Please Read : Please support me by finding akadaka on patre0n. And sorry for the grammatical errors because I am not a native speaker. I'll try to improve it with all my might.
A big thanks to:
- Alexis Chagoya
- DPD
- Kaung Myat, Kyaw
- Deadlock TV, and
- Jadrien Pang.
Thank you so much for supporting me.
—OoOoO—
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami
Oregairu by Wataru Watari & Ponkan8
Genre : Supernatural, Action, Friendship, Slice of Life, and Little Bit Romance
Summary : Not the romantic comedy of youth that he experienced, not the quiet and normal life of youth he had. He never missed his day-to-day cursing his strange and annoying life. He is Hikigaya Hachiman and this is all his complaints as a jujutsu sorcerer.
Chapter 27: Sorcerers in Kyoto
—OoOoO—
The headquarters of the jujutsu association, Kyoto. After travelling from the station for about an hour, they finally arrived at the headquarters and one of the jujutsu schools, Kyoto Jujutsu Tech. There was no special banquet for the guests from Tokyo. Right after they set foot at Kyoto Jujutsu Tech, they were immediately ushered into a particular room where the higher-ups were.
The room was not much different from the Tokyo branch headquarters. It was a large room with minimal lighting. On each side, five curtains were hiding a person behind them. They were the old people who set the course of the organisation. Those people had different roles from those in Tokyo. In a way, they were the central administrators of the association.
Being surrounded by five first-grade sorcerers in a dimly lit place certainly made Hachiman think of some worst-case scenarios.
With that, Hachiman took the initiative to grab Haruno's hand and hold it. His sudden action startled the short-haired woman, and she reflexively turned her gaze towards him. Realising the meaning of the stare, Hachiman gave her an explanation.
"In Kyoto, there is a sorcerer who has a teleportation-like place-shifting technique," he said in a low voice, "I certainly didn't sense his presence, but it would be bad if you were suddenly teleported using his technique."
Haruno was stunned by the sudden attention the young man offered. She found no intention other than pure worry etched on his face.
"Oh, thanks," she replied in a low voice.
Without her realising it, Haruno tightened her grip on Hachiman's hand as if she found comfort in the hand that was bigger than her own. Haruno took her eyes off Hachiman and looked straight ahead again. If only the room hadn't had bad lighting, they might have seen a faint patch of red on her cheek.
"Welcome to Kyoto Jujutsu Tech, and long time no see, Ieiri Shoko. And we welcome Hikigaya Hachiman and Yukinoshita Haruno as well."
The baritone words echoing through the darkness paused momentarily before they finally returned.
"We will not mince words. Thus, report everything that happened, including Yukinoshita Haruno's cursed technique."
Hachiman explained in detail what happened to Haruno, including what kind of cursed spirit turned her into a jujutsu sorcerer. Hachiman didn't miss a word about the incident they had. He didn't convey it using ambiguous words either. Until finally, he arrived at the moment when he had to explain Haruno's power.
"For Haruno-san's ability, you could say it's a very unique case. She has two separate reserves of energy, positive and negative energy. With positive energy as her main energy reserve. And that might be caused by her cursed technique."
This statement made the higher-ups silent. They had a hard time imagining what Hachiman had just said. They were first-grade jujutsu sorcerers. Their experience and knowledge taught them what positive energy was and how it could be generated. However, someone couldn't have positive energy without first doing the Reverse Cursed Technique.
"Don't be ridiculous! Is that even possible?" said one of them.
"Possible or not, it's not the problem. What I convey are facts, and I can't lie because of the Binding Vow," Hachiman replied casually.
Not wanting to create an unnecessary argument, one of the higher-ups intervened.
"Enough. Tell me, what is her cursed technique?"
Hachiman couldn't see their faces because they were covered with curtains. However, for that one, he could clearly guess that the one who spoke just now had a voice that sounded younger than the others.
There was a slight pause before Hachiman answered the question. He closed his eyes briefly before opening them and breathed to blow some steam off.
"I don't know."
That short answer successfully stunned the Kyoto people. They furrowed their brows, forming several folds on their foreheads. Their teeth chattered together to contain the annoyance they were feeling. However, above all, they were waiting for something to take effect on Hachiman.
One second had passed, two seconds had passed, and three seconds had passed. Seconds after seconds continued to pass in silence that enveloped. No one in the room was willing to break the silence. Be it the higher-ups and the guests from Tokyo, their attention was drawn to a boy still standing quietly.
'It works!'
Hachiman might have a calm face on the outside, but he was actually quite restless inside. In a way, that might be a betting moment where he could die instantly if his plan failed.
What really happened, though? Simply put, it was a gamble. Hachiman, who currently represented Gojo Satoru, was bound under the Binding Vow.
The content of the agreement was quite simple. If he lied about Haruno's situation, he would die. In exchange for Hachiman telling everything as clearly as he could, the association wouldn't touch Haruno until she woke up from the coma and let Haruno get first-class treatment under Ieiri Shoko. However, since this pact was initially addressed to Gojo Satoru and he was the primary source of information, they thought Gojo Satoru would instantly pick up on Haruno's cursed technique at a glance. Basically, they put Satoru's Six Eyes power as an object that could see everything.
That was not entirely wrong, though. However, they only saw Six Eyes as an object but failed to understand Gojo Satoru as a human. Before becoming the strongest, Satoru was a human. In other words, even with the omniscient eye power, Satoru was also a human who only wanted to see what he wanted to see. He could have figured out Haruno's cursed technique with just one look if he wanted to. However, Satoru did not.
He had only peeked into Haruno's system to see how the shape of her cursed energy was. In other words, no rules were broken in the contract. Satoru told Hachiman what he saw from Haruno, and Hachiman passed on all the information he received from Satoru to the higher-ups. That way, they could still hide Haruno's technique without breaking the Binding Vow.
And to ensure their plan perfectly worked, Hiratsuka and Hachiman strictly told Haruno not to tell everyone about her cursed technique.
