New chapter Yay! only took like 3 weeks.

Anyways I hope you all enjoy it.


The Butterfly Effect


Chapter 9


October 4th, 2018

"Yuuuuutaaaa"

"Rika, find Itadori in the fire." Yuuta commanded, covering his face with his hand. Quickly lower it revealing the marks belonging to the Inumaki clan.

He turned to where the large curse was surrounded by his friends, Roots in its head, black splotches and dots covering its body.

Yuuta directed reversed cursed energy towards his tongue, aiming his energy carefully so as to not encompass his friends. He cleared his throat as spoke his command.

"Die."

Instant effect. The being of negative energy exploded on the spot, its dark purple bloods spewing everywhere. Yuuta didn't have time to worry about his friends who were now covered in it though.

Yuuta shot off in the direction he saw the mystery man take Maki. Anger and purpose fuel his momentum, exponentially increasing his speed.

'I'm coming, Maki!'


52 seconds prior…

Just before the two domains were Broken…

"Ah….shit that hurt." Yuuji groaned as he rose to his feet. He had no idea what had hit him, but whatever it was it hit hard.

'Probably was one of the curses. It must've snuck up on me. Damnit, I gotta get back to the rest of them!'

"C'mon let's move Yuuji!" The boy chastised himself.

"You're not going anywhere, in fact-"

Yuuji turned around and saw a large fireball in the hands of a familiar light blue-greenish looking being. It was the curse that had "fought" Gojo.

'Fuck'

The curse smiled morbidly, "I remember being made to look like quite the fool in front of you. Let's change that." The curse then tossed the fireball into the air. And while it was at its zenith I'm height, the ball of heat energy multiplied in size almost tenfold.

'Fuck!'

Yuuji stood shocked and unprepared; he had nothing to defend himself against this.

But as the fireball closed into the area they were standing it then split into thousands of smaller orbs of destruction.

'He's not targeting me…he's targeting the land!' Itadori realized with alarm.

Sadly Yuuji was helpless as the small globes of fire rained down across the forest. Soon every tree was covered in flames, smoke rising into the air. The already orange sky started to darken, the sky looking for akin to murky water then a youthful sunset like previously. The whole forest was going to burn down, along with all living sorcerers in it.

"You humans can't take heat of this caliber for very long. As the fire spreads the air will become more unbreathable, it will become toxic, filled with carbon. It will finish all of you off well before the fire does." The curse's grin was haunting.

He was right. The fire would only spread. It would only grow. But that wasn't all, Itadori knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but he knew hot carbon and harmful elements trapped inside a barrier sounded a lot like what his school teachers would say happened to the planet Venus. Some shit about bluehouse effect or something?

The situation was dire.

"Y-you'll kill us all!" The pink haired vessel shouted, In return the small creature only croaked out small chuckles.

"No. Curses such as us are immune to such effects. We can only be killed through cursed energy or positive energy."

'What do I do?! How can I help? Think Yuuji! Think!'

He searched his brain for a possible solution, every crevice, every wrinkle, any wedge that might help him, yet he could think of anything.

The only thing he could do was fight. If he killed the curse maybe the fire would stop since it might be linked to his cursed energy. That might not even be true but Yuuji knew he had to try something.

Or death was inevitable.

'Hey brat…'

Yuuji was now inside the inmate domain he had been previously killed in. Standing in front of the person who killed him, twice technically.

'S-Sukuna?! Get me out I-I don't have time for this!' Yuuji stammered, astonished at his current position.

'Shut up and listen.' The rough growl echoed from the always annoyed king of curses.

Yuuji would never obey a command from someone as disgusting as this monster but it wasn't like he truly had a choice.

'…'

'Good. I'll only say this once so listen up…'

Sukuna was sitting on his usual throne-like structure of skulls. It looked more like a pile of garbage than something magnanimous the famed "king of curses" would lounge around on.

'And I want you to know I'm only saying this because I have a vested interest in another matter. I could care less about someone as uninteresting as you dying.'

'Ok…' The young first year responded.

'The barrier you children are crying your minds out about, it's flexible. To trap cursed energy inside of it it needs to be able to interact with it, it needs to be able to touch against it.'

'S-so-' Yuuji began about to ask a question

'Quite.' Sukuna commanded.

'…'

'Veils have a set perimeter but the height is adjustable. No sorcerer would ever do something foolish enough as to bring the roof of a veil closer to the ground, so usually no one ever thinks about it.'

Yuuji wanted to act like he knew what Sukuna was trying to say but he really didn't. Thankfully the king of curses seemed to understand that, causing him to rub his temples with irritation.

'Lowering the top of a veil is like closing in the walls of a room, eventually it will crush what is inside of it, the effect is even more noticeable in a veil of this type, cursed energy will condense uncontrollably which always has disastrous effects. That's why almost all users raise the top to a high enough level that the area is habitable.' The calamity explained as simply as possible to the young teenager.

'Oh that makes sense. So we need to somehow lower the veil so that it gets rid of these curses. got it!' Yuuji exclaimed and he punched his fist into his other hand.

Sukuna only looked down in shame at the kid.

'You are actually much dumber than I thought. The air is getting hotter inside this barrier and you want to condense it? HA! I should let you die along with everyone else!'

Yuuji was surprised. He thought he had gotten the point of what Sukuna was trying to say. How would any of that…Science thing or whatever help him beat those curses?

'The roof is flexible. The top can interact directly with cursed energy. If cursed energy is strong enough it can push back against the force holding it in place.'

'Uhhhhhh'

Another growl emitted from Sukuna, 'Fucking hell. That other sorcerer kid with a large amount of cursed energy can push against the shell and raise the top. This will slow down the process of the air getting hotter.'

That actually made a lot of sense. Okkotsu has been pouring massive amounts of cursed energy into the veil already. It would likely be so full that any extra amount would be enough to push against its shape.

'Are you going to thank me brat? For giving you all the hope that you and your band of weaklings might live?'

'Ha! I'm never gonna thank you for anything Sukuna!'

