"By the way, Nanami-san and that shifty Ando guy dropped off Yumizuka-san's bag at her family's place," Gojo informed. He and Ciel were walking side-by-side up the stairs that led into the hidden school of Jujutsu Tech High.
"I see. Tell Nanami-san he has my thanks. I'll be sure to compensate him the next time we meet," Ciel responded. She was not in her usual appearance, disguised as a completely different girl with an entirely different face. Short, puffy dark brown hair with a silver hairclip. A simple attire of a yellow shirt with a blue overcoat, black skirt, socks, and white shoes.
Easily passable as some random girl, should she come across either Megumi or Nobara, she would not be recognized. Ciel would have liked to know how they were doing, but as much as she would want to speak to them personally, to explain her presence here would complicate things. Thus, this disguise was necessary to put on.
Gojo hummed. "Yumizuka... She was your schoolmate, right?"
"Yes, although we're assigned different years," Ciel answered. "I've seen her around class with the rest of the Junior students. Occasionally, we share lunches together, along with a few other acquaintances of ours."
"You holding up okay? After what happened with her, I mean." Gojo clarifies that he doesn't mean Ciel's injuries, for reasons unexplained.
"I'm fine. Do not worry about me," Ciel answered. "My relationship with Yumizuka-chan wasn't anything authentic. I've only known her for about a month, after all."
Seems more than that when you were willing to ask Nanami that favor... Gojo thought to himself. Helping the family of that girl find some kind of closure, even though Yumizuka tried to kill you...
"Well, attachments can happen in a short time," Gojo stated, recalling Yuji's somber expression as the boy explained his interactions with Junpei. "Just saying. If you need someone to talk to-"
"There is no need." Ciel was swift to reject Gojo's offer. "Your concerns are unwarranted. I'm not so overly sentimental that I'll collapse and start sobbing uncontrollably. I'm not that weak."
"You wouldn't be, even if you did."
The seriousness in Gojo's tone had Ciel raise her gaze up at the man. Although Gojo wore his blindfold, Ciel could sense his mystic blue eyes looking straight at her.
"There's only so much a person can handle by themselves, before life weighs them down." He spoke as if it came from experience.
Seeing him like this, Ciel suddenly recalled a certain event that occurred several years ago. An incident that involved Satoru Gojo, and another Jujutsu Sorcerer that managed to stir enough attention from the Church and the Mage Association, and who was killed by the six-eyes user himself.
"It's true though that we can't just spend our time wallowing in our line of work." Gojo suddenly switched up as they proceeded across the courtyard, heading towards a large building at the near center of the school. "Just be sure not to keep it all to yourself. Even the strongest like me wouldn't mind a chat or two to ease off the load."
Ciel silently observed the sorcerer for a moment, and then Gojo clapped his hands.
"Alright! Time to go say hello to Yaga-sensei. Just so you know, if you fail this interview, there's a good chance you might be pressured to stop seeing Yuji-kun. But I'm sure you'll do fine. Good luck, Ciel."
The executor did not flinch under that sudden bombshell, having considered that possibility as well. She strides alongside Gojo as they soon entered the school building.
"You're late. Again. Satoru."
Sitting on the floor at the end of a large room, surrounded by hand-made dolls, a man wearing sunglasses was procuring another small doll in his hand, something that looked to be a kitten.
"Oh come on! It was only by five minutes," Gojo nonchalantly replied. "That's better than last time. Plus, I had to pull off Juliet here from her Romeo, and that definitely took some time."
Ciel glared at Gojo, completely unamused, and if she wasn't in front of Tokyo Jujutsu High's principal, she would have shot Gojo another of her black key.
"Juliet huh?" Yaga raised his head. "So you must be Ciel."
Ciel responded cordially. "Yes."
Yaga raised the newly sewn doll to inspect it closely. Without a doubt, the doll in his hand, as well as the dolls around him, were the cursed dolls that Yuji warned her about. Ciel suspected Yaga may use them on her to prove herself. It should pose no trouble, especially if he intends to send only one of them. I only wish Yuji-kun was here to see me make a clean sweep and pass this interview with flying colors. Mmhm!
She mentally nodded in approval of her own confidence, like a proud puppy awaiting to show off to her favorite person.
"You look different from what Satoru described you," Yaga said as he sewn a dark blue fabric over the body of the doll, making a dress. "Let me see your face. Everyone's out doing their own assignments, and all the students are training in the courtyard. It's just us three here."
At his request, Ciel removed the spell over her face, reverting to her original appearance. She regarded the principal stoically as he observed her for a moment.
An illusion spell... Yaga took note. According to Gojo, this girl was capable of utilizing both magecraft and curse energy. A rare talent amongst mages and sorcerers. By the sound of it though, she makes an effort to not use either of them that often, if at all.
"Why have you come here?" Yaga began. The age-old question he always presents to every new potential student of his school.
"As you already know, I'm an executor sent by the Holy Church. I came to Japan to locate and kill the Dead Apostle that has been-"
"I'm already aware of all that," Yaga interrupted. "I got the gist of it when you personally called me on my cell phone. I'm also aware that you've been watching Itadori-kun closely, keeping his survival - no, revival a secret. I know that you and Gojo-san, as well as a handful of our sorcerers, are working together to deal with all the undead and curses that have been grouping together in Tokyo lately."
He finished sewing the tail of the doll. "What I want to know is why you decided to come to our school. I'm not questioning why an executor would want to join. I'm asking why you wish to join."
It was an honest question that did not care to delve deeper into the matters of Ciel's occupation, but a simple personal inquiry about the applicant herself.
Ciel had thought Yaga would be suspicious, but just by reading his body language, he didn't seem to care that an assassin of both monster and sorcerer was standing right in front of him. He was the type of man that wouldn't take some backhanded explanation, either simple or complex, nor would he even take the necessity and benefits of their partnership regarding the situation in Tokyo as her answer. No lies or romantic ideals will fool him. It was unexpected, but even though the only solution to this was to answer in a way that goes against her training as an executor, Ciel responded after a brief pause.
"Very well, if you wish to hear my honest answer..." Ciel stared back at the principal unflinchingly, "I've come here because I decided that I would be the one to execute Yuji Itadori."
Her answer held no emotion. As cold as the arctic wind. Yaga and Gojo made no response to it, though Gojo subtly grimaced at how predictably frigid her answer was. There she goes again...
"To do so outside of this school would be too troublesome, as Yuji-kun will be spending most of his time either here on shaman territory, or out on an assignment," Ciel continued. "By joining, I'll be keeping an eye on not only him, but the curse that resides within him."
"You've had plenty of time to do that without needing to join our school," Yaga pointed out.
"True, but it wouldn't be a perfect execution. Until Itadori-kun swallows all of Sukuna's cursed fingers, I will not make a move towards his life. While I wait for that moment, I'll be observing him, so that what happened at the detention center would not happen again. I don't desire to disrespect or intrude on sorcerer business. nor do I wish to instigate a war. Therefore, becoming a student at this school seemed like the best option. As I've said to many others, I am not restricted to hunt only vampires. I am simply performing my duties as executor."
Yaga cuts the string of the doll in his hand, taking a moment to examine his work. "As executor, you say... That instantly tells me you don't actually plan on becoming a sorcerer here."
"If using magical powers, or simply cursed energy, is a criteria I must meet to join, then I am willing to do whatever it takes to complete my mission," Ciel answered, attempting to lure the promise of her efforts to be equal to that of his students and other sorcerers. "Whether it's to kill the Dead Apostle and undead roaming in this city, or the King of Curses himself, as well as all other curses."
