P a treon . com (slash) AkkhilesCosmos45

Everyone knew that Satoru Gojo was a god in all but name.

Were it not for the fact that there were people present at his birth, the existence known as Satoru Gojo was akin to an otherworldly being. A thing. Something inhuman. For how could a being as strong as he be anything less than a god made in flesh?

His strength was such that none could oppose him. Rules, laws, and the constraints set upon those in a civilized society were nothing before him. He did as he pleased, with nothing but activities he considered worthy of his time being done. Not even the harsh rebukings and scathing insults from those who were superior to him on the social ladder did anything to him, for he just gave them a mocking smile in return and ignored them.

And as much as they seethed, as much as they gnashed their teeth together, they did nothing. They could do nothing. Because to the man who held the technique of infinity, nothing they did could so much as touch him unless he willed it. It was as if he was simply in another dimension. One that no man could reach.

Because he was strong, he could do as he pleased. Because he was strong, he no longer felt threatened by either man or curse.

So when he came back one day with a young man with fiery red hair with a streak of white, they could do nothing when he smiled at them and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I'll be enrolling this kid in Jujutsu High! Say hello to the newest, greatest talent on the block, Emiya Shirou!"

He had introduced the boy with that annoying tone of his. There were questions, of course. Where did he meet the boy and where did he come from? Why was he interested in him? What was his cursed technique?

"Hey, hey... give the boy some privacy at least! You know we can't just reveal our techniques so easily!"

And despite the fact that they should know everything, and despite the fact that they were in charge of jujutsu society, they let Satoru Gojo leave with his new 'pupil' with nary a fight. Because at the end of the day, there was nothing they could do to him but keep an eye over the boy like vultures.

Still, the brat seemed to have manners, unlike his rebellious teacher.

The boy had been silent, spoke only when spoken to, and bowed before he left the chambers. That alone made him more of a sorcerer than most of the brats these days. At least someone had an understanding and respect for status around here.

Not only that, but he was unlike the previous student he brought in. At least this one didn't appear to have an overtly malicious calamity haunting him.

So in the meantime, they wouldn't put so much of a fuss on this whim of the Gojo brat. More sorcerers were always needed... and this one seemed fairly normal for their kind.

"...Was that really necessary?"

Shirou glanced at the tall man beside him as they exited the headquarters of the higher-ups. As he felt the sun on his face, he was silently glad that the whole affair had been quick. It was so stuffy in there... and he doubted it was just because of the scent of wood and candles.

The light of the sun rising over the horizon illuminated the area around them, casting an orange hue on the world as the two walked down the cobblestone path. The chirps of sparrows filled the air, giving an essence of tranquility that few rarely got to experience.

"Hm? What, the whole introduction affair?"

"I understand the point of the introduction... but you were needlessly antagonizing them the entire time. I don't want a target on my back because of association..."

That got a laugh out of the man. "Don't worry about it, kid. They got all the hate in the world for me. Since you were so well-mannered, I doubt they cared one bit that I picked you up."

"...If you say so."

Gojo tilted his head a bit, eying the kid curiously. "Anyway, now that the whole shebang is done with... we can get you all set up now. You said you had no family, right?"

"They're dead."

"So no family," Gojo hummed casually as if he hadn't just heard such a gruesome drop of info, stroking his chin for a moment before grinning. "Don't worry about lodging then. I'll put you up in a room one of my other students isn't using at the moment. He won't be back for a bit, so I'm sure he won't mind. I'll even give you a weekly allowance for food and other stuff."

Emiya glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Really? Funding?"

"Don't worry about it," Gojo said with a casual wave. "I'm a nice guy like that. Since I'm the one bringing you in, it only makes sense I take care of you a bit, right? Just think of it like a scholarship of sorts."

"...Right. And the reason you brought me in despite not knowing who I was, why I was here, or why I was bleeding was-"

"Well, you're sort of strong," Gojo said with a grin as he gave Shirou a look that felt a bit predatory if he were being honest. Like a kid who just saw a new toy that caught his interest. "Strength is something that should be cultivated... and I hate it when talented people don't reach their full potential. It's such a shame."

He glanced forward with a somewhat forlorn look on his face. "And I'll be honest... there are fewer and fewer of us each year. Too many sorcerers are going out and dying faster than the appearance of curses. The higher-ups may be content with ignoring the problem, but I'm not. Too many sorcerers are too weak to keep up with the changing strength of curses. That's why I need to bring in people like you and foster your abilities... so you can get to a point where you can stand against the growing tide."