And then he was back. Well technically he had never left. How long was he inside Sukuna's "world" or whatever. How much time had passed? As Itadori looked around he was still met with the bright red and orange flames that identified every tree and bush in the area. And the curse was still standing in front of him.

He didn't have time to worry about that though he needed to find his senior and tell him what to do.

Itadori took a couple steps back, increasing the distance between himself and the curse.

"Foolish human. You aren't fast enough to outspeed me."

Yuuji was about to respond when the two heard a loud, guttural, and primal screech. Almost like a roar.

The curse Jogo turned around and saw that the outer shells of Damon's domain had broken. The plan hadn't worked. The fire would have to be insurance, but the energy that Jogo was feeling right now was far more than the general unease Okkotsu caused no matter how far away he was.

This energy was sinister. It was twisted. It was ugly. And it was getting closer.

And closer.

Both Yuuji and Jogo were stunned. Their gazes fixated on the same point in the forest. Despite the aura of Yuuta Okkotsu filling the entire interior, everyone felt the shiver run down their backs when the rage of the queen was realized.

'Geto had warned us. We even saw her for a brief moment earlier. How could we have ignored her? The queen of curses.' Jogo thought to himself.

And it was true. Many times leading up to the exchange event the cursed spirit manipulator had warned his followers, several times, to avoid the vengeful curse Rika Orimoto at all costs. Though she might have passed on, her possessive grip on Okkotsu had never ceased, her obsession clung to him even with her true spirit in death.

The trees rustled, shaking. And emerging from them was the subject of their shared concern.

Yuuji looked in awe and shock at the massive, terrifying, and ugly creature that hovered above the two of them.

"Yuuutaaa…..Yuuji….Rrrrrrr"

"Wha-What?" Yuuji asked in a stutter. Then the monster grabbed him with a large clawed hand. Gripping him tightly. He felt like the air was being squeezed out of his lungs. The being was flying higher into the air now, away from the curse.

"Uhhhh, what are you…?"

"Rrrrrrrrrggggf…"

"Do you uh…know where Okkotsu is?"

"Ggggggggggrrrrr" the creature was growling but it did slightly nod its head. That didn't provide Itadori much comfort or dissuade his anxiety.

"I need to talk to him. It's important!" The first year tried explaining to the monster.

"Quiet! Yuuutaaaa. Yuuutaaaa. Yuuuutaaaa. Mmmmmmmm." The creature began to seemingly whimper Okkotsu's name. Chanting it almost sadly after violently screaming at Yuuji. The vessel decided to simply stay quiet.

"Yuuuuutaaaa. He's…he's…looking for…..for her!"

"For…for who?" Yuuji was confused beyond belief. There was no time for any guessing games. He needed to deliver this news to Okkotsu at all costs.

"HER!…rrrrrrrrrmmmmmm…her. her….just her….always her her her her!"

'What is going on?!'

"I need to tell him something. If I don't, everyone will die!"

"….hmph…."

"H-He needs to expel more cursed energy….so the uh the uh the uh…the barrier can move so the air doesn't get too hot and-!" Yuuji tried explaining, attempting to regather everything Sukuna had explained to him yet it seemed the white curse-like life form had no interest in his explanation.

"SHUT UP!…yuuuuutaaaa…..why her….this is our time….why…"

Itadori had no time to wonder why this thing was acting like this, or who this 'her' was.

"Please tell him. Everyone is going to die if you don't!"

Finally it seemed the being was seeing reason. It paused its flying in the air, before shooting off in a different direction, shockingly the creature was quite fast.

They flew through the air. To where, Yuuji had no clue. All he knew was that it was likely towards Okkotsu

And he was right. And wrong

Yuuji was able to make out the rough shape of Okkotsu moving through the forest at high speeds, however the creature made no attempt to bring him any closer, promptly throwing Yuuji towards the ground. Convenientl, he landed with his other peers

Yuuji looked left and right, at Fushiguro, Nobara, Todo, Panda and the many students still in his arms. Each of them looked shocked to see him as well, especially after he had been tossed by whatever that thing was earlier. Yuuji quickly stood and dusted himself off, already beginning to unbutton his sorcerer's coat; it was becoming unbearable in this rising heat.

"Fushiguro, We all gotta get out of here! The…the air is catching on fire!"

Megumi would normally look at his classmate with the utmost of disappointment. Proposing that the atmosphere would simply ignite was…foolish in almost all contexts. Right now though, Megumi was quite worried about the increasing temperature.

"Itadori, the air won't spontaneously catch light on fire, but now that this whole forest is on fire and there is nowhere for the carbon emitted by this fire to go because of this veil, it's only going to grow hotter!" Megumi informed, worry etched across his face and sweat rolling down his brow.

The alarm that shot across the majority of the other students perfectly encapsulated the dire situation. Some of the Kyoto students were beginning to wake as well, no doubt from the heat.

Mai and Miwa rose from their unconscious state, "W-what is happening?" The dark green haired girl asked, her voice grave and worried.

The air was sweltering. The students that were completely conscious, had already opened their and removed their sorcerer coats, leaving most clothed in their shirts they wore underneath.

"Fucking hell, God how the hell do we get out of his!?" Nobara cursed, breathing heavily trying to stand the heat.

Panda thanked the fact that he was a cursed corpse, he probably would have died of a heat stroke if he was an actual animal.

While most of the awoken students worried amongst themselves, furiously calculating what layers of clothes needed to be tactically removed in order to lower their body temperatures, Aoi Todo's genius intellect was at work.

"LISTEN UP EVERYONE!"

Immediately the student's eyes were on him.

"I HAVE ALREADY FIGURED OUT WHAT WE MUST DO THANKS TO MY 530,000 IQ."

If it were any other time, everyone in the area would have laughed at him, but now their eyes were dead set. Waiting for the answer that Todo would provide.

"WE HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME! AND THERE IS STILL AT LEAST ONE MORE CURSE OUT THERE.."

Another deep breath in from the fourth year.

