ACT – 1Fading Blue of the Past, Red of an Uncertain Future
Chapter 1
Two Sides of the Same Coin
It was a fine sunny afternoon in Chiba.
Not too hot, as the cold Siberian wind had just started to encroach the archipelago, the sign of the nigh-Fall and eventually white winter to envelop the Japan of 2006.
It is a perfect day for one to not get irritated or become uncomfortable with the sun directly hitting one's body. A perfect day for a housewife to dry up clothes, any salaryman venturing outside or blue-collar job workers to not get too tired and sweaty, and a day for children to play outside comfortably, though one can doubt that these little creatures would be bothered by mere heat anyway.
Besides it's a weekday, a Thursday to be exact. School is in session.
"Kimiko-chan, Kimiko-chan~" Said by the curious girl with a twin-tailed hairstyle behind this "Kimiko-chan."
A rather unnatural cute girl with an innocent face, shoulder-length pinkish-red hair that has blunt bangs and an unusual yellow eyes that draws anyone in, turns around and faces her classmate-friend from behind and replied promptly.
"What is it?" And as always, with her unparalleled beauty, anyone stops for a second as they subconsciously fawn at her...including her own close friends, the twin-tails classmate, mouth slightly agape to this sight and the floral scent she emitted. Probably her shampoo or something.
"Ah...eh, right!" The twintails friend snaps out of being dazed. "Is it true that you have some kind of work?"
Kimiko raises her left eyebrow…. "Work?" ..To which she then confirms immediately.
"Ah….that. I do." She then faces her friend, proudly puffs out her chest and puts her hand "I'm hired as a model for a magazi-"
"MODE- Mmnnm..." But before she could complete her sentence, she shouts in surprise and Kimiko quickly puts her hand into use to silence her friend.. Of course, anyone would be surprised with that. Not everyone has the rare privilege to enter show business.
"Shhh!" Kimiko gestures to her friend.
"Ah...sorry" Her friend meekly apologizes. Kimiko retreats her hand back and smiles at her friend. "Don't worry about it. But it'll be troublesome if-"
"Hey hey, what are you two talking about?"
Out of nowhere, another friend of theirs, an energetic blonde girl appears interrupts them and asks the question that contradicts what Kimiko was supposed to warn to her twintails friend.
"-someone..." The two were just staring blankly at the girl. The two then quickly convene away from the girl to whisper to themselves.
"Whatdowedo?" The twintails girl is in a state of a discreet panic. Kimiko sighs and quickly forms a good reason. "With her….well, in any case, I would be found out anyway."
"You'll...tell her?" The twintails girl looked confused. Kimiko nodded in confirmation. "Don't worry. I know how she works-" She assured her.
All the meanwhile, the blonde girl gradually puffs her cheeks out in frustration and bursts out eventually as the two ignored her.
"Hey...don't leave me out!"
"Ah sorry sorry. I'll tell you." Kimiko apologizes and pats the girl's head to calm her down. "Nnnnnn…"...and the blonde girl cutely reacts by purring and immediately getting comfortable and calm.
Kimiko then vigilantly looks around before whispering to her other friend on what they were talking about. "Promise me first to not tell anyone, and to not react loudly when you hear about it okay?"
"I promise!" the blonde girl replied.
The small redhead girl then moves closer to the blonde classmate's ear and whispered a summary of what she told to their other friend...to which, in response, she slowly opens her eyes even more, mouth shape from a neutral line into an open smile...and...
"MODE-"
They immediately shut her off, as they predicted it already.
"So that's why since two weeks ago, there's days that you're only here until lunch time. And...the teachers probably know this?" The twintails friend said.
"Yes. And oh, I won't be here at all by tomorrow, but for a completely different reason."
"I see." "But why though?" The two asked.
"Secret~" Kimiko flirtily said.
"Eeeehhhh?" Both blurted out in complaint.
"Then- Ca...Can I have your autograph instead!?" The blonde friend said excitedly.
"I'm not a celebrity. I'm more of a part-timer. And don't worry, I'll make sure that I make it up to you two by next week." Kimiko replies.
"Eh? is that how it really works!?" "Next week?" The two both exclaimed.
But she isn't finished talking yet. "And….sure, an autograph, got it, but only after the magazine issue is out. I'll ask if they can give some for free."
"Really?" The two both said in unison.
"Yes." She replied.
"Yatta!" The two then happily double high-fived each other,
She can't really deny her friends of a harmless thing in the first place if that makes them more happier.
The last teacher for the period then came to abrupt their conversation and started class. After the afternoon classes, the tie for club cam and Kimiko bid goodbyes to her friend-confidants she met up again after finishing stuff at the science club.
Outside of the school gates, a shiny, black Toyota Century timely parked at the front of Kimiko and a rather tall foreigner maid with a beautiful blonde ponytail hair to her master opened the door of the car. Kimiko then enters and the car disappears somewhere.
Her two friends were unfazed as it was kind of a weekly occurrence for them and some students, but the rest of the student body are still amazed at her, being one of the only few children who are brought and fro the school via an expensive car out of all cars, well, again, only in some some random days for Kimiko, but her unusual maid just stands out the most as others have some kind of relative to grab them.
Some people beyond just elementary students even dubbed her as some kind of princess, as an unusually logical girl, but in a good way, because she's a more-or-less a very diligent, polite, and hard-working young girl for everyone she have met, she always have been...
...a good kid.
Meanwhile….
Inside the car, the previously childlike demeanor of the elementary student called Kimiko immediately fades into one of an uncanny depiction of a cold, calculating manipulator, with a small, yet visible fake smile of deception. Not that the words of praise earlier isn't true, but this is just her other side that she cannot show at all to everyone except her maid, but not even to her parents.
And this is one of these times that she's showing her other true self.
"Kafka"
"Yes, I already notified your Father." The maid replies. "He says that he can fit a small time for you to greet the Prime Minister tomorrow."
