Chapter Text
[12:16 A.M. November 1st.]
Shoko hates days like these. Stuck in white walls, under artificial light. Especially when it involves her being busy enough to not even get a smoke break. The sharp scent of antiseptic is still stinging her nostrils, and the toll of outputting Reverse Cursed Technique was growing by the moment. Ino’s mangled face wasn’t getting much better, his mandibular wasn’t just fractured. It was utterly shattered, like glass pottery. That didn’t even go into the cranial damage. Shoko bit back the urge for a smoke, and got back to work. Her thoughts were interrupted before she could even try to form them by the door slamming open. ‘What a pain.’
“Miss Shoko! I think Nanami could use your healing!” Arata’s mop of blonde hair was the first thing Shoko registered as he hauled the entire weight of one Nanami Kento, his shirt torn far too much, and covered in his own blood. Most of it dried. ‘Did anyone get the plate of the truck that hit him?’ Arata finally dragged Nanami onto an operating table, and she whispered a small curse as she quickly assessed the damage. He had been brought in far too late, judging by the amount of dried blood.
Imagine her shock when Nanami’s injuries proved far less severe than expected for the level of exhaustion he could endure before being forced to call it in. If it was only his stamina and given her own expertise… Someone had healed him. At some point at least, after he’d been fighting. Nanami was a brick wall of defense, not many could beat him in a pure bout of reinforcement. Not without some tricks, of course. And only one other was capable of it at the moment. Yuta Okkotsu. Good enough to regrow the very limbs of others, due to his higher output than Shoko herself. Considering he was still missing a finger and an eye, his state was as good as could be expected.
“Since he’s in play, then things are definitely gonna go differently than I expected,” Shoko talks to her unconscious patient as she works, sewing up a few cuts that were too wide, and neatly begins preparing a bowl of room temperature water. “Ino hasn’t woken up yet either, and I’m a bit worried about his right eye, but I want to try and save it. He… he got pummeled. At least somebody on your level. Probably higher. I mean, how ridiculous is that?” She sighs, putting Nanami’s right foot into the water. “You got lucky the frostbite isn’t very severe.” The sensation seems to do it, and she hears a groan as the foot twitches, splashing her. Another sigh escapes her.
“Shoko…?” Nanami Kento rises, hair tussled and his face tight with exhaustion. He takes a few moments to adjust to the lights, blinking up at her before his gaze recalls whatever his last thoughts before unconsciousness must have been.
“Oh, glad to see someone woke up from their little nap. Now talk. Oh, and don’t move that foot.” She chimes, standing up and wiping her front, enjoying the way Nanami’s brow twitches almost violently.
“Maki and Naobito Zenin, Megumi Fushiguro, and myself beat a Special Grade with the help of an unknown assailant. He then–”
“Actually, better not to have to repeat it,” Shoko interrupts, holding up a finger. “I hate being a messenger pigeon.” She stood, offered him a salute, and marched out the door. When his gaze tightened and his brow furrowed, she felt herself get the smallest of smiles. ‘If he can complain, he’ll live.’ When her former principal sees her approach, she can already see him wondering if she’s gonna have another cigarette. Shoko wishes. The cold Fall weather made her fingers sting, and she shoved them in her pockets. ‘What a shitty time of year.’
“Ieri, what are you doing back out already?”
“Nanami wasn’t as injured as expected. He’s already up and talking. Must be getting old, like you.” She enjoys the way the vein above his eye twitches slightly at the not-untrue remark. “He never would’ve slept on the job before.” She nods her head towards the door, and Yaga takes the context and initiative. He leads the way back to the infirmary, shoulders tight with tension.
The door swings open, and Nanami doesn’t look as pale. More composed. ‘Looks like giving him another second was a good choice. He always was the tough and hard-working type.’
“My squad fought and almost died to a Special-Grade Curse. The first cast a domain, and it was only thanks to timely intervention from Fushiguro we survived. An unknown assailant killed it and attacked him. Another Curse appeared. It injured me severely,” He gestured to his eye, unfazed despite the way Yaga’s fists clenched. Nevertheless, he continued; “Okkotsu stopped it before it could continue, healing me and later killing the Curse. I took the time to take a breath, and talk with the others. When he didn’t link back up, I decided to try and find him. Maki and Naobito went to assist Fushiguro against the assailant. Okkotsu was fighting a Curse User, a strong one. Grade-One. He wasn’t doing well, and sent me away while he cast a domain. I grabbed a nearby Itadori, and Todo found me before I collapsed.”