"OUR BEST SHOT IS TO HOPE OKKOTSU CAN BUY TIME UNTIL HE BREAKS THE BARRIER. UNTIL THEN WE HAVE TO MOVE TOWARDS TO EDGE OF THE VEIL AND BE PREPARED TO LEAVE THE SECOND IT DROPS."

Yuuji gulped. Every single second counted. The longer they remained inside the lower their chances of survival got.

Once Todo finished his own command, assuming the role of leader as the most senior and strongest of the students present, Fushiguro began to speak as well.

"We have to bet on Okkotsu. But there is also another being we must watch out for besides the curses. Myself and Okkotsu saw a figure moving at incredible speeds earlier, it was able to enter domains at will. We must be careful to avoid whatever that was."

All of the students nodded towards Megumi, save for Mai who was looking around counting over and over for all of the students who were present at the moment.

The realization struck the Zen'in that her twin sister was nowhere to be seen. "Where is my sister?!" the girl asked a collective group of students, despair laced in her words and voice.

Nobara was also very concerned for her friend's safety. "We haven't seen her since the event started. Shit she could be anywhere!"

"N-No, I was with her earlier and….and we ran into some guy, he was a monster." Mai rambled.

Fushiguro joined the discussion, "some guy? What do you mean?"

Mai looked petrified as she recalled how some man who she had never seen before just suddenly appeared and threatened her and Maki.

"Tch, this is bad. Fuck. We don't have time to worry anymore about this, we will just have to place our hopes in Okkotsu. He would never let Maki die." Fushiguro attempted to comfort the younger Zen'in twin.

Todo had heard enough talking, he tapped both Yuuji and Megumi on the shoulder and began to run in the direction towards the outer shell of the veil, "C'mon! EVERYONE! We need to get moving!"

Yuuji nodded and stayed behind with Fushiguro and Nobara as Todo led the way for the students. The Tokyo students took the lead while the more injured Kyoto students stayed behind. Strategically they were betting on the strongest remaining upfront so they wouldn't have to worry about a direct attack.

As long as Okkotsu kept the curses preoccupied there hopefully wouldn't be any concern for an attack from behind.

"C'mon Kyoto! Pick up the pace." Fushiguro panted as he ran, he could feel his body temperature increasing causing sweat to gather in his hair more and more. Megumi knew he could use Max Elephant to summon a large amount of water but wanted to save that for a dire situation where it would be the difference between life and death.

Miwa squeaked in response, "We…We are trying!" Everyone was exhausted, trying to summon every ounce of their will to take another step forward and not pass out from the heat.

BOOOM!

"Shit. What was that?" Mai hissed.

"All you watch out we have company!" Todo yelled loudly.

Yuuji stopped and looked forward. It would seem the small fire curse was yet again attempting to halt their progress.

"Todo…what do we do? That curse can use a domain expansion and is far faster than us!" Yuuji exclaimed with force towards his new 'brother'.

His mind at work, Todo maneuvered through his brain. There must be a way out of this situation. Faced with a foe that was stronger than them, it would be impossible to face him on equal terms and protect all of the students.

Although his contemplation would be interrupted with a raging storm of chaos engulfed all of the students.

"RIKA!" Yuuta yelled as he moved at high speeds tailing the Mystery man.

As the two continued their cat and mouse chase Yuuta raced past his peers.

All of the students were astonished to see the two blurs shot past them, unable to be observed. However the volcanic curse also found himself dazed at the speed the two figures moved at despite being a speedster himself.

Jogo wouldn't get the chance to collect himself before the clawed hand of the queen of curses wrapped around him and threw him into the sky.

Orimoto then moved up with the airborne curse, and then slammed him back towards the ground with a harsh crash, a small crater left behind by the impact. The vengeful spirit wasn't finished though.

Todo took in the scene without blinking twice. This was the opening Okkotsu had given them.

"KEEP MOVING EVERYONE, AS FAST AS YOU CAN!"

It has been 2 minutes and 13 seconds since Rika Orimoto was fully Manifested…


Meanwhile

Outside of the veil, with the staff of Jujutsu High…

"Gojo, tapping your shoe on the ground won't solve anything." Utahime lectured.

Gojo simply ignored her, too wrapped up in his own worries.

This was bad. Toji Fushiguro was alive and he had sent his dedicated student in to fight him. It wasn't that Gojo didn't have faith in Yuuta but more that he felt guilty for thrusting even more responsibility onto his young protege. In the past week Gojo had relied on him so much, he really owed the kid one.

He had spent almost 20 minutes studying the composition of the veil after Yuuta had entered. He was able to deduce its nature fairly quickly.

It was a type of strict restriction veil; a barrier type that usually allowed either no entering from the outside or no one to leave from the inside. This veil was different, in exchange for letting anyone else enter and leave as they pleased the veil could discriminate against one entity completely: Satoru Gojo.

However, that led to another conclusion that worried Gojo more. This was 2 veils stacked on top of each other, a very impressive feat of sorcerer that required incredible cursed energy manipulation. For someone with the six eyes it would be easy, but whoever was behind this clearly knew their stuff.

"Gojo! Did you hear me!" Utahime again hollered.

"No."

"Goddamnit Gojo get your head out of your ass and listen, you have to be ready for when Yuuta lower the veil." She explained

"I'll be ready just fine."

"Gojo-"

Namami then entered the room, a cell phone that wasn't his own in hand. "Gojo, you're getting a call."

The white haired man turned towards his friend, standing on his feet and walking over to him. "Who is it?"

A drawn out pause followed his question.

"It's….it's the director."

"The…the director?! The hell is he calling here at a time like this!" Gojo exclaimed with anger and disbelief. Of all the times for the top of the ladder to want to talk to him, it was now?

The director, or the 'Jujutsu Commander'.That is the title of the figure who stands at the very pinnacle of the Jujutsu world. If the higher ups made the decisions on the politics of the sorcery world then the director enforced them. It wasn't a matter of strength but prestige and influence, the system was in the palm of his hand. He was a man Gojo had never seen in his entire life yet despised more than anyone.

