Don't Fuck with the White Mage (Jujutsu Kaisen - Utahime Iori SI Chapter 7)
Two Weeks Later
Mana followed Iori into her Clan compound with some measure of trepidation.
The reason?
"Hey, Mana-chan, that was Projection Sorcery you used back during the Aokigahara mission, right?"
"Wha! I, um-"
"We're gonna be best friends!"
Mana didn't know when or how Iori had learned about Projection Sorcery to be familiar with how it looks like.
Yet since then, whenever Iori could she would spar with Mana while placing a... handicap on herself. Mana used her all etiquette training to push her irritation down at remembering that.
Mana tried to argue that she wasn't given permission to use her Technique, unless she needed to, like in a mission. Again, due to having not perfected her use of Projection Sorcery. To which Iori just pointed that Mana would need to train in order to do that, and that's what they were doing. Then Iori placed a barrier around the training area, when they used it so that no one can enter, or see inside it, till the spar is done.
Mana didn't have an argument against that, till she finally came up with the rebuttal that, the barrier being there in and of itself would garner suspicion, and might alarm her clan. Thus the visit to the Iori Clan home.
Over the course of her assignment to Iori's team, Mana had familiarized herself with her target's life and daily routine. Iori would wake up at the crack of dawn, do some warm-up exercise, then either do a mission solo that would take three to five hours due to travel time, or do a mission with the team. Sometimes Iori and Lady Mei Mei would do something on their own that Mana wasn't privy to, due to not being able to follow them, as Lady Mei Mei's crows are everywhere. Supposedly this would be why Iori doesn't have money troubles. Either investments or healing healthy entrepreneurs from what Mana heard down the grapevine.
After that in afternoon, Iori would train with some Grade 1 Sorcerer whom Lady Mei Mei contacted, or ones from the Jujutsu institutes, or Lady Mei Mei herself. Again Iori places some weird Binding Vow handicap on herself during these spars. In Mana's opinion the spars with Lady Mei Mei were far more intense that the ones Iori has with the Grade 1 Sorcerers.
The sheer amount of viciousness in their attacks against each other, plus Lady Mei Mei's numerous murders of crows dive-bombing Iori from which and every angle makes their sparing feel a bit too lethal. Although Mana could follow most of the trajectory of the birds, she wasn't sure that Iori could. It's why by the end Iori looks like she escapes those spars by the skin of her teeth.
Also Iori had taken Mana's subtle suggestion to learn to use a naginata, rather than a shotgun as such a weapon would be more traditional for a miko. The real reason was a suggestion by the Zenin Head, because the Clan hold Cursed Tools of such form, that they could 'gift' Iori binding them to her further. Iori shrugged and added it to her schedule.
And while Mana had reported her success, and was given permission to enter the weapon storage to take a Naginata Cursed Tool, such a thing would take time. There are many reasons, but it boils down to the storage manager not taking her request seriously, as no one higher up urged him to. So he dragged his feet on giving me access to the storage, citing other clan members needing things first.
Eventually he would have allowed Mana to enter after a two or three day. Mana may have had some not so small vindictive glee when the very next day, for some reason somehow, Lady Mei Mei had sold Iori a naginata with a 60% discount. Mana didn't know why this series of events happened, and while she was scolded for her "negligence", she still felt some bit of satisfaction to see the Zenin leaders annoyed at this missed opportunity.
Returning to Iori's training, lately Mana had been incorporated into said sparring sessions where-
""Nee-chan!""
"Hey, Hime."
A gaggle of little kids ran up to Iori, along with one of an Iori teenage clan member among them.
"Hey all of you, Hotaru-chan." Iori greeted them all with a smile, while hugging the kids for a moment, before facing Hotaru. The kids were either pulling on Iori's hands, hugging her or talking very fast that it was incomprehensible.
...So undisciplined. Mana thought while biting the inside of her cheek.
"Sorry, sorry. Not here to play around today, just more training." Iori said with an apologetic smile.
""Awww,"" The kids whined, some crying out as Iori chuckled and calmed them down.
Children of the Iori Clan are way too noisy. Mana thought.
