Please Read : You can support me by find akadaka on patre0n. And sorry for grammatical errors because I am not a native speaker, I'll try to improve it with all my might.
—OoOoO—
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami
Oregairu by Wataru Watari & Ponkan8
Genre : Supernatural, Action, Freindship, 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 22: Yin and Yang.
—OoOoO—
It was still the day Haruno woke up from her coma. Even after witnessing a small fraction of the cruelty of the jujutsu world, Haruno decided to dive deeper into the abyss. Her resolution was final and cannot be challenged. She knew there was a chance her family would be dragged into the chaos she caused. However, she also believed that as long as she can become a powerful sorcerer, she can break any rules and restrictions that come her way, including taking responsibility for her own selfishness.
When Maki left because she had to join her team, Hachiman took Haruno to one of the dojos owned by Tokyo Jujutsu Tech. And there, contrary to what Haruno had imagined, Hiratsuka was already waiting for them.
"How is your feeling? Is this brat doing a good job?" Hiratsuka, who was sitting on the only wooden chair, asked.
"Well, Hikigaya-kun explained many important things about jujutsu sorcerers," Haruno replied, "although I'm surprised at what he and Maki-chan did."
Hearing Haruno's explanation, Hiratsuka immediately looked at Hachiman, asking for an answer. The boy, who suddenly received the piercing gaze of his mentor, sighed.
"We were just showing how jujutsu sorcerers do their job, that's all. Anyway, I explained it to you first, didn't I?"
"Ah, you mean about the execution of the illegal sorcerer you caught?" Hiratsuka replied, closing her eyes.
Haruno had thought Hachiman would be reprimanded by Hiratsuka for deciding to carry out the execution without adult supervision. However, seeing how Hiratsuka reacted, she had to realise that killing and capturing were normal for them. At that moment, Haruno became curious.
'Isn't it the same with making minors into the child army? Does committing such murders harm their mental health?'
"And you, Haruno? Since Hikigaya brought you to this dojo, are you confident about becoming a jujutsu sorcerer?" Hiratsuka asked worriedly.
Haruno shook her head and replied, "There's no way back for me, is there? I know my current situation is complicated, and I am very grateful to all of you for your kind help. However, I can't continue to rely on others, right? Ultimately, the best insurance I have for survival in this world is myself."
Hiratsuka looked deeply into the purple irises. Nothing a woman can find but firmness and determination. To this extent, whatever she said, the words would enter Haruno's right ear and leave her left without any filter. Once her decision was unshaken, all that remained was to turn her former student into someone who could stand on her own feet.
"Well, if you say so," Hiratsuka replied, "But the ones responsible for being your mentor aren't me, but Hikigaya and Maki."
"Hikigaya-kun and Maki-chan?" Why?" Haruno asked, tilting her head.
"My hands are full now. However, rest assured. Hikigaya and Maki are competent to train you. Apart from that, I will also help if there is anything those brats can't resolve."
Hiratsuka then turned to look at Hachiman, who stood next to Haruno.
"From now on, you and Maki will take the driver's seat. So, the rest is up to you."
To be honest, Hachiman was a bit nervous when he first heard Satoru that he and Maki would be Haruno's mentors. Although Hachiman had experience training Komachi, that was a very different matter. After all, Komachi was a normally growing sorcerer, not a late bloomer like Haruno. So, it was pretty easy for Komachi to learn new things about jujutsu sorcery and how sorcerers work, as Komachi was very used to it.
On the other hand, Haruno was a newbie. Even though she was older than Komachi, Haruno was used to her normal lifestyle. For her, who was currently entering an entirely new world, the speed of adaptation was of the utmost importance to Haruno.
Hachiman walked to a side of the room, where a wooden cupboard was. The boy opened it and took something out. After getting what he was looking for, Hachiman walked back to where Haruno and Hiratsuka were gathered. The teenager was holding a green tracksuit on his hands.
"This is Maki's belonging. That barbarian queen is slightly taller than you, but I think ther size is not much different from yours, Haruno-san," said Hachiman, who handed the clothes to Haruno.
Without being told twice, Haruno immediately understood that Hachiman had asked her to change into clothes more suitable for training. The reason was simply that she currently only wore typical attire for a sick patient.
"I thought I'll wear something more traditional like keikogi and hakama," said Haruno.
"Well, keikogi and hakama are indeed more comfortable for this training, but they are quite difficult to wash by hand. Last I checked this morning, Panda seems to be breaking all the washing machines in the dorm…, again. So, if you are willing to wash them by hand, I'll lend you the keikogi and hakama."
Keikogi and hakama were a set commonly used for practising martial arts. The fabric was light and cool, making the wearer feel more comfortable and easier to concentrate on. It' just that because the keikogi's colour was white and the hakama was a wide shape, washing it without a machine was very tiring.
However, that wasn't what Haruno was concerned about at the moment.
'The panda that broke the washing machine? Hikigaya-kun told Komachi-chan to be careful with the panda so the panda can't poison her with its weird ideas, and now the panda breaking all the washing machines in the dorm? Seriously, what kind of panda do they keep here?'
Haruno pushed the question out of her mind. More precisely, she saved the topic for later.
Haruno walked to the dressing room Hachiman pointed at. Without waiting a long time, she returned with a new look that looked fresher. Not only did she change into a green tracksuit, but Haruno also tied her short hair back, showing the nape of her neck that fascinated Hachiman.
Hachiman cleared his throat. The teenager then sat cross-legged on the floor, followed by Hiratsuka, who left her seat and sat on the same floor as her student. Seeing what the two sorcerers were doing, Haruno followed them with her legs bent back as a pedestal.
In front of where Hachiman was sitting, Haruno saw several things that weren't there before, which Hachiman had prepared while Haruno was changing.
These objects were three machete blades sheathed in different sheaths, a pile of paper, a roll of plastic, and a pack of tissues. What caught her attention was that the three machetes were each placed before the three objects.
After Haruno sat one meter before him, Hachiman began his first training session.
"I've told you some basic things about jujutsu sorcerers. Now, I will explain it more specifically and what you need to do first when learning jujutsu sorcery."
Hachiman paused his explanation to see the serious expression on Haruno's face.