"Good." The small girl coldly replies.
"What are you planning miss?" The maid curiously asks.
The next day, as per scheduled, Kimiko's service car arrived at a prestigious tower hotel in Nishishinjuku to which the pair of employer-employee disembarks at the parking lot. They entered inside via the venue a backdoor to obviously to not get the attention of news in the front driveway.
After all, they were entering a den of wolves, clowns, and pretenders. And well, annoying reporters and paparazis to some extent.
It was a party that involves select high ranking politicians in the entire Japanese archipelago to which, luckily enough for Kimiko, his father classifies enough as one. What were they celebrating? Well...
Kimiko doesn't care.
As they made their way inside, the two just ignores everyone and everything, and moves forward to the objective. Groups of well-dressed men and women in business and fashionable attires, long white tables filled with eat-for-all buffet, she ignored all of it.
Kimiko just moves forward and out of nowhere, she gets close to her primary target-
"Occhan!"
"Oh! What a surprise!"
-And she hugs him, her father, in one leg. Kimiko then let's go while her father faces Kimiko to kneel and pats her head affectionately.
"How's school yesterday?" Her father asked.
"Good!" The daughter happily answers.
A man in a sleek business suit followed by a few security personnel approaches the father and daughter pair. "Who is this?"
"She's my beautiful daughter. Kimiko," The father faces the man and replies.
Meanwhile, Kimiko looked at the man and raised an eyebrow in surprise, seeming recognizing that this man is instantly the Prime Minister of Japan...well, at least anyone outside of Japan only knows him as the PM of Japan for time immemorial since the start of the millenium for some reason, until his unfortunate assassination in 2022, a year before she reincarnated as Kimiko in this new, similar world.
'….Shinzo Abe? That was….oddly unexpected...so he was the PM this term?'
"Ah I see. It's her?" The man seems to have been already told to and looks delighted. Kimiko then politely stands up before the highest-ranking political figure of Japan and greets him with grace.
"My name is Fushimi Kimiko, It is an honor to meet you Mr. Prime Minister." Kimiko said while emitting a smile that rival an angel, and bows perfectly at a precise 15 degrees. The PM happily responds in kind and bows too. Kimiko extends her hand towards the charmed Prime Minister, to which, he responds in kind... unaware of the sinister intentions of the harmless and innocent looking child.
'Apologies PM, but I need an insurance.'
As their hands clasp and shake in unison, a single black-colored yet invisible chain link emerges behind Kimiko and wraps around the neck of the Prime Minister. The chain then immediately disappears from Kimiko's eyes alone.
"It's my honor as well." The Prime Minister then adds.
In an instant, she felt.. everything and everyone connected into her, or rather, every single Japanese alive that is covered by Japanese laws, are Japanese Citizens, and lived for 5 years. Including the dead ones.
Everyone.
Almost everyone.
She can sense that there are some exceptions. Also, her hidden stunt also proved another theory of hers relating to cursed energy when she connected to everyone.
'Huh. That was surprisingly easy. And he's...no, they're closer than I think.' She thought.
'Hmm...Should set up something and try pranking sorcerers?'
"She's a well mannered child." the PM said, contradictory tow what Kimiko was thinking at the time.
"Indeed. She's our angel. I invited her here to learn something about my work." Her father replied.
The conversation then started to get some traction between the two politicians,
Meanwhile, for a few seconds, she looks at her right hands he used to handshake, closes it -
'That weird...happy feeling….'
- and smiles while she closes her eyes in elation and internal happiness.
'Well...I am the Control Devil after all. Nothing to worry about.'
...
"Kimiko?"
"Oh! Sorry!" Kimiko snaps out of her happy daze and immediately joins the conversation. Kimiko asked a few innocent questions that a child would ask a person of power, e.g., the Prime Minister of Japan, and the PM answered it with a smile, and the girl writes a summary in a small notebook. After this was over, PM then bids his farewell to the two to talk to other people in the party.
The father and daughter plus the family maid then talk for a bit. Kimiko then asks her father if she and her maid go somewhere in Tokyo to have fun and maybe check out on her part-time work since the agency is close anyway, to which the father agrees quickly.
The father was then notified by some staff for some business and swiftly disappears within the crowd. Kimiko and Kafka both bid him a temporary goodbye.
Kimiko then starts to sit on an empty table and call… "Kafka, lets eat free lunch here before we go to our next business. We're guests here anyway."
"Eating lunch here...you're really too clever miss." The maid replies in amusement and also sits down with her master. The sight was strange for some who noticed them in the party but while she is a maid of the Fushimi family, she is not a part of the service employees in this hotel whom is tasked in the first place to serve everyone in the party. "Can't waste food that's already in front of us."
After eating, they went outside to take a short walk and also in request of Kimiko to see the famed Tokyo Metropolitan Building. She only saw it in pictures, videos, and other media like anime in the past but now, she can take a good look at the twin towers.
"Ah...that lunch was filling~" Kimiko happily said while patting her stomach.
"Kimiko-sama, so where to next?"
"I've already told Papa about our away business yesterday that we'll be having quote-unquote fun until Sunday and got some funds. Of course, we'll go home and leave normally and I don't actually plan to mess around till Sunday. So we're good in my next plan- The little cunning girl said in a very satisfied tone.
"- finding prospective employees is it?" the maid added.
Kimiko then sits down in a bench and gestures for her maid to also sit down with her.
"Yes, for now though, we don't want to be in the eyes of the world of jujutsu sorcerers. Any questions?"
"Why do you need another servant Kimiko-sama? And...can you tell me your plans are?" The maid curiously asks with a slight worry. Worry that she might not be up to the measure of her master after all this time.
"Fine. They're not strictly for hiring bodyguards per se, but also for unforeseeable contingencies in the future. And as for what the exact plan is, well, it's simple – a part of it, is...I want to make a government agency that deals with curses and jujutsu stuff here in Japan." Kimiko explains.