The worst part was that Gojo was helpless to stand against him. The relationship between the Japanese government and Jujutsu sorcerers was facilitated through the private meetings between the director and them. If the director was killed, or passed away then it would be a disaster. It had happened before Gojo was born. For 2 weeks after the previous director died the sorcerer world unraveled; crime and terrorism were rampant, the power vacuum left behind was an abyss that every single political entity in the jujutsu world wanted for themselves. Information on the transition of power between directors is not available, it isn't attainable at all. All that is known is that for half a month jujutsu society had lost every sense of order.

No matter how much Gojo wanted to admit it, the director was necessary.

Yaga rose from his seat astonished, "Wait, are you serious Nanami? He's on the phone?"

The ratio user nodded and handed the phone over to Gojo. He took the phone into his hand and walked out of the spectators room and into a hallway.

Gojo was tentative in his greeting, "…Hello?"

"Hello Satoru."

That voice, that mechanical voice. Gojo had only heard it twice before. The first time he got a call from the director was after he killed Toji, the second after he killed Geto.

"What do you want?" Gojo asked without a care in the world for how rude he sounded. He might not be able to kill the director but that didn't mean Gojo wasn't still the strongest.

"Watch your tone Satoru, I am not those old fools you can run circles around."

"…"

"Now that we understand each other here is how this will go."

"Listen here you bastard-" Gojo muttered and the rage dropped into his words.

"Satoru. I will talk and you will listen."

"…"

"It has come to my attention that you have failed in your job to protect the next students of sorcery" the robotic voice muttered.

Gojo was shocked by the accusation lobbed at him, "The hell are you talking about?"

"The Tokyo-Kyoto exchange event has been compromised. Under your watch."

"Jack shit has been compromised! Everyone is fine!"

"The camera's your staff have been using to view the event transmit the video to our screens as well. We have heard every conversation inside this building and outside."

What. Was that really true? If so, how had he not learned of this fact? Did Yaga keep this information from him? Or was it Gakuganji?

"Worrying over nothing will get you nowhere Satoru. I suggest you not divide your attention."

"…"

"I was informed over a decade ago that you had killed Toji Zen'in, you refused us his body. So I think it is a reasonable question why my eyes saw the same serial murderer in the flesh, Hm?"

"I don't know."

"That answer does not satisfy me. Furthermore, I assume you have lost all contact with sorcerers now that all cameras have been turned off."

"You're calling at the wrong time, I think I'll have to get back to you later."

"Satoru, I will give you one warning. There will be consequences if you continue to deny me answers."

"You can't punish me, I'm the strongest."

"Your bravado isn't convincing in the slightest. Tokyo Jujutsu high school isn't special. It can be replaced, we can find another cog. Disobey me and you will be destroyed."

"You forget Tengen? You can't touch Tokyo Jujutsu high so long as a stable relationship must be maintained for Tengen's barriers."

"I did not forget Tengen. It is because of Tengen that you should take my threat seriously."

Gojo couldn't believe the conversation he was having. He had no idea how to even respond to the directors question in the first place, Gojo had no answers that he could provide.

"I don't have anything I can tell you, alright. The students will be fine, they are in capable hands."

An uncomfortable silence took the place of the conversation. A full minute passed before the mechanical and altered voice on the other end of the line spoke.

"Satoru. I'd like to meet with you."

"What…where is this coming from?!"

"It has been on my mind for almost 2 weeks. We will discuss your future as a sorcerer, a teacher and as a clan head."

"This is too sudden. You've never wanted to meet with me in the past so what changed?"

"It's simple. The council has concluded a secret vote; a vote on whether or not Satoru Gojo should be charged with conspiracy."

The world stopped for Gojo. Conspiracy? Him? No way. There is no way he could be charged with conspiracy. What for?

"I don't follow."

"For years and years you have defied the council, our highest members. You have flaunted your strength around in our face. Yet even after all these years you have taken no extraordinary measure."

"…"

"You are all bark and no bite. I was fine to use you for your strength, continue to let you roam around as you pleased because I understood that, in reality, you were harmless"

"Bastard."

"All you are is an obstacle in the system, a disease. You will only rot us from the inside. Your existence and your ambition is the conspiracy itself."

"You think you can threaten me? You think you can touch me?"

"I don't have to. Tonight you will book a flight to Jujutsu headquarters, all of us will have a civilized discussion. Should you not comply then everything you will have hoped to grow under your harmful influence will be replaced with more efficient cogs."

"I am Satoru Gojo. You can't tell me to do anything."

"Satoru. You are the strongest. That is it. Nothing more and nothing less. Obey my command or you will be deemed not simply a traitor to all of sorcery, but to the world itself."

This was happening. Satoru Gojo was being threatened and there was nothing he could do about it. The director could truly do what he was threatening, Gojo could be deemed a criminal all throughout the world, that was the influence the director had at his disposal.

If Gojo was deemed a criminal then that was it for his clan. The Gojo would be removed from the big three clans and that was something that Gojo knew he couldn't let happen.

"Alright. I have one condition. I will come to headquarters and compromise with you on whatever terms so long as you fulfill one condition."

Another silence. Eventually though, Gojo finally got an answer.

"What is your condition Satoru?"

"No matter what happens the Gojo clan cannot be removed from their role as one of the big three clans, they will keep their prestige and political power on the council."

"You have a deal, Satoru. I will see to it that the council cannot vote out the Gojo from their position as a clan or on the council."

"Alright. We have a deal then."

Gojo didn't bother to keep the call going after that, Hanging up.

His blood was boiling and his infinity was unstable as his cursed energy began to intensify. This day had gone to shit so quickly.

Gojo was unsure what to do at this moment. Confronted with another choice; should he go along with the demands of the system for the sake of the future, or destroy it all to start anew.

He already knew what he would choose. Gojo would make whatever sacrifice was needed to help his students. They won't understand it now but in the future he hopes that Yuuta and everyone else will understand the tough decision he was forced to make.

Gojo turned to walk back to the spectators room so that he could continue his impatient waiting for anything to happen with the veil, but fortunately he wouldn't get the chance as his eyes saw outside the window as the top of the veil began to rise.