Yaga took a moment, leading to Shoko nudging him. “That much lines up with what we were told by Akari. At least about the Domain they found you nearby.” Nanami nodded, unsurprised by the additional information. It wouldn’t last. “Unfortunately, not long after, Sukuna regained control of Itadori.” Shoko sighed. Of course Yaga had to deliver the information so bluntly. She understood why, but it didn’t make it any less grating at the moment. When it looked like Nanami would jump out of his bed, exhausted or not, Yaga raised a hand.
“Stay down. Okkotsu handled it in Satoru’s absence.”
[12:04 A.M. November 1st.]
‘I might be fucked. Scratch that, I’m absolutely fucked.’
“Well? Are you going to return what you’ve stolen?” Ryomen Sukuna stands before me, and despite the fact that my brain knows he can’t harm me, I’m still left terrified. His voice has that chiding quality one would hear from a teacher, like when your classmate snitches on you for something you did. That softness was merely to make the mocking hit further. Itadori’s normally soft, childish features, still heavy with a little baby fat, are sharpened by tattoos. In the anime, he was always shredded, but it’s only now that I see the real thing through the tears in his shirt… Itadori, you are a beast.
‘And I’m running on what I can scrape off the sides of my reserves, meanwhile, 5 fingers is equivalent to like half my reserves. And I doubt his efficiency is anywhere near as bad as mine.’
“Stubborn, aren’t you?” I can barely register Sukuna disappearing from sight before I’m forced against a wall, a hand applying just enough pressure to stop my breathing. Without my overwhelming Cursed Energy Reinforcement, I’m not much stronger than your average guy, and my only good hand is still holding the scroll of fingers with all my might. Black hair falls at the edges of my vision as I’m pushed against the wall behind me. I need to grasp the enlightenment I just had, the pinnacle of Jujutsu. Domain Expansion.
‘Why couldn’t Gojo use an open-barrier? What forces Megumi to use a building?’
After using one through muscle memory and a binding vow, I got it. It’s not a power-up. It’s a consequence of satisfying 3 conditions, one of which being a barrier which follows its own processes. Defining a boundary in space, Enforcing conditions on that boundary, and keeping up those two under pressure. That’s what it takes to create a barrier, and why the one who casts a veil tends to stay out of combat. It’s already difficult.
That’s the first layer, and first condition. Then you get to making a Domain Expansion. The second is your Innate Domain. That shapes the space. The last step writes your Cursed Technique into your Domain, making it a property of the space within. Megumi’s issue is that final step, mixing the first two to complete his own domain. The Cursed Technique acts as the engine in the program, while the code written into the program through barriers and binding vows is what gets executed. The Sure-hit is the response of creating a feedback loop. You never discover what your domain does, because you specified it. You’re the developer, how could anything within shock you? You’re literally making the rules of a universe within.
It’s what makes Hakari so dangerous. The Jackpot mechanism of his domain may be random, but he’s the one who designed the machine which rolls the numbers. He’s the developer, so the rules barely matter. When you build a domain, every space is defined, relative to one another. Your technique is imbued into the entire space, and it’s waiting for a target with Cursed Energy to direct the attack. The sorcerer isn’t aiming. The room itself is. But, that has nothing to do with the lethality of the sure-hit. But due to how it works, everything has a cost. Hakari traded lethality for speed and stability.
My binding vow had an effect upon my domain. I essentially forced an Incomplete domain in exchange for being able to manifest when without the Cursed Energy. The vow didn’t care that I had never cast a domain. Yuta had. Which means that we’re bound on a far deeper level than I feared. Fuck.
The worst part of the discovery is that it only makes my fear worse. Sukuna took two of the hardest parts of a domain, and replaced them with something even harder. An open-barrier. By using that in his domain, Sukuna forcibly gained an exit in his domain, but gained range beyond any barrier in turn. It wasn’t a choice, just a consequence of having an open barrier. A feat that now, I know I could never recreate. And don’t even get me started on that damn basketball. Gojo couldn’t use an Open barrier because it’s just that hard. It has to stand entirely on its own, they have to hold at every single point in reality simultaneously. The range being so great is likely just due to his insane reserves. He basically uses only his technique, forming it into a radius that forms outwards, hence the physical Shrine itself forcibly manifesting.
It even solves for both those with, and objects without, cursed energy. It’s essentially the final step in true mastery, something beyond anybody’s comprehension. Without the boundary to do the work, it’s his technique maintaining everything the barrier once did.
