Chapter Text
02- Decree of Buddha Sent Right to Nirvana
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“What the hell is this for real?” I’m pretty sure those were the words I heard Gojo Satoru use to complain about the confusing situation.
The situation had flipped and the roles mildly reversed.
Nonetheless what does it mean to be the strongest? It was a title I had little interest in and a mantle best suited to be passed down to someone else.
Midori fit on that metaphorical pedestal pretty well. Apparently she started out as an unknown but the day she was scouted for recruitment as a Jujutsu Sorcerer they ranked her as a Special Grade.
As for Yaga in the beginning he was the best of the First Grades, just right behind Kugisaki Sensei. At one point the guy even almost made it to Semi-Special Grade, which was impressive.
If only there wasn’t a depressing fact that at the same time the better his creations, reanimated corpses improved, the more his health drained. Obviously that was one of the major factors that led to his downfall...
On a more light hearted joke there used to be a running joke between the three of us that I was a Zero Grade for the lack of Cursed Energy I had. However, in reality for my “oddness” I was considered a Special Grade up there with the likes of Midori.
Not that I deserved it and yet a big part of life is simply using the cards a person is dealt.
The worm turned fluffy mammal, aka Red Panda, was a strange case. Yaga once thought the Shikigami was a Third Grade but Kugisaki Sensei used to theorize its rank was higher.
Any hypothesis or investigations on the subject never went further than that, as in a dire crisis the school was cut short. Such days surrounded by carefree friends and a laid back teacher were undeniably gone.
Whereas individuals with all the power were snuffed out I was one of the lucky few along with Midori to survive for this long.
In the wake of monsters like Sugawara no Michizane, I considered Gojo Satoru to be an opponent of similar standing.
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“Toji you monkey-brain, pay attention, we should be getting out of here! There's something up with this guy, he’s got an absurd amount of cursed energy...” Midori stated.
She was right, there was a thick bone chilling aura in the atmosphere that was seemingly limitless. Easily I shrugged it off, but for anyone with Cursed Energy it was probably akin to staring down death or the primal fear of being watched.
“That asshole has the Six Eyes. Considering the rough conditions were both in escape is almost impossible.” My voice hitched as I brainstormed exit strategies.
“Still on a second glance the old man looks like he’s wearing the College’s teacher uniform so maybe he’s actually on our side.”
Contrary to the saint-like image of a Buddha, Gojo Satoru was the worst, egotistical and shameless. Not a bad person per say but a questionable teacher with a horrible personality.
Likewise people would say similar things about me. It was a random thought to have but maybe in another life we could have been brothers.
“You're calling me an old man seriously? I’m the epitome of beauty!” Gojo sounded irked but he had a vicious grin. “Never thought I’d see you alive again but for the Sorcerer Killer to be masquerading as a student now that's on an ugly bastard level of pathetic!”
At the offending slander I grumbled. “Honestly all you deluded boomers are the same, jumping to conclusions. I carry around a student ID that disproves any of your claims so let’s just skip past the small talk.”
“I’m pretty sure you said you didn’t know this millennial aged weirdo!” Midori sighed with frustration. “So what exactly am I missing here?”
“Take a good look, I know it might sound crazy but I think we somehow got transported to another almost parallel universe or something.”
There were businessmen, tourists, and locals, etc that walked the streets. Together all the people composited together made up the whole nine yards.
She glanced around, but then once the realization sunk in Midori was mesmerized. “For once it seems you're right. Nothing’s gone to hell yet and Tokyo Tower is intact.”
A few harmless Curses even lurked in the shadows of pedestrians and buildings.
Meanwhile Gojo was a good for nothing eavesdropper. The obnoxious manchild even had the audacity to pick his nose while he listened in on our private conversation.
Once he was done feigning an innocent expression the strongest sorcerer had a blatant frown. “Now what to do with the fake misfits from another world? Take them into custody? Eliminate them like the higher ups would suggest? Or instead I could do this..!”
For someone as unpredictable as Gojo of course he would pop a domain expansion in broad daylight. Barely a second has passed since a hand sign was molded and the world engulfed. “Unlimited Void!”
Sure I was exhausted, but I was also prepared to go down without a fight. Rather that was a lie, for my real plan was to secure the safety of Midori and once again live to see another day.
However, friend or foe in the end I wasn’t sure how the situation was destined to go down.
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To be scrutinized under the weight of infinity in a space devoid of everything is a somewhat trivial feeling.
At best the most similar experience that I could compare it to is a wayward soul cycling through limbo. Even then at best such a vague comparison only led to an answer won by a strawman argument.
Midori was slightly shaken, it was hard for her to get a footing in a place that had no true sense of down or up. “Here we go again.” She said with a new found fortitude.
