Third Person POV
It was a quiet morning at Jujutsu High. The second-years sat around the table, sharing breakfast in their usual, comfortable silence. Fushiguro, the first-year, had joined them but kept his focus on his food, minding his own business.
"Hey, don't you think Maki and Shiki have been acting... different lately?" Panda leaned over toward Toge, whispering as if sharing a piece of classified information.
Toge looked up from his bowl of rice, his eyes narrowing in curiosity.
Panda continued, lowering his voice even more. "I mean, Maki's always been intense, but lately she seems... more reserved? And Shiki... well, she's never been talkative, but I feel like she's even quieter now."
"Salmon," Toge said thoughtfully, nodding in agreement.
"Well, for Maki, it's probably got something to do with Yuta going off on his solo training, you know? But for Shiki... well, she's Shiki. We have no idea what goes on in her head," Panda said, shrugging like it was a universal truth.
Unbeknownst to them, Maki had been quietly eating her breakfast but hadn't missed a single word. Her eyebrow twitched, and a faint flush crept across her face. She glared in Panda's direction, her chopsticks snapping together with a dangerous click.
In an instant, Maki stood up, fists raised. "What the hell are you whispering about over there!?"
Before Panda could react, she launched herself at him, her fists flying. The next few moments turned into a chaotic scene of Maki beating up Panda in a dramatic, almost exaggerated way. Panda, being the resilient one, flailed in mock defeat, his large frame making it seem all the more absurd.
"Ow! Maki, wait! I was just—ouch—kidding!" Panda exclaimed, barely dodging Maki's next strike.
Unfortunately for Maki, while she decisively won the physical battle against Panda, she lost the war against the truth. Her fierce reaction was too telling—Panda had hit a nerve, and everyone knew it.
It had been four months since Yuta left on his overseas training journey, a decision that wasn't exactly a surprise given his personality. His desire to grow stronger to protect those he cared about was at the heart of his determination.
Though Maki understood that, Yuta's absence had weighed on her more than she liked to admit. And now, with Panda bringing it up so casually, it was hard to ignore how much his leaving had affected her mood.
Shiki was watching queitly by the sidelines.
"By the way," Fushiguro suddenly spoke up, steering the conversation in a completely different direction, "there's been another case of grave robberies."
Recently, there had been a nationwide crisis about grave robberies. Countless graves had been dug up, and even corpses from hospital morgues were mysteriously disappearing. Authorities were baffled, and despite increasing security measures, there were still no solid leads.
"Again?" Maki muttered, her voice low with a hint of frustration
For her, it dredged up bad memories—memories of her time in Hokkaido. She didn't want to relive that. Even though things had ended well, she'd rather not experience something like that again.
Panda, now rubbing the back of his head after Maki's assault, looked up curiously. "Do they think it's related to cursed spirits?"
Fushiguro shrugged. "Could be. It's hard to say for sure, but the frequency of these incidents has been increasing. It's happening too often to be some random act."
Before anyone could add to the conversation, the door slid open with a loud thud, and Gojo Satoru walked in, his trademark grin plastered on his face.
"Good morning, my favorite students!" he sang, waving at them as he strolled into the room like he owned the place. "I see the breakfast club is in full session."
"So, what's the hot topic today?" Gojo asked, casually plopping down into a chair.
"Grave robber"
"Oh, that thing," Gojo said, waving a hand dismissively. "Yeah, it's been on the higher-ups' radar for a while now
"And how are my two little prodigies doing? Shiki-chan, Megumi-kun?"
"I'm fine. Nothing new." Fushiguro nodded, his expression still stoic.
Shiki, quietly eating, ignored him. It wasn't unusual for her to be withdrawn, but there was something about her silence that made Gojo pause.
He tilted his head slightly, sensing that something was off. "You've been quiet lately, Shiki-chan. Everything good with you?" His tone was light, playful as always, but there was an undertone of genuine curiosity.
"I'm fine," she replied monotonously,
"Is that so..." Gojo's smile lingered for a moment, but his eyes flickered with something unreadable. He let out a soft hum, then quickly shifted gears, as if sensing she wouldn't say more.
"Anyway, Shiki, Megumi, you two are coming with me on a mission today. We leave in two hours, so be ready!"
Shiki didn't react, simply continuing with her breakfast. Megumi shot Gojo a quick, curious glance but kept quiet as well.
The morning at Jujutsu High continued as usual.