"Hime-chan," Hotaru spoke up after taking in her amusement of seeing Iori bombarded by the other kids. One of them started climbing Iori's back, so she just grabbed him and carried him on her shoulders.
"Something came up?" Iori asked.
"Yeah," Hotaru said with a deadpanned look. "I can't practice with you today. I need a break."
"Does your throat hurt? Your fingers? Why did you tell me, I could heal them?"
"That's not the issue, I don't wanna sing or play guitar for a while."
"That's fine. Then what about-"
"None of my friends want to practice either. In fact I think most of them never want to see you again." Hotaru said.
"...Eeeh? Hehe... why?" Iori nervously chuckled.
"'Why?' she asks." Hotaru muttered to herself, but she was easily heard by the Jujutsu Sorcerers before her. "Utahime, we don't practice everyday for six hours straight. In fact, no one practices everyday for six hours straight. Some of us need to sleep. In fact when do you?" Hotaru said pointedly.
"...I'll tell you when the kids aren't around. I don't want them to develop bad habits." Iori said shiftily.
"Aww, come on, Nee-chan, pleeeeease!" Said one kid.
"Is it super adult secret!?"
"Is it s super jujutsu secret!?"
"I won't!" Cried out the kid on Iori's shoulders.
"Natsu, I can see you crossing your fingers." Iori deadpanned.
"...No you don't." The boy hide his crossed fingers behind his back.
Iori chuckled as she carried the boy off her shoulders, placing him on the ground.
"Look, I'm gonna be busy with Jujutsu stuff till eight. You go do your homeworks-I know you have them!" She said quickly before they could interrupt. "And if your parents said you were good, we'll play a bit before bedtime."
""Yaay!"" The kids cried out, some talking over one another, before they finally left to be unseen, but likely still heard.
"You spoil them, Riri-chan and the rest." Hotaru commented.
Mana agreed but said nothing. She was explicitly told by Iori not to speak about the Zenin Clan or other politics while at her home. The tone made it so Iori understood this was not a negotiable matter.
While Mana could act out and exalt the Zenin Heir as much as she had to, so she could at least report to her clan higher-up truthfully that she was doing her duty, she knew Iori was acting in her capacity as the Iori Heir when she ordered her. As Mana was a guest in the Iori Clan grounds, she followed their Heir's command.
"They're kids, let them be spoiled a bit. They have all of adulthood for serious stuff." Iori said, and the words felt like a nail in Mana's heart. "So what were you saying?"
"Asking when do you sleep? Asuka-sama had mentioned Kazuo-sama's worries, a few times to my mom." Hotaru said with an amused look.
Iori slowly facepalmed. "Seriously, mom, dad, just talk to me from the first time. No need for this round about."
Mana didn't see why Iori was complaining. Her parents, Kazuo and Asuka, were giving her face by indirectly bringing up the issue through multiple trusted clan members, so it doesn't seem like they were opposed with Iori's actions or seem against her. A unified family structure always need to be presented for a prestigious clan after all.
"Anyways, I don't." Iori answer.
"Huh?" Hotaru's jaw dropped in confusion.
"Other than Sunday. For the rest of the week I just use Reverse Cursed Technique to keep my mind fresh and awake. How do you think I can stay focused on practicing or jujutsu training for so long? So yeah, I basically don't sleep all week, then just sleep in for Sunday, then I'm good for another week."
"Are you trying to be God?" Hotaru cried out.
"Haha, how do you even know that one?" Iori raised an eyebrow.
"English literature essay. I was given mythology as a topic, but not told on what, so I chose my own." She said with a smug look, head held high.
"Isn't, whatshername, Elisabeth-sensei, your middle school English teacher, a devout catholic?" Iori asked with a perturbed look.
"Yes, well, I'm not the one calling every one's beliefs 'mythology'." Hotaru deadpanned.
Iori hissed, while looking a hint apologetic for some reason. "Told your mom just in case?"
"Yep, nothing thus far," Hotaru crossed her arms. "Although I regret not getting my phone out to get a picture, when I handed the assignment."