“I-hck!” The hand that clasps over my wrist is disturbingly warm, and I can only muster up a glare at those cold eyes, even as my fingers are pulled off the scroll one by one. Crimson meets my gaze with ease, and the smirk on Sukuna’s face only gets cockier as another finger is plucked off. My vision darkens at the edges as he squeezes a little tighter, playing with me.
Yuta’s inside a curse. It had swallowed both him and Maki on their first mission together, only proving Yuta was a burden. He takes in his surroundings, trying to get a grip on things. Rika hasn’t come out to protect him, seemingly choosing the route of non-interference again. The deep, red walls pulse in rhythm to its digestion, or so he figures. The air is rich with the scent of rotting meat and iron, but he pays it no mind. Not with how thankful he is that the children are alive. Maki’s yelling fades into a sort of dullness before Yuta processes her next words.
‘Both of them could die at any minute.’ His heartrate spikes as she explains that to normal people, Cursed Energy is like poison. And somewhere with this heavy a concentration would be lethal. Yuta is trying to stop the panic that claws at his throat, unsure of what to do when Maki collapses. Her groan of pain and the child's words interrupted his spiralling.
“Is she… Going to die?” Please… I don’t wanna die too! Please!” Mismatched eyes meet Yuta’s, and he flinches in response, head turning down. Sweat beads down his forehead, despite how he’s not warm in the slightest.
Yuta apologizes, and it doesn’t feel like enough. Maki’s hand wraps around my collar, lifting me up with a strength that she’ll only explain later. Her amber eyes are stern, but not cruel as she speaks. She’s unwavering, and that’s what Yuta always admired most about her.
“Tell me, why did you come to Jujutsu High? What do you want? What are your goals? What are you trying to achieve?” Back then, Yuta had wanted to be wanted. To just be needed. But his wishes had changed. Yuta just wanted them to be alright. He was scared of what he’d seen, what they’d all been forced to become in order to survive. He didn’t want Maki to change into something that she hadn’t gotten to choose.
“Confidence and friends will find you.” And doesn’t Yuta yearn for that? He got what he wanted, but his story didn’t end. It continued, and yet. That ending didn’t feel quite right either. Not with Panda hurt, Inumaki hurt, and his friends scarred in so many different ways. Their hearts and souls, marked by Kenjaku’s plans.
“That’s why you’re here, at Jujutsu High.” He wanted to remain with his friends for as long as he could. No matter what it took. But it wasn’t enough. He had to keep everyone safe. That was why he was here, wasn’t it?
Reality sets back in, and I push down the existential dread of Yuta’s memories flashing before my eyes. Only two fingers still hold the scroll, and I spit directly into his face. Or I tried, he just casually tilts his head, avoiding it. He looks bored, as if this is as casual as taking trash to the dumpster.
“So desperate, it’s sad, really.” My leg is slamming into his stomach, and it feels like hitting a water tower. Sukuna laughs, his voice low and unintimidated. His eyes wander, finally locking onto Uraume. Another flash rushes by my vision, drowning out anything else.
The first time Yuta met Megumi Fushiguro, he had been a freshly Grade-Four Sorcerer. Megumi had been 15, with a chip on his shoulder that was wider than their campus grounds. This was Sensei’s famed ward. The bearer of the Ten Shadows. Maki spoke well of him, and Gojo’s only critique was that he seemed too content to coast through sorcery. Yuta didn’t make mention of any of it, however.
A hospital was no place for such talk. So instead, he half-listened to Gojo’s explanation of the situation, staring down at the sleeping face of the girl-Tsumiki-who had been cursed. She looked peaceful. Yuta didn’t comment on that, either.
“Gojo said you might be able to wake her up.” Megumi’s voice is severe, dark blue eyes meeting Yuta’s. Yuta doesn’t flinch, meeting the younger sorcerer's gaze and choosing his next words incredibly carefully.
“Maybe, but, I’d really prefer not to make any promises. It’s just because I can output more Reverse-Cursed Technique than Shoko, even now.” He explains, and notes how Megumi nods, taking the little hope he provides and guarding it. He takes a moment, then looks at her.
“Could-can we try now? If you-”
“I can.” Yuta interrupts him, not liking the nervous look on such an angry looking teen. He’d do far more for someone that was important to Gojo. He puts his hand atop Tsumiki’s forehead, pouring Reverse Cursed Technique into her body. He continues for a few moments, then shakes his head.