Shiki's gaze drifted absentmindedly towards the blue sky; her expression unreadable. The gentle breeze played with the strands of her hair, but her mind seemed far from the present moment.
Her recent mission with Fushiguro played on loop in her mind. The encounter with the transfigured human had shaken something loose, though she wasn't sure what. t was the first time in years she had come across a creature like that again, something warped and twisted by unnatural means.
But at the end, there were no leads, no concrete answers, and for anyone else, the lack of closure might have sparked anger or determination. But for Shiki, it left her feeling strangely hollow.
And that's what unnerved her the most.
The emptiness had become so pronouced hat it silenced even the smallest thoughts.
The encounter, instead of reigniting something in her, had snuffed it out. It was the very lack of feeling that bothered her—the dissonance between what she had expected to feel and the hollow nothingness that followed.
Shiki then shifted her focus, as she observed the lines around her. They crisscrossed her vision, embedded in the world itself, the invisible threads binding everything to its inevitable end.
Death.
Death was familiar to her, like an old friend she'd met countless times. Seeing the lines today stirred something within—a quiet urge.
Her fingers twitched, wanting to reach out, to touch, to feel.
It wasn't out of curiosity or need, but something deeper. A way to break through the hollow feeling inside her.
Every time she slashed those lines, something resonated inside her. It wasn't much, but it was there, different from the usual emptiness.
She could feel something.
And she wanted to feel it again.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a light tap on her shoulder. Shiki blinked and turned her head slightly, seeing Gojo standing behind her with his usual playful grin.
"You're off today," Gojo remarked casually. "Didn't even notice me sneaking up on you. That's not like you, Shiki."
Shiki's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression unchanging. "It's none of your business," she said, her voice flat and cold.
Gojo paused, watching her closely. There was something about her demeanor today that felt... off. He considered pressing her, but decided against it, knowing better than to push when she was in this kind of mood.
Before the silence could stretch on, Fushiguro arrived, his usual stoic expression in place.
Gojo shifted his tone, adopting his usual upbeat manner as he addressed both of them.
"Alright, team, let's get down to business. Here's the mission..."
.
.
Fushiguro's POV
Ryomen Sukuna's finger.
I was tasked with retrieving it—a Special Grade cursed object. This wasn't some simple case that could be left to weaker sorcerers or amateurs. That's why Shiki-senpai was here with me.
Gojo-sensei? He ditched us halfway through.
Before he left, he said something like:
"It'll be fine with Shiki around." Remembering that made me want to punch him.
Ryougi-senpai didn't seem to mind, though. When I asked her earlier, she was annoyingly casual about it, brushing it off like it wasn't worth thinking about. A waste of time she'd said. For once, I agreed with her.
According to Gojo-sensei, the cursed object was near Sugisawa Municipal High School. Figures he'd leave us with that and disappear.
We were already nearing the place, just a few minutes' walk left, but the situation felt... awkward. After that incident, it seemed like Shiki-senpai had been trying to socialize more, though with her personality, casual conversation wasn't exactly easy.
She'd even given me permission to call her by her first name now. So, I told her to call me Megumi.
But even then, it didn't feel sincere. I don't know why, but I could tell she was forcing it—trying to push herself into making connections. Maki-senpai had noticed too, but she just shrugged it off. As long as she could spar with Shiki-senpai, nothing else seemed to matter to her.
My thoughts were interrupted by a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head and saw Shiki-senpai, silently pointing at something up ahead.
"It's here?" I muttered, staring at the small, rundown instrument shelter. "They're really putting a Special Grade cursed object in a place like this?"
Shiki-senpai shrugged nonchalantly. "Seems like it."
I sighed and walked over, feeling a sense of dread creep in as I noticed the lock hanging broken. Something wasn't right. I pushed the door open, bracing myself for the worst.
Empty.
"Maybe it's hiding somewhere in here," I said, yanking open the instrument door again, peeking inside before shutting it like it was going to show up on the second try.
"You think it's just going to pop up if you keep opening and closing the door?" she asked dryly.
"Shut up. I'm being thorough," I muttered.
She crossed her arms. "It's gone, Megumi."
I stood up, sighing. "Yeah, I know... but it could've been stuck behind something."
"Uh-huh. Let me know when it falls from the ceiling."
Feeling annoyed, I pulled out my phone and dialed Gojo-sensei.
Kachak.
"It's gone."
— What is? came his usual nonchalant voice on the other side.
"The cursed object. It's not here."
— Really?
"Really."
There was a pause, and then I could hear him chuckling.