"First of all, the thing that a sorcerer needs to master is control over cursed energy. You can do many things by having good control and understanding, such as tracking someone based on residual energy, performing cursed energy reinforcement, and even doing the Reverse Cursed Technique. However, the easiest method to practice control is through cursed energy reinforcement."
After saying that, Hachiman took a machete in front of a pack of tissues. He pulled the machete from its scabbard, revealing the silver metal that showed his reflection within the blade.
"Cursed energy reinforcement is a technique of strengthening the body or any object using cursed energy. The method looks simple. All you have to do is imbue the cursed energy into the object you want to strengthen. However, in practice, cursed energy reinforcement is tantamount to cultivating raw energy in the body. That's why the efficiency will drop, and the energy usage will be more wasteful, although it's not as wasteful as when you shoot raw energy directly. That's why you need a high-level control to overcome it."
Before Hachiman could continue his explanation, Haruno raised her hand.
"I don't get it. Why do you say cursed energy reinforcement is more efficient than directly shooting raw energy? You said these two literally the same cultivating cursed energy, right?" she asked.
"Because cursed energy is an energy. Just like electricity has better power efficiency when you add the appropriate capacitors," explained Hachiman while pointing at the machete he was holding, "When you reinforce an object like this machete, this machete will function like a capacitor. When you imbue it with cursed energy, it's the same as when a capacitor gets a power supply for recharge and temporary storage before rereleasing again."
Haruno nodded at the explanation. Just by saying that cursed energy was still energy, almost all the questions in her mind were answered.
"Cursed energy reinforcement is a basic technique yet very versatile. In fact, sometimes what determines how good a sorcerer is, is not their cursed technique, but how good they are at doing cursed energy reinforcement," said Hachiman continuing his explanation.
The machete that had been taken out of its scabbard was now aiming at his arm. Without hesitation, Hachiman slashed his right arm with the machete.
Haruno was surprised by the teenager's sudden act. However, she was even more surprised when she saw that not a single drop of blood had come out of his skin. Let alone the blood. Even a single wound was not created at all.
"Look? This machete is very sharp, sharp enough to slice tissue neatly. However, this blade could not scratch my skin. All this because I do reinforcement. However, keep in mind. This machete is not a cursed tool. So, if you're dealing with a cursed tool user, I recommend dodging their attacks instead of enduring them with cursed energy reinforcement. Because in a real battle, those with better reinforcements can break through their opponent's defences."
Haruno nodded in understanding. Without needing to be reminded once, what Hachiman said was common knowledge. Even those who were very used to the pain of a punch would still prefer to avoid being hit if they could.
Seeing that Haruno was still focused on her study, Hachiman continued.
"I will teach you the methods I came up with to practice my cursed energy control."
Before continuing, Hachiman's gaze then shifted to the objects before him.
"These three machetes have different levels of sharpness. The machete in front of this pile of paper means its edge is sharp enough to slice paper neatly. The one on the front of a roll of plastic means it's sharp enough to slice the plastic. So is the one I'm holding, which is sharp enough to slice tissue neatly."
Haruno once had heard of that. Even though she was not very familiar with sharp weapons, Haruno still held a black belt in judo, kickboxing, and taekwondo. As someone who had practised martial arts, she would have at least heard about how to measure the sharpness of blades. If she remembered correctly, there were at least five grades of blade sharpness by the way it was measured.
The first was a blade capable of slicing a strand of hair by simply dropping the hair onto the edge. However, even among martial arts practitioners, this was mainly considered a myth. Cutting hair with a knife was possible. However, that was only when the hair was gathered into a lock and stretched in such a way. However, when it came to slicing a strand of hair by simply dropping it on the blade, that was a different matter.
The second level of sharpness was said to be sharp enough to cut tissue easily and neatly. Usually, the machete used to slaughter animals had this sharpness. While the third level could cut plastic. The fourth level of sharpness was sharp enough to cut through paper. While the fifth level of sharpness was owned by kitchen knives.
Trivial information like that was quite difficult to find on the internet. Haruno herself would not have received such knowledge if her former judo instructor was not a man who owned a blacksmith's business.
"You must first imbue this paper with cursed energy," Hachiman said, continuing his instructions, "An object imbued by cursed energy will become stronger. However, if the object gains more cursed energy than it can contain, the object will be damaged or even destroyed."
Haruno was starting to understand where this cursed energy control training would lead. Paper, plastic and tissue, it was clear what she had to do.
"So, you want me to imbue this paper, plastic, and tissue with cursed energy and then have it tested for durability using each of the machetes that match the sharpness?" she asked.
By imbuing an object, the object would be destroyed if it got too much cursed energy supply. In other words, the boundaries set were very clear. In contrast to the human body, which could not be destroyed even if it used too much cursed energy. Imbuing an object with such a low limit to strengthen an item would help it to control its consumption of cursed energy. That's the point of this exercise.
"Exactly. It looks easy but very complicated and requires high concentration."
Basically, what Hachiman taught was quite simple. Everything before him wasn't cursed tools, including the machetes. So, for example, if the sharpest machete was used to cut tissue, the tissue would be cut. However, imbuing the tissue with cursed energy would increase its resistance, and it couldn't be cut easily with a machete.
Unfortunately, tissues have a very fragile structure. If the cursed energy put in was just a little too much, the tissue would immediately tear. That's why it took high concentration and control to do it. While imbuing tissue was the most difficult level Hachiman currently gave Haruno, imbuing paper was the easiest. Of course, there were other higher levels, such as the diving training that Hiratsuka's extreme method. However, as a rookie, Hachiman only gave these materials to Haruno.
'Actually, I wanted to ask Principal Yaga to make a doll that would react if not imbued with a certain amount of cursed energy. However, Haruno-san's unclear status and her not being a Tokyo Jujutsu Tech member made me hesitate to ask. Just getting permission from Principal Yaga to train Haruno-san here is a great help, and I can't ask more than this.'
"Wait. I have a question, Hikigaya-kun."
Haruno's words made Hachiman pay attention to Haruno again. Feeling that the boy's gaze was entirely focused on her, Haruno continued.
"If the main purpose of reinforcement is to strengthen the body, why not just do it directly to the body?"
"There's a reason—no, especially for you, there are two reasons why you can't simply reinforce your body," Hachiman replied.