"In your report, you said that you and Hiratsuka yesterday had been watching her to find out about her cursed technique, didn't you?" asked one of the higher-ups, "Then, how dare you say you don't know anything about it!?"
"Yes, we did watch Haruno-san. And that confirmed what Gojo-sensei said about the strangeness of her cursed energy, but we couldn't figure out her technique."
Haruno saw Hachiman out of the corner of her eye. She gritted her teeth to endure the turmoil rising within her body. The annoyance was palpable because she couldn't do anything about the situation. She was dissatisfied because she was letting Hachiman and Ieiri take matters into their own hands while she stood idly by the selfishness that dragged them into this situation.
Haruno knew she was positioned as a client while Hachiman and Ieiri were lawyers. She knew that speaking in court without direction from a lawyer was a fatal mistake. Indeed, a defendant would be questioned, and she would answer according to the orders previously given by the lawyer.
However, her current condition was different from what was expected in trials. The Binding Vow only bound envoys representing Gojo Satoru, namely Hachiman and Ieiri. In other words, the words that came out of Haruno's mouth had no objective value for the higher-ups because the Binding Vow that was made was not binding on her.
The higher-ups then turned their gazes to Haruno. She couldn't see them because of the obscuring curtains. However, she could feel the stares.
"How about you, Yukinoshita Haruno? You didn't purposely hide your abilities, did you?"
Haruno swallowed her saliva to ease her nervousness. The overflowing cursed energy those higher-ups emitted was enough to exert tremendous pressure on someone like Haruno, who had just stepped foot in this world. However, the girl had a heart of steel. Moreover, she got a strong morale injection when the boy beside her tightened his grip on her hand.
"Like Hikgaya-san said, I was only telling him what I know," Haruno said calmly.
She also changed how she addressed Hikigaya to a more formal one to give the impression that they were in a professional relationship.
"When someone awakens their cursed technique, the brain will naturally evolve and provide basic information about the cursed technique," said one of the higher-ups, "If you say you don't know anything about your cursed technique, you are simply lying to us."
"I'm not lying, and I'm not saying I don't know anything about my cursed technique. I have information about it in my head, but all I know is that it affects my cursed energy so that I have positive energy instead of the usual negative energy."
What Haruno said wasn't a lie, but she wasn't telling the honest truth either. She was hiding that her cursed technique was a shikigami that took the form of an exact copy of her. The choice to hide her cursed technique actually came from the suggestions given by those who supported her.
The reason was simple. Apart from the fact that cursed techniques were the greatest insurance that guaranteed the safety of sorcerers, the strangeness of Haruno's cursed energy was also a consideration. Even though they weren't told about Haruno's cursed technique, the fact she had two different pools of cursed energy, each divided into positive and negative energy, led them to one conclusion. Haruno's cursed technique was an active shikigami, possessing high intelligence, and it was possible the shikigami also had high control over herself.
Considering all of them, coupled with the fact that the higher-ups suspected Haruno was infiltrated by the radical ideas of the cursed spirit, hiding Haruno's abilities was the best option to avoid Haruno being executed.
"I think the explanations are enough, right?" said Hachiman, glaring at them sharply, "We're here to prove that Haruno-san is not under the influence of a cursed spirit. Gojo-sensei also swore that there was no cursed object in her body. And you can see yourself, other than Haruno-san naturally has positive energy, there's no sign of her being affected by a cursed spirit."
"Don't be cocky, you brat! Just because you got a bit stronger, you think you can do as you please?" growled one of the old men.
His words were followed by a surge of cursed energy surging out of his body. Not only him, but the other four elders also gave off an aura of hostility by letting their cursed energy overflow to intimidate Hachiman.
The killing intent that they issued was directed at Hachiman. However, Haruno standing beside him was also affected, causing her to drip cold sweat from her neck.
Hachiman hated the association's higher-ups to the bottom of his heart. They were not just a bunch of old farts who liked to abuse their power for personal gain. They had unilaterally labelled Komachi as a potential disaster simply because she possessed a cursed technique similar to Geto Suguru. Not only that, but the higher-ups also turned a blind eye to the behaviour of the Zen'in and Kamo clans, who clearly wanted to lock Komachi under their control.
In a way, the higher-ups were the humans Hachiman hated most. Even his loathing for them couldn't be matched by his contempt for the cursed spirits that often consumed his free time. Hence, when he sensed the killing intent of the five of them, the deep hatred that he had been harbouring until now seemed to crawl out and was about to spill out in a single explosion.
"I'll do what I want. And don't fuck with me, you dickheads," he replied coldly.
Along with that, the overflowing cursed energy from his body flooded the entire room without anyone being able to contain it. The density of the cursed energy gave off an overwhelming disgusting, terrifying sensation.
—OoOoO—
Tokyo Jujutsu tech, on the same day. Two adult men walked side by side down a corridor. They wore relatively the same uniform. However, the uniform attached to the white-haired man had a high collar. Coupled with a black cloth covering his eyes, his appearance looked more striking.
Meanwhile, the man next to him was wearing a fairly standard uniform. There was nothing particularly flashy in his overall attire. However, his tall, muscular stature and tanned skin make him exceptionally easy to spot when standing out in a crowd. Moreover, the sunglasses attached to his face make his appearance even more attractive.
"Now be honest, Satoru. Besides your and Hikigaya's cursed energy, I sensed residual energy from other people last night."
Gojo Satoru, that was the name of the white-haired man. When the person beside him suddenly asked about a slight suspicious discrepancy, he had to give a faint smile to hide his surprise.
"Doesn't it belong to the cursed spirit that Hachiman exorcised?" he replied.
"Do you think I can't tell the difference between a human and a cursed spirit's residual energy?"
"Really? Well, maybe you're wrong because I feel absolutely no residual energy other than Hachiman's and that cursed spirit's."
The person walking and talking to him was the principal of Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, Yaga Masamichi. His tall, muscular appearance and close-cropped hair made him often misunderstood as a rigid officer. Even though he looked like a scary uncle, Yaga was actually a very understanding person.