"It's not an issue of whether you can or can't use magical powers," Yaga said as he sets down the doll. "It's the fact that you think you can just waltz right in and out like you're taking a summer job. To be frank, I find that insulting."
The blue-dressed cat-doll stood up at once. Life sprung into its body. "Mages in the West don't respect us Jujutsu Sorcerers. They see our abilities as useless, subpar to their own. Because of that, they tend to leave us alone. They find our mortality rate as proof of our incompetence, even though the curses here in Japan differ from those outside of it. I don't really care about their views. They can insult us as much as they want."
He suddenly snapped his fingers, and every cursed doll around him twitched.
"-!" Gojo, who had been leaning against the wall in quiet observance, pulled forth in a single step. "Hey, Yaga-sensei..."
The principal ignored Gojo and resumed his speech. "They can spit at our graves as much as they want, but I won't stand for anyone who thinks our job as a sorcerer is easy. A hobby that they can just join and leave whenever they feel like it. That non-committal attitude of yours is an affront to everyone in this line of work, of those who died young, quit, or lose themselves."
Ciel's eyes sharpened as every single cursed doll began to move away from Yaga, as the man declared to the blue executor.
"Do not take us Jujutsu Sorcerers lightly, executor."
Yuji looked through his phone as he tried to figure out what meal to cook for Ciel today as soon as she gets back from Jujutsu Tech High. He laid on his back against Ciel's bed in Ciel's apartment, resting with one hand behind his head.
He's honestly amazed that any girl would be willing to take a dish this spicy every day, but if it makes Ciel happy, he'll cook it for her. Plus, he could always have bread and rice from the side if he ever gets exhausted from curry. He would eat either of those every day.
"Hmm... I wonder if she'll see Fushiguro or Kugisaki over there..." Yuji mumbled to himself. He brought his phone to his lips as he thought about it, and then smiled. "I can't wait for all of us to get together again."
"Isn't this a little too much, Yaga-sensei?" Gojo asked the man who he stood next to, having made his way over to his old teacher. "You haven't done something like this since... well me."
"You said she was strong," Yaga only answered, observing the action before them. "Let her prove it."
Ciel sped away like a panther in the wild as multiple cursed dolls of every size went after her. She sends several black keys their way, striking plenty of them that caused them to burst into white cotton stuffing, yet they managed to still keep moving. They seemed to be following a single command: to attack me relentlessly. If I just summon a barrier wall that will incinerate them all at once-
The dolls suddenly split into several groups, taking Ciel by surprise. They're capable of performing complex movements and tactics?
One of the larger dolls suddenly changed size. It's body becoming squishable like a spring, and it launched for Ciel. Ciel raised her guard up and embraced the slam of its body against her arms. She slid back, and in the corner of her eye, another cursed doll went for her side, springing for her ribs. Ciel swung her arm back and struck the doll, elbowing it away as more and more cursed dolls bounced for her. She pulled out her black keys and proceeded to deflect each and every one of their attacks, leaping away quickly to escape their crowding.
Yuji was right to warn her how strong these dolls are. Despite the fact that they should be made out of nothing but fluff, their hits were heavy. Even if she could stand her ground, the problem is that more kept coming, so she had to keep moving. If she let herself be swarmed by these dolls, they'll be sure to beat her unconscious.
"I'll ask you again..." Yaga announced through the hectic fighting. "Why are you here? Until you give me a satisfactory answer, not only will I let them keep attacking you, but I'll refuse your entry into this school."
Ciel started wall-running across the room as the dolls chased her from behind, leaping right across the room and close to the ceiling.
"Even if you can't answer why you wish to be a sorcerer," Yaga continued. "Answer this then, why did you become an executor?"
-!
The question honestly caught Ciel off guard, and her mind suddenly went back to several years ago. A memory during a time after her non-stop torment, and before her baptism. A question was given to the girl carrying a dead spirit by the woman who wore a sadistic smile.
Now then, what will you do? Not being able to age, nor being able to die.
What would you, who has inherited the knowledge of the Dead Apostle Michael Roa Valdamjong, now do?
Make your choice, nameless one.
At her distraction, Ciel was punched in the face by the blue cat-doll, forcing her to fall and roll across the floor in a tumble. Hurting her shoulders and knees though she braced through the pain as she regained her footing. Dragging her hand across the floor to stop herself.
Gojo looked on confused. Ciel didn't even bother to guard herself with any kind of magic from that fall. Even while holding herself back, she didn't seem that intent on destroying these dolls. He's pretty sure she can do it with himself and Yaga in the room, so she had no reason to be very careful. Not only that, but just now, he noticed Ciel's brief loss of focus. The question Yaga gave clearly a touchy subject for the executor.
It's something I asked her myself once. But, like always, she avoids answering. Gojo thought to himself as he pocketed his hands. Yaga won't let her get off that easy though. Sheesh. I would have thought he'd be nicer on a girl, but maybe I hyped her up too much. I wonder how she's going to answer this time?
Ciel quickly recovered with a kick of her feet, wiping her mouth that bruised slightly from the fall. "...I see now. These dolls aren't simply infused with your curse energy..."
Yaga and Gojo were surprised by Ciel's sudden examination.
"I'm sure setting up a barrier would be enough to deal with them. However..." Ciel stood firm as the swarm of dolls began to close in all around her. "There's no need for something that extreme."
Setting up a barrier to protect herself is extreme? Gojo considered Ciel's words for a bit, and then it hit him. He smiled in amusement. Heh. That softie...
With a snap of Ciel's fingers, an instant flash of lightning trailed all across the room. The black keys Ciel had tossed earlier was embedded within the walls on each side, and they sparked with magic. Lighting shoots out from their handles.
All the dolls were simultaneously struck by the trails of lightning, reaching into their Curse Cores, and shutting them off immediately. An infestation of a sort that cancelled the activity of curse energy flowing from the dolls' cores, and every single one of them slumped to the floor. Motionless.
Gojo smirked. Yaga gave no reaction, simply staring down at his fallen creations.
"If you want to hear my reasoning for becoming an executor," Ciel suddenly said as she stood with her back straightened, "Then it all comes down to one simple answer... Atonement."
The principal looked back over to the far end of the room, where the girl's voice carried across easily. "I've committed sins in my life, sins that I cannot unveil to you no matter how many times you may ask. The reason why I became an executor was to atone for those sins. However, the crimes that I committed cannot wash away no matter how much blood I've cleansed my hands in, and I never took this job at the hope of there being an end. My efforts are gainless and at times painful, and I accepted that. I'm aware of what the job as a Jujutsu Sorcerer entails, and I accept the terms and conditions of that as well."
Although her voice was calm and even, there was an underlining sense of determination as she spoke, "I cannot end my affiliation with the Church, but I can guarantee you that I will not take light of this work. If I'm to have the vast magical knowledge that I possess, I might as well put them to use, where they'd be most efficient. That's why I became an executor, and that's what my efforts will be as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. Does that answer your question, Principal Yaga?"
They stared at each other for a long moment. Yaga's and Ciel's expressions completely neutral, as if they were walls of iron facing each other. Hardened by their years of pain, losses and personal suffering.
"...You pass." Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the principal made his decision.
Despite this achievement, there were no immediate congratulatory words, as Gojo silently regarded Ciel with an unreadable expression.
Gojo and a re-disguised Ciel stepped out of Yaga's office building. The warmth of noon reaching its peak over their heads.
"Yaga's puppets. Did you actually kill them with that lightning attack?" Gojo asked as they walked back for the school entryway. He offered to show Ciel around, but she decided it would be best to return home so to avoid any questions from the students and staff.
"Not really," Ciel answered. "I simply disrupted their energy cores to the point where it ceased all their functions. They'll be active again in a few minutes."