Iori sighed. "Tell me if something come up from this. Also tell your mom, to tell my mom to tell my dad, that I'm fine. Nothing adverse will come from this, I checked, and I made regular check-ups for months now to see if my physical condition was affected by this. Reverse Cursed Technique brings the whole body back to a hundred every time, so there's no problem."
"Alright," Hotaru gave Iori a thumbs up and a cheeky grin as she turned away. "Just remember your the pride of our clan and all our hopes are resting on your shoulders, so all the pressure."
"I will kick your ass, move." Iori held back a smirk and acting like she was able to carry on her threating causing the other girl to laugh and run away.
Iori shook her head, while mentioning for Mana to follow her. "Come on, this way."
The two walked for a while before they reached forestry training area of the clan grounds.
Iori placed a barrier around them, same as when they sparred in Jujutsu High's campus, with addition of alerting them on if someone came to investigate or spy on them.
"Only one of those kids seemed to be a Sorcerer, Senpai." Mana noted. "He doesn't seem very trained."
"Natsu? Yeah, the clan doesn't have as many capable of using Cursed Energy as other Sorcerer Clan, but enough to qualify as one. As for his training? Talent wise, he'd likely to be a Grade 4 or three at most, we tend to take it easy on them, and let them be kids before stepping up the training as they grow older. He is taught the essentials of controlling his energy so it doesn't leak." Iori explained as she stood opposite to Mana and started stretching.
Mana frowned. "If the Iori Clan were to marry in other Sorcerers, and focus on cultivating their young who can use Cursed Energy more, then in two to three generations you can be a more proper Sorcerer Clan." She suggested.
Iori ended her pre-battle warm up, giving Mana a skeptical look.
"Maybe, but that's not how the Iori Clan wants to live. We are shrine keepers more than anything, that's the duty we carry out. As for Sorcery, if there are those capable we teach them and prepare them, but ultimately their path in life is there own. If they want to become Sorcerers we help them as much as we can and give our blessings, and if not, then that's fine too." Iori then took her combat stance, after she... activated her handicap.
Iori's Cursed Energy signature was gone. Lowered to such a level, as if unused, and one could easily mistake her for a normal human at that moment. Albeit one that was physical gifted beyond the norm, but still just a person not barely blessed with Cursed Energy.
"Iori-senpai is going to be the Family Head one day. In that case, wouldn't it be best if you-"
"Mana." Iori said gently. "We're here to train. Empty you mind of that stuff for now." She gestured for her with her hand. "Come."
"..." Mana wanted to say more. Shout back that their clan's way of doing things were wrong. That they are wasting their potential. That they didn't show proper reverence to their clan's rising star and Heir.
In the end, Mana just took her own stance and activated her Cursed Technique. She planned her path and 24 movements for each of the next ten seconds with variations for unexpected counterattacks.
Mana sent her Cursed Energy to her feet, focused it, then burst into motion, while letting her energy spread back up evenly across her body. The initial burst of acceleration allowed her to move quickly, faint at going to attack Iori-who was already in the process of counterattacking-before dashing to the side and away.
Projection Sorcery allowed the user break their movement into 24 frame per second, and if they don't do so they will be stuck inside a frame for one second. Or more accurately, while frames is the correct mental image for it, in practical terms, it's twenty four poses or actions in one second.
The key to making Projection Sorcery truly powerful is the speed at which someone moves between those frames. The Cursed Technique allows one to move very quickly between those frames, but even more than that, one can "stack" those planned paths as to increase their speed even move the next planned route.
Thus Mana focused her Cursed Energy both on keeping her Projection Sorcery going, and on constantly reinforcing her body, and she got faster and faster dodging around Iori.
Iori moved. Mana could see her, and she would be long from where Iori was attacking. Mana was already on her six route, her speed was thrice her starting momentum.
Mana gritted her teeth, flinching from the pain, as Iori suddenly changed her trajectory at the last moment, dashing back to try and catch her. Her palm smacked her shoulder, but Mana kept going, not breaking her route and losing the accumulated speed.
She dashed around making it seem like she was having a go at Iori, with her fist pulled back. Iori brought her arm up to block, causing Mana to tag her with her palm, as she dashed away, circling behind Iori.