Yaga glanced at Satoru, who was walking beside him. Because of his taller body, he had to lower his head slightly when he spoke with the white head. If only his sunglasses weren't covering him, a piercing look could have been seen in his eyes.
"If it were just me, I would probably buy your story. But Shizuka also sensed that there was another human besides you and Hachiman at that time."
His words stopped as he slowly exhaled. However, Yaga again focused on the corridor and continued his speech.
"The one we're talking about is Shizuka. You won't say her judgment was wrong, are you?"
The arrogant smile plastered on his face faded when he heard that answer. At this rate, Satoru could no longer avoid the question. No one could deny Hiratsuka's capability. Various circles had recognised her ability as a practitioner of jujutsu sorcery. In fact, many believed that Hiratsuka Shizuka's power was far more potent than her current grade.
Satoru was the one who acknowledged the woman's abilities. He was even one of the few who knew of her true power, which Hiratsuka had been hiding from the general public. He also admitted that Hiratsuka had the second-best control of cursed energy after himself. Those accomplishments were enough to make anything from Hiratsuka's mouth worth considering.
Satoru sighed. He then stared at the corridor ceiling while walking beside the principal. There was no other way to escape than admit it. Satoru knew that much. However, that didn't mean he could just say it.
"Well, there was indeed someone other than me and Hachiman, but I can't say right now."
Satoru then looked straight at Yaga. The middle-aged man couldn't see him directly because Satoru covered his eyes with a black cloth. However, he could feel that the white-haired man was trying to convey that there was nothing to worry about through those eyes.
"Don't worry. I'll tell you later, Principal Yaga," continued Satoru with a shrug, "Think of it as a surprise this summer… or maybe autumn, eh?"
That was fishy. Really, really fishy. Yaga could smell it. He narrowed his eyes and glared at Satoru. However, he knew he would gain nothing from it. As such, Yaga returned to stare at the corridor with empty hands for the umpteenth time.
"I don't care anymore. It's not like it's my first time dealing with your impulsiveness."
Satoru smiled happily at that reply. Yaga could hear a low giggle from next to him. He knew it had come from Satoru, who was satisfied with the deal struck.
"Speaking of Hiratsuka, what exactly are you two planning?" asked Yaga, who opened the conversation again.
Satoru reflexively turned his head towards his interlocutor. He looked at the tanned man with a questioning look. He tilted his head as he didn't understand the meaning behind those words.
Seeing the reaction shown by his former student, Yaga could only take a deep breath before continuing.
"You and Shizuka will not be directly responsible because you have used authority too often for your selfishness, that's what you said to Yukinoshita Haruno's father," said Yaga, who started his explanation, "Don't fuck around with me. Since when have you two felt guilty for interfering too much in other people's affairs? Letting Hachiman and Maki take responsibility and even sending Hachiman to Kyoto to represent you. What is your true intention?"
Satoru listened to the complaint carefully while pinching his chin.
"Ah, that one, huh, that one? I see, I see," he replied, nodding his head.
Satoru didn't immediately answer the question. It beckoned Yaga to look at him fixedly. The tall, muscular man kept waiting for the answer that was about to come out of the white-headed man's mouth. However, no matter how patiently he waited, the words never came out.
Noticing that a pair of eyes had been staring at him, Satoru stopped in his tracks and stared at Yaga's back. Seeing that, the principal reflexively stopped his steps and then turned around to meet Satoru's gaze. However, Satoru just stood still, gawking and kept staring at his teacher in his school days.
"Uh, what? Could it be that you're waiting for my answer, Yaga-sensei?" asked Satoru, flashing a mischievous smile.
"Sometimes I wonder, was making you a teacher here the right decision?" muttered Yaga.
Satoru shrugged casually. With his hands tucked into his pockets, he continued on his way.
"Hachiman has now become a great sorcerer. He was already at the level of the special grade, that was unmistakable. However, the speed of his development was most frightening, which far exceeded my expectations. I knew he had a brilliant brain, but I didn't expect that letting him study under Hiratsuka would have such a big impact. It was like watching him have been reborn, and the speed at which he progressed reminded me of Yuta."
Yaga only saw Satoru walking past him. The burly man then caught up with them, paralleling their steps. There was no reply from his mouth for some time. They approached a fork in the corridor and stepped to the left.
After that, Yaga issued a question.
"You're worried about his progress being too fast?"
Satoru nodded slowly at the question.
"I believe Hachiman isn't that kind of person, but he needs to learn the meaning of responsibility. His motivation all along was to protect his family. However, he won't be able to protect anything if he doesn't know the true meaning of responsibility."
There was a brief pause in Satoru's words. The arrogant smile on his face had faded and been replaced with a severe expression that was rarely seen from him.
"I don't want him to stop thinking just because he has become a special grade. I don't want him to stop advancing just because he has obtained the power he yearned for. Because if he had such a mindset, he'd made a fatal mistake. And at the same time, he won't be able to protect anything. In short, I just don't want Hachiman to go through the same experience as me."
When you thought everything was under control and would be fine, fate would always find a way to mess it up. When you avert your eyes even for a second, that was when your sand castle could be destroyed instantly. Satoru knew that feeling all too well. The bad memory of his biggest failure had been imprinted in the bottom of his heart.
He had no way of forgetting that and didn't want his dear students to experience the same.
Before being defeated by a certain former member of the Zen'in clan, Satoru thought he, along with Suguru, was the strongest. So, they were a bit full of themself. It caused Satoru not to give his best to master all his potential. And his ignorance led him to the death of someone he'd to protect.
Ironically, while Satoru was trying so hard to become strong, he lost Suguru instead. he was so focused on himself that he didn't pay much attention to his surroundings. That was why Satoru assigned Hachiman to Kyoto as the person in charge of Haruno. While Hachiman was climbing the momentum of his power, Satoru wanted him to pay attention to his surroundings, not just focus on his goals.
"Damn," muttered Yaga speechless.
Satoru was about to continue his words, but Yaga got ahead.