"You sure took the showy way of dispatching them," Gojo looked down at the girl beside him. "Why go that route? You could have finished things a lot quicker if you used that barrier, or any of your sacraments."
"Well..." There was a hint of embarrassment in Ciel's face as she glanced to the side. "...They were quite cute. Some of them were even puppies. I couldn't just destroy them, even if I wanted to."
"Heh. Yeah, I figured." A breathy chuckle behind Gojo's smirk. "You're an absolute dog lover. You'd probably risk petting a zombie hound even."
"I'm not that foolish," Ciel said with a slight huff. "It just seemed too much of a shame to incinerate those dolls. Plus, it was only a test, and I could tell that he and his puppets weren't fighting seriously. It's also quite telling how much effort Yaga-sensei puts into creating them. I didn't wish to ruin all his hard work, apart from those insect dolls. They can burn to cinders for all I care."
"I'll keep that in mind," Gojo said. And by keeping that in mind, he meant he'll totally prank Ciel with a fake spider sometime in the future. "I'm sure Yaga will appreciate your consideration. Although, for a girl who isn't sentimental, you sure have your exceptions."
"I just happen to have a fondness for cute things," Ciel said, thinking of Yuji and his puppy-dog eyes. "Which I'm sure sounds surprising, coming from an executor."
"You're one of the better ones, so it fits," Gojo countered. Ciel was surprised to hear that, and as she looked back at the sorcerer, she saw his smile suddenly dropped.
"...I want to ask you something. Do you think you can be honest with me?" Gojo asked.
Ciel took immediate note of the change in tone. They stopped just as they reached the top of the stairway. "...That depends. What is it?"
Gojo scratched the back of his head, letting out a deep breath before he turned to face Ciel.
"Why do you want to die so badly?"
A strong flow of wind passed through them, rustling the leaves of the trees all around them.
"Does it have to do with these 'sins' you mentioned back there?" Gojo added. He then went quiet to hear Ciel's response.
Ciel's eyes widened, surprised to hear this from Gojo. She wondered what gave it away, or rather, she wondered how long he suspected it. She looked away for a moment. Her eyes quickly caught sight of a family of blue birds sitting in a nest amongst one of the tree branches. A mother and father bird feeding their hatched children.
"...Sorry." Rather than a cold remark, or even a quip to divert the subject, she gave her apology and turned to look back at the sorcerer with a gentle smile. "That's confidential. I wouldn't worry too much about it, though."
Gojo grasped Ciel's shoulder.
"Nah. We're gonna talk about it," Gojo asserted, smiling. "Even if I have to beat it out of you."
Ciel blinked at Gojo's statement, and she suddenly realized what he meant by that. "Wait-"
With ease, he suddenly hoists her body over his shoulder and has her completely trapped within his grasp.
"W-Wait!"
She suddenly finds herself staring hundreds of feet off the ground. A view of the entire school right before her eyes.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!"
"Sorry! I know you want to get back to your hubby as soon as possible." Lifting his blindfold with his other hand, Gojo unveiled his shimmering blue eyes, ignoring Ciel's immense struggle over his shoulder. His Infinity protecting him from her punches against his back. "But this can't wait anymore."
Within an instant, they vanished out of thin air.
"-!" Out in Jujutsu Tech High's courtyard, in a crouching position with his hands out and joined, Megumi raised his head to the sky. For a second, I could have sworn...
He suddenly gets jabbed at his temple by a shinai, sending an immediate wave of pain into his head and he winced openly.
"Hey! Keep your eye on your opponent," the girl with glasses shouted at Megumi. Maki looked skeptically at Megumi as some tussling was going on behind her, either an arm-wrestling match or a mock sumo between Nobara and a panda, and for some reason, a student with a concealed mouth sat on the sideline keeping score with a chalkboard beside him.
"What's wrong? Something caught your eye?" Maki asked.
Megumi rubbed his head as he looked back up at the sky. "...No. It's nothing."
Yaga held up the slightly torn up blue cat-doll he had just finished stitching together. He could tell that the curse core within it had been undamaged, and he saw the proof himself when the cat-doll suddenly sprung back to life. She jumped out of his grasp and proceeded to dance around, no longer in attack mode now that the target had left the building. He watched as the rest of his cursed corpses do the same. Although damaged, they were still active.
She not only figured out the existence of their curse core, but she was able to infiltrate it with her magic.
How she was able to do that lied in the open wounds of his creations. Every single one of his dolls were pierced or cut with Ciel's black keys. Some of them even once, though every blade missed hitting the energy core directly. It had to be when Ciel was surrounded by his cursed corpses and she deflected their bodies with her weapons, not including the swords she had tossed earlier. It was through these wounds that her lightning managed to slip in and spread throughout each of their bodies until it touched their individual cores.
She's got talent and experience, and is more than familiar with death.
To be a sorcerer, one has to be a little motivated and a little crazy. He saw that motivation in Ciel's eyes, but he could tell that there was more to her story than just looking after Yuji and doing her job as executor. Her determination, it was the kind of resolve that had her set foot into enemy territory if it means achieving her personal mission - her real goal. Beyond the Church, beyond Sukuna. There was something she wanted, and no matter what pain she'll endure, she'll leap into the jaws of death itself, again and again, until she gets it.
That isn't to say that she hadn't been telling the truth with her answer. To seek atonement for crimes she knew she can never make up for. Yaga would have responded that there was no point following down that path. That all one can do is accept their mistakes or acts of evil and pursue onward in life. Except that wasn't her main interest. He heard it clear as day, seen it in her eyes.
There was no appeal to life, not for her. Why else would she admit that her pursuit for atonement was a gainless effort? To put herself in that position where she could die again and again, fighting monsters every day. She had to be absolutely insane to put up with that willingly. To seek atonement as her self-inflicted punishment.
It honestly makes her a pretty good candidate, and one of the reasons why Yaga decided to pass her.
I usually welcome new students into this school. But...
She wasn't a permanent member. Not someone who really wanted to become a sorcerer, and her argument that she wanted to make use of her magical knowledge meant that she hadn't wanted to become an executor either. Whatever tragedy or circumstances that brought her to the Church, and then finally here, made her perceive herself as only a tool with a certain end goal, or at least the Church did.
It's the duty of a teacher to help their students come to a realization about themselves.
He ushered the blue-cat doll to come back, and the curse corpse complied willingly.
Until she accepts that she's more than her goal, we'll just have to educate her for as long as she's here.
Then, and only then, will Yaga officially welcome her to his school.
"Hmm..." Yaga ends the incantations of his cursed corpses, putting the blue cat-doll in his hand to sleep. He stroked the cat-doll's head. "You could use some hair. Maybe some ornaments too..."
"Was that really necessary?" Ciel asked.
The executor and the strongest sorcerer were in the middle of a clearing surrounded by a forest, seemingly far from the urban districts. Ciel glared at the unbothered man with her arms crossed, having been this close to pulling out all her black keys. They'd be useless against Gojo, so her next best option would have been to blow herself up in order to escape. She did made her feelings of being kidnapped known, however, with every useless elbow-punch behind Gojo's head before the man finally released her.
"Well if I didn't do that, you would have just walked away, or event sprint," Gojo said as he started stretching his arms. "You have a thing for being dramatic, you know?"
"This won't get me to talk, regardless of what you plan to do," Ciel told him flatly.
"Fact of the matter is, even if you don't tell me, I had already planned on taking you here today." Gojo bends his knees to stretch his legs next. "It's been a long time coming, and seeing you handle all those cursed corpses yourself, it's got me fired up now. I think it's about time we finally have our first match, Ciel."