Haruno slightly tilted her head, making some of her hair sway along with Haruno's head movements. What was strange, Hachiman actually found it cute.
"The first reason is because of efficiency. Each sorcerer has their maximum output limit. That said, even though you use a lot of energy, the output doesn't match the energy used. That way, the losses that occur will be substantial. The essence of energy control is to use as the minimum amount of cursed energy as possible for maximum output."
Haruno felt quite enlightened by that explanation. However, Hachiman returned to explain further to ensure nothing was missed.
"Energy control serves not only for the effective use of reinforcement but also for cursed techniques. If cursed energy is like electricity, cursed techniques are electronic devices. A computer of the past required as much electricity as a whole building. Meanwhile, today's computers only need around 286 watts to turn on laptops with much higher performance than past computers."
"Ah, that makes sense," Haruno replied and asked again, "Then, for the second reason?"
Hachiman didn't answer right away. He stared at Hiratsuka, who had been silent for a few moments. The mentor then nodded, giving her student approval to explain to Haruno.
"Regardless of efficiency, any sorcerer can directly practice reinforcement if they insist. However, there is a special reason why you can't do reinforcement for now."
Hachiman paused his words, and that succeeded in making Haruno hold her breath because of her curiosity.
"In short, your current cursed energy cannot be directly used for reinforcement."
Haruno was silent until she finally said, "What?"
—OoOoO—
In a simple gazebo in the corner of Tokyo Jujutsu Tech, two people with quite a stark difference were sitting together. The two watched a group of youths—plus a panda—practising in the field on the plains under the gazebo.
"So, what is Haruno-san's cursed technique?" asked the boy with rotten eyes.
The other person—a grown white-haired man—didn't heed the boy's question. As if he didn't hear what he just asked, the man shifted his phone screen to look at the shirts displayed in the online shop catalogue.
"Excuse me, Gojo-sensei."
The boy called out the man's name but was ignored again. Hachiman—the boy's name—felt like giving up and took a deep breath.
"O, My Great Teacher Satoru-san?"
Gojo Satoru—Hachiman's interlocutor—spontaneously turned off his smartphone and looked directly into Hachiman's eyes with his broad smile, which, according to Hachiman, looked stupid and annoying.
'I want to punch him in the face so bad,' Hachiman grumbled in his mind.
The boy sighed and repeated his question, "So, what's Haruno-san's cursed technique? To make you bring her to this place, it sure isn't something trivial, is it?"
Satoru did say that the main reason he brought Haruno to be treated at the Tokyo Jujutsu Tech health facility was that her cursed technique suddenly bloomed. However, even though that was the reason, Hachiman believed that there was something made Satoru mindlessly bring her here. The reason was obvious. Even if Haruno awakened her cursed technique, Satoru would not act rashly.
'The fact that Gojo-sensei did that means Haruno-san's cursed technique is abnormal.'
"Well, that's hard to explain. Haruno's cursed technique was really brand new. Not only the cursed technique but also her cursed energy is very unusual," Satoru explained.
"Does her cursed energy have a certain trait?"
Cursed energy traits are rare, even in the jujutsu society. As the name suggests, cursed energy traits were cases where the cursed energy had special, unique properties. As far as Satoru knew, only Hakari Kinji and Hikigaya Hachiman had a unique trait to their cursed energy in Japan.
"I don't think I can call it a cursed energy trait. Besides, the case is different between you and Hakari. Rather than having a special trait, the abnormality in Haruno's cursed energy is due to the uniqueness of her cursed technique."
Behind his blindfold, Satoru could see Hachiman staring at him and demanding more explanation.
"Unlike normal cursed energy, which contains negative energy. The cursed energy that Haruno possessed… is entirely positive."
Hachiman couldn't get any words out. His mind was busy verifying the information he got and ensuring he didn't hear it wrong.
"Seriously?" asked Hachiman.
"100% serious," Satoru replied firmly.
"How could that be?"
Cursed energy was an energy that was mainly composed of negative energy and some positive energy. Every sorcerer had a different theory, but at least it was Hachiman's own theory.
In Hachiman's case, he thought this way because there was a small amount of positive energy among the negative energies. So, to get it out, it required high cursed energy stimulation, and then positive energy would appear at the highest amplitude.
Meanwhile, Satoru, and the theory commonly followed by other sorcerers, argued that cursed energy was composed entirely of negative energy. And to get positive energy, one has to multiply the negative energy.
Even though it sounded different, the essence of generating positive energy that Satoru and Hachiman did was still the same, namely, using a greater amount of negative energy. Thus, hearing that someone's cursed energy contained entirely positive energy—without the need to perform the Reverse Cursed Technique—was shocking and highly unusual.
However, when Hachiman thought back, he felt that the Gods really loved Haruno. The kanji "陽 (read: haru)" in Haruno's name could be interpreted as a positive charge. A name was a prayer. If the Gods gave Haruno the blessing of a body full of positive energy, then no words could describe it other than the Gods truly loved Haruno.
Satoru was silent for a moment. He compiled the words in his head before finally answering Hachiman's question.
"Well, I was also a bit confused at first. However, when I look again, it makes me more surprised," said Satoru, which made Hachiman even more curious, "And it turns out that Haruno has two different pools of cursed energy, and the other pool contains negative energy."
Hachiman gaped like an idiot. He didn't know how to react. Forget about other uniqueness. Someone possessing two pools of cursed energy containing two different types of energy was simply beyond his imagination.
Hachiman didn't want to believe it, but the one who said it was none other than Satoru himself. Six Eyes—Satoru's majestic eyes— were extraordinary. The eye could see things at the subatomic level. Satoru could see the form of someone's cursed technique with these eyes.
"Wait, isn't it like Haruno-san is a form of Yin-Yang itself?"
Yin-Yang, negative and positive energy. The energy of destructive properties, and energy that was full of life. A provision of dualism that formed the basis of the concept of causation in the world.
"Well, that's what I thought too," Satoru replied.
Hachiman paused and asked, "If that is a unique condition caused by Haruno-san's cursed technique, what is the cursed technique itself, by the way?"
Satoru raised his covered eyes to the sky. In his head, there were many things he could use to represent the eldest Yukinoshita's cursed technique. However, if he had to choose, there could only be one or two that best suited Haruno's technique.