“Oh-I-Thanks. Thank you, Okkotsu.” Yuta notices the pain in Megumi’s eyes. The way he bows his head, posture slumping while his fists ball up. Yuta takes a moment, looks at the time. He recognizes the feeling of loss, and so his offer comes without complaint.
“Let’s try a while longer.” He says, ignoring the small look of shock from Fushiguro as he places his hand back upon her forehead, further flooding her body with Reverse Cursed Technique. Megumi doesn’t speak. He just sits there, watching for a while.
They leave half an hour later, and Yuta can’t help but think Megumi’s gaze looks far less burdened. Yuta bites back a smile when Fushiguro insists on grabbing some food. On Gojo’s credit cards, of course.
My vision slowly returns as I choke, drool pooling in my mouth as I take in Sukuna’s expression. I can see the brief look of shock, then anger. Huh, looks like he does have a single soft spot. But just as quickly, he sees their chest rise, and any leverage I could’ve had is gone.
‘I need it. I need a black flash, man. I need some fuckinh plot armor. I know this body is capable, and I need the magic touch right now.’
His grip on my throat loosens, and that signature cockiness comes into play. I take a gasp inwards, finally getting sweet, sweet, oxygen. I don’t stop trying to hit him, pouring less and less Cursed Energy into every hit. It doesn’t matter, so long as I hit that magic moment. That I hit the right combination of all those random factors. It’s a numbers game at the end of the day, so as long as I keep surging it with each hit, I can keep trying. Another finger pulled off, only one remains.
‘I need Yuta’s potential, not the stolen moves that Yuta practiced!’
“So, you beat them. And yet they breathe… How disappointing. What kind of sorcerer lets an opponent live? And you’ve lost your fire so quickly since you’ve arrived. If you’re Kinji Hakari, then I’m really surprised Satoru Gojo thought you could replace him.” Sukuna’s tattoos seem to almost stretch as Yuji Itadori’s face takes on a look of pure malice that doesn’t belong.
‘This motherfucker is bullshitting just as much as I am! He just made a guess as to what my name was!’
“They fuckin’ sucked-’ I aim my foot lower, hitting his groin. When his gaze narrows, I offer him a tight-lipped smile. Any irritation I felt at not being recognized disappears when the grip tightens again, and the final finger is tugged free, the scroll beginning to fall. My vision fades out again, unconsciousness beckoning me into it.
Gojo’s voice is muddled by static, but Yuta could never forget something like this. The first, and last time, Satoru Gojo would ask something of him. His fingers clutch the phone tighter, turning away from Miguel’s gaze. The smell of herbs and woodsmoke hangs heavy over the small village the pair had stopped in, unceasing in the fruitless search for more Black Rope.
“Keep an eye on the rest of the students if anything happens to me, alright?” The question is spoken lightly, easily, as if it was a one-in-a-million scenario. A scenario which had occurred, just as his Sensei had been worried about. He knew Gojo would never admit it, but that each and every one of their lives meant far more than he spoke of. It was why Yuta was in Africa, after all.
A Special-Grade Sorcerer didn’t merely lose power. He had been vulnerable to enemies he didn’t even know he’d made. So Gojo pulled him aside. Stayed late for days at a time between his never ending missions. And when Yuta revealed Rika at that year’s exchange event… He never spoke a word of it after, attributing Rika’s re-manifestation as due to nothing more than Yuta’s own hard work. But the backlash at his returning strength hadn’t been light. The threats, the demands, eventually… This ‘search’ was Yuta’s only way to let them cool off. To not put his friends in danger just by being around.
Sensei had been furious. Yuta recalled how his nonchalant childishness seemed to grow with his displeasure. And now Sensei was asking him for something. And it was only a just-in-case, but he had never been more sure of anything in his life. He will protect them. Even the first-years he hasn’t met. Yuta has to protect them, he has to keep them safe and alive. Failing isn’t an option.
He just wants to make Sensei proud.
“I’ll kill you for–”
CLAP
I’m behind Sukuna now, and I focus on his midsection. He’s already moving, but my angle is better. The world before me is so clear, every movement slower than a single flap of a bird's wing. I don’t understand the poetry of it, but after being choked out so many times, my focus has narrowed to an utter minimum.
The smell of dirt, blood and debris. The sound of the creaking foundation, of my once panicked breathing. The pain of my elbow, of my aching muscles. It all fades away, as my good hand slams into his ribs, still clutching the fingers. Slow down more, time. I let the sensation wash over me, utterly thoughtless.