"From your story that you told me back then alone, it seems like traditionalism had taken too much root at the largest organization of sorcerers in this country and not adapting to the current stresses of society. I plan to at least take over all of that. And thus, I search for people with potential." Kimiko added.
"…" The maid then looked at the ground and starts to think deeply.
"Don't look so disappointed...I'm not replacing you." Kimiko assures.
"No...miss-" Kimiko then gets closer at the maid and pats her head. The maid then receives the affection and smiles happily.
"Thank you...Kimiko-sama." After some time, Kimiko stops patting her servant's head and sits back.
"Anyway…. do you have names for me?" Kimiko adds.
"I have, though it also includes ones that are affiliated with the Jujutsu society."
"No problem at all. We're going to replace them anyway" The little girl said with a devious look.
The maid then pulls out a small notebook laptop from her mini-duffle bag and after a three-level security authentication, she opens a file and it displays a short roster of people that the maid diligently researched through in the past month. The little girl then puts the laptop in her lap and views the prospective characters in the file, starting with...
"Hmm?"
...the first one being a mean-looking male with a small scar in his mouth, and the name was someone whom is somehow familiar to her. He caught her eye immediately.
'Toji Fushiguro? I didn't think I would see a familiar name here so soon. Is he Megumi's dad or something?'
She then continues to read on a decent brisk pace to understand the surface information about this peculiar man. His unparalleled physical abilities due to this so-called Heavenly Restriction, his study-before-attack tactics, his line of work, financial habits, and even previous family connections are all in there..
'Oh, he 's actually Megumi's and those twin's father? Huh...no wonder they all hate the Zenin Clan to some degree.' And there she confirms her suspicions immediately. 'Like Father, like children as they say'
"Looks he caught your attention already" The maid says out of nowhere, seemingly noticing the focus that her young miss on the man's pages.
"Yes. Can you tell me more about this...Mr. Fushiguro?" Kimiko asks.
"Ah that shi- dirtbag" The maid almost opens up with a cuss, seemingly implying that she may have some close experiences with this man.
"Ahem. well, compared to those in the list, I have a very personal experience with him." She mused.
'Right…' Kimiko thought, already expecting it.
Kafka then starts her story from way before she met her current employers in '95, just two years before Kimiko was born. She was actually a sorcerer that entered the country to study and "gather intelligence" Japan's jujutsu society because why not, and immediately managed to get the attention of the Sorcerer families.
She even tried to get close to the famed Six Eyes and Limitless user who was just relatively born from the Gojo Family out of curiosity and instinctively backed out.
There were a few nuisances here and there to which she squashed easily, being one of the strongest non-Japanese jujutsu sorcerers and all of that, until Toji Fushiguro came out of nowhere while fighting other sorcerers to get this one cursed tool, and they had a quick fight. She went toe-to-toe with this enigmatic man but his physical prowress won out in the end and she managed to escape with her life.
"He managed to wound you? Wait, is it that large scar in your back?"
"...Yes." The maid said in a dejected and annoying manner. "And-"
Toji Fushiguro's target was coincidentally her target as well. Kafka reasoned that this may be the one factor that actually saved her life. Immediately after that, she met Kimiko's parents to which she decided to just...retire. At least until that incident a year ago with her cute yet, deadly master.
"That's the short of it. What do you think Ojou-sama?"
"Hmmm… I like him. But I will read the rest first, then decide afterwards." The maid sighs. "I knew you would like him...he's the best in the field after all. At least out of all non-sorcerers."
"I see." The little girl then turned to the laptop and read the next pages, scrutinizing every detail if they're worth getting her attention.
'Let's see….'
'A genius law student….but he's a recent graduate from Jujutsu Tech… hoo...his domain will prove useful in the future….I'll mark him for future employment'
'Yuki Tsukumo? Isn't that the one that talked to the younger Todo in the anime? Hmm...there's more info but….only a guess on her abilities?"
Intrigued, the little girl asks her maid another question. "Kafka, what about this Tsukumo-san? Why is her ability a guess?"
"Ah her. I'm actually lucky and privileged that I even guessed her ability. It's related to mass manipulation. And as for her personality and such, she's a very free-spirited...spirit. She goes around the world to search for something." The maid explains.
"Did she tell you anything about that something?" Kimiko curiously asked.
The maid looked at the sky, seemingly trying to remember this very something. It was very remarkable thing that this Yuki said, but it seems like she does not remembe-
"Ah- I remember now-" The maid looked back at the curious little girl and mutters a sentence so revolutionary, that it seemed like daydream for the sorcerers of the 21st century.
"A way to get rid of curses once and for all"
Kimiko was wide-eyed for a short second. She was honestly surprised. Her maid also looked surprised to see that her little master have not thought of it.
"Huh...interesting. I never even thought of that. I'll mark her as well."
The little girl continues to scroll, but the rest are just...
'There's only a few pages left, I know Kafka already explained why most of curses manifest mostly in Japan, but...there should be at least one foreign sorcerers. Or are outsiders just weaker?'
...rabble trash for her.
"I'm done reading. I'm surprised that there isn't any more foreign sorcerers in your list. Other than you that is-" Kimiko said with a slight disappointment.
"I'm sorry Kimiko-sama, there isn't really that much outstanding people in the world of Jujutsu right now that's worth your time." The maid dejectedly said.
"I see. Well, in any case good work Sera. I think this should be enough for now. We have time on our side, as long as the Sorcerer Clans don't catch wind of us." Kimiko then closes the laptop and gives it back to her maid.
Kimiko then goes silent for some few minutes, thinking of what to do with the information she has right now. Her maid stayed silent for a while, respecting her master's time to contemplate and plan something naughty. And within just a minute or two, she concludes her "dark" plans and smiles.
"Say Kafka, can we contact Mr. Fushiguro now?"
"Contact, Yes I thi- EH- already?" Kafka was caught off-guard and wide-eyed by her question.
"Yes." Her master flatly replies once again.