"Like matter that definitely has antimatter. Haruno's cursed technique is a kind of shikigami, but with the opposite form of Haruno. That's why it has a different and opposite energy pool from Haruno, or let's call it this negative energy pool that belongs to Anti-Haruno."
Hachiman lost his words. His brain stopped for a moment. There were no other words he could say. And yet, there was a word that could escape from his mouth.
"Damn."
—OoOoO—
Hachiman explained all the information he had to Haruno. Not a word was missed, and no single word had any ambiguous meaning. Haruno's cursed technique and effect were utterly new, which even Hachiman himself still found difficult to accept.
"So, you're saying there's another being inside of me?" asked Haruno, who also found it difficult to accept it.
"Rather than other beings, it's more like a shikigami that takes and manifests into another side of you," replied Hachiman.
"Seriously?" Haruno asked again.
"100% serious."
Haruno stared straight into those dead fish eyes. The girl tried to find an irregularity or lie hidden behind his words. However, the deeper she looked into those rotten eyes, the only seriousness she could find.
Haruno then turned to face Hiratsuka, the only person who had been silent all along. She hoped that her former high school teacher would enlighten her. Hiratsuka realised the meaning behind that look, and it made her sigh as she brushed her hair back.
"Well, Gojo-san is the last person whose opinion about jujutsu you could doubt. It's hard to believe, even for me, but that's the truth," said Hiratsuka.
Haruno again had to accept this fact. Instead of constantly refusing, there was something more important that she had to confirm immediately.
"Hey, this really is my cursed technique, isn't it? It's not like I swallowed a cursed object without my knowledge, is it?" Haruno asked, a little worried.
Haruno's worries were not without reason. Cursed objects were generally created from the body parts of a jujutsu sorcerer and sometimes sealed the sorcerer's soul. An object explicitly made to contain cursed spirits, such as Komachi's talisman, could also be categorised as a cursed object.
In other words, when she heard that another being inside her had an independent energy source, of course, Haruno automatically thought about the possibility of her swallowing a cursed object.
"Gojo-sensei has guaranteed it's your cursed technique," Hachiman replied.
Haruno could breathe a little easier. It was understandable. Even for those who had been in the jujutsu world for a long time, having a cursed object in their body was a folly they did not want to commit.
Haruno clenched her right hand into a fist, brought it forward and looked at it intently.
"Positive energy, huh?" Haruno muttered, "So what makes it different? Why can't I do reinforcement using positive energy?"
"Because the characteristics of positive energy are not suitable for doing that. Cursed energy reinforcement is used to strengthen the body and deal greater damage. Meanwhile, the characteristic of positive energy is energy full of life. Meanwhile, negative energy has a destructive nature. That's why it's very suitable for fighting."
"So, you're saying my cursed energy isn't fit for battle, Hikigaya-kun?" she asked.
"Not like that. Positive energy is something only a handful of sorcerers can generate. It required the Reverse Cursed Technique to generate positive energy and was one of the higher-tier spells. Besides, positive energy is the most fatal weakness for cursed spirits."
Hachiman's last sentence caught Haruno's interest.
"Cursed spirits come from negative energies that then take on a physical form," Haruno said, repeating the information she had, "That way, if you channelling positive energy to them, it's the same as adding a positive number to a negative number. Am I right?"
Hachiman nodded and replied, "That's how it is. In addition, not all those who can use positive energy can do that. I can only use positive energy for myself. So, I can't exorcise a cursed spirit using that."
Haruno nodded in understanding and also paid great attention. Haruno could conclude that the use of cursed energy was restricted by stringent rules.
However, leaving that aside, there was something Haruno wanted to know.
"So, if my energy reserves contain positive energy, how can I do reinforcement?"
Hearing that question, Hachiman turned to Hiratsuka. Hiratsuka understood the signal Hachiman was giving, and she took over the conversation from here on out.
"You can or can't, it all depends on yourself, Haruno."
Haruno narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean, Shizuka-chan?"
"Although the negative energy pool in your body is owned by another you, it is still yours. That's why whether you can use it or not, it all depends on you."
"Then how can I do it?" she asked.
Instead of answering, Hiratsuka linked her index and middle fingers and brought them forward. Without a word, ancient characters suddenly appeared around Haruno and encircled the woman in seconds.
Haruno, who had witnessed this, had confused and could only hope that Hiratsuka would give her an explanation.
"It is a simple barrier spell which uses the domain's characteristics. Outside disturbances like noises, smells, or such won't bother you as long as you are in that circle. Therefore, you must meditate, enter your subconscious, and meet your other self."
A simple spell that used characteristics of the domain, few sorcerers could use it. Depending on the purpose and ability of the user, the effects would vary greatly. Gojo Satoru used a similar spell once to instantly teleport Inumaki and Panda, who was in the heart of Tokyo, to Tokyo Jujutsu Tech.
"Wait, what should I do?" asked Haruno, feeling unprepared.
"There isn't any. You are the ruler over your body, and the being inside your body is your own cursed technique, a part of your body." Hiratsuka replied.
Haruno was dissatisfied with that essenceless answer. That is a very ambiguous answer and has a vast meaning. However, she had no other choice but to believe Hiratsuka's words. At this level, there was no turning back for her.
Haruno nodded, changing her sitting position to cross-legged. She then placed her hands on her thighs and closed her eyes. The characters that formed a circle and bordered Haruno flashed in blue light, and then a thin layer appeared surrounding Haruno.
—OoOoO—
Haruno wondered if she had made it to her subconscious or not. Doing meditation was something ambiguous. Peace of mind has so many interpretations to explain. More than that, Haruno was curious about what her subconscious realm was like and what kind of Anti-Haruno existed in her body.
Haruno opened her eyes. She blinked a few times to familiarise her vision with the new environment.
'This is a completely different place from the dojo just now. A world like this exists inside my subconscious? This isn't a dream or an illusion, is it?'
Haruno rolled her eyes. The pair of violets scanned the entire new surroundings. Her eyes bore witness, but her brain still had difficulty accepting that something like this existed within her body.