Something was about to happen


At that same time…

Within the veil…

1 minute and 43 seconds remain before Yuuta Okkotsu's connection with Rika Orimoto's manifested form falters…

Toji was very, very annoyed.

Why is it that he always has to deal with the children who are freaks of nature? Whoever this kid was, his cursed energy was something else.

'Why the hell is he chasing me?'

Toji kicked his speed up a notch, which was difficult as he had to manage his balance between holding this girl in one arm and this curse in another.

Finally after enough twists and turns through the forest, Toji was sure he had bought some time for himself. Now that the whole damn place was on fire it would be even harder to track him.

Toji had to thank his body once again for its incredible durability. He was definitely hot but it seemed his form naturally adjusted its blood so that his organs can absorb his body heat at an exponential rate.

Toji tossed the curse against a tree.

Mahito looked up, dazed. The man had taken him all throughout the forest many times over. He moved at a blinding speed.

"Alright curse, my senses are telling me that you can help me out with something I noticed." Toji muttered simply.

Mahito eyed him with a slight smile, although Toji could easily see through whatever act the curse was trying to put up. Both knew he was superior.

Mahito chuckled and cackled loosely, "Y'know you don't have a normal soul. It's there alright but it's different."

Toji smirked back at him, "You don't have a normal soul either for a curse, it's definitely a ugly thing"

Mahito was surprised, not many could perceive the soul. In Fact it was an ability that almost always required having a vessel and cursed spirit relationship between a host and a curse.

"How can you see the soul?"

"I got a sixth sense for it, you could say."

"Well what is that sixth sense telling you? Huh?" Mahito asked with a wicked grin.

"I was pretty surprised when I woke up that I didn't even realize I had something in my pocket. This knot right here-", Toji held up a tied knot of light tan paper with intricate markings all over it, "-Now in my profession I see stuff like this all the time. My senses are telling me that you've got a piece just like it somewhere near your soul. So I need to ask you, what would happen if I untied the knot?"

It then struck Mahito that this man was the ace that Geto was betting on. This was the being that he believed would give him the edge against the sorcerers.

It seemed Geto's trump card had gone rogue.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. That's a seal to this veil you break it who knows what could happen."

"No I've got a good idea what would happen but here is what I'm thinking; you break the one close to your soul first."

Mahito's smile began to fade. This wasn't a desirable situation he was in. He wasn't fast enough to escape this guy or to use his technique on him. Good thing Mahito knew that the two of them wouldn't be the only ones talking soon. Okkotsu had been tailing them this whole time and no doubt he'd find them. Once he did Mahito would use it as a diversion to escape.

"I don't know about that. How about you untie the one in your hand, I mean, if they are both the same it doesn't matter which one gets opened."

Toji leaned his head over to the side and then let a chuckle out. "Y'know what, sure." And with that Toji unfastened the seal and let it fall to the ground.

"I guess we're about to see what will-"

SLAMMM!

"Give her to me." The venomous snarl of Yuuta Okkotsu warned, having fallen from the sky down into the open part of the burning forest they were in.

Toji's eyes widened and he was about to run when his body declined his request.

"DON'T MOVE"

Under normal circumstances the cursed commands effectiveness would be absolute however Toji's body contains no cursed energy. As a result the commands effect wore off only millisecond after it was released. This fraction of time was all Yuuta needed to close the distance, but it was not enough to overcome the slight difference in speed.

With one hand now free, Toji attempted to block Yuuta's blow but was sent back many many meters, still staying on his feet with excellent balance.

Toji knew he couldn't win this fight against this kind of adversary while still carrying this girl as his leverage, so he did the only logical thing he could do in this situation…

He ran.

"COWARD!" Yuuta roared as he chased him again, completely forgetting about the other curse and instead making haste to keep up with the subsonic speed of the other man.

Mahito smiled and quickly slithered away as he morphed his body. The plan was a failure, one of the veils had fallen, now sorcerers could escape the barrier.

The only goal left was for Mahito and Jogo to cause as much damage as possible before the sorcerers escaped.


Jogo blasted ferocious molten rock at the Queen of Curses, bewildered to see her smash through the liquid fire easily, screaming as she took hold of the curse again and pummeled him.

Jogo thought on his feet and melted the ground beneath him to slip out of her grasp, using his slight superior speed to outrun the spirit.

Jogo then felt the energy shift inside of the barrier, the sky got a tone light from its dark murky brown and orange.

One of the veils had broken. The plan was now an abject failure. Geto had told them if this had happened their only goal left was to Scorch the Earth and leave nothing left inside the barrier but ash.

A maximum meteor was that card that was meant to be left in the deck, however Jogo worried it might be an all or nothing gamble. He wouldn't be drained of cursed energy completely but it would make a large enough difference that Jogo worried he wouldn't even have a chance to defend himself if the forces of Jujutsu high took him by surprise. Orders were orders though, and Jogo would do whatever possible to fulfill them.

Maybe there was a way for Jogo to accomplish both, in different ways.

He had a plan.

"MAXIMUM: METEOR"

Once the chant was complete and the collection of rock, created from cursed energy, formed in the sky as a large fireball the spirit that had been chasing after the volcano curse quickly switched its attention towards reducing the every inch of the land to ash.


The once vengeful spirit, turned guardian shikigami, Rika Orimoto charged at the massive blistering ball of flames, hesitation having been forgotten many, many years ago. The only thought on her mind was the well-being of Yuuta.

The meteor in front of her was not an object that could be broken with simple brute force, it would take a powerful blast of cursed energy to shatter to fiery rock. Thankfully the cursed energy Yuuta was always circulating into her while she wasn't manifested would be more than enough to overcome these odds.

The white smooth skin of the spirit began to recede around its head, its sharp jagged teeth barred ferociously. What remained uncovered was one single eye.

Rika Orimoto had reached a new horizon of strength through her determination to protect and stand by Yuuta Okkotsu.

The cursed energy entrusted within her by Yuuta gathered and circulated towards her one eye, manifesting in a massive blast of pure cursed power.