"I've to admit, you're pretty wise this time. Like Yuta, Hachiman needs to broaden his horizons beyond jujutsu stuff."
Satoru nodded in approval, "That's why I think this is a good opportunity. More than anyone else, Hachiman despised the higher-ups, especially those in Kyoto. He might encounter things that anger him there. However, he had to overcome that. He should. Because if he doesn't, I'm afraid he'll just end up being like Suguru and me."
—OoOoO—
Switching again to Kyoto, in the room where officials and guests from Tokyo meet.
The killing intent, mixed with Hachiman's dense cursed energy, flooded the room. The air seemed to vibrate in response to the boy's anger. However, at the same time, they had an awful feeling of despair dominating the atmosphere, which also made them sick at the same time.
'W-what? What's with this cursed energy?'
'Is this Hikigaya's cursed energy trait? It's different from what Gakuganji said!'
'Shouldn't the cursed energy trait have an effect through physical contact?'
What they thought was true. The effects of the cursed energy trait could only be felt directly when physical contact occurred. What Hachiman had was no different either. However, that was old information from last year's Goodwill Event.
Hachiman wasn't sure why the effects of his cursed energy trait could become more assertive, to the extent that a person could be directly affected without any physical contact. However, if he thought back on it, that was from when he killed Quanxi, or rather when he could generate positive energy through the Reverse Cursed Technique for the first time. The best speculation that could come to mind was that the more refined his cursed energy was and the better its quality, the easier it would be for his cursed energy trait to take effect even without physical contact.
Unfortunately, the aura of killing intent mixed with dense cursed energy couldn't tell the difference between enemy and friend. Anyone within his reach would feel both horror and disgust from Hachiman's cursed energy.
"Hikigaya, it's not just them here!" said Ieiri, who was on the far left of the Tokyo group and looked pale on her face.
As if to serve as a whip to his mind, the young sorcerer realised his mistake. No, he had no regrets about issuing a killing intent to suppress the higher-ups. He simply forgot that someone was next to him, for whom he was currently responsible.
Hachiman looked to his left in a hurry to see Haruno. Sure enough, he found Haruno leaning over, holding her stomach. Her cheeks were puffed out, and her face was dead centre, as if she was trying hard to keep the contents of her stomach from spilling out through her mouth. Also, the cold sweat pouring out of her pores and her back contracting and relaxing rapidly indicated that the woman was struggling to breathe.
Hachiman saw Ieiri holding Haruno's chest and head on Haruno's left side. Even though it looked faint, she was trying to channel positive energy into Haruno. Even so, the senior sorcerer had a hard time since she also needed the positive energy circulating within her body to ensure she wasn't affected by Hachiman's cursed energy trait.
Realising that, Hachiman quickly calmed his mind. He suppressed his cursed energy so it didn't flood the room. However, residual energy still remained, and it was still dense. Thus, it was difficult for Haruno to fully recover.
"Yukinoshita, you naturally have a pool of positive energy, haven't you?" Ieri whispered in Haruno's ear, "Calm down and let it flow through your body. Positive energy is the best counter to eliminate negative effects on the body caused by negative energy. And then, flow it out of your body to bring out the effect of Hikigaya's cursed energy traits."
As Ieiri said, the Reverse Cursed Technique provided sorcerers with many advantages. That's why it was considered a high-level spell. The Reverse Cursed Technique changed the negative energy in the cursed energy into positive energy. Because it had a different value, the Reverse Cursed Technique was considered the best method to eliminate the adverse effects on the body caused by cursed energy.
However, doing that required more profound control and understanding of the Reverse Cursed Technique. Ieiri was a genius in that field. She dedicated her life to studying the Reverse Cursed Technique, positive energy, and its application. Meanwhile, Haruno, who naturally had two separate pools of cursed energy with positive energy in her body, was allowed to go through several steps to use some of the features of positive energy.
Haruno tried to carry out Ieiri's instructions. Her condition gradually improved with the help of positive energy channelled by Ieiri and herself. Though it was still difficult for her to return to a state close to normal.
Average sorcerers would probably just use cursed energy reinforcement to prevent them from being suppressed by the opponent's killing intent. It only worked if the opponent was weaker or equal. It wouldn't work if the opponent was much stronger. Especially if they had special traits like Hachiman, it would never work. Therefore, the most effective way to remove the adverse effects, regardless of the level difference, was to use the Reverse Cursed Technique.
However, it required and high level of control. Even Haruno, who naturally had positive energy, she couldn't do that well. Or perhaps, it's just that Hikigaya's cursed energy was on a different level.
"Sorry."
Hachiman said it with a straight face. However, it was clear that there was a note of concern in his word.
Haruno nodded slowly without uttering a word. She tried to stand up straight with Ieiri's help. Hachiman, who saw it, wanted to take the initiative to help her. However, he was ashamed of his behaviour which had gotten out of control. Hence, he could only tightly clench his fists.
"It's okay," Haruno replied, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
Ieiri, who was initially staring at Hachiman, turned to the higher-ups and glared at the curtains that hid them.
"Isn't this too much? Not only Hikigaya, but also you all. We have strayed too far from the main purpose of this meeting," Ieiri said in a cold voice, "Our goal here is to show goodwill by revealing what we know about Yukinoshita's abilities. If you are dissatisfied, you still have plenty of time to keep an eye on her. Am I wrong?"
The higher-ups fell silent when they heard Ieiri's logical suggestion. Even if they were dissatisfied, they were not stupid to waste resources on a conflict that could have been resolved peacefully. The same went for Hachiman. Even though he didn't like the idea of the association constantly putting their noses in other businesses, he knew from the start that Haruno's problems were beyond complicated.
The suspicious fact that a cursed spirit awakened someone's cursed technique couldn't be cleared of all suspicions in just one meeting. Maybe it could have been resolved earlier if they had given up and exposed everything about Haruno. However, that was tantamount to throwing Haruno into the sea of the so-called jujutsu society with absolutely no guarantees.
Feeling unanswered, Ieiri again intended to continue with her proposal.