"If he's around Tokyo, then we can. He's quite hard to find unless he wants to. He could be anywhere in Japan really..." The maid replies, dejectedly once again, already implying that it would be a chore, even for a maid of her caliber. Her prodigious master however, already knows that he's around somewhere close.
"Good. I'll leave that to you." The little master sadistically replies happily.
"Ugh...I'll try to call some of my old contacts-" The maid despondently said, until they were interrupted by an explosion from a high-rise building just a few hundred meters away from them.
Kimiko and then Kafka both sensed something very strong suddenly announcing their presence right in front of them. Possibly a response relating to that explosion.
In a distance, both of them saw two of the most recognizable figures of the current Jujutsu world.
'So I wasn't mistaken after all…' The small girl thought.
She looked at the other familiar looking slit-eyed guy, running towards the scene, and she immediately remembered who he was.
'...that guy...isn't that the monk from the anime? Why is he with Gojo right now?'
"Kafka, let's split up." Kimiko says as she begins to get closer to the spectacular specimen that is Gojo Satoru, stopping her maid on her tracks whom is or was following her.
"Kimiko-sama? Split up?"
Kimiko then looks directly at her maid, and her head tilts at someone they both recognized.
"I'll play with these two. Maybe earn some points with Fushiguro-san."
Meanwhile, some time earlier.
Two certain Jujutsu sorcerers were talking in circles on the circumstances around a certain sacrificial Star Plasma Vessel, in the rather almost empty Shinjuku Central Park.
"-but for real...I get why the curse user group is after her...but why does the star religious group want to kill her?" The white-haired sorcerer said while opening a can of soda he just acquired from a vending machine and drinking its contents.
The two then proceeded to walking in a silly manner while currently looking unmotivated getting closer towards their mission.
While they were discussing the circumstances around the sacrifice, not that it can be worded any more less than that; The two, or rather, at least anyone sensitive enough to feel it, regardless if they're a Jujutsu sorcerer, a les-than-normal person, or a sentient enough curse, had felt something odd just happened all around them.
A sense of dread and uncertainty had suddenly and simultaneously swept all across Japan for a good second.
And of course, the strongest sorcerer felt it the most.
It was clear that even with his Six Eyes shut off, Gojo's already heightened senses received this..."event" the worst.
Even he could not deny that something bad just happened…
... And for the first time on his happy and carefree life, a hint of sudden dread and anxiety started to envelop the heart and mind of one Gojo Satoru. Enough for him to feel a bit threatened.
As soon as this wave disappears, his friend and him stopped walking and faces filled very serious and tense facial expressions than earlier.
"What was-" asked by Geto, still wide eyed and skin hair raised on this something that just happened.
"I know. Get ready." Satoru replies, while immediately activating his Six Eyes. Geto immediately sensed something wrong had just happened. And Gojo, for the first time in his friendship with him, had shown an expression and state he have not yet seen at all in his life.
Fear…. maybe.
Gojo, suddenly drenched cold sweat scanned in a frenzy all over the place to find anything off. His Six Eyes scanned through buildings, people around walking, the sky, every single thing and everyone he can see with his vision, just to find nothing of note except a few non-sorcerer individuals with a bit higher than normal cursed energy, just walking around.
"Tch. That was it?" Gojo annoyingly said after letting out an exasperating sigh, and Geto seeing that he probably took control of his emotions rather quickly, Geto also let out a sigh, but one of relief.
For now.
"Satoru...are you alright?" Geto asks.
"I'm good." Gojo replies, albeit still sounding with a tone of caution.
"Looks like we shouldn't underestimate our mission...if that event was related at all anyway. And, no doubt not only us had sensed that wave of unease," Geto added.
Gojo's flipphone then rings from his left pocket, to which it slightly jumped the two as the tension did not really go away yet completely. They sighed of relief as they immediately deducted that it was just someone calling.
Gojo opens the phone and sees that Yaga-sensei is calling him. "Hello?"
"Gojo! Are you two alright!?" The one on the other side of the phone said in a panic.
"Sensei...don't tell me." Gojo, hearing Yaga-sensei is genuinely worried and panicked, put together the pieces and theorized that it is related to the event they just felt a minute ago. All the while, Gojo put the call in loudspeakers so as to Geto can hear their conversation.
"Wait, you felt it there too?" When Yaga-sensei asked this question in a surprised tone, Geto also immediately pieced it together, this event happened simultaneously in other places too.
"Yes... one of our managers here are currently talking to sorcerers in Kyoto, and there were some poeple just felt the same, some sorcerers who are specializing in sensing curses were hit bad... were….speaking of something, gibberish. Seizures to some. There's also reports of sensitive enough non-sorcerers witnessed to panic out of nowhere all over the country. In any case… I do not know if this is related at all to your mission but-"
Their sensei's panicked tone earlier quickly shifted into something that they haven't heard or well, seen from their usual loudmouthed mentor. "...what the hell?"
"...Sensei?" Geto worriedly asked.
"-wha-...happening?…-they finally spoke?" In the background the two heard on the other side sporadic words indicating that their sensei is talking someone about something. "Sensei, can you keep the line open?" Geto asked to which their teacher obliged. "Yes."
They waited for a good minute for something to go through, with only some occasional noticeable thumps and incomprehensible its and bits of human speech within the silence, their mentor and Shoko-chan are among few voices they recognized…. until no sound was heard a few minutes later.
The two were getting impatient, their anticipation was getting higher and higher every second, and the tension from the unknown wave of threat that did not really go down was amplified even more.
And then silence suddenly turned into static noise...
….slowly but gradually getting loud and louder.
"sHssssssshhshshsH…."
Nothing but static.
"...ssshhshhshsSHSsSSSSHHHShhHH…"
The only thing that the two knew was to wait.
"...SshshsshHSSHHHHSHHSHSHSHHHHHSHSHHSHSHHSHHHHHSH..."
