment, Hachiman swung a right roundhouse kick to his left temple, but his opponent grabbed the bare foot as well.

.

.

Bare foot?

.

The swordsman held the young sorcerer's limbs and threw him towards K-9, who then used an axe kick that plummeted him to the ground. The concrete cracked, creating another crater.

K-9 and the swordsman stared at the unconscious body of their target lying on his back. None bothered to spare a word. Their job was almost done as the latter lifted the katana and attempted to pierce his head.

However...

They were distracted.

Something caught their attention from far away.

It appeared to be a piece of concrete that had a golden aura.

And that was their mistake.

Hachiman used his bare feet to touch the debris while fighting against the swordsman and K-9 so no one would heed, and used Isolation Effect to lower their awareness. Even though the two assailants didn't look at the object, they were still affected because they sensed it. However, sensing the cursed technique had weaker effects.

Since when did Hachiman take off his shoes? It was while he was pulling out the Beating Stash. K-9 was still standing up at that time while Reef did notice, but was killed immediately.

Hachiman quickly got back up, broke the swordsman's arm to steal the katana, and tried to behead him. However, the swordsman managed to break free from the Isolation Effect a second sooner, and bent backwards to dodge the blade. The young sorcerer then switched focus to K-9, who just recovered and swung the katana downward at him. K-9 jumped away, but he received a large diagonal cut that stretched from his right upper chest to the left side of his stomach. As the curse user tumbled, Hachiman went back to the swordsman, who was going for a palm strike in the abdomen. Hachiman used the "tsuba" of the katana's grip to counter it and then stomped his right foot. The swordsman appeared to be surprised by that before receiving an elbow to the face, which caused the mask to break into pieces. Hachiman then tried to stab his left thigh, but his opponent grabbed the blade, which injured his hand, then struck him in the right ear with his palm.

Hachiman wobbled away with the katana returned to its original owner. His right ear was bleeding because the hearing aid pierced into the eardrum. He saw the swordsman's face:

Old with all the wrinkles; eyes were closed shut; and his hair was long, black and tied into a bun.

"You're..." Hachiman mumbled.

...

"So yeah, you aren't working for a while." Satoru explained to Hachiman, who was lying in bed after Shoko healed his injuries from the Chiba Port Tower incident.

"Who's taking Nanami-san's place?" Hachiman asked.

"His name is Zenin Ogi. He's among the stronger jujutsu sorcerers in the Zenin Clan."

"Zenin?"

"Oh yeah, you met a Zenin before, right? In Okinawa?"

"Her name is Mai-san. We helped each other to stop those curse users from killing Haruno-san."

"Mhm, that girl is his daughter."

"Small world." Hachiman stared at the ceiling, remembering what Mai said to him back at the airport.

"Call me Mai. I don't like being called by my surname."

"So from 1 to 10, what's the rating of the clan as a group of assholes?" The young sorcerer asked.

"100 out of 10." Satoru answered while sitting on a chair.

"Shit, they're that bad." Hachiman sighed with a hand on his head. "Any crimes they committed?"

"They wouldn't still be associated with Jujutsu Tech if they did, would they?"

"So much for blackmail."

"You're thinking about dirty tactics already?"

"Wouldn't hurt too much to have plans in case they turn into my enemies."

"Hmm... Or maybe you have feelings for his daughter?! I can't believe you would cheat on your lover for someone else!" Satoru said in an exaggeratedly dramatic tone, and Hachiman's only response to that was a blank stare. "Can't you laugh at a joke for once?"

"Oh, sorry, I couldn't tell if you were serious or not with all the stupidity you're emitting." Hachiman said in a deadpan tone.

"Well, why are you so curious about the Zenin Clan?" The strongest sorcerer asked with an arched eyebrow.

"I guess I just want to find out how they all behave. What being a sorcerer is like." Hachiman lied.

"Being a sorcerer means being a lunatic."

"Oh, like you?"

"Like yourself."

"I still have my rationality, so no."

"Then you can't be a jujutsu sorcerer if you're not crazy enough."

"... So what did the Zenin Clan do to her?"

"The right question would be 'what did they do to both of them?'"

"What?"

"Ogi has twin daughters and both of them are regarded as the black sheep."

"Can you... tell me more?"

...

"He closed his eyes so my cursed technique won't affect him to a degree. Those two must've told him." Hachiman thought as he noticed K-9 standing up and rushing towards him. However, the rubble scattered around Hachiman was imbued with cursed energy, with the biggest one engulfed in a golden aura. While the two assailants were distracted, Hachiman ran as fast as he could. Despite the wound on his leg and the injury in his right eardrum, he still moved quickly while having dizziness. He went inside the grocery store that was now empty, and hid.