"Considering that Yukinoshita naturally has positive energy without having to perform the Reverse Cursed Technique, I plan to place her under my command in the medical department. That way, the association could monitor her regularly and properly allocate her talents for our people's good. In exchange, Yukinoshita will have equal rights with students to gain access to education and knowledge at the jujutsu school."
What Ieiri said were not words spoken on a whim. It was the plan they had laid out from the start. The idea was to let Haruno remain on the grounds of the jujutsu school and gain access to its facilities. Considering her age and background, putting Haruno as a jujutsu student would be very strange. Hence, letting her participate in the association while offering her skills to them was the best option for obtaining equal rights with students.
Moreover, regardless of the outcome of this meeting, the Tokyo team believed that the association would definitely be keeping an eye on Haruno. Putting Haruno in an environment close to the higher-ups would reduce unnecessary friction. In the end, whether it was directly joining the jujutsu school or not, they would still monitor Haruno and not hesitate to kill her if necessary.
Ieiri couldn't see their reaction. However, she sensed no sign of rejection from the higher-ups. Hence, she continued her speech.
"Of course, Yukinoshita wouldn't be in Tokyo every day, considering her background as a university student and heiress to the Yukinoshita family. Besides me, who will be her superior in the medical department, Hikigaya Hachiman and Zen'in Maki will be appointed as her mentors in jujutsu sorcery and martial arts."
"Zen'in Maki? That fourth grader? What exactly do you expect from the Zen'in clan's failed product?"
Hachiman, who heard it felt offended. He was angry when he heard other people who looked down on the girl. He was furious, but he could control himself not to let his cursed energy explode like earlier. He tried so hard not to be provoked and instead extended this meeting.
"She is the best in hand-to-hand and weapon combat. Besides, alongside Hachiman, she was the one who rescued Haruno back then," said Ieiri, who also held back her emotions.
There was a long pause after the last words were spoken. Maybe five minutes, or even nearly seven minutes. They weighed the pros and cons if they agreed to Ieiri's proposal.
"Alright, I accept your terms. If no one argues, I will assume the decision is unanimous."
One of the higher-ups said, and no one interrupted even though a few seconds had passed. As decided, the conclusion at this meeting has reached a consensus. With that, this meeting was over. That was what it should be. However, one of the higher-ups threw something at Hachiman.
It was a fast throw. But in the eyes of the young sorcerer, it was nothing. He caught it easily. Hachiman then noticed that and realised it was a membership card.
"Hikigaya Hachiman, we have been receiving reports about you from Gojo Satoru, Hiratsuka Shizuka, and assurances from Yaga Masamichi as well."
The one who spoke stopped his words and allowed his partner to continue.
"Starting from killing Quanxi, surviving Hijikata Toshizo the vengeful spirit, saving Yukinoshita Haruno and getting out alive from two disaster class cursed spirits, and lastly, you exorcised a disaster class by yourself last night."
"Based on our personal considerations, as well as the recommendations written by Gojo Satoru, Hiratsuka Shizuka, and assurances from Yaga Masamichi, we have decided to reform your grade to the special grade."
Hachiman only listened to half of what they were saying. He completely ignored the rest and only focused on the ID card in his hand. In fact, without needing to listen to what the higher-ups were saying, he could tell the entire context by looking at the card's contents. Because it was written there.
ID Number : 100000
Name : Hikigaya Hachiman
Date of Birthday : 08/08/2001
Grade : Specials
At the bottom, it said, "We certify that the person above is an official member of the Japanese Jujutsu Association". Meanwhile, on the right side was an old photo pass of Hachiman when he first enrolled in Jujutsu Tokyo Tech.
"Thanks," replied Hachiman briefly.
Despite receiving such a significant promotion, from semi-first to special grade, Hachiman didn't show any change in expression. His face remained straight as usual, and his eyes still looked rotten as always. However, he knew this was not the end of his journey. He also knew what it meant to be a special grade. So, it wasn't something to celebrate.
On the other hand, Ieiri didn't look surprised either. More or less, she knew and had expected this scene to occur. Meanwhile, Haruno couldn't hide her surprise. For all she knew, the special grade was the level for those in a completely different realm. They were the ones who had at least attained enlightenment and were closest to the true power offered by the jujutsu sorcery.
Only four people in Japan in this generation were officially given the title, even though one was dead. With Hachiman around, it meant that a fifth special grade had appeared and could change Japan's geopolitical map. Haruno, who realised that, immediately had an idea in her head.
'Wait. Ieiri-san once said that Shizuka-chan supposedly has powers worthy of being labelled as a special grade. It's just, she was at the first-grade level because she chose to hide most of her abilities. If that assumption is right, aren't there two special grades in Chiba? And if they can play their cards right, doesn't that mean Chiba can become the third great power in the association besides Tokyo and Kyoto?'
Haruno's thoughts ended when she heard Ieiri say something to the higher-ups.
"If there is nothing else to discuss, we will take your leave."
No reply was heard at all. With that, Ieiri thought the meeting was over, and they permitted them to leave the room.
Ieiri turned first towards the door. Hachiman and Haruno followed after. They walked without even looking back. When they reached the door, Ieiri grabbed the knob and slid it sideways quite hard. When the door opened, Haruno was surprised by the sight that greeted them from the other side.
With Ieiri taking the lead, they stepped out of the room with confident faces. Right after they left the room, Haruno's shock grew at what she saw.
Dozens of sorcerers filled the corridor with alert expressions clearly printed on their faces. They had taken a ready-to-fight stance, as if they were anticipating the worst possible outcome. Honestly, being surrounded by dozens of sorcerers on alert made Haruno quite nervous. However, seeing Hachiman and Ieiri, who didn't flinch in the slightest, made her feel calmer and safer.
What was interesting for Haruno was that when her group walked down the corridor, the sorcerers quickly opened their way. It looked like the scene when the small group from the outer alley walked and entered the enemy's territory. The sharp stares the sorcerers gave her group also rapidly increased Haruno's adrenaline. As such, she was on high alert in case they started a clash.