— That's hilarious. Did it take a stroll in the night?
"I'm really going to hit you."
— Anyway, you can't come back without it, and that goes for Shiki too.
He hung up before I could even respond, leaving me staring at the phone like it had personally wronged me.
I'm seriously going to punch him this time.
Gojo-sensei's ability to be completely irresponsible in any given situation was impressive, in the worst possible way. He wasn't taking this seriously at all, and now I was stuck picking up the pieces—again.
And then there was Shiki-senpai... If there's one thing I'd learned, it's that dragging her along on missions like this meant balancing between two extremes: complete silence and unpredictable chaos.
I sighed, glancing over at her. She'd been standing there, watching me the whole time, barely moving. Her expression hadn't changed, but the air felt different. Tense. And I had a sinking feeling I wasn't the only one ready to hit someone.
"What did he say?" she asked, her voice calm, but somehow that made it worse.
I gripped my phone a little tighter. "...We're not allowed to go back without it."
And just like that, the temperature seemed to drop several degrees. The way her eyes narrowed, the faint twitch of her hand—it wasn't good. This was really not good.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything to calm her down. Maybe reason with her before things got worse. But before I could even open my mouth to suggest something sane—
"I'm going to find him."
And with that, she vanished, leaving me standing there alone in front of the cursed object's hiding spot.
I rubbed my temples, letting out a long sigh.
Now I had to deal with two problematic people — Gojo's idiocy and whatever Shiki was about to do next. As much as I wanted to throw my hands up and leave them to their own devices, I knew I didn't have that luxury.
Great. I'm the responsible one again.
.
.
Shiki POV
I knew it would turn out like this.
That's why I ditched Megumi. There was no way I was going to stick around and clean up Gojo's mess. Not when he was the one who ditched us first.
It wasn't like I wanted to abandon Megumi completely, but... it is what it is. He could handle himself. He always does. That quiet competence of his is one of the reasons I don't mind working with him. But Gojo... I wasn't going to waste my energy trying to pick up the pieces after him.
For now, I should head to the city.
As I arrived, the city was alive, bustling with people going about their nighttime routines. The hum of voices, the neon lights flickering, the distant sound of cars.
I walked through the crowds, but it was like I wasn't part of them. They lived their lives, oblivious to the world I existed in, the shadows of curses and death looming just out of their reach.
Normalcy.
I tried to imagine what it must be like, living without seeing the things I see—without knowing about curses, and death. For a moment, I almost envied them. But even that feeling was fleeting. I couldn't remember the last time I felt truly connected to anything.
What's the point of all this? I wondered. Missions, cursed objects, even people—it all blurred together, lost in the same hollow routine. Maki always had her drive, her obsession with getting stronger. Megumi had his quiet sense of duty. But for me? None of it held meaning.
Just drifting.
Then I saw him—Gojo, casually strolling down the street.
Without even thinking, I hurled myself toward him, grabbing the collar of his shirt, yanking him back.
"Ah, Shiki-chan! Missed me already?" he said with that infuriatingly casual tone.
"You ditched us." I tightened my grip on his collar, glaring at him.
Gojo just grinned. "Oh, come on, you and Megumi can handle it. You're more than capable."
I felt my eye twitch. "You left us with a cursed object that isn't there. You call that capable?"
"Things happen. Maybe it grew legs and walked off. Cursed objects are tricky like that, you know?" He shrugged, completely unbothered by my frustration.
For a second, I seriously considered throwing him through the nearest wall. But instead, I released my grip and shoved him back, feeling the frustration simmer just beneath the surface.
"Oyaa? Giving up already? That's not the Shiki I know. She'd probably consider throwing me into the nearest wall." He teased, adjusting his collar like it was no big deal.
How could he always read me like that? The ease with which Gojo could make spot-on guesses about my thoughts was unnerving, as if nothing about me escaped his notice, even when I tried to keep everything locked away.
I stared at him for a moment, the question forming in my mind. A question that had been lingering for a while, one I couldn't quite shake lately.
"Do you ever feel lonely?"
Gojo's smile faltered, just for a second.
It wasn't like me to care about how someone else might feel, but something about Gojo always made me curious. He was always surrounded by people, always the center of attention, yet he acted like none of it mattered.
Maybe he felt the same hollowness I did.
Gojo chuckled, but it wasn't his usual carefree laugh.
"Lonely, huh?"
He tilted his head, gazing up at the night sky for a moment before glancing back at me. "I've got my students, and the world's full of interesting things. But even with all that, there are times..."