Meanwhile, K-9 and the swordsman pursued their target inside. They looked around and saw not a single soul nor a clue of where he hid. And so, the assailants split up to find him with the swordsman going to the far right where the cleaning supplies were, while K-9 went to the baking aisle located in the middle. The swordsman found Hachiman leaning on the shelf, obviously exhausted, with a cloth covering his mouth and nose. In his hand was a stick from a broom he broke and a kitchen knife tied at the broken tip, using it as a spear of sorts. There were several bottles on the floor and some of those were imbued in cursed energy.

But that wasn't the only problem.

Those bottles were bleaches, and window and glass cleaners.

The last two contained ammonia and acid.

Mixing bleach and ammonia would create a gas called chloramine, and mixing the former with acid would create chlorine gas.

"He chose this place because we were chasing him so quickly, this is the closest one with helpful resources." The swordsman analyzed the situation in his mind. "Those cleaning products are toxic when mixed. I can tell the blade of that makeshift spear he's holding is dripping with liquid. Most likely poison from said cleaning products. His plan is to fight us face-to-face, and then use his cursed technique to drop our guard and reinforcement of cursed energy on our bodies, letting the toxic gas effect us should we accidentally cut those bottles from the clash. They're even bottles of cleaning products on the shelves. Although it will take time and massive exposure for the effects to be deadly, it will still give him a slight advantage if we fight any longer at the cost of his own life. My right arm is broken. I can only wield my katana with one hand, so using Iai is out of the question. Not to mention, that curse user will be the most affected because of that cursed tool he's wearing."

"In short, close combat could be dangerous. That means..." The swordsman took a deep breath, raised his katana above his own head as flames engulfed the blade. "I will kill you at long range with my cursed technique, Blazing Courage."

"Hey... do you know how my cursed technique works?" Hachiman asked while pointing the makeshift spear at him.

"He's going to use 'Revealing One's Hand' to amplify his cursed technique's effects." The swordsman just glared and noticed K-9 standing behind Hachiman before answering. "It's to imbue eight similar objects in cursed energy, with one of them being able to divert your enemy's attention, lowering their awareness to a degree."

"That's right."

"And the people that fell victim to your cursed technique looked at the object of your choice. But then we were also affected earlier because we sensed the cursed energy of the golden piece of concrete. Which means..." The swordsman intensified the flame even more. "I'll just have to close my eyes, shut down my sense of cursed energy, and use my other senses to kill you. Such a massive weakness, though it is fitting for a-"

"You really like babbling a lot. If this is what a jujutsu sorcerer is supposed to act..." Hachiman interrupted him and grinned menacingly behind the cloth. "Then we're all dead. The Zenin Clan is a bunch of lost causes, especially. Mai is a bitch with such weak cursed energy, and that Maki fellow's only redeeming quality is being physically strong. And then there's you, Zenin Ogi: I never thought there would be someone who is proud of being an old, withering loser. You're looking down on me, but you refuse to acknowledge that you're standing on top of a pile of trash while I'm just relaxing down here in clean grass."

"QUIET!" The swordsman named Ogi shouted in anger towards his target's taunts, and so the former swung the katana down with the blade of fire stretching longer, reaching Hachiman's head. But before it could touch a strand of his hair, Ogi stopped when he heard the sound of bottles dropping along with what sounded like a hard object in a plastic.

"There's just one thing about your strategy." Hachiman spoke. "It would've worked if you fight me a few weeks earlier. But now... It can affect hearing, too."

The concept of Isolation Effect is defined as a phenomenon when multiple homogeneous stimuli are presented, the stimulus that differs from the rest is more likely to be remembered.

It is NOT limited to sight.

Hachiman has unlocked the potential of his cursed technique to apply sounds to lower the victim's awareness.

And so, combined with the amplification from "Revealing One's Hand", the young sorcerer used the opportunity and stabbed him two times in the stomach and one in the chest. Ogi broke free from the cursed technique because of that and swung the flaming katana to his neck before Hachiman could go for the killing blow. The latter did a backflip to dodge and approach K-9, and then stabbed his chest where the heart exactly was. Ogi thrust the katana while stretching the flame even longer to reach his target. Hachiman tilted sideways to dodge and rushed towards the swordsman, who swung the blade down diagonally, which the former deflected it by letting it slide down on the spear. The broom stick was burned to ashes as the shelves were cut in half along with other products that were burning. The ceiling and walls were both scorched and scraped. It didn't take long for the fire to trigger the sprinklers.

"Why are you only dodging?!" Ogi mocked him while continuously swinging the long, flaming katana. Despite the length, he could still swing so quickly, Hachiman began struggling to evade every single one. After a while, The Zenin sorcerer cauterized the stab wounds with his cursed technique and continued to swing at his target. "Your cursed energy is getting weaker! Did the cursed tool's usefulness reached its time limit? Then accept your fate to receive a painless death!"