Upon impact the meteor was destroyed, exploding into tiny pieces. The sheer force and power held within the blast was enough the reduce massive rock to minuscule pebble sized parts.

Rika could implicitly feel her connection to Yuuta at all times. Almost 4 minutes have passed.

There was just over a minute left until Rika would be forced back into her semi-manifested state.


At the end of the barrier

Jogo raced at his peak of speed to catch the sorcerers who were attempting to escape.

Blasting fire in all directions, if he got lucky then one of the generated fireballs would catch its target at some point.

While more of the hellfire rained down from above, the combined student forces of Tokyo and Jujutsu highschool were sprinting through the forest, fire coated on every tree and with every blade of grass in sight burned due to the intense heat.

Yuuji cursed, he had the speed to move quicker and escape the veil but his friends needed him and the other students needed him.

The trio of first year Tokyo Jujutsu high students maneuvered around a particularly large trunk that was burning to a cinder.

A blood curdling scream ripped through the trees, the scattered fighters engaged in their escape and retreat from the curse halted their advance for a brief moment, all eyes drifting towards the direction the sound came from.

"Shit! they must've fallen behind us, we have to go back or they'll all die!" Fushiguro cursed.

"We don't even know where they are, we need to find Okkotsu. He'll be able to help us" Nobara yelled back as they ran towards the edge of the veil. They were getting closer and closer. Escape was becoming a possibility, there was a chance to make it out of the inferno.

"No, Okkotsu is fighting that blur we saw earlier. I don't even know what he is but whatever it is it moves as fast as Sukuna did. If we try to interrupt them we will only get in his way." Fushiguro barked back, slipping and weaving through the falling debris of the tree branches that were lit aflame.

"Are you for real!?" Yuuji asked, shocked.

"YES! WE NEED TO ESCAPE THIS BARRIER OR WE'RE ALL DEAD!"

This was not the reunion Yuuji Itadori had hoped for. This wasn't the day he pictured in his mind when he imagined returning to Tokyo Jujutsu Technical School, meeting faces of new and old.

Crimson and purple blood from curses and sorcerers draped all over the tree's, carnage decorated across the whole landscape.

It was Chaos.

It was like Hell on Earth.

There was no other conclusion he could draw as the heated air became more suffocating.

"What do we do?!" Yuuji asked, this time at Todo. The 4th year looked deep in thought as well. At some point Panda and Inumaki had gotten spectated from them, and as a result the 4 other Kyoto students that were with them. The students were very fatigued from their previous injuries despite being healed by Okkotsu's reverse cursed technique.

Todo stopped and began to move the opposite direction as them, back into the raging fire. "I'll go get the other, don't worry about my safety. I will be just fine! Brother you must focus on escaping here yourself with the others!"

Yuuji kept running but looked back at Todo with concern. He didn't like the idea of running but going back now would be stupid and he needed to look out for the classmates who were right next to him.

"Alright. I Will!" Yuuji shouted back.

Yuuji kept his pace matched with Fushiguro and Kugisaki, using his extra dexterity to stay more alert of their surroundings incase of attack.

"C'mon guys! We're close!" Kugisaki shouted at her friends, sweat rolling down her face and neck.

'Hold on you two! There is someone right in front of the barrier!" Fushiguro noticed and alerted his classmates.

Yuuji's eyes narrowed as he recognized the person who stood between the three of them and their escape from this hell zone.

"Mahito." Yuuji growled bitterly.


Elsewhere

39 Seconds Remain In The Connection Between Yuuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto...

Yuuta was hot on the trail of the man who held Maki in his grasp. Yuuta had discarded his white coat many many minutes ago and was simply left in a gray shirt and black pants as he tailed the speedy figure.

Toji could feel himself getting even more irritated than he already was. It was just his luck that the girl he decided to use as his leverage happened to have a fucking Jujutsu prodigy for a boyfriend. What did Toji do to deserve the unluckiness he received in life?

The awakened heavenly restriction user couldn't even move at his top speed now that he had to worry about this girl under his arm. Was it even worth it to have a hostage? Toji wondered about that but decided that any member of the Zen'in clan would be valuable in some way, even if their family didn't view their female kin in the way most normal families would, the misogyny was only the tip of the iceberg.

'Only thing that bastard Naobito was good for was trying to limit all that disgusting incest' Toji thought with an internal roll of his eyes. There were horror stories he heard as a kid about incestuous children with horrible mutations and deformities being killed off at birth. The Zen'in clan would do anything to keep their family as pure blooded as possible and maintain their powerful cursed techniques.

Toji was forced out of his own internal thoughts when his senses alerted him to a large slash of cursed energy being directed towards him. He quickly weaved out of the way perfectly, he was already very close to the edge of the barrier and would easily be able to escape and incoming Jujutsu forces, barring the possible intrusion of one Satoru Gojo, but Toji doubted the six eyes ability to see his location from that far away. That was why the kid who was following him was such a pest; his cursed energy was enormous and even now it seemed like he still had plenty left in the tank, if he continued to track Toji across the forest his massive presence would be like a bright flare gun that would be practically blinding for a six eyes user.

He had to make a stand or else he would just be figuratively shooting himself in the foot in the long run.

Toji planted his feet harshly in the ground and turned on his heel. Immediately the young adolescent boy chasing him slowed to halt in front of him, breathily heavily.

Yuuta's glare was brutal, his sharp black eyes like daggers aimed at the man before him, "Give her to me. If you do, I won't kill you."

"Who says you could kill me if this girl wasn't weighing me down by taking one of my arms?"

Yuuta didn't even look like he heard the words, "Everything in this forest has been running from me the moment I stepped in here. I understand my strength."

"You're very arrogant."

"It's not arrogance, I am just saying what I've observed."

Toji just gave a slight laugh at that statement. "Kid I'm not gonna hurt the girl, I just have to use her to save my own skin."

"I don't care about your reasons. Give her to me."

Toji sighed, whoever this kid was he better be deeply in love with this girl because Toji didn't think his sanity could handle the reason being that the boy was just stupid enough to chase him all throughout a burning forest.