This place was like a land above the clouds. Even Haruno herself was literally standing on the clouds. If she didn't see a red tori gate, Haruno might have thought she was flying in the sky. Speaking of tori, it was a grand gate at the entrance of Shinto shrines. Apart from the giant tori, there were no other buildings or objects above the entire expanse of clouds.
Haruno strolled, walking closer to the tori gate. Occasionally she would watch her steps, afraid that the cloud she was walking on would disappear and make her fall. Even though she knew there were no other buildings besides the tori gates, Haruno's head kept turning in all directions to ensure she didn't miss anything.
After walking for a few minutes, Haruno finally arrived in front of the magnificent traditional red gate.
'If you look closely, it looks much bigger,' thought Haruno as she looked at the gate.
If Haruno had to estimate, this tori gate was probably over 20 metres high and around 10 metres wide. Satisfied in admiring the majestic building before her, Haruno stepped back. Her main goal right now was to enter through the gate and look for another figure from herself.
However, when her feet were about to pass through the tori, her feet suddenly hit an invisible barrier. Haruno looked down and saw how, at the tip of her toes, something like a water ripple was holding it.
'What's this?'
Haruno raised her head again to stare ahead. How shocked she was when she found something that wasn't there before. Yes, Haruno saw her reflection behind the barrier that separated where she stood.
'What's this? A mirror?'
The woman moved her body around only to find that her reflection was also following her every move.
'It really is like a mirror. However, earlier, there was no reflection of me there, right?'
Pure of curiosity, Haruno raised her right hand, and she slowly brought it forward toward the mirror-like thing that was limiting her. As she expected, her reflection followed what she did. When her fingertips—and her reflection's fingertips—touched the mirror-like barrier surface, Haruno could feel that the surface felt like a very solid clear liquid.
"Nice to meet you, dear myself."
Haruno jumped in surprise. Reflexively, her feet took a few steps back. Even that knocked her balance off and sent her crashing onto the surface of the clouds. For a moment, Haruno closed her eyes, fearing that she would fall from the clouds. However, feeling no gravitational pull forcing her into a free fall, Haruno opened her eyes again.
Remembering what had just happened, Haruno immediately looked up, staring at the thing that had greeted her earlier.
Before her, a figure similar to Haruno, but also different, stood straight up in the place where her reflection had previously been. If it weren't for several aspects that made it different, this figure would be an exact photocopy of Yukinoshita Haruno.
She had the same height, the same length and hairstyle, and the same voice, even the clothes she wore were the same, a tracksuit that Haruno had borrowed from Maki. However, the creature's skin was much whiter than hers. Her skin was like an albino, as if the colour pigment was unavailable beneath the skin tissue. Her hair was the same, white as the clouds in the sky and clear as milk. However, her irises were as red as blood, and her sclerae were as dark as the night sky. This unusual combination of beauty and horror conveyed a value that was difficult to express.
When Haruno turned her gaze slightly downward, she saw the creature's fingernails were neatly trimmed—not as she had imagined—and red, like the creature's eyes.
With just one look, Haruno realised the creature's identity before her.
"You… are another being of me," Haruno muttered.
"More precisely, I am you. Saying I'm another being, it's as if I'm different from you. When in fact, I am you, and we are one."
Haruno stood up from where she was sitting. Even though her legs were trembling slightly from fear mixed with nervousness, the woman still mustered up her courage.
"So, you're not something like the devil that resides within me, right?" she asked.
After hearing the ridiculous question, the creature only sighed with its hands on its hips. Seeing that scene, Haruno's face blushed slightly. she then pretended to cough to clear her throat.
"How could it be? I am you, and I was also born right when you first opened your eyes in this world."
"Then, you really are my cursed technique or something?"
The creature stared intently at Haruno before finally tilting its head upwards. After a while, she looked back at the woman.
"Hearing myself being called a cursed technique directly by you was more painful than I imagined. However, yes, I am your cursed technique."
Haruno didn't know how to react after hearing that statement. Haruno's hesitation caused the two of them to fall into silence. However, it only lasted temporarily.
"If you've been with me since birth, why am I only now awakening my abilities as a sorcerer?" she asked.
"Simple. Because your brain failed to evolve. As such, the access for you to connect with me was never created," replied the other figure of Haruno, "You've heard it from Hikigaya-kun, haven't you? That brain structure is the most important factor in accessing cursed technique?"
Yes, Haruno certainly remembered that. The cursed technique was innate. Which meant the cursed technique had existed since the person was born. However, possessing a cursed technique and being able to access it were two different things. Just because one was born with a cursed technique didn't necessarily mean that one was guaranteed to use it. Because, after all, everything came back to the beginning, whether the person's brain structure has successfully evolved or not.
However, what bothered Haruno was the form of the cursed technique itself.
"With your form that is completely like an independent living being, it's hard to imagine that all this time, the connection between us didn't exist."
The creature nodded slightly while pinching its chin.
"I think I understand what you mean. It's just that even though I am you, I live in a different realm. The world of jujutsu is a realm full of metaphysical beings and phenomena, myself included. It's not like I can reach you without any path and approval from you. And because you were never aware of my existence, the connection between us could never be formed."
That sounded reasonable. The main problem remained on Haruno. Even if the cursed technique took a form completely like herself and had a sense of its own, it would be useless if Haruno never knew of its existence.
"That aside. What I actually wanted to ask—."
"I know," she interrupted quickly, "I am you, remember? I know everything you think and everything you want."
Haruno got goosebumps when she heard that. Knowing there was someone who knew what she was thinking and wanted to frighten her a little. Rather than fear, it was more like she was irritated because she felt her privacy had been invaded.
'However, when you think about it again, if she was me and knew all about me, that would be a big help. At least, I have two brains—mine included—with the same capacity. In other words, I can think twice as fast and accurately as usual.'
"Precisely. I can help you think with the same speed, ability, and capacity as you," blurted the creature because it knew what Haruno was thinking, "Besides, if you want, you can also make me a place to vent. For example, like your worry about the relationship between Hikigaya-kun and Maki-chan."
"What do you mean?" Haruno answered and tried to hide her surprise.
Her interlocutor just shrugged her shoulders and smiled teasingly at her.
"Oh, come on. I am you. I understand you far more than you think."