However, more than that, she was curious why dozens of sorcerers were suddenly surrounding their meeting room.
—OoOoO—
Haruno had never felt this much mental exhaustion. She had experienced various kinds of encounters that had drained her sanity. However, the experiences she had so far seemed like a playground in comparison to what she had just moments ago. It was only her first day in the jujutsu world, and yet Haruno was sure that even crazier things were waiting for her in the future.
'Now I totally understand, why they say only crazy people can survive on this side.'
Their meeting with the higher-ups in Kyoto actually didn't take too long. It only took about 50 minutes. However, the pressure was so intense and high that it seemed like an eternity.
Haruno was in the restroom right now, but it wasn't the one in the main building where the higher-ups were. What Haruno used was a restroom in the student dormitory. Well, whatever it was, Haruno didn't do her natural business in the toilet.
Haruno washed her hands in the washbasin. She scooped up the water from the faucet, then washed it over her face. The cold sensation of the water touching her face gave Haruno freshness. It helped clear her head a bit and helped her to calm down. Haruno did that often as if she hoped her tiredness would rinse away along with the water soaking her face.
Haruno took out a purple handkerchief from the pocket of her sukajan jacket. She wiped her face slowly and carefully so that not a single drop of water was missed. After ensuring the excess water had been wiped off, Haruno folded her handkerchief again and put it in her pocket.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror for a few seconds, then took a long breath.
'Wasn't that a thrilling experience?'
She jumped slightly when she suddenly heard a female voice in her head.
'Don't be surprised, girl. This will be our daily routine from now on. It won't be good if you get shocked just because of this.'
Haruno closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
'Then don't suddenly talk casually using telepathy,' Haruno replied.
'So, how did you think the meeting went?'
Ignoring Haruno's request, the figure talking to her kept demanding explanations.
'You can tell by reading my mind, right?'
'That's no fun. I want to hear it directly from you.'
The one talking to Haruno was Alter, something which took the form of being an anti-Haruno. Even though the word 'anti' was in her name, it didn't mean she was about antagonising Haruno. On the contrary, her character and behaviour could be called a "copy-paste" of Haruno. The term anti-Haruno was used because she was the one who held, or somewhat controlled, the negative energy in Haruno's cursed energy.
Alter always wore the same clothes as Haruno, so there was no difference between them. If anything, it was their physical traits. Alter had skin as white as snow, like an albino. Her hair was the same colour as the clouds in the sky. She had red irises, as red as blood, and scleras as dark as the night sky. The combination of her eyes gave an intimidating aura, but also very exotic.
'Well, that was insane. In fact, I feel like I might die if I move without permission. But, you know, the thumping I felt was really fun. The feeling of intimidation from Hikigaya-kun's aura and how I had to fight hard not to faint, telling me that I really am alive.'
Haruno explained it with a unique length and expression. Traces of tiredness were visible on her face. However, her big smile showed that Haruno was really enjoying it.
'Oh, how romantic. Doesn't your last sentence sound like you just want to be dominated by Hikigaya-kun?' teased Alter.
"Just shut it!"
Alter teased Haruno aggressively, so the woman unconsciously reciprocated without telepathic contact. Haruno raised her voice so that it echoed throughout the restroom. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it, to be honest. However, only one second later, there was the sound of water being flushed from the toilet at the far end.
Haruno, who at first just acted relaxed, was immediately put on full alert. She didn't expect that there had been someone else in this restroom all this time.
'Next, I'll make sure to practice cursed energy tracking so I don't miss out like this.'
The sound of a lock opening from the doorknob rang clearly in Haruno's ears. At the same time, she squinted and stared intently at the toilet door in question.
Actually, Haruno could have just walked out of the restroom when she heard the sound of water being flushed in the toilet. After all, Hachiman was waiting for her outside. So, things would be fine if she told the boy that someone was eavesdropping on her.
However, Haruno didn't want to appear pathetic for depending on the boy, even for trivial matters. She was not one to complain. She didn't want to jump to conclusions either. On top of that, she had been conversing with Alter through a particular telepathic contact that only they had access to. The only words that escaped her were those telling Alter to stop teasing her with her perverted jokes.
Considering those things, as long as Haruno understood the situation, there was no reason for her to depend on Hachiman.
The toilet door was opened. From inside walked out a short-haired woman. She wore a formal dress with a black suit and pants and a white shirt underneath. An eyepatch on her head was circular, like a pirate, which covered her right eye.
"Himeno?"
Haruno recognised the person. After all, she was the one who picked her up at the station this morning.
"Oh, Haruno-san?" greet Himeno back.
Haruno looked at Himeno with a suspicious look. At this rate, Haruno couldn't lower her guard in the slightest. Before her was a first-grade sorcerer. Even though they said the first grade wasn't as powerful as a special grade, that didn't change the fact it was the highest tier that became the statute at which they could be called strong sorcerers.
Haruno had sharp eyes, or rather, a very high level of precision. While looking at the toilet where Himeno had exited, Haruno found thin grey smoke slowly rising towards the vent. Haruno thought back to how she first met the sorcerer with the one-eyepatch. And in less than a second, she had come to a conclusion.
"You smoke in the toilet?"
"More precisely, I was pooping while smoking," Himeno replied casually, walking towards the washbasin.
The woman turned on the water faucet. She stood beside Haruno. Even though Haruno didn't give her any looks, Himeno could guess what she was thinking.
"Don't worry, I didn't hear anything."
After taking a brief pause, Himeno resumed her words.
"And just so you know, I'm also not a spy sent to watch over you or something."
"By saying that, isn't that acknowledging you heard what I said and are watching over me?" Haruno replied.
She sighed as she closed her eyes. Haruno opened her eyes again and turned to the left to look at Himeno.
"Well, it's obvious you didn't," Haruno added.
Haruno wasn't an idiot. She wasn't rash and couldn't come to a logical conclusion just because she was in the opposition's den. In fact, Haruno hadn't seen anyone enter the restroom since she was there. In other words, Himeno had been in the toilet since before Haruno came. So, it didn't make sense if the coincidence meant that Himeno was spying on her.