“Just because you're a walking paradox it won’t stop me from stabbing you.” I threatened Gojo with a vague nonchalance.
“You’ll have to get in line for that but it's not going to happen because I’m the strongest,'' he taunted. His words were self assured but there was a feeling of loss and anger to his statement.
Takes one to know one I guess, but unlike Gojo who kept the world afloat alone, the only thing I had left was my one and only.
Red Panda, or Red as per what Midori had taken to calling him, sat atop my shoulder. It was convenient to always have easy access to my stuff like a useless math textbook or a wallet.
However, the huge downside is that whatever I retrieve an item there's a small amount of Cursed mammal spit residue. A great deterrent for people not to touch the trash I’ve collected but kinda gross.
Still for me it was one of the unavoidable necessities of being a Sorcerer. My calloused hands were clammy from the lackluster expanse of infinity.
Anyway it was a spur of the moment thing so I ended up equipping the Playful Cloud Staff.
It wasn’t the strongest weapon I had like the sword Kusanagi, or even the Heaven Spear. Yet for now my aim was to simply test the waters.
Try as she might, Midori was unable to land any direct hits on Gojo. Meanwhile he treated the whole thing as if it were a game of tag.
When simplified her innate technique allows her to control shadows but once Midori told me there was more to it then that. She refracts Cursed Energy to pass through or trap any solid matter.
So for a moment Gojo was shackled down by his own shadow that wouldn’t otherwise be present within the infinite domain.
Therefore I took action and wacked him right on the head. Due to the shock of it all he looked like he was out cold only to get back up.
The weirdest part of it all, the thing Gojo did next was collapse his domain.
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Once again I found myself staring at the ever impressive blue sky that was a reprieve from a red painted one of the apocalypse.
“What kind of shitty M. Night Shyamalan twist was that?!” Midori’s anger broke the silence.
“I’d have to agree, that was like something out of the stupid Sixth Sense movie or whatever.” My tone was more tired than anything else.
“Haha… that’s almost something Megumi would say! C’mon all buy you some fancy tuna if you answer a few of my questions.” With a careless wave of his hand Gojo flashed a black credit card.
Midori scrunched her face in confusion before taking on a contemplative expression.
As if I would easily be swayed by something such as that. Since I was never disowned compared to my canon counterpart, I two also had access to similar big funds from the Zenin clan’s fortune.
However, considering the collapse of the economy due to the apocalypse it was kinda useless. Also to be thrown into another timeline would render any bank accounts I initially opened void.
“Free food is free food! Let’s just take up the offer, entertain a bit of small talk then bail.” Midori propositioned.
Although at the idea my stomach growled. It was forever ago since either of us had a real meal that wasn’t stale cereal foraged from an abandoned grocery store or rat meat from the subway.
“So that's it eh? Well if that's how it is, Fushiguro-chan make a binding vow with me!” Gojo winked.
“That can wait for later, lunch first then we'll talk.”
Midori interlaced her hand with mine in a protective manner. Gojo proceeded to lead the way to some stupid fancy restaurant.
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Sure the food was decent, if not a little elaborate but I could see myself going back there again in the near future.
In the corner Gojo made some sort of important phone call. Whether it was Nanami or Utahime I don’t know, but the person on the other end of the line sounded annoyed.
“For a clan kid you're super bad at using chopsticks!” Midori pinched my cheeks.
In petty retaliation I flicked her forehead. She giggled for a bit and elbowed my torso, I shook my head until I joined in with an equally boisterous cackle.
The last time we ever laughed like that was a long time ago so it was good to have another one of those moments again.
Red being the panda like creature that he was, munched on several sushi rolls as if it were bamboo.
It seemed that misfortunes aside, the future was starting to look up!
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Gojo’s newest idea of stirring up trouble within the Jujutsu community was to grant admission, or rather readmit me and Midori as students.
There was no skirting or hiding the issue of my weird reputation as the Sorcerer Killer. Soon enough the news would get out, the higher ups would have their uproar and maybe put out a death warrant as they always did.
However, such an order of execution would go nowhere.
Gojo cultivated the next generation with people like Yuta, and Megumi to be his trump cards. Somehow I and Midori reluctantly joined that list.
For the most part I was glad to go back to the Metropolitan High. Although I dreaded the Shibuya Incident or anything that had to do with another Heian era revitalization movement led by Curses.
At the same time the school was probably the only immediately secure place the two of us could take refuge. Better that than to stay at some sleazy love hotel or hole in the wall place for a night.
Perhaps the best feeling ever aside from drinking a fizzy carbonated drink is a change of fresh clothes and a shower.
I could see the dollar signs going through the roof. My new attire consisted of dark cargo pants, sneakers, and an undershirt plus a loose fitted jacket.