Haruno was silenced by her. she didn't know what to answer. Even dodging it would be useless, considering the creature could read her mind.
'What the fuck? She sucks. Or maybe this is how it feels when people talk to me?'
When remembering that her cursed technique was of a being who had taken from of anti-Haruno, she thought that the form of the cursed technique would be completely inversely proportional to her own. At first, she thought it would probably be something like a heartless, cold, emotionless creature whose essence would be completely opposite to her own. However, after seeing that the creature before her was a complete copy and paste of herself—except for some genetic colours—Haruno felt mixed feelings in her heart.
She was thankful she didn't have to deal with such a heartless beast. It's just that she also cursed her fate because she had to deal with creatures precisely the same as herself. More than anyone else, Haruno deeply understood that her twisted nature often got other people into trouble.
"Well, I may be anti-you, but that doesn't mean I'm a bad version of you," she replied, understanding Haruno's thoughts, "Just like positron as anti-electron. Basically, it's still an electron but has a positive charge. In my case, I basically am you in every way, except colours. It's just that if you have a pool of positive energy, mine is negative energy."
Yes, Haruno also understood that much. In the concept of antimatter, another form of matter was still the same matter but with a different charge or sometimes a different vector. However, that was the last concept on Haruno's list to understand her case. Her mind still dictated that the jujutsu world was a metaphysical world with laws completely different from the physical world.
However, hearing this anti-Haruno statement made Haruno realise that even the world of jujutsu could work according to physics principles.
"Speaking of the cursed energy pool, Hikigaya-kun said that our case isn't normal because our cursed energy pool split into two of equal size. And because my cursed energy is all positive energy, I can't use cursed energy reinforcement," said Haruno.
The positive energy was filled with life energy. That's what Haruno remembered from Hachiman's explanation. Judging from its characteristics, positive energy was mainly used for regeneration or healing. If you think about it carefully, the ability to regenerate was indeed very tempting. Moreover, it could also be used effectively to exorcise cursed spirits.
However, still, positive energy couldn't be used for fighting purposes. Her lack of offensive capabilities would significantly limit her options. Relying on the ability to regenerate would only lead her to pragmatic fighting style. Meanwhile, Haruno was the type who preferred to take the initiative. Of course, she knew how important it was to be patient and wait, as pragmatists did. However, for Haruno, she didn't want her options limited to just being patient and waiting.
Therefore, the existence of negative energy that was destructive and suitable for use in direct combat was very much needed by her.
"So, can I use the negative energy you have?" she asked Anti-Haruno.
The other person was silent for a few moments as if she couldn't believe what Haruno was asking.
"Seriously, how many times do I have to say this?" she replied with a slight sigh, "I am you. That means everything I have is yours. I hate to equate myself with objects like shikigami or cursed technique, but that's a fact. Besides, my existence exists to support you, protect you, and of course, become your weapon. However, my main objective is to protect you."
Anti-Haruno looked at her master with a determined look. Haruno returned that look as if she had had an epiphany.
"In other words, I can also summon you to the real world, right? Besides that, what else can we do?" she asked.
"Of course, you can. But since our bonds are still very weak, the time duration will be very limited. As for what we can do, it's your job to find out, as well as find out how to use the negative energy I have for yourself."
Haruno nodded slowly, fully understanding what challenges she had to overcome to improve. However, Anti-Haruno still had a few words she wanted to say.
"One more thing. The jujutsu world is very much bound by the law of give-and-take. You have two different energy pools, so you can easily access positive energy. In contrast, other sorcerers struggle with blood, sweat, and tears just to generate positive energy."
"That means there must be a limit to what I can do with my positive energy, right?" Haruno continued, cutting off her interlocutor.
Anti-Haruno nodded, happy that her main body understood the risk that lay before her.
"I don't think there's anything else I want to talk about for now," Haruno said again, "Then see you later, another me."
Haruno's body began to fade with a red tail of light. Her body started to appear transparent and lost its physical form. However, before she completely disappeared from the presence of a figure she never thought existed, Haruno gave her last greeting.
"Calling you 'the other me' or 'Anti-Haruno' sounds weird. I do not want to name you by any other name because we are one. Since you're like my alter ego, I am considering referring to you as an Alter from now on."
Anti-Haruno, or what Haruno eventually named Alter, just smiled as she watched her master leave.
"That doesn't sound bad. Calling me Anti-Haruno makes it sound like I'm going to antagonise you."
There was no reply because Haruno had wholly come out of her subconscious. However, Alter still smiled broadly as she looked up at the horizon.
"I'm pleased that you and I are finally connected. Later will not be as quiet and lonely as usual. I look forward to what journey we will go on together, the other me."
—OoOoO—
The night after Haruno received all her training materials, Hachiman was in the same car as Satoru. To be more precise, he was in a black sedan and sat together with Satoru in the backseat. While driving, the car was Ijichi Kiyotaka.
"Are you sure you want to return to Chiba? Do you really not want to stay over? Tomorrow, you have to go with Haruno to Kyoto, remember? If you want, you can stay at my place," asked the blindfolded sorcerer.
"No problem. We'll take the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station, right? I'll just go straight to the meeting point," replied Hachiman coolly.
"Even if it's inefficient?"
Hachiman felt slapped by hearing Satoru's sarcasm. The white-haired man knew very well that the teenager sitting next to him greatly valued efficiency. So, returning from Tokyo Jujutsu Tech to Chiba, then departing from Chiba to Tokyo Station the following day, clearly went against Hachiman's principle of efficiency in life.
"Efficient or not, on top of that, there is comfort. And I feel more comfortable departing from Chiba."
Satoru chuckled and replied sarcastically, "Isn't that a double standard, Hachiman-kun?"
Satoru's sarcasm was right on target and made Hachiman turn his head.
"Well, I mean, humans always have exceptions in their lives, right? Like it or not, humans are already living in hypocrisy at that point alone."
Satoru chuckled again at the young man's reply. He knew Hachiman's ins and outs, and he really liked the boy's flexibility.
"Even though Komachi-chan is also staying over right now, are you sure you don't want to stay in the dorms for the night?"
Hachiman deftly turned to Satoru and failed to hide his surprised look.
"Komachi still on the school? I thought she was going home?"