"You're really challenging me?" Ciel frowned at the man as if he had grown a second head. "The great Gojo Satoru wishes to fight me? I don't know if I should be flattered."
One can never be sure if it would be an honor to be challenged by Satoru Gojo. There were many challengers at his doorstep, but never anyone who he personally challenged. Now, whether that meant he already has a means to defeat his opponents is a discussion of its own. But the real question Ciel's wondering is why Gojo wished to fight her now? She found it hard to believe it isn't some tactic to get her to open up about her past, by force if necessary.
"Well, maybe not so much of a challenge. More of a warmup exercise," Gojo clarified. "I'll be expecting you to keep up, though, so don't go down on the first hit."
"You..." That certainly fits Gojo's character more. Ciel's glare only deepened further.
"You really only have a few choices here," Gojo said with a devious smile as he stood up with both hands raised. "Either you take me on, or I could just tickle you until you crack."
"You...!" He's completely lost it!
And it certainly didn't help that the man was wriggling his fingers like he was some kind of pervert. His face may seem innocent, but his personality was an entirely different story.
"You're my student now," Gojo stated as he pulled up one side of his blindfold. His ethereal blue eye focused on Ciel. "So consider this your first lesson with me."
"-!" Her annoyance quickly depleted as soon as she saw his eye, and a cold shiver travelled down Ciel's spine. He was serious. He truly intends to fight her. Perhaps not all out, otherwise, they'll have to consider just how far they are from civilization-
*SWOOSH!*
-?! Huh-?! Without any warning, Gojo was suddenly in front of Ciel. At the last second, she brought up both arms and blocked his first strike that aimed for her stomach. Her whole body shook. She barely managed to keep herself from flying away as her feet pushed back under his palm strike. "G-Gojo-?!"
"Don't hold back." Gojo only answered. The playfulness in his voice and expression gone. "And don't worry about anyone but yourself, Ciel."
He swung his leg next. Ciel blocked the knee with her arms again, baring against his strength and proceeded to continuously block the next set of attacks from the strongest sorcerer.
"Hey Ijichi-san," Yuji greeted through his cellphone. "Sorry. Am I bothering you?"
"No. I've actually just finished work early today. How can I help you, Itadori-kun?"
"I was just wondering if we could go pick up some ingredients. I want to surprise Ciel with something. Actually, maybe we could stop by a party's store and a bakery too."
"Are you planning to throw a party for her?"
"Yeah. I want to celebrate with her for getting into Jujutsu Tech High. I mean, I haven't heard anything from Ciel or Gojo-sensei yet, but I believe in her. Even if she didn't make it, I'd want to cheer her up, and we can figure out how she can pass next time."
"I see..." There was a smile in Ijichi's voice upon hearing Yuji's intentions. "We can go right now if you'd like. I don't have any plans today, aside from a meeting, but that's until tonight. If you would like to throw a surprise party for Ciel, now would be the best time."
"Mm. Alright. Let's do that. Thanks, Ijichi-san. I'll see you soon."
Yuji then hanged up the phone. He looked back down on the notes he's written as he sat on the floor in front of the coffee table. "What kind of cake should I get her? Crap. I should have asked her what flavor she likes. What kind of boyfriend doesn't know that?"
Granted, they've only started officially dating since last night, but Yuji still felt it was all on him to know every single detail. It's his first time being in a relationship, and he's afraid of messing up a little. He knew that Ciel wouldn't want him to stress himself out so much, but she's been so good to him that he wanted to return the favor somehow.
"Hmm. I wonder if there's a curry-flavor cake?" He started drawing out the idea as he set down his cellphone next to his notebook. Should I send her a text to see when she comes home?... Nah. She might still be talking to Yaga-sensei, or Gojo-sensei could be showing her around the school right now. I better not distract them.
He began listing a few party ideas and snacks to bring, and also have some movies to consider watching together. Her favorite films would be a good pick. Or maybe I should save that for her birthday, if I last that long anyway...
...
...
...Crap. I just realized I don't even know when her birthday is. Holy shit. We really just jumped into this.
The stress was getting to him as his hand gripped over his mouth. It's like I'm taking an exam that I didn't even study for!
He was fighting for his life here.
The first time Gojo met Ciel outside of Japan was at a fortress belonging to a Dead Apostle Ancestor. He'd been doing sorcerer business overseas when he happened to stumble upon the vampire's territory, apparently the center of various disappearances in Europe for the past century or so. He'd dispatched several undead when his six-eyes took immediate notice of another presence within the massive fortress. A familiar flow of cursed, holy, and all other types of energy in a single body. The last time he'd seen of it was when he found that girl walking alongside seven-year-old Megumi from school.
Gojo was always curious about her. Her affiliation with the Holy Church didn't really matter to him. The only thing that intrigued him was how someone like her could possess that much knowledge at her age. Even for someone who hadn't aged a day, it was still widely phenomenal. A person who lived out their whole life wouldn't have half the abilities she had. So why and how was someone with powers like hers ended up in a place where it's almost guaranteed to restrict her usage of them?
He thought he could get his answers from her when their paths crossed at that fortress, dubbed 'kingdom' by Ciel, but the executor was evasive with her responses. Sometimes she straight up ignored him, which was a far cry to how gentle and cheerful she was when she had been talking to Megumi in Japan. Gojo figured she would be like that, her being an executor after all, though he felt it was still worth a shot. Besides, her ignoring him only made him want to know all the more.
They had proceeded through the maze-like fortress together when they came upon one of the Dead Apostle's many traps. A hallway that locked them inside and poured acid from the floor and ceiling. Gojo was naturally unbothered by it all, and like every good Samaritan would, he yanked Ciel out of that room, using his Cursed Technique Reversal: Red to escape the acidic hallway.
The executor, however, was not happy by his efforts. It was a little odd how deeply offended she was at having her life saved. Gojo felt it was more than just her pride or prejudice at play here. What stood out to him the most, though, was how Ciel hadn't attempted to use any of her innate abilities to get herself out of that situation. He offered to do the rest of the legwork here, since he was getting bored wandering throughout the 'kingdom' the vampire was clearly controlling, and Gojo had a tendency to overdo his battles that Ciel would be better off not getting caught up in it. In other words, he wanted to show off and look out for the teen. Although, the way he did so was by stating she might end up getting in his way, just to antagonize her a bit.
That was when Gojo got a showing of a lifetime. Nothing too grand, he simply observed as Ciel sighed and raised her black key to her neck. For a second, Gojo honestly wondered if he was that unbearable to be around with, as he watched her slice her own throat. He already knew with his six-eyes that she had to have some kind of healing ability she wanted to demonstrate, although the way she showed it was a little extreme - and might have been his first hint at what Ciel's really after. It was then that the blood spray from her neck suddenly ceased, and it reversed back into her wound that should have been fatal, sealing it completely.
It was one of those rare moments where Gojo actually paused, unable to spare a witty comment. Ciel simply said to him that there was no need to concern himself with her, nor does he need to consider holding himself back while she's around. No sort of technique, spells, or anything was done to her. Her "recovery" simply happened with no effort as if it was natural. An anomaly within the laws of nature.
This is a curse that no shaman can exorcise. Gojo remembered Ciel saying. In your terms, I'm something you would call a cursed child. In my terms, I'm no different from a vampire. Whatever you consider me, it makes no difference.
She said that as if believing she would be ostracized by Gojo. However, it had the absolute opposite effect. If Gojo hadn't been curious before, that moment, he was invested. And the thought came to him immediately.
I'm turning her into a Jujutsu Sorcerer.