Although he said that, his current state wasn't better than the boy's, as the poison started taking effect.

"Ggh!" Hachiman dodged another swing by a hair, but the heat was so strong it burned his skin slightly. Ogi swung his katana and launched a crescent-shaped projectile of flame. The young sorcerer ducked to evade, but then saw the long blazing katana swung to his right. He jumped while holding a large metal board piece of a shelf and blocked an upper slash by imbuing it with cursed energy. The fiery attack lifted him into the ceiling as it cut his makeshift shield in half, then burned and cut his arms. Ogi tried to push his long blade further to decapitate the arms, but he sensed eight objects imbued in cursed energy, with one had Hachiman's cursed technique. This caused him to unconsciously turn off his own cursed technique, extinguishing the flame in his katana, and lower the weapon. The Isolation Effect lasted only three seconds as Ogi noticed his target rushing towards him, and so he quickly activated Blazing Courage to swing at long range.

The distance between them was far. Too far for Hachiman to close without taking damage or being killed. The sorcerer of the Zenin clan swung the long blazing katana two times, and Hachiman barely dodged the first because of how fast it was. After receiving a scorching cut from the upper abdomen to the right side of his body, the latter engulfed himself in cursed energy, and he dashed from the second swing faster than the eye could see. Shocked at how much distance the target closed in an instant, Ogi panicked and jumped back while attempting to cut his head. Then, he lost Hachiman in his field of vision. In a second, he enveloped himself with cursed energy to use a certain technique. The young sorcerer tried punching him in the stomach, but Ogi dodged so fast and hit Hachiman's head with the katana's tsuba.

"You're not the only one who can use Falling Blossom Emotion." Ogi spoke while hitting Hachiman's stomach with his knee, and tried cutting him down. However, Hachiman used Maleficent Wind's Rhythm (which is also Falling Blossom Emotion) again, to dodge and counterattack.

What would happen if two sorcerers used the same technique that reacts to cursed energy?

A dance.

It was as if their minds became one while fighting each other.

They dodged and blocked each other's attacks while throwing another one. If someone watched the spectacle, he or she would think the fight was choreographed, but it wasn't. A fist went past Ogi's face when he tilted, and Hachiman did the same when a blade approached him at the same time. The former blocked a kick aiming to his left side with his knee while thrusting the katana towards the stomach, which the latter caught the blade in time. Each movement they performed shared one fraction of time and one breath of air. Despite their injuries and weakened states, they didn't stop until one landed a successful hit.

It was a dance without rhythm.

And the one who succeeded...

... were both of them.

Hachiman landed a punch to his stomach, exactly where the stab wounds were. Meanwhile, Ogi stabbed through his liver, as they both coughed blood.

"The poison..." Ogi thought, and he was correct. While Hachiman's cursed energy weakened, the poison in Ogi's body got worse. They both were at their worst condition.

However, that didn't mean it was a draw as the young sorcerer hit his left ear with a palm strike, and punched him in the face with a left hook. He was about to lift his left leg to kick, but Ogi stabbed the left thigh to stop it. The sorcerer of the Zenin Clan pulled out the blade to block a punch coming towards his face with his elbow, but then got punched in the stomach once again before Hachiman finally landed a blow to the face.

That didn't finish the fight as Ogi kicked between his legs and swung the blade down as his target was on his knees in pain. Hachiman caught the blade with both hands, pulled him close, and threw a right uppercut. The latter tried to block it with his elbow again, but...

Sparks of black light flashed in a second, and his only moving arm was decapitated.

"It can't... be." Ogi fell on the floor while coughing. He grabbed the katana with his mouth, and sat in a kneeling position. Then, he tilted his head and used all of his cursed energy to use Blazing Courage to cauterize the injury on his left arm. Ogi spat the katana from his mouth and suddenly had trouble breathing. "He can use Falling Blossom Emotion both defensively and offensively... Then there's the Black Flash?... How can this be?!"

"Zenin... Ogi..." Hachiman said with a voice that sounded hoarse. Without any tricks left at his disposal and slowly dying from the poison and wounds, Ogi chose to crawl away while Hachiman, who entirely depleted his own cursed energy and couldn't use his legs because of the stab wounds, crawled after him with just his arms, despite the cuts.

"I refuse... to die here..." Ogi mumbled with his voice also sounded hoarse while coughing more blood. The slow chase only lasted seconds as the sorcerer of the Zenin Clan backed himself into a corner. He turned around and saw Hachiman in a bloodied state grabbing his foot. Ogi used his other foot to kick his face repeatedly. "LET GO OF ME!"

"Hehaha..." The bloodied sorcerer chuckled and went even closer to him, ignoring every kick to the face. He heard voices and grotesque sounds in his left ear once again.