His fist clenched for a moment, an act that hadn't gone unnoticed by Shirou but the action was gone just as quick as it came. "Well, you don't have to rush to get stronger. I am the strongest, after all. So long as I'm around, things will be fine! I am the great Gojo Satoru, after all!"

Shirou frowned for a moment before sighing. The man certainly had the confidence that seemed to come with his strength... but he didn't know it was possible for one to display it so brazenly like him.

Still, it wasn't such a bad thing.

The pair approached a black car sitting on the curb and Gojo raised a hand to tap it against the window, but the pane was already sliding down before he touched it. An older looking man in a business suit sat in the driver's seat, bending down slightly to look up at them. He looked to be in his late twenties... but the obvious stress marks on his face made him look far older than he really was.

"Gojo-san," The man said with just a hint of exhaustion. From the way he was blinking, it was clear he had just woken up from a quick nap. "I assume the meeting is finished?"

"Got it in one, Ijichi-san!" Gojo said with a loud voice, grinning in amusement at the way Ijichi flinched at the sudden sound. "Anyway, since we're all done here I'm going to need you to bring young Emiya-san over to Tokyo high and help him get situated. Give him Yuuta's room for the moment."

Ijichi frowned, looking like he wanted to protest the last part for a moment before resigning himself. Nothing good came from arguing with Satoru Gojo. "...Alright."

Shirou couldn't help but feel bad for the poor man. It seems like Gojo had a habit of just getting whatever he wanted, did he?

Gojo turned to him and opened the passenger side door, grinning as he patted it like it was some sort of exotic ride.

"Wonderful! Get in, kid. Your new and exciting life as a jujutsu sorcerer begins here!"

...Was being a jujutsu sorcerer really something that one should be excited about?

The ride started out as a quiet affair. Gojo hadn't come with them, saying that he had to take care of a few things before he could join Shirou at Tokyo Jujutsu High, but he promised he'd be there in a flash.

Normally, Ijichi wouldn't mind. He wouldn't dare vocalize it out loud, but Gojo... talked too much. Everyone knew it. It's just that he didn't particularly care because...

...Well what was anyone going to do about it?

But as much as Gojo's yapping got on the nerves of everyone (Utahime especially) it always prevented awkward silences during social interactions.

So he could use his motor mouth right about now because the silence in the car was deafening.

He wasn't a particularly chatty person by nature. Oh, he could give good presentations to the higher-ups without batting an eye and help give out clear guidelines to his subordinates and staff members, but casual conversations outside of work? Much less with a kid he didn't even know? Such a thing was a bit... difficult.

There was little he could tell about the kid outside of stuff common to nearly all jujutsu sorcerers. He was young. Probably late teens. Yet he carried a sense of weight that made him seem far older than he should. His was blank and passive, head tilted slightly to the side to look out the window at the sights.

Ijichi's fingers thrummed against the wheel as the sense of silence became suffocating. They still had about thirty minutes left in their drive...

"Emiya-san."

"Hm?"

The boy turned to look at him curiously and Ijichi felt his throat clog up for a moment. Ugh... what should he say?

"Do..." He cleared his throat. "Do you know what you're getting into? Being a jujutsu sorcerer... I mean."

This wasn't a profession one should hope to be in. Despite everything they did... the necessity of their station... who in their right mind would willingly risk their lives fighting against the manifestations of human fears?

As many sorcerers and he himself had said to many fledglings:

"You have to be a bit crazy if you want to be a Jujutsu Sorcerer."

But people don't really understand the meaning of those words until they went into the field for the first time. Most of the time they end up dying, and those that lived end up jealous of the dead.

"It may not be my place to say, and I'm sure you're capable of coming to your own decisions," He hastily continued. "But I don't know what Gojo-san told you about our work but its-"

"I know what I'm getting into," Shirou said suddenly, turning his head to face him with a small smile. "Gojo-san told me all about what jujutsu sorcerers are supposed to do."

Ijichi bit his lip. "And you're really okay with it?"

Shirou gained a wistful look as he stared out the windshield. "Ah... well I'm no stranger to fighting."

That got his attention. "So you've had run ins with curses before then?"

Ijichi didn't miss the way the boy's face seemed to tighten a bit, and a brief flash of a pained expression seemed to cross his features before softening.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up-"

"It's okay," Shirou leaned back in his seat and sighed. "...But I don't particularly want to talk about it. I hope you understand."

The supervisor nodded in understanding. "Of course. Forgive me for prying, Emiya-san."

The boy nodded and the two eventually returned to silence once more. Now though, the awkward environment was slowly coming back. He really didn't mean to make things awkward like this.

Eventually, Shirou spoke once more.

"So... what exactly do you do? Are you a sorcerer too?"