He had already considered giving her this choice before, knowing that her talents would be wasted with the Church. But right then and there, he was making it his personal mission. To have her be a part of his class, and really help her explore her potential that no one else would.
He didn't have a clear-cut plan, or a means to convince her to join especially after finding out she despised using her magical powers, but his mind was set. Even if he had to pry Ciel out of the Burial Agency's hands, he'll have a place for her where she can truly shine. The only thing left was motivation. An instigation no matter if her interest lies elsewhere, and that instigation was brought about by none other than the boy who lived.
Underneath her cold exterior, grit and a heart full of iron, she was still a young girl with a soft spot for romance. And he'd be dammed if he let her agency suffocate that part of her. No one has the right to steal away the youth of a young person. Not the higher ups of Jujutsu Society. Not the Holy Church. Not even Ciel.
"Looks like you're still reluctant," Gojo stated as he leapt through the forest, keeping Ciel - now dressed in her nun outfit - in his line of sight as they sped around each other between the trees. He could see her struggling to keep up with him and was now on the run to avoid any more of his up and close personal attacks that could make any man puke if he hits them where it counts. "Even your black keys can only get you so far."
He dodged to the side to avoid the several counts of swords that fell from the sky. Ciel knew it was pointless to attack him with them directly, which is why she was only using them to keep him preoccupied. He was also aware of their shadow-pinning properties, unknown if it was something all executors of the Church could do, or just one of the many spells Ciel had access of, and she would go no further than that.
Not that there was anything in her arsenal that could reach the man, much less hurt him. There were a few different ways she could go about it, but Ciel was hesitant to go through with it. She blocked another punch of his when Gojo added.
"How about this? If I knock you out once, I'll tell Yuji all about your kinks. You're still into bondage, right?"
"You wouldn't dare!"
That was certainly enough encouragement for Ciel to act more seriously. She mentally called for her black keys to return to her. The swords all flew across the forest, chasing after the two fighters in a sprint, jumping from trees to trees as they consistently enter in a physical battle between martial artists. Ciel was knowledgeable in jujutsu, as well as boxing, taekwondo, and etc. The only issue here was that Gojo was the same way, plus a hundred times that, not even needing to see for him to read and counter every move she delivers, regardless that her hits wouldn't even touch him. The fact that he allowed himself to see through one eye made this all the more difficult.
I swear-! This is revenge for throwing that black key at him back at the restaurant!
Ciel was just barely able to endure Gojo's strong punch that aimed for her ribs, magically enhancing her arms greatly to dull the immense pain of the impact. It was the same method she used against Sukuna. To survive all of the King of Curses' attacks that could have sliced through her limb by limb, she had to infused much of her prana into her body just to keep herself together. Gojo's punches weren't simply heavy, they also carry Infinity, making each blow he delivers nauseating and potentially incapacitate opponents. It would take someone incredibly tough to be able to stand against his punches and kicks, although Ciel imagined that even a body made of iron would still be hurt by this.
"Imagine if I was a sorcerer gone rogue. I've decided to kill everyone on a whim and set my eyes on the Church next," Gojo said after sending Ciel across the terrain, observing her recover her footing amongst the grass immediately. "You're the first person they've sent to deal with me. So, how do you plan on killing me? Keep in mind, though, even if you were fighting at your best, you still wouldn't be able to beat me. This is a do or die scenario, not that it means much to you, but just pretend for a minute that you want to save yourself from the pain of it."
He was like a child who could get away with anything through daddy's money, except it was his own strength that answered for him. Even the elders of Jujutsu Society would not trifle with this man, hence why they would go so far as to perform a secret execution for Yuji, rather than defy Gojo directly regardless of their positions. Because this man alone, with his power, could wipe out every single shaman in Japan should he decide to, with only a small number of people capable of opposing him, and even then, the most agreed method to defeat Satoru would be to seal him.
"heh heh heh." That was his face right now. The face of someone who was unapologetically, and unequivocally, strong.
To start with, I wouldn't be so foolish as to approach him up close. Ciel began to answer Gojo's what-if scenario in her mind. But with his six eyes I would have been a flashing beacon to him. I'd need something more potent than my magic. Unfortunately, I don't have that option right now.
Gojo was someone whom the Church has several emergency protocols against, the Black Barrel being one of those. Even the Seventh Holy Scripture would not work against this man's Infinity. No. She'll have to somehow bypass it. Either by forcing Gojo to exert himself to the point where his body could no longer keep up with the stress of utilizing large quantities of cursed energy, though she'll need to use insurmountable amount of magical energy, and her weapons, to accomplish that. Or to unleash a single, powerful attack, not to break through his Infinity, but for it to take. Then once preoccupying his cursed technique, Ciel's attack can perhaps allow a small chance of a gap for her to slip past through. It may only last for a second, or may not even weaken his Infinity all the way, but she only needed that one singular weak spot for her to reach the man.
He has no reason to hold back either, and I think I'd prefer death over being humiliated - by tickle or by disclosed secrets. In that case, I need to give it my all, if only so that I could finally punch that smugness right off his face.
Without her most essential tools at hand, she'll have to rely on her own prana and black keys. The conditions have been met, and with no other civilian within radius, no one but herself would be harmed by the fallout of this ability. She only hoped that not too many people would see this from afar. With her plan decided, Ciel's hand began to glow.
"-!" Gojo smiled and stepped into a stance, seeing power being amplified from Ciel's hand. There you go...
There had been a point where Ciel would rather let herself die than use her magic. For Gojo to see Ciel finally tap into one of her abilities, there was still a chance for her to not weigh herself down by her own restrictions, especially with how stubborn she usually is.
Sukuna blamed Ciel for letting him use Yuji's body to eat those civilians' hearts, Gojo recalled the details Yuji gave, an info Ciel conveniently left out when recounting the Detention Center Incident. I wonder if that's when she started leaning into her magic a little more?
Several black keys went after Gojo, likely to keep him at bay, but he never intended to interrupt what Ciel was about to do. The point of this battle wasn't simply to get her to talk, but also to get her to shed off that discouragement over her own abilities. Just like with Yuta Okkotsu, she needed to accept that this power was a part of her. Whatever trauma she suffered from it, she was in control of it now.
"Emerge from the darkness, blacker than darkness. Purify that which is impure." Gojo raised his fingers and chanted the curtain spell, and a wall of darkness surrounded both him and Ciel, as well as a portion of the forest.
Ciel noticed Gojo setting up the curtain, but she remained focus in charging her own attack. With this curtain up, though, she won't have to worry about any paper works should there be a witness somewhere.
"-Sword." A single breath of her chant, a bright light was forged at the palm of her hand, and there was an immediate, intense heat that came from it. A giant blade made out of focused sunlight, instantly scorching the fields and trees all around her. She knew that even with this blazing sword in her hand, it won't be enough to penetrate Gojo's infinity, much less burn his clothes, but that was fine. She never planned for this move to actually harm him.
Her flesh instantly burned at her sword's existence, and Gojo took immediate notice. The smile on his face quickly fell. She stopped protecting herself?
Was she planning to use all of her powers to land a decisive blow against him? Well... that's one way to go about it. He'd be worried if not for the fact that Ciel was immortal, although, it couldn't be a pleasant experience to have the literal sun in her grasp. At least she wore fire-proof clothes... somewhat.
Although, it wouldn't have mattered how strong her sword of light was, so it wouldn't hurt for her to expend a small dose of that power into guarding her flesh, which he could smell the burnt meat of it already. So much for 'not' being stubborn. Or maybe it's more than that...
He couldn't let himself mull over it as Ciel launched for the man. The strongest sorcerer stood his ground, raising a hand as the shard of sunlight drew closer and closer.