Anyone could land a black flash, when you think about it. But, Satoru Gojo himself said otherwise. It depends on so many little factors, even if he can't do it on command, he still lands them. The same reason that holds Megumi Fushiguro back from one, while Nobara has been landing them since Season One. Mindset.
That was why you couldn’t just land one in training. Otherwise, people like Kasumi Miwa would be way stronger. You had to throw the hit with the intent to kill, with perfect control. There must be no hesitation, not in the slightest. And that’s just to have a chance of it happening. That millionth-of-a-second chance. And if you can manage that, you’ll be gifted with something that changes Jujutsu for you, forever. Your Cursed Energy flashes black, amplifying your blow exponentially by a ratio of two-point-five. Your latent potential rises to 120%, and it can bring out tricks you didn’t even know you had.
Satoru Gojo restored his Reverse Cursed Technique. Sukuna regained his domain and output as well. It can completely and utterly change the tides of battle. The amount poured into it doesn’t really matter, simply because of how ridiculous the chances are. Sukuna’s unimpressed, I can tell from the single eye staring down at me.
But why would I care? I’m not gonna let him traumatize a kid to prove a point.
So keep staring, Jackass. I’m right here.
BLACK FLASH!
“So, you might be better than trash. You want a trophy?” Barely a wisp of energy turns black, space distorting underneath my fist as it digs into his ribs. Sukuna doesn’t even budge, but my arm is already healing, and I drop the fingers. The world centers around me, at this moment, I get it. I feel beyond special, like I was chosen just for this second. My output surges as my reserves flood back. Something else is already draining it, and it was nowhere near a full tank to begin with, but it’s enough.
“Black…”
His gaze flickers to them as my newly healed arm crashes into his jaw, the entirety of my restored output floods the limb, space distorting as the blow sends him slamming into the wall he just held me against, cracks spreading from the point of impact.
“FLASH!”
My fist digs in deeper, and he finally goes flying out of his own entrance as pitch-black Cursed Energy floods the area. Even more Cursed Energy, even more of my power is back. My reinforcement is natural, nothing like how I’ve had to force it the entire day so far. My strike sent him careening back out into the street. So I leap after him, laughter bubbling up through my chest as I bare my teeth at the King of Curses.
“THAT MAKES TWO!” His face twists with confusion, and my next three jabs are avoided entirely, his hand deftly striking my wrist to send the blows off course rather than block them. My cursed energy flows even better than before, no longer a thick sludge.
“You’re better than nothing, I can say that. But so was that white-haired sorcerer. Be smart, give me the fingers and you may yet live to be something worth my attention.” He speaks casually, as if I haven’t continued to throw more and more punches. He’s still avoiding every single one, and a kick to his head only has him move his neck just enough to aura farm, the cone of force only billowing his hair. My grip on the scroll only tightens in response, and I resist the urge to cry.
‘Rot in hell, Gege Akutami!’
“Yap yap yap, I don’t speak fraud.” I respond, lashing out with a foot-slam to the ground. I pour enough cursed energy into my leg to make the entire pavement crack and fly up. “Fighting you is literally just a training doll in a video game.” His eyes narrowed at that remark, right as my forehead slammed into his skull. Once more, he’s sent crashing backwards, hitting a storefront and making the glass shatter in a mesmerizing display. I don’t get much time to admire it before he’s walking out casually, not a mark on him.
‘Is this dude aura-farming when I’m attempting to whoop his shit in? I should speed this up a little.’
“Come on, this is too easy, you haven’t even hurt me. Unless… You can’t. Did my junior get you on a tight leash, doggy? Can you sit? Stay? Maybe, kneel?” With every word, Sukuna’s expression only tightens further with rage, and I only raise my arms. I’m practically offering my life here, and he can’t do anything. I’ve regained too much of my Cursed Energy to get choked out again, and we both know it.
“I’ll kill you. I’ll kill your father, your mother, your sisters, your brothers, your whole bloodline!” Sukuna starts, voice low as he makes his declaration. “Wuta, Hakari, I no longer care for your name. Just know that my first action when I emerge will be to parade your mutilated corpse throughout the streets, before devouring you and making it a yearly festival.”