'Tch, teenagers. Always trying to get laid.' Toji joked in his head with mirth.

"I could still outpace you and get out of this barrier. You aren't faster than me."

Yuuta frowned, "I don't need to be. I just have to be able to keep up with you."

Toji grinned, "You might have insane cursed energy but I can guarantee that you'll tire out before I will."

"Why is that?"

"No use in explaining the details of my situation to someone like you. It would sound like a different language to someone as blessed as you are."

"What?"

"Nevermind. Forget I said anything."

Yuuta began to flow cursed energy into his legs again, he could tell that whoever this guy was, he probably wasn't going to hand over Maki. Yuuta could feel his connection with Rika about the return to its partial state, this meant he wouldn't have access to his inventory any more, the extended reserves of cursed energy, or his domain expansion.

The man was right, Yuuta wasn't in a situation to lose by any means but it seemed like he was heading towards a stalemate or a battle of attrition that his opponent seemed to like his chances in.

As the second ticked by more Yuuta finally felt his full connection with Rika return to the previous state. Yuuta knew that Rika herself would need some time before she could be partially manifested again too.

Yuuta grit his teeth. 'Fuck' He cursed internally.

Toji's senses picked up on the dramatic decrease that just occurred in his cursed energy reserves, he grinned knowing that this temporary recalibration of how this boy was going to manipulate his cursed energy to maximize its efficiency was going to give him just the right amount of time he needed to completely slip away from him.

Toji couldn't resist getting on last dig in before leaving though.

"Hey, don't worry kid. I won't kill your girlfriend unless she gets on my nerves."

And then he was gone.

Yuuta instantly looked up and around in all directions, his habits forcing him to immediately search the surroundings for a familiar cursed energy but he then remembered that this mystery man held no cursed energy whatsoever.

Now because of this habit he had lost sight of this figure and failed the task Gojo had assigned to him of getting rid of whoever this man was. Worst of all, he had failed to retrieve Maki.

He fucked up. He had Failed.


The Outer edge of the Barrier...

"Itadori, this was the curse that me and Kamo fought earlier." Megumi said worriedly.

"I've seen this curse before Fushiguro. He can't use his technique on me because of Sukuna." Yuuji said to Megumi.

Megumi's eyes widened in surprise. "That confirms his technique is soul related, his technique doesn't work on you specifically because you hold two souls inside of you and he can't manually differentiate between them."

Mahito looked at the trio of the sorcerers and turned his attention specifically to Nobara, "I'm getting the distinct impression that you just don't measure up to these other two." He said with a teasing grin.

Nobara growled, "I'll wipe that smirk of your ugly mug you bastard."

Fushiguro quickly attempted to correct his counterpart's view of the situation. "We can't fight him, we wouldn't win if we tried, we just have to escape this veil. Megumi's mind raced with strategies to evade this special grade curse and escape the barrier. They really had no idea if it was possible to escape the barrier but they just had to trust that Okkotsu did his part. Fushiguro knew his shikigamis would provide the best diversion against the curse.

The question was, which ones and what plan of action would mean success and opposed to failure.

He wouldn't get the chance to deliberate more when the curse charged at him, his hand morphed into a saw-like limb, swinging aimlessly at his head. Fushiguro was lucky Itadori was there to parry the attack or he would likely be without a head.

"Get your head in the game Fushiguro!" Yuuji yelled.

Nobara quickly attempted to assist her comrades, grabbing one of the few remaining nails she had left at her disposal, slamming her hammer against the metal with its target being the curse who had its back turned. She too would find no luck when Mahito altered his body to create a grabbing hole where the nail would strike so the object would pass straight through.

Yuuji tried himself to land a blow by swinging a quick, cursed energy infused fist towards Mahito but that didn't seem to work either, Mahito simply created a third arm from his shoulder and grabbed Yuuji's wrist before his fist could land. Yuuji raised his knee with agile reflexes to knock Mahito back a step so Yuuji could gain some distance for safety.

The pink haired first year felt confidence that his speed could get him in range to deal a solid blow that would give Fushiguro the time he needed to execute whatever plan he had in his mind, but the attack Yuuji would have to last would need to be devastating for Mahito to be stunned long enough.

"Fushiguro" Yuuji turned towards the tallest of the first years, "I can give you a chance to do whatever you mind is thinking, alright."

Megumi nodded at his friend. He might not have a plan at the moment but when push comes to shove he'll have to trust his instincts just like Gojo had always told him to.

Yuuji looked over at Nobara, "Kugisaki, back me up with your attacks at range, I'm going to get up close and punch him right in his jaw."

Kugisaki smirked at Itadori. "I've got your back. You just make sure that punch hurts like hell."

Yuuji smiled at her. Moving his attention over towards Mahito, who had been observing the whole exchange with a bored expression. The curse yawned, "You guys gonna attack me or what? I'm getting sleepy over here."

Kugisaki retrieved 5 nails and tossed them high into the air one by one, sending them at the curse with great speeds using the forceful swings of her hammer.

Yuuji shot out of a figurative cannon, using all the force he could generate in his legs to blast forward at a high speed. Mahito anticipated this move by Yuuji and adjusted his body according to the slither between the trajectory of the nails and closed the gap between him and his equal opposite.

Yuuji saw Mahito's form mixing between shapes, he knew this small window of time between when Mahito was changing his shape and he wasn't was the fraction of time Yuuji had to land his decisive blow.

Itadori used the force gathered in his long strides and jumped high into the air, quick and high enough so that the curse couldn't adjust in time to attack him mid air.

When Itadori landed he correctly guessed this would be the time Mahito used his whole effort to attack him, knowing that Yuuji would be off balance. This is exactly why Yuuji needed another comrade. Nobara was able to deduce this as well as the moment Yuuji's feet began to touch the ground Nobara sent another 3 nails straight towards Mahito.

"Don't forget about me you damn curse!"

As predicted Mahito would transfigure in reaction to the attacks.

This was his one shot, Yuuji had his opening for an attack at this very second he wouldn't squander Nobara's assist.