Something is coming. And they know it. So they waited...
...and waited…
"...ShhsHSHSHHHHHSHSHHSHSHHSHHHHHHHHHSHSHHSHSHHSHHHHHHHHHSHSHHSHSHHSHHHHHHHHHSHSHHSHSHHSHHHHHHHHHSHSHHSHSHHSHHHHHHHHHH…."
..and waited….until….
"...SHSHHSHSHSHHHHHHHHHHHSSSSSSSSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHHHHSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHSHSHHHSSSSSSHS..."
…out of nowhere, in this cacophony of the loud static, a flat absence of noise abruptly makes itself present.
"..."
And all of the sudden...silence was finally broken.
"...the end is coming..."
The conclusion they long awaited is here, even though the time passed is but a mere afterthought in reality.
The dam of tension and pent-up emotions broke open. Questions flooded their mind as to what was those words meant. 'Iss rhis related to their mission? The end is coming? What is happening to this sorcerer? Are they struck by a curse technique?'
But this wasn't the end, just yet.
"...sh….shhh….-C...co...Conquest is coming...s...she is c...c-coming!"
"!?" More information came, but alas! It produced more questions and the anxiety produced by the unknown grows-ever more.
And then….
"-THE DEVIL OF CONQUEST IS COMING! THE END IS NEAR! THE DEVIL OF CONQUEST-CONQUEST-CONQUEST-CONQUEST-CON CON CON CONCONCONCONCONCON -"
"...What...is this?" Geto said in cold sweat, still wide-eyed with this...revelation while the rambling still continued, seemingly unending.
Gojo didn't look as much as affected by this, but internally, confusion infused with the anxiety and tension made him feel a bit vulnerable. Unnoticed under his uniform, he has goosebumps, raised like a proud American flag. He was so focused that he was unaware that his Infinity and Six Eyes were running at almost maximum.
It is a broad daylight afternoon, there were not that much cloud to cover, small birds were chirping happily, a few salarymen and ntoot were walking towards wherever they have business, cars go to and fro, people, non-sorcerers just went on with their mundane lives as always.
A very peaceful day. And yet, to those two, and almost everyone aware of the event and this terrifying revelation that may or may not give a clue to this dilemma, had them frightened to some degree.
It was something out of a psychological horror novel, and yet, it felt they were inside one.
With them being the cursed victims fated to face the horror itself.
"..."
Then...another eerie silence arrived...
"…"
"…..."
"..."
"…..S̷̼͂ ̸̩͆̌͜H̵̱́͌ ̷̬͈̒Ě̸̩ ̵̢͑͂ ̶̼͙̽I̸̞͉̊ ̸̥̾̏Ś̸̩͜ ̶͇̔̈ ̵̫̬̓H̸̆͜ ̸͇̒E̵̹̖̾ ̶̦̟͗R̶̫̎͝ ̴̯̰̋̔E̶͎̽ ̶̭̉̀.̵̙͠…"
The multi-faced voice, dominated by a woman's voice mixed with other human voices of various ages and sex, reverberated inside their minds sending a message. The speakers the phone also spoke of it. However, In Gojo's case, a singular reverberating young woman's voice whispered the phrase to Gojo's left ear directly.
It made him jump in surprise and frantically looked around in a panic, ready to blast to atoms whoever just whispered in his ear, only noticing nothing extraordinary of note to see.
"Gojo?"
While scanning around, his peripheral vision spotted an unusual amount of black crows flying away from a single spot in until a second of static returned once again, and silence came back too.
"..."
Afterwards, some familiar voices occupy the silence, they couldn't tell what they were saying, but they can tell that they are some degree of genuine negative emotions filling up the space. Panic, questions flying everywhere, someone telling others to calm down. It signals that it might be the end of this short horror story. But for the two, and everyone else that has heard or seen this directly, it was not the end.
"Sensei...are you still there?" Geto asked, worried that the most unsettling call they ever heard in their lives might have actually did something to everyone on the ether side.
"…"
Once again, silence answered and it unnerved them once more…
...at least for a good ten seconds, and then a very familiar voice finally entered.
"Sorry, I put the phone close enough." Two sighed in relief. It was audible enough that Yaga-sensei actually heard them sigh. "Wait...don't tell me you two got spooked that much?"
"Don't scare us like that…" Gojo complained to which surprised their mentor, extremely surprised. "Gojo...You're scared? For real?"
"Shut up! I heard it whispering in my ear!" Gojo retorted.
Geto then asked, with genuine worry still present. "Sensei...what is happening in there?"
"I...already told you, but really...we do not know yet. That fit earlier was the first though. And don't worry, they are already stabilizing that poor sorcerer." Yaga-sensei returns to his worried tone once more and sighs. "...For now, focus on your mission, we'll investigate this matter ourselves for now. Tsk, talk about bad timing when fly heads are very numerous this season..."
"Got it, contact us immediately if something comes up." Geto replied.
Both then simultaneously hang up the call. Gojo then puts his flip phone back to his left pocket.
"…..What is even happening today?" Geto said.
"in the surface, it doesn't look like we're hit by a technique or anything right now, my Six Eyes is open all this time…I can sense that there is something but I can't in the life of me figure out what it is exactly" Gojo said, still contemplating on the nature of the very recent events. "Calm down for now, panic will be mistake." Of course, Geto wasn't that much indifferent and was also in complete confusion internally. "Got it..."
Geto then posed pensively, seriously trying to figure out if anything makes sense on what just happened.
"...Devil of Conquest...end times…" Geto muttered on himself.
"Suguru?"
"- No...Nothing. We should focus on our current mission. I'll tell you what I think later, we're-" He then snaps out of it.
All of the sudden, their senses moved their attention to another surprise event behind them.
An explosion on the 45th floor of the left tower of the Tokyo Metropolitan Building Twin Towers, which was the observation deck that was miraculously closed off today because of the party that included the Prime Minister of the country is just a few tens of meters away. But of course, they were not aware of this and only knew that it is the meeting place to escort the Star Plasma Vessel into Tengen-sama.