Ijichi was surprised by the sudden question, but grateful for the avenue for conversation. "Ah, no. I'm the assistant director at the academy."

Shirou tilted his head with a curious expression. "Assistant director? That sounds pretty important. Should someone like you be driving me?"

"Well, it is of little trouble to me. I don't mind the drive," Ijichi chuckled. "Besides... Gojo personally called me. When it comes to him I can't exactly say no."

"Woah," Shirou looked impressed. "He must be pretty important then."

Ijichi sighed.

"He is... Just don't go saying it around him, please."

For the love of God, that man's ego didn't need to get any bigger.

As Gojo promised, he met them at the entrance of Jujutsu High. In fact, he was there by the time the car pulled up leaning against a torii gate.

"Thanks, Ijichi-kun! I'll take things over from here!"

Shirou felt the man grasp his shoulders and pull him away as if he were in a hurry. He gave Ijichi a quick goodbye, the man stuttering one in return as Gojo led him into the campus.

The place was huge. By all accounts, it looked more like a regular buddhist temple than a school.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Gojo grinned, having caught him looking around. "On paper, it's a buddhist temple. Of course, it's not open to any sect."

"There doesn't seem to be a lot of people around," Shirou commented as he scanned the area, realizing that there was a distinct lack of people. There was literally no one around other than him and Gojo.

"Well, that's just par for the course. Jujutsu sorceres are rare and ones that survive longer than a couple months are even rarer."

Gojo's expression didn't change but his voice was just the tiniest bit somber. It appears there were times where even he couldn't be so carefree.

Shirou could understand. Magi were very much the same. In a world as unforgiving as combat, the weak were quickly filtered out. There could be no room for error. No room for complacency. Because there were no repeats once you make a mistake.

Because the cost of a mistake was your own life.

That's what Kiritsugu taught him. Whether it was fighting or planning, everything you did must be perfect. He never believed in second chances. His years as someone who sought to become a hero of justice had hardened him to the harsh realities of war and combat.

Those lessons stayed with him, although he never could become completely like his father. He sacrificed everything for his little sister after all, even when their creed necessitated sacrificing the few to save the many.

He wondered what she was doing now. Was she safe? Was she happy? He wished he could know for sure... but the only thing he could do was trust that the world she ended up in was a good one.

"How many students even are here?"

"No more than a handful," Gojo caught his look. "Like I said, those that survive a couple months are rare."

The two continued in silence as Gojo led him through each section of the temple grounds. The fall weather meant that the trees were beginning to shed their leaves. Brown maple leaves marred their path, but every time Gojo strode forward they parted away from him as if repelled by an invisible force. It wasn't something as simple as wind, either.

Eventually, the two came upon several buildings after Gojo led him up some steps. They strode up to the final one situated at the far end of the section before stopping.

"Now, I know I said that I'd be enrolling you into this little academy of ours... but there's one thing you gotta do real quick," He said as he turned to look at Shirou. "You gotta convince the principle."

Shirou frowned. "Convince the principle?"

"Yup, yup. The principle of this place has to be the one to approve your enrollment. If it had been ayone else I'd have just twisted their arm into taking you in, but this guy was my teacher once upon a time... even if I didn't really learn much from him."

Shirou deadpanned. This man really had little respect for authority.

"But don't worry. This won't be some complicated test. He won't make you do anything physical... probably. He'll just make you answer a simple question. Give a satisfactory response and he'll let you in. Easy as pie."

"Any chance you could tell me the question?" Shirou asked hopefully.

"Psh... that'd ruin the surprise! Not even I'm cruel enough to give out spoilers, you know?" Gojo chuckled before placing a hand on the door and smiling at him. "I have a feeling you'll say the right thing. Don't stress too much."

And with that, he pushed the doors open and the pair entered. What greeted them was a dimly lit room with the faint scent of burning wax from the candles that hung from perches on the wooden pillars.

Shirou's eyes squinted as shadows danced upon the ground and walls from the flickering of the wicks. The atmosphere was a bit eerie, but his sense of danger had not told him that there was anything wrong.

He inwardly wondered if someone had cleaned this place in a while when a voice from the other side of the room reached their ears.

"So this is the one you told me about, Satoru?"

When Shirou turned to study the source of the voice, he found himself staring in surprise at a large man sitting on a small wooden stool at the end of the room. What was most intriguing about the sight was what he was surrounded by and what he was doing.

In his lap was a small, vaguely humanoid object. It had a round body shape, a smile plastered on its face and blue fur.

No, that wasn't fur. It was fabric. The thing was some sort of doll. A weird, creepy-looking doll. Other dolls of differing sizes and shapes were on the floor around him, each of unique design.