It made me wonder if behind all the jokes and arrogance, there was someone who understood exactly what I was feeling.
That emptiness.
It wasn't the answer I expected, but it was more than I thought he'd ever admit.
.
.
.
As we walked in silence, my thoughts still lingered on Gojo's unexpected response. There was no doubt that the emptiness he felt was different from mine, but it was a strange feeling knowing that someone like him could even feel it at all.
"You'd look good in that," he said, his tone suddenly light again, as if our serious conversation had never happened.
"I don't need clothes." I gave him a flat stare.
"Yeah, yeah, but you want this one," he said, already strolling toward the entrance of the shop, not giving me a chance to protest.
I sighed, debating if I should just ditch him again, but before I could turn and leave, he was already at the counter, pulling out his wallet. I stood by the entrance, arms crossed, watching him as the store clerk handed him the jacket, Gojo smiling like he'd just bought the greatest thing in the world.
"Here, consider it a present." he said, tossing it over to me as he walked out of the shop.
"Why?" I caught the jacket, staring down at it with a mix of confusion and reluctance.
He shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "It suits you. Plus let me act like a proper guardian sometimes."
Guardian. It was hard to even think of him as one, considering how he usually acted. Even calling him an improper guardian didn't quite fit. But without a doubt, he was my guardian—the closest thing I had to a parent.
glanced at the jacket again. It was... unexpected. The red leather was bold, something I normally wouldn't wear. Yet there was something about it that felt like it fit.
With a sigh, I draped it over my shoulders, feeling the weight of the leather settle against me. It was surprisingly comfortable.
"See? Told you it'd look good on you."
I rolled my eyes, but there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of my lips, though I made sure he didn't notice.
"Thanks," I muttered, the word barely audible.
Gojo grinned wider. "Anytime."
We continued walking.
It was just a jacket, but somehow, wearing it made me feel a little more...less hollow.
.
.
Third Person POV
Fushiguro Megumi was, without a doubt, annoyed.
Actually, annoyed was putting it lightly.
Standing in the middle of the empty field in broad daylight, trying to find a missing cursed object—a Special Grade Sukuna finger, no less—wasn't exactly what he had planned for the day.
Gojo had ditched them halfway through the mission with his usual carefree attitude, Shiki had disappeared after muttering something about finding Gojo, and now Megumi was left dealing with the fallout. As if he hadn't already searched the entire school grounds a dozen times over.
The cursed object—a Special Grade Sukuna finger—was nowhere to be found, and it wasn't like it could just disappear on its own.
Megumi sighed, glancing down at the ground as several low-level curses phased in and out of the earth. He could see them scuttling around, but none of them were tied to the cursed object he was after.
After checking multiple places to no avail, he found himself wandering aimlessly through the school grounds, trying to figure out his next move. Maybe it had been moved, stolen, or worse. Without a solid lead, he was just walking in circles at this point.
As he rounded the corner, he noticed a crowd of students gathered near the sports field, all cheering for a boy in a yellow hoodie. They were surrounding him as he stood opposite his teacher, getting ready to throw a steel ball.
"Isn't that... shot put?" Megumi thought, momentarily distracted.
His eyes narrowed as he watched the boy wind up and, with what seemed like little effort, hurl the steel ball almost 30 meters, shattering the current world record.
"Seriously?" Megumi muttered to himself. "Is he the same as Maki and shiki-senpai?"
The resemblance was uncanny—the strength, the effortless display of power. It reminded him of Maki and shiki, who could perform similar feats with ease.
He turned away from the scene, disinterested in the students' chatter or the teacher's shocked expression. Whatever it was, it wasn't his problem right now. There were more pressing matters at hand, like finding the cursed object before things spiraled out of control.
Still, as he walked further away from the crowd, the sense of unease settled deeper in his chest. Something wasn't right. But for now, he was stuck—no leads, no cursed object, and no clue where he was supposed to be going next.
"Gojo better have a good explanation for all of this,"
Just as Megumi was cursing his luck, the boy in the yellow hoodie passed by him, casually running away from the field.
And then, he felt it.
A wave of malicious energy hit him—thick, suffocating, far more intense than any ordinary curse. It was unmistakable. There was only one thing that radiated such vile energy.
Sukuna's finger.
His mind immediately snapped into focus. But before he could react, the boy was already a good distance away, weaving through the crowd like he hadn't just sent alarm bells ringing in Megumi's head.