-! Wait. Is she planning to-
The giant blade jabbed itself into Gojo's palm. There was a massive burst of flames. The piercing, blinding effects of the sword enough to instantly evaporate any vampire by the hundreds had they been in the area, where not even their ashes would remain. It was on par with the Special Grade Cursed Spirit Gojo had fought with. The curse with Mount Fuji on his head, and a domain expansion that could turn a man to ash the second they're in it.
"Knnnnngggghhh-!" With every ounce of her will and strength, even as her lips, nose, and fingers were incinerated, she pushed the sword further, and felt the quick press of Gojo's hand against her shoulder. Now-!
She tilted her head. Three black keys zipped past her cheek and stabbed into the back blade of her blazing sword. With the energy of this sunlight taking the blunt of Gojo's Infinity, then surely... surely-!
Surely her black keys would be able to pierce through a weakened area of the veil that was Gojo's technique, if only a little pinch at least. Two of the keys would have instantly melted, protecting the third key that would deliver the decisive blow, followed by more should they have not been destroyed by the blazing effects of her sunlight sword already. The only reason for these three black keys to have remained intact was because Ciel had been protecting them from behind. This was her sure-fire method, one which she chose to risk it all by infusing every bit of her magecraft, and kept pouring it all into her blazing sword until-
"Domain Expansion: Unlimited Void."
The infinite universe stopped her dead cold.
"Geez. And you wonder why people get so worried about you."
Ciel nearly fell into what would have been nothing but darkness and the stars until Gojo yanked her back up, still clasping her by the shoulder. His touch allowing her to move freely in his domain that would freeze all else. The flaming sword was frozen before her, its heat ceased as the tip of its blade wrapped around Gojo's shoulder, before evaporating completely. The man himself was completely unfazed, as shattered black keys hovered in the space behind him. Two were turned into liquid just as Ciel predicted, and one had been partially melted before Gojo destroyed it with his bare hand.
"It was a good effort," Gojo said, standing in the midst of infinity. His blue eye the sole gem in the sea of unendingness. "Too bad for you, I faced that same tactic before. Someone I met a long time ago. She was willing to sacrifice her own leg just to get passed my infinity. I didn't lose after that, but she sure threw a mean kick."
He then gently grasped and picked up Ciel's arm. He heard her painfully wince as he observed the now simply cooked flesh of her limb, the fabric of her sleeve burned off, even her bone was charred. "Although, it wasn't as bad as this had been. You're a prodigy, without a doubt, but..."
He looked back at her half-seared face and told her flatly. "You really suck at fighting."
"?!" Ciel was taken aback by such a blunt, if not rude statement, and the world was suddenly returned to them. Gojo's domain retreated, and they stood once more in what was left of the forest. Now blackened to ash and burnt wood.
"Let me tell you three bad habits you have," Gojo said as he still held Ciel's arm, raising three of his fingers. "One: you rely too much on your immortality. Two: you care too much about other people. And Three: you use up your magic too quickly. Let's talk about three first..."
As Ciel's flesh restored to their originate state, the executor was imminently aware of her loss against the strongest sorcerer, and could only listen to Gojo, who was now officially her teacher, began his lecture.
"You're someone with rare genetics that allowed you to have a high aptitude of magic, including cursed energy. But because of how high it is, you never learned how to conserve it and use it precisely. That, or you purposefully make sure you never use it for long. When you're forced to rely on your powers, you end up using them wastefully."
He watched as Ciel's arm began to restore itself. Like time reversing, even though her muscles had been incinerated, the cells and nervous system simply grew back. The pain of it went unsaid, but Gojo could see Ciel being used to it no matter the discomfort in her expression. "Whether your genetics were passed down by family, or just luck, that still doesn't explain how you're able to carry that much knowledge older than you've lived. Knowledge that could have helped preserved your body without you needing to sacrifice it against me. Only reason you're mostly unscathed is because I protected you with my Infinity."
After adjusting to the pain, Ciel held Gojo's gaze as he continued with his assessment.
"If you worked on practicing your abilities some more, you could have saved yourself the worry of any bystanders coming into fire," Gojo continued. "It was only a few seconds, but I saw that hesitation. Even executors don't prioritize lives as much as you do. Beating the enemy is all that matters. Jujutsu Sorcerers are the same way. But for us, it isn't based on any belief or sense of righteousness that pushes us, it's our drive to win. In other words, you have to not only be a little crazy, you have to be selfish too."
"You mean becoming a battle-junkie, essentially," Ciel retorted, frowning. "I may not be any different from a vampire, but the one thing I don't have is their blood lust. I also don't really see the fruit of becoming anything like that cursed king."
"That's because you don't care about winning, just getting the job done," Gojo responded. "Because of that, you see your own life as meaningless."
Ciel felt a pinch in her chest at that correct assumption, and she gritted her teeth behind her restored mouth. It shouldn't have bothered her that much. Perhaps it was the fact that she could be so easily read that disturbed her.
"You have a realist way of approaching your battles and the real world, but you also limit yourself," Gojo continued. "You'd have a fire hose, a few water guns and plenty of water balloons, but even when you're given a whole tank, you'd dunk it all out to drown a fire, when you could have used the hose to wet the grass instead. Beat it down instead of nuking it in one go - not that I'm against it, it's just that my tank gets refilled after doing that, but yours don't, not right away. And you're left unprepared for the worst-case scenario if you missed, or if the fire suddenly gained a second wind, and that's not even bringing up the fact that you wouldn't really care what happens to you before all that."
You're only giving your best at what you chose to limit yourself to. Those were the words the King of Curses used on Ciel, coming back to haunt her like an echo reaching its recipient.
"Which brings me to my final point," Gojo said as he raised one finger. "Your immortality. Plenty of people might call it your greatest asset, but really, it's a weakness. You get put into situations by your superiors where you're not expected to survive, not even you. Because of your immortality, you don't bother protecting yourself, so you don't feel the need to push yourself to use more of your magic, if at all. If you can't die, what's the point of trying? You stopped caring, basically, and I still can't figure out why."
"If you're expecting me to explain my story to you this time, don't hold your breath," Ciel said as she pulled her recovered arm away from Gojo's grip. She then turned to walk away. "It's pointless trying to talk me through it. How I fight my battles does not concern you."
"It should if it means making sure Yuji doesn't get killed again."
It was like her heart was shot as soon as she heard this, and she immediately stopped. Gojo couldn't see Ciel's face, but he could tell what it looked like right now.
"And it concerns you too," he added. "I'm not blaming you for not trying to save him. It was a shitty situation overall. And seeing how you took responsibility over what happened, I could tell you had a bit of guilt after putting him down. You didn't even pull the trigger. That's how he was able to come back at all, regardless of whatever Sukuna might have planned for that to happen."
So... Gojo suspected the same thing, Ciel made note of that, unable to respond as she was still reeling from his earlier statement regarding Yuji. It was a new feeling, to be chilled at the thought of Yuji dying, not because she would be the one to deliver the killing blow, but that something else will. It was fine for her to die, because it was inconsequential, but Yuji... He only came back once because Sukuna had ulterior motives, or the curse simply felt like it. There was no guarantee if Sukuna would do it again, whether he could do it a second time or not.
"Plus, if you didn't kill him, the geezers up top would have tried assassinating Yuji again," Gojo said as he pulled back down his blindfold. "It's pretty much what the Church sent you here to do, but at least you would have tried to minimize the damage."
His fingers then sprawled over his other hand, imitating a spider. "You know, black-widow style."
"You...!" Ciel spun around and glared at the man. Honestly, he can be so sick! "Is there ever a moment you're not making jokes?"