'Besides, Hikigaya-kun is outside. If there was someone who wanted to keep an eye on us, he would have realised it already.'
Himeno smiled at Haruno's reply. Honestly, she thought this trivial affair would take too long because Haruno was too paranoid and uptight. However, it seemed she was wrong. Besides, she quite liked Haruno's composure.
"Speaking of which, it must be hard for you, huh, to be interrogated like a criminal? Moreover, you were right there when Hikigaya-kun showed his anger," said Himeno.
"Eh? You know that?"
Himeno turned off the faucet and shifted her body to look at Haruno.
"Of course, I know. That terrifying and disgusting cursed energy explosion was clearly felt throughout the entire school grounds, you know?"
Haruno raised her eyebrows in surprise at the confession. She knew when Hachiman released his cursed energy felt very sinister. She wasn't hallucinating when she felt the air shake as it interacted with the boy's fury.
"Wait. If his cursed energy was felt throughout the school, did that mean sorcerers surrounded the meeting room because they felt Hikigaya-kun's cursed energy?"
Himeno raised her eyebrows in surprise when she heard Haruno's question.
"What? Seriously? They really did that?"
Haruno replied with a low nod. Himeno continued after receiving confirmation from Haruno.
"How ridiculous. It was good no clashes occurred, though. If it were me, I'd rather be chilling here and smoking than go to Hikigaya-kun's place."
"What do you mean?" asked a curious Haruno.
Himeno stared at the woman in front of her for a few seconds before answering.
"What Hikigaya-kun did isn't something even a first-grade sorcerer could do. Well, maybe Hiratsuka-san is different, because I believe she is much stronger than her rank. In essence, there is too much gap between those who deserve to be called special grade and us first graders. And sure enough, just like what I once felt from Okkotsu-kun, Hikigaya-kun's cursed energy quality was at that level."
Himeno didn't seem to have finished her words. Therefore, Haruno waited patiently for her.
"Special grade sorcerers are expected to easily exorcise disaster class cursed spirits. That way, if we were to talk about them, all the sorcerers in this school wouldn't be enough. At the very least, they had to bring all the sorcerers in Kyoto to go up against a special grade. Even that doesn't guarantee victory. Moreover, if it was Gojo Satoru, no one could stop him."
Haruno was speechless at the words. She absorbed well the words Himeno spat out. She was also thankful that those powerful sorcerers in Japan didn't direct any hostility towards her.
Himeno turned her body to face the side wall and took the hanging tissue. She wiped her hands slowly. However, her eyes didn't seem to have any focus on what she was doing. The emptiness that radiated from her eyes seemed to indicate that Himeno's mind was now flying to think of something far beyond her capacity.
'All the major powers are currently gathering on Tokyo's side. It was as expected by Gojo-san. To think that people like Okkotsu-kun and Hikigaya-kun would become the main pillars of the revolution he wanted, maybe the status quo would be completely shattered this time. Furthermore, if Gojo-san could awaken Maki-chan's true potential, as it was said there was someone like Maki-chan in the past who could easily end the Zen'in clan if he wanted to, the logic of common sense in the jujutsu world should probably be rewritten.'
Feeling the many thoughts going through her head and worries weighing down on her heart, Himeno took out her pack of cigarettes. She pulled a cigarette from the pack and brought it to her lips. However, she knew enough that it was impolite to smoke in front of Haruno, especially in an enclosed space like a restroom. So, she decided to walk out while reaching for a lighter from her pocket.
However, before she left, Himeno took herself to glance at Haruno one more time.
'There have been too many strange changes and happenings recently, including what happened to Haruno-san. It even exists at a level that is far from normal. If someone says the world will end soon, maybe it's no longer just a joke.'
"By the way…."
Himeno stopped when she heard Haruno's voice. She turned her head and found Haruno, who was already beside her.
"… You seem to know a lot about the world of jujutsu. I mean, I know that's probably only natural since you're a first grade. However, if we pay close attention…, let's say this is just my hunch, but I feel you might be from one of the three great clans?"
Himeno was slightly interested in that guess. She even subconsciously let out a smile.
"Really? You think so?"
"Because you didn't tell me your surname. That reminds me of Maki-chan, who didn't tell me her surname when we first met. Besides, I doubt anyone doesn't have it these days. Then, you said at least all the sorcerers in Kyoto had to join forces to challenge a special-grade sorcerer. It's probably just an ordinary simile. However, to my ears, it sounds like you actually understand the map of the power distribution in Kyoto very well. Honestly, I don't know what kind of access a first-grade would have. However, if you thoroughly understand all the variables in Kyoto, you should definitely have connections to the major clans."
Himeno couldn't help but be amazed by that deduction.
"So, you're saying I'm from one of the three great clans, or at least have a relationship with them, because you think I can access detailed information about Kyoto?" asked Himeno for confirmation.
Haruno didn't say a word and just nodded in response. However, that was enough for Himeno.
"Holy… fuck. Rumours about you having brain power beyond reason seem true, huh?"
Himeno's admiration was not without foundation. Haruno just reached a conclusion using two minor clues. In fact, the last hint that Haruno used came from Himeno's words blurted out without a second thought. Ordinary people generally wouldn't see that as a hint. Unfortunately, even one insignificant word could become a big clue in the face of Haruno's meticulousness.
Even though Haruno didn't specify where Himeno came from, even though her theory might sound like a wild one, Haruno's guess really hit the spot.
"Well, let me properly introduce myself then. My name is Himeno, Zen'in Himeno. Nice to meet you, Haruno-san."
—OoOoO—
Hachiman crouched outside the restroom with his back against the wall. His rotten eyes focused on the smartphone screen he held horizontally. Or rather, he was pouring his concentration into the game he was playing. No expression of annoyance or angry curses emerged from him. That meant, his game was a game that could be considered quite relaxed.