“I’m not close with my parents.” I offer him the most polite smile I can. “Go back to your prison already.” I grip the back of a nearby car, cursed energy pouring through my muscles as I send the damn thing flying. Concrete rips from the force of the throw, and I watch it split cleanly in half. I’m already throwing another, then another. With how easy this all feels, the mere amount of cursed energy I’ve regained feels near infinite.
‘Is this why Yuta was able to match Suguru? This guy was monstrous.’
WHOOSH!
Dozens of vehicles turn into an array of scrap, cleanly splitting without leaving a scratch on that bastard, and my output pours into my legs, crouching low as my bangs shadow my vision. This is a gambit. If he doesn’t notice or does it anyway, I’m dead. I launch behind one of the cars, and the movement of his arm stops when it approaches in the hail slamming into his area.
‘Got you!’
BOOM!
The car slams into the ancient sorcerer. But I’m already tearing through the roof, the crunch of metal accompanying my knee flying at Sukuna’s face as he ducks low, barely unable to reach the fingers still in my grip. When he grabs my leg, I grit my teeth as I let the reinforcement around the limb drop, all of it pouring into my arms as they slam atop his skull.
‘I gotta keep him from moving! He’s way too damn quick, even if I can’t hit him!’
The sheer air pressure forces me to wince as cracks spiral outwards from the aforementioned sorcerer, and yet he’s still unfazed, a frown on his face as his eyes go dull. Sukuna is frozen, tattoos fading to nothing as I’m finally able to let out a breath of fresh air. I knew that enchain had a duration, but no idea how long. It takes them a moment to fade completely as twin eyes close, and crimson becomes a warm brown. “Huh?” Blood is pouring from his forehead, and Yuji reaches up, touching the wound and wincing.
“Oh, shit. You’re Yuji.” I bite back the awe as I crane my neck down, finally realizing that I'm a full head taller than Itadori. Sukuna had me so scared I hadn’t even considered the fact. At his eyes meeting my own, his stare grows more focused.
“Yeah, Yuji Itadori. Wait, how do you know that?” Yuji pauses, then shakes his head. “Forget it. I gotta keep moving.” I sigh, letting my full cursed energy slam into him, unrestrained, At the feeling, he freezes up before grinning. “You’re either that 3rd year or the missing 2nd year! That blood-guy completely destroyed me, but we got back-up!” I’mkinda unnerved at how easily this kid picked up the basics, and cheered right up.
‘This is way better than the original Shibuya, after all.’
I offer him my biggest grin, and I place my hand onto his head as my output surges. “Yuta Okkotsu, 2nd Year. Special-Grade.” When his skin is done sealing, I pull my hand back, ignoring how he audibly awes at my work. “Now that you’re healed up, let’s go find Todo, and whoop some absolute ass.” Yuji’s returning smile is utterly dazzling.
“Hell yeah, Okkotsu–”
“Call me Yuta.”
“–Got it!”
[12:05 A.M. November 1st.]
Mahito doesn’t hesitate, recognizing Sukuna’s presence. Before it can slip through the trio, Maki has cut through an arm of his, with Nobara supporting her. Using his free hand, he thrusts it outwards, forcing Maki to gain distance. The discarded arm sizzles, turning to ash.
‘He can’t afford to take too much damage! We just need to give Nobara an opening.’ Maki quickly tries to stop the first clone, but it dodges the hit entirely, leaping above her and continuing to run.
“Not a chance.” Megumi interrupts, trying to intercept Mahito before it can reach Nobara, hands clasped as he attempts to form a shikigami. “Toad..!” Before he can strike the curse, it turns, focusing on him. He pours more of his remaining reserves into the summoning, willing it to speed up. ‘Damnit, the formation of my shikigami is too slow now that this freak has hit a black flash!’
“I’m shocked you can still even participate. But those shikigami you can summon are quite a pain. Sooo-” Mahito’s fist meets Megumi’s ribcage, Cursed Energy flashing black as the damage is multiplied, caving it inwards as he watches the aforementioned sorcerer get sent hurtling into a building. Nobara barely has time to react as she rushes towards where she sees him go flying, only stopped by the reminder of Maki being close by, her hand squeezing Nobara’s wrist tight enough to hurt.
“BLACK FLASH!”
“MEGUMI!” Nobara screams, growling at the Curse as her Cursed Energy rises with her bloodlust. ‘That damn coward! Megumi was already exhausted, it’s best to consider him down for the count.’