The man barely glanced up from his work, his hand gripping a small needle that he jabbed into the doll. His movements were expert and precise, surgical in nature.

"Yup, yup! Sorry about the wait, but the higher-ups were stuffy as usual so they needed some convincing," Gojo said with a grin. He then raised a hand and gave Shirou a light slap on the back. "And this is our new initiate Shirou Emiya! I think you'll like this one, old man!"

"I'll be the judge of that," The man sighed as he raised his head fully, locking eyes with Shirou behind his black shades. It was kinda odd to be wearing them in such a dark room, but Shirou wisely chose not to comment. "I am Masamichi Yaga, the principal of this establishment. As such, I am the one who has the final say on who gets in and who gets out. You understand?"

Shirou nodded. "Yes sir, I understand."

"Good. Now then," Yaga stood up, his presence glowing with subtle authority despite the distance between them. "A few years ago I would have let you in unconditionally. Our society isn't one that can afford to turn away those who wish to fight curses... but things have changed."

Shirou glanced at Gojo who merely shrugged and gestured to him to pay attention.

"As Jujutsu Sorcerers, we are given a higher calling than most. We protect human society from the curses that they cannot see. Without us, the human world would have been overrun long ago," Yaga continued before his voice grew a hint somber. "But it is because of the nature of our profession that we too are susceptible to our darker instincts... and we become a threat to those we are sworn to protect. This is in conjunction with our short lifespan as well."

Yaga bent down and picked up another doll. This one was just like the other except green in color. Although, the weird face was still the same.

"So tell me young man, why is it that you want to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer? Is it because someone else told you to do so? Are you treating the nature of our work lightly? If so, you shouldn't even be allowed within these walls."

Shirou remained silent for a moment before speaking.

His voice was even, yet spoken with clarity. "When I was younger, my father told me I had a special gift. A kind of ability that not many would find worthwhile or useful... but he saw the potential in it."

He flexed his hand as if grasping an imaginary object. "I was trained by him. Molded by him into learning how to fight. With what I can do, I would no doubt be useful in protecting others and assisting him in his goals."

Yaga frowned. "I have no recollection of any registered sorcerer with the name of Emiya. Was he-"

"He was similar to a Jujutsu Sorcerer," Shirou admitted with a rue smile. "Although I doubt you would have gotten along with him. He was a good man, but imperfect. His health deteriorated suddenly so he's not with us anymore."

The principal was silent for a moment in contemplation. "And so you wish to become a Jujutsu Sorcerer because of obligation to your father?"

"No," Shirou sighed. "This is of my own volition. My own choice. I have an ability to see these monsters. What sort of person would I bet if I were to allow them to harm others when I can stop them?"

But he was a hypocrite for saying that... when he sacrificed the whole world for the sake of a single girl.

"...That is a childish worldview."

Shirou's eyes narrowed as Yaga dropped the doll in his hands. It landed on the floor before suddenly twitching, a sound resembling a growl emanating from it.

Then it stood up, it's expression twisted from a smile into a ferocious snarl.

"You can see curses so you feel obligated to save others? It is a childish, but noble viewpoint," Yaga continued with his hands in his pockets. "But that is just how you feel now. In our work, there are times when we won't be there to save anyone. We'll be exorcising curses who have just gotten done with their killing spree. There will be times when you won't be able to save those with your power alone. What will you do then?"

Shirou was silent. This felt familiar. Ah yes.

Alone on a hill of swords.

That version of him was led to damnation... because he didn't have the power to save everyone.

"Those ideals you have... attempting to save others because you have the power to do so... that'll only end up as a curse for you."

But that version of him wasn't him. He was a possibility. A child who could not face reality until the very end when it crushed his soul and made him a cog that protected humanity.

"...I know."

Yaga's eyes narrowed. "You know?"

Shirou nodded. "I know better than anyone how naive that sounds. Saving others just because I have the ability to do so doesn't mean I'll always be able to do so. Sometimes I'll fail... but I accept that. I won't avert my eyes from reality. Even if I can't save everyone, I can save a few. People who have strength should use it to protect those who cannot fight back."

Gojo looked at him strangely and Yaga's shoulders tensed up for a moment before he sighed.

"A one-way ticket to hell," Yaga muttered before shaking his head. "Very well. I can hear it in your voice that you have resolve... but resolve alone isn't enough. Show me that you have the bare minimum strength to be a sorcerer."

With a snap of his fingers, the doll stood up at attention. It bent its stubby knees and, with surprising strength, charged towards him in a burst of speed.

It wasn't on the level of those wielding the class cards, but it was surprising for an object so small.