"She told me she wanted to stay in Maki's room. Well, since we're used to Komachi's presence on campus, I gave her permission just like that."
"That fucking barbarian Maki…, I won't let her take Komachi from me," muttered Hachiman, careful not to hear Satoru.
Unfortunately, Satoru's ears were sharp enough that he could hear it. Satoru just giggled at Hachiman's boast. His odd rivalry with Maki has always been a showpiece for Satoru. And sometimes, it reminded him of his past, his youth with one of the people closest to him, and ironically, he had to end his friend's life with his own hands.
Not wanting to be stuck with nostalgia, Satoru changed the subject.
"By the way, what about Haruno? Did the practice go well?" asked Satoru, who broke the silence.
"That's how it is. Haruno-san finally managed to access the negative energy from the Anti-Haruno and worked on her energy control a bit. She also tried to fully manifest the Anti-Haruno but ended in failure. Looks like Haruno-san has the same problem as Okkotsu."
"Same problem with Yuta," Satoru said, repeating Hachiman's explanation, "So, she's also struggling with connectivity and duration, huh?"
"Maybe. Besides, speaking of duration, it's still too early for Haruno-san. After all, she can't even fully summon Anti-Haruno yet," Hachiman replied.
Satoru then leaned back against the car seat roughly.
"Man, her cursed technique is fascinating. I wish I had spare time to take a look."
Hachiman glanced at the man and replied, "I hope that never happens. Just imagining you and Haruno-san in one place makes my head want to burst."
Even though they were different, Haruno and Satoru had the same annoying level. Facing one of them alone was draining the boy's sanity.
"By the way, I heard Sukuna's vessel died a few days ago. Is that true?" asked Hachiman to change the subject.
"Wow, it's surprising to see you care about other people outside your circle. Have you finally become a wise man, my boy?"
"Wise your ass," Hachiman replied with a frown, "I mean, it's hard to imagine him dying like that. All the coincidences that have happened lately ended with the death of a character who received a lot of attention. If this is a battle manga, an anti-climax like this is very suspicious."
"So, you think the final boss is planning an epic comeback or something?" asked Satoru with a small smile.
Before Hachiman could reply, Satoru preceded him.
"Forget it. Itadori Yuuji died after Sukuna crushed his heart. Shoko confirmed it herself."
From behind the wheel, Ijichi watched the conversation between the two sorcerers from the rear-view mirror. Ijichi couldn't believe that Satoru had lied to Hachiman.
The information about Itadori Yuuji was a lie. No, Itadori Yuuji had indeed died before. It's just that, for some unknown reason, Sukuna decided to revive him using the Reverse Cursed Technique to reconstruct his heart. So, saying that Yuuji was dead wasn't exactly a lie but somewhat incomplete information.
Until now, there were at least three people who knew about Itadori Yuuji's revival. Apart from Gojo Satoru, the other two were Ijichi Kiyotaka and Ieiri Shoko. However, to prevent information from being leaked and trick the higher-ups, Gojo Satoru chose to lie to everyone, including Hikigaya Hachiman, who was one of his favourite students.
"By the way, I heard you didn't use any other weapons again?" asked Satoru.
"I'm thinking about stopping using it."
"Is it because of the side effects of your Cursed Technique Reversal?"
Hachiman stared at Satoru for a moment. That's right, Satoru has exceptional eyes. Eyes that were second to none in this world. With his eyes and excellent deduction, Satoru could quickly reveal the secrets of all forms of cursed techniques even if the users never showed them.
Satoru could decipher the meaning of Hachiman's silence all too well. Meanwhile, Ijichi was still keeping an eye on the conversation from his driver's seat using the rear-view mirror.
"Your Technique Reversal side effects are unavoidable, huh?" Satoru said as he threw his body onto the back of the chair.
"Well, nothing in this world is perfect, anyway."
Superpositions. A technique reversal allowed Hachiman to be in a superposition state, a state in which he could be categorised as being and not being. Or, for even more extreme terms, Hachiman was in the quantum realm when using the spell. Simplified, you could say that Hachiman had become an illusion himself.
When in the superposition state, any object couldn't touch Hachiman. However, in exchange, Hachiman couldn't touch physical objects because they were in a different dimension or simply on different frequencies. This also applied to the weapon that Hachiman carried, which made him no longer able to use it. Never mind using it, just touching, he couldn't.
However, there was a bit of uniqueness, which might act as an exception. And that was Hachiman's clothes. For a reason, it was also in the same superposition state as him. Hence, he wouldn't end up naked when he had to cancel his technique reversal.
"Nothing is perfect?" Satoru repeated Hachiman's words, "You're being ridiculous, aren't you? Perfection exists, of course, and that is me."
Hachiman almost vomited at the narcissistic statement. He wanted to repay the narcissism with the hottest satire he had. However, before he actually did so, he felt an ominous pressure closing in on them.
Hachiman glanced at Satoru. He saw that the strongest sorcerer also changed his expression. This indirectly confirmed that what he was feeling wasn't just his imagination.
"Stop the car," Satoru ordered suddenly to Ijichi in his calm voice.
Ijichi, who had only devoted his entire focus to the road, suddenly stepped on the brake pedal according to Satoru's instructions. He then looked back only to find that the two sorcerers of different generations exchanged serious expressions.
"Huh? H-here?" asked Ijichi.
Without replying, Satoru immediately opened the car door and got out.
"Go ahead without us," Satoru said casually.
"What is it? I'm not being tested, am I? You won't hit me if I go ahead, right?"
Satoru sighed at the ridiculous question. However, before he could answer, Hachiman got ahead of him.
"Don't worry, Ijichi-san. We can just go ahead and let Gojo-sensei do his job."
Satoru stared at Hachiman with 'are you serious?'. Although Satoru's eyes were covered by a black cloth, the message strangely reached Hachiman.
"You come with me, young man," said the sorcerer while half-dragging Hachiman from the car.
"No, wait a minute. I don't want anything to do with this bullshit."
Because of the difference in strength, Hachiman let himself be dragged out.
After ensuring he could keep the young sorcerer, Satoru signalled Ijichi to leave them immediately. Without needing to ask more, Ijichi nodded and immediately drove the car away from the location.