“Oh man, was that some good timing or what?” Mahito asks, before he begins to laugh. Rubble clouds the air as Maki watches in horror, gritting her teeth. Mahito’s laughter has grown, throwing his head back, hand meeting his forehead as if he’s finally understood the punchline to some cosmic joke. Which in a way, Mahito muses, he has. His hand reaches up, grasping his face as he feels at the mold. ‘I’ve got over 70% of my soul remaining. They’re done.’ His smile gets wider as he approaches his final two opponents before going to find Itadori.
“See, Panda? This is what I was talking about when I said life getting cut short. Zenin. Kugisaki. Grab Fushiguro and cover the rear while Panda and I clean up this Curse.” Maki and Nobara both turn to the source of the voice. While Nobara looks mostly unimpressed, Maki knows one thing she doesn’t. Though, both could admit the joy in seeing Panda.
‘He might be lazy, and a coward, but he’s pretty strong.’
Gojo’s words ring throughout her ears as Maki grabs Nobara, forcing her to follow Kusakabe’s commands.
“Alright, Kusakabe! You had a point!” Mahito examines the approaching opponents with a curious hum. He flexes his hand, smirking as he approaches them all. Atsuya smiles at the students, beckoning only Panda forward.
“Are you just… ignoring me?” For the first time, Mahito felt irritated. Not playful, not joking, Just the beginnings of a tightness in its chest it had never experienced before, not even when his so called ‘comrades’ had died.
“Nanami talked about this one. The one with a patchwork face. You can strike the soul or something, right?” Kusakabe continues, turning to gaze over at Mahito. Curiosity won him over, and he let the human speak. “See, Jujutsu High ain’t dumb. Everyone here got paired into their squad for a reason. Itadori and Mei Mei? Good all-rounders. Can’t find a bad match-up with those two. Maki and the old man you killed? Overwhelming melee combat. Real bad match-up.” Atsuya feels a smug smile grace his features. “Enough of the fine print. Long story short, me and Panda here? Outta every Sorcerer we could find, they figured we could counter you.” Mahito’s face tightened with anger at every word the bastard spoke.
“And how are you two going to match me?” Mahito can’t help the delirium lacing his tone. He may have faced threats before, but neither of these two seemed threatening in the least! The Seven-To-Three Sorcerer and Yuji Itadori seemed so much better! Still running off the high of the black flash that had pushed his potential even higher… He could grasp his soul. Or he could push that potential into something else.
“Panda.” Panda gave a small thumbs up at Kusakabe’s command, putting on his knuckles before beginning to rush towards Mahito, stance tightening. He and Mahito ran at each other, both going for a swing to the head. Panda’s massive form was shockingly fast, but Mahito’s arm stretched to make contact first.
‘I’ll kill him in one strike!’ Mahito’s hand opened, a thick glow of Cursed Energy coalescing around it as he made contact with Panda’s cheek, taking the blow to his own jaw in turn with glee. ‘My Cursed Technique already came back, you idiot!’ Panda freezes as Mahito’s technique warps around his soul, attempting to enter and disfigure it beyond recognition.
Kusakabe’s eyes widened, hand outstretching towards Panda as his other went towards his sheathed katana, eyes narrowing.
“PANDA!”
Nobara swears as she watches her senior tear rubble from atop Megumi’s crumpled form. His torso looks like a bag of potatoes, all lumpy and misshapen. His eyes are closed, but when Maki lets out a sigh of relief, so can Nobara. ‘He’s breathing,’ Is all she needs to infer from the exchange. Maki’s amber gaze tightens as she lifts him, supporting his neck as she lets out a growl. “Oi, Nobara.” Her voice is tight, instantly drawing Nobara’s attention from her classmate.
“What?” Nobara growled, hands shaking as she found herself cursing her lack of medical knowledge, unable to even help as she listened to breathing that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in one of those movies he and Itadori watched so much.
“I can patch him up, and move him out of here. But we both know you can do real damage here.” Each word struck a cord in Maki’s chest, irritating her beyond measure. This had been the absolute last thing she wanted, but this curse was even putting up a fight against someone like Kusakabe. ‘Keeping her out of this? What a joke, Maki.’ Her self-beratement didn’t impede her. She took Megumi into her arms with ease, tearing her good sleeve off as she gave Nobara a nod. “Getting him out of here is what I can do, so focus on the fight. Take a breath, get a plan going. Those dumbasses have no idea what they’re in for.”
Nobara shot her a grin, looking at the weapon on her waist. “I may have an idea.”