#*# ${}":?#}{:$?}{:##} {:#$}{:! "DON'T)_# #":{:#$} HATE HER"#$:^^#^* (*#&"

#$)*(&)?:}{#$ #}{:% "YOSHIMI! YOSHIMI!"%${{^$$P# $:? #%^

"MOVES LIKE A TU_"#$())(#()%${^ $^&*?&*{%&

%$$^#^ #^?!#^^*^% "MAHAVIDYAS!"?$&*%^ #$(%)_$$#$^

#$^%&"BEEN AN HONOR-"$%()*({ ^${}#%

"It's okay..." He whispered and Ogi became confused, but still continued to kick him. The former climbed up to him and grabbed his neck with both hands. "I won't... let you go... Yoshimi."

"What... are you...?" Ogi tried to ask between coughs.

"See?... Your son is safe..." Hachiman tightened the grip, choking him while the noise in his left ear became louder and louder. "Stop crying... The old lady is... also... fine..."

"You... deranged scum...!"

"Just stand behind us..."

"LOWLIFE...! BASTARD...!"

"We saved you..."

"I... CAN'T... DIE...! No..."

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Right... Nanami...-san?"

.

.

Hachiman smiled.

There was no malice or any twisted tone within the expression.

Nothing but warmth and joy.

And also the last thing Ogi saw before finally dying from suffocation.

Hachiman didn't even realize it as his hands were still grabbing his neck tighter than before. Several seconds passed, the sprinklers stopped after they extinguished the fire, and he was still choking on the corpse of the Zenin until the strength in his limbs was fading. The victorious, but dying sorcerer fell on the floor, as his vision only kept spinning with a blur. He felt something vibrating in his pocket and pulled it out. Even that action took all of his strength to perform. Hachiman looked at the phone that had a broken screen, but he couldn't see well. Still, he managed to press the answer button. Whoever was speaking on the other side, he couldn't hear from the injured right ear and his left ear kept hearing noises.

"Help..."


Weeks later, In Sobu High School

"ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP!" Ebina Hina shouted at her classmates while walking back and forth. She appeared to be wearing a witch costume that consisted of a white, long-sleeve blouse, a long black cloak, a witch hat, and long matching skirt. Her other classmates wore different costumes, with a mix of both sci-fi and fantasy. "THIS IS OUR LAST CULTURAL FESTIVAL SO WE GOT TO POUR EVERYTHING IN THIS PLAY. AUDIENCE WILL LAUGH, WE WILL LAUGH. THEY CRY, WE CRY. CLENCH YOUR PROPS AND LET'S DO THIS! is what I want to say, but..."

"If you're looking for him, he's wandering around the hallway with Yukinoshita-san." Hayato spoke. He was wearing an armor suit made from of materials such as folders, paper mache, etc. It was also designed to appear futuristic and robotic with the buttons, plastic cups portrayed as lights and more. "He'll make it when the play starts. His role isn't that major."

"THAT NORMIE! HOW DARE HE TO HAVE A ROMANTIC DATE WHILE WE SUFFER! HUNT HIM, HAYATO!"

"Why me?"

"TAKE YOUR LOVER BACK." Ebina's nose started bleeding.

"I'd rather not. Anyways, let's do our best, everyone!" Hayato said to his classmates, and they all cheered.

...

"Isn't your play about to start soon?" Yukino asked while walking beside her boyfriend in a hallway full of people eating, taking pictures, and just laughing with joy.

"Our play will be in two hours. Besides, my role is near the end so..." He said while looking at what each class made and worked for the festival.

"And what is your role, again?"

"A background character. I'm just a villager blending with the mob getting killed by the villain."

"Quite fitting I should say." Yukino checked with a smirk at his attire that consisted of a grey tunic and brown pants.

"You two." He said while also looking at hers. A maid outfit with no sleeves, and a short skirt that revealed her white stockings.

"You're staring too much." She covered herself with her arms.

"Shouldn't I get the privilege? I'm your boyfriend, after all." He argued, and all Yukino could do was avert her gaze from him with red cheeks.

"I-It's embarrassing."

"Now you make me want to stare at you even more with that adorable expression."

"Stop it." Yukino walked faster due to embarrassment.

"Why are you walking faster?" Her boyfriend chased from behind.

"Stop following me, pervert."

"Why?"

"You're thinking of something indecent of me."

"I'm just admiring you. What are YOU thinking about?"

"Are you accusing me of having perverted thoughts you... you-"

"So, where do you want to go first?" He looked around until they went downstairs and left the building to check the stands.

"I'm... hungry, so I want to try some food they're making here."

"Sounds good to me."

"Senpaaaaiiii~." in front of them was Iroha approaching them with a box of takoyaki on her hand.

"Shouldn't you be in the gymnasium helping the events?" Yukino asked.