In the end, here Satoru and Hachiman were now. They were in the middle of the road, which was on the cliff's side. They were left on the streets surrounded only by forests on the outskirts of Tokyo.
"Now then…," Satoru muttered.
Without a long pause, something from above suddenly hit the two sorcerers. With trained reflexes, Satoru and Hachiman managed to jump in the same direction to avoid the thing. Asphalt had to take its toll and caused a crater wide enough to nearly collapse the side of the cliff.
From that location, the two people discovered the figure of a cursed spirit with a stooped old man-like posture with pale grey skin. The creature has a sizable cycloptic eye and a miniature mountain on the top of its head. He also appeared to be wearing an all-black outfit covered in green cloth with black polka dots.
"Who are you?" Satoru asked the assailant.
Instead of answering, the creature continued its attack accompanied by shouts of "Hyaah". Suddenly, a mini-sized volcanic crater appeared from the side of the road—or the cliff wall—next to which Satoru and Hachiman were standing. The opening quickly ejected a mass of high-pressure lava at Satoru and Hachiman.
Because they were only less than two metres away from the artificial crater, Satoru and Hachiman had to accept the fact that the lava had hit them hard. Because of the strength of the attack, the lava continued to shoot and swallow everything in its path.
"Contrary to my expectations, he was nothing much, huh?" said the cursed spirit dismissively.
However, unlike what he had imagined, he did not receive burning corpses after the attack was extinguished. On the contrary, he heard a voice that sounded refreshed.
"Who are you saying is 'nothing much'?"
Satoru emerged casually without a single scratch as if the torrent of lava had not hit him. While behind him, Hachiman was clinging tightly to the strongest sorcerer.
"Shield technique: Satoru's Shield, success," Hachiman muttered, which only made a bead of sweat fall on Satoru's forehead.
"You've got a terrible joke, man," commented Satoru.
Hachiman observed the cursed spirit before them and he felt the familiar sensation he couldn't forget.
"That's the cursed spirit that interrupted my and Maki's fight against the cursed spirit that kidnapped Haruno-san."
Even though he didn't see its face directly, Hachiman remembered very well the torrent of lava that had managed to break through into his domain against Mahito. The sensation of heat they give off was remarkably similar, and the technique and output were no different either.
'A cursed spirit with such high intelligence and power…,' thought Satoru trying to analyse the situation.
"Special grade cursed spirits are called that because they are special. If you guys keep popping up like this, then what makes you special?" said Satoru trying to provoke his opponent.
"Did I hurt your pride?" he replied with a grin.
Before Satoru could reply, a wild idea suddenly crossed his mind. The idea completely changed his plans 180 degrees, and Satoru couldn't hide his happy smile.
"Hachiman, you take care of him. If you can beat him, name one wish of yours, and I will grant it. Of course, staying away from your mother is out of order," Satoru said suddenly, "I'll be gone for a bit. By the way, it doesn't matter if you fail since you can run away as usual."
Before Hachiman could protest, Satoru had already disappeared using his instant teleportation ability. The white-haired sorcerer left without the slightest bit of guilt, leaving behind his student, who could only stand awkwardly.
'What the fuck is that? Is he fucking serious?'
"Well..., is a thing in your head Mount Fuji or Sakurajima?" asked Hachiman silly to cover the awkwardness.
Meanwhile, Jogo—the cursed spirit's name—only looks down on the young sorcerer without the slightest interest.
"Tsk. They say he's the strongest, but he just walked away from the battle? I can feel his pathetic fear."
'He said 'they'? This cursed spirit has companions besides a cursed spirit that kidnapped Haruno-san?'
Having another piece of information, Hachiman tried to dig more, and he hoped he could get more grasp of what happened behind Haruno's late bloom.
"If what you're feeling is the fear of a Gojo Satoru, there's probably something wrong with your head. Are you sure your brain isn't melting from the heat of your magma?" chirped Hachiman.
The ridicule made Jogo feel insulted. A nameless sorcerer whose existence wasn't even worthy of his attention dared insult him?
"I feel disappointed that your friend ran away. However, if I finish you off, he might come back here in despair? Whatever it is, you can also run away while pissing like that person, you human," replied Jogo with a grin.
Hachiman was silent, staring flatly at the cursed spirit. Jogo was the same. He waited for the jujutsu sorcerer's reaction. However, Jogo was a little curious about his opponent's attitude, who just didn't budge and didn't move an inch. Until finally, he got his answer when a punch accompanied by black flashes hit the back of his head hard.
'Black Flash.'
Because his defence was so open and combined with the severity of the attack just now, Jogo had to let his head sink into the asphalt to cause a wide enough crater.
"I'm sorry, but that Gojo fucking Satoru is not my fucking friend," declared Hachiman offended.
—To Be Continued—
Author Note: Hello, how are you? Thank you very much for your understanding and the support you give, everyone.
I've been resting for over a month, and doing nothing during that time is more boring than I imagined. My feet are in good condition, although it is very difficult for me to poop. and walking on stilts is troublesome. and rather than die of boredom, I decided to write, even though my typing speed wasn't as fast as usual because my right middle finger was still recovering.
like I said, I was fired from my job because I couldn't attend for the next 4 months during treatment. and I can't do field work for up to six months. I'm an engineer, and my company, or now my former company, can't keep an engineer on hiatus for that long. and the rest you can imagine yourself. fortunately, the severance pay was enough to support me and my father for the next few months and I still had some savings. although some I have used for other purposes. In essence, while trying to find a job that I can still do with my current condition, I also plan to open my own business. However, finding a job now days is very difficult, even layoffs occur in many companies.
Also, after considering several suggestions and situation, I decided to open a subscription on patre0n. You can see my account's name that I wrote in bold at the opening of the chapter. or if you don't want to be complicated, "patre0n+dot+com/akadaka" (please replace "0" to "o", change "dot" to ".". and remove the "+". Sorry for the inconveniences because this site blocked the word and i can't provide the link). my account won't get blocked by asking for subscrtipton, right?
With this subscription open, I thought I had no way back. That way, I will upload new chapters regularly at least twice a month and I will write my stories to the end with all my might. For that, your support will mean a lot to me.
Anyway, what do you think about this chapter? And thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. Please leave your review for this chapter. And see you in the next chapter and stay safe. Happy new year, guys.