He reacted quickly, applying reinforcement to his hand and raising it to block the blow. The impact nearly made him stumble back and he planted a foot behind him to keep from being blown off his feet. The doll gave him an ugly grin and spun around to backhand him with its fist.

His hand wrapped around its wrist and he twisted his body, tossing it into a nearby pillar. It slammed into the wooden surface before bouncing off into another pillar. It began to ricochet around the room, blowing the candles out with the wind from its movements.

Despite the darkness, Shirou's eyes tracked it through the air. Eventually, it decided to bounce straight toward him once again with its accumulated speed to make an attack even faster than its previous one.

Shirou silently apologized to the principal. He hoped he didn't mind if the doll got damaged a bit.

"Trace on."

Yaga's eyes widened as there was a flash of blue in the room before the sound of something getting cleaved reached his ears. The arm of his cursed doll flew through the air before landing at his feet, rolling unceremoniously.

His doll clutched his arm in faux pain as it stumbled around. It couldn't feel sensation like a normal creature, but this particular doll was a lot more dramatic than the others.

But what was more interesting was the technique the boy had done to cleave the arm off.

In his hand was a white sword bearing the symbol of yin-yang at its base. Even as someone who rarely ever used cursed tools, he could tell that the object was of high quality.

"...So that's your technique," Yaga hummed as he stared at the boy with renewed interest. "You're able to use cursed energy to summon weapons."

Shirou nodded. "That's the gist of it, yes."

Yaga didn't have to look at Gojo to know that he was grinning like an idiot. Summoning weapons could be a powerful cursed technique... and this kid clearly had no lack of combat abilities. This doll of his wasn't too powerful, but it could easily exercise a grade 3 curse on its own.

The kid had potential. Talent. But that mindset of his...

"Jujutsu Sorcerers exist to protect the weak."

He tucked that memory away. No. He would never allow another Geto to be created under his watch. They'd have to make sure they guided this one properly.

"Very well," He nodded as the doll waddled back over to him and sat down, pouting. "You've shown me your capabilities... and they are sufficient. Consider yourself enrolled."

Gojo's annoying laugh cut through the room and Yaga had to stop himself from launching a doll at him.

"Well, you heard the man, kid!" Gojo wrapped an arm around Shirou's shoulders, who gave an awkward smile at the gesture. "Let me show you to your room! We'll get you all acclimated and maybe we'll throw a welcome party! The other years will love to get to know you, I'm sure!"

"Satoru," Yaga's tone booked little nonsense. "Don't get carried away. Any mess you and your students make, you clean it up. Immediately."

"Yes, yes, I got it," Gojo waved him off as he began dragging Shirou away. "Come on, kid! We got some spacious rooms here so I know you'll love it. We don't have many outlets here, though. If you ask me, this place needs to modernize a bit-"

Satoru's ramblings were cut off as the doors shut behind them. As soon as they were gone, Yaga let out a small sigh. Already he could feel that migraine of his going away. Were it not for his infinity, he would have thought that his true cursed technique was to give people headaches.

It was actually a bit of a private joke amongst the other faculty.

Still, Satoru was good at recognizing talent. As much as he goofed around and treated life like a casual game, he really was the best they got. That Emiya child was truly something as well.

He glanced down at the severed arm of his doll as it lay at his feet. His creation lumbered over to it and picked it up before offering it up to him with a pleading look on his face. Slowly, he bent down and took the appendage and studied it.

"A clean cut..."

It was masterful. A beginner swordsman couldn't have been able to make a cut this clean. It was a bit of a blessing in this case. It'll make things easier to sew back on.

He looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

"You're always bringing in the good ones, aren't you?"

Hey guys.

I know it's been a while, but I've been dealing with college stuff so obviously I can't spend as much time on writing as I'd like. Besides, this was never a job for me. More of a hobby lol.

Still, since I've taken a break from so many things that meant that there was a lot of new things to look forward to when I got back into things. Jujutsu kaisen has been one of them.

I mean, I was a manga reader, but season 2 has really brought things back for me. It's really just that peak. Never thought I'd be excited waiting for every new weekly episode.

And then of course, the manga ended. Finally gave me the push to get back into writing.

Now, I'm sure you're all wondering about my other stories and it's safe to say that I may not resume them. It's not because I hate them or anything, but because it has been so long that all of my drafts have been deleted so it really killed my mood to just pick up where I left off.

BUT if I do decide to revist them, I might just have to start from the beginning. Revise some things a bit, but who knows?

If you want to help support me, please check out my P a treon at P a treon . com (slash) AkkhilesCosmos45. Or leave a nice comment and favorite! That works too!

I've got a few more chapters on the back burner so expect them to come out soon!