"Did you hear? He can ran 50 meters in just three seconds!" one of the nearby students chattered excitedly.
Megumi's eyes widened. That was faster than most cars in a school zone. He had no hope of catching up at that speed.
"Damn it, I wish Shiki-senpai was here." he muttered under his breath, frustration clawing at him.
If she was, they'd have already closed the distance, maybe even cornered the guy. But now, he was on his own, and that cursed energy wasn't something he could just ignore. He had to figure out how to handle this fast.
Megumi took off, determined to track the boy down before the situation could spiral even further out of control.
Megumi had been searching for hours, the sun now dipping low on the horizon, casting the city in an orange glow. Thankfully, many of them recognized the boy with his unique colored hair.
Itadori Yuji.
By the time the sky was painted in the deep colors of sunset, he found himself standing outside a hospital.
"Finally," Megumi muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing.
He couldn't afford to lose track of him now. Without hesitating, he followed the boy into the hospital. The place was bustling, which made the whole situation worse—if Sukuna's finger unleashed its full power here, the casualties could be massive.
'There he is.' Standing at the receptionist's desk, casually filling out a form.
"Itadori Yuji, we need to talk. Right now."
After stepping away from the receptionist, Itadori looked confused. His brow furrowed slightly, and he scratched the back of his head.
"Uh... do I know you? Just so you know, I'm in mourning right now."
"Sorry, but I don't have time for that. The cursed object in your possession is incredibly dangerous. You need to hand it over—now." I didn't have time for pleasantries.
"Cursed object?"
"This one,"
I pulled out my phone, showing him a picture of the cursed object: Sukuna's finger, wrapped in talismans. Even from a picture, anyone with half a brain could tell it wasn't some ordinary artifact—it practically radiated malice
"Oh, that. Yeah, I picked it up. For me, I don't really care," Itadori continued, shrugging. "But my senior at school was really interested in it. So... why is it dangerous?"
I held back a sigh, feeling the weight of the situation. How could I explain this? Sukuna's finger wasn't just dangerous—it was a ticking time bomb. People could die. Curses would flock to it like flies to rotting meat, and if it wasn't sealed, they'd devour anyone in the vicinity.
"The number of unidentified deaths and missing persons in Japan exceeds 10,000 annually. And most of them are caused by 'curses,'"
It's not something people notice until it's too late. Curses lurk in the shadows, and most don't even know what's killing them.
"Curse?"
"Believe it or not, that's the truth. But let me explain further."
"It's easy for curses to manifest in places with high concentrations of negative energy—like schools or hospitals."
"Pain, regret, shame, anger. Humanity's negative emotions are the source of curses. All of that builds up over time, and then—"
"They manifest," Itadori finished, starting to understand.
"Exactly, the one you've got is classified as a 'special' hazardous material. Hand it over before you make a fuss."
"Fine, fine. Tell the senior yourself." Itadori scratched his head, still looking a bit confused but not really worried.
Itadori casually threw the box at me, and I caught it without thinking. If Shiki-senpai were here, this would've gone faster. Her no-nonsense attitude would've made sure Itadori took this seriously from the start. But even after a whole day, she hadn't returned. She's probably still chasing Gojo around with that same deadpan expression. Honestly, part of me couldn't blame her.
I sighed inwardly, clutching the box. 'Finally, this mess is over. Just get this cursed object back to Gojo-sensei and—'
I opened the box.
My heart sank.
Empty.
You've got to be kidding me. All this time, I've been tracking the residual energy from a box? Not even the finger itself? How could it be this strong from just the container?!
Panic crept in as I watched Yuji casually start to leave. I stepped forward, blocking his way.
"Hey! Where's the actual finger? This is just an empty box!"
He blinked, a bit confused but still unfazed. "I told you, it's with the senior."
My stomach dropped further. "What do you mean, 'with the senior'? What are they doing with it?"
He thought for a second, scratching the back of his head. "If I remember right, they said they're going to open the talisman at school tonight."
"..."
No. No, no, no. This is bad. This is beyond bad. The situation was spiraling out of control, and those students had no idea what they were dealing with.
"Is it bad?" Itadori asked, noticing the sudden shift in my expression.
"Not just bad... They're going to die."
[END]
.
.
Heya, Writer Here.
We're finally diving into the main story now. It's gonna take me about 2-3 days to drop the next chapter since I'm heading out on a little vacation.
So, what do you think of the story so far? Give me your reviews!
That's it for the chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it!
[Thanks For Reading!]