"BLACK FLASH"

Mahito couldn't get his head around in time before a powerful fist landed directly on the side of his face, black sparks thickly shooting out in all directions.

Yuuji made the in-the-moment decision to go all in and make sure his friends had enough time to execute Fushiguro's plan. He strided over towards Mahito, who was momentarily dazed, a result of the vicious attack from the previous second, Yuuji again pulled back his first…

"BLACK FLASH"

Megumi didn't wait a second longer and acted, clasping his hands together and summoning Nue from the skies. The feathered shikigami swooped in and Took Megumi and Nobara each by its talons. As they flew forwards Fushiguro reached forward and grabbed Yuuji by the hand.

Megumi heard a gut wrenching laugh wring out from below and the shikigami flew higher.

"LOOK WHO IS RUNNING NOW YUUJI ITADORI!" The curse shrieked, changing its arms into the shape of wings and flying at incredible speeds up to where the first year were moving to cross over past where they could sense the barrier lied.

This is where the second phase of Fushiguro's plan would begin. He again clasped his hand into one and called forth Max Elephant. He summoned the being high up in the sky.

Megumi knew he would only get one shot at this. All or nothing.

At the moment where the Shikigamis approached each other in altitude; one ascended quickly and the other plummeted at an intense velocity, Megumi signaled for Max Elephant to shoot his intense burst of water.

The torrent of water shot out from its trunk at precisely the right moments, its force enough to blast the students directly out of the barrier.

The cool air outside of the barrier against the skin of the students felt like drinking a glass of cold fresh water after being deprived of food and water for over a day.

Sadly the students would have no time to enjoy the amazing change in temperature as they were falling fast towards the ground from in the sky. Fushiguro was too disoriented from the blast of water to signal to Nue his location.

Right as the students were about to meet their end in a gruesome meeting with the hard pavement below they would be spotted just short by and invisible force holding them still in the air.

"You guys sure know how to make an entrance, or I guess this time it would be an exit" Their teacher Satoru Gojo joked as he held the students above him with the limitless.

After another second Gojo dropped his pupils onto the floor with a light thud. None of the three first years made any move to get up from their position, each of them too exhausted to move, wiping sweat off their faces and breathing hard.

Gojo looked at them and saw how none of them were wearing their usual sorcerer coats and how much they were breathing and sweating. "You guys looked like you had quite the time in there."

Itadori laughed slightly, "You have no idea sensei."

A loud grunt was then heard as the four of them turned towards the purple barrier and saw a panda running out of the barrier with four bodies holding onto him, Kamo right next to him running outside of the barrier.

Yuuji looked up at Panda, Inumaki and the 4 other Kyoto students. "You made it out!" He shouted at them with a smile.

Panda huffed, "We did thanks to Todo. We would all be dead if not for him."

Yuuji looked at them, "Where is Todo?"

"Im here" An even more rough grunt came out, Todo was hobbling out of the veil with a deep slash across his ribs and burns across his torso

"You alright there?" Gojo asked the Kyoto student.

Todo lauded softly in response. It was clear the action only made him hurt more as he gasped and clutched at his side. "It will leave some scars but it's nothing, reverse cursed technique can patch it up quickly."

Gojo heard Utahime quickly approaching. She had been very concerned for her students. She would definitely be relieved to see them in a mostly fine condition.

"Students!" The Kyoto teacher yelled at them with care and affection.

Kamo nodded his head towards their teacher, Todo just weakly smiled, the rest of the students were too fatigued from the heat to respond.

Gojo surveyed the students now present that had escaped the barrier, there were only two left that had not joined the group outside the barrier.

The only students still unaccounted for were the Tokyo lovebirds Yuuta Okkotsu and Maki Zen'in.

And it would stay that way for another 30 minutes.


When the form of Yuuta Okkotsu was finally spotted leaving the barrier, head facing the ground in shame and disappointment, Gojo knew that something was quite wrong.

Yuuta approached the collection of students, teachers, and staff. His sword in one hand at his side, covered in purple fluids from the curses he had slain. He was without his usual white coat as well.

Gojo spoke first, "Yuuta I'm glad to see you alright. Where is our stubborn cursed tool user?"

Yuuta's eyes didn't look up from the ground.

"I…She…I don't know where she is."

A long pause of shock and silence set in. Kyoto's sniper, Maki's younger twin Mai felt tears fill her eyes. The Tokyo students looked at Yuuta, shocked at what he had said. All of them, save for Yuuji, couldn't believe Okkotsu hadn't been able to find Maki in the dangerous blaze of the forest.

Nobara spoke next, "Y-Yuuta, the forest…"

"It's burned to the ground. Everything in it was destroyed. Maki wasn't inside the barrier when it all burned to ash, that man took her." Yuuta growled at the end, fury on his tongue.


Elsewhere…

Maki had to admit she never pictured herself in this situation. She never planned on getting knocked out by a stranger and then waking up in an abandoned warehouse, hands tied behind her back against a steel pole.

She slowly blinked a couple time as the glare of the sun shined through a broken window and against a jagged piece of glass.

"Look who finally woke up."

That voice. It was the guy from earlier.

Maki looked over and saw him sitting on the ground against the wall a couple meter away from her.

"Do you know who I am, little girl?"

Maki laughed with a cough, "I'm 16, going to be 17 in 3 months. I'm not some little girl."

"I don't give a shit how old you are. Answer my question."

"Yes, I know who you are. You're Toji Zen'in, the guy who mastered his heavenly restriction."

Toji's eyes widened with surprise, not many knew the origins of his supernatural strength, speed, and senses. "You know about my restriction?"

"Yes." Maki said, she then looked at him with fierce determination, "I have the same heavenly pact placed on my body, I want you to tell me how to master it!"


I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I hope my next update comes quicker than 3 weeks.

*Important Note* Todo did not attempt to fight any of the disaster curses, he used boogie woogie a lot to help everyone escape which is why he is exhausted and tired at the end of the chapter with some damage taken from the ordeal.

All reviews and comments are appreciated and I read every single one.