Mahito found himself standing in a small home. The walls are covered in drawings, the scent of cinnamon in the air, and sunlight shines in through the windows. He looks down, confused. At his feet, is a tiny panda, wearing a diaper and sucking a binky. The thing looks up at Mahito, head tilting in what must be some kind of confusion.
Mahito blinks in confusion before just chuckling. He had been worried this would be akin to Sukuna. This would be far easier than expected, it seemed. As he leaned down, hand about to make contact with the small panda’s forehead, a hand clasped his shoulder. But it was far larger than any normal human should’ve been.
Wait, a hand? Mahito turned around, and he found himself aware of a 2nd soul. A massive, hulking gorilla loomed before him. Its stinking, putrid breath ghosted his features. Before he could speak, the hand not touching him slammed into his jaw, and Mahito was sent flying out of the Panda’s inner domain.
Mahito blinked, having been sent flying backwards after going limp the moment he’d touched Panda. “What… the hell are you?” He rubbed his now sore jaw, unable to heal it. Not for real. That blow had struck his soul. ‘Is that thing like some sort of man-made transfigured human? Or is it closer to polymorphic soul isomer, a combination of multiple souls with weak rejection? Either way, trying again could prove worse.’
“Are ya’ stupid? I’m a panda! Named Panda!” Panda shouted, shaking a fist at Mahito before continuing his attack, and Mahito rolled to the side before his fist could make contact again. He drops low, grinning. His body splits just in time to avoid Kusakabe’s swing, 5 goblin-like creatures hopping around, rejoining in the air.
“You’re DEAD!” Mahito’s body shifts, spikes slamming directly atop both sorcerers. A dozen spikes slammed into Panda, who grabbed Kusakabe and shielded the older Sorcerer using his massive frame. Atsuya’s face widened in horror as he watched.
Four massive spikes had pierced his outer shell, and Panda bit back a wince as he found his form forcibly shifted to Gorilla mode. ‘That Curse got the Panda core, and he’s more dangerous than I thought. Clones, and fighting something that moves like this is disorienting!’ He chucked Kusakabe aside, leaping upwards and slamming his hand into Mahito’s gut. Even as each and every bit of lost internals and ‘skin’ throbbed.
BOOM!
Kusakabe dropped to a knee, his Simple Domain forming around the three as Mahito grinned. By warping his soul, he was still able to avoid the damage to his own soul! ‘So, Panda here can only hurt me if I touch him and another of the souls within injures me. The older one can stop my technique with Simple Domain, but I doubt he can hit my soul as Yuji Itadori or the girl could.’ Blue lines designated the rules Kusakabe had decided to put upon the intersection they fought within.
“New Shadow Style: Batto Sword Drawing!” Spinning his form, Kusakabe maximized his velocity as he struck, each slash that followed could only hurt his body once more as Mahito’s soul shifted about, its grin widening. Panda gripped a streetlight, swinging it at Mahito’s head, only to watch it fly off instead.
“Woah! Creeeeepy!” Panda commented, his hulking form watching the sudden increase in speed Mahito’s head experienced, watching it suddenly speed up and slam into a wall. “Gross, it splattered!” Panda’s fist goes for a sweeping haymaker into the remaining body, his other hand slamming directly into its chest to keep it close.
“He’s not gonna take damage from anybody but me or Itadori, dumbasses!” Nails rain down upon the trio, with both Kusakabe and Panda taking the chance to leap back. Mahito laughs, multiple humans turned projectiles being used to make even gaining distance a pain. But Kusakabe charges forward, pushing Panda further back as his body automatically dodges every shot fired at him. His tie flutters with the movement, and Kusakabe almost curses his sense of style. Almost. ‘So long as it’s imbued with cursed energy, my Simple Domain can react!’
When they each wrap around his blade, making it reminiscent of a pool noodle, he casually slams the blade into the ground. The jagged edge it leaves behind isn’t useless, and he goes to slam it into the things head, Panda leaping upwards to slam down with all the force he could.
Mahito reaches for his face, the true shape of his soul within reach as he laughs, welcoming their onslaught with open arms.
Then, Kusakabe floats. As does Panda. As does their opponent, and even Nobara. Panda’s beady eyes widen in the closest thing they can to horror, his massive form immediately brought back to one year ago. But the visage in front of him was unmistakable, with the robes and stretched ears. The only difference was obvious. The stitches on his forehead.
“Can nothing go to plan today? If one of you gets a lucky hit, I may miss the chance to absorb him.”
Suguru Geto had entered the fold.