Of course nothing happened. Mana gritted her teeth at her old failure staring her in the face. The 24FPS rule wasn't applied to Iori.
That was why she was the shame of the Clan and her Father. Why even the Heir isn't told of her tie to him beyond that she exists. Her Inherited Technique was deformed. She could only apply the 24FPS rule to herself but not others.
And there was Iori, grinning throughout the whole thing.
Why?
Mana dashed in with a flying kick, that Iori managed to turn and jump while keeping her arms up to cover her face. She pulled her legs in as she jumped, making her body small, and naturally the impact from the hit was lessened as she was blown away.
Mana didn't give her a chance, capturing what was left of her momentum in that attack, to started her next movement sequence to run up the walls, before jumping to the one behind Iori to make the last 'frame' a punch.
Iori unexpectedly launching a kick behind her, almost slammed Mana in the face, but ended up hitting her ear instead. Mana gritted her teeth through the pain, launching the punch into Iori's hard stomach.
Why?
Iori flew away, flipping back and landing on her feet. Mana was there at her side, launching a punch at her face. Iori moved almost on instinct, catching her arm, looking at her with her fist pulled back, grin still on her face.
The punch was a trick, as Mana felt the air leave her chest from a kick Iori had planted in her stomach. Iori punched Mana in the face, throwing her head back.
Mana used momentum to start her next sequence. Jumping up and kicking Iori with both legs, while twisting out of her arms. Iori blocked the kick with her free arm, but was forced to let go of Mana, wrenching her arm from Iori's hold.
Why?
The fight continued Mana launching punches and kicks at Iori over and over, trying to always keep her momentum up, even when ending her routes to make an attack, before picking up her trails again. Iori was forcibly taking damage that piled up over and over again, yet occasionally she could managed to counterattack, almost hitting Mana in her 24FPS state.
Or worse dodging all together, taking advantage that Mana's actions were preplanned and can not be changed. Usually Mana's reaction is fast. Fast enough to predict what actions her opponent would take, and might even add blocking and parrying to her sequences.
Yet she never felt comfortable doing that against Iori lately. Her instincts were starting to get scarily sharp.
And as always, as Mana continued to fail, Iori kept grinning. Even as she accumulated damage as the fight progressed. Even as Mana, just a shamed secret of the Zenin, was trouncing the rising star of the Jujutsu World, that the Clans hoped could humble Gojo Satoru.
As the Heir representing the future of the Iori Clan.
Even as Mana kept dominating the battle.
Iori never.
Stopped.
Grinning.
"Why do you look down on me too!?" Mana screamed.
She had built up her momentum, her speed almost reaching that of sound. The familiar wind roaring surrounded her.
Mana had kept circling the training ground, even jumping back to the tree line to dash and bouncing between them, before launching herself in a full frontal assault at Iori.
And Iori...
Greeted her with open arm.
Mana's eyes widened.
No, even in a straight forward confrontation, she can't take a hit from me right now. She shouldn't even be able to react.
Mana growled and kept her actions going. It's not like she can cancel them.
Mana was inches away from Iori.
Iori's feet were the barest of inches off the ground.
Mana slammed into Iori's torso, only to feel Iori's arm wrap around her, spin them both together to bleed off the momentum.
And slam Mana into the ground with an overhead throw, the very next instant when Iori's feet touched the ground.
Mana coughed. She tried to get back up, but she couldn't feel the air in her chest, nor could she breath. She tried to move but her body was too strained from the pain to move.
"Alright," Iori said through panted, wheezing breathes. "Let's rest for a bit."
And just like that, Iori's Cursed Energy returned, and with it the healing of her Reverse Cursed Technique.
Iori fell down, laying on the ground opposite to Mana, but their heads were next to each other.
"Damn, I think you broke my ribs with that one." Iori spoke first. "When did I do that?" she then asked after a pause, confused.
"Huh?" Mana let out a sound, now that she could breath easily again.
"Make fun of you. When did I do that?" Iori asked again.
Mana's eyes widened as she realized what's done, and immediately sat up and turned around to face Iori, while bowing in dogeza.