"The event will start in thirty minutes. Besides, Sagamin-senpai and the vice president can handle it." Iroha answered and ate a piece of takoyaki.

"You two are alike..." Yukino spoke while looking back and forth between her junior and boyfriend.

"Blame senpai for negatively influencing me." Iroha pouted while looking away from them.

"No, you're already like that ever since we first met." Yukino's boyfriend retorted.

"Yahallo~." Suddenly, Yui came behind the couple and hugged both of them.

"Yuigaha- What are you wearing?" He asked in shock of what the peach-haired girl was wearing: a purple sleeveless dress with shoulder straps, and the Sobu High School jacket over his shoulder to hide her skin. The dress was fit and highlighted her curves and assets clearly.

"D-Don't stare too much..." Yui said with a blush.

"Yui!" Yumiko shouted while running towards her, and then suddenly glared at the boy. "Stop ogling at her with those dead-fish eyes, creep!"

"Uhuh, so why are you wearing that?" He asked Yui while ignoring the blonde-haired girl, who was annoyed by that.

"It's for our class."

"What type of-" Yukino was about to ask until more people interrupted.

"FOUND YOU, NORMIE!" Hina shouted as she pointed a finger at him. Meanwhile, Hayato could only sigh at their exchange, but still smiled regardless. Others came as well, such as Komachi, Tobe, Kawasaki, Saika, and even Zaimokusa. Eventually, they settled in tables and ate whatever food they chose from the stands. The couple shared each other's food, enjoying the group's enthusiasm for the festival and the entire atmosphere.

"Excuse me?" A voice familiar to Yukino's boyfriend spoke to him from behind.

"Oh, Shina-san." He spoke in shock. "And you're here too, Yoshimi."

"Hi!" Yoshimi's head greeted with a grin.

"He was so excited to come here, I kept thinking he would leave the house without me." Shina said with a chuckle while lifting the decapitated head.

"Are you having fun?" The boy asked the head.

"Yes!" The latter answered.

"Seeing you eating makes me hungry." An old lady commented while rubbing her belly that appeared to have a large hole in it.

"Me too!" Yoshimi said.

"Here, you can have a piece of mine." The boy picked up a piece of takoyaki with a toothpick and suddenly noticed something odd. In his box used to be takoyaki, but then was replaced with human fingers. He also noticed the takoyaki he picked up was also a finger as well. The finger in particular had a nail that was polished in cyan.

"What's wrong?" Shina asked, whose attire somehow changed into a black kimono. All the noise in the background dissipated as their voices were the only ones reaching his ears.

"A lot of things are wrong..." The boy answered while putting the box of cut fingers on the table. Shina and Chisa sat on the chairs in front of him to have the discussion. "Being bullied since childhood, being the lone wolf in high school, struggling to maintain relationships that could be handled easier for others, and now... this."

"Sounds like a lot alright." Chisa commented while playing the hole in her belly with a finger.

"Are you sad, Hachi-nii?" Yoshimi asked as Shina put him on her lap.

"Tired, mostly." He answered.

"Then, why do you still want to have us?" Shina asked.

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused at what she meant.

"You didn't go for help when we came annoying you." Chisa explained while drinking a cup of blood. "No matter what you do by yourself, we always cling to you like mosquitos. We're eating the life out of your mind. Do you understand?"

"I guess so." He responded while looking down, which caused him to realize his attire had changed from a costume of a villager to the funeral attire he wore at that time. Strangely, he was calm about this entire mind-boggling occurrence. It was as if this was all normal to him. "But I still need you."

"Why?" Yoshimi asked while rolling on the ground towards his foot. He picked up the head and smiled.

"Because you keep reminding me of my true place in the world. What I need to do, and why I keep doing it. I admit, you really make my head explode every time you guys kept screaming, but I needed that." He answered while giving the son's head back to the mother. "I guess you could say I'm keeping you all as a scar."

"Like, uh... the 'spoils of war' kinda thing?" Shina asked with her head tilted in confusion.

"I guess you could say that." He said with a chuckle.

"You're weird." Chisa said with an arched eyebrow while giving him a scrutinizing gaze. "Most people would do anything to get rid of us. You see, voices like ours tend to annoy people and... react to a dramatic extent. So much so that having a rope around their necks is good fashion. 'Even better when the rope was pulled', they said."

"Like a... collar?"

"More like an accessory that chokes you."

"Oh... Well... When I hear your voices, I keep listening, answering whatever you uh... scream about, and just reflecting myself." He turned around to look at his friends, who were not there, and only their clothes were left. The boy picked up the purple butterfly earring and just fiddled with it. "It still bothers me even now... About who I am... What I am... Ever since I've been told I could be the possible cause of Chiba's curse activity rating, I keep pondering my existence."

"And... what's our role in your crisis?" Shina asked.