With this, duty called to them, Geto automatically ran into the scene after witnessing that their very mission to protect is currently grabbed by gravity, mysteriously unscathed by the explosion. And Gojo immediately activating his Six Eyes and Limitless back to its peak. The two are now very determined to finish this mission perfectly, compared to their lazy attitude earlier.
Opposite of them were normal people in the vicinity, whether they're inside some building or not, they're either frozen while staring at abrupt and absurd interruption of their ordinary lives, some still able to call the police and or firemen in panic, or just running away haphazardly. This could be some kind of gas leak, but this was the Tokyo Metropolitan Building.
If there's anyone bold enough to create an explosion inside a civilian government building out of all places, more so that it is a twin-tower structure, it would be terrorists.
And regardless if one is a sorcerer or not, this is a terrorist act, but not one a non-sorcerer would guess the reasons for. The Star Plasma Vessel is in the air falling to her potential death after all.
As Gojo looks to the scene while Geto just summons curses he controls, something else called the attention of the eponymous strongest sorcerer. His Infinity stopped a group of knives midair and at the origin, a...man was leaning at a railing, looking down at Gojo. Probably a member of this Q organization.
He wore some kind of edgy uniform cosplay of a mix of a red cape, white beret with some symbol on it, a white long coat, a black long-sleeved polo under- well...Gojo Satoru couldn't care less now as the mystery of this Conquest Devil itched him the most.
"You're Gojo Satoru, right? You're famous. I hear you're strong. Let me find i-" The cosplaying terrorist was abruptly interrupted- "Sorry, but I have no mood for weird cosplayers now."
The cosplaying terrorist noticed that this white-haired kid was angry or maybe frustrated for some reason. And yet, he did no see this as a warning sign that he should probably just surrender or run. But he was unaware that he's an idiot and only saw the hundred-thousand yen prize if he or they SOMEHOW defeat the strongest sorcerer in all of Japan...maybe.
"Hah?"
"I don't want to get yelled at for going overboard….but like it matters now." Gojo said. "I advise you to cry and apologize now, I won't kill you and you're going to answer my questions. That's my demands."
"Damned brat!"
Meanwhile, a mere twenty meters away, the very culprit, the Control Devil is observing them via a few of her crows while she was behind a structure, making sure that she hid all of her curse energy so as to not get flagged as a sorcerer-level entity by Gojo's Six Eyes.
She is currently savoring every moment she was witnessing, after all…
...she may have just scared off the entirety of Jujutsu Society of Japan, and unexpectedly even scared off THE Gojo Satoru out of all people. Younger and maybe lest powerful, unless she confirms it of course, but still, it is an achievement nonetheless.
'Huh...even the juvenile and more arrogant version of Gojo Satoru ending even this scared' She thought to herself. She then looks at the explosion once more and connected the pieces together.
'But...what is this Star Plasma Vessel? Did I just stumble upon a crucial event of this world that I did not know about?'
Kimiko felt that this is important.
"…Interesting."
A new factor unknown to the reincarnator had popped up, she needs information, and with that information, she can plan something out, and with that plan, action comes forth, stirring up the chaos called reality once more.
The little girl deviously smiles.
At a nearby building, one of the only few hidden-in-plain-sight places that a row seat of the events unfolding, a tall and well-built muscular man wearing a tight black T-shirt and a loose white pants held together by a tied cloth as a belt.
Across him is a...rather unimpressive almost middle-aged Korean man that mediates business for his "friend" and fit the role of someone who has some hand in manipulation on how the assassination will proceed in their favor.
They had just finished discussing if ever the tall man agrees to join a new assassination gig...to which he did agree to participate a few moments ago. Thinking that their business is already done, they start to take steps to leave, but the door behind them that they do not expect to open at all, well... opened.
A relatively young-looking foreigner woman entered the premises unobstructed. She has a blonde hair that she tied in a messy ponytail, wearing a large circular glasses over her bright blue eyes, and wearing a French-styled maid uniform, an unusual choice for someone just strolling in the streets of Japan, unless you're in Akihabara.
The two, not expecting any visitors, were on guard. The maid just, ignored them and walks closer.
"Who are you?" The mediator asks. The maid does not answer though she tilted her head towards looking directly at the tall man, and she sighs, seemingly disappointed him. Meanwhile, the tall man, squinted his eyes and squeezed his memories until something sparked again in his brains' neurons. And indeed, it sparked, made him remember of someone.
"Oh...OH! If it isn't Kafka-chan? It's been years. You survived all of that?" The tall man said.
"As always, you're quite annoying Toji-kun. Of course I'm alive. But thanks to you, I'm a little hesitant on wearing bikinis." The maid replied snarkily.
"Heh." The infamous Toji Fushiguro chuckled. "So, are you coming back to business?"
"Not quite accurate. We're not after the Star Plasma Vessel. My mistress is not even aware of the vessel's existence just yet...maybe." The maid seemed to doubt her own words, knowing that he own master might have already know about this already. "And even if she knew about it, frankly she won't care anyway." And so she adds.
"The bounty's big though?" Toji retorted, and the mediator knowing Toji for years, complained a bit. "Oi oi, I didn't think you even had woman friends in this business!?"
"We just know each other from some jobs in the past. Fought her one time." Toji explained.
"So?" And the unfazed maid voices herself once more.
"So…ah yes, the assassination of the vessel-" Toji then starts to explain, and then was cut off immediately, to which he just shrugs off due to how long she knew Kafka. "I already know how much this cult offers. I can earn that much in a normal month of being a maid-bodyguard. Excluding bonuses, paid leave, government benefits and such."
"So you weren't actually just cosplaying?"
"That's your concern?" The maid retorted back.
"Don't be such a bore, this way is quicker." Toji protested.
The maid sighs heavily. She opens her mouth, inhales deeply, and…..