"I completely apologize to that slip of the tongue, Lady Iori, and-"
"Stop, stop, stop." Iori said, exasperation in her voice, as she pulled Mana up by her shoulder. Iori had sat up as well, now facing Mana. "Seriously I'm not one for formality, and it's not like anyone is here but us." She said to placate her. "Now, tell me, what was that about?"
"...Lady Iori, please forgive me for my blunt words." Mana began. Iori sighed and just gestured for her to go on. "I may just be an unacknowledged bastard of the Zenin Clan as you likely know," Iori opened her mouth to say something, then closed it and waited. Mana continued. "I'm someone ungifted who can't even use the full, true version of her Inherited Technique." Iori raised a very skeptical and confused eyebrow. "Yet even so, I can only take being looked down upon for so long. Dismissed as someone you don't see worthy to fight at full strength-nay, not even needing Cursed Energy for. I... I..." Mana raised her head, meeting Iori with tears streaming down her face. "Even so! I am also a member of the Zenin Clan!" She cried out her face full of determination, yet visible pain and anguish in her expression.
And to that... Iori just looked really confused.
"I think there's a massive misunderstanding happening here." Iori said, still looking confused.
"...Huh?" Mana coughed out.
"Did you... think that me putting a Binding Vow on myself when sparring against you, is a sign of disrespect?" Iori rested her face on her palm.
"I...? Y-Yes? Wait it was a Binding Vow!?" Mana blinked.
"Yeah, if every time I spar with you, my Cursed Energy would be locked away, leaving me only with my physical ability, however enhanced they were from prolonged use of Cursed Energy. And after the spar is done, based on how well I did my combat instinct would rise proportional to the danger of the spar." Ms. Iori explained as Mana blinked and slowly took this information in. "Did you think I was being disrespectful to Mei Mei or the other Sorcerers I sparred with? You knew I was using a Binding Vow against them to limit myself."
"I... yeah, but I..." Mana hesitated to continue, but Ms. Iori gently coaxed her to go on. "I thought you were looking down on them too. Trying to humiliate them as a prominent genius of Jujutsu. That you were saying 'even while intentionally weakened I can still face you this well'."
Ms. Iori looked dumbfounded. Normally Mana would have enjoyed such a reaction, but this time, she felt ashamed.
"Mana... All of this is training for myself." Ms. Iori explained to Mana, who began listening intently. "The reason why I place Binding Vows on myself that limit me and put me at such a disadvantage is because all those opponents are stronger than me, more experienced than me, or more skilled than me." She said, making Mana blink at that. "Same as you. You are someone I acknowledge, that's why I train with you, and place such a limit on myself, because fighting you is that difficult."
"Wait, I... you acknowledge...?" Mana was lost for words.
"Of course. You're amazing with Projection Sorcery. You're a blur even when I'm using Cursed Energy to reinforce myself. That's why without it you're more or less invisible. That's what makes sparring with you worthwhile, and what makes the Binding Vow work. Because you're that much faster them me." Utahime told her.
"...Wha..." It was the oddest thing that had ever been said to her. Her eyes teared up again, yet weirdly, it wasn't from sadness.
"The reason for my strength and how fast I improve is because of how strong my opponents are. I'm glad for your strength, Mana. I owe it my growth, so of course I would never look down upon you." Lady Utahime spoke gently to her. Her voice and tone were sincere, yet that made her words hurt and heal Mana even more.
Words that she never thought she'd hear that she never wished for them, yet were granted to her either way.
Mana tried to cover her eyes, yet the tears flowed down clearly anyways.
"You're..." She let out a hiccup. "You're crazy. Utahime-sama is crazy." Another hiccup, yet her lips pulled into a grin. "Who the heck," hiccup. "Trains like that." Hiccup. "Honestly, just who..."
Mana wrap her arms around Lady Utahime, as she was comforted by a warm chest.
Ah, so that's what geniuses are like. The hug ended, and Mana looked up to Lady Utahime. They are so far up in the heaven, they don't think like us on the earth. Her head covered the evening sun, making it look like a halo behind her. But... Lady Utahime then gently rubbed Mana's head. I'm glad that Utahime-sama, that geniuses like her also exist, that Utahime-sama is kind.
AN: Music Battle next time.