Unlike when he came and left the meeting room, Hachiman was waiting for Haruno alone without Ieiri's presence. From the explanation he received, Ieiri still had business in Kyoto, so Hachiman and Haruno would return to Tokyo first.
'Haruno-san might go back to the Jujutsu School, but I'll go straight back to Chiba instead,' he thought.
While engrossed in his activity, Haciman heard the sound of a door being opened. He reflexively turned his head. As expected, he found Haruno coming out of the restroom, but this time with Himeno. At that moment, their eyes met, and Himeno took a peek at Hachiman's smartphone before he touched the home symbol on the bottom of his phone.
"Minecraft, huh? You indeed do have good taste," Himeno quipped.
Hachiman didn't reply. He ignored Himeno's words and stood up from his comfortable squatting position.
"Hikigaya-kun, I think I've decided. And while Himeno's here, I might as well say it," Haruno said suddenly.
Hachiman needed help understanding the meaning behind those words. There was no discussion at all before Haruno went to the restroom. Well, all Haruno was asking a few things that made her curious. So, nothing else stuck in his mind when Haruno suddenly declared she had decided on something.
"Let's go on a date while we're in Kyoto," Haruno said.
The declaration made Hachiman almost choke on his own spit. His face suddenly reddened with unpreparedness for Haruno's statement. He clenched his hand into a fist and brought it to his mouth, then let out a fake cough to hide his surprise. On the other hand, Himeno, who heard that was no less surprised. However, she had a different reaction. She tried hard to hold back her laughter from seeing his reaction, which she thought was cute.
"Hold on, Haruno-san. Why all of a sudden?" asked Hachiman.
"Well, firstly, it was fun seeing your cute expression," Haruno replied cheerfully, sounding a bit teasing, "Secondly, it's been four days since the incident that happened to me, right?"
Hachiman nodded in response, and Haruno continued.
"My father did say he would take care of everything to cover up the incident. He also told me that the victims, including my classmate, would be cremated separately to avoid suspicion. All of them are necessary steps, but I doubt they'll be enough."
Hachiman, who was listening, began to find a correlation behind Haruno's behaviour. However, he still remained silent and allowed Haruno to continue her explanation.
"There were four deaths in that incident. Although the time of their death was obscured by taking a different time of cremation, it could invite rumours. Besides, many know I went with them. I am also quite active on Instagram and haven't uploaded anything since then. So, people might associate me with the rumours about their deaths."
Haruno's explanation made a lot of sense and could easily be accepted. Basically, avoiding rumours was something a sorcerer always had to do. It was extremely troublesome, so seeing a sorcerer who was too close to ordinary people was rare. However, whatever it was, if such rumours continued to grow, nothing good awaited them.
'Moreover, there was one person who survived other than Haruno-san in that incident. But right now, her mental state is unstable. If the people around them discover it, things might get worse.'
The massive development of nasty rumours was a disaster for the jujutsu community. If the story had a form or symbol to represent it, it wouldn't be impossible to turn into an imaginary vengeful spirit. Especially with the power of the internet, it wasn't inconceivable that the spread of these rumours could become faster and become an urban legend.
And by any means, letting those creatures be created would only increase their workload.
"So, you want to show on Instagram that there's nothing wrong with you and say that you're on holiday in Kyoto?" asked Hachiman.
"Yeah. More or less. So, agree to go?"
Himeno looked at Hachiman, who didn't give an answer. She also felt that Haruno had finished with her words. Considering these two conditions, Himeno decided to speak her mind.
"Not that I wanted to ruin the mood. However, Mechamaru-kun and I are solely to be the pick-up team while anticipating if you guys aren't cooperative. My job will be finished right after I escort you to the station. So, being a chauffeur on your date is out of the question."
"Don't worry, I understand that much. I've searched for a car rental place. You can drop us there if you don't mind."
Himeno pinched her chin and considered Haruno's proposal. She saw the car rental place that Haruno was referring to on Haruno's phone screen.
"I think it'll be fine. It's also closer from here compared to Kyoto Station."
The girls glanced at the only boy who had yet to answer. Hachiman, who the two beautiful girls stared at intensely, could only snort.
"Okay. Let's do it. Besides, I also promised to buy Maki a box of wagashi."
Haruno smiled kindly at the short answer. Deep inside, she was happy to be able to spend time with Hachiman. However, she was also annoyed that his insensitivity brought up another girl's name on their date. But that was her problem, not Hachiman's.
'I know you and Maki-chan are just friends, and your relationship is more like rebellious siblings. However, get ready because I'll make you forget about other girls when I'm with you, Hikigaya-kun.'
That was what Haruno thought. She'd had enough of her doubts and insecurities when she entered this jujutsu society. She wasn't a fool who couldn't realise her feelings for that rotten-eyed boy. Thus, she had convinced herself not to let this one slip.
From other people's points of view, maybe Haruno sounded like a lunatic whose focus was distracted by a boy. She might look like an idiot for still thinking about romance even though her life was filled with dangers. They might say that love affairs between sorcerers wouldn't end happily.
However, Haruno chose to wrap all those opinions up and swallowed them all. She wasn't going to ignore all of that, but she also wasn't going to allow herself to be dragged into that uncertainty either.
She was Yukinoshita Haruno. She wouldn't choose one of the two options. If she wanted, she would take both and leave nothing. Let them call her greedy, selfish, and crazy girl. After all, she was Yukinoshita Haruno. She would always make sure to get whatever she dreamed of, whether it was a love affair or her new world full of cursed creatures.
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: I don't have much to discuss in this chapter. It's just, Yuta's ID number is 100004. That means Maki, Panda, and Toge should be around 001, 002, and 003. So, it's only natural that Hachiman's ID number is 100000. In other words, if Haruno gets her card later, her ID will probably be 100008.
That's all from me. Please support me by subscribing me to "patre0n.-com-/-akadaka" (please replace "0" to "o", and remove the "-".) I won't force you and I'm still continuing the story although you don't subscribe to me. But it'll help me a lot. Anyway, see you and stay safe.