As for Midori, she opted to wear an oversized hoodie, with shorts and leggings. Meanwhile her medium beige hair was done up in two space buns.
“The era of skirts is over!” Midori proclaimed.
“Isn’t that the thing you loved to wear with your uniform at the beginning of first year?” I replied lamely.
“Well if it wasn’t for me you’d be dressing like your someone’s dad.”
Technically it was too late for that last one, but if I opened my mouth that would just open a whole can of worms I wasn’t ready to explain.
Then again she had always been the type to try out different styles whereas most days I just rolled out of bed.
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It was surreal, all the buildings still had the same traditional design. However, the difference being that it was lively and it seemed maintenance had recently been done.
The head office of Tokyo High was uncomfortable, but obviously there were worse places.
Yaga was a principal now, somebody that I used to know but not the exact person that me and Midori went to school with.
Gone were the late night weekends of bar hopping and bad karaoke. He’d be up on stage drunkenly singing as I challenged Midori to beer pong.
Somehow Kugisaki Sensei managed to locate us. Once in a while she used to join in but for the most part she gave out detentions.
There's nothing left to say other than it was nice while it lasted.
An indescribable amount of emotions ran through my head. Otherwise I managed to keep my face blank.
Meanwhile Midori’s face was curled tight in a forced smile.
“You let Sukuna’s Vessel live and now this?! I swear I’ve got one foot in the grave!” Principal Yaga shouted at Gojo.
“Hey, hey, hey It’ll be fine cause they're under my custody.” He simply shrugged.
On a lighter note, unsurprisingly Principal Yaga was intrigued by Red Panda, so the other Panda might have a rival for who’s the best panda.
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During the afternoon it was quiet, even the campus was empty besides the staff and a few teachers. Turns out that the other second years and first years were on a mission or something.
To most people it would be a waste of time but I decided to check all of the vending machines. The reason being I was in desperate need of a carbonated fix.
Besides one vending machine that was off the beaten path there was little to no ramune drinks. What a total and utter travesty!
Sure the school had a cafeteria but they always served the same food. My plan was to get a mini-fridge for my dorm and a trip to the local convenience store was probably in order.
“So this is where you went off too.” Midori remarked.
“Any thoughts about this all?” Hence in my petty over exaggerated defeat I sat slumped against a tree.
“Not really, more or less it's just going back to what we left behind.”
“True.” My reply was a nod. “If I close my eyes it feels like nothing’s changed at all.”
She handed me my favourite soda. “Here, take it.”
“Cheers to whatever! And thanks...” The giant smile across my face refused to go away.
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Sleep never came easy for me. It was never to the point of insomnia but during the nights I was wide awake I coped by taking sporadic naps throughout the day.
Rather than a monster that hides under the bed, it's the people I’ve failed to save, things I’ve done, and certain childhood memories that haunt my dreams.
Perhaps the brunt of it all was as a kid I was thrown into the Disciplinary Pit. A myriad of Curses were locked up there. Even if I had to crawl, I got out of that Hell alive.
Ironically, as I got older the decrepit space is where I’d go to train. Nonetheless, trauma aside it was all stuff I had mostly gotten over.
One stupid fact that I kinda laugh at is despite how classy the Zenin clan claims to be, the front of the main house looks a bathhouse.
Presently the only noise was a fan in my dorm room that whirled. Thus, I found myself staring up at the ceiling.
The time on my phone read 3:00 a.m in the morning, in a tired haze I wasn’t sure if it was super late or early. Red Panda was nowhere to be found but I had an inclination to where he was.
Upon grabbing my pillow I walked over to Midori’s door that was just across the hall.
“You too, Toji?” She glanced at Red Panda who was curled up soundly on the mattress. “Since you had the audacity to wake me I’m not letting you off the hook. C’mere.”
Wrapped up in blankets, falling asleep together happened effortlessly.
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When I woke up I was alone. Yet to my surprise Midori left behind a sticky note with a crudely drawn stick figure.
Oddily it held enough sentimental value that I pocketed it away for later.
It took some time for me to make myself look presentable, once that was done the two of us met up for breakfast.
“Enjoy the strawberry milk, I saved the last one for you.” Midori caught the carton that I tossed her way.
What to eat, miso soup? Rice? Ramen? Although I kinda had a craving for bacon and eggs, thus the latter option it was to that thought.
“I think those are the new students? It's weird because Gojo said they're both second years.” Itadori stated.
“Oi Megumi, that punk kinda makes the same stupid expressions as you!” Nobara replied.
Sometimes bold actions need to be taken, but making boring small talk was never one of my strong suits. So I opted to continue eating the food from my plate.
It seemed Midori was amused by how bad the failed first impressions went.
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