"Not much... just company whenever I think alone." He answered with an embarrassed chuckle. "I'm too scared to know what I actually am, but at the same time, I need to know. So many thoughts and duality in this poor, useless head of mine. I can't keep myself together with every shit that's happening to me. That's another reason I want you all with me."

"Pfft... Hahaha." Shina laughed.

"Ahahaha." As well as Chisa and Yoshimi.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" And also all the people around them. They stopped whatever work or moment they had just to laugh at his own idiocy.

"W-well, if that's the case..." Shina said between her laughter. "Thank you.. haha, for having us."

"Don't worry, Hachi-nii." Yoshimi said with enthusiasm. "We'll make sure we remind you to kill yourself."

"And that you're a stain to everyone." Chisa said with a grin.

"Let's not forget to tell him about being forgotten and hated for being born that way." Shina said to them while wiping a tear from her eye.

"Right, right. Well then, you better get going to your play, soon-to-be dead villager." Chisa looked at what was behind him, and he turned around and saw a mountain pile of garbage bags.

"Yeah, wish me luck." He chuckled, and then climbed on that mountain. The boy didn't struggle. It felt like he didn't have to put that much effort into climbing, and so he went faster with even more determination.

Three garbage bags rolled below him, going down the mountain while unwrapping themselves, which revealed to be three corpses. One had a shaved head, the other wore a hollowed-out dog mask, and the last appeared to be a woman with a bullet hole in her forehead, and her body cut to pieces. Another garbage bag rolled that also unwrapped itself to reveal an old man with a ponytail and only had one arm that appeared to be broken. He grabbed on a garbage bag to climb up, but a voice grunted as a response. The garbage bag opened itself to reveal a girl with mid-length black hair that reached her neck, and wore a traditional long-sleeve jacket, and a long skirt. She was breathing heavily and had bruises all over her face.

"Mai-san?"

"Good luck!" He looked down and saw everyone cheering for him, but his friends and family were nowhere to be seen.

"I HOPE WE'LL SEE YOU IN HELL, HIKIGA-$%()*&SHANI-:$^HACH&$ ! DEV$(*){}? ?!-HACHI-NI-$^(*#)(&*)#JUDG-"

#$#"#$"^$*(&^(*#$()#%)(*)$_^$?{^?: #}^$^(%$()*%)&(*_()$_%)_*(*)(? ?{:$^$&^%$()%^()*&%&%()$(


Hachiman felt a massive headache and tried to hold his head as a reaction. However, he couldn't feel his arms. He slowly opened his eyes, waited for his vision to become clear, and tried moving his head. Looking left and right, he noticed this was the same room he used to sleep during his training days. He tried standing up, but just moving his shoulders slightly was enough to feel pain throughout his entire body. Not even lifting his head could avoid it. Hachiman even tried moving his legs, but only felt the muscles in his left leg and that was all he could do. He slightly moved his head down to see he was under a blanket and a man standing in front of him.

"Rise and shine~." Gojo Satoru said in a playful tone. He wore a blindfold covering his eyes and the Jujutsu Tech uniform.

"... How long was I out?" Hachiman asked.

"Five days." He answered. "How are you feeling?"

"Bad." The young sorcerer said nonchalantly. "Am I back in Jujutsu Tech?"

"You're lucky you answered my call before you passed out, or else you would've died there." Satoru explained with arms crossed together. "I can already guess what happened to you: You were on your way home from groceries until suddenly three douches tried to kill you."

"Yeah... that's about it." Hachiman closed his eyes, remembering the entire fight between himself and the curse users and Zenin Ogi.

"And then you killed them. Hats off to you for surviving." Satoru smirked until his expression changed into a serious one. "But that's not the end of your troubles."

"The Zenin Clan."

"That's right. They're not gonna stay silent once they found out a family member is killed."

"Even though you said they don't really care about each other to a familial extent."

"They have a reputation to uphold. If they just ignore this, other clans will see them as weak, and a sign that the Zenin Clan is faltering. Plus, with Maki and Mai's existences, I can see why they think that way. Also, who knows? Maybe there are two or three relatives crying at his funeral."

"So what's the plan, Gojo-san?"

"Our best and only option is for you to stay here."

"How long?"

"Until graduation."

"... Excuse me, what?"

"You're going to transfer here as a student in Jujutsu Tech."

"... wait... I don't- haha-... You're kidding me, right?" Hachiman asked, in denial of what the white-haired sorcerer suggested.

"Listen to me, Hikigaya." Satoru leaned closer and spoke. "Zenin Ogi fought alongside two curse users. That could mean the Zenin Clan is associating with people like them, which leads to a possibility they won't care less about what methods they will use to kill you. If they're desperate enough, they might try to hurt your loved ones to get to you. It's better to be as close to me as possible. I'm the strongest, but that doesn't mean I can be in two places at once."

"This is... just how did they find out?" Hachiman asked with bewilderment and panic in his voice.

"There are too many speculations to narrow it all down, honestly." Satoru answered with a sigh. "If you at least took out one of them instead of killing them all, we would get more answers."

"They're trying to kill me, so I answered them back." Hachiman argued in a low tone and with anger.

"Yes, I know. And I'm going to be blatant: the way you answered them is shit. Why didn't you think about taking one alive to interrogate him?"

"You should've seen how I struggled to even stand up. I don't have a choice!"

"Yes, you do. You're smart enough to know the right options to get out of a corner. But when you fought them, your first instinct was to kill, especially when you used the Beating Stash. You know how hard it is to make another one. If we did make one, that would be your last, because it needs quality materials that were put in care for decades." Satoru argued back, and the injured sorcerer wanted to respond to it, but he then realized his mistake. The curse user with the shaved head was the weakest of the three, and it was even more clear with how Hachiman killed him easily after shattering the cursed tool. If he thought more rationally, he could perhaps just knock him out and kill the other two. Capturing Ogi could be a viable option if Hachiman fought differently, so they wouldn't have the consequences he was facing now. Hachiman's silence gave Satoru the former's insight on his mistake. And so he spoke further. "You didn't see them as people, didn't you?"

"I d-, it's just that-" Hachiman tried to find an excuse, but to no avail.

"You only saw the curse users as cursed spirits. And so, 'getting rid of them' is the only solution to you when meeting one. Though, I will admit that I killed a lot of curse users, but I'm still very good at knowing when not to." The strongest sorcerer walked next to him and sat on a chair. "Hikigaya, you got rid of a problem in exchange for more than a hundred. Did you forget what I said to you about two months ago?..."

"Actions have reasons. If there is no reason for what you do, then it's pointless to keep doing it. Even in a fucked up world like this, you can laugh as much as you can... because you have a reason for doing something. And that something is meaningful."

"Now, you did have a reason you took that choice, but reason wasn't what drove you to do it. It was all a compulsion. The urge to kill. You get how bad that sounds?" Satoru asked, and Hachiman's only response was a nod full of guilt. "If you think like that, then you still don't understand what being a sorcerer is. Nanamin told me about you screaming 'Die!' to a cursed spirit during the whole 'Port Tower fiasco'. Our job isn't to be heroes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be humans either. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Hachiman answered with tears swelling up in his eyes. "Why transfer schools when I can just hide here?"

"Because everyone here knows about you now."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Again, the Zenin Clan won't stay silent about the murder of their relative. One possible method they might use is to tell the higher-ups about you as a threat to us, so I struck first. I told the higher-ups about how I secretly took you under my wing, working together with Nanami to deal with Chiba's curse activity problem, and you encountered Ogi being in cahoots with curse users doing shady businesses. That last one's the cover-up, by the way. So basically, I framed the Clan to get you on the higher-ups' good side."

"I thought you said they won't treat me as an ally, no matter what I do for them."

"I did, but it's still better to let them know you're a good guy than being painted as an evil curse user. If I didn't do that, you're gonna have enemies on both sides, and there's a chance I won't be there to protect you."

"So hiding is useless?"

"Well, you can reject missions and just hide here if you want, but once you step outside, everyone will recognize you as a sorcerer."

"... So what year am I going to enroll as? First year?"

"Yup! Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for a novice to be a third year or even a professional sorcerer in just two months! Hahaha!" Satoru laughed. "Besides, the third years are suspended, so you're gonna spend your time alone in the classroom if I put you there."

"You know, it was only days ago that I moved into my first apartment." Hachiman said in a stoic tone.

"Yeah, sorry about this. But it's the only way." Satoru apologized.

"I know... Can I still meet my friends in Chiba?"

"Not yet. You have to contribute more and in broad daylight rather than in the shadows. Just enough to quiet down the outrage."

"How long will that take?"

"That's all up to how you work. Give it your best, Hikigaya." Satoru held Hachiman's arm, which caused the latter to grunt in pain. "Oh, right. You're still not recovered. Well... I need to go now. There's a lot of stuff to do now that you're here."

"Wait, what happened to the twins?" Hachiman asked before the white-haired sorcerer could stand up.

"Maki isn't affiliated with her clan anymore, so she's still here. As for Mai... I called a friend of mine from Kyoto, and she said she went back to the household."

"Mai-san..." The young sorcerer stared up at the ceiling and remembered the moment near the end of his dream. It was still vivid for him.

"I can see the red flags too, Hikigaya. But let's just wait and see what happens next. Just one problem at a time, alright?"

"Okay..." And that was Hachiman's last response to him before Satoru left the room.

It didn't take long for the latter to hear the muffled cry behind the door.


"What's taking them so long?" Satoru mumbled as he scratched the back of his head. While walking, he noticed three people at the end of the hallway.

"How is he?" Kusakabe Atsuya asked.

"He's fine... for now." The strongest sorcerer answered. "It's too much for him. We need to find those curse users, with or without their help."

"Why? I thought they worship him." Shoko asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Because they want to get in this country without anyone noticing. That process is hard, considering our information network." Satoru's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he checked to see what it was. "Speak of the devil. He said they're here."

"About damn time." Atsuya leaned his back on the wall while clicking his tongue. "What are they called again?"

"Samsara's Helm," Nanami answered. "They're a small secret organization that operates like us in Jujutsu Tech, but their main purpose is to maintain order whenever a vessel of Navagraha is discovered."

"They're not the cause of that incident in that tower, right?" Atsuya asked Satoru with a serious expression. "You said the worshippers did that."

"The ones responsible are a separate group who want nothing more than to revive Shani Dev. No matter the methods they would use." Satoru answered while texting. They walked further in the hallway while discussing the issue. "That's why they're curse users. Then there's the organization who wants the vessel dead, which has been successful in killing its previous vessels."

"But this time, we won't let them." Nanami commented. " We need a plan to defeat them in one swoop. There's already more problems here for just us to handle."

"So we're dealing with two secret organizations that'll cause us trouble, and the only people who can stop them are one small group of sorcerers from India, and us." Atsuya said and released a sigh before speaking sarcastically with rolling eyes. "I like the odds~."

"The Samsara's Helm thought about forming an alliance with The Shoal Of Ropeholders, the organization that wants to revive Shani Dev." Satoru stopped walking to look at the night sky through the window. "The enemy of our enemy is our friend."

"This 'helm' or whatever went through trouble of keeping themselves hidden, even from us. Why?" Ieri asked in curiosity.

"The elder said we have a terrible history with each other that formed distrust to this day." He answered. "It's up to debate whether it would be easier to tell the higher-ups or keep it to ourselves."

"If we want to maintain good relationships with the Indian sorcerers, then it's best to hide this from them." Nanami suggested. "But if we are backed into a corner, that will be our last resort."

"That's if the higher-ups are willing to help after hiding such a mess... Oh, well! Let's just go beat their asses."

"You sound so casual about it..." Atsuya commented with a drop of sweat on his cheek.

"Well, their asses won't get whooped by themselves." Satoru chuckled and continued walking alongside them while thinking.

...

Weeks ago, August. While Satoru was in India.

"The what now?" Satoru asked the translator lady while eating potato chips.

"The organization is called the 'Dhamini's Troupe." She answered. "The name comes from a Gandharva princess named 'Dhamini', who was the second consort of Shani Dev. The story goes that Shani Dev was so devoted to Lord Shiva, he remained in meditation even after marrying her. That made Dhamini furious, and so she cursed his sight to remain downward forever, or else the person he looked at would be ruined away. The Troupe took that legend in a twisted way, believing that the wife rebelled against Shani Dev's actions and became a symbol of revolution. A disobedience to fate itself."

"Not a good married couple, huh?" Satoru said a joke. "But that's not the true importance of her legend, right?"

"Yes. Today, many chant her name as a way to please Shani Dev for him to bless us. She is an affectionate mother who always showed her love and affection to her child. The Dhamini's Troupe is a dangerous organization full of curse users from different countries that shares the same belief. Be careful."

"Careful is often in my vocabulary." Satoru grinned. "


The Three New Parties

Samsara's Helm - A small Indian organization that maintains order in India and incidents related to them.

- Wants to protect Hachiman, Shani Dev's vessel.

Shoal Of Ropeholders - A criminal organization that wants to revive Shani Dev, regardless of the consequences.

Dhamini's Troupe - Also a criminal organization that wants to kill the vessel under the belief that he will end humanity's freedom should he be revived.


Author's Note: Ogi's Blazing Courage stretching his fire blade is completely fanmade and not in the original source material. I just thought: "If he's really equal to Naobito, then he should at least have a cool CT and not just some torch."

So yeah... what did you guys think?

I didn't even let our boy breathe after the previous arc.

I guess in my opinion, 8man's secret identity thing didn't have much consequences before this chapter. And so... here we are. I mean, I could give him the Spider-man problem. You know, the relationship and studying issues? But I wrote 8man as one hell of a big shot, so I thought I should make the consequences equal to his reputation. Consequences that would send him in a downward spiral.

And this is just the first chapter of the Junpei Arc (Well, more like a prologue of sorts or an epilogue to the previous arc).

But I want to know your thoughts on this.

Should I have been more merciful to poor 8man?

Maybe there's another way to go about this?

As always, please leave a review to share your opinions. Thank you for reading!