"I don't want an unemployed slacker dad like you who just uses it for gambling to tell that to me, I have an honest job, I live peacefully with 3 square meals under a decently-sized mansion, I'm loved by the most adorable and powerful girl in existence, I have very understanding employers, I have insurance among other benefits... and again, pay is good, so no, I'm good."
The two beside her are dumbfounded. Maybe less so about the answer she gave, but because said all of this in one breath. There was an awkward silence until-
"Pfft...unemployed slacker dad…no wonder..." Kong chuckled in the background. Toji heard it and scoffed in a rather annoyed manner. "Shut up!"
The maid then finally starts to explain her reasons of being present in front of them. "For starters, I came as a representative of a potential client for you. My young master is quite impressed with your abilities."
"Really now?" Toji is intrigued but still in disbelief.
"Yes. While I would be more than enough to fill that role if needed-" Kafka said in a harder tone and then the maid's eyes then glared to Toji... and she continued explaining."-I'm here convey that she wants to hire you in the future if opportunity comes. And she's willing to cover for an insurance if you agree, of course, it's not just the usual insurance, she can cover you from Gojo if ever he comes after you."
Toji then crossed his arms, still skeptical. "That's oddly specific. So you're only after my contact number? And, are you really sure she can cover against that Gojo?"
"Of course. The world of sorcery is much too backwards to even know that my magnanimous and powerful mistress exists. That Gojo is no match for her." The maid said in a proud, blunt manner, chest puffed and all of that. And...this made Toji's left eyebrow lift, still in slight disbelief.
The Sorcerer Killer after some few seconds of thinking then smiles, showing that he's a little interested. "Heee...so, how powerful is she?"
"You'll see in a few moments." The maid promptly replies, and pulls out a military-grade binoculars out of her mini-duffle bag and gives it to Toji. He then inspects the binoculars for a second and senses that it is a cursed tool of some sort as it emitted a faint cursed energy signature. There were runes inscripted, nordic runes, which was something that a foreign sorcerer like Kafka would have a relation into.
"She'll play with those two strongest sorcerers like children that now I just know, is tasked in guarding the vessel. I don't know what it entails but I can see how she can defeat those two very easily" The maid assures them. Still, not knowing Kafka's mysterious master, Toji is still skeptical.
However, it is more rooted for the reason that she was talking about an impossibility than Kafka's credibility. "...that Gojo is the strongest you know? Really?"
But the maid stood her ground, as she proudly describes her master with no hesitation nor doubt that she can overcome this impossibility.
"Really. You already know me for years. I know my boundaries. Even I years ago tried to get close to that Gojo kid, well…I did got relatively close enough to know I couldn't defeat him, ran away, and just forgot about it. That is until..."
While the maid was explaining - in the very place the explosion happened, Toji witnesses that crows suddenly appear out of nowhere while his targets were relaxing, and the monster that is Gojo Satoru, was just got thrown into a wall as indicated by the curse energy seen through the binoculars. He then notices that small girl, probably no more than at least between a late grade-schooler to an early middle schooler, appears out of nowhere, and then throws a two-pronged 7-foot black spear that she held, and throws it at the direction of where Gojo ended up to.
Meanwhile, Gojo's friend that Toji doesn't know the name of nor care, looked compliant and remained sat at the sofa when the same small girl whispers something at the high-schooler's ears while her small hands were pointed to his cheek like a gun, in a gun-like gesture. Possibly a curse technique. Gojo's friend seemed shocked at the events unfolding before them.
"...I met Kimiko Ojou-sama. She's probably the most terrifying and powerful sorcerer, no, being that I've met. I highly doubt you would even survive against her. And don't you worry, pay is good."
This small girl indeed played with the de facto strongest sorcerers of the modern age like some amateur school children, defeated them in within 22 seconds when Toji counted, and could've killed them if she wanted.
Toji was undeniably, to some degree, impressed.
"...Can't say I'm not interested."
The maid smiles.
A while earlier….
Gojo was already cooking up his Blue to incapacitate this cosplayer. However….
"Hey you!"
...A small girl with red-hair and strange yellow eyes that he actually saw earlier while scanning frantically around when the "Event" occurred, just materializes unnoticed between them, and looks directly at the weird cosplayer. He did not notice her at all until she made herself present. Not at all.
She wore a kid-sized beige overcoat with a hint of a skirt and a white uniform paired with a red-black striped bow, probably a winter uniform from some prestigious all-girls school, though there was no stitched badge on her clothes, so it must be some kind of fashion choice. Other than that, her red randousel bag that hangs behind her emits a noticeable amount of cursed energy, consistent enough to indicate that it is a cursed tool, or may contain one.
This small interruption immediately made Gojo forget his frustration for some reason. He became a little interested with this girl instead. He considered that maybe there is a small chance that she is a cursed user. If it was any other girl, he would just finish this quickly and find her parents or something.
Lastly...it was a bit strange that she did not pay attention to him first, the beautiful specimen called Gojo Satoru.
"Huh?" Voiced by the cosplayer. And the girl just continues gaslighting the weird cosplayer terrorist.
An odd sight to be sure but a welcome one for Gojo to witness. So he lets her cook.
The girl the points at the terrorist cosplayer and like any sassy child that needs discipline would annoy someone, she puts her arms in her waist and starts her lecture in a deliberately annoying and cheeky manner.
"Yes you, you weirdo cosplayer! Are you stupid? Is there anyone else that looks like a chuunibyou ossan cosplaying out in daylight here? I'm calling the police on you. Gross. You're after male high schoolers? Heh, maybe you're also the terrorist behind that explosion? Weirdo-"
"Huh?!" - again, was his only reaction, angry reaction that the terrorist cosplayer had. Gojo just enjoys this and chuckles internally in the sidelines, now totally forgetting the effects of that psychological horror event minutes ago.
"Don't haah me, I caught you in the act! Gross! Trash!"