"If there is, you might want to watch out. But anyway..." Gojo settled back to his neutral tone, "You might not see your own life worth anything, or your magic as a curse, but it's a different story for other people."
He remembered his conversation with Nanami over the phone last night, regarding what happened at Satozakura High. When Nanami, Yuji, and the cursed spirit Mahito made brief contact with the King of Curses himself. And how, just for a moment, the King of Curses laid his gaze upon Ciel, and it was look that left a very, very bad feeling in Nanami and Yuji.
One might call it an honor, but for a woman to be considered a source of interest for the King of Curses, it could never be good thing. There is no telling what Sukuna has planned, but if he's let loose again and Gojo isn't around to stop him, Gojo will need Ciel to be ready for it in his place.
"You're already past the point where you've been forced to get out of your own comfort zone," Gojo continued. "If you are going to stay close to Yuji, or save this city from vampires, wouldn't you want to try sharpening your abilities a little more? Or..."
Gojo considered for a moment, "Are you worried that, if you let yourself rely on those powers completely, you end up betraying yourself?"
Ciel went rigid, a subtle freeze of her posture as she clenched her fists.
Gojo then walked up to her, "Whatever happened, whatever sin you've done..."
"Do not-"
He placed his hand on top of her head. Ciel ceased her attempted warning, surprised by his gentle touch. She couldn't feel his Infinity. It was just his hand, letting himself be reached by the sensation of her dark blue hair.
"You're not at that place anymore," Gojo asserted. "I'm not pitying you. I'm just telling you that you don't have to keep punishing yourself."
He retreated his hand then, suspecting that Ciel would just slap it away if he left it there a little longer. "You should know, though, that if your atonement is to let yourself finally die - a final death, I doubt someone like Yuji is going to be okay with that."
Coming back to her sense, Ciel lowered her gaze, hiding her eyes behind her split bangs. "My desire and Yuji-kun are a separate matter, and I would appreciate it if you do not bring this up around him, ever."
"Cause you know he's going to stop you," Gojo said it plainly.
The immortal executor looked back at the strongest sorcerer. "It's more than that. I don't intend to let him die alone. If he wants to follow his grandfather's last wishes, for Yuji-kun to die surrounded by loved ones, then I will be there by his side, and I will follow him as he departs."
"It doesn't really matter how many people you have around you," Gojo informed. "When you die, you'll be alone."
"And that is where we are in a disagreement," Ciel countered. "Wherever he goes, I will find him. In Heaven or in Hell, or even in the next life, as are his beliefs. I'm hardly what you would call a devout Catholic or Christian anyhow, so following Buddhism wouldn't be out of the question for me, if it means being with him. Even if it would take me several lifetimes, I will be there for him. That is all I have to say, Gojo-sensei. And you, or anyone else, will not change my mind on this."
Yuji sat at the edge of Ciel's bed with his knee bouncing as he watched an old-timey flick on the TV. He occasionally checks the time on his cell phone, seeing that it was getting close in the evening now. "They sure are taking a while..."
He pulled up his phone and was about to send a text to Ciel when he heard the front door being unlocked.
Oh! She's home! Like a dog wagging his tail, Yuji hopped up from bed. "Oh shoot-! I better get this ready!"
He grabbed the plastic bag sitting on the bed and brought it over to the coffee table next to it.
"I'm home, Yuji-kun!" Ciel cheerfully announced as she entered the apartment, wearing the outfit she took to Jujutsu Tech High once more. She closed the door behind her and began taking off her shoes. "I'm sorry I took a while. Gojo-san decided to take a detour and it went on longer than expected."
"That's okay!" Yuji said as he hurried over to Ciel. He put his hands in his pockets as he tried to contain his excitement. "So... how did it go?"
Ciel saw the eagerness in Yuji's eyes, and she chuckled lightly. "Well... do you want the good news or the bad news first?"
"Oh. Uhh..." Yuji contemplated deeply, the excitement in him replaced with concern. "Um... The bad news? No, the good news first! No wait! Hold on! Uhhhh..."
He pressed his thumb against his forehead to really figure out which one he wants to hear first. If either of them meant Ciel managed to join or not, he'll need to prepare himself which kind of gift he should give her, whatever fits the mood essentially. She could be acting cheerful but didn't pass the interview, or she could have passed but they won't be taking the same classes - damn, he should have bought more things for those kinds of situations! Why hadn't he thought of this before?!
Ciel chuckled more openly at the sight of Yuji's clear distress, and she reached up to clasp both sides of his face. "You look so funny right now, Yuji-kun. I bet it's eating at you. Wondering if I passed or not?"
"Come oooon! Just tell me already!" Yuji pleaded with her as he grasped both sides of her waist, slightly bouncing on his feet as he was unable to hold back his anticipation anymore.
Ciel giggled some more, and after another moment of suspense, she finally revealed. "I passed! Even better, there are no bad news. On the day you'll be reinstated, you and I will be taking the same classes under Gojo-san, or rather, Gojo-sensei's tutelage!"
"YES!" Yuji picked Ciel up by the waist and spun her around, cheering with the brightest smile on his face. "I knew you could do it! Way to go, Ciel!"
Ciel was quick to recover from her surprise and grasped onto Yuji's shoulders, laughing with him as they spun around in one place. Yuji then brought her back down and kissed her lips. Ciel blushed, her heart leaping with so much joy as she kissed back.
Pulling back, Yuji grabbed Ciel's hand. "Come on! I want to show you something!"
"You do?" Ciel asked.
She was led by Yuji to sit down at the coffee table. She noticed what looked to be a blue gift bag there, covered in silver stars. "What is-?"
She was startled at the sound of a noise popper. Confetti flew everywhere as she raised her arms in an immediate defensive stance, and she hears the sound of a party blower.
"Congratulations on getting into Jujutsu High!" Yuji said, putting down the now empty noise popper and tossed some streamers into the air. The blue and red streamers landed on Ciel's head and shoulders as she sat there, stunned. She watched as Yuji continuously made more noise with a spinning rattle ratchet in one hand and the party blower in the other, uncurling its colorful paper strip again and again with every breath he gave.
Ciel widely blinked at the scattering display of confetti and noise that fell in celebratory for her. She lowered her arms and relaxed her fingers. Is this... a surprise party? For me?
"I also got you something. Have a look!" Yuji pushed the gift bag over to Ciel. Ciel looked down at the bag in bewilderment, and began to steadily open it at Yuji's excited insistence.
"Ah!" She pulled out a small, adorable Japanese Akita puppy doll. With Yuji's and Ijichi's signatures there on its body meant for writing. "Is this Hachiko?"
"Yup! I saw it at a toy store and thought you might like it. Oh! There's one more thing. Hold on! I'll go get it right now." Yuji beamed as he stood up and went to the kitchen.
Ciel's eyes followed him before turning back to the doll in her hand. "A surprise party... for me..."
The last time someone ever threw a party for Ciel was over a decade ago, by her own parents, and the people of her village she would go so far as to call her family as well.
Ciel stared at the doll in her hands, remembering pleasant times she thought to have buried away. She snapped out of it when she heard Yuji walk out of the kitchen, and saw him carrying a small white box in his hands.
"Is that cake?" She asked.
"You bet! I wasn't sure what flavor to get you, so I got half vanilla and half chocolate," Yuji said as he sets down the cake box. "I did the icing too, just have a look."
Yuji sat down next to Ciel and watched as if it was the best part of the movie he was about to see. Ciel looked at the box in front of her curiously, and then lifted its lid off.
"Oh! ...Um." Ciel stared at the top of the cake, reading the words there. "'Better luck next time'-?"
Yuji swiftly closed the lid back down with a gentle slam of his hand. "Uh. Sorry. Wrong box."
If Sukuna could speak, he would have called Yuji a fucking dumbass.
Yuji was quick to remedy the situation like he was auditioning to be the next Flash as he returned the cake box to the kitchen and came back with a new one. "I uh... I wanted to celebrate with you. I knew you could do it. Pass the interview, I mean. I just... wanted to make sure I could cheer you up, in case it didn't go well. I know how tough Yaga-sensei can be. He almost didn't pass me at first."
Ciel smiled in understanding. "I can imagine. He was pretty rough with me too, but I know he was just looking out for his school."
"Yeah?" Yuji said as he sat back down next to Ciel, setting the cake box in front of them. "I think it's a little more than that. When he was tough on me, he was trying to get me to realize something for myself, instead of what others wanted out of me. I know that I want to respect my grandpa's wish, but also..."
He placed his hand over his stomach, "Eating those cursed fingers... it's something only I can do, and I can't just sit back and pretend that it has nothing to do with me. I'd get too depressed thinking about how many people are going to get hurt or killed because of Sukuna. Even if I'll get executed in the end, I don't want to regret the way that I live."
"Yuji-kun..." There was a flicker of guilt in Ciel's eyes, and she smiled apologetically, "It seems like I owe you another apology."
"Hm?"
Ciel looked over to the cake box, "When you and I, along with Gojo-sensei, came together at the tea ceremony room, I rudely called you naive. There are still a few things I stand by. For instance, you definitely shouldn't try eating all of Sukuna's fingers, at least... not all at once. To consume so many cursed objects in a day might overwhelm you, and he could regain control even if for a moment. But anyway, I really was too hard on you."
She reached out and lifted the box lid, revealing the chocolate-vanilla cake with blue and pink frosting entangled. In Yuji's handwriting, the cake read: 'Way to Go!' Added with a blue smiley face and a pink heart shape. She smiled at the sweet writing and drawings on the cake.
"The truth is, I'm beginning to understand you, Yuji-kun. You're not just kind, you're very strong too. Despite everything that's happened, you still find ways to enjoy life and all the good things it has to offer. I honestly admire that, a little jealous of it even."
Yuji was surprised to hear that from Ciel, and took notice of the slightest bit of damper in her gaze and smile.
"I know you said you want to get to know me better, but... There are some things you might not like about me." She grinned at him sheepishly. "For starters, I'm a bit of a control freak. Even now, all I want to do is to keep you here and have you all to myself, just so that I can protect that sweet smile of yours, Yuji-kun."
The warmth in Ciel's expression returned as she looked down at the cake lovingly. Yuji blushed at the sight of it. His heart skipping a beat before he looked down at his crossed legs for a moment. "Huh... That's pretty possessive of you to say, Ciel. It's kind of surprising."
Guess she can be just as clingy as me, he thought to himself.
"W-Well, those are my honest feelings. What I'm trying to say is that I can be just as clingy as you are," Ciel unintentionally repeated what Yuji already knew. "B-But if it sounded too disturbing, let me reiterate-"
Yuji smiled at Ciel's panicked, embarrassed behavior, and he scooted closer to her. "It's fine. Really. I guess I just never felt wanted by somebody like that before."
He rested his chin on top of Ciel's shoulder, seeing her blush at his casual close proximity, he then looked down at the cake. "Honestly, there really isn't a lot about me you should be jealous of. You're way more upbeat than I am, and way stronger too. But it does make me feel a little happy to hear it."
He closed his eyes as he pressed the side of his face against Ciel's, feeling her increasing warmth there as she hears him talk. "I used to have several friends here and there. I liked to think that I can get along with anybody, but it's more like I get lonely pretty easily. Before you found me at that movie theater, I was feeling kind of down, not being able to see Fushiguro and Kugisaki, or you."
He adjusted his head a bit and planted a small kiss on Ciel's cheek, earning a little surprised squeak out of her. He pressed his nose against her then, keeping his eyes closed as he focused on hearing her breathing.
"After you showed up, I was honestly so happy to see you again. You were always there whenever I need it, especially when things get bad. Even way before that, I've always liked you. Whatever good or bad side you have, I'd want to learn about them. Just today, I couldn't figure out what cake you liked, or when your birthday was. It made me want to try harder getting to know you more. There's plenty of things about me you might not like. For starters, I'm actually really dumb, and I get pretty indecisive about some things too."
Ciel raised her hands to Yuji's arms who managed to find its way around her figure once more. "If you're still okay with me though, then don't worry about any bad habits you have. I'm not gonna pine for anybody else except you. For both the good times and the bad, you're pretty much stuck with me, sorry to say."
Ciel laughed softly, turning her body to face Yuji fully.
"I wouldn't want you to be sorry for that," she told him, smiling. "I was just going to say the same thing. I've never really been in a relationship before, and now that I am..."
Her forehead pressed against Yuji's, and she closed her eyes. "I don't ever want to let this go. Even though I don't deserve it, this happiness, or you."
Yuji's eyes shimmered with affection, and they went in for another kiss. Their lips pressed together as they held their breaths and each other.
After their kiss, their foreheads were still pressed together, and Yuji whispered. "You deserve to be happy, Ciel. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you."
He then pulled her closed and rested his head against her shoulder, hugging Ciel with his arms secured around her waist and back. "But I'm going to stick by you, no matter what. I know you just want to keep me safe, but I won't let you fight your battles alone."
Ciel's heart couldn't help but flutter at his declaration, and she pressed her face against his shoulder. They sat there for a while, in another long embrace as the party toys and cake remained on the coffee table, awaiting patiently for them to continue their celebration.
"How did it go?" Nanami asked as he stood in front of the map of Tokyo on the wall. Locations drawn and x-marked that declared their dead-end leads, and more potential hiding spots for the patch-face cursed spirit and their elusive Dead Apostle.
Gojo slumped against the couch and let out a deep sigh. "Uhh... About as well as you can expect."
"I see..." The first grade sorcerer pulled away from the map and sat on another couch across from Gojo. "Then she still intends to die."
"Not just that, but she wants to follow Itadori-kun after he's executed."
Nanami was caught off guard by the info. He stared at Gojo and waited for him to elaborate.
"I don't know how she'll do it, but it sounds like she has a way. The fact that she's still immortal now though, she's either biding her time, or it's not within reach yet..." Gojo craned his head to face the map on the wall. "The timing of it all sure seems interesting. Can't help but wonder if this is either fate or destiny at work here."
The Special Grade Curses and the Dead Apostle... Nanami looked back at the map as well. "Do you believe the Church might know more about what's happening here?"
"Who knows? We'll have to work on being friends with Ciel's people to find out," Gojo said as he adjusted his blindfold. "As for those lovebirds, I'm gonna have to find a way for Itadori-kun to live somehow if I want both my students to stick around. Yuji-kun sure got himself a hell of a girlfriend. Stubborn and zealous as she is, she's a loyal one, alright."
Nanami leaned back against his seat, crossing his arms, "Yes... It seems they both are."
A match made in both Heaven and Hell.
The half-eaten cake was left on the coffee table as Ciel finished putting on her nun outfit. She heard the door leading to the bathroom open, and she turned to see Yuji stepping out, dressed in his jujutsu sorcerer's uniform.
"Are you ready, Yuji-kun?"
Yuji nodded, getting his shoes by the front door. "I'm ready."
With a shared smile, Ciel and Yuji walked up to the back door leading to the balcony. After putting on their boots and shoes, together, under the light of the full moon, they hopped over the ledge and proceed into the night, beginning their first patrol of Tokyo as jujutsu sorcerer and executor.