"Looks like I have to shut you off first you fucking brat." The terrorist just loses his composure even more to the point that veins appear on his head, giving in to the childish threats of this maybe-sorcerer kid. He then forgets that Gojo exists and walks towards the annoying child in fear of actually summoning the police.
But...the small girl wasn't finished gaslighting the poor terrorist cosplayer. It was his fault anyway, being dressed weirdly as the girl already pointed out.
"Eh? So you're after small girls like me too? Lolicon! Gross!"
"Shut your trap or else!-" He now resorted to actually pulling knives out, well, they're tasked with killing the Star Plasma Vessel which IS another young girl, so it won't be out of their job description to commit crimes against humanity by killing children.
Though…Gojo sees that he may not need to intervene at all.
"Or what?"
The girl pulls out her Child Protection Buzzer and threatens to pull the switch. The terrorist cosplayer stop at his tracks and actually made him think for a second. Gojo can only imagine what kind of questions and thoughts the terrorist cosplayer has on his head right now and maybe just surrender.
But he's an idiot, so there were no rational thought behind the weirdo's skull.
"Tch! Like I care about the police!" He then runs at the girl while screaming, knife in hand. He completely loses his earlier composure. Gojo sees that the kid was already gathering curse energy at the buzzer, setting up something…
...but it was a misdirection. The girl smiles even wider. She definitely is setting up something but one that Gojo did not expect.
As the comparably larger and bulkier man close into the girl, amateurishly raising his arm to stab the small girl, and when he starts to plunge the knife above, the knife was just thrown away from his hand and into the air without the knife even coming too close to her head, Gojo can see that there's still some distance away from her head.
'A barrier?' Gojo thought while the kerfuffle isn't finished yet. 'So she's actually curse user this skilled and powerful? This kid? I mean her control earlier was impressive but this is something else.'
The man then pulls out another knife but before he can even do that, the most unthinkable for a small girl of her build and size just happened. She high kicks, literally lifting the man up, between his legs and the man screamed in hellish pain while still in mid-air.
AND while still in mid-air, the girl had already postured and winded herself up to a mid-air roundhouse kick combo to the head and directly to the terrorist cosplayer's core, and the man ended up flying into a tree faster than a speeding car, normally disobeying the laws of physics that her body mass and build normally allows her to.
'A curse technique', Gojo thought. 'Body enhancement? No, while there was curse energy flowing inside her, it is not consistent enough as body enhancement.'
"Ew...gross...I shouldn't have kicked him there" The small girl looked unscathed, actually grossed out the she felt the man's…now pulverized manhood.
Gojo then started to scan the kid and found more peculiarities. The randousel bag was indeed a cursed tool of some sort, the most modern looking one he has seen in his entire life….but the very dark horse of this mystery girl is the girl herself. He just notices something inhuman about her, yet she is human in make.
A thought came to Gojo Satoru's mind. He entertained the idea that this girl might be…
'There's no way...'
"Um...missy?" Gojo spoke, breaking the silence between them. "Yes?"
"….impressive." Gojo does not just compliment someone, he IS Gojo Satoru, he rarely looks at others besides himself and probably his close friends and acquaintances, like Suguru, but this girl is a new exception.
"Thank you." Said the girl in a genuine appreciative tone, a stark contrast to the cheeky demeanor she displayed prominently earlier.
"Where did you learn how to use curse techniques?" He asked this question to test how she responds, and depending on her answer, she might have learned this herself, or had someone outside of the known Jujutsu society or at least an unregistered sorcerer teach her to be this extremely skilled.
"Cursed techniques?"
And…there's his answer. Gojo is still wary that she might be up to something, though her genuine expression of cluelessness, confirmed by his six eyes by seeing that her facial expression, gestures, and such as she answered, spoke volumes that she doesn't know sorcerers at all.
"Looks like you really don't know anything at all"
Then the small kid asked him- "If I may ask, what's your name?"
And of course, knowing that she cannot let go of this girl now that he knows that she could be a potentially high-ranking sorcerer in the future, he answers truthfully. He did not forget his mission for today, nor the freak event that happened minutes earlier, but he cannot let go of this opportunity.
'She would probably impress enough people back there.'
"Gojo Satoru, the Strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer." He answered.
"Sorcerer? Strongest?" The small girl mockingly said.
Suddenly, a spike of ominous curse energy emitted around the body of the little girl, as if Gojo was facing a special-grade curse. And it was enough for his body to automatically assume a stance to start up sending a Blue at her. He just subconsciously put himself into defensive mode automatically.
'Looks like my tension earlier is still here.'
"I may be ignorant of other individuals with superpowers or what-have-you abilities like mine until meeting you, but I don't think calling yourself the strongest is too egocentric for someone who may not have been even outside of Japan yet. Not that I'm a foreigner or anything."
'So that earlier was all an act then... Hm...maybe her aim is actually me?'
"Egocentric? I'll take that as a compliment. But you're sounding one yourself you know? And I think you're way too baby to be using those words." Gojo fights back.
"Sure, because that is my nature. But I'm not a baby, nor I am an ignoramus that spouts 'I am the strongest' every time I introduce myself. But I'm confident enough that I can make you eat your words right now if I wanted." This ticked Gojo Satori a bit, but he let's it go.
Her curse aura then intensified even more, and then...it just calms down quickly as it heightened."- But I won't."
Gojo then reverts to standing neutrally in response.
She then walks, closes the distance, and stands tall in front of Gojo Satoru.
"Let me introduce myself..."
Now ever closer, Gojo notices even more things. She looks….rather emotionless despite her small smile.
And her eyes, her unusual, possibly inhuman yellow iris with rings on her eyes that drew his attention... it seemed like these eyes pierced through his soul as he looked at her with his own blue Six Eyes. It made him a little unsettled. It wasn't normal. So as himself really...
"...well, for now, just call me…"
...but this is different. She is different. Fascinatingly different.
And she may be not a human after all